Page 3 - The Investigation
P. 3
tHE
Investigation
INE days ago, during the night of a sudden became a possible suspect, and the wreckage
summer thunderstorm, the Mondelo was thoroughly processed. The scene was
Nfamily car went over the side of Backbone substantially disturbed and some evidence was
Mountain and caught fire on impact. Three bodies undoubtedly lost. However, upon retracing the
were found in the wreckage; an adult woman, a path of the vehicle, investigators found several
teenage male, and a female child. All were burned pieces of broken glass lying in the roadway.
beyond recognition. The three victims were Becoming increasingly more suspicious of foul
identified as Louise Mondelo and her children, play, the broken glass fragments were packaged
Wally and Jan, by personal effects that survived and retained. In addition, investigators cut and
the fire. removed a section of charred carpet from the
vehicle for further laboratory analysis. The bodies,
Pictures of the scene were recorded but, due to as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, were
the rainstorm, the crash was initially believed to kept in the county morgue.
be simply a tragic accident and was not treated
as a crime scene. When Lyle Mondelo could not The small town of Highland Park was shocked,
be reached and was found to be missing, he since nothing this terrible had ever happened in the
THE MYSTERY OF LYLE AND LOUISE 3
