For CMP 2010-02, an adventure called "Copycat Killer?", I needed to define exactly what was going on with the Mayan Cutter. The adventure was a Convention only adventure, though there are loose plans to release it at some point early in 2011 as a PDF product. Not entirely sure yet what the plan there is.
I uploaded a copy of the Knight Errant Case File handout from teh adeventure for people to look over here:
http://bull.dumpshock.com/Mayan_Cutter_Report.pdf//archive/KnightErrent/Athack/Casefile: Mayan Cutter
Case File: KE-381-77234-H78
Subject: MAYAN CUTTER, FINAL REPORT
Filed By: Detective Theodore Athack
Date: 02.04.72
The first identified victim of Jose Martine, dubbed the “Mayan Cutter” by the press, was discovered in Tacoma on 11.13.69. The victim was a homeless Caucasian male elf (see case file KE-381-77234-A01) who frequented
the docks. The killing was kept quiet by Lone Star, and early reports were filed away as low priority and not followed up on, due to the victim’s lack of SIN.
The modus operandi of the murder is the same stylized, ritualistic killing that the cutter became famous for within a few months. The victim was sedated with a neurotoxin that paralyzed them, but left them awake. The killer then would begin cutting them, presumably using a very sharp blade made of obsidian. The cuts made were likely painful and deep, but not life threatening by themselves. They formed a pattern across the victim’s torso, throat, arms, and upper thighs. Later victims were all found with an identical pattern carved into them. The victim was then let to bleed out before being hung up somewhere public near the original murder. There were never any witnesses, nor any recorded evidence of the murder found.
Microscopic fragments of obsidian (see evidence files KE-3181-77234-006 through -048) were found inside the wounds of the 6th victim and each subsequent victim, and though this was not discovered during the autopsies of the earlier victims, it was easy to overlook and Lone Star was not performing the most thorough examinations at that point. Each of the early victims were SINless, and thus cremated, so was impossible to verify that the obsidian blade had been used.
The first twelve verified murders were all SINless, with 11 of the victims being metahuman. The first SINner killed by Martine was discovered on 06.23.70, the 13th victim to be discovered. The press found out about the murders shortly after, and on 07.19.70, KSAF released the first news report about the killings and dubbed the killer the “Mayan Cutter”, speculating that the killings were part of some magic ritual or cult killing, due to passing similarities to designs found a few Mayan Temples. No connection to rituals or cults was ever confirmed. Most of the victims were metahuman, with the majority being SINless.
The killing continued for over two years, and despite mounting pressure from the public Lone Star was unable to track down Martine. When Knight Errant was awarded the Seattle Contract in January of 2072, one of our primary directives was to find and stop Martine. A Special Crimes task force was formed, headed up by myself. There were three more deaths during January, bringing the confirmed kill count to 48, with almost 20 more deaths and missing persons suspected to be linked.
On 02.02.72 we managed to track down a talismonger that specialized in unusual ritual materials, who had sold a number of obsidian knives that matched our murder weapon (see case file KE-3376-78203-B35). Following the payment trail led us through two different false trails, and eventually let us identify the killer as Jose Martine, a disgruntled former Aztechnology factory worker who had been laid off several years ago and who our forensic psychologist believes blamed cheaper metahuman labor for his layoff.
We traced Martine’s location to the Puyallup Barrens and found him finishing up his final murder (see case file KE-3181-77234-A48). He attempted to flee, and during pursuit opened fire on our officers, who returned fire. Jose Martine was pronounced D.O.A. at Seattle General shortly after. Searching Martine’s apartment, we found a number of obsidian knives that had traces of blood on them as well as clothing with traces of DNA. The blood and other DNA matched up to several of the Mayan Cutter’s victims.
