When Alfred Wright, 28, was found face-down in the woods a mile-and-a-half from his broken-down truck, an initial autopsy ruled an 'overdose' as his cause of death. A second autopsy showed the body missing an ear, tongue and with a throat that appeared to have been slashed. His family, understandably, are refusing to accept the initial ruling, but what really happened in this strange case?
"To know him was to love him." says his wife, Lauren Wright.
Known as a kind, gentle, patient and loving father, husband and son, Alfred Wright was a physical therapist, driving to treat a patient, when his truck broke down near a convenience store, where he called his wife for help.
"He said he was having truck problems, and that somebody needed to come get him," says Lauren.
His parents left to pick him up, and Lauren called him back to let him know.
"That's when I heard the heavy breathing, the respiratory distress of some kind," remembers Lauren. "It was very heavy breathing and, you know, I just sensed that something wasn't right."
When his parents arrived to pick him up, they found only his empty truck. The Sabine Country Sherriff's Office conducted a search, but after four days it was called off. His family and friends, however, continued to search for him ,combing every area of woodland near the place he was last seen.
Alfred's body was found on a miserable, cold, wet day, face down in a wooded area about a mile-and-a-half from his empty truck. Testing on the body showed huge amounts of meth, cocaine and amphetamines in his system, but his family were skeptical; Alfred had never been a drug user, and besides, how had me managed to drive and coherently call with enough drugs in his system to kill him?
It was a second autopsy, ordered by the family, that showed signs of mutilation.
"I think we all question the motives," says Lauren. "Do they know something we don't? Are the authorities trying to cover up for someone?"
This week, the Feds will move in to take over the case. Calls to the county sheriff office and Texas ranger were not returned.
Like something straight out a TV show, isn't it?
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
