The Curious Case of C.C.

Andrea Forbes was found murdered in her North Florence apartment in January 2017. Police investigators have been mum on many of the details in this case, as well as any motive. Private citizens have been more talkative.

It was no secret that Andrea had moved to this area after her boyfriend arrived. Both were said to be drug users. While trained as a welder, Andrea wasn't working at the time of her murder. Friends reported to us that her supplier was her boyfriend...who was in jail at the time of her death. Did a drug dealer kill Andrea? It's certainly a likely scenario that we're sure the FPD has investigated.

One of Andrea's boyfriend's best pals was a man we'll call C.C. The weekend that Andrea was murdered, C.C.'s grandmother reported him missing. After around three days, C.C. returned to his usual haunts. Periodically, C.C.'s name has appeared in arrest reports. According to one of our contacts at the FPD, C.C. is very well known to them.

Around ten days ago, C.C. was arrested in Florence on charges of public intoxication and later released. There were no outstanding warrants on which to hold C.C. Details get muddy at this point, but approximately three days ago there were reports that C.C. was found on Pine Street incapacitated due to a suicide attempt. Yes, C.C. was a very unhappy man, and the why and wherefore is extremely interesting.

By yesterday afternoon, C.C. was walking in a residential neighborhood off Pine Street when he spotted a woman sitting outside her home. He stopped and asked if he could sit on one of the lawn chairs to tie his shoelace. The unwitting woman replied in the affirmative, and C.C. sat...and sat...and sat. He showed no signs of leaving as he told her first that he was coming down off some meth. The woman, much too trusting in our opinion and not knowing who he was, went into her home and returned with a beer for her guest.

C.C. began to talk, much of his conversation revolving around guilt. He first mentioned Andrea, but the woman thought little of it. C.C. continued down Memory Lane, and the unwitting hostess began to feel the first pangs of unease. As C.C.'s story meandered, he then dropped his bombshell: His best friend had been Jose' D'Leon, the young man murdered on Wood Avenue about two months ago.

Had Jose' indeed been C.C.'s best friend? We have no idea, but the woman was now nearing panic mode. She excused herself for a few minutes and once inside her home had someone call police. 

Now our informant states the officer who responded to the call offered to arrest C.C. on charges of Public Intoxication or to take him to a local hospital for a mental evaluation. Assuming our friend at the FPD is correct, why wasn't C.C. evaluated when he allegedly attempted suicide two days before?

The unwilling hostess told the officer that she preferred for C.C. to be taken in for an evaluation. Was he? He wasn't listed earlier today as being a guest at our local Gray Bar Hilton. Perhaps more importantly, did he really know Jose' D'Leon, and have local investigators spoken to him about the case?

Hmmm. C.C. - Apparently it stands for curiouser and curiouser...