Murder Stories. The Body in Room 348 by Mark Bowden

Mark Bowden, a journalist and author, is best known for his books "Black Hawk Down" and "Killing Pablo," but he has also written a number of true crime articles. One of his most gripping pieces is "The Body in Room 348," which was published in The Atlantic in 1998. The article tells the story of a young woman who was murdered in a Florida hotel room, and the detective who was determined to solve the case.

The victim, a 26-year-old woman named Rosie Hill, had traveled to Florida with her boyfriend, a man named David Burns. They checked into Room 348 at the Budget Inn in Gainesville on December 6, 1992. The next morning, Burns left the hotel to buy cigarettes, leaving Hill behind. When he returned to the room, he found Hill dead, her throat slashed.

Detective Ray Barber, who had recently been promoted to the homicide division, was assigned to the case. Barber was known for his tenacity and his ability to solve difficult cases, but the investigation into Hill's murder would prove to be particularly challenging.

The crime scene was difficult to work with. There were no signs of forced entry, and no one in the hotel had seen or heard anything suspicious. The room itself was sparsely furnished, with only a bed, a table, and a few chairs. The killer had left no fingerprints, and there were no eyewitnesses.

Barber spent countless hours interviewing witnesses and poring over evidence, but the case remained unsolved. The only solid lead came from a man who claimed to have seen a suspicious vehicle parked outside the hotel on the night of the murder. The vehicle was a white van, and the man said he saw someone loading something heavy into it.

Barber became obsessed with finding the van. He drove around Gainesville, searching for any vehicle that matched the description. He talked to mechanics, scrap metal dealers, and anyone else who might have seen the van. He even put up flyers with a sketch of the van, hoping that someone would recognize it.

Months passed, and the case grew cold. But Barber never gave up. Finally, in October of 1993, he received a tip that led him to a suspect. The man's name was Edward Humphrey, and he had a history of mental illness. Barber discovered that Humphrey had been living in the area at the time of the murder, and that he had a white van that matched the description of the suspicious vehicle.

Barber arrested Humphrey, and the case went to trial. But the trial was anything but straightforward. Humphrey's defense team argued that he was not capable of committing the murder, due to his mental illness. They also pointed to the lack of physical evidence linking him to the crime.

The trial lasted for months, and the jury ultimately could not reach a verdict. The case was declared a mistrial, and Humphrey was released. Barber was devastated. He felt that he had failed Hill and her family.

But Barber never gave up. He continued to investigate the case, and in 2001, he received a break. DNA evidence linked Humphrey to the crime scene, and he was arrested once again. This time, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

"The Body in Room 348" is a gripping and haunting tale of a murder investigation that spanned years. It is a testament to the determination and perseverance of Detective Ray Barber, who never gave up on the case. The article is a reminder that even the most difficult cases can be solved with the right combination of diligence and determination.