I think there have probably been alot of sleuths eating pineapple, we know there have been scientists applying pain-killers and stun guns to pigs but I don't know of one single, solitary procedure that has ever been attempted to analyze the surface transit of a roll of duct tape from Hickory, NC to the retail shelves of Colorado.

Tape, of a different type, was on a painting and was traced to the local framing studio.

Tape of the same type was not found on any item at all. Nor is there any indication that the tape was indeed actually available on a merchant's shelf on December 24th, 1996.

Now we can all have "opinions" about 'normal and customary' business practices (or should I have said bussiness practices?). But I don't see how something gets from rural North Carolina to a distributor then a retailer's stockroom and then a retailer's shelves and then gets purchased all in eight weeks when during a Christmas shopping season merchants are more concerned with 'high ticket' items.

Ain't nobody looked over invoices and figured things out? If someone had a special order during that time how long did it infact take for the tape to actually reach them? Oh sure, I guess anyone could hop into a truck and drive from North Carolina to Colorado in a day, perhaps two, but merchandise tends to travel less swiftly.

I am concerned about the normal and routine shipping times. I do not classify 'duct tape' or 'multi-filament tape' as much of a priority item during the Christmas season. It is not really used for gift wrapping you know! It ain't festive, not at all! Its not some high profit margin item that a merchant would really pay attention to during a busy season. Tape goes to a distributors warehouse then a retailers warehouse or stock room and then to the retailers shelves.

Sure, lettuce gets from California to New York City's wholesale markets real fast. The train is called "The Salad Express" and cargo is afterall perishable. Yet this is a special item and the cargo is worth millions.

My actions would be to see how long 'special orders' took to be filled at the time. How long it took for routine orders to reach Colorado. If the normal distribution time, although variable, is as long as I assume it to be, then we have a strange situation that just might narrow the field quite a bit.