Nearly five decades after thirteen-year-old Denise McGregor was murdered in 1978, technology has advanced — but evidence does not stand still.

Before any theories are tested, this part establishes the ground rules: what evidence from 1978 still exists in a form that can be trusted, what has been altered or lost with time, and where the limits of modern analysis now lie. 

We examine biological evidence, forensic reporting, crime-scene documentation, geography, witness memory, and administrative records. We explain what modern analytical tools, including AI, can responsibly contribute — and just as importantly, what they cannot.

This is not yet about suspects or solutions. It is about establishing what can safely support them — and what cannot.

Public information is powerful, but fragile. When handled carelessly, it can contaminate investigations and silence genuine insight.

This work establishes the constraints, boundaries, and evidentiary ground rules that will govern what comes next — ensuring that when plausible scenarios are tested, they are tested against evidence that can still bear weight.

Content note: This part discusses the murder of a child and references forensic and investigative material. No graphic descriptions are included.