The Glass House
Case #001
Victor Samara, 62, award-winning architect, was found dead at the bottom of the cantilevered staircase in his own showcase residence — a modernist glass house outside Portland, Oregon. Cause of death: cervical fracture consistent with a backward fall. His blood alcohol was 0.19. Initial assessment: an intoxicated man fell down his own stairs. Case was nearly closed as accidental death.
Two details reopened it. First: bruising on Victor's right forearm and wrist, pre-mortem, inconsistent with the fall. Second: a broken wine glass was found at the top of the staircase landing, not at the bottom — suggesting someone else was with him when he fell. Victor's business partner, Dominic Pratt, 58, was in the house that evening. Pratt is the one who called 911 at 11:56 PM. Three days before Victor's death, his attorney drafted a letter dissolving the Samara-Pratt partnership — Pratt stood to lose over $2 million in equity.
You are interviewing Yelena Samara, Victor's wife. She claims she was in the bedroom when she heard the fall. Phone records show Dominic Pratt called her mobile at 11:42 PM — fourteen minutes before calling 911.
Evidence
Autopsy Summary
Victor Samara, M, 62. COD: cervical fracture, backward fall from height (estimated 14 stairs). BAC 0.19. Pre-mortem bruising on right forearm and wrist — grip pattern, not impact. Not consistent with the fall itself.
Scene Forensics — Staircase Landing
Broken wine glass and red wine residue found on the fourth-floor landing, top of the staircase. Scuff marks on landing tile consistent with two people in close proximity. No wine glass or residue found at the base of the stairs where the body was recovered.
Phone Records — Night of Feb 22
Dominic Pratt called Yelena Samara's mobile at 11:42 PM. Call duration: 6 seconds. Yelena's phone connected to the home WiFi at the time of the call. Pratt called 911 at 11:56 PM — 14 minutes later. No other calls from the residence between 11:42 PM and 11:56 PM.
Partnership Dissolution Letter (Draft)
Letter from Victor Samara's attorney to Dominic Pratt, dated February 19 (3 days before death): 'My client wishes to dissolve the partnership effective immediately. Mr. Pratt's equity share is in dispute and will be subject to independent valuation.' Estimated disputed amount: $2.1M.
Questions remaining
10
of 10
She is already seated when you enter, hands folded on the table, perfectly still. She is wearing a long-sleeved silk blouse despite the warm room. When you pull out your chair, her eyes track the movement — a fraction too fast, a fraction too watchful — before she returns her gaze to the middle distance. She looks like someone who has spent years learning how to take up less space.