Small Town Sheriff Relieved FBI Taking Over High Profile Murder Case

ALPINE, TX — Breathing a huge sigh of relief while removing his cowboy hat to dry his sweat-soaked brow, Alpine sheriff Small Town SheriffJed Halpert gladly stepped aside to let the FBI take the reins on the double murder case that rattled the sleepy west Texas town last Monday night. “I tell ya, the moment I saw them black SUVs roll up and those stuffy suits come out wavin’ their badges I knew I was off the hook,” says Halpert as he cracks open a Coors Light. “They says it’s their jurisdiction now and I ain’t gonna argue with that.” The suspicious double murder of Carmen Salazar and Teddy Almeda had all the hallmarks of a long, complicated, and dangerous investigation that would undoubtedly take unexpected turns and, in the process, reveal a darker side to the small town than anyone would have believed possible. “On the surface it looked like any reg’lar bash ’n dash, but once I dug a little bit deeper I could see that things just didn’t quite add up,” recalls Halpert. The bizarre placement of the bodies, an unusual tattoo on one of the victims, and a key to an unknown location found at the scene, made it clear to Halpert that he and his officers were looking at double shifts, weekends, and more overtime than the force could afford. “I was exhausted just thinkin’ ‘bout all the extra work,” says Halpert, “not to mention the unforeseen emotional trauma from having to confront all the demons, both real and met’phor’cal, as I plunged headlong into the spiraling madness of the world and, by association, my very own soul.” Marcus Stone, a young, ruggedly-handsome FBI agent with a chip on his shoulder and a mysterious past, will be taking point on the case.