Christa Worthington
BY Rachael Bell
"Mommy Fell Down"
Map of Massachusetts with Truro locator
The quaint little town of Truro, Massachusetts, is in many ways representative of the "Old Cape Cod," where
fishing is still a way of life and the community of about 1,600 remains closely knit. The town's charm and its
naturally rugged beauty is the very thing that lures thousands of affluent city dwellers to the area during the
summer months. Truro is a place where people go to escape the grind of city life. Few could imagine anything
really horrible happening in such an idyllic place. However, on January 26, 2002, perceptions were drastically
altered. That�Saturday at around 4:30 p.m., children's book author Tim Arnold, 45, and his father, Bob Arnold,
drove next door to their neighbor's secluded bungalow on Depot Road. Tim was hoping that his former girlfriend,
Christa Worthington, 46, would be home, because he wanted to return a flashlight he borrowed from her. When
he approached the house, he immediately noticed that something was terribly wrong.
Christa Worthington
The door to the house looked as if someone had broken in. He peered into the house to get a closer look. To
Tim's horror, he saw Christa lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor with her 2 1/2 year-old daughter, Ava,
crying and clinging to her body.
Ava must have been relieved to see Tim, because she quickly reached up for him. According to Tim, the little girl
told him that her "Mommy fell down," Thomas Fields-Meyer and Jennifer Longley reported in People.
Ava Worthington
Even though Ava was in shock and covered in her mother's blood, she was physically unhurt. But her mother was
dead.
Tim took Ava outside to the car, where his father was waiting. Hoping to spare her further trauma, Tim spelled out
to his father that he thought Christa was "d-e-a-d," Susan Schindehette Anne Driscoll and Jennifer Longley
reported in People. Still reeling in disbelief, Tim called the police and informed them of his grisly find.
Worthington's Cottage
It didn't take long for the authorities to converge on the scene. Detectives quickly realized that Christa's death was
not the result of an accident. She was brutally murdered.�
Christa's death sent shock waves throughout the community, which quickly reverberated across the nation. Many
couldn't believe that anyone could be so evil as to murder someone, especially in front of her own child. An
investigation was quickly launched in the hopes of finding out precisely what happened to Christa and who killed
her. It would be another three years before the truth was revealed
Christa
From early on, Christa was determined to make her mark in the world. She was ambitious, creative and highly
intelligent. She came by in honestly. Her mother, Gloria, was a talented painter and her father, Christopher
("Toppy"), was a former assistant attorney general of Massachusetts and a prosecutor.��
During her childhood, Christa lived with her family in Hingham, but every summer, they would flee to Truro, where
they had a cottage. Christa had a special place in her heart for the town. But it would be a while before she would
spend any significant length of time there. She had places to go and things to do.
After high school, she attended Vassar College, where she studied English. She graduated with honors in 1977
and immediately embarked on a career as an editor for Cosmopolitan in Manhattan before landing a job at
Woman's Wear Daily (WWD). Christa was later "sent to Paris at the age of 26 as a fashion reporter for sister
publication W magazine," where her social life was thrown into high gear, Vanessa Grigoriadis reported in a
Cosmopolitan article. According to the report, Christa was "invited to many big events, from polo matches to
fashion shows to formal balls thrown by European royalty and she immersed herself in her work." Soon she
earned a position as acting bureau chief at W during the 1980s but she didn't stay there long.�
Christa Worthington in New York
Christa moved to London, where she began to work as a freelance journalist for The Independent of London. She
eventually moved back to Manhattan and wrote celebrity profiles and fashion articles for such publications as
Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, writing celebrity profiles and
fashion articles. Christa's career had soared to new heights, but she was not content in her personal life.
Christa longed to have children, but she was nearing her late 30s and was unmarried. She decided not to wait for
"Mr. Right" and instead tried to get pregnant by artificial insemination. It didn't turn out to be as easy as she
thought. In fact, she learned from doctors that she was infertile, which was a devastating blow to her.
At around the same time, Christa learned that her mother was dying of cancer. She immediately took leave from
her job and moved to Hingham to take care of her. Not long after she moved, she heard some more disturbing
news.
Christa Worthington, younger
Christa discovered that her father was having an affair with a woman almost half a century his junior.
Cosmopolitan reporter Vanessa Grigoriadis quoted a friend of Christa's who said, "Even though things between
her parents had long ago become something like a separation where the couple still lives together, Christa saw
her dad's affair as a betrayal." The article further stated that she decided to take some distance from the situation
by moving to her deceased grandmother's home in Truro. It was a choice that would have life-altering
consequences.
Relationships
Not long after her move to Truro, Christa began a relationship with a shellfish constable and married father of six,
Tony Jackett, 51. The affair lasted off and on for around two years. Then, in 1998, what Christa would later
describe as "a miracle" happened: She learned that she was pregnant.
When Tony was informed about the pregnancy, he was deeply concerned that it would spell doom for his
marriage. An article by Franci Richardson in the Boston Herald quoted Tony, who said, "I wasn't looking to end
my marriage but I am human. It was her choice to have the baby." Consequently, he ended his relationship with
Christa.
Tony Jackett
Not long afterwards, Christa became involved with Tim Arnold. Tim was quoted in the Boston Herald saying that
he thought she was "really intelligent and sometimes caustic and quick and wittyjust really full of life." However,
the relationship did not last, because Christa believed they were incompatible. They remained good friends.
Tragedy struck in May 1999, when Christa's mother died after a long battle with colon cancer. Four� days later,
Christa gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that she named Ava Gloria S. Worthington, after her deceased mother. It
was a bittersweet time that in many ways marked a new phase in Christa's life.
After her mother's death and Ava's birth, Christa decided not to return to Manhattan but instead to stay in Truro.
She had just inherited a house there and money from a trust fund, which made her less dependent on work and
able to spend more time with the baby.
Christa & Ava at the beach
David Usborne of the Independent said that "friends thought that Christa had truly found contentment in Truro,
staying home with her little girl and watching the seasons pass from the small windows of her wood-shingled
bungalow." Christa's happy life would come to an abrupt end just a couple of years later. Her death would spark
an investigation, which would eventually involve a list of suspects ranging from the mistress of Christa's father to
Tim Arnold and Tony Jackett
The Investigation
The medical examiner determined that Christa died from a single stab wound to the heart. Defensive wounds on
her body, such as trauma to the head and abrasions to the arms and legs, also indicated a struggle. Most
importantly, there was clear evidence that Christa had sexual intercourse� before her death. Investigators
collected DNA samples from her body hoping to find out the identity of her killer. Michael Iacuessa of the
Provincetown Banner stated in an article that several items were missing from her house, including a wireless
Panasonic phone, ID and credit cards. Her purse and car keys were found in the driveway.
It is not clear if Ava witnessed the murder or was elsewhere in the house when it happened. What is certain is that
she was on her own for around 24-36 hours, the length of time between Christa's death and the discovery of her
body. During that time, the 2 1/2 year-old was able to sustain herself by suckling from her mother's corpse and
eating cereal, which she found in the cupboard, Harriet Ryan wrote in a Court TV article. Ryan also said that at
some point, Ava, too young to understand her mother's condition, "tried to revive her mother with a drink from her
sippy cup."
Police Reward Poster
Realizing that there was little evidence to work on, investigators began interviewing those who knew Christa
hoping to find new information that might provide more insight into her death. The police were especially
interested in conducting interviews with Elizabeth Porter (the mistress of Christa's father), Tony Jackett and Tim
Arnold. What investigators discovered was a series of complex relationships that put some of the individuals in a
more questionable light.
Maria Flook
Cape Cod District Attorney Michael O'Keefe was quoted in Maria Flook's book "Invisible Eden: A Story of Love
and Murder on Cape Cod," as saying that Christa was "an equal opportunity employer. She'd (expletive) the
husbands of her female friends. The butcher or the banker." The remark outraged Christa's family. Nonetheless, it
became increasingly clear that there were a lot of people who knew Christa that could have had motive to kill her.
Whether any of them actually did was another question, one that the police had yet to answer.
Book cover: Invisible Eden: A Story of Love and Murder on Cape Cod
Persons of Interest
One of the first to be questioned by police was Tony Jackett because his relationship with Christa could have
destroyed his marriage, which investigators believed was a motive to kill. Also, Christa was trying to obtain child
support from him that could have put a considerable financial strain on his family.
Truro police patch
But Tony repeatedly denied having anything to do with the murder and explained to police that his wife already
knew about the affair at the time of Christa's death and had forgiven him. Moreover, he was willing to formalize
the parenting agreement, meaning that he recognized Ava as his daughter and was willing to provide child
support, Harriet Ryan reported. But, the main thing that vindicated Tony was the fact that his DNA didn't match
that taken from the crime scene.
Once Tony was no longer a person of interest, investigators then turned their attention to Tim. He was likely
suspected because he once dated Christa and even lived with her briefly before she ended the relationship. The
break-up could have been seen as motive enough to kill. According to Richardson, Tim also had brain surgery
shortly before the murder, which could have caused investigators to question if he was mentally stable at that
time.��
Tim, who professed his innocence from the beginning, was keenly aware that he was a key suspect in the murder
case and was deeply troubled about it. Richardson stated that Tim was so distressed by the investigation and the
murder of his friend that he even contemplated suicide, resulting in his being hospitalized for a brief period. It was
a relief when investigators learned that his DNA didn't match the DNA obtained from the crime scene.
Police also had their eye on was Elizabeth Porter, 29, the girlfriend of Christa's father. Elizabeth was a known
heroin addict. Christa believed she was sponging money off her father, Jessica Heslam reported in the Boston
Herald. One theory is that Elizabeth could have been manipulating Christa's father, who was co-executor of the
estate and trust fund his daughter was to inherit, in order to get the money for herself, United Press International
suggested. If so, it could have been a motive enough to kill.
Elizabeth Porter
Elizabeth also caught investigators' attention because she had been previously linked to another murder case a
little more than a year before Christa's death. At one point, Elizabeth had offered sexual services to Dirk
Greineder, a Boston allergist, who was later convicted of killing his wife. Elizabeth was a key witness at the trial
but was never implicated in the actual murder.�
Dr. Dirk Greineder
Even though Elizabeth had a troubled background, investigators in Christa's case just couldn't find enough
evidence to link her to the murder. The fact that the evidence found at the crime scene suggested a male attacker
eventually led to Elizabeth's exclusion as a suspect. Thus, investigators were forced to look elsewhere. One of the
places they hoped to find answers was in the state crime laboratory in Sudbury, where DNA samples were sent
and processed.
DNA Match!
DNA swab samples
Three years after Christa's murder, investigators decided to take drastic measures. They collected swab samples
of as many Truro men as possible, hoping that they would find a genetic match with the evidence found at the
crime scene. Hundreds of men volunteered to help out in the case by offering their DNA, but many also refused
because the sample collection was not mandatory.
Some of the area residents argued that the entire process of collecting swabs was unnecessary, since it was
unlikely that the murderer would willingly volunteer evidence that would later implicate him. Furthermore, the
crime lab had not yet finished processing all of the DNA samples taken from the original suspects because their
resources were overtaxed and they had not enough time to examine them. Thus, it made little sense to
overburden them even more with hundreds of new samples. It was clear that the state was desperate to show
that they were still working hard on the case and trying to find the killer, regardless of how irrational some found
their methodology to be.
After all the fuss, the crime lab never got a chance to process the new samples. Surprisingly, an earlier sample
obtained in March 2004 turned out to be a genetic match with semen collected at the crime scene. It was the big
break investigators were hoping for in a three-year-long investigation. The man who voluntarily provided the
police with the DNA sample was identified as Christopher M. McCowen, 33, a garbage collector, who worked in
Christa's neighborhood at around the time of her death.
Christopher McCowen
CBS correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi reported that investigators were interested in testing McCowen because he
"had a lengthy criminal record." His previous record included several restraining orders on Cape Cod involving
five women and he had even served time in a Florida prison for a variety of other offenses, the Hartford Courant
reported. Some of those offenses included car theft and burglary.
As more facts emerged, investigators discovered�that three years before McCowen gave the sample, he was
actually interviewed by police concerning the crime. However, he didn't provide a DNA sample then and managed
to elude police by moving frequently within a two-year period, the Associated Press reported. The police finally
caught up with him and were able to finally obtain his DNA, but it took another year for the sample to be
processed and matched to that taken from Christa.
On April 14, 2005, the police arrested McCowen at his home in Hyannis. He was charged with first-degree
murder, aggravated rape and armed assault. The Associated Press quoted Michael O'Keefe, who said that
"investigators certainly have a motive," although they refuse to state what it is. McCowen, who pleaded innocent
to the charges in Orleans District Court, was held without bail.
It is not clear when the case will go to trial, but in the meantime, Christa's family refuses to sit back and wait. They
are currently in the process of suing McCowen and Cape Cod Disposal Co. for $10 million for employing
McCowen even though he had a criminal record, the Associated Press reported in a May 2005 article. The report
suggested that compensation, if awarded, would likely go to Ava
Arrested
McCowen in custody
On April 14, 2005, the police arrested McCowen at his home in Hyannis. He was then charged with first-degree
murder, aggravated rape and armed assault. The Associated Press quoted District Attorney Michael O'Keefe,
who said that investigators had a motive. Initially, investigators refused to disclose what McCowen's motive was
or any related information obtained during his nearly seven-hour long interrogation by troopers. However, when
the information blockade was eventually removed, what was revealed did more to confuse than clarify the events
surrounding McCowen's alleged role in the murder.
DA Michael O'Keefe
During the first part of his interrogation, McCowen said that he never met Christa or visited her house, except to
pick up garbage on his regular route. Then, when further interviewed by Trooper Christopher Mason, McCowen's
story began to change. Harriet Ryan of Court TV reported that "the turning point of the interview came when he
handed the suspect a state crime laboratory report matching his DNA to semen and saliva found on the victim's
body," which prompted McCowen to admit that "it could have been me."�
Ryan reported that during McCowen's interrogation, he "offered eight increasingly incriminating versions of the
crime," most of which included his having had consensual sex with Christa, which he described in great detail.
Even though his story changed significantly throughout the interview, he was consistent in one thing that the
murderer was not he, but purported drug dealer and friend Jeremy Frazier. During a pre-trial hearing, McCowen
stuck to his story and pleaded innocent to the charges against him. He was held without bail while awaiting trial.
Even though it would take more than a year before the case against McCowan would go to trial, Christa's family
refused to sit back and wait. Soon after his arrest, the family began a lawsuit against Cape Cod Disposal Co. for
$10 million, for employing McCowen even though he had a criminal record. An Associated Press report
suggested that compensation, if awarded, would likely go to Ava
At Trial
The McCowen murder trial began at the Barnstable Superior Court of Massachusetts on October 18, 2006, and
was presided over by Justice Gary Nickerson. The trial kicked off with opening statements made by lead
prosecutor and Assistant District Attorney Robert Welsh III, who stated that he would prove that McCowen was
the sole perpetrator in the rape and murder of Christa in January 2002. The prosecution contended that the DNA
match recovered from the crime scene, along with McCowen's confession to police of having had sex with Christa
before beating her up, was enough evidence to implicate him in the murder.
Christopher McCowen
However, the defense team led by attorney Robert George claimed during opening statements that racial
prejudice and a 'botched' investigation led to the "unjust" arrest of McCowen who was one in a long line of men
suspected of having been involved in Christa's murder. The defense team claimed that "the murder scene was
compromised by the large number of responders who trampled over the scene, that investigators refused to
consider the possibility that McCowen, a black garbage hauler, had a consensual sexual relationship with the
white, Vassar-educated victim�which could explain the McCowen DNA at the scene and that McCowen had
been coerced into making a damaging statement to police on the night of his arrest," the Cape Cod Times
reported. Moreover, they stated that McCowen's statements made during his interrogation should be discounted
because he was mentally unable to understand the severity of the situation, due to his low IQ of 78 and the fact
that he was under the influence of prescription painkillers and marijuana during the interview.
One of the first witnesses to take the stand during the opening of the trial was Christa's cousin, Jan Worthington,
54, the first rescue worker to respond to the 911 call. She said in her testimony that when she arrived at the
scene, she was shocked to find Christa dead on the floor between the kitchen and the hallway of her home. She
claimed that she immediately surmised that the death was a homicide, prompting her to call for back-up.
While Jan was on the stand, the defense team questioned her about the crime scene and whether she may have
disturbed evidence.� There were contradictory reports made by Jan: at one time she told a reporter that she
touched Christa's body to feel a pulse and an even earlier admission made to police where she said she "'freaked
out' upon seeing the body and never touched or even approached it," Ryan reported. Jan claimed that the
accurate version of events was that given to a reporter, an account which had been filmed for an HBO
documentary in which she was also professionally involved.
The credibility of Jan's testimony was called into question because of the deal she struck up with HBO, who was
filming the court proceedings, and Lifetime, that covered the murder in a documentary and teleplay. Jan claimed
to be netting close to $60,000. The defense argued that she was exploiting her cousin by profiting from her
murder. Even though Jan admitted to profiting, she said that she was mainly trying to protect Christa's image,
Ryan reported.
On the Stand
Tim Arnold, Christa's ex-boyfriend, also took the stand early on in the trial and described the scene as he first saw
it upon entering Christa's house on the day in question. He talked about the mental stress he endured after finding
her body and after being named as a main suspect in the murder case, which eventually led to a suicide attempt
and his admittance to a psychiatric hospital. He claimed that he was repeatedly questioned by investigators, but
adamantly denied having any involvement in her death. Ryan reported that the defense team tried to "draw
parallels" between Arnold's interrogation, where he was outright blamed for the murder, and McCowen's sevenhour interrogation by the same two officers, who the defense suggested used coercive techniques to elicit a false
confession.
Reverting back to evidence that supported their argument that the crime scene was contaminated by first
responders, the defense team questioned paramedic Jeffrey Francis, who claimed that he and one of his coworkers moved Worthington's body in an attempt to resuscitate her. However, after realizing she was deceased,
they covered her body with a nearby blanket because she was nude and it was, as Francis said "a decency thing"
out of respect to the victim, Ryan reported. The defense suggested that by covering the body with the blanket,
from which DNA was later extracted, the first responders had compromised the crime scene and possibly
destroyed vital evidence. During the trial, the prosecution downplayed the possibility of first responders
contaminating the crime scene, suggesting that any disruption was minimal and did not detract from the fact that
McCowen's DNA was still found on the victim.�
The Unexpected
One of the most anticipated witnesses expected to take the stand during the trial was Ava, who was two at the
time of her mother's death and seven at the time of the trial. However, she would never take the stand. Instead,
jurors heard testimony from state police detective Kimberly Squire, who interviewed Ava shortly after she was
found unharmed and clinging to her mother's body. According to Squire, Ava likely never witnessed the murder. If
she had, there was a significant chance that her memory of the event would be deemed unreliable evidence
based on her age and the amount of time that passed between the murder and the trial.
Dr. Henry Nields
Into the second week of the trial, jurors heard more gruesome testimony from pathologist Dr. Henry Nields, who
testified about Christa's autopsy. He claimed that by the time the medical examiner began his investigation, she
has probably been dead for a day or a day and a half, and was unable to give a precise time of death. Nields told
jurors that Christa had defensive wounds on her hands and that she also had cuts and bruises on her torso and
face, as well as blunt force trauma to her head. The fatal blow was from a stab wound from a knife to her left lung
that was delivered with such force that the one-inch-wide blade that pierced her actually nicked the floor below
her, Ryan reported. Nields testified that because there was no evidence of trauma to Worthington's genitalia, it
was not certain whether a sexual assault took place, even though McCowen's sperm was found at the scene.
Even though McCowen's DNA had been discovered on and near Christa, interestingly enough, his fingerprints
were not, state police Lt. Monte Gilardi testified. "Of the nine finger and palm prints lifted from inside
Worthington's cluttered Truro home, from various items secured from the house, and from her car parked outside,
none were McCowen's," Hilary Russ of the Cape Cod Times reported. Moreover, none of the prints were found to
belong to the emergency responders who came to the house. Later testimony by DNA examiner Christine Lemire
revealed that Christa also had the DNA of at least three unidentified men under the fingernails of her right hand,
genetic profiles that also did not match McCowen's. The big question that many wondered about was whether
some of the DNA belonged to Frazier, the man who McCowen blamed for the murder, or someone else.
Twisted Tales
During his interrogation, McCowen provided troopers with contradicting accounts of what happened around the
time Christa was murdered. He said that he was intoxicated on the night of her death and couldn't remember
much that occurred, including whether or not he had sex with Christa. He later recanted and said that he did have
sex with her, although it was consensual. The man who interviewed McCowen after his arrest, state trooper
Christopher Mason told jurors that McCowen then began to describe how he and his friend Frazier drove from a
bar to Christa's house to have sex with her, even though he claimed earlier that he never knew her. McCowen
said that when he arrived at Christa's house, she willingly consented to sex with him but during that time, she
became fearful that Frazier "who had wandered into her home office, was stealing from her," Ryan reported. He
then claimed that after Christa confronted him, Frazier beat her up. In later testimony, McCowen admitted to also
beating Christa up and that at some point Frazier stabbed her. His story of Frazier murdering Christa was the only
account that remained consistent throughout his interview. Yet, was there evidence to back it up?
Christa Worthington
Based on the prominent role Frazier played in McCowen's testimony and the fact that DNA and handprints from
other men were obtained from the crime scene, it was not surprising that Frazier became a second person of
interest in the trial. In the hopes of finding out the truth of his involvement or lack thereof, Frazier was asked to
take the stand. During his much-anticipated testimony, Frazier claimed that he had no part in Christa's murder
and was at least thirteen miles away at the time it was alleged to have occurred.
According to Frazier, he was at a house party where he drank all night and brawled with a group of men before
going home with a friend to sleep off the alcohol. Several witnesses attested to seeing Frazier at the party and
driving home with his friend. McCowen was also seen at the party that night, although no one remembered seeing
him as the evening progressed. Frazier had an alibi. Moreover, the prints that were found at the scene of the
crime, as well as the DNA, did not match with Frazier's hand and fingerprints or his genetic profile. Interestingly,
the identities of those who left behind the prints and DNA at the crime scene remain unknown. Nevertheless, the
jury's focus landed back on McCowen, who was beyond doubt with Christa near or at the time of her murder.
The Decision
Several more witnesses testified before closing arguments were finally heard from both sides. The prosecution
once again contended that the evidence undeniably proved McCowen was the sole culprit in the murder. The
defense argued that the investigation was botched from the start and that a lot of evidence remained untested,
leaving the possibility that there may have been another person involved in the crime. Finally, on November 7,
2006, jurors deliberated on the case. After breaking through a temporary deadlock and the dismissal of one juror
for talking to her jailed boyfriend about the case during deliberations, a verdict had been reached.
Christa Worthington
On November 17, 2006, more than a week after deliberations began, the jury announced to the court that they
found McCowen "guilty" of robbery, rape and the first degree murder of Christa. Tears immediately sprung into
McCowen's eyes as other family members from McCowen's and Christa's family wept. Christa's cousin Mary said
in a statement, "This is about a little girl losing her mother in the most heinous way imaginable. It is about the loss
of a loving, vibrant woman. There will never be closure, because Christa is never coming back to us," Russ
reported.
McCowen had told the judge that he did not murder Christa although he felt "sorry for the victim's family," and that
he "never meant for this to ever take place." He was further quoted as saying, "Throughout this whole trial I sat
and would think to myself, 'Why me?...I am an innocent man in this case.' " McCowen was eventually sentenced
to life in prison with no parole at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction in Walpole,
Massachusetts. His lawyers are expected to launch an appeal for a retrial.
Christopher McCowen