PROLOGUE
Case Summary
Samantha Rose Patterson [aka Len Russell]
Adolescent female, age approximately fourteen, found alone and suffering serious injuries in the wreckage of a car near Wollomombi. Police contend Samantha’s father, suspected commercial marijuana grower Michael Patterson, was murdered by rival drug traffickers, although the body has not been found and no charges have yet been laid. Spent bullet casings, bloody clothing, and other signs of a violent altercation were found near the scene of the accident.
No identification was found in Samantha’s possession. Her birth seems never to have been registered, her name does not appear on Medicare records, and she is not enrolled at any school in New South Wales. Hospital staff called her ‘Len Russell’, a nickname that seems to suit her androgynous appearance and manner and with which she seems comfortable.
Samantha was positively identified after a police investigation led officers to the isolated logging town of Riggs Crossing, where a handful of local residents admitted knowing Samantha after being shown photos of her taken during her hospital recovery. The information gained from the people of Riggs Crossing about Samantha was sparse and grudgingly provided, fuelling the suspicion held by police that Samantha’s father was involved in criminal activities that led him to his violent death.
Samantha reacted badly when two social workers attempted to explain what police had learned about her identity and past, verbally abusing the caseworkers and exhibiting compulsive hand-washing behaviour over the next several days. As a result, it was decided to continue addressing Samantha as ‘Len Russell’ and allow her to recover her memories in her own time.
Samantha appears well-nourished and is recovering quickly from the injuries sustained in the auto accident. Nevertheless, she exhibits a confusing, even contradictory, range of physical and psychological symptoms with no clear etiology. Samantha claims not to remember anything prior to waking up in hospital. However, CAT and MRI scans show no evidence of concussion or brain damage sufficient to cause cognitive impairment or memory loss. The examining neurologist and psychiatrist agree that Samantha is either (1) suffering from hysterical amnesia following the emotional shock of her father’s violent death, or (2) refusing to discuss her past due to fears of reprisals from her father’s killers, or out of distrust of law enforcement and other authority figures.
Two months after the accident, Samantha underwent a range of psychometric tests. Samantha’s verbal ability, spatial visualisation, and mathematical reasoning skills were measured by a team consisting of a cognitive psychologist and a representative from the Department of Education. Samantha cooperated fully and seemed to enjoy the testing process. Results indicate that Samantha’s intelligence is in the top ten per cent of the population.
Samantha’s emotional health is less easy to determine. She presents as a well-spoken but reserved teenager who appears most comfortable dealing with adults in structured, formal situations. Samantha, during her stay in hospital, was observed avoiding interactions with patients her own age. When such encounters were unavoidable, Samantha behaved in a surly and abrasive manner, perhaps in an unconscious attempt to mask her own social anxieties and poor interpersonal skills.
Elements of Samantha’s behaviour observed by hospital staff indicate at least some degree of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Samantha maintains an elaborate personal hygiene routine and registers disgust at others’ actual or perceived lack of cleanliness. One nursing sister observed that while Samantha never asked personal questions or engaged in small talk, she expressed interest in the disposal of contaminated waste, asked how hospital equipment was sterilised, and paid close attention as her room was cleaned and disinfected each day. Samantha has maintained a rigorous attention to personal hygiene since her discharge from hospital. Resident caseworkers at the Inner West Youth Refuge report that Samantha takes at least one shower a day, keeps her room meticulously ordered, and exhibits moderate anxiety at the less stringent personal habits of other children at the Refuge.
Anita Gibson, Samantha’s mother and the former de facto partner of Michael Patterson, went missing in 1998. Anita Gibson was a known hitchhiker and was last seen near Bellingen. Anita Gibson’s remains, identified through dental records, were found in New England National Park, where the notorious backpacker killer murdered at least four of his victims.
Police investigations revealed that Samantha Patterson’s nearest known relation is her maternal grandmother, Mrs Rose Gibson. Mrs Gibson, who has suffered from a psychiatric disorder since learning of her daughter Anita’s death, lives in a Housing Commission flat in Campbelltown. Mrs Gibson has unresolved anger toward Anita for abandoning the family and is ambivalent about meeting Samantha. Anita’s three surviving siblings all wish to establish a relationship with Samantha but are fearful of the effect this would have on Mrs Gibson.
It was arranged for Samantha to be placed at the Inner West Youth Refuge. IWYR is a youth care facility of an experimental and sometimes controversial nature. IWYR receives funding from government and private sources. IWYR’s non-intrusive philosophy and high carer/child ratio was judged best suited to an adolescent who is recovering from physical injuries, suffering from psychological trauma, and resistant to psychotherapy.
It is normal practice for children and adolescents to be reunited with their families or moved into foster homes as soon as possible. However, in view of the sensitive nature of Samantha’s case, it has been agreed that Samantha will remain at IWYR indefinitely.