On May 10, 1975, Poppy moved through the oak grove in late afternoon, still upset by something Margot had said about a missing cat. Hearing a dull, repetitive thudding and ragged breathing beyond the usual forest sounds, she crept toward the noise with her camera, cautious but confident in the familiar terrain.

Poppy spotted Vincent with his back turned, digging a hole near the Rocks, a spot known for teen hangouts. She zoomed in to film and approached quietly. Vincent’s shovel strokes were steady, but he appeared to be crying. A bundle lay beside the hole, and when Poppy softly called his name, Vincent spun around, visibly frightened, and told her she did not want to be there.

When Poppy asked what he was doing, Vincent nudged the bundle toward the hole. She stepped closer and saw that the bundle was wrapped in Vincent’s yellow Grateful Dead T-shirt, stained red. A white, blood-crusted paw protruded, revealing that the bundle contained a dead cat—likely the missing cat connected to the signs Poppy had posted around town.

Recognizing what had happened, Poppy was overcome with shock and fear. Vincent stared at her, then suddenly shoved her hard to the ground, shouting for her to leave and advancing as if he might hit her. Poppy scrambled away, clutching her camera and backing off as Vincent, chest heaving and fists clenched, repeated his command to go home.

Poppy retreated, walking backward, fixated on Vincent, the hole, and the cat, until she hit a tree and ran away. The scene established Vincent’s volatile state, his concealment of the dead cat, and Poppy’s possession of film that documented part of the event.