A suitcase was located near the right hand corner of the footboard of the master bed.  The unusual aspect of this suitcase was the fact that spatter in Colette's blood type was found around and under the suitcase, but no blood spatter was found on the suitcase.  This blood analysis indicated that the suitcase had been moved from an unknown location and set down near the footboard.  The analysis also lent credence to the assumption that the suitcase had been placed in that area of the master bedroom after all the blood had been shed at the crime scene.  William Ivory inspected the suitcase and found that it was empty.  Ivory and Robert Shaw noted that one of Colette's dresser drawers was opened slightly.  Speculation followed that MacDonald may have emptied the contents of the suitcase into Colette's dresser.  In 1983, Paul Stombaugh expressed to Joe McGinniss the possibility that MacDonald had thoughts of fleeing the crime scene, but ultimately changed his mind.  Stombaugh theorized that MacDonald then decided to self-inflict the stab wound in his right chest with a disposable scalpel blade.