During an autopsy, the agents discover that the baby suffocated by inhaling dirt—meaning it was buried alive. Scully suggests that the baby's defects could have been caused by inbreeding. Mulder insists this would be impossible, since the Peacocks seem to live in an all-male household. Suspecting that the Peacocks have kidnapped and raped a woman, Mulder and Scully investigate their now-abandoned residence and discover blood, scissors, and a shovel on a table. In retaliation, the Peacocks enter Sheriff Taylor's house during the night and murder him and his wife, Barbara (Judith Maxie).