With thanks to my family members, who helped me evaluate and respond to serious criticism that I paint with too broad a brush in castigating Oakland County in this case, I offer the following. First off, let me just say that there were in fact hundreds of police officers who worked on the OCCK case, primarily from January 1977 on, who did in fact pour their hearts and souls into this investigation. Who worked basically around the clock, who still carry the case in a heavy place in their hearts to this day.  Some died with the awful recollection of this case and the lack of answers.  I think anyone who takes even a basic look at the case in hindsight (which, let’s face it, we are not only allowed, but compelled, to do almost 40 years later), would figure out very quickly that when the Michigan State Police took over the case, decisions were made at and near the top back in the day, that most certainly circumvented much of what was being done by committed officers in the trenches investigating these heinous crimes. I don’t think corruption in this case at a high level in one or more law enforcement agencies can be ruled out, although I am sure these agencies took drastic measures back in the day and continuing to the present to make sure this can never be proven.

A little closer examination, even by stupid civilians like us, shows that it is entirely plausible that some questionable decision-making went on at some point relatively early in the investigation by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. And by that, I mean under L. Brooks Patterson and Richard Thompson’s reign, and perhaps well-after March 1977.  And, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to take a look at the behavior of members of the Berkley PD back in the day, some of it continuing in various shapes and forms to the current day, to make you stand back and question what the hell was going on with them and what they might have had to hide.

So you see, I chose my words carefully when I posted yesterday. I said:   “[C]onsider that TWO YEARS have passed, and Oakland County has done what it does best–nothing.  They know what the MSP and Berkley, MI PD of the late 1970′s knew:  Just weather a little bad publicity, say nothing, and eventually the public will move on and forget.”

Although I know you can’t read my mind, let me explain who I think of when I say “Oakland County” like I did in that last post. I mean the Oakland County of two years ago and today—ruled with a heavy hand by Prosecutor Jessica Cooper and her Chief Deputy Paul Walton. They put on a completely bogus dog and pony show to act like they were doing something in these cases, when what they were doing was sticking it to my Dad every chance they could because he dared to question their bullshit. I also mean the current Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, because I’ve heard one too many stories from people who went to them in the relatively recent past and got blown off. The OC Sheriff back in the day, Johannes Spreen, could have perhaps accomplished something in these cases if he had not been thwarted by the MSP and interagency bickering. But that office today is, in my opinion, doing nothing constructive in these cases.  And, for that matter, I mean the judges in Oakland County, who kowtow to Prosecutor Cooper.  Such a happy, if dysfunctional, family. 

I also specifically mentioned the MSP and Berkley PD in my post because, as I said above, I think the behavior of some of their officers back in the day, continuing in some cases to the present, was and is suspect. But here is a sad fact I don’t think can be controverted: Law enforcement at some higher level in this investigation were crooked, incompetent, or both. They ultimately failed on every level, perhaps due to decision-making by those at the top of the MSP, who took over the investigation when Kristine Mihelich went missing.  

Do I blame the many investigators who did their jobs and were committed to finding the killers? Certainly not. But multiple kids died horrible deaths after Mark Stebbin’s murder in February 1976 partially as a result of misfeasance or malfeasance during the investigation. Certainly the blame truly lies with the sick individuals who hunted children in Oakland County in 1976 and 1977. The MSP took over this investigation, took it out of the hands of local police who were on the ground and in the trenches, and then utterly failed in bringing anyone to justice—for whatever reasons—and managed to keep a lid on these cases for almost four decades. For whatever reasons (and they are easy enough to surmise with just a rudimentary review of the FOIA documents in this case), the past and current Oakland County prosecutors, as well as members of the Berkley PD, have additional interests in keeping the lid very tight here. Those entities screwed over not only the victims and their families and friends, but also the honest cops who worked these cases as hard as humanly possible. They have a lot to answer for, but will never be called to do so. Compare that to the burden the rest of us, including honest law enforcement officers who worked on the case, carry to this day.

Here’s what my Dad, always a staunch supporter of the police and any law enforcment until the MSP and the OCP proved to him in recent years just how dirty law enforcement agencies can be (again, this all starts at the top), had to say about my perceived overly-broad attacks on LE:

I have always praised the foot soldiers or petty officers. Their reports die when forwarded up the chain of command. The decision makers (with the exception of [Wayne County’s] Worthy and Moran) refuse to take any action, namely the MSP and the OCP. We have now asked the AG to assist us and await his response. When you can’t sleep at night you do not know if this failure is operational, political, personal or the concern that they are all afraid someone else will solve the case to their detriment.

I believe two agencies are working as a team and currently making strides in this case. These do not include the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, or any present-day local Oakland County law enforcement. I think EVERY investigator back in the day, with the exception of some at the top of the MSP, some on the Berkley PD, and perhaps at some point those high up in the OCP, would have done anything, given anything, to solve these cases. That some, after the fact and down the road, have wanted to sweep these horrible cases under the rug and look the other way is reprehensible. Their employers, by their silence and failure to fully cooperate with present-day investigative efforts, condoned their actions and are constant, silent witnesses to the four faces of the known murder victims who live forever in their cold case file cabinets.  

This is a blog. I can’t put an asterisk after every sentence. Yes, I am outraged by not only the crimes, but by the present-day reactions from the law enforcement agencies who said they would never forget these crimes and that no stone would be left unturned and then turned and ran.  Nice try.  

I know the many investigators on the street back in the day turned over whatever stones they could and that some were probably turned back over by those higher up the food chain who didn’t want to deal with the fall-out. So, thank you to those who were and still are committed and devoted to the solving of these crimes, and who have lived with it as long as we have and still hurt.  

To those in and outside of law enforcement who thwarted justice and who are still somehow able to look in the mirror—I don’t know what to say to you. You have much bigger issues than my little blog. I suspect you know you will make it safely to the grave before the lid blows off here and that you often take some kind of sick comfort from the fact that some of us will go, too, before that happens.

While I will continue to take criticism of this blog seriously, I will not keep silent now that I know what I know.   I risk offending many here, but the subject matter is the most offensive you will ever find and my vantage point is unusual, given the unfortunate circumstances my youngest brother found himself in on March 16-22, 1977 when he was abducted, held captive, tortured, raped, and then murdered and dumped in a roadside ditch.  If you want something candy-coated, don’t read my blog.  

Two years ago today, now-retired reporter David Ashenfelter began his series of articles on the Oakland County child killings in the Detroit Free Press.  I thought he did an amazing job with the information.  I’m going to post a few links to the series, because he did such a good job distilling the massive amounts of information known up to that point.  Before you check them out, consider that TWO YEARS have passed, and Oakland County has done what it does best–nothing.  They know what the MSP and Berkley, MI PD of the late 1970’s knew:  Just weather a little bad publicity, say nothing, and eventually the public will move on and forget.  

http://www.freep.com/interactive/article/20120617/NEWS03/120613060/Timeline-Revisiting-Oakland-County-child-killings

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=C4&Dato=20120616&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=206150806&Ref=PH

http://www.freep.com/article/20120617/NEWS03/206170515/Decades-of-despair-and-still-no-peace-for-families-of-the-victims-of-the-Oakland-County-Child-Killer-despite-lengthy-investigation-and-a-slew-of-suspects

Two weeks ago tonight, when my family was together celebrating a big life achievement of some of our clan, you had already been sentenced earlier that day to 48 months in prison, a fine of $7,000, and 10 years of supervised release following release from prison, for charges related to child pornography.  This creep basically lived in our neighborhood; lived very close to our high school; was in his early/mid-30’s when the OCCK murders took place from 1976-1977, took photos of my brothers’ baseball and other sports teams (you mother-fucking piece of shit).  I will have more to say about Bill after this post, but for now know that this son of bitch came from privilege, like Chris Busch, John Hastings, Richard Hojnacki and, for that matter (and far beyond any of these freaks), Francis (Frank) Shelden (Torrey or whatever-the-fuck he changed his name to), and all of them lived in or around the area known as Bloomfield Village, MI.  His father was an allergist.  All these fucks lived in the area around Seaholm High School.  Google Oakland County, MI, and see what is said about that area of the country.  Not exactly tough-sledding.  Like the rest of these scumbags, he abused that privilege beyond what we think of when we think of slackers in their twenties who suck off their parents’ tits.  He skated the way these other sons of bitches did, and as also able to avoid the long arm of the law.  And that meant many, many boys (and girls–sorry, Katie M., wake up), got fucked.  Literally.

It’s been a while since I posted anything on my blog, I realize.  Here’s the deal.  I’ve had some amazingly big and happy events in the past few months and this blog and any OCCK stuff can ruin me for days, even when I feel good about pulling of a post.  No way, in light  of the fact that absolutely nothing in this case happens quickly (let’s be real, it’s been over 37 years), I was going to let this overtake my joy in my present, day-to-day life.  This shit fucked me upon 2006, and it has taken me a long time to find a way to deal with it in my present, more important, life.  And, to be honest, when push comes to shove, people who want me to post daily or weekly, don’t give a shit about my day-to-day life.  I can’t answer all your emails, as much as I appreciate them and the effort it took to send them.  I also don’t have police powers and I only trust one cop, who only has so many hours in one day, and that’s where I send any info I find remotely plausible or actionable.  If you knew how many truly sleepless nights I had between 2006 and 2010 (when I finally, finally accepted how very fucked up and almost impossible this situation is and how hopeless some of my efforts had been),  you would cut me some slack, I think.  So, here we are.

So, let’s review a little about Bill Shaffer, the Birmingham, MI resident and ex-child protective worker and boys sports photographer, in his early 70’s, who was arrested almost a year ago on federal child porn charges.  http://catherinebroad.blog/?s=Shaffe.   Old Bill has been in the system for many months after an Information was filed in US District Court charging him with receipt and possession of child porn.  This freak was the son of a local allergist.  For my friends in my current neighborhood, this fucker would have lived in one of the more exclusive neighborhoods in Naperville.  You get the picture.  And actually, you really should, considering the following:  http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/02/07/naperville-man-sues-fitness-club-over-alleged-sex-abuse-by-trainer/ ; and http://www.cleveland.com/abuse/index.ssf?/abuse/more/10157562251923437.html (priest ended up in Warrenville, IL).  Wake up and smell the coffee.

Old Bill has been in the system for many months since his arrest.  In fact, his name kept popping up in search terms used to reach my blog, as I noted in a post in April 2014, many months after I first mentioned this worthless piece of shit.  Maybe it was his attorney checking to see what I had on the guy   Maybe it was concerned cohorts who were worried about what old Bill might be saying to try to lighten his sentence.  Don’t worry, you monsters.  Like Ted Lamborgine, it appears Shaky is enough of a pussy to never say a word about anything, ever.

Most of us who are close to this case and honest enough to speak up about it (which excludes any LE from Oakland County–and yeah, you can all rot in Hell with the numerous pedophiles and people close to them who know WTH happened in these cases), know there were exceedingly wealthy men in Oakland County back in the 1970’s who got their fill of child porn and pedophelia (can you say “boys’ camp”??!!) thanks to people like Frank Shelden, Dyer Grossman, “Adam Starchild,” Chris Busch, Greg Green, Ted Lamborine, David Norberg, Richard Hojnacki, John Hastings, and probably Shaky Bill Shaffer.  It’s not a far stretch to conclude that these pieces of shit (many of whom are dead), had some idea who the OCCK was.  It is now also obvious that none of law enforcement was able to “penetrate” this hellish circle to advance the OCCK investigation because it would reveal or get too close to the predilections of these wealthy, sick, and awful monsters who did whatever they wanted to whoever they wanted, whenever they wanted.

So, Bill, we all know you are a pussy and that you did not speak up back in the day and you will never speak up now.  How dare you see my living brothers on the street over the decades and say hello to them?!  Oh, I know, everyone is entitled to a defense.  But I’m an attorney, big boy, and I know plenty of criminal defense attorneys who, early in their careers, drew the line at kid-diddlers.  Kid rapists.  Child porn users or makers.  They won’t represent men like you because they don’t want you sitting on their office furniture while they think of their own children at home.

I have more to say about your attorney and the long, very sad historical past his law firm has with kid-diddlers, Shaky.  I will save that for another post.  Coincidence?  I don’t believe in them when it comes to this shit, Shaky.

These pieces of shit are cautionary tales, whether they “fit the profile” of the child torturer/rapist/murderer known as the OCCK.  Don’t turn your back on them, ever, anybody.  Not after 48 months, not ever.  Trust me, their silence and their cowardice cost kids their souls if they lived, and I am convinced that when it comes to these animals in Oakland County, it cost some kids their lives.  Your cowardice and silence cost some kids their LIVES, Shaky.

Next up, I’ll talk about Bill’s past and his attorney, David Burgess.  As for my commenter, I get that someone who knows a criminal–knows him outside of the crimes he has committed–but has not been victimized by him, might have compassion for him.  Compassion is good.  Especially after a person has served a very long portion of his sentence and has expressed some degree of genuine remorse.  Maybe Bill expressed remorse.  I don’t know.  Hey, David–is that in your family’s law firm playbook?  Shaky got a light sentence, all things considered.  How would you feel if you had a son that had been groomed, photographed and abused by Shaky?  I know you will argue all he did was look at photographs of naked boys, but do you really think that’s what’s gone on over all these decades?  In 49 months this monster is back on the streets.  And what makes him a monster in the worst way?  The fact that you think he’s harmless.  Good luck, Oakland County.