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.
You can post.
I don’t even have to read the articles because I have read them all. Yes two years later and all that grand jury hoopla and a big fat NOTHING!!!
Jessie
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It is so frustrating.
Jessie
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From an email my brother sent me tonight. He’s right on.
“Good blog entry on the Ashenfelter articles. I just reread them and this quote from [L. Brooks] Patterson jumped out at me:
‘I think it’s a tragedy these families are getting older and will pass away without having a moment’s peace with this thing.’
Note the certainty in his statement; it’s not, ‘these families are getting older and might pass away’ or ‘these families are getting older and will probably pass away,’ but ‘these families are getting older and will pass away without having a moment’s peace with this thing.’
How might he have such certainty? Paging Dr. Freud.”
It is a shame l brooks. Maybe you can come clean with what you know. A death bed confession maybe. Your time is coming you are old and wont live forever. You know more than you have said. Come clean L.
To read that LE threw out the bullet casing and the ropes found in Buschs’ bedroom, just because he “passed” a lie detector test is appalling. Polygraphs aren’t even admissible in court. Everybody knows that. But it’s reason enough to throw out physical evidence? Appalling.
Cathy, it was so sad seeing those pictures of your mom walking out of the morgue after identifying Tim’s body. That had to be so horrible.
Also, it just seems odd to me that the original OCCK task force ended just one month after Busch’s suicide. Could be just a coincidence. But it’s almost like they knew he was the killer and didn’t want to get embarrassed by letting him off the hook.
Just my thoughts. Anyone go ahead and feel free to give your thoughts on the task force ending one month after Busch’s death or on any of the pictures from the articles.
Cathy,
Who has the funeral book from your brothers funeral? The condolences book.
If you have access to it have you checked the names of those who signed it for newer known names of the pediphyle ring?
Mike, I am sorry I just reread your post after seeing the new post below. There was no condolences book. There was no wake; only the family was allowed at the funeral home and that was only six people. At the funeral, hundreds of photos were taken by police who were outside and inside the church. I know because my parents, my brothers and I all had to sit down with police (at our home) and go through them and identify anyone we did not know.
This past summer one of my brothers reminded me that the funeral home (no longer there, was torn down long ago) was under surveillance, photos being taken from the roof of a nearby parking structure, of everyone who came and went during the time my brother’s body was there. I’ve written before about the freak (younger man, but adult) who “stopped by” late at night, saying he was a relative who drove all night to get there and could he please see Tim’s body?
On the off chance those photos, or copies, were still with Birmingham PD, I spoke with a commander who was very helpful, did a diligent search of what was in their possession (instead of the MSP black hole) and said there were no photos. Can you imagine how helpful those would be today, knowing what we now know? This commander was very helpful in other ways, unlike his predecessors, and I have not written about it because he is close to retirement and I still feel like those in LE who have much to hide would fuck with him. But we are extremely grateful for his help and his honesty. Night and day compared to others in Oakland County.
I thought about filing a FOIA request with the MSP for the photos, but I know how it would go. $500 bucks or more for a search and then “sorry, can’t find them,” or, ok, $3,500 for copies, accompanied by a nasty, condescending response from one of the two FOIA gatekeepers/evidence hiders at the MSP.
Why wouldn’t they find the photos of Tim’s funeral and any taken at Mark, Jill’s or Kristine’s funerals, and take another look now that the cast of characters has expanded greatly? Have the families take another look. It wouldn’t cost them a thing. What I wouldn’t give to get in the MSP file room and “storage” locker for the OCCK case for a couple of days. I would have to wear a bullet-proof vest, but I would do it.
And I specifically asked the new prosecutor for help in obtaining these photos last January. Law enforcement can get access to these things where we cannot. It just should not be this difficult.
Any idea how to currently get a hold of these articles? They are now, all of them, as far as I can tell, strictly “page not found”.
Dirty bastards. I will either scan them or link via Newspapers.com. The interactive article might be gone for good. Will do it later today.
Ashenfelter’s investigative reporting appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Sunday, June 17, 2012 and Monday, June 18, 2012. The articles can be found at Newspapers.com. I think you can get a temporary subscription for a nominal sum and then cancel. It is probably the best way to view the newspaper articles, but let me know if you want me to scan them and post. It will be harder to follow with a scan/paste job, but you would see just how big the coverage was on and what assholes Cooper and Patterson came off as (are/were).