Here is a copy of a letter dated March 29, 2001 from the late Det./Sgt. Ray Anger to the late Helen Dagner:
A few observations. First, at least Anger was smart enough to respond to Dagner’s information. And in writing! When does that ever happen??? Second, John was alleged to have held more than one passport and to have engaged in passport doctoring. Also, good excuse. Busch tried that one, too, only he got his dates wrong and turns out he returned from Europe in plenty of time to abduct or hold Mark Stebbins in February 1976. On March 16, 1977, the day my brother was abducted, an Oakland County divorce court ordered that John’s parents could proceed with the eviction of the adult son (him) and that the home on Tuckahoe, just a stone’s throw from Busch’s parents home on Morningview Terrace, could be put on the market for immediate sale at an offset price with no broker. The house was sold on March 24, 1977.
Maybe the parents were getting the job done while the adult son was in Europe. Funny thing is that the family when interviewed about this seemed to give different dates and explanations about how he got to Europe.
When he was questioned in 1977 there was apparently no mention of Europe or a passport. We now know that a potential participant’s alibi for a time period relating to just one of the abductions is about as good as the fact that he did not drive a blue Gremlin. And we all know now how well the MSP did with polygraphs back in the day.
There has always been speculation that a cop had to be involved in these crimes. But is it just as likely that it was so easy to stay one step ahead of police in this case, that of course the abductions continued with impunity?
I called a cop to ask about John years ago and he said “Cathy, you can make anything fit if you try hard enough.” Like maybe this?: