As anyone even vaguely familiar with public records laws knows, a response from a public agency is really just whatever they decide to give to you. The Michigan State Police provided over 3000 documents a decade ago and beginning in the spring of 2020, I posted them all on my blog. They charged my dad over $11,000 for these documents. In addition to the $11K, there were attorney fees, as the MSP initially fought production of any documents and he had to take them to court.
Former Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper also fought production of any documents in 2012. The Michigan courts agreed with her, all the way up to the Michigan Supreme Court. More attorney fees. Then, she would produce a few hundred pages of case file pages to a t.v. reporter and to the Detroit Free Press. Documents she withheld from my dad and fought over in court for months. So, she was required to hand those over to my dad and I posted them on my blog as well.
Birmingham PD allowed my brother to review the documents and files still in their possession as of last year. He took notes but no copies. The current Oakland County Prosecutor responded to my FOIA request earlier this year with the documents that had been stashed at the Oakland County Sheriff’s office for “safekeeping.” (I.E., to avoid having to produce them in response to FOIA requests.). They did not charge me for this document production. I have posted these documents on my blog, too.
I have been posting the final documents I have in this case, file notes prepared by Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Investigator Insp. Cory Williams (2010-2019). They did not charge me for these documents. Because this information was basically all addressed in Marney Keenan’s book, The Snow Killings: Inside the Oakland County Child Killer Investigation (2020), I did not post the 230 pages. However, I have since concluded that these pages explain “in real time” important issues concerning evidence in the case and started posting them last month. I think whatever transparency is possible concerning this investigation is important. It’s all we may ever have.
Pages 1-155 are posted in these four links:
https://catherinebroad.blog/2022/07/ (pages 128-155)
Final pages, not previously posted (pages 156-230) (any handwritten notes or highlights are mine):
So sad and so obvious that they are sand bagging and likely know who the killer is. I met Jill at a Christmas party about a week before she was kidnapped. I still have nightmares. I feel for everyone involved in this case.
Edited to reflect it was 2010-2019.
The Snow Killings references the Flynn suicide incident report. Flynn was found slumped against the steering wheel. So, he is in the driver seat. Detectives determined Flynn shot himself twice in the chest.
First with the Colt .357 with which the bullet passed right through him without hitting anything solid. A semi-jacketed bullet slug, believed to be a .357 was found in the back seat.
When that did not kill him, he used the Charter Arms .44 caliber, which passed through multiple organs, lodging in the muscles of the back.
Both guns were found in the car. The Colt .357 was found clutched in his right hand. The Chester Arms .44 was found on the front passenger side of the car, lying upside down between the seat and the car door.
Just so I have this straight:
1) So, he shot himself with the .357, held onto the .357 in his right hand, shot himself again with his left hand with the .44 caliber. Then threw the .44 caliber to the passenger side door, all while holding onto the .357 in his right hand.
2) Or did he shoot himself with the .357, put it down, shoot himself again with the .44, throw the gun to the passenger side door, then picked up and held the .357 with his right hand until he died.
Any other scenarios out there? Any magic bullet theories? Any hand is quicker than the bullet scenarios?
Its been awhile since I read the Snow Killings. Did he have any powder residue on his hands?
The only thing I can think of is he shot himself first with the .44 and when he thought it ‘didn’t work’, he shot himself with the .357. (When actually, the .44 did indeed kill him). Unlikely of course, just throwing a ‘magic bullet’ theory out there.
Glad you read the book. Pages 229-233. Barely 4 pages well worth reading again.
“Detectives determined Flynn shot himself first with the Colt .357.
When that did not kill him, he used the Charter Arms .44 caliber, which passed through multiple organs, lodging in the muscles of the back.”
I don’t think they tested for powder residue, or it was inconclusive. The medical examiner indicated; “Flynn had become very religious and attended church everyday. He had no alcohol or drugs in his system.”
I guess if you go to church everyday that is a compelling reason for suicide.
One other observation is one of the 2 tips on Flynn was dates 4/11/1977. I believe this is the same day Southfield Police went to the Gas Station Bar to meet “Allen”, who wrote the letter to Danto.