I didn’t revamp the blog theme yet, but I did spend a lot of time this weekend responding to emails people have sent me in this case and filing many documents I allow to stack until I can’t take it any more. I really cannot respond to all of the emails, but I hate not acknowledging them. I read them all but I get really behind when I attempt to respond. I appreciate the emails and apologize for not responding promptly or, in some cases, at all. My favorite subject line is “No need to respond.” (Sorry, it’s true.)
As I sifted through the emails and documents they provoked a lot of emotion for me. Like this set of emails:
THIS IS NOT AN OPEN INVESTIGATION. Holding out the very empty charade of DNA testing after almost 50 years of improperly storing your mishandled and misfiled evidence is not a reason to stay silent. How about a statement about why testing garbage evidence gives garbage results? You may not have anything to “report” but we have questions. We deserve an audience and answers. People have a right to know.
The MSP took the position in 2009 and 2012, when questioned by reporters at The Detroit News (Marney Keenan) and the Detroit Free Press (David Ashenfelter) that they could/would not comment on an open investigation. My brother Chris was quoted in the October 26, 2009, Detroit News article as follows:
“We want some justice for the victims. We’ve been told evidence is apparently lost; tests were supposedly conducted, but there have been no results for over a year. We never get a straight story.” . . . “That’s all we’ve asked for. We just want the truth to come out.”
In the 2012 Free Press article, reporter Ashenfelter commented on the failure of the MSP to communicate and allowed that this caused family members to fill in the gaps with “conspiracy theories.” Conspiracies are very real, Mr. Ashenfelter. “Conspiracy theories” means bullshit. Still think it’s all bullshit? I bet you don’t.
It is 2023. In what other high profile cold case can you think of where an agency simply doubles-down, refuses to move the ball, refuses to report anything to the public or the families, displays the utter lack of compassion that the MSP (and the OCP and OCS) has here and just waits for every family member to die off? I’m sure there is an FBI case or two where this method has been employed–UFO cases, other big “conspiracy theory” cases. Let’s hear from you readers, where else have you seen this level of obstruction? This case falls in to the stonewalling Hall of Shame.
As I said in my last post, the agencies paid to pretend to massage the OCCK files and keep the truth suppressed or muddled aren’t going to bring anybody up to speed. That’s why you should sign up for Marney Keenan’s presentation this Wednesday at 7 pm ET. https://farmingtoncommunity.librarycalendar.com/event/snow-killings-inside-oakland-county-child-killer-investigation
As another reader pointed out, Wednesday is 47 years to the day that Mark Stebbins, age 12, was abducted in Ferndale. Forty-seven years. How do you say “no comment” to THAT?