When my dad was 46 years old, he had to stand up at a press conference at the Birmingham Police Department and beg the monsters who had his 11-year-old son to let him come home and not to harm him. My terrified mother sat beside him.
The “rule” of the press conference was that if either of my parents broke down, filming would start over. When my parents returned, I was in the living room. My dad fell into a chair, covered his face with one hand, gripped the arm of the chair with the other, and sobbed so hard his entire body shook. I had never seen my dad cry before. He quickly got it together and stood up. That’s when I knew for sure Tim would be murdered and that there really was no hope.
A few days later, the police would tell us not to cry at the funeral because the killer would enjoy that.
My dad then spent the last 15 years of his life begging law enforcement for some transparency. Some truth. A fucking crumb.
He was treated like shit, especially by the office of Jessica Cooper (although this was nothing compared to what L. Brooks Patterson had done on the down low). The “task force” humored him but jacked him around. They put him through unnecessary hell, too.
A couple of newspaper articles, a documentary, podcasts and books was all that was in the cards during that 15 years. I know he knew in his heart before the end he had been gaslit by all these motherfuckers. Agencies and people he had trusted.
That’s what happens when a case from a corrupt county festers for 50 years.
Begging for anything from them had the same effect as his pleas to the abductor(s) in March of 1977.
P.S. If you haven’t read Guarded by Jackals: Predators, the Public Officials Who Protected Them and Resolution of Michigan’s Most Notorious Cold Case, now’s the time. The first NINE chapters are free and can be accessed via a link at this WordPress page:
This link also contains the meticulous footnotes and case documents relied upon in the book.
This is not a typical “true crime” book and it is an intense read. A muscular book as I have said. The author isn’t leaving you to figure out “whodunnit,” but supporting his conclusions regarding why the case was never meant to be solved. Read about the “mobbed up” prosecutor and the evil that infected this investigation. It is not easy reading. But now is the time to do your homework–or at least read the hard work of someone who supports his work with news articles and FOIA documents to help you understand you need to override your instinct to believe nothing could be this corrupt.
It can and it is.
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I feel so heartbroken and helpless when I read your posts. I did the only thing I can think of to do, which is email Karen McDonald and ask her to please pursue advanced genetic testing on all remaining evidence and provide the public with answers as to what happened with the OCCK case and investigation. Obviously I know it’s unlikely to make progress, but she is running for office again, so maybe enough of these emails from Michigan voters will impact her? Please let us readers know if there is anything else that those of us with no connections can do. I’m truly so sorry for the agony your family has experienced and continues to experience. Wishing you peace and only good things.
Thank you, Meghan. I really appreciate it. It is very heavy and heartbreaking and knowing what we know now, even heavier. Yes, Karen McDonald needs to know how her constituents feel about this case. She is in this position now because her predecessors, L. Brooks Patterson, Richard Thompson, David Gorcyca and Jessica Cooper took the “easy” way out.
All of the evidence must be tested or retested–all of it, in spite of the now obvious corruption in this investigation that no doubt extended to further evidence tampering and probably destruction in the mid to late 90s as Patterson learned of the advances in DNA testing.
No one could foretell the advances in DNA testing and genetic genealogy in 1977, however this was the largest serial murder investigation in the entire country at the time–and it was certainly a uniquely horrifying set of circumstances for the child victims. Yet the case is shut down, files and evidence treated without the regard necessary, and with complete lack of professionalism. Literally pulled the lid down on this Pandora’s Box and walked away. Future inquiry by other LE effectively thwarted.
My family has been told over the years that the state police used the evidence in this case–the kids’ clothing and belongings–as part of their POST training. I wouldn’t even presume that they handled this evidence with gloves or kept it in evidence bags. You don’t do this unless you are confident this case is never going to be solved for reasons other than investigative fails. The case is dead, fuck it.
Our position is that if the kids’ clothing and belongings contains the DNA of a bunch of MSP employees who weren’t even born in 1977, so be it. An agency cannot be rewarded for mishandling and inadequate storage by refusing to conduct the high level DNA tests and utilizing genetic genealogy that are solving other very old cases around the world.
Somebody must account for the evidence in this case and what is being done or refused. If the MSP won’t respond to the public, the prosecutor must. She strikes me as a much more decent and committed person than her predecessors.
Patterson was a crafty old bastard, but even he couldn’t foresee where forensic evidence testing would lead. Additional testing may not “solve” these crimes, but the resistance to additional testing by the state tells you all you need to know about this case. It also implies some level of cooperation by somebody at the MSP with L. Brooks Patterson to ensure this “fail” on their records didn’t get any more oxygen from evidence that could open the door.
Long way of saying–
1. Retest all of the evidence.
2. Public accounting.
3. The prosecutor can apply pressure to the MSP. She shouldn’t have to, but this is where we are.
4. Public accounting of how future mis and malfeasance in child murder cases from Oakland County can be avoided.
5. Is the Oakland County Sheriff withholding evidence in this case and working with a shadow cold case team? Do they plan to release their findings?
5. Some explanation of why communities should trust the state police when they take over a large investigation.
6. Acknowledgement of the great stain left on the prosecutor’s office and all of Oakland County by the actions of L. Brooks Patterson and his chief deputy in the OCCK case.
7. How this corruption can be prevented going forward.
But you are right, Meghan–#1 and #2 are critical here.
Catherine, how appalling is it that your parents weren’t allowed to show emotion during the press conference. They were looking for a kidnapped son. Pretty fucking emotional, I’d say. Your family’s struggles to obtain information from Oakland County is to say the least, abhorrent. You’ve had to fight every step of the way.
Since finding out that Trump had a yacht on Lake Michigan, I’ve been wondering if there is a connection to him, Frank Shelden and Fox Island.
So much is appalling in all of these cases. Truth is so much stranger and sicker than fiction.
I see these 2 comments:
“The “rule” of the press conference was that if either of my parents broke down, filming would start over.”
“A few days later, the police would tell us not to cry at the funeral because the killer would enjoy that.”
I immediately think that all the while the police had a good idea, or knew for a fact who committed the crime, The prosecutor’s office knew it also, but would not lift a finger to prevent it. And they only lifted a finger to protect their reputation after the tragedy. So did task force members.
I see comments on social media from officers that investigated on the original task force, and bragging about having been on it. They are still looking for glory. But they did not stand up for the children when it was their duty at the time.
If you’re Serpico and you fight the corruption that infected this case, you deserve glory. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so quick to ask for glory. It’s gross.
Proud to be associated with this investigation? Watch this excellent YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ame4lsd5fSM&t=1128s and see if you still agree.