This weekend marks 50 years since the start of one of Michigan’s most notorious unsolved crimes: the murders known as the Oakland County Child Killings.
— Read on www.wxyz.com/news/local-news/investigations/oakland-county-child-killings-50-years-later-police-hoping-new-tech-could-help-crack-case
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I am glad Heather Catallo provided the report but the fact is its weak and just gives false hope. Same old, same old. Mike Bouchard is BS ing the public and is trying to make it seem like they are still working on the case. Shame on him and all of Law Enforcement. Its been 50 freakin’ years! The two two killers of at least Tim King were John Hastings and the late Bloomfield Township Policeman, Richard McNamee. Hastings, 76 who has had past heart trouble lives in the Atlanta suburbs. McNamee was the first policeman on the Chris Busch supposed suicide scene but both appear to very much resemble the drawing provided by Maple Drugs witness Doug Wilson. Gee, what are the odds? I got to know Hastings’ late friend Helen Dagner years ago and the things she told me about Hastings gives me no doubt it was he who committed these murders. Law Enforcement brushed off Helen’s information as being from a crazy woman. Although Helen sometimes embellished facts most of what she told me was true when I checked them out. It doesn’t mean her information was incorrect!
Helen told me that Hastings was at the American Legion Hall playing pool the day Mark Stebbins was abducted. She also thought that Hastings was a student of Jill Robinson’s father, Tom at Oakland Community College. Kristine Mihalich’s mother worked at the Hartland Bowling Alley across from the 7-11 in Berkley. The Hastings family used to bowl there all the time. John’s older sister, Mary and Linda Hartland are still friends on Facebook. A young witness said that he saw a police car out front of the store when Kristine was abducted. Could this have been McNamee? Hastings used to hang out on his off days at Eton Park Ice Rink. He also was a coach in the Birmingham baseball Little League. Like the previous three, he most likely knew Tim ahead of his abduction and may have been trusted. The Hastings family owned two homes on Tuckahoe in then Birmingham (now Bloomfield Hills). John had complete access to one of them (the end of the street house)and McNamee lived by himself close by across Maple Ave. They had options to keep children for an extended period time.
I contacted the State Police years ago, thanks to Mike Cox who was Atty General at the time. That was in 2007 (?). I met with a state detective who was a nice guy but said they needed more evidence. e drove by the Tuckahoe residence together. Now, this was prior to Chris Busch’s name being in public or McNamee, etc. I also sent Mr. Bouchard my info. as well but never heard back except for “thanks for your interest”. I know a lot more about Hastings and his family but that’s it for now. I gave up following this case a couple of years ago as it makes me so angry. Nobody seems to have taken Helen Dagner seriously so I am a nut by association with my info.
Greg, my apologies for the delay in posting–your post went to my spam folder, which I just checked this morning.
“Thanks for your interest.” Unbelievable.
And as the first law enforcement person I consulted (after learning of Hastings but pre-Busch information) said “Helen might be crazy but it doesn’t mean she’s wrong.” This person was a friend, private investigator, polygrapher, prior police chief and beat cop in a tough city before that. He read everything I had on the case up to that point (news articles, all the web stuff about Hastings up to that point, etc.) before he made that observation. I was moved to contact this friend after I spoke on the phone about Helen/Hastings with then Birmingham Police Chief Don Studt, who I also once considered a friend. I knew he was lying to me. “Thanks for your interest.”
Thought it was an informative segment to bring people up to speed. Wish they could have delved more in the suspects, but time was limited. Breaks my heart to see the family members (including you and your family) still flapping in the breeze. So now that Oakland County Sheriff’s cold case is also working on it why still no contact with family members? That’s utter BS. Not only them, never hear from Troy PD either. Makes you wonder how diligent they’re working on it. Everyone has had years for further testing yet nothing is happening.
The good sheriff is guilty as sin, he has been holding back information for years. I pray every time he doesnt get re-elected but he has so many people buffaloed.
Damn right.
I agree with you. He turns 70 in April, and will have spent 50 consecutive years in both law enforcement and the state legislature. In that time he has not done one thing in solving this case, but he has made contributions to keeping this case unsolved.
OK, Let us say that Oakland County and MSP are correct There are detectives assigned to this case Why were they not interviewed on Ch 7 news tonight along with their names and phone numbers and a tip line ?
Exactly.
There was more coverage today on the 3 year anniversary of the shooting on campus at Michigan State University. And that case is solved.
I would have hoped that this segment by WXYZ with Heather Catallo would have been a little more in depth. She at least has some history and knowledge of the case. Instead, she just lobbed softball questions at Bouchard, and replayed old film footage that she used 8 years ago.
I’m sure all the other local news stations will have segments with younger reporters who did little or no research, and cannot even spell OCCK.
We were able to confirm through this interview that Bouchard’s office indeed is and has been conducting a satellite investigation and no doubt not sharing results with the MSP. I would also like to know if the sheriff is working with the OC office of the FBI. I have heard from numerous sources since 2020 that the sheriff’s office is literally withholding evidence in this case. My dad’s ashes are a cyclone in the urn this week with this bullshit. How many times did he have to ask these people to get on the same page and work for the common good of the case? Bouchard doesn’t know shit about this case. Infuriating.