Saturday, December 15, 2018

Did Teresa Halbach Die From a Drug Overdose Like Carmen Boutwell and Possibly Mark Lee Zipperer, or Were They Killed Because They Were Confidential Informants (All Three Died Within a 30-day Time Period)?



Below are some comments from a link for sending birthday wishes to Teresa Halbach in 2016 (image above).

http://light-candle.com/collections/view/32989

Teresa's Friends
on 21/5/16

Erin, Jolene, Nicole, Ariel, Kelly...talk to the press. Speak for Teresa. If only you could see the Calumet Investigative report. You knew her better than a documentary. Or online sleuths. Come to Reddit, help fill in blanks. We have theories, but tell us about Oct. 30th. The documentary is not disparaging Teresa's memory. It opened people's eyes about her loss. Google "Reddit Making a Murderer"

carmens ashes
on 21/5/16

Teresa - Carmen Boutwell and you got all mixed up along with Mark Lee Zipperer. 

http://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2014/06/08/drug-death-a-painful-memory/10177139/ https://gist.github.com/anonymous/622776cc2a797f337bb4

- END COMMENTS -

Teresa allegedly went missing on October 31, 2005.

 Carmen died of a drug overdose three days later, on November 3, 2005.

 Mark apparently died of a drug overdose or suicide almost a month later, on November 29, 2005.

From Mark's obituary:
"Mark L Zipperer died on November 29, 2005, unexpectedly at his residence in Green Bay."
Mark's father's home at the time of Teresa's disappearance was on County Road Q, about five miles south of Kuss Road. Did Teresa leave Avery's and drive to Kuss Road via County Road Q to meet Mark Lee Zipperer, possibly for a drug transaction or to meet a mutual friend/associate?

Were Teresa Halbach, Carmen Boutwell and Mark Lee Zipperer being pressured to act as confidential informants in a drug sting operation involving local sheriff's departments, Wisconsin DOJ, and the FBI/DEA?



MARK LEE ZIPPERER OBITUARY

Mark Lee Zipperer, 28, 837 Neufeld St., Green Bay, died unexpectedly Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005, at his residence.

Mark was born in Manitowoc on July 23, 1977, to Daniel and Jane Haese Zipperer. He attended Holy Cross Grade School and graduated from the Mishicot High School with the Class of 1996. Mark was employed by Wilco Cabinet Company of Green Bay. He enjoyed skateboarding, snowboarding, camping and bicycling. Mark also played guitar in a band.

He is survived by his mother and stepfather, Jane and Harvey Kimmes, Suamico, Wis.; his father and stepmother, Dan and Lynn Zipperer, Mishicot, Wis.; and by his best friend and brother, Keith Zipperer, and his wife Lisa, Green Bay; stepniece Cecelia, stepnephew, Joseph, and stepgreat-grand niece Jordyn.

He is further survived by his aunts and uncles, Cathie and Mike Erceogovac, Winneconne; Margie Krizizke, Schaumburg, Ill.; Betty and Russ Fuller, Waukesha; John (His Godfather) and MaryJo Haese, Manitowoc; Jim and Cindy Haese, Mishicot; Laurie and Brad Thatcher, Rochester, Minn.; Chris and Becky Haese, Neenah; Virginia Zipperer, Francis Creek; Anita Zipperer and Patrick Ohearn, Green Bay; Suzanne Zipperer, Milwaukee; Julie Zipperer (His Godmother) and Joe Meyer, Francis Creek.

Mark is also survived by his many cousins, Anita (John), Teresa, Meghan, Kevin (Cindy), Jason (Donna), Matt (Amy), Sarah (Jeremy), Katie, Laura, Jeremy, Justin (Lynn), Beth, Lindsay, Benjamin, Kaitlin, Jillian, Collin, Kelly, Jacki, Kendall, Scott and Ketiwe.

Mark was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Clarence and Lucille Haese, his paternal grandparents, Virgil and Leona Zipperer, his aunt, MarySue Haese Brunkhorst, and by his cousins, Emma and Olivia.

Relatives and friends may call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (TODAY) at the Lambert-Eckert Funeral Home, 344 So. State St. in Mishicot. Visitation will continue after 9 a.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home, until leaving for the funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005, at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Mishicot, with the Reverend Paul Paider officiating, with burial to follow in the parish cemetery.

A memorial fund has been established in his name. Mark, you were loved so much, by so many, we will miss you.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6658322/mark_zipperer_obit1/

TruePeopleSearch.com record for Mark L Zipperer, who would be 41 if he were still alive today:

Mark L Zipperer
Age 41

Current Address
8313 County Road Q
Two Rivers, WI 54241-9630

Possible Relatives

Daniel M Zipperer, Jacob A Zipperer, Jane C Kimmes, Keith Alan Zipperer, Lynn A Zipperer, Andrew P Zipperer, Ashley S Zipperer, Sue Ann Zipperer

Possible Associates

Aaron P Chevalier, Briana L Foley, Sean Ronald Murray, Tammy M Jorgensen, Anthony D Hill, Bethany Lynn Foley, Craig S Smurawa, Crystal Marie Hill, Curtis T Grondine, Erica J Murray, Mark D Engels, Rhonda L Melvin, Sara E Elmer, Thomas J Schuh, Corinne L Bosse, Harvey P Kimmes, Lisa Ann Coronado

Mr_Precedent wrote at TickTockManitowoc:

I suspect TH made it home and was killed there (accidentally or intentionally or a drug overdose). I think RH, MH and SB were in a secret drug business with MW (CASO drug investigator) and they called him for help instead of 911 because an investigation at the house would get them all in trouble. When MW discovered that TH had seen SA (via her phone or paperwork), he called Lenk and they planned to solve both departments' problems and be heroes by framing SA.

I think the RAV (and TH's body, if it was a drug overdose) were moved to Zander Road and set on fire (MTSO had attempted to frame SA for a stolen car fire there a few months before). AC was sent to plant the Zander Road sign, the folded plates, and panties - and to find the RAV and call it in (causing it to be entered into evidence).

But they discovered the recorded jail calls with Jodi and the crime scene had to be moved to ASY. At this point, I think Kratz had gotten involved and made himself "The Boss," orchestrating the rest of the planting (like a trial checklist, with little thought to how it would be found).

It wouldn't surprise me if the RAV in ASY is a (not-quite) duplicate (a burned car couldn't be hidden there), and the blood in the back of it is not TH's. That's why it wasn't opened at ASY and was covered and moved in the dark. I think RH got scratched with branches while covering it up in the dark (while getting instructions from LEO via his phone and the flyover video). TH's keys had either been burned or wouldn't fit the duplicate RAV, so a replacement was made, attached to the fob she'd never used, and planted at SA's. Bullets found around the garage were rubbed with DNA and planted later, after the floor was dusty from jackhammering. The voicemails were switched (Zipperer audio was put onto Janda video) - Zipperer was the one with the incomplete address. No wonder the CD is "lost" now.

I doubt the bones planted in SA's burn pit were TH's and there was clearly no giant fire there, especially involving tires. I think the TH DNA is from the personal items collected at her home and brought to ASY. I think the SA DNA is swabbed from his sink, the extra/stolen "groin swabs" (sweat/touch), and dripped from a non-EDTA vial that Lenk stole from the MTSO evidence lock-up (a standard blood draw includes 10 tubes of different colors with different additives). The search of ASY, instigated by RH, "untrained LEO", was put off until the duplicate RAV was in place. PoG was set up to find it, but was confused because it was a different color than she was expecting - and the VIN had been tampered with.

I think Ken Kratz wrote the (loopy Ks) SiKiKey letter, ordered the planting of items in the Janda burn barrel, faked computer searches, and quarry bones, so to trick ST, BJ, the BD boys, and JR into changing their stories to include a big fire, by claiming that SA was guilty and trying to frame THEM. If they didn't comply, they'd be charged as accomplices. That's why BJ was so wishy-washy and ST was so ecstatic when SA was convicted. Brendan was too confused to cooperate, so they had to knead it out of him. They hoped SA would confess to save his young, disabled nephew.

At a minimum, I think these people were knowingly involved in the coverup: RH, MH, SB, MW, Lenk, AC, KK (and probably TF, SC & DR). ALL of them would benefit from SA being convicted (or from allowing themselves to be blackmailed). At least one of them has been talking to KZ.

NOBODY ever dreamed that this case would have a worldwide audience. The mere suggestion of filmmakers having access to the courtroom and family made Kratz apoplectic and desperate to get their footage seized and the project tied up in legal red tape - more than once. He's now desperate to sway public opinion and points often to the contents of the documentary series, NOT the transcripts and evidence.

I could definitely be wrong about some or all of this, but ALL of the evidence fits this or a similar scenario:
  • How MW knew the BJ appointment was SA on 11/3 without having received that info from Cingular
  • Why unemployed nursing graduate was making frequent deliveries to construction worker SB
  • How MH knew to grieve for TH before her car was found
  • Why RH and MH were acting so squirrelly about being on ASY
  • Why RH was working so closely with LEO & deemed "untrained LEO" & allowed on crime scene (he was probably familiar to CASO as a drug informant)
  • Why RH, MH and SB were not investigated
  • Ryan's scratches (murder and/or planting car)
  • Only 1 of 10 colored tubes in unsealed evidence box
  • TOTALLY IGNORED AS CRUCIAL EVIDENCE: Zander Road sign, SiKiKey letter, computer searches, quarry bones, large amount of blood in back of RAV, missing parts, damage and VIN tampering to RAV - all used for blackmailing witnesses, not helpful against SA
  • Kratz's email to Culhane that Wiegert was checking 1985 blood - "what it was" (likely the preservative)
  • Zero tire residue, plus unburned leaves & grass around burn pit
  • SHOCK AND HORROR (what could be more shocking than TH's closest friends and brother and corrupt LEO working to get two innocent men convicted of a crime by using HIS closest friends and family against him?)

I suspect RH, MH and SB were in a secret drug business with MW (CASO drug investigator) and probably KK (CASO Drug Addict). That could explain why an unemployed nurse was dropping stuff off to a construction worker a few times a week, why LE referred to RH by a different but similar name, and why no LE thought it was odd that the "untrained law enforcement" ex-boyfriend of the victim was allowed to wander around a crime scene while the coroner was banned due to "conflict of interest." It explains why MH was "grieving" before his sister's car was found and why RH butted in to make sure MH didn't answer the reporter's questions incorrectly.

I think TH died at home of a drug-related accident or crime (maybe she ODed or threatened to expose their crimes), and that they called MW directly instead of 911 for help because a reported drug-related death or murder would get them all in trouble. 

According to the Cingular rep's testimony, he couldn't have numbers for calls. I think they broke into TH's account to TRY to get her information so they'd have an explanation for how MW knew on 11/3 that TH had talked to SA - but it wasn't there. RH's phone calls were inquiries as to WHY they couldn't print out the info they needed, and the fake list was made to hide the fact that it wasn't available. They had either TH, her phone, or her completed paperwork between 10/31 and 11/3. Wiegert's statement that a reverse search of BJ's number led to SA (when we KNOW it could not have) is the first provable LIE in the case. He lied because he was involved in the framing from the very beginning.

For the record, I think TH made it home and died there - either by accident or attack. I suspect RH, MH and SB were involved in a secret drug business with MW (CASO drug investigator), and they called him instead of 911 because a drug-related death would get them all in trouble. When he learned TH had visited SA (via her paperwork, phone or stories told by RH, MH & SB), he knew they could solve two problems at once. He called Lenk and they decided to frame SA. The original crime scene was supposed to be Zander Road (where there was an attempt by MTSO to frame SA several months prior), but when they learned about the recorded jail calls with Jodi, they had to move everything to ASY.

ALL of the evidence, lies, and strange behavior fit this scenario - or one very similar to it.

If MW was involved in a secret drug business involving seized or controlled substances, he would benefit by not having to explain how his cohorts were involved in a drug-related death. I'm sure being heralded as a hero who cracked the case within minutes of the phone call and put SA away doesn't hurt, either.

[–]MMonroe54

That's assuming a drug connection....and you may as well say the same about Remiker. He was the drug investigator for Manitowoc County. Except of course Remiker was not co-leader of the investigation.

[–]Mr_Precedent

Remiker was likely involved, too. He and Wiegert had a couple of very interesting phone calls about the Plan. And he commented that the source of the tightly controlled drugs that killed CB was untraceable.

Perhaps Remiker is one of the people who has spilled the beans to KZ.

It all could have started as clean-up for a secret operation that went awry. I do think Kratz took over the orchestration of the planting once the crime scene was moved. That’s why the “evidence” reads like a checklist of what would be needed at trial with so little thought put into HOW it was found or treated.

[–]dugdiggins 

It would explain the missing screws for the RAV4 dashboard. It would explain the possible Martinez connection to ASY and the comments about a baggie (CASO page 980). It would explain the statements made by Jodi's stepfather (CASO page 1052). It would explain how Teresa knew on 10/30, when chatting with Herried on yahoo, that she would be in the area of ASY the next day, 10/31.

Missing Screws:

http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/exhibit-293-passenger-door-view.jpg

CASO Page 980:



 About the "going ons at ASY on 10/31/05," Jodi's stepfather said DavidT has a friend who told DavidT there was "more to the story." Jodi's stepfather believes it has something to do with Martinez. DavidT told Jodi's stepfather that "there was more going on than was coming out."

CASO Page 1052:

CASO Page 291:

 


[–]Mr_Precedent 

I think RH and MW had something going on that made it necessary to frame SA to protect BOTH of them. Probably drugs. I think the 22 calls between RH and LE on the night the RAV was planted show it was a coordinated effort.

[–]lilypadbitch

DR who more or less blew off the CB overdose death on Nov 3rd saying that it was not traceable to how that happened to her? He basically said that type of case was usually hard to solve. What?

From Harold Times 
Published 11:00 p.m. CT June 7, 2014 
Drug Death a Painful Memory

Cases such as this are challenging to investigate; often those responsible are reluctant to come forward because they know the family or don’t want to put a stop to their flow of drugs, he said.

“It’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” Remiker said. “And then obtaining enough evidence to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt is the standard we’re held to.”

So he just says “It’s like finding a needle in a haystack.” Well now we know they have no intent on investigating because they don't want the truth to come out to where the problem lies. In their own back yard is where it will lead. MW (CASO drug investigator).

[–]Mr_Precedent 

Kratz was getting his drugs somewhere, too. It sure would have been a bad thing if his supplier(s) had been busted.

[–]lilypadbitch 

Biggest problem in Wisconsin is Drugs and Alcohol.

Drunkest state and their drunkest city:

2. Wisconsin: 24.5% statewide; 26.5% in Green Bay


I think (just a hunch that may be wrong) that RH, MH and SB were involved in selling drugs confiscated by (Calumet drug investigator) Wiegert (possibly Kratz, too), and that TH died at home, in the presence of RH, MH and SB, of an overdose or injury that would have gotten them ALL in serious trouble if a coroner learned she died at home and did an autopsy. I think they called Wiegert for help and he got the idea to call Lenk, frame SA, solve 2 big problems, and win some big awards and brownie points. I think Wiegert is deeply involved in the framing, and probably is the orchestrator of it until Sweaty Ken Kratz took over.  

I think RH was dropping off drugs to SB a few times a week and TH either overdosed and died or threatened to expose a secret drug biz with CASO and was murdered. She could also have been making deliveries. But I think RH, MH and SB definitely had a personal reason to help LE frame SA, and BoD and ST et al. got blackmailed into helping.

Audio of Witness Who Reported Teresa Taking Pictures of Cow
By seekingtruthforgood, TickTockManitowoc

A couple of people have asked for the recording of the witness who reported seeing Teresa taking pictures of the cows, so I have added it here:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1aTjq163zaX8GhhAtxKlAoul_l0zHDEKY

A few areas of the call will sound odd because I edited out a few words for reasons of privacy.

[-]magiclougie

The tipster thought maybe Teresa had spent the night in the area before she spotted her travelling south of Whitelaw, WI, the morning of Tuesday, 11/1. 

Was Teresa coming from Kuss Road and heading to a photo shoot, perhaps Steve Schmitz's home at 253 County Road A in Kiel, WI, or was she coming from Schmitz's and heading north toward Kuss Road?

Her phone still was off network at this point. 

The first incoming call to her phone since Steven Avery's incoming call at 4:35 PM on 10/31 was at 9:49 AM on 11/1.

http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Trial-Exhibit-361-Halbach-Cingular-Report.pdf



[–]_7POP

I am so glad the caller kept going on about the details, even after dispatch said they were going to transfer to Wiegert’s VM.

So we learn the cow photo location was on Madson Road, “literally kitty corner” to Trinity Lutheran Church at 11303 Wehausen Rd, Manitowoc.

 It was 8:35 AM Tuesday morning, November 1st. 

[-]magiclougie

Wiegert: I did get a call last night, there was a Knutson, from Valders actually said she... she claims... she left she left me a voicemail which I haven't got, dispatch called me, she claimed, allegedly...she claims... she was on her way home and sees Teresa... and she sees Teresa pulled over taking a picture of a cow.

Remiker: Huh...she know Teresa?

Wiegert: No just seen on the news... all this kind of crap, I'm going to get my ducks in a row and drive up to Valders, talk to her.

Page 60, CASO File

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Follow Up (Discovery of Teresa Halbach's Vehicle)
Phone Interview of: Pamela A. Sturm
DATE OF ACTIVITY: 11/05/05 at approximately 10:29 a.m.
REPORTING OFFICER: Inv. Mark Wiegert

On 11/05/05 at 10:29 a.m., I (Inv. MARK WIEGERT of the CALUMET CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT.), as well as Sheriff PAGEL of the CALUMET CO. SHERIFF'S DEPT., was called into the CALUMET CO. DISPATCH CENTER.

Upon arrival in the dispatch center, I noted Sheriff PAGEL had taken a phone call from a lady who was later identified as PAMELA A. STURM. PAMELA had indicated to Sheriff PAGEL that TERESA HALBACH's vehicle had possibly been located at the AVERY'S AUTO SALVAGE yard near Mishicot. Sheriff PAGEL handed me the phone and I spoke briefly with PAMELA.

Page 68, CASO File

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Supplemental Report
DATE OF ACTIVITY: 11/05/05
REPORTING OFFICER: Inv. Wendy Baldwin

On 11/05/05 at approximately 10:40 a.m., I (Inv. BALDWIN) began my shift and was requested
by Inv. WIEGERT to follow-up on some information that had come in about the possible
sighting of TERESA HALBACH. 

At approximately 11:13 a.m., I did make contact with ANNA P. KXUTSON, DOB 01/10/74, who informed me that on possibly Tuesday morning, she had seen a female fitting the description of TERESA on the highway taking photographs of cows.

Shortly after my arrival, Inv. WIEGERT had informed me that they located TERESA's vehicle
on the AVERY property.

At approximately 11:42 a.m., I arrived at W3559 CTH B.

http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/CASO-Investigative-Report.pdf#page=68



On 11/5, a resident named Leo Richmond who lives at 4201 Kuss Road called in a tip about seeing Teresa at his door the night before (11:30 PM on 11/4); she was looking for a home in his area. Wiegert dismissed the tip and said he would call back later.



Yes this is the same kuss road as burial site.@TransitionCLE I don't get how an investigator can be dismissive of a possible sighting of TH, whose car was found a mere half mile just hours before this phone call. Her scent was tracked near this mans house.#MakingAMurderer
— AC (@Rookie1082) August 11, 2018

 WISCONSIN 2005, who drove the black SUBURBANS, the DOJ or the FBI ? 
By SpiritWolf395, TickTockManitowoc

The crime scene on Kuss Rd, there's 4 suburbans lined up (MAM2), just like to know if they are DOJ or FBI.

I have a theory about this crime scene being already there on 4th and 5th, during the flyover videos, that's why they wouldn't show Kuss Rd!

Could they have gotten an anonymous tip about a body being buried there? Were they investigating somebody because of their internet search history and missing girls? Could this have be a command post for FBI or DOJ special ops to monitor the Avery Savage Yard?

This is why I think the DOJ files on this are sealed, they might show a totally different investigation before Teresa was reported missing!





[–]Sarah1863[S] 

The DOJ portable crime lab was at Kuss Rd; they could have easily processed the RAV4 on the spot alot faster than moving it. LE didn't have to worry about contamination; there was a portable crime lab at Kuss Rd with trained techs and all the equipment to do the job right. That's what portable crime labs are trained to do, with tents over the cars. LE didn't even have to touch the RAV4.



[–]SpiritWolf395[S]

My theory: At Kuss Rd, the DOJ or FBI were set up there during the flyover video, which means they were already investigating something there.

Maybe they were tipped off to a dead body being buried there, or something of the sorts, but, yea, you have a very interesting theory for sure, sounds logical.

A professional photographer doing Autotrader would starve to death on what they get paid; that, and the fact that anybody could take pictures for Autotrader!

I wish there was some way to date the pictures of Kuss Rd. Even the pilot says something to Jerry Pagel when they fly over Kuss Rd in the plane.

The crappy flyover footage was edited to not show things for sure, but why would the cops try to hide the RAV4 when it should be there, or maybe it's not under the tarp!

[–]black-dog-barks

Exactly ... when you see the big black Suburbans at a crime it usually involves a crime the federal authorities are interested in... gangs, drugs, human trafficking, etc. Most time they are out of the regional or State office of the FBI to see if they have jurisdiction over the scene.

If TH was working undercover, her going missing and a burial site found, the Feds would all over that. It is a red flag that something serious happened.

[–]black-dog-barks

Back in that time frame of early 2000-2005 the country was being hit with rural operations of meth production using old barns in rural areas where the odor of cooking wouldn't be detected by neighbors ...it spurred the successful Breaking Bad TV series.

There has been some conclusive proof the photographer prior to TH at AT was working undercover for the WI DOJ. Drug trade funds from the federal government often require joint task forces with local agencies.

I think we are all going to find when the case is solved by KZ that TH was the new operative working the MC/CC area up to GB, working undercover out of AT.

The video she makes about death could very well been about knowledge working undercover -- if you get exposed you will die a horrible death.

I now believe ST, BoD , and MO were cooking meth either in ST RV just like Breaking Bad or in an old barn on that property. ST used Barb to lure TH to the area with the photo shoot of Barb's minivan. The three working together (ST, BoD , and MO) intercepted her on HWY 147, tortured her down on Kuss Rd, and, when done, buried her body temporarily until they figured a way to dispose of her permanently. Thus the dog hits of a corpse at Kuss Rd.

They did a bad job hiding her SUV near ST's trailer on HWY 147, and it was seen by the truck driver. Thus allowing AC to find it, and put a new battery from the MC Garage into it. And with help of the Sheriff and Lenk, and then MW and TF, framed SA to make the law suit go away.

ST, most likely using the burn barrel and his company's smelter, disposed of most of TH... the MCSO had CB available for planting some bones in SA fire pit... it's why no perfect match of DNA... it's not because of burning but her being a cousin.

ST and BoD alibi each other with help of Barb.... they are able to buy the new house because of the drug trade... the local cops continue taking their bribes to say nothing about their meth operation. Thus MW and Barb remain "friends" all these years.

SA is hated by ST because he was interfering, being around so much, with his meth operation. Thus why ST says it's the best thing that ever happened when SA was sent back to jail.

MaM2 and all the scenes with Barb started my head thinking ..God...she looks like a meth head... a tweeker... then it all fell into place.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/a1egyf/wisconsin_2005_who_drove_the_black_suburbans_the/

[–]dugdiggins

Wilmer Seibert said he was not questioned by police or lawyers except for when an FBI agent came to his door shortly after Halbach went missing and showed him a picture of Halbach and asked if he knew her, which he didn’t.

https://algomaphotoandstory.wordpress.com/2016/04/28/what-steven-averys-neighbour-witnessed/

I'm Jeff Klassen, author of three recent articles on Manitowoc including the one about WS - AMA
By Algoma_Photo_N_Story, TickTockManitowoc

[–]Anniebananagram

Did you ask Wilmer Seibert how he knew it was an FBI agent who visited him? Did he leave a card?

[–]Algoma_Photo_N_Story[S]

He just said it was an FBI agent. I think I asked him repeatedly if it was an FBI agent. He could be misremembering, I don't know. I take it from some of the comments the fact that an FBI agent there is somewhat controversial? I was not aware of that when I spoke with him.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/4o879o/im_jeff_klassen_author_of_three_recent_articles/

[–]Anniebananagram

I think the photo you took of WS was beautiful. You really captured the character and kindness in his face.

I found your article really helpful and quite intriguing. I have some questions for you:

1. Did you ask WS how he knew it was an FBI agent who visited him? Did he leave a card?

2. Did the white Jeep have any markings of any kind?

3. Was WS interested in staying in touch with you to report any updates? Like if he is visited by LE after your article.

4. I'd love to hear more about the occult club investigation you did.

That's it for now!

[–]Algoma_Photo_N_Story[S]

He just said it was an FBI agent. I think I asked him repeatedly if it was an FBI agent. He could be misremembering , I don't know. I take it from some of the comments the fact that an FBI agent there is somewhat controversial? I was not aware of that when I spoke with him.

Just what he said in the article. I asked him many questions about the white Jeep and what he told me was all I could get from him.

He wasn't really interested in staying in touch. Maybe his daughter would be interested. WS seems like he just wants to chill out on his yard and toy around with his old cars and stuff. He is not at all interested in media hype.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/4o879o/im_jeff_klassen_author_of_three_recent_articles/

1 Dead/1 Missing/2 Framed
By August141981, TickTockManitowoc
November 7, 2016

November 3, 2005 was a seemingly busy day for Manitowoc and surrounding areas.

1. Carmen Boutwell was found of a suspicious drug overdose that morning at approximately 8:30 am.

2. Teresa Halbach is reported missing later that day at approximately 5:00 pm.

3. Steven Avery shows on the Global Subject Activity Report Summary as HOMICIDE SUSPECT at 6:34 pm.

Can these three events be connected? It certainly looks as though they can.

Warrant was issued for Carmen Boutwell's arrest on October 10, 2005:

https://wcca.wicourts.gov/caseDetails.do;jsessionid=1FB01A0C071E340DB6CD1315968E172E.render6?caseNo=2005CF000341&countyNo=36&cacheId=A5587DAFB43FFED9A7E1F5AE65F0597E&recordCount=6&offset=3&mode=details&submit=View+Case+Details

September 19, 2005 - was this the test run?

October 10, 2005 - was this a failed or aborted attempt to lure Teresa to her death?

CB Warrant filed Oct 10, 2005

CB Warrant served Oct 12, 2005

CB Bail/Bond Hearing Oct 13, 2005

CB Initial appearance Oct 17, 2005

CB Notice entered Oct 2005 - Review is set for Nov 3, 2005 @ 8:30 am

Teresa Halbach is scheduled with AutoTrader and has an appointment with Steven Avery at salvage yard.

Ryan Hillegas speaks with TH over the phone for 17 minutes the evening of Oct 10, 2005.

Note he called or received calls from TH, and if you look at the phone records of RH, you will see a pattern Oct 10/11 & Oct 30/31.

RH's phone record call patterns do seem quite similar for both Monday the 10th and Monday the 31st.

Monday October 10 2005
8:13 AM Voice

Monday October 10 2005
3:53 PM Incoming Mrc

Monday October 10 2005
5:45 PM 2 DM

Monday October 10 2005
6:20 PM Incoming 17 TH

Monday October 10 2005
6:46 PM MK

Tuesday October 11 2005
6:40 AM MK

Tuesday October 11 2005
7:56 AM Oshkosh

Tuesday October 11 2005
11:31 AM MK

Tuesday October 11 2005
11:43 AM Outgoing TH

The Fateful final 48 hours:

October 30 2005
1:26 PM 1 SB

October 30 2005
1:35 PM 2 SB

October 30 2005
3:30 PM 1 VIDEO

October 31 2005
9:10 AM Incoming 8 DM

October 31 2005
9:41 AM Incoming 2 Unknown

October 31 2005
3:48 PM 1 Voice

October 31 2005
3:50 PM CM

October 31 2005
6:01 PM Incoming 2 Unknown

October 31 2005
6:02 PM Incoming 23 Unknown

October 31 2005
6:25 PM 3 Unknown

October 31 2005
7:19 PM Incoming 3 Unknown

October 31 2005
7:36 PM 2 Unknown

October 31 2005
7:37 PM 2 SB

October 31 2005
7:47 PM Incoming 5 SB

What was CB doing leading up to October 31, 2005?

Prior to October 31, 2005

CB had met with LE days prior to her death. Her grandmother had driven her to an out of the place location where they met LE, and CB sat in the back seat of LE’s car, refusing to tell them what they wanted to hear. She was nervous and anxious about this meeting.

CB - October 31, 2005

On the day of October 31st, her family tells me that she was attending school in prep to attend college and had came home for lunch that day and spoke with her mom about what she was doing for Halloween. CB loved Halloween and she loved shelling out candy to the local kids. She told her mom that she was staying home that night and would look forward to her mom stopping by with her little brother in costume. Unfortunately she never spoke with her again and did not make it over that night to see her.

TH - October 31, 2005

On the day of October 31, 2005, TH is working her Monday at AutoTrader and has an appointment at salvage yard with SA to take photo of his sister's van.

OCTOBER 31 timeline detailed on reddit (angieb15) with many great links:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/4kvwfc/october_31_2005_timeline/

November 3, 2005

At approximately 8:30 am, CB’s grandmother had gone upstairs and knocked on the door to wake CB, and she did not answer (CB’s lived in an apartment of the upstairs and her grandmother lived downstairs). A few minutes later an unknown female alerted CB’s grandmother that CB may be dead. The grandmother went upstairs where she found CB sitting on the floor, leaning against the stereo, and unresponsive.

MSCO was contacted and responded. Conversations between MCSO and CB’s family immediately ensued and her family was told she had OD’d.

The family of course was devastated. MCSO immediately discussed that they would assist the family with her funeral arrangements. The family paid for CB’s funeral; however, even before CB's body was removed from her apartment, MCSO told the family that they should have her cremated. They advised the family that an autopsy would be done immediately and that they would help with the arrangements for cremation.

The autopsy was completed Nov 4th, and CB’s funeral was Nov 8th.

Her family remembers placing her in the back of the hearse shortly after 1pm on Nov 8th, where she was taken to be cremated. It took 3 weeks for her cremains to be returned to the family.

CB’s family questioned her death a few times to LE and were told that she was a drug addict and to get over it and that finding her killer was virtually impossible. LE never investigated CB's suspicious drug death! MSCO stated in the news article that the case was still open.

At approximately 5:00 pm, Teresa Halbach is reported missing.

Teresa Halbach RAV4 is listed as in custody November 3, 2005 (no time listed on report - source link page 3):

http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/MTSO-Summary-Report-on-Homicide-Investigation.pdf

At 6:34 pm, approximately 2 1/5 hours after TH missing person report was filed, SA was documented as TH murder suspect (NOVEMBER 3/05 @ 18:34 hours - Global Subject Activity Report).

Dave Remiker - report shows that he was not working November 3, 2005:

http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/CASO-Investigative-Report.pdf#page=1032

This is where I would love to see CB's investigation paperwork, as DR says he was on this case. But he seems to be MIA that day, and then was recorded as being involved in SA case.

At 10:00 pm the breaking news of TH missing on WBAY:

http://wbay.com/2016/01/07/video-nov-3-2005-teresa-halbach-is-missing/

November 4, 2005

Because MSCO had removed the same coroner that was walled off from SA case, CB was driven 2 hours drive to Waukesha County Morgue. Her autopsy was done by Debra P Kakatch, MD Forensic Pathologist, and TH, Forensic Autopsy Assistant.

This autopsy was done Nov 4th, 2005. The autopsy report shows her organs were normal -- that is not indicative to someone who is a “druggie” -- along with the low numbers for methadone & alcohol.

What is questionable is the mention of markings and their location, that she was more apt to have died from suffocation/strangulation rather then OD.

During the autopsy, tissues and samples were taken and stored, and also there was a DNA card made for her.

(NOTE: the coroner DK had contacted CB's family daily, always saying how sorry she was. Her last day calling, she called x3, with the last conversation being that she was removed from the case, and she stopped contacting the family.)

10:00 am Pam Sturm sees news featuring TH (page 197):

http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Jury-Trial-Transcript-Day-2-2007Feb13.pdf#page=197

Between 3:10 - 7:25 pm, RH speaks with LE 22 times (I am not posting the link to spread sheet but you all I’m sure are aware).

At 4:00 pm, DaveB & SarahB arrive at salvage yard. They speak with SA and leave a missing person flyer (page 214):

http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Jury-Trial-Transcript-Day-1-2007Feb12.pdf#page=214

Between 7:30 - 8:00 pm, SA brother sees headlights near the pit while leaving for Crivitz and calls SA (see report):

http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Steven-Avery-Interview-Report-2005Nov05.pdf

Timeline of activity Nov 4, 2005 for TH missing person case:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/4kwcwi/november_4_2005_timeline/

When you go back and look at CB court documents, the following stands out:

Nov 8 2005, motion and order of dismissal, ordering the action dismissed without prejudice because the defendant is deceased (that is 5 days after she died, that is the very day of her funeral, that is the very day the supposed bones were found on the salvage yard).

In none of CB's other court documents is it logged that she was deceased until the following year, and 2 documents actually still don’t show her as deceased.

Have I gotten your attention yet?

[–][deleted]

Yes, after 11 months on this forum, you have gotten my attention like none other.

[–]bashdotexe

"Shock and Horror" indeed if CB turns out to be a part of this. Her family already had funeral arrangements but MTSO insisted on taking care of it for them? While also not investigating after the autopsy showed strangulation?

This has my attention for sure.

[–]missingtruth

Yes, you have my attention. Great post of connections. Scary...

[–]August141981[S]

thank you, and it's frightening.

[–]Jayyouung

The CB/TH theory has been dismissed so many times but there are definitely some links between the two. Great post that will keep me thinking.

[–]SilkyBeesKnees

You're right! November 3, 2005 was a red letter day for Manitowoc. The CB connection is a weird one. I trust Zellner to prove Avery's innocence but will we ever have the whole story? Excellent post.

[–]7-pairs-of-panties

You've got my attention! The CB connection has always bugged me! I believe there is a connection but can't quite put the puzzle pieces together. Only things I can think of is they used her for her bones AND/OR they used her as a stand in for the bogus Zipperer appt. Great post!

[–]August141981[S]

I assure you CB did not look like the photo in the news article. The photo her mom was holding was of her a few years younger. Yes she resembled the photo somewhat but that was not her look when she died.

[–]foghaze

I can confirm this. I've seen the pic too. They looked nothing alike anymore and she could not have pulled off posing as Teresa. So I hope those who are leaning in this direction can see how that scenario would be impossible.

FYI the markings on her throat are a bit suspicious but after further research seem to be common. I really don't know what to think about her connection, if there is one, anymore. I'm leaning more to no connection TBH.

[–]August141981[S]

Thank you fog and I appreciate your input as always.

[–]foghaze

You're welcome. One thing I do find strange is how she was taken to the coroner in Waukesha and how they made her get an autopsy when none was needed.

It's odd how they immediately called it an overdose when they couldn't have actually known this.

The coroner she was taken to was connected with another corrupt cop case that had recently happened as well in another county but he testified for the defense. It's pretty interesting because a cop shot this guy in the head and some of the cranial pieces were missing, according to him. They were apparently on the ground but he claims he never got them. Crazy huh? You can kinda see where I might be going with that. I will get that info to you when I have the chance.

Also, when I look at the very little amount of drugs in her system compared to the BAC level, I cannot see how she died but I think it's possible had she had never taken methadone before. I'm no expert at all, but the levels of methadone in her system appear very low. However, if this is coupled with alcohol it does make a difference. I do suspect that it's possible she got it from LE.

The deeper I dig the more it looks like the entire state is corrupt.

[–]August141981[S]

Michael Bell Jr is who you are referring?

yes, another interesting case.

[–]foghaze

I can't remember the names or details. It was a while back when I researched all this but it was a corrupt cop case where he pulled a guy over who was supposed to be in court testifying against him in a few hours. Something like that. The cop straight up killed him for no reason at all at close range. He was unarmed.

[–]August141981[S]

this one foghaze?

http://michaelbell.info/MEReport.html

[–]foghaze

Yes, that's the one.

[–]stateurname

Did you have a previous post about a certain guy who had a court date schedule for a certain time? Cant recall, but CB's friend at the time?

[–]August141981[S]

If you are referring to first name rhymes with Mary you quite likely read my posts here:

https://m.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/53o8cu/them_dry_bones/?ref=search_posts

[–]stateurname

Yes! I believe it is, would be from MC or from different area? Just seeing if there was a link with him and any others in the area.

Out of all this mess, I hope the friends around CB have been able to get clean and out of the area.

[–]August141981[S]

I believe we will see change. This is a lot for many of them. Some have, some are and hope others will find the strength to direct themselves in positive ways.

[–]foghaze

Did you have a previous post about a certain guy who had a court date schedule for a certain time? Can't recall, but CB's friend at the time?

Yes, his name was Gary Kreie. According to her family they weren't really friends. They didn't even know who he is but, for some reason, MTSO ordered her to stay away from him.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/4lkfbv/the_curious_case_of_boutwell_kreie/

[–]solunaView

Have you found any maternal relatives that could link CB and TH? Even distantly?

[–]ControlOptional

I looked back all the way to ancestors several generations and found nothing.

[–]solunaView

Yeah, I know a few people did. Thanks. Never hurts to ask new eyes I figured. :) Still not discounting this. The other thing is with only 7 loci matching the odds in the regular population are much better like in the hundreds possibly.

The other thing is we don't know if LE would out and out fake the mtDNA testing. SC has spit on her hands already how much of a leap would it be to just fake a test or three?

[–]August141981[S]

I use to work with a retired forensic guy who had a routine. One day I mentioned his habits to him and that is when I found out his previous work was. In the 5 or so years I worked with him NOT ONCE did he cough in his hands.

Sherry Culhane was a nervous nitty for a reason.

[–]dark-dare

It's called dry labbing and it is more common than you think in state run labs.

[–]August141981[S]

Yes maternal, yes related and distant on father's side. CB's father related to TH's father.

[–]no_idea_4_names

So that wouldn't count towards mtdna then would it? Thought that was all through the mother's side?

[–]August141981[S]

mtdna means nothing! just more fluff on the prosecution side of things.

The reality is that there is plenty of lies and deceit that was created and executed by the prosecution and the thugs.

[–]IvanaVodka

I have also thought they might have used CB's bones. This case is so messed up it's infuriating!

[–]dark-dare

*A few minutes later an unknown female alerted CB’s grandmother that CB may be dead the grandmother went upstairs where she found CB sitting on the floor leaning against the stereo and unresponsive.*

WOAH WTF. Do you have any further information, where did this come from?

[–]August141981[S]

Frightening isn't it...I've been deep deep down in the CB rabbit hole. All the fluff that KK made in regards to DNA and such is just that.

This information and more has been turned over to proper authority, and I can't wait for that ship to sink and those responsible for this heinous crime are made accountable.

They framed them, they shamed them and they stole their lives.

I was sickened by what they did to SA x2. I was horrified by what they did to BD. I'm frightened by what they did to CB. 

These are people who are supposed to be looking after "we the people," and for decades they've only been looking after themselves. it's disgusting.

The weight we carry with the information we gather! I'm at the point I just want it all to come out and those 2 innocent men released.

[–][deleted]

[deleted]

[–]August141981[S]

Perhaps KK.

I mean he had a drug problem, obvious narcissistic behaviour, money problems, failed marriage, rehab, and the list goes on. The kind that really isn't going to turn down an opportunity. My read is he might just not have gotten the memo at rehab and prefers the messed up kind of behaviour.

I don't know why someone like him has left his fb wide open for the world to see. Is that part of his messed up behaviour or is it KZ. She's brilliant.

[–]dark-dare

Any WTF revelations to do with the boyfriend, who skipped jail the day before CB died, who was thought to be an informant?

Who is the woman (the unknown female)??? WB popped to mind. Also, the dispatcher was a neighbor!

[–]August141981[S]

He was not a boyfriend. I have been told either he or someone else he associated with were also seen outside her home the day she was found deceased.

He should have never been given a huber. if you go back thru his records you will see he didn't qualify for such a privilege.

[–]7-pairs-of-panties

And the non boyfriend of CB that your referring to, Gary Kreie, is FB friends with WB.

He was also put back in the slammer soon after MAM came out.

[–]August141981[S]

He has an interesting group of friends and connections. He lost his father young. Seems the loss of his sister crushed him. He didn't seem to get a great response on his last couple posts on fb.

[–]angieb15

Can you say where you got all the details? Because some of this is previously unknown and fascinating...

[–]August141981[S]

Direct connections to CB, and it's both fascinating and frightening, thru many months and tons of reading and telephone conversations. Working with some really great thinkers. I surely couldn't have gathered all on my own but was encouraged to post this here and hope to gather further thoughts and information.

[–][deleted]

I am interested in her sitting in the car with LE and not telling them what they wanted to hear. What did they want to hear?

[–]August141981[S]

It is believed that DEA was there at the meeting as well. I am convinced that CB knew something or was being pressured for something and refused to play the game or was silenced.

I believe from my information gathered that this is a case of 1 dead, 1 missing, and 2 framed.

[–][deleted]

Are you implying something with "one dead and one missing" rather than two dead?

[–]August141981[S]

One is dead and one is missing. I'm not implying anything. CB is confirmed and documented as deceased. TH is reported missing. There is no proof of rape/torture/mutilation or murder no body fluid/blood no damage to the bed where supposed rape took place. Heck car-char-ski the officer I refer as "dopey" sat on the very bed of the crime scene and took notes while the other 2 idiots packed up the evidence they just planted.

And it all started with a sweaty narcissistic story teller, and we're all still rooting, searching for the murderer that we were told about.

[–]stateurname

Your OP is so good. If you are in the area, you have to think vacation for a while.

[–]August141981[S]

I don't live in USA but certainly hope to one day meet CB's family. A bond is created now, and no matter the outcome, her death needs to be investigated by trusted authorities.

[–]seekingtruthforgood

If you haven't already read this, you may find this older post (x-post) and its comments fascinating:

https://np.reddit.com/r/MakingaMurderer/comments/4aboty/is_this_the_doctor_that_supplied_the_methadone/

[–]August141981[S]

CB was found dead the morning of Nov 3rd. It's listed on her autopsy report as is the date of her autopsy being Nov 4. It's been confirmed, and report has been turned over to team Zellner months ago.

[–]August141981[S]

There was an unknown/unnamed female there when CB was found but there were others that left in the night.

[–]SBRH33

I hope to hear much more about this. I have quietly kept the CB thoughts to myself for a long time.

Most would consider it too far fetched of a plot. I personally really don't think it is.

These guys (MTSO) were up against a real tough wall. It was all hands on deck.

[–]covertoperations911

This is a fantastic post - such incredibly important information. I can't thank you enough for sharing all of it with us and for giving the Boutwell family a voice. The revelations about the autopsy and the cremation are astounding.

Boutwell wasn't simply being processed through the courts: she was on the radar of the federal security services - and for reasons that remain unknown even today.

According to the information you've gathered:

1. A number of people were present in and around Boutwell's residence on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3.

2. There were the unidentified persons who "left in the night" on Nov. 2.

3. The following day, Kreie or an alleged associate, is seen outside her home.

4. Later, Boutwell's grandmother is told that she "may be dead" by an unidentified female.

What was going on at her house that night?

I'm absolutely floored. Something evil was happening in this county in October-November 2005.

[–]August141981[S]

Something evil has been happening there for decades.

She was a young girl who had friends over that is not out of the ordinary, but what happened to her and what led up to her death is not ordinary and should absolutely be investigated.

If we allow fear of speaking up and speaking out prevent us from exposing truth then evil wins.

[–]lilypadbitch

Evil shall not win if those who know the truth come forward and stop the cycle of corruption. It is like a family with a hidden secret and no one wants to exposé it because then everyone will know the sins of the family.

I think there is more secrets that the state of WI does not want the rest of the country to know about but I bet we are all guilty of the same corruption.

Sad to say but this goes all the way to the top of our leadership here in the US.

[–]August141981[S]

you're absolutely correct. from what I've seen, and it isn't just this case, there are many others of the like. This doesn't happen unless you have higher ups either covering or involved...when it comes down to it if they have kept these secrets this long they are responsible.

[–][deleted]

After reading this it's starting to feel like the CB case needs its own forum. A lot of info will get lost in this thread so it would be great to have something more in depth where the whole case can be taken apart.

[–]August141981[S]

11 years ago today CB family laid her to rest, amongst all the noise and utter chaos that was thrown into their world. They were kept in a state that they were unable to see everything that was going on outside of their devastation and loss.

same MO as Avery case.

[–]hopeville

When I first heard about MTSO offering to cremate CB, I figured it was her bones on SA's property. TH's bones are long gone. Unless there was 100% proof that some of them were in fact hers. But I don't recall that being the case.

[–]August141981[S]

I'd love to sing to the world about a girl named CB. but if my information seems vague then I apologize, and you are free to ask anything further. Should I be able to further indulge in answering I will. However, the people I've spoken with, I earned their respect and trust and I would not intentionally jeopardize the bond of friendship we have created over these past few months.

Sometimes things just can't be said for good reason.

CB death has never been investigated if you catch my drift.

[–]NewbieDoobieDoo7

Okay so you're saying you personally spoke (over the internet?) with people close to CB and/or the investigation (or lack thereof)? Have you vetted these people to make sure they are who they say they are? I'm not trying to get you to divulge your source(s) but we've been lied to before...

[–]August141981[S]

spoke personally, yes, as have others & they have been vetted.

Just to be clear, I'm not a lone wolf, and I'm not a "you heard it hear first kind of person."

Foghaze is one of a small group of people who has been introduced to some of the sources.

It's going to go down like dominos.

[–]NewbieDoobieDoo7

So people close to the CB case think that there is a link between her and TH's death?

[–]August141981[S]

All who have directly connected ourselves to CB and those who knew her say this: "If CB is not connected to this, her death requires a complete and trustworthy investigation."

We will all support it and demand it.

[–]lilypadbitch

What was CB doing leading up to October 31, 2005 Prior to October 31/05 - CB had met with LE days prior to her death. Her grandmother had driven her to an out of the place location where they met LE and CB sat in the back seat of LE’s car refusing to tell them what they wanted to hear. She was nervous and anxious about this meeting. - August141981

What LE was involved in meeting with her? What was the reason for her to meet with them?

If we knew more about what CB and TH where doing months before Oct. 31st it could tell a lot about what happened to both of them. What was going on in their lives prior to Oct 31?

Thank you for posting August141981. I have been waiting to see your insight to the CB connection.

There is some disturbing stuff going on in the shadows of this investigation. This is no coincidence to the connections of events. I believe there is some deep organized criminal activity going on in WI that they are desperately trying to keep hidden.

[–]August141981[S]

Thanks for letting me high jack your thread awhile back. I've dipped my toes in this CB conversation or at least attempted since late Jan early feb and, well, conversations never ended nicely or no one was just open to discuss. I was thankful for the open conversation.

We can't be 100% certain. So open conversation is really helpful to us all. Fact finding and then creating our own understanding of the case.

[–][deleted]

Did you have a different name then? I was mmh150 or cremation of sam mcgee, and I believe I was one of the first, if not the first, to bring up CB's coincidental death mid Jan. (I'm not bragging, its just that people shot me down very quickly and I can't recall your involvement in the discussions, for some reason). Your filling in the blanks of this story is fascinating to me, therefore. I have always believed in justice for CB as well as others caught up in this mess.

[–]August141981[S]

yes I used a different name. To be honest I didn't even use reddit in the beginning. I used fb and other venues. I was horrified when I seen previous posts in here from a while back where people were disrespecting my personal space and bombarding comments with my personal full name, who I was, who I associate with. All eager to negatively bash me and discredit the information found. So I stepped away and have recently returned because those I trust encouraged me to do so.

[–]ahhhreallynow

Any known connections between SB or RH or TH on a social level?

[–]August141981[S]

You mean with CB? No one I spoke with was able to connect any of those 3 with CB.

[–]August141981[S]

Yes, I believe CB was the target/victim. When you take all the evidence, and not just what they chose to use in Avery/Dassey trials, and sort through it, CB always ends up as the most possible. LE and media went immediately to the story line of rape/torture/mutilation and zero news on CB suspicious death. If you don't talk about it just goes away. Or so they thought.

[–]ICUNurse1

I have read this post no less than five times since it was originally posted. There are so many questions I have and know you probably can't answer. But I feel sad that if this indeed true, a young woman was used to disguise corruption and hatred. Although I feel bad for TH's parents, I feel worse for CB's.

[–]August141981[S]

Thank you for saying that. I have honestly wept many times since a girl named CB opened my eyes to just shocking information.

Everyone's life matters. We all want truth not lies.

[–]Kkman1971

I remember another great former poster that seems to have disappeared as of late. TID was very interested in the CB "coincidence" aspect as well.... it seems there is much more to this story, and I am sure we will all learn more about it when KZ lays out the "shock and horror" of this entire enigma. You can check out his last update on it on his website... more things that make you go "hummmmmm"... TID

[–]August141981[S]

yes, The Inspiring Dad is also included in our group of thinkers and has sat in conversations as a group and found information on his own as well.

[–]Messwiththebull

Manitowoc LE serial killers?

[–]August141981[S]

that would be an accusation that I'm not prepared to take a stance on, however, a full investigation of many cases involving said individuals should be happening!

[–]DaveBegotka

These is not the only questionable crimes committed in this area..... this group of people have dirt and blood all over their hands.

[–]lilypadbitch

This is so true and IMO has been going on for a long, long, long time. They ALL need to be exposed and held responsible for their crimes.

Time to WAKE UP WISCONSIN! Quit lying and hiding your dirty little secrets.

IMO - Shut the entire State down and start over with people who #1. Not related and #2. They can do their fricken job with integrity and without hidden agendas.

[–]DaveBegotka

Sounds like the only choice because the corruption goes all the way to the top.

Is this the doctor that supplied the Methadone that killed Carmen Boutwell? +more re:Remiker 
by Classic_Griswald, MakingaMurderer

For anyone who is not up to date, Carmen Boutwell (who I will refer to as C.B. from now on) is a girl that died very, very close in time to T.H.

Not only were they around the same age, they also looked very similar

There has been some speculation as to whether or not the C.B. death was related to the T.H. Case is some respect. She dies of a methadone overdose, right around the time T.H. went missing.

In fact, I remember listening to a call about the body of Carmen begin found, and someone asked if it was T.H. There was slight confusion among some people at the time. Of course this in itself is harmless. However, there was further speculation that the MTSO arranged the disposal or (looking for better words), the finalization of C.B.'s remains. And questions as to whether she was cremated.

I think the latter speculation there is going a little too far. Especially with nothing to back it up. It's most likely someone pushing their own ideas of what might've happened. Unless it can be sourced, in which I and others would like to see.

Lt. Dave Remiker of the Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit.

Remiker was working the case - and claims that they had little hope of finding whoever supplied the methadone to C.B. 

Here is the problem with that statement: while C.B. did not have a prescription, methadone is a highly, highly controlled substance. It's not just handed out to anyone.

It's used as a substitution drug for people who are addicted to opiates/opiods, and in a smaller place like Manitowoc, they should be able to get a list of every single person who has a script. Then comparing that with people she knows, it seems like it's not so much a needle in a haystack, but a needle hanging on a few threads.

Boutwell “didn’t have a prescription (for methadone). Somebody provided those drugs to her,” Luchterhand said. Cases such as this are challenging to investigate; often those responsible are reluctant to come forward because they know the family or don’t want to put a stop to their flow of drugs, he said. “It’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” Remiker said. “And then obtaining enough evidence to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt is the standard we’re held to.”

Fast forward to 2016

A doctor is in trouble in Manitowoc. What for? He's a pain doctor who's been prescribing pain meds and methadone like they are candies.

Not only is he on the hook for overprescribing, but there is evidence many people have gotten sick or died from his prescribing habits. And apparently he was well known to police for 15 years.

Link to affidavit

http://fox11digital.com/news/PDFs/Szyman%20complaint.pdf

Remiker's affidavit says he's known about this doctor since 1999. It would be interesting to know if he investigated this doc to see if he had any connection to CB.

At first I thought this wouldn't pan out, since there are so many years past, the chances of a doctor who is in trouble today, was involved in the same behaviour 10 years ago is slim, right? Not in this case. Police say he's had a reputation, from regular people to themselves. He's known as 'the Candy Man'.

Capt. Scott Luchterhand of the Manitowoc Police Department said law enforcement has been familiar with Dr. Charles Szyman’s reputation for at least 15 years. “He’s known in our community as a drug dealer with a license,” he said. “He’s also considered the candy man by the people out on the street that are abusing all these prescriptions.”

Here are some of the pertinent information from the DEAs look into the doctor:

Contained in the DEA's 515 pages of reports and evidence, a Jan. 22, 2015, report from the Manitowoc County Coroner's Office states that between Feb. 22, 2013, and Dec. 5, 2014, seven of Szyman's patients died of the following causes:

accident: morphine toxicity, oral injection of morphine, chronic
substance abuse
acute methadone intoxication
suicide
accidental overdose of prescription medications
mixed drug toxicity (three patients)

But wait, when the Carmen Boutwell case came up, Remiker was in charge, or at least participating in the case, and he said there was little chance they would ever find out who gave the methadone to C.B.

In such a small place like Manitowoc, this seems unlikely. Even if Dr. S was giving meds out like candy, he'd still have to track every person he gave it to. And if he is well known to people on the street, and police for over prescribing narcotics, including methadone, it seems like a place to start, doesn't it? It also seems less like a needle in a haystack.

In another case, where they were hunting down people making methamphetamines, Remiker notes that the pharmacy logs are comprehensive. Pretty much as I am stating in this thread:

"We have a tendency to use pharmacy logs. What's common is the purchase of pseudoephedrine products, which is one of the main ingredients in meth production," Lt. Dave Remiker with the Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit said. Lt. Remiker says a tip led investigators to the 33-year-old and 29-year-old. "They had a pretty extensive habit with prescription drugs and meth," Lt. Remiker said.

Another interesting point about all of these events, this seems to have happened right around the time that Remiker was all bummed out, between the call with him and Wiegert, when they were discussing Zipperer being the last stop for T.H. the day she went missing.

I'm curious now as to why he was bummed out? Someone speculating might be wondering maybe he was pushed away from following up properly on the C.B. case.

I'm not sure how Remiker can say in one case it's totally unlikely they will find who's behind the scenes, but in another state how the detailed information stored by doctors and pharmacies helps catch people, how you can make peace the implications from both.

Ironically, he was involved in some way with the current case against Dr. Szyman.

Remiker said the ongoing investigation between Metro Drug and the DEA, which began in summer 2013, included using undercover agents as patients along with interviewing Szyman and others.

In an affidavit submitted to the Medical Examining Board as part of the petition for suspension, Remiker said he has consistently received information that Szyman was prescribing mass quantities of narcotics, specifically opioid pain medications.

Sources

Article on C.B.'s death

http://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2014/06/08/drug-death-a-painful-memory/10177139/

Article on the DEA report

http://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2015/11/07/doctor-overprescribing-deaths/75312268/

Article on drug operations in Manitowoc

http://fox6now.com/2014/04/23/breaking-bad-in-manitowoc-co-two-meth-operations-busted/

[–]Classic_Griswald[S]

That's why I'm kinda interested if he was seeing Dr Szyman. He was a doctor in the area over prescribing narcotics. These drugs are usually under tight restrictions and a responsible doctor prescribes them sparingly. If a doctor is prescribing the way Dr S was, it's almost guaranteed his patients are going to get addicted.

...The fact he operated for 15 years without local interference, and nothing was done until the DEA stepped in, and one of the local DAs had an addiction to the drugs he was handing out, I mean, at the very least it deserves someone looking into it.

[–]Thewormsate

Big money! Doc was probably getting green backs on the back side!

[–]leiluhotnot

So Remiker's working both TH and CB (CB dies the evening TH reported missing, Nov 3). Very busy little bees in rural Manitowoc.

[–]Classic_Griswald[S]

They can trace who has prescriptions but they can't tell which of those people passed the drug on to CB.

Yes, this is where the "investigating" part comes into the job description of "investigator".

Did they match every name of prescribed patients to people C.B. knew? Did they interview the ones that were connected? (More questions: who was she with, who were her friends, where was she, who did she talk to last, etc, etc?) We don't know.

We only have a public statement from Remiker saying finding someone is unlikely, and if they are found they will face a most serious charge. If you had any intent of catching the person would you even say that publicly?

Also, keep in mind she could have gotten it outside of the county.

Well, considering there was a prolific-doctor-prescribing-pain-meds-& methadone-who-was-well-known-at-the-time operating in the area.

Since the neighbouring counties likely didn't have such a doctor (I'm guessing there are less doctors who violate ethics vs ones that do), I would imagine there's a good chance it was in the county.

It's no matter though, nothing is conclusive nor do I claim it to be. But Remiker himself notes in another case how extensive the pharmacy records are (while in another stating how its a needle in a haystack).

Given the charge that they were planning to file, it seems like a case worthy of investigation. I'm guessing it's not that hard to flip people with drug problems either, since they do it all the time. Hell, they had Barb on charges in the Avery case for possession.

[–]OpenMind4U

Something else in connection to 'drug' subject matter. Few weeks ago, on this site, was the 'local' thread in which one of the 'locals' made comment (paraphrasing) that 'drug users/dealers' were the ones who believed that SA was not guilty at the time when majority of people in their community did believe in absolute SA quilt. Somehow, this one comment got my attention.

[–]Classic_Griswald[S]

What I meant was that even if they found someone, they can't prove anything in court. Like, if they find that Bob X was on the prescription list and also was a friend of CB, they can't prove that Bob X gave her some of his drugs. Even if they had a known trafficker, they wouldn't be able to prove it as him to gave it to her (unless there is a clear witness, which is highly unlikely).

This is where they do drug buys or run an undercover operation.

EDIT: Should probably note, that Remiker did later on run an operation targeting the Dr., doing exactly that, undercover buys.

They have a pretty effective one if the person is "dealing" where they pretend to be a big shot, crime boss, or something along those lines. The gist is they tell the guy to work with them, they need to come clean so they can give protection from the cops. (For the Dr., I'm sure just pretending to be a patient worked.)

Or you know, just speak to friends and get someone to roll on them, saying "yes, they hand out (xyz) for money, or when I ask them."

This is there job, again, it's part of being in a drug unit. The lengths American units go to as well, it's surprising they wouldn't push a death with much more manpower. Cities/counties have been and can be turned upside-down when a single death pops up. Search the bath salts saga and you should find plenty of examples.

The finality of the statements given in the C.B. case is odd.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MakingaMurderer/comments/4aboty/is_this_the_doctor_that_supplied_the_methadone/

[–]Classic_Griswald[S]

Remiker knew about this doctor, not that we know this doctor is related to the C.B. case, but he knew specifically about this doctor since 1999.

In another case, he notes catching the suspects was due to the excellent record keeping by the pharmacies.

Methadone is high regulated, so all the people taking it are tracked and so are the scripts, so all that information would have been available, through the doctor and the pharmacies dispensing it. Its not a drug that can just be prescribed by any doctor, most have to be working with it specifically or a pain specialist, or a rehab specialist, etc.

And given that they did an undercover sting to get the doctor later on, there's no reason why they couldn't pursue the death of C.B. the same way. Find out who she was talking to that had methadone scripts, then work out some kind of undercover operation.

Also, they publicize they want to charge the person that gave it to her with a very serious crime. If they intended to catch them I don't see why they would publicize that. It just doesn't make a lot of sense.

What I'm pointing out is that not only are their contradictory statements, but also contradictory actions, and there was a doctor who had been operating for 15 years unimpeded, in the area, handing out drugs like candy, and Remiker knew about it.

I think the entire case is worth a look if an investigative journalist was looking for something to chase down in Manitowoc.

[–]knowjustice

Have you read Gary Kreie's records? They are really confusing. CB is prohibited from having contact with him. In the meantime, GK is sentenced to prison for 3 years, which is then stayed and he is subsequently sentenced to one year in County. He doesn't show, gets arrested and they revoke his Huber privileges in October. He escapes the day before CB OD's, 11/02/05. He is arrested in Texas in January 2006. Returns and Brown County then sentences him to prison for a crime in their jurisdiction. Seriously, MTSO can't figure out who gave CB the drugs???

Looking at the docket, and considering his lengthy record, the only conclusion I can reach that makes ANY sense is that he agreed to be an informant in return for reduced charges and a light sentence. He has a long B&E history, odd they would sentence him to prison for three years and then stay the sentence. That would explain Remiker's assertion it would be impossible to track down the person who gave her the drugs...yeah, because he was your informant. That would not look too good for the MTSO, especially in 2005.

Carmen's Case:

Wi Case #2005CF000341 Court record events if very interesting.

10-10-2005 Complaint with warrant filed RE: Deliver THC, on 07-25-05

10-13-2005 Defendant in custody on arrest warrant. The matter is continued for an initial appearance on 10-17-05 at 2:30 p.m. Bail is set at $1,000.00 recognizance bond with the condition that the defendant have no contact with Gary Kreie. Bail is furnished and the defendant is released from custody. Arrest warrant with service of officer thereon.

10-17-2005 Defendant demands a preliminary hearing. Preliminary hearing is set for 10-26-05 at 8:30 a.m.

10-25-2005 Review is set for 11-03-05 at 8:30 a.m.

[–]Classic_Griswald[S]

What? No I' sorry this is full of factual errors. Not even close. The drug war is most effective at one thing, making people supremely confused about drugs, which were all sold in tinctures and in "patent medicine" before prohibition started (even the worst or hard ones)

Meth is an amphetamine. A stimulant.

Methadone is an opiod, similar to morphine or heroin (which are effectively identical taken orally) Opiods and opiates are depressants, not stimulant. They are completely different from each other. And while someone taking one could possibly be inclined to take the other, someone who is addicted to one has no reason to take the other. Unless they have two separate addictions, each one being its own.

Yes people who are on methadone programs have to take drug tests, that is true.

Amphetamines are not "free game", and they certainly come up in drug tests.

Methadone programs are a harm reduction strategy. Opiates and Opiods are extremely addictive, and unless you have a strategy to kick a habit, it leads to a lot of problems. In the old days (pre-1900s) it wasn't a huge problem because you could get opium/morphine/heroin tinctures just about anywhere. This means that people could supplement themselves (their addiction) relatively cheaply, and it did not interfere with their lives the way an addiction does today. In fact, one of the four founders of Johns Hopkins hospital was addicted to Opiates (Opium & derivatives) most of his life. He lived I think until close to 70, and he's considered the "father of modern surgery".

In any case, today, things are much different. An addiction can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. That money needs to be supplemented somehow. This leads to criminal behaviour.

Now, in the case of Manitowoc, with a doctor like that, people would have a lot more access. And in the affidavit it says one person was selling their scripts for up to 10,000/month, I believe. So people who had direct access to him may not have suffered the consequences of high cost, but did involve themselves in criminal behaviour, and then anyone below them in the supply chain was also involved in criminal behaviour.

I have gone off on a couple tangents, but bear with me. We are still talking harm reduction. So besides that, you also have adulteration. Immoral or unethical distributors may add other chemicals to the supply, to increase the yield, which, if uneducated may add something that can cause bad reactions. Or a cheaper drug might be added to make a weaker drug more powerful. This carries a huge risk of overdose deaths and basically poisonings, depending on the chemicals involved.

There are plenty more reasons as well, but these are two major factors. So when people get on these programs, they are not burdened with the high cost of illegal drugs, they are not getting involved in the criminal underground supply of drugs (which is the true "gateway"), and they are not at risk of killing themselves taking unknown chemicals.

These kinds of programs have been a godsend for many people. And yes these are considered "maintenance" programs, essentially people are getting drugs. The reason it's better is because it reduces the harm associated with prohibition, it also adds stability to these people's lives and gets them on a regimented program so they can reduce their amounts and ween off of the drugs, if they are so inclined. The quality of life improvements are massive. And the benefit to society equally so.

Will some people abuse the program or take advantage of it, or not do as they are supposed to? Yes. But it is still better than the alternative. If you look to Canada and the United Kingdom, they've had successful trials with heroin instead of methadone. It was actually more effective than methadone. Tell that to a normal person and they think everyone involved must be bonkers. And this is a testament to how badly we have been lied to from day 1, as per the "war" on drugs.

TV: The Shame of Wisconsin
By Lorrie Moore 
The New York Review of Books
FEBRUARY 25, 2016 

Halbach’s roommate did not report her missing for almost four days.

Her former boyfriend is never asked for an alibi, and can’t remember precisely when he last saw her. Was it morning or afternoon? He can’t recall. Nonetheless he was put in charge of the search party that was combing the area near the Avery property in the days after she was finally reported missing.

So who did this? Possibly Steven Avery.

But it looks like a crime that can never be properly solved.

The story Avery’s defense team tells of law enforcement planting evidence is completely convincing, and such conduct is hardly unprecedented in tales of true crime.

The Averys were not allowed on their own property for eight days while police roamed and rooted around, after which the scattered cremains, Avery’s blood in the victim’s car, and the victim’s spare car key were all “discovered.” Blood taken from Avery in 1995 was also found to have been tampered with in police storage.

But showing that there was police-planted evidence does not solve the crime; it only underscores its Not Proven status for purposes of a courtroom defense. And so the filmmakers’ story—if it is a crime story, a human story—is missing parts.

One may be struck by the complete absence of drugs and drug business in a neck of the woods where such activities often feature prominently. 

The victim’s personal life is almost completely missing and so she seems a tragic cipher.

And although she and her scarcely seen boyfriend are broken up, he still figures out how to hack into her cell phone account and attempts with anxious nonchalance to explain on camera and on the stand how he did so, though it seems to have been done with some extremely lucky guessing involving her sisters’ birth dates.

Messages are found deleted. This seems more damning than the three calls Avery himself made to Halbach, returning a call from her the day she disappeared. The fact of Avery’s calls to Halbach was left out of the film (though it was offered as evidence in the trial), as if the filmmakers themselves were unreasonably, narratively afraid of it.

Early on, because of Avery’s civil suit, Manitowoc investigators were ordered by the state to allow neighboring Calumet County to do the primary investigation into the murder: conflict of interest, due to the wrongful imprisonment civil suit, was recognized from the start. But this was not enforced and Manitowoc sheriffs did not stay away, and the opportunities for evidence-planting were myriad.

The prosecutor and even the judges are seen to proceed with bias, professional self-interest, visible boredom, and lack of curiosity. At one point the special prosecutor is seen in the courtroom staring off into the middle distance, playing with a rubber band.

The story one does see clearly here is really a story of small-town malice. The label “white trash,” not only dehumanizing but classist and racist—the term presumes trash is not ordinarily white—is never heard in this documentary. Perhaps the phrase is too southern in its origins. But it is everywhere implied.

The Averys are referred to repeatedly by others in their community as “those people” and those “kind of people.” “You did not choose your parents,” says an interrogator, trying to ply answers out of sixteen-year-old Brendan, though his parents are irrelevant to the examination and are not being criminally accused of anything.

Yet the entire family is socially accused: outsiders, troublemakers, feisty, and a little dim.

What one hears amid the chorus of accusers is the malice of the village.

Village malice toward its own fringes has been dramatized powerfully in literary and film narrative—from Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible to the Michael Haneke film The White Ribbon to Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.

Trimming the raggedy edges is how a village stays a village, how it remains itself. Contemporary shunning and cleansing may take new and different forms but they always retain the same heartlessness, the unacknowledged violence, the vaguely genocidal thinking.

An investigator ostensibly on Brendan’s defense team speaks openly of his distaste for the Avery family tree and says, “Someone said to me we need to end the gene pool here.”

The German word Mitläufer comes to mind: going along to get along, in a manner that does not avoid misdeeds—one of the many banalities of evil.

Certainly one feels that frightened herd mentality among the Manitowoc law enforcement as well as members of the jury, the majority of whom were initially reasonably doubtful but who, swayed by a persuasive minority, soon unified to a unanimous vote of guilty.

Even the jury in Brendan’s trial did not question the nature of the defendant’s several and contradictory confessions, such was their prejudice against the boy.

It may or may not be useful to recall that early German settlers of Wisconsin, escaping the nineteenth-century military autocracy in Europe, once believed that the American Civil War would break up the Union, producing some independent states that could then come under German rule. These ordinary German citizens did not get their own state, of course, and in fact had to share it with Scandinavians, Poles, and even Bulgarian and Cornish miners, but certain stereotypical German burgher traits—from rule-boundedness to tidiness to anti-Semitism—are sometimes said to have persisted in Wisconsin life. (A shocking number of Nazi sympathizers once resided in Milwaukee.) A reputation for niceness may obscure rather than express the midwestern character.

When watching two New Yorkers construct a film about the sketchy Wisconsin legal system one may overreach for cultural memes. (Cogent thesis-making is not this film’s strong point, or its mission, and so a viewer is likely to veer off independently. Thus the Internet and media are full of armchair sleuths and amateur psychologists in the growing discussion of the film.) But conformity and silence on the job are elements in this tale, and they are timely subjects.

Businesswoman and amateur social scientist Margaret Heffernan has recently been publicizing the results of her workplace survey of “willful blindness.” According to Heffernan, 85 percent of people know there is something wrong at work but will not come forward to report or discuss it. When she consulted with Germans they said, “Oh, yes. This is the German disease.” But when she consulted with the Swiss she was told, “This is a uniquely Swiss problem.” In the UK: “The British are really bad at this.” And so on. Willful blindness is everywhere, though touched on only glancingly in the film.

And so it comes as something of a surprise that what the documentary does linger over most single-mindedly—either deliberately or unconsciously—is the theme of mother love (perhaps not unrelated to willful blindness on the job). It is not just Brendan’s mother Barb who is her son’s impressively fierce defender. Barb is described by her son’s lawyer as a bulldog, and clearly the lawyer is afraid of her. In her close protectiveness toward Brendan she quickly understands that he is ill-served by the court-appointed defense.

But the filmmakers’ story is also of Steven Avery’s aging and devoted mother Dolores, who packs up boxes of photocopied letters and transcripts and sends them everywhere—from Sixty Minutes to 20/20—hoping to get some journalists interested in her son’s case.

The effect of the media is a fraught one in this film—local TV news influenced many of the jurors, and the prosecution often used the press to communicate in unethical ways.

Making a Murderer has invited parallels to the podcast Serial, which has recently, and intrusively, played a role in getting a convicted murderer a new hearing, though the evidence in that case was much more substantial: a crime of passion by a jealous and brokenhearted boy.

The Teresa Halbach case is more mystifying.

Meanwhile, short and lame and chewing on her lips, Dolores Avery visits her son in three different prisons in Wisconsin and one in Tennessee. She speaks to him on the phone regularly and optimistically. In her fruit-printed housedresses and floral shirts she faces the camera and conducts calm tirades against the legal system that has taken her son away.

The filmmakers give her more screen time than anyone would ordinarily expect—and she and her husband close the documentary with a sense of domestic resilience.

Their son and grandson are in prison for murder. Their business has gone under. Yet they will continue. Arm in arm! A vegetable garden of kohlrabis! A smile of faith and hope! The film is in the grip of its own sentimental awe. But there are worse things in the world.

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/02/25/making-murderer-shame-of-wisconsin/
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74 comments:

  1. magiclougieMonday, December 03, 2018

    Drug trafficking trial delayed again for Charles Szyman, ex-Manitowoc doctor
    Alisa M. Schafer, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
    Published 3:50 p.m. CT Oct. 13, 2017

    MANITOWOC - The trial of Dr. Charles Szyman, a former doctor with Holy Family Memorial in Manitowoc accused of illegally over-prescribing prescription medications, has been postponed to Nov. 13.

    Szyman’s trial to address 19 counts of drug trafficking was set to begin Monday in the United States District Court of Eastern Wisconsin in Green Bay. Each count holds a possible maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment, a $1 million fine — or both — and up to three years supervision and assessment.

    The indictment stated Szyman “knowingly and intentionally distributed unlawfully, and attempted to distribute and dispense unlawfully, a controlled substance outside of his professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.

    The motion to delay Szyman’s trial was sealed, so the reason for the postponement is unknown.

    Szyman was a pain specialist at Holy Family Memorial Hospital in Manitowoc until his medical license was suspended Oct. 21, 2015, by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services Medical Examination Board following an ongoing investigation by the Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit, United States Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was terminated from his position with Holy Family Memorial Hospital as a result of the suspension.

    During an investigation that included interviews and undercover agents posing as patients, Szyman primarily prescribed oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, buprenorphine, hydromorphone and hydrocodone. The indictment lists 19,520 drugs prescribed between Nov. 21, 2013, and Feb. 10, 2015.

    In an earlier USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin article, Lt. Dave Remiker, supervisor of the Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit, said Szyman was likely working with at least 400 patients, some of whom were coming from outside Manitowoc County.

    “We were pretty disturbed by the amounts that were being prescribed by Dr. Szyman,” Remiker said. “I don’t know if there’s even been another community that’s had a physician who’s prescribed this much.”

    Prior to Szyman’s medical license suspension and termination from Holy Family Memorial Hospital, Manitowoc Coroner Curtis Green said he had noticed a number of the county’s suicides had a connection to Szyman.

    Within 515 pages of reports and evidence from the DEA, a Jan. 22, 2015, report from the Manitowoc County Coroner’s Office states that between Feb. 22, 2013, and Dec. 5, 2014, seven of Szyman’s patients died of acute methadone intoxication, suicide, accidental overdose of prescription medications, mixed drug toxicity or accidental morphine toxicity, oral injection of morphine or chronic substance abuse.

    In addition to the allegations of drug trafficking, Szyman is also facing a wrongful deaths lawsuit with Holy Family Memorial. The lawsuit was filed Oct. 4, 2016, by nine plaintiffs and alleges Szyman caused the deaths of Heidi Buretta, Monica Debot, Mark Gagnon and Alan Eggert through his practice and prescription of narcotics.

    The lawsuit also alleges employees and affiliates of Holy Family Memorial Inc., including pharmacists, knew about Szyman’s practice of over-prescribing pain medications but did nothing to stop it and continued to fill prescriptions, which generated millions of dollars in revenue for the hospital.

    https://www.htrnews.com/story/news/2017/10/13/drug-trafficking-trial-delayed-again-charles-szyman-ex-manitowoc-doctor-hfm-federal-court/762829001/

    ReplyDelete
  2. magiclougieMonday, December 03, 2018

    Does anyone else think KZ's medical tweet might actually be related to this case? (self.TickTockManitowoc)
    submitted 2 years ago by angimage

    Sep 10 KZ tweets: Researchers: Medical errors now third leading cause of death in United States and links to the following article:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/05/03/researchers-medical-errors-now-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-united-states/

    Does anyone think it might have anything to do with this:

    http://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2015/11/07/doctor-overprescribing-deaths/75312268/

    Candyman over prescribes, CB dies from overdose, SA framed for murder, Key players involved in all 3

    At the time it seemed random, but I don't think anything she does is random. Thoughts??

    [–]vieilles-putes

    Sounds like a new case. He is the candy man. He is selling pills like candy. This is another press conference like KK's. It works every time . The court of public opinion is all they need. This makes big news for the MTSO.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/52me9x/does_anyone_else_think_kzs_medical_tweet_might/

    [–]seekingtruthforgood

    If you haven't already read this, you may find this older post (x-post) and its comments fascinating

    https://np.reddit.com/r/MakingaMurderer/comments/4aboty/is_this_the_doctor_that_supplied_the_methadone/

    [–]anoukeblackheart

    The 'candy man' connection is an interesting one. Why did Remiker almost immediately state that CB's death would go unsolved, when he knew then and had known for years about this doctor?

    The reason I find it interesting is that the only compelling argument I have as to why LE would know about this guy but not do anything about him is because he was useful to them in some way, perhaps by providing information on addicts in the community who may therefore be vulnerable and hence useful to LE in a variety of ways. We already know one player in this game was a prescription drug abuser and later had to admit to it, so how many others were/are too? Any professional could be compelled into giving misleading testimony out of fear of their addiction being made public.

    [–]August141981[S]

    The drug unit was aware of the candy man since 99. MSCO had no interest or want to investigate CB death. They are great at creating lots of noise and confusion. CB family was dismissed purposefully by MSCO

    [–]seekingtruthforgood

    In the comments it discusses a reduced sentence handed down to the alleged boyfriend of CB. She was prohibited from having contact with him as part of her own criminal proceedings. Interesting is that he escaped out of jail just before her death. He was not picked up again until after her death.

    The comments question a prior reduced sentence given to him and whether that sentence was reduced in exchange for being an informant. If so, the poster is questioning whether CB's death was not investigated because their own informant, who escaped from jail, may have been the source of the drugs that killed her.

    This theory makes a lot of sense to me in terms of LE wanting to avoid the bad press and liability associated with their own confidential informant. He, btw, is in more recent news and is going to prison for other offenses.

    [–]anoukeblackheart

    You may well be right there. It made little sense the leniency he was given considering his past and the fact that he freakin escaped from jail. They are just as crooked as hell if that's the case.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/5bpaox/deadmissingframed/

    ReplyDelete
  3. magiclougieMonday, December 03, 2018

    [–]JacksnakeJames

    What if her death was accidental, and was caused by a member of the family, or someone close to them, and certain LEO took advantage of that by implying, or outright saying, that if they did not cooperate with the LEO, that they would be charged with manslaughter, or even murder?

    People with guns, who are used to getting away with their crimes, unscathed, just might have this kind of hubris.

    My life was threatened by a cop upon our first meeting. I later worked for a company he owned, and he would revel about the crimes committed by the police department he worked within. He literally described several violent crime that they chose to commit against their victims. He also reveled in the fact that when they found underage girls skinny dipping in a private pool, they forced them to remain unclothed (creepy sexual predator behavior). When they caught underage males at the same pool, they had them promptly re-dress, and berated them. This guy was only 24 or 25 when he described these things to me, and that was 10 years ago. I hope he's no longer a cop.

    When people with guns, whom are willing to use them against another person, and are almost certainly going to get away with it, even if it's criminal behavior, force their will onto others, generally, people use the emergency tactic of self preservation, by abiding by the violent perpetrator's whim, or fighting them off.

    [–]Booty_Grazer

    This is why this is my number two theory. If the family tried to cover it up and LE was on to them quickly... then LE gave them a choice. Then since they had SA to frame it worked for both parties.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/8a1tfr/deceptive_behaviour/

    [–]MnAtty

    Something else that people may be getting wrong is who TH actually was. We are only hearing the idealized version that was developed after her death. But I have considered the possibility that she may have been targeted, not unlike Avery himself, as someone who was expendable.

    We heard about the things she did right, like coaching children's volleyball. However, Manitowoc was a town of harsh judgments and rigid classicism. TH went against their mores in numerous ways. She was involved with a married man. The nude photography cannot be emphasized enough. Some may have perceived her as being associated with exotic services, or even the sex trade. Remember, we're talking about how she was perceived or judged by the "good" people of that town, not by how you and I might see her.

    Also, there have been some references to drugs. TH may have been targeted as a bad influence or bad person by the MDSO similarly to the way Avery was targeted back in 1985. My concern is that all the different things added up to TH being regarded as a throwaway. Maybe she was even someone they wanted to see gone.

    Could the gentlemen's agreement have been with regard to a criminal history, rather than a sexual history? Have we ever been given any clear information about what the big secret was?

    ReplyDelete
  4. magiclougieMonday, December 03, 2018

    "One may be struck by the complete absence of drugs and drug business in a neck of the woods where such activities often feature prominently. The victim’s personal life is almost completely missing and so she seems a tragic cipher." - Lorrie Moore, TV: The Shame of Wisconsin, February 25, 2016

    http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/02/25/making-murderer-shame-of-wisconsin/

    A drug trade ring (SB, RH, TH, LE, etc.) would make a lot of sense out of a seemingly random cast of characters.

    What if Teresa made it to Appleton to party with her friends on Halloween, October 31st? What if she died an accidental death that night, possibly from an overdose? What if her friends were responsible for providing the drugs and also partaking in them?

    What if her family knew about her death by November 2nd?

    What if Mike was with Teresa when it happened, and he told the family the next day, and the family called family friend Sheriff Pagel, who contacted his buddies and told them that Teresa had been to Avery's on October 31st?

    Teresa's body would have revealed the cause of death was an overdose, which is why they couldn't plant it or couldn't plant her blood at Avery's -- instead, they needed her body burned beyond the ability to detect cause of death.

    It would explain the condolense message, #Message ID No. 1336891647, left on her voicemail, a record that appears to be altered on the voicemail report, which must have been run before 11/16 since Teresa's message older than 14 days would have autodeleted by then.

    http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Trial-Exhibit-372-Halbach-Voicemail-Records.pdf

    http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Exhibit-62-Agent-Fassbender-VM-Report.pdf

    It would explain the oddities surrounding the family's reaction to her death.

    It would explain why Mike Halbach deleted some of her voicemails prior to 7:12 AM on November 2nd.

    It would explain Teresa perhaps having a second cell phone.

    It would explain the rumor that Scott B was a drug dealer.

    It would explain the comments by Martinez about the baggie.

    It would explain Jodi's stepfather saying there was more to the story.

    It would explain the gentlemen's agreement between the prosection and the defense.

    It would explain why Teresa's many friends weren't questioned.

    It would explain why Jolene Bain, Aubrey Wgygrak and three others were in the quarry beside ASY the morning of 11/5.

    It would explain Alex Quadrini's call and the message he left for Teresa on 11/1 -- maybe he left a message as an excuse for the call, which was really a call to find her phone.

    ReplyDelete
  5. magiclougieMonday, December 03, 2018

    TickTockManitowoc
    @TManitowoc

    Lots of people shy away from "Family" for fear of "victim blaming"..I won't. I see it as possible that she was accidentally killed, be it drunk driving by a family member, OD of drugs supplied by a family member... KH could be protecting family in fear of losing them too. (1/2)

    (2/2) So with that being said...not making accusations, just spit-balling thoughts...imagine if KH was putting cross hairs on Scott by saying he last saw her 10/31..but Scott's statement says 10/30. Who would cops believe? Distraught mom or roommate?

    Again, I am not accusing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. magiclougieMonday, December 03, 2018

    There's a connection with the Zipperer's to the Remikers, the Kusches (+Shimeks), the Koucereks and now that extends to the Vogels by way of the Shimeks.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/MakingaMurderer/comments/4enlib/in_2004_radandt_was_charged_with_reckless/

    In 2004 Radandt was charged with Reckless Homicide. Is this the quarry guy?

    htrnews.com

    http://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2014/11/14/tyler-reed-fentanyl-death/19041985/

    [–]Classic_Griswald

    Holy crap, a Radandt, a Vogel and a case handled by Judge Fox.

    This place's judicial system could be summarized with the genealogy of 5-10 families...

    [–]grim77

    It's like the Star Wars Universe

    [–]Classic_Griswald

    Dammit spoiler!. Prince Vogel killed ChewPagel...

    [–]BugDog1

    That is Vogel's son that died.

    [–]MsMinxster

    This is a different Vogel. Former DA Denis Vogel's wife's name is different and they no longer live in Manitowoc. Plus, they didn't have a son named Chris IIRC.

    [–]Classic_Griswald

    Wow. Plot twist. Is there documents or is this something you are just familiar with?

    Edit: I should probably point out that as detestable as Vogel comes off, that is not something you wish upon anyone and though I've joked on the situation I feel a quick blurb pointing this out is probably needed.

    [–]BugDog1

    I saw the obit a while back and I'm sure it said father Denis Vogel.

    [–]Thewormsate

    Is it the same? Evil Vogel is Denis, not Dennis.

    [–]ahhhreallynow

    LOL! Evil Vogel. I think this is a different Vogel. Seems like they were not very creative with names in this part of the world...seems to be lots of people with same names.

    [–]ahhhreallynow

    This is from the obit: He was born on May 29, 1987 in Manitowoc, son of Dennis and Cindy (Shimek) Vogel.

    Interesting to see the Shimek. Jason Zipperers aunt that said what a great guy Jason was and what a jerk George was was a Shimek.

    So I guess Zipperers could be related to Vogel by marriage?

    This town makes my head spin.

    [–]Classic_Griswald

    His wife is a Shimek? WTF

    No. no no no no no. Whaaaa?

    Even if they are dead ends. The Shimek-Kusche connection was confirmed, and I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of the others is an active relation.

    Would explain why Remiker sounds like he's afraid of upsetting old man GZ

    This place is nuts.

    [–]ahhhreallynow

    when I get a second I will have a look and see if its a valid connection. Flippin confusing place!

    [–]ahhhreallynow

    thinking this is a different Vogel. Our Denis Vogel has one N. This Dennis Vogel has two.

    [–]knowjustice

    And he is married to a woman named Laura.

    [–]ahhhreallynow

    Yes he is :-). Thank you!

    [–]Classic_Griswald

    Ah okay.

    [–]Thewormsate

    They're all inbreed, but the Avery's, lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. magiclougieMonday, December 03, 2018

      [–]liftsheavy[S]

      OK his name was Joshua. Not sure how he is connected to this guy.

      [–]Classic_Griswald

      There are a lot of family names that extend straight across the county. It doesn't necessarily mean people are connected though, even if related some way down the road.

      [–]knowjustice

      Connected!

      [–]knowjustice

      Second cousins, both with an interest in the family's businesses.

      [–]Lolabird61

      Why doesn't this surprise me? I posted a theory back in Feb. about TH stumbling upon a meth lab run by J. Zipperer. That's not such a "far out" idea considering what has come to light since then.

      [–]c4virus

      It's not the main quarry guy we've been looking at, his name is Joshua Radandt. Although from what others posted on here there appears to be a Radandt family that own the quarry so obviously there could easily be a connection there. Brothers?

      [–]21Minutes

      No. The person that saw the bonfire on the Avery lot the night that Steven Avery killed Teresa Halbach is Josh Radandt, President of Fred Radandt Sons Inc.

      [–]liftsheavy[S]

      David P. Radandt, 29, of Two Rivers, and Thomas R. Fagan, 34, of Manitowoc, each face one felony charge of being party to the crime of first-degree reckless homicide/delivering drugs and one felony charge each of party to the crime of delivering fentanyl in connection with Vogel's death.

      [–]watwattwo

      In 2004 Vogel was killed.

      Is this the lawsuit guy?

      [–]thepatiosong

      Heh heh, so many people with the same surnames in this case.

      David Lynch wrote in 2 pairs of characters called Mike + Bob(by) for Twin Peaks. When asked why, he said, 'I just knew so many people called Mike and Bobby when I was growing up.' It's sort of like that but for surnames, but not really.

      Oh and I can count at least 4 Mikes in the Avery case.

      [–]ews0605

      Different Vogel, different Radandt, different "families", same surname.

      [–]knowjustice

      Incorrect. David's grandfather, Harold, was Fred's son and graduated with my mom. Together with his brothers, Harold started F Fred Radant and Sons in 1944. He was also President of Manitowoc Disposal, another Radandt Business and together with his brothers developed two high-end subdivisions in Manitowoc.

      So yes, David is related to Josh. They are second cousins and are all in the business.

      Delete
    2. magiclougieMonday, December 03, 2018

      [–]ews0605

      I never said that they weren't related. I said that they had the same surname. I'm from a small community where people share the same surname and are related, however have no contact as if they are related. Families often split up, so I was simply making a point that because they share the same name doesn't necessarily mean that they are in contact with one another, though it seems that wouldn't be the case in the context of the Radant's based on your experience.

      [–]knowjustice

      Correct. These are wealthy folks from a prominent local family who have been in business since the 1920's.

      [–]knowjustice

      Do you know this for a fact? Just curious as there are no records for Radant on CCAP. If he was allegedly going to be charged with Party to a Crime, PTC 1st Degree Reckless Homicide, Felony C, where are the records?

      OTOH, Thomas Fagan WAS charged with PTC 1st Degree Reckless Homicide and two counts of PTC, delivery of a schedule one narcotic. They dismissed the homicide charges against Fagan and convicted him of the drug charges. His sentence; six months in the County jail.

      Therefore, one must conclude Mr. Fagan claimed full responsibility for Mr. Vogel's death , or - - - Mr. Radandt got one hell of a deal.

      Oh, what WAS I thinking, this is Manitowoc. They wouldn't dream of doing something like that.

      [–]knowjustice

      Don't know, but David and Josh are related. Josh's great uncle started Fred Radant and Sons with David's grandfather. Harold Radant, David's grandfather graduated with my mom from LHS. He was President of Manitowoc Disposal, one of several business the family owns/owned. Interesting he skated on being charged with anything regarding Vogel's death. No records on CCAP. Hmmm.

      I tell ya', Manitowoc has one hell of an upstanding LE community and "Just Us" system. Unfrickin' believable. I am so glad I don't live there any more.

      [–]knowjustice

      Fagan was charged and convicted, no records on CCAP for Radant. Interesting.

      "Fagan has a status conference scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 11 and Radandt has a status conference scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on March 2."

      [–]knowjustice

      He is the grandson of one of the founders of Fred Radant and Sons, the late Harold Radant.

      Jared Zamudio

      Everyone needs to get there facts straight before you start talking shit about my cousin everything on this dumb ass post is false and never should have been put on my cuz page.... Learn the facts before putting your two cents into it and for this whole Steven Avery crap just grow up stop trying to put people into that situation and make them look bad when Jason had the most friends and was loved by many

      Verlene Gibas He did not. Inaccurate.

      Delete
    3. magiclougieThursday, December 13, 2018

      Three Manitowoc area men - David P. Radandt, Thomas R. Fagan and Tyler J. Reed - received jail as part of their probation sentences in connection with the drug-related death of Christopher Vogel. #MakingAMurderer

      https://www.htrnews.com/story/news/2015/10/01/manitowoc-overdose-death-sentencing-vogel-fentanyl-radandt/73144748/

      Delete
  7. magiclougieMonday, December 03, 2018

    [–]Guido_Incognito

    Dave Remiker, one of the Lead Detectives.​

    http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Remiker-Email-to-Jacobs_redacted.pdf

    Local Mishicot boy

    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13052827/14_oct_1984/

    Been around an investigation or two.....

    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16833457/20_dec_2008_remiker_on_scene/

    ​Likes to talk to the press....

    https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8499672/06_nov_2015_remiker/

    https://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2014/06/08/drug-death-a-painful-memory/10177139/

    On one hand, he has this doctor who was apparently handing out methadone like it was candy, and on the other he claims it's like finding a needle in a haystack when it comes to figuring out who provided CB with the methadone that she used.

    Go figure. This guy should not have access to email and he should quit talking to the press.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/99qwfe/raise_the_hand_am_i_my_brothers_keeper/

    ReplyDelete
  8. magiclougieMonday, December 03, 2018


    Charles Szyman, ex-Manitowoc doctor, dies at 66 (htrnews.com)
    submitted 9 months ago by [deleted]

    [–]stevietay

    Sorry to see a life go this way, but this guys prescription practices destroyed this town. When he was removed from his position at HFM we quickly saw a rise in break-ins and other petty theft around here. Basically everyone I know who’s a heroin/pill addict was going through him, or was getting their pills through a patient of his who was selling. I honestly wonder how many lives were lost to this guy. All while HFM is making money off of the prescription sales and doctors visits. Despicable.

    [–]stevietay

    Well I personally know several addicts who were going to him. One in particular received his first prescription after a legitimate knee injury. He then switched to the doctor in reference here. By the time my friend decided to get help he was taking 10xs the dose that he originally started on and was SELLING 9/10 pills that he was prescribed. So he was essentially prescribed 100xs his original daily dose.

    He may have been found not guilty, maybe he did fall with in what’s considered acceptable, but I can’t imagine anyone claiming he was acting sensibly. These dosage amounts are ridiculous. Moral and legal are not the same thing, and let’s not forget where we are... a sub dedicated to the court getting a case wrong.

    [–]0nry0

    Ya.... my girlfriends mother and boyfriend we're both seeing him and the amounts and multiple kinds of painkillers they were on us benzos was insane... I know pill junkies and heroin addicts that when you tell them what they had they would almost drool..... her mom also was in complete denial that she maybe didn't have pain she had withdrawls... and after Suman went down no doctor would give them anything close to what Syzman did so very quickly they turned to ijecting heroin which drained them financially super quick.. then she had her boyfriend shoot her in the chest after she took a cocktail of heroin and pills he shot her twice then laid next to her and shot himself in the chest... did I mention the money they made selling them? They were practically supplying calumet county... they had boxes and boxes of fetynal patches in their room her mom wore 3x 100mcg ones that y could see anyways A DAY.. plus all the dialudid 30mg hydrocodone.. Valium.... it was sick and so sad... my girlfriend lost her mom years ago as soon as she got into his office....... we will feel the effects of this man for years too come....

    https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/7z7w93/charles_szyman_exmanitowoc_doctor_dies_at_66/

    ReplyDelete
  9. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

    Events coming into focus for 11/04/2005: The Planting of the RAV4 (self.TickTockManitowoc)
    by magilla39

    With the new affidavits from Kevin R. and Wilmer S. and the dispatch analysis putting the Colburn license plate call between 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm on 11/04/2005, the evidence showing the planting of the RAV4 on the Avery Salvage Yard is coming into focus.

    (1) Det. Remiker and Lt. Lenk visit Steven Avery's residence from 10:20 am to 10:38 am. This was an opportunity to get a bloody item from Steven's bathroom or laundry room. "Prior to leaving, we thanked STEVEN for his cooperation."

    (2) Kevin R. sees Colburn (in uniform on his day off) at Cenex and tells him about RAV4 at the old Mishicot dam turnabout. Colburn goes to investigate, but never reports finding it.

    (3) Colburn finds the RAV4 and calls dispatch to verify the RAV4 plates. The latest analysis puts this call between 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm. The most likely window for this event is 2:00 pm to 5:06 pm (dusk).

    (4) Colburn calls the MTSO posse together to decide what to do. If the keys are missing, perhaps the posse contacts Scott B. or Ryan H. to see if there is another key to move the RAV4. Was the lanyard sub-key at the house?

    (5) Sometime prior to dusk (5:06 pm), Wilmer S. sees the RAV4 and the white jeep with the hood stain move onto the Radandt Quarry property. Shortly afterward, he sees the jeep leave, alone.

    (6) Also sometime prior to dusk, the air search ends without finding the RAV4. The footage of the search is later edited to omit any clear pictures from the vicinity in which the RAV4 was found, perhaps because they show that the RAV4 was not there. Perhaps other footage shows the RAV4 at the turnabout.

    (7) The dog search team identified the back entrance to the salvage yard on the conveyor road as a key position, with three dogs alerting in this vicinity. Could this be where the RAV4 sat, as the planting team waited for darkness to come.

    (8) Once darkness sets in, around 7:20 pm to 7:40 pm, Chuck sees headlights near the quarry while leaving for Crivitz. Chuck calls Steven and tells him about it. Steve and Bobby drive part way into the "pit" to check for a car. The posse is planting the RAV4.

    (9) Ryan H. speaks to Law Enforcement 22 times this day, between 3:11 pm and 7:25 pm. Did Ryan H. and Mike H. bring the sub-key to Colburn at the turnabout and help him plant the RAV4? Did they bug out as soon as the RAV4 was planted?

    (10) Blood is planted in the RAV4 by the MTSO posse. Perhaps Lt. Lenk took advantage of his opportunity that morning to get blood from Steven Avery's residence. The blood may have been smeared onto the CD case and then applied to other surfaces using a forensic swab or q-tip, per KZ's expert.

    (11) Ryan H., Mike H. and the MTSO posse plan the Pam-of-God search to discover the RAV4 the next morning. Key phone numbers and a camera are selected to assist Pam in her mission.

    The Zellner investigation is closing in on the events of that day. What else may help prove that the RAV4 was planted that night?

    ReplyDelete
  10. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

    Murder of Rachel Hoffman

    Rachel Morningstar Hoffman (December 17, 1984 – May 7, 2008) was a 23-year-old Florida State University graduate, who was murdered while acting as a police informant in a botched drug sting that started on May 7, 2008. Her body was recovered two days later near Perry, Florida.

    Sting operation and death

    Hoffman was under drug court supervision for possession of 25 g (0.9 oz.) of cannabis discovered during a traffic stop on February 22, 2007. On April 17, 2008, Tallahassee, Florida, police searched her apartment and uncovered another 151.7 g (5.328 oz.) of cannabis, and four ecstasy pills. Hoffman faced a possible prison sentence if charged and convicted on criminal charges related to the discovered drugs.

    Police attempted to persuade her to identify other marijuana dealers to avoid the charges.

    She refused. The police then pressured her to act as a confidential informant in a drug sting operation instead, in exchange for not being charged with additional drug charges.

    The purported goal of the operation was to buy 1,500 ecstasy pills, 2 oz. of cocaine, and two handguns, which was contrary to department policy, using $13,000 cash in a buy–bust operation. Hoffman's family stated that all three buys were very out-of-character for her. She did not know the two men she was to meet, but was reportedly eager to cooperate with the police operation and made suggestions as to how the operation should be conducted.

    Two narcotics officers arranged for the drug buy at a specific location and were providing security for the buy. That was later deemed to be insufficient manpower to protect the informant and still apprehend the suspects.

    While she was at the drug buy, with the policemen monitoring, the two suspects changed the location of the buy. She was informed not to follow the suspects to the new location, but technical issues prevented her from actually receiving the instructions. Her police handlers lost track of her when she agreed with the suspects to change the plans and left the buy spot with the two suspects in their stolen silver BMW. While in transit, the two suspects allegedly executed her with the gun she was supposed to buy.

    CONTINUED...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

      Murder investigation and sentencing

      According to police documents, a witness described seeing the BMW stuck in a ditch, with a 2005 Volvo belonging to Hoffman idling nearby, between 7 pm and 7:30 pm, about 30 minutes after the police lost track of Hoffman. The witness claimed that the BMW drove off when he stopped to help the driver try to get the car out of the ditch, but the vehicle later returned as the witness was leaving. The witness claimed he became suspicious and decided to leave when the driver of the Volvo opened the trunk and revealed a camouflage blanket and neat stacks of female clothing.

      Deneilo R. Bradshaw, 23, and Andrea Jabbar Green, 25, who were fired from their jobs at a window tint and car detailing shop just days before the incident, were charged with armed robbery in connection with the events leading up to Hoffman's death.

      The Tallahassee Police Department admitted that Hoffman had no training to work undercover, she did not know the two men targeted in the sting, and she had no experience with cocaine or firearms and very little with MDMA. The officers involved in the operation were suspended with pay, and the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.

      The two buyers were charged by a grand jury with first degree murder. Details of the murder itself were not released at the time.

      Hoffman's story garnered many news headlines including a page on the Tallahassee Democrat website dedicated to information surrounding her death. 20/20 covered the story on July 25, 2008, and Dateline NBC covered it on January 16, 2009.

      On December 17, 2009, which would have been Hoffman's 25th birthday, Bradshaw, one of the murder suspects, was found guilty of first-degree murder with robbery and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole plus 30 years (concurrent). Greene was also convicted of Hoffman's murder and sentenced to life in prison.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Rachel_Hoffman

      Delete
  11. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

    Student Drug Informant Found With a Bullet in His Head and Rocks in His Backpack
    07.05.16

    When Andrew Sadek was caught selling $80 of pot, cops pressured him into being an informant and told him to go after ‘harder drugs.’ Then he turned up dead.

    On Andrew Sadek’s 20th birthday, North Dakota police made him an offer: moonlight as a confidential informant and avoid rotting in prison.

    It was November 2013, and Sadek had never been in trouble before. Months earlier, he’d sold a small amount of pot—$20 and $60 worth—to a narc at his school, the North Dakota State College of Science.

    Sadek was in the crosshairs of a local task force, which searched his dorm room and found a plastic grinder with marijuana residue. A day later, he was in an interrogation room with Richland County sheriff’s deputy Jason Weber.

    Weber warned the baby-faced student he was facing 40 years in prison and a $40,000 fine for peddling weed on campus.

    “Obviously, you’re probably not going to get 40 years, but is it a good possibility you’re going to get prison time if you don’t help yourself out? Yeah, there is,” Weber said during the recorded interview. “That’s probably not a way to start off your young adult life and career, right?

    “What I’m going to ask for you to do is do some buys for me… then depending upon how you do… a lot of this could go away,” Weber added.

    A frightened Sadek swore not to tell a soul about the undercover ops. He never spoke to his parents or a lawyer. He was encouraged to ferret out dealers and heavier drugs on his own, footage of the interview shows. The video was released to local media last year under open-records requests.

    Six months later, Sadek turned up dead. Authorities pulled his body, bound to a backpack full of rocks, from the Red River. There was a bullet hole in his head. Police tried to tell his parents, John and Tammy Sadek, he committed suicide, Tammy Sadek told The Daily Beast.

    Two years later, and the Sadeks still have no answers about how their son died—but they believe he was murdered as a result of the informant gig.

    Last week, the family filed a wrongful death suit against Richland County and Deputy Weber, who helmed the dangerous operation as part of the South East Multi-County Agency Narcotics Task Force, or SEMCA.

    https://www.thedailybeast.com/student-drug-informant-found-with-a-bullet-in-his-head-and-rocks-in-his-backpack

    ReplyDelete
  12. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

    The Sickening Use of Young People as Confidential Informants in the Drug War
    TONY NEWMAN
    DECEMBER 6, 2015

    Supporters of the drug war often claim that we need to wage this unwinnable war to “protect” young people. 60 Minutes ran an explosive piece last night showing one of the many ways that the war on drugs actually endangers young people: the sickening use of young students as confidential informants.

    Informants work for law enforcement, often secretly, to entrap people on drug charges or to testify in exchange for cash or a reduction of their punishment.

    60 Minutes shows us young people who were busted for small amounts of marijuana or Ecstasy who were threatened with years in prison unless they worked as confidential informants. Tragically, a number of informants end up getting put in life-threatening situations or are pressured into lying at the expense of innocent people to save their own skin.

    Research indicates that up to 80% of all drug cases in the U.S. may be based on information from informants, and 60 Minutes estimated that 100,000 people are currently working as confidential informants. This has an especially damaging effect in communities of color, which are already struggling with over-policing and vastly disproportionate rates of drug enforcement.

    The piece starts with Andrew Sadek, a college student who was caught selling $80 worth of marijuana. Chief Jason Weber, head of a four-county drug task force in eastern North Dakota and Minnesota, warns Andrew that he is facing up to 40 years in jail unless he wants to “help himself” and work as an informant. Andrew is forced to set up and buy drugs from three other people. Before he is able to finish his assignments, he is found in a river with a bullet through his head.

    We then learn about Rachel Hoffman, a 23-year-old Florida State graduate from Tallahassee who also worked as an informant after she was busted with marijuana and Ecstasy. Hoffman was sent alone on a “buy and bust” and was given $13,000 to buy Ecstasy, cocaine and a gun. The men shot Hoffman five times, stole her car and credit card, and dumped her body into a ditch.

    My friend and colleague, Anthony Papa, was sentenced to 15-years-to-life after a bowling buddy convinced him to drop off an envelope of cocaine in exchange for $500. The bowling buddy had been busted for drugs and the police said he was facing a long mandatory minimum drug sentence unless he could help them bust more people. The more people he helped them set up, the less prison time he would get. So he ruined his friend Papa's life (and many others) by setting him up in a drug sting.

    There are so many sick aspects of the failed drug war, but law enforcement forcing people with a drug arrest to choose between a draconian prison sentence or becoming an informant is one of the most nauseating.

    http://www.drugpolicy.org/blog/sickening-use-young-people-confidential-informants-drug-war

    ReplyDelete
  13. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

    Confidential Informants

    Lesley Stahl reports on law enforcement's controversial use of young confidential informants in the war on drugs, some of whose cases ended tragically

    2015, Dec 06

    The following script is from "Confidential Informants" which aired on Dec. 6, 2015. Lesley Stahl is the correspondent. Shari Finkelstein, producer.

    When many of us hear the term "confidential informants" -- or as law enforcement calls them, C.I.s -- we think of mobsters wearing a wire to ensnare their bosses, and get themselves a better deal. But there's another kind of confidential informant out there that doesn't quite fit the Hollywood image, and in reality may be far more common: young people -- many of them college students caught selling small amounts of marijuana, who are recruited by law enforcement to wear a wire and make undercover drug buys in exchange for having their charges reduced or dropped altogether.The


    It's a practice we discovered that's going on across the country, largely under the radar -- and in some cases, with tragic consequences.

    [Jason Weber: How's it going today?

    Andrew Sadek: Alright.

    Jason Weber: It's your birthday today?

    Andrew Sadek: Yeah.

    Jason Weber: Probably not what you want to be doing on your birthday, huh?

    Andrew Sadek: (shakes head)]

    What you're looking at is police footage of the making of a confidential informant. Narcotics officer Jason Weber is recruiting a college student who'd been caught making two small marijuana sales, to become a C.I.

    [Jason Weber: Alright well you expressed interest that you probably want to help yourself out.

    Andrew Sadek: Yeah.

    Jason Weber: We're always trying to go up the chain. And so what we want to do is have them buy from their supplier, or suppliers.]

    Weber is the chief of a four-county drug task force in eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota.

    CONTINUED...

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    Replies
    1. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

      Lesley Stahl: How important do you think confidential informants are to your task?

      Jason Weber: Yeah, confidential informants are really important to law enforcement across the country. They make our jobs easier just because they are already the ones that are out there that know who the drugs dealers are and rely on them.

      Lesly Stahl: Are most of the kids that you're recruiting caught for marijuana sales?

      Jason Weber: The big majority, yeah.

      Weber's jurisdiction includes the campus of the North Dakota State College of Science, with some 3,000 students. Marijuana is now legal in four states and the District of Columbia, but not in North Dakota, where selling even a small amount on a campus is a Class A felony, with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $20,000, or both.

      This young man, Andrew Sadek, was caught on tape by another confidential informant making two sales -- for a total of $80. Weber has called Sadek in before charging him to present a choice: agree to work as a C.I., wear a wire and make undercover drug buys from three people, twice each -- or be charged with two Class A felonies.

      [Jason Weber: Potentially the max is 40 years in prison, $40,000 fine. You understand that?

      Andrew Sadek: Yeah.

      Jason Weber: OK. Obviously you're probably not gonna get 40 years, but is it a good possibility that you're gonna get some prison time, if you don't help yourself out? Yeah, there is, 'k? That's probably not a way to start off your young adult life and career, right? (Sadek nods)]

      Sadek took the deal. Weber told us most students do. Part of the agreement he signed: keep the whole thing strictly to himself.

      Jason Weber: You can't tell anybody you're working for me. Obvious -- for obvious reasons. (Sadek nods)]

      An award-winning student of electrical technology, Andrew Sadek did as he was told: never told any of his close friends about being an informant; never called a lawyer; and didn't breathe a word to his parents, Tammy and John Sadek. The Sadeks are a ranching family still struggling with the death of their older son in a train accident years earlier, leaving Andrew an only child.

      Lesley Stahl: If Andrew had told you that he was thinking of becoming a confidential informant, what do you think your reaction would've been?

      Tammy Sadek: We'd have gotten him a lawyer and told him, "No."

      John Sadek: We've never heard of such a thing, ya know -- using college students for snitches or whatever you wanna call 'em, stool pigeons, or I don't know what you call 'em, you know?

      CONTINUED...

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    2. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

      Lance Block: There's no parent that I know of who would allow their child or want their child to serve as a confidential informant.

      Lesley Stahl: To set up a drug deal --

      Lance Block: Yeah. I mean, it's too dangerous. No, I wouldn't want my child to do it.

      Lance Block is an attorney in Tallahassee, Florida, who opposes using young people caught for relatively minor offenses as confidential informants.

      Lance Block: These kids are being recruited to do the most dangerous type of police work. They're going undercover, with no background, training, or experience. They haven't been to the police academy.

      Lesley Stahl: So they are basically doing the same work as a trained undercover cop?

      Lance Block: Absolutely.

      Block says he was unaware police were using young people as confidential informants until he was hired seven years ago by the family of Rachel Hoffman, a recent college graduate who was caught with a large stash of marijuana and a few Valium and ecstasy pills. It was her second marijuana arrest.

      Lesley Stahl: Do you have any sense of how many confidential informants there are?

      Lance Block: Law enforcement is loaded with statistics. But you cannot find out any information about the number of confidential informants that are being used across this country, much less the number of people who are being killed or injured.

      Lesley Stahl: No one's keeping statistics?

      Lance Block: No one. It's a shadowy underworld, is what it is.

      [Brian Sallee (lecture): We want to make more cases. We want to make better cases that can get prosecuted. Informants can do that.]

      Brian Sallee is a longtime undercover narcotics officer who believes a shadowy underworld is exactly what working with C.I.s should be -- shadowy to protect informants' identities, and underworld because that's where cops like him want informants to take them.

      [Brian Sallee (lecture): Who knows the most about the dope trade? Is it us, working narcotics? No. Who is it? The sellers, the dopers.]

      CONTINUED...

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    3. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

      Sallee says he's worked with hundreds of informants, and now trains police officers around the country on how best to use them.

      Lesley Stahl: If you had not been able, personally, to use confidential informants, would you have been as effective?

      Brian Sallee: Nowhere near as effective.

      Lesley Stahl: You really feel you need this --

      Brian Sallee: Oh, I know I would not. I may have to watch a house for days or weeks to establish probable cause. My informant goes in and makes a buy-out of it, and I have my probable cause in five minutes. You can get into cases quicker, easier -- in some respects, safer.

      Lesley Stahl: I'm surprised you say safer, because we've heard about kids who've been killed doing these operations.

      Brian Sallee: It's a dangerous trade that they're involved in.

      Lesley Stahl: Yeah.

      Brian Sallee: They are in that drug trade. They've always been facing that potential danger.

      Sallee estimates there could be as many as a hundred thousand confidential informants working with police across the country, and he says with just a few tragic exceptions, it's a win/win -- a win for society, and a win for the C.I.

      Brian Sallee: They have agreed to do what they are doing in exchange for something. That's the bottom line. When somebody comes to work for me as an informant, it's their decision.

      Lesley Stahl: Police tell us that this is completely voluntary, and they want to do this to get rid of the charges.

      Lance Block: It's not something that college kids are standing up, saying, "I wanna be a CI." It's not voluntary. They're being told they're looking at prison time unless they agree to do deals for the police department.

      And there are some important things they're not being told.

      Lesley Stahl: So what if you catch me selling $60 worth of marijuana? What do you say to me to become an informant?

      Brian Sallee: I'll say, "This is the charge.This is a felony. Do you want to help yourself out?"

      Lesley Stahl: Do you tell me that I have a right to talk to a lawyer?

      Brian Sallee: No. I do not. I tell you you have a right to talk to a lawyer if I'm going to ask you incriminating questions. If we're talking about your becoming an informant, I don't have to tell you that you have a right to a lawyer.

      That's because, since police often recruit confidential informants before charging them and without arresting them, they're not obligated by law to read them their rights. And agent Jason Weber didn't with Andrew Sadek.

      He told us Sadek made three successful undercover drug buys as a C.I., half the number he'd been told was required of him, but then he stopped. Weber says Sadek was warned he would soon be charged if he didn't continue. Then one night a few weeks shy of graduation, security cameras snapped these pictures of Sadek walking out of his dorm at 2 a.m. on a Thursday morning. A day and a half later, he had not come back.

      Tammy Sadek: We got a call from the campus at about noon on Friday.

      CONTINUED...

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    4. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

      Still completely unaware of their son's work as a confidential informant, Andrew's parents were soon on campus, making a public plea for his return.

      [Tammy Sadek, press conference: We love you, and we want you-- we need you to come home.

      John Sadek, press conference: Everything will be OK.]

      There were searches, prayer vigils. And then, two months later, the worst news possible -- Andrew's body was discovered in a river near the campus, his backpack weighted down with rocks, its straps tied together across his chest.

      Lesley Stahl: Did they tell you what the cause of death was?

      Tammy Sadek: Gunshot to the head.

      A year and a half later, that's about all the Sadeks have been told. No one has been charged in Andrew's death, and the gun that killed him has not been found. Police deny he was involved in any C.I. operation the night he disappeared and have suggested to his parents that he may have shot himself, a possibility they say is inconceivable. They're convinced their son was murdered as a result of his work as an informant, and they want the confidential recruitment of young offenders as C.I.s to stop.

      Tammy Sadek: It's ridiculous. Ridiculous. Stop doing it. Slap their hands. Fine 'em. Put 'em in jail. Expel 'em. I don't care. Stop using our kids to do your jobs.

      Andrew Sadek's death is still an open investigation, so neither the state agencies in charge of the case, nor Jason Weber, would talk about it. But we did ask about putting these kids at risk.

      Lesley Stahl: Andrew Sadek was caught selling $80 worth of marijuana. People have said to us, "It's just not worth it. It's not worth putting the kid in any kind of risky situation for that little."

      Jason Weber: You know, a drug dealer is a drug dealer whether you sell a big amount or a small amount, whether you do it once or if you do it 100 times. While it's still against the law, part of our duty as law enforcement is to get the drugs off the streets and to get the drug dealers off the streets.

      Lesley Stahl: So how successful is what you're doing?

      Jason Weber: Well I think it goes back to the point, if we don't try something or if we don't do that, then we're truly losing that -- the war on drugs.

      Lesley Stahl: Isn't it more important to go after heroin, meth, cocaine?

      Jason Weber: Yeah, our agency goes after all them.

      Lesley Stahl: I'm still trying to get at the equation, you know what I mean. Is it worth it, for marijuana?

      Jason Weber: Yeah. There again, I gotta go back to, you know, as long as it's a crime, it is my duty as a police officer to enforce criminal law.

      We've spoken to college students who talk about how they were pressured into becoming confidential informants.

      Greg: It felt like I had a gun to my head.

      That part of the story, when we come back.

      https://www.cbsnews.com/news/confidential-informants-60-minutes-lesley-stahl/

      Delete
  14. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

    Probationer says he was pressured to be FBI informant
    Pressured to become an FBI informant

    Kent Smith, in jail since May on charges of attempted murder, talks about his time being an informant for the Cook County Adult Probation Department, and how the department pressured him to stay tethered to a life of crime.

    Cynthia Dizikes and Todd Lighty
    Tribune reporters

    A Tribune investigation has found that while Kent Smith was feeding authorities information about illegal guns, he repeatedly broke his court-ordered curfew, allegedly participated in gang activities and was suspected in at least one other shooting.

    Smith's account comes amid an ongoing investigation that Chief Judge Timothy Evans ordered into the troubled Cook County Adult Probation Department and illustrates how the department's cultivation of probationers as confidential informants may have compromised public safety.

    In jailhouse interviews with the Tribune, Smith talked openly about his role as an informant and provided a rare glimpse into how the probation department has at times overstepped its bounds and acted more like a police agency — pressuring probationers like him to stay connected to a life of crime, despite its mission to help them return to their neighborhoods as "productive, law-abiding citizens."

    Although probation officials have steadfastly denied they actively recruit informants for police and the FBI, Smith's account calls that into question.

    Smith alleged that probation Deputy Chief Philippe Loizon pressured him to become an informant with threats of locking him up after Smith violated a court-ordered curfew. During the next year and a half, Smith said, he helped law enforcement recover at least 10 guns, including an AK-47, known on the streets as a "chopper."

    Though law enforcement authorities actively recruit informants, Cook County probation officers work for the courts and serve a dual role of monitoring and rehabilitating some 24,000 offenders. They are not trained in developing and handling informants — skilled police work that experts said probation departments should not be doing.

    A Tribune investigation has found that while Kent Smith was feeding authorities information about illegal guns, he repeatedly broke his court-ordered curfew, allegedly participated in gang activities and was suspected in at least one other shooting.

    "It can border on coercion to use someone who is already under the thumb of the court," said Carl Wicklund, executive director of the American Probation and Parole Association, which represents 40,000 professionals. "And it's a public safety issue — you don't want to put people into positions where they are tempted to do what you are trying to stop them from doing."

    A Tribune investigation published in May found that probation officers assigned to the department's weapons units have for years brought the FBI and police into probationers' homes without warrants, leading to some questionable and even illegal searches and allegations that probationers' civil rights were violated.

    Probationers said some officers pressured them to become informants by promising special treatment and threatened to upend their lives if they refused to cooperate.

    CONTINUED...

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    Replies
    1. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

      After the Tribune's investigation, Chief Judge Evans, who oversees the court's probation department, in May asked an outside law firm to investigate the department's activities, with a focus on its weapons units supervised by Loizon. Evans at the time placed Loizon on desk duty, forbidding him from going into probationers' homes.

      Evans declined to comment for this story. But his office issued a statement noting that "the interaction of probation officers with probationers as potential confidential informants" is part of the investigation.

      Lavone Haywood, the court's chief probation officer, said he was unfamiliar with Smith's case and that he would refer the allegations to the law firm to investigate. He said his officers should not pressure probationers to become informants.

      "We're probation officers. We don't cultivate informants," he said. "We're not police officers."

      Loizon declined to comment for this story. Probation officers have told the Tribune that Loizon's personal ties to informants have been questioned within the department.

      Loizon has previously said he and his units have done nothing wrong and have made the city's streets safer. His supporters said his work has led to seizures of guns and drugs, and to valuable gang intelligence that solved crimes.

      Smith, however, said that was not a role he wanted to play.

      Smith, 22, grew up on Chicago's Far South Side in an area dominated by gangs and readily admits to being a member of the Gangster Disciples' New Park faction. Smith, known on the streets as "Meech," said that by his count, he's been shot at about nine times. He maintains, however, that he has never fired at anyone.

      In March 2011, police caught Smith with a loaded handgun in the Morgan Park neighborhood.

      Records show police were watching Smith and two other known gang members because of shootings around a city park. Smith noticed the police and took off running but was caught. Records show officers recovered a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun.

      CONTINUED...

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    2. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

      While his case moved through the courts, Smith was questioned in two shootings.

      In March 2012, detectives arrested Smith in connection with the 2010 killing of a 17-year-old in Morgan Park. A woman told police at the time she heard someone say, "No, no, no," followed by the sound of a gunshot. She saw the teenager, who had been hit once in the back, fall to the ground, according to police reports.

      Witnesses initially identified Smith as being involved in the killing. But police records show he was later let go without being charged "due to lack of cooperation by witness."

      The next month, police questioned Smith about the drive-by shooting of an 18-year-old whom officers found lying in a Morgan Park alley with bullet wounds in both legs. Smith was initially identified as the triggerman but was released after prosecutors declined to approve charges, according to police reports.

      Sally Daly, a spokeswoman with the Cook County state's attorney's office, said there was insufficient evidence to file charges against Smith in both shootings.

      That fall, on Sept. 7, 2012, Smith pleaded guilty to possessing the .380-caliber handgun. Circuit Judge Kenneth Wadas sentenced him to two years of gang probation instead of sending him to prison.

      Smith was to be monitored by the probation department's Gang Intervention Unit, which meant he had a home curfew, was randomly drug-tested, could not have a firearm and was not to hang out with other gang members. Officers in the gang unit carry weapons and are supervised by Loizon.

      Just two weeks into his probation, Smith violated curfew. He was not home when his probation officer showed up about 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20, 2012.

      Smith said his probation officer told him he was going to jail but wanted him to first meet Loizon in the department's offices on the Near West Side.

      "You know where any guns at?" Smith recalled Loizon asking. "We gonna violate you. You know you're going to be gone for four, six years if you get violated."

      Smith said he told Loizon where he could find a .357-caliber handgun and an AK-47 assault rifle. "I told him where a gun was, and they let me go," Smith said.

      That led to more demands for guns, Smith said. He said Loizon and his probation officer soon introduced him to Chicago police and to an FBI agent.

      Smith said Loizon showed up at his house one evening. He recalled Loizon telling him that "one of his partners" wanted to meet him. They stepped outside and into a waiting car with the agent inside.

      "He got to explaining to me (that) I can get a lot of money for guns," Smith said. "He (said he) see that the 22nd District don't like me and Phil (Loizon) don't like me. And then Phil was like, 'If you know what's better for you, you better work with him.'"

      Smith said he ultimately told authorities the location of "10 (or) 11 guns," which led to arrests. He said Loizon bought him a couple of meals and allowed him to stay out past curfew — spending nights at neighborhood parties and with his girlfriend.

      CONTINUED...

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    3. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

      Smith said the FBI agent gave him a cellphone and paid him hundreds of dollars in cash for gun cases. Smith and the agent typically met in a car down the street from Smith's house, Smith said.

      To get paid, Smith said, the agent had him sign a form with his informant code name, "Funny Man." "I just remember it said how much money it was, and (there) was an 'X' and he said, 'Sign right here,'" Smith said. "And then the person that was driving, they'd sign, too — I guess (as) the witness that he gave me the money."

      Smith said he does not know why the FBI code-named him "Funny Man," but he said Chicago police used to refer to him as "Joker" because of a tattoo of a joker on his back.

      Smith said he used the FBI money to gamble and to buy new clothes, alcohol and marijuana.

      "It's gone," he said.

      FBI spokeswoman Joan Hyde declined to answer specific questions about Smith's relationship with the FBI.

      "We work with informants across all our programs to solve crimes and to gather intelligence to share with our law enforcement and intelligence partners," Hyde said. "Especially in the arena of violent crimes, there is a benefit to affected communities when individuals within those communities share information with us that assists us in our mission of combating violent crime."

      The FBI-probation relationship has been beneficial to the FBI. According to bureau records, that partnership in 2011 and 2012 led to the seizures of 55 firearms; 30 arrests based on probationer intelligence; investigative help on 29 shootings/homicides; and 46 new people informing them about gangs.

      Smith alleged that Loizon kept the pressure on by continuing to use the threat of prison to get information about guns. "That's enough to keep threatening people to not see their family again," Smith said.

      In the following months, Smith cycled in and out of jail and the criminal courthouse. He violated conditions of his probation 10 times, including twice testing positive for marijuana and getting caught out past curfew four additional times. Records show he also continued to spend time with gang members and was arrested four times.

      Still, he faced few consequences.

      Smith was often released — spending little time in jail — and his probation was never revoked, despite his judge warning him to stay out of trouble or he "may not be so lucky next time."

      Wadas, the judge who sentenced Smith to probation, said he could not recall his case and had no memory of ever being told Smith was an informant.

      CONTINUED...

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    4. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

      In January 2013, Smith was the victim of a drive-by shooting. As he stood on a corner in Morgan Park, someone inside a passing blue car fired multiple rounds at Smith, according to police reports. One bullet entered his buttocks and traveled into his abdomen. While recovering from the shooting, Smith had to wear a colostomy bag.

      Police reports show officers tried to interview Smith about the shooting, but he would not cooperate, telling them, "You know what time it is? Leave me alone." No arrests were made.

      Smith said he was unable to help detectives because he did not know who shot him or why.

      About four months later, police picked up Smith to question him about another Morgan Park shooting.

      A 20-year-old gang member had identified Smith as the person who shot him multiple times in the back and buttocks, police records show. The victim, however, refused to cooperate further and Smith was released.

      This past spring, however, Smith said he was shot at because "they had heard that I was telling on them." Smith said he told Loizon and the FBI agent and that the FBI put him up in a downtown luxury hotel. He said he left the hotel on his own after a few days because his mother and girlfriend were looking for him and he was bored.

      Soon, Smith was arrested in another shooting.

      Police have accused him of shooting Andrew Hollis, 74, in the neck and leg as Hollis was parking his SUV. Hollis' daughter and 5-year-old grandson were in the back, and his teenage grandson was sitting up front. Hollis, through a family member, declined to comment.

      The teenager told police he recognized Smith as a rival gang member and later picked Smith out of a photo array and police lineup.

      Smith said he has been falsely accused — part of a pattern, he claimed, in which police have wrongly targeted him as a suspect in shootings.

      He was charged with attempted murder and is being held in Cook County Jail in lieu of $900,000 bail. He said Loizon, the police and the FBI agent who readily talked with him when he could help them get guns and make arrests have not contacted him since he was jailed.

      Smith said he regretted meeting Loizon and helping law enforcement. Now, he said, he wishes they had "just gone ahead and violated" him.

      https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-probation-informant-met-20140904-story.html

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  15. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

    Law Office of Steven Graham

    If you are charged with delivery of a controlled substance, hire an experienced drug attorney to have as an advocate in your corner.

    What does Delivery Mean?

    Under Washington law, "delivery" of a controlled substance means simply handing a drug from one person to another. To convict a person of "delivery" of a controlled substance, no money needs to change hands. It makes no difference to courts if you are simply "sharing" the drug with a friend.

    In Washington, there really is no separate crime of "trafficking" drugs, or selling for profit. Unfortunately criminal defense lawyers often find themselves defending a person who no one would really think of as a "drug dealer." Under Washington law, delivery of a controlled substance is a serious crime. It is important to have a skilled Spokane drug lawyer on your side.

    Police Misuse of Informants

    Because of the difficulty of police detectives to infiltrate actual drug trafficking networks, police will often use individuals who turn state's witness. In Washington, a citizen who works with narcotics detectives is often called a "confidential informant" or "CI" for short. These individuals are often pressured by police to give up the names of other people involved in drugs. Under threats of imprisonment, such individuals often fabricate elaborate stories to save themselves. When the police pressure such individuals, they often discourage them from speaking to a defense attorney before they make an agreement to work with the police.

    An informant is then given marked bills to then attempt to buy drugs from other people. Often times the target of the informant had no intention of dealing drugs prior to the CI showing up at their door. Most drug users are willing to share their drugs if the informant is persistent enough. Police departments do not take adequate steps to ensure that drug users are not being turned into drug "dealers" by this process. When a person turns informant, the sad truth is that they are typically unwilling to give up the name of an actual drug dealer out of fear for their safety. The names that informants give up are usually merely their friends or acquaintances.

    When the police give the money to the informant to attempt to purchase drugs, they will often mark the bill or record the serial number. Oftentimes the bills will be photocopied. If the police locate the marked bills later in someone's possession, that can be incriminating. However, the police will usually not follow up the alleged purchase with any search. A criminal defense lawyer needs to point this out to the jury. Additionally, the police will typically search the informant and his car prior to the attempted buy to make sure that they are not hiding any drugs. If an informant hides drugs on his body, he could later produce the drug and claim that they bought it. However, as most experienced defense lawyers know, the search that the police conduct is usually very superficial, and there are many places an informant could hide drugs.

    An eighth of an ounce of methamphetamine or cocaine could easily fit in the waist band of a person's pants. During jury trials on drug cases, I usually get the police to admit that they search the informant for a reason, and the reason is that even the police do not trust informants.

    A police detective would never think to search another police detective. It is the job of a drug crime lawyer to thoroughly dig into the background of any informant to learn why they turned state's evidence. Oftentimes, the informant's background, criminal history and reliability are central issues in the case. Steve Graham is a drug attorney that can make a difference on your charges.

    https://www.grahamdefense.com/criminal-defense/drug-crimes/drug-sales-or-delivery/

    ReplyDelete
  16. magiclougieTuesday, December 04, 2018

    Disclosing a Confidential Informant – Case of the Week #2
    April 11, 2016
    Kenneth Hill v. State of Florida, 2D14-2960, Released 3/9/2016

    Welcome Back! This week we turn our attention to an issue that appears repeatedly in criminal cases: under what circumstances must the State Attorney disclose the identity of a confidential informant who was used during the investigation of a case.

    Confidential informants (or “CI’s”) are most commonly used in drug delivery and drug trafficking cases. Usually law enforcement agencies offer monetary compensation to informants in exchange for information and or arrests. Some law enforcement agencies have even gone as far as offering confidential informants a percentage of the revenues they bring in.

    These operations routinely allow the detectives (through overtime pay) and the CI’s to line their wallets with money.

    This scary scenario presents itself when confidential informants lure drug buyers from surrounding states and or countries into the South Florida community to purchase large quantities of drugs, which has happened on numerous occasions.

    While money is a nice tool to turn normal folks into confidential informants there is another common method used to create informants. This is known as providing “substantial assistance”.

    Such a situation usually occurs when a defendant is charged with a crime or crimes that carry a lengthy prison sentence. Rather than accept a lengthy prison sentence, they decide to enter into substantial assistance agreement with the State Attorney’s office. In such an agreement, the CI who is doing substantial assistance has motivation to provide information and set up arrests to reduce their own sentence. This is commonly referred to as “working of their charges.”

    Substantial assistance agreements are very one sided. If an informant violates their agreement, they are usually faced with a lengthy prison sentence. If they do not produce arrests and charges they will not be given any credit for the assistance that they have provided and will usually receive a lengthy prison sentence.

    Whether it be monetary gain or a reduction of their sentence, you can imagine the incentive an informant has to deliver arrests to the police. This temptation/pressure often has informants breaking the rules or fabricating evidence to help their own cause.

    http://www.matthewglassmanlaw.com/blog-1/2016/4/11/disclosing-a-confidential-informant-case-of-the-week-2

    ReplyDelete
  17. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

    The trouble with using police informants in the US
    By Rob Walker
    BBC World Service, Florida
    27 March 2013

    Some law enforcement agencies in the US use informants in as many as 90% of their drug cases. But there are surprisingly few rules on how informants are used and a groundswell of calls for the system to be reformed.

    "Snitches" are staple fare in Hollywood crime dramas, often working secretly with the police to bring down mafia godfathers or powerful drug cartels.

    The reality of informants in the US criminal justice system is usually rather different.

    Take the case of 46-year-old John Horner, a fast-food restaurant worker who was prescribed painkillers after he lost an eye in an accident in 2000.

    Three years ago he was befriended by a man called Matt (not his real name).

    "We kind of clicked right off the bat. One day he came to where I worked. We were standing there talking, and I realised he was in pain," says Horner.

    "He laid it out on me, 'Look dude, I can either pay my rent or go buy my prescriptions. I can't do both.' I decided Matt was a friend. I said, 'I'll help you out.'"

    What Horner didn't know was that Matt was an informant working for the Osceola County Sheriff's Office in central Florida.

    Over a period of several weeks, Horner provided Matt with four bottles of prescription pain pills - morphine and hydrocodone. He says he also lent him money. On the last occasion Horner handed over pills, he was arrested.

    "The next thing I know I got a guy's knee in the back of my neck grinding my face into the concrete. I'm told, 'You're under arrest for trafficking.'"

    According to Sheriff's Office documents, Matt paid Horner a total of $1,800 (£1,200) for the pills, in three separate payments. The money had been provided by agents who also recorded the transactions.

    Horner maintains he only received part of that money from Matt, and he believed it was a repayment of cash he'd lent him earlier.

    Whatever the case, under Florida law Horner now faced a minimum sentence of 25 years, if found guilty.

    "My public defender told me, 'They got you dead to rights.' So I thought, 'OK, I guess there's no need taking this to trial.'"

    Prosecutors offered a plea bargain of 15 years if Horner accepted a guilty plea.

    "I said, 'My youngest daughter will be 25 years old when I get out. I can't do that.'"

    That left him with only one option - to become an informant himself.

    Under the deal he signed with prosecutors, he agreed to plead guilty. But if he helped make prosecutable cases against five other people on drug-trafficking charges - charges carrying 25-year minimum terms - his own sentence could be reduced from 25 years to 10.

    That choice - put crudely, do the time or snitch - is one faced by thousands of Americans every year.

    The number of informants has exploded in the past few decades. The main reason is the tough mandatory minimum sentences introduced in the 1980s for even relatively minor drug crimes.

    "I would have taken anybody down, just so I could be with my family" - John Horner

    Snitching offers one of the few escape hatches.

    "Every defendant facing a mandatory minimum sentence will be confronted with the reality that becoming an informant may be the only way to get out from under those very high sentences," says Alexandra Natapoff, Loyola Law School.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21939453

    ReplyDelete
  18. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

    CITY POLICE PAID $500,000 LAST YEAR FOR INFORMANTS
    The New York Times Archives
    August 31, 1982

    The New York City Police Department spent almost a half million dollars last year to maintain a secret network of hundreds of criminal informants who provided leads and evidence in cases ranging from murder to gambling, according to top police officials.

    The department's informant system ranges from the hundreds of petty street criminals who pass on tips to the police for a few dollars to the 300 or so ''confidential informants'' who cooperate over a period of time, most often in return for leniency in their own criminal cases.

    ''I could hire three more full-time detectives with the money my division alone spends on information in a year, but I'd rather have the money for informants,'' said James T. Sullivan, the department's chief of detectives. ''That money gives us more flexibility, and it gets more results than three detectives could ever get.''

    The police acknowledge that the practice of using informants, most of whom are criminals, opens the doors to a variety of abuses. For example, the police could come to depend on a good informant and overlook his crimes.

    'But you have to weigh the risks, and when you do, we would be remiss if we ignored this tool,'' Chief Sullivan said. William B. Hellerstein, attorney in charge of the criminal appeals bureau of the Legal Aid Society, expressed reservations about the use of some informants. ''I don't have any trouble with the little man who sells information about a crime that has occurred,'' he said. ''But I am troubled by the police use of what are really professional informants. I've often felt at times they are used as a substitute for good police work.''

    But District Attorney Mario Merola of the Bronx disagreed. ''It's a dirty business, it's a slimy business,'' he said, ''but it often takes a crook to get a crook.''

    Of the 300 confidential informants, or ''C.I.'s,'' registered with the department, most are ''working off'' cases -cooperating to reduce their own sentences - said Alice T. McGillion, the department's deputy commissioner for public affairs. In fact, she said, most of the money spent on the informant system goes to help subsidize many of these confidential informants - by paying their rent, phone bills, hotel and restaurant tabs or even their loanshark interest while they are working for the police. Few Direct Payments

    Only about 40 to 60 confidential informants work for direct cash payments, Miss McGillion said. The rest receive subsidies and leniency.

    Confidential informants most often are used in cases involving organized crime, especially narcotics, according to Deputy Chief Emil A. Ciccotelli of the Organized Crime Control Bureau. And informants in such cases can be among the most costly. In one case, for example, the police agreed to pay a confidential informant $1,000, ''with payments not to exceed $5,000,'' for every kilogram of heroin purchased, provided the heroin was 80 percent pure.

    The price of informants on the city's streets, though, is generally not high. For $75, for example, Chief Sullivan said, the police bought information that led to the arrest of three teen-agers who were convicted in the killing last year of a Wall Street lawyer.

    While detectives have come to depend more and more on the streetlevel informant - a bookmaker or a prostitute who will pass on a tip for a single payment - it is the use of long-term informants that is sometimes criticized as risky and ethically unsound.

    Mr. Hellerstein of Legal Aid said pressuring one criminal to come up with information about another might lead to lies, frame-ups and ''all kinds of abuses for which there are few checks.''

    https://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/31/nyregion/city-police-paid-500000-last-year-for-informants.html

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  19. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

    Dozens in D.C., Maryland paid the ultimate price for cooperating with police
    By Cheryl W. Thompson
    January 10, 2015
    (Whitney Leaming/The Washington Post)

    The Post’s review found that among those killed for cooperating with authorities or out of fear that they might:

    ●At least 19 didn’t receive protection, including a confidential informant working for the Drug Enforcement Administration who was lured to a home by a drug dealer’s girlfriend and then fatally shot by the dealer.

    ●At least five were killed after defense attorneys learned their names or other identifying information and told their clients. In one case, a lawyer tipped off a defendant that prosecutors wanted to interview the witness. Six days later, the witness was found dead.

    ●Nine were offered protection but declined, including a 38-year-old Baltimore County man who was unaware of the long criminal history — including murder, attempted murder and firearms charges — of the man he was scheduled to testify against.

    ●At least five were slain after they were relocated but returned to their old neighborhoods.

    ●In at least four cases, charges against a defendant were dropped after the witness was killed.

    Since 2004, at least 37 people in D.C. and Maryland have been killed for cooperating with law enforcement or out of fear that they might, according to a Post investigation. Eighteen of those occurred in the District.

    In addition, more than 320 witnesses have been intimidated in Maryland over the past decade in incidents that led to court charges, including non-fatal shootings, assaults and threats of bodily harm, records show. At least 44 cases of intimidation occurred in Prince George’s and 23 in Montgomery County. The U.S. attorney’s office in the District said it doesn’t track such cases.

    Local and federal law enforcement agencies offer witnesses relocation and protection services. But shielding them from harm becomes difficult when they fail to follow the rules.

    “When you get assistance, you’re given instructions,” said Ronald C. Machen, the U.S. attorney for the District. “The number one thing is you’ve got to stay out of the area.”

    Machen said his office is “highly sensitive” to the killing of witnesses and has worked to keep those who cooperate safe.

    “That’s kind of ingrained in our DNA to try and protect witnesses,” he said. “We’ve always done a good job.”

    CONTINUED...

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    1. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

      D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said her agency “does everything it can to ensure the safety of witnesses.”

      “Obviously, witness protection programs are only effective when the witness . . . adheres to the provisions of the programs,” she said.

      John Dowery, 38, didn’t stick to the rules. The father of nine had been relocated out of Baltimore in late 2005 after he survived a retaliation shooting. He had witnessed a murder and knew about drug trafficking, and someone wanted to silence him. Within a year after his relocation, he returned to his Baltimore neighborhood to spend Thanksgiving with his family. That evening, he was spotted at a corner bar and was shot to death.

      Witness executions pose myriad problems for law enforcement. When key witnesses are slain, it’s difficult to prosecute cases and bring criminals to justice. In the District and Maryland, where many of the witness slayings are drug or gang related, the death of a witness can result in charges being dropped, allowing violent criminals back on the streets. In some cases, those who witness crimes are hesitant to come forward because they don’t want to end up like Rob Alexander.

      “It’s an issue,” said Tony Patterson, a longtime D.C. homicide detective who lost a witness to a retaliatory killing in 2005. “It’s a problem if you’re trying to solve a murder.

      “People are quick to tell you at a scene, ‘Man, I don’t have anything to say.’ They don’t want to end up dead.”

      Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein, whose office has handled at least nine cases involving the slaying of witnesses, potential witnesses or those mistakenly believed to be witnesses over the past decade called it a “serious concern,” saying the killings are “a threat to the integrity of the criminal justice system.”

      “It’s very hard to prosecute criminals without the cooperating of witnesses,” he said, adding that his office aggressively pursues witness-retaliation cases.

      CONTINUED...

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    2. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

      ‘Hindsight is 20/20’

      Snitching has long been taboo, and those who violate the creed can pay the ultimate price. In the D.C. area, a 34-year-old man said to be a former MS-13 gang member was stabbed to death in 2013 near his Langley Park home after gang members mistakenly thought he was cooperating with federal officials. The trial of his alleged killer is pending.

      In 2012, a 25-year-old man who was set to testify in a double-murder trial was fatally shot in an ambush as he arrived — his 2-year-old son in his arms — at his mother’s apartment in Prince George’s. His alleged killer, his nephew, is scheduled for trial in the summer.

      In 2006, a 41-year-old man was gunned down in the District in what police described as a ­“witness-execution shooting.” His killing remains unsolved.

      Shar-Ron Mason and Bashunn Phillips became fast friends while growing up in Anne Arundel County. But life got in the way, and they eventually drifted apart.

      Shortly before 10 p.m. one evening in October 2013, Mason, 18, and Phillips, 19, exchanged words, supposedly over a woman, at a party. As Mason walked to the Odenton duplex where he lived with his grandfather, he told police, Phillips and another man jumped him and beat him up. He broke free and ran to his front door with Phillips in pursuit. Mason’s grandfather opened the door, pushed Phillips off, grabbed his grandson and slammed the door.

      Mason pressed charges and was scheduled to testify against Phillips in April. Just before dawn Dec. 10, 2013, police say that Phillips went to Mason’s home, fatally shot him and fled. With the key witness dead, a judge found Phillips not guilty in the October assault. Phillips now faces murder charges in Mason’s death.

      “The impact of witness intimidation gives people pause when they think about reporting a crime,” said former Anne Arundel County police chief Kevin Davis, who resigned last month. “If people don’t feel comfortable coming forward, one bad act like this can have unintended consequences. I’m concerned with silencing other witnesses and victims.”

      Mason, who authorities knew was the key witness against Phillips, was not offered relocation or other protection because police didn’t think he was in danger, Davis acknowledged.

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dozens-in-dc-maryland-paid-the-ultimate-price-for-cooperating-with-police/2015/01/10/978b1a18-b5f6-11e3-b899-20667de76985_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c085fcfc17e9

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  20. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

    Ole Miss supports informant program
    Published 7:04 p.m. CT March 13, 2016

    OXFORD — Despite its controversial use of college students as confidential informants, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit still has support from faculty members and students at the University of Mississippi.

    The unit, which receives $100,000 annually from Ole Miss, Oxford and Lafayette County each, made national headlines last year for pressuring local college students to participate in potentially dangerous undercover drug investigations. Students who are caught with drugs by the metro narcotics team are offered the option to work as informants to bust drug dealers in order to keep a clean record.

    The confidential informant program raised concern from many in the community and prompted the Libertarian Party of Lafayette County to call for a cease of the unit’s funding.

    Faculty members were concerned as well, which led the faculty senate to conduct an investigation of the school’s relationship with the unit.

    Travis King, who serves as a professor in Ole Miss’ pharmacy department, led the faculty senate’s investigation and said he found no reason why the relationship should not continue.

    In addressing the faculty senate, King said that actually an extremely small amount of Ole Miss students were involved in the unit’s program. According to the school’s office of student affairs, the probability that college students will be confidential informants for the unit’s program is 1 in 1000 and is not limited solely to students from Ole Miss but also community colleges in the surrounding area.

    And while acknowledging news reports of how college students were dangerously used in the past by the unit, King said the unit has done a lot of good for the community in attempts to keep it drug free.

    “It’s very, very hard to extrapolate how a singular case operates and if that singular case is reflected of every case that’s done,” King said.

    Rod Bridges, who is president of the university’s student government body, believes that the media’s glimpse into the confidential informants program has not captured the entire picture of the metro narcotics unit fairly.

    “It’s hard to make a sound assumption on what should be done especially because this hasn’t been a topic of conversation that’s been equally represented in the media,” said Bridges, who believes the university’s relationship with the unit has been beneficial. “The overall picture of what metro narcotics does for this community shouldn’t be understated. A lot of things that they do — the stings, the drug busts — it’s something that should be commended.”

    However, Bridges also recognizes that there is a need for transparency in the unit. He has spoken with the Student Voice Commission, an organization that hosts forums for students to express concerns, and has tried to arrange a town hall that would open the conversation about student involvement with the confidential informant program and explore whether action should be taken.

    “We all have specific boundaries, specific guidelines for which to follow, for which to stand, and if any group is overstepping that unjustly, then it needs to be addressed.”

    And the unit has taken steps to be more transparent. After director Keith Davis resigned last year, the new director, Rodney Waller, an Ole Miss graduate who served 25 years with the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration, was recently hired and is conducting an extensive review of all the unit’s procedures, policies and practices, including the confidential informant program. Waller, who was unavailable for comment, will include his review and suggestions for improvement within the unit in a report to be delivered on July 1.

    https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2016/03/13/ole-miss-supports-informant-program/81723422/

    ReplyDelete
  21. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

    Undercover students used in drug busts at some University of Wisconsin campuses
    By Sean Kirkby/Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
    09/16/2014

    A former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student poses with a playing card distributed by the campus warning of the penalties of a drug conviction. The student, who requested anonymity because he is looking for a job, sold drugs to another student on campus who was a confidential informant. UW-Whitewater is one of three four-year University of Wisconsin campuses to acknowledge using students to make controlled buys from suspected drug dealers.

    This story was produced by the nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.

    WHITEWATER, Wis. — Moments after Javonni Butler was busted for selling marijuana in 2011, he says, police officers offered him a deal: Buy drugs to help convict others, and they would “sweep this under the rug.”

    Officers had just arrested Butler, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student and then-Whitewater City Council member, for selling what court records describe as small quantities of marijuana twice to another student wearing a recording device.

    He faced two felony charges that each carried a maximum of three and a half years in prison and a $10,000 fine and a misdemeanor count of marijuana possession. His arresting officers, Butler says, warned that the charges would “ruin my life.”

    Butler, however, declined. In October 2011, he pleaded guilty to one felony and one misdemeanor charge as part of a plea deal and was sentenced to 45 days in jail. He was suspended from all UW System schools and lost his eligibility for federal financial aid. And, because the state’s constitution bans convicted felons from holding public office, he was forced to resign his seat on the City Council.

    Butler, 25, is still angry, saying students are being pressured to become informants to avoid the consequences he faced.

    “It’s just pitiful, it’s disgusting,” Butler says. “They pretty much put kids in a spot until they have no choice but to snitch.”

    CONTINUED...

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    1. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

      A member of the Walworth County Drug Unit, which arrested Butler, declined comment on whether the unit still uses students as informants. But UW-Whitewater Police Chief Matt Kiederlen says his department has used about 20 students as confidential informants during the past two years.

      Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism checks at the UW System’s 13 four-year campuses turned up two additional sites — UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire — at which officials also acknowledge using students arrested for drug activities to make controlled buys. A recent study conducted by Rehabs.com ranked UW-Eau Claire and UW-Whitewater No. 2 and No. 11 in the nation respectively for having the highest proportion of on-campus drug arrests.

      UW-Milwaukee police declined to say whether they use confidential informants to make drug buys. But the agency has a policy regulating the department’s use of informants, including a rule that juveniles, felons on probation and the drug dependent “should be carefully looked at” when being considered for use.

      Other campus police forces send students convicted of drug crimes to city police or county sheriff’s offices, which may ask students to become informants to beat criminal charges. Some say they do not have the resources to sustain such long-term investigations.

      UW-Green Bay and UW-Oshkosh acknowledge using students as confidential informants, but to collect information for search warrants and subpoenas, not to buy drugs. UW-Oshkosh police say they use the practice outside of just drug cases, including harassment and assault cases.

      Opponents say the use of students in undercover drug investigations could place them in dangerous situations and exploits their vulnerability to losing thousands of dollars of federal financial aid and tuition by being suspended from school.

      “Law enforcement can use whatever arrow in their quiver they have,” says Alexandra Natapoff, professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and an expert on confidential informants.

      Supporters defend the practice, saying it provides an opportunity for students to avoid felonies — just as police departments across the country treat non-students facing similar charges.

      “They’re no different from anyone else,” Kiederlen says. “Mom and dad tend to feel like they’re still in school, but the reality is that they’re adults and they’re making adult decisions. And there are adult consequences.”

      CONTINUED...

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    2. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

      ‘Highly dangerous operations’

      While becoming a confidential informant may help students avoid consequences, undercover operations can turn deadly.

      Rachel Hoffman, a 23-year-old Florida State University graduate, was pressured in 2008 to be an informant after Tallahassee, Florida, police searched her apartment and found a small amount of marijuana and ecstasy. But the buy turned out to be an armed robbery, and the robbers killed Hoffman after discovering her recording device, says Lance Block, a Florida attorney.

      Block, who represented Hoffman’s parents in a lawsuit after their daughter’s murder, authored a 2009 Florida law that regulates informant use, a practice he says contradicts law enforcement’s purpose.

      “The police are supposed to protect us from harm, not subject us to harm,” Block says. “And when law enforcement intentionally expose untrained civilians into these highly dangerous operations, they’re not protecting them from harm. … It’s one thing to get information from people secretly and confidentially. It’s another thing to throw them to the wolves, like they did with Rachel.”

      Kiederlen says no student has been hurt while serving as an informant at UW-Whitewater. Each operation involves at least two detectives, who live-monitor the buy, he says. As the deal happens, three to four officers patrol the surrounding area.

      Officers check the background of dealers to ensure students buy from those without violent pasts, he says. They also train informants.

      “They are set up in such a way that if something is bad, they know what they can do to make themselves as safe as possible,” Kiederlen says. “We’re dealing with the drug world. It is unpredictable. We try with everything we have to predict putting them in the safest position we can, but there are always those unknowns.”

      Kiederlen says his department works to protect the identity of confidential informants, taking precautions including using numbers rather than names in internal reports. State law prohibits police departments from releasing information that could identify an informant.

      Still, Rick Coad, a Madison-based criminal defense attorney who has represented UW-Whitewater students facing drug charges, says criminal complaints describe when the buy happened. Those charged usually know who they sold to on that day, and informants may have to testify during trial.

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    3. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

      Stephen Richards, a UW-Oshkosh criminal justice professor, says student informants often turn in their own friends. He warns informants might be “looking over their shoulder for the rest of their lives.”

      “It’s a small world, and they’ve made lifelong enemies when they do that,” says Richards, who stresses that becoming an informant is a moral choice. He knows from experience.

      After being arrested for conspiracy to distribute marijuana in 1982, Richards was asked to become an informant. He refused, was sentenced to nine years in prison and served three.

      Practice common at UW-Whitewater

      Almost all police departments use confidential informants, Kiederlen says, and his department’s policies are modeled on the best practices. Students who become informants are evaluated based on their suitability to become an informant, with a county prosecutor giving final approval.

      Students who become informants to beat felony charges for selling marijuana typically have dealing supplies, such as scales and plastic bags, and “something else” such as a harder drug, Kiederlen says.

      Potential informants are asked what types of drugs they are comfortable purchasing from dealers. Consequently, students sometimes buy harder drugs than they were arrested for, such as heroin, ecstasy or prescription medications, Kiederlen says.

      One UW-Whitewater student used as a confidential informant, speaking on condition of anonymity, says he was arrested for selling marijuana and ended up buying ecstasy. Within three hours of his arrest, he says a campus detective searched his phone, identified potential targets and had him sign an agreement.

      The student, facing felony charges, says he made multiple controlled buys on campus. He wore a recording device and a wrist watch with a camera. He usually purchased a few ounces of marijuana at a time and used marked bills that could be used for further evidence.

      He says he was not suspended and the administration does not know he sold drugs on campus. He asked for anonymity to avoid hurting future job prospects. Kiederlen says speaking about their contract with others could void confidential informants’ contracts and result in them receiving the original charges.

      CONTINUED...

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    4. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

      In all, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism communicated with 10 current and former UW-Whitewater students who were arrested by either the UW-Whitewater police or the Walworth County Drug Unit for selling drugs to confidential informants or possessing marijuana.

      Nine were asked to become an informant. All but the unnamed student described earlier refused either because of safety concerns, not knowing other dealers or not wanting to turn in their friends.

      Eight, including Butler, were charged with felonies; one young man paid a fine. Some said they plan to seek expungement of those cases once they complete their sentences, meaning the cases would be sealed from public view.

      Andrew Walter, an Elkhorn attorney who has represented students who have signed confidential informant agreements with the Walworth County Drug Unit, says the deals allow students to avoid felony charges for selling marijuana.

      He also notes the harsh penalties outside of the judicial system, including loss of financial aid, blocked access to graduate school and limited job opportunities. Walter characterizes the state’s drug laws as “extremely harsh” and “ridiculous.”

      Distribution of any amount of marijuana is a felony offense in Wisconsin, carrying a maximum sentence of three and a half years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Those interviewed by the Center who were convicted did not receive the maximum penalties.

      Butler, the city council member and student, returned to campus after his suspension and graduated last May, three years after his 2011 arrest. He says Walworth County prosecutes college students as if they were “drug kingpins” and criticizes the university for supporting the use of students as informants.

      He describes Whitewater’s decision to suspend students as a “money-making scheme.” He was suspended late in a semester, losing thousands of dollars in tuition and fees without receiving any academic credit.

      “I’m ashamed to have gone to Whitewater,” Butler says.

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    5. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

      Informants and campus crime

      UW-Whitewater is about a 15-minute walk from downtown Whitewater, a city of about 15,000 surrounded by farmland. The fourth largest campus in the UW System, it began as a teachers college but now offers 49 majors to its 12,000 students.

      The university made collegiate sport history earlier this year by being the first school in any NCAA division to win men’s football, basketball and baseball national championships in the same academic year. The Warhawks’ men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams both won national championships in 2014.

      UW-Whitewater also has another reputation — for high drug arrests. A national study published in March by Rehabs.com, using 2012 numbers reported to the federal government, ranked the campus 11th in the nation in per capita in on-campus drug arrests. UW-Eau Claire was ranked No. 2, and UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh and UW-Milwaukee were among the top 50.

      The number of arrests for drug offenses at UW-Whitewater has risen sharply, from 45 in 2010 to 156 in 2012, according to the UW-Whitewater Police Department. That number includes those arrested on campus, in off-campus buildings such as fraternities and sororities and on surrounding public property.

      Kiederlen attributes the increase to the development of the confidential informant program at UW-Whitewater in July 2012.

      In 2013, however, arrests fell to 94, according to Kiederlen, a roughly 40 percent drop he partially attributes to dealers realizing the area is too risky for their operations.

      Use widespread across universities, Wisconsin

      UW-Whitewater is not alone. Both UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire acknowledge using confidential informants and are part of the West Central Drug Task Force, which consists of law enforcement agencies from six western Wisconsin counties.

      Eau Claire County Sheriff Ron Cramer, the task force’s project director, says students arrested for selling drugs are used to bust dealers who are “up the scale.” He says the task force prioritizes heroin and methamphetamine cases, rather than marijuana cases.

      “We don’t want your twos and threes. We want your ace trump card,” Cramer says. “There might be a lot of college kids smoking or dealing, but we’re after the guy who’s bringing it on campus.”

      UW-Eau Claire uses fewer than five informants per year on average, according to David Sprick, the campus police chief. UW-Stout uses eight to 10 students in a given year, according to campus police chief Lisa Walter.

      Other UW System schools do not use informants because they rely on county or municipal departments with more resources, Kiederlen says.

      CONTINUED...

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    6. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

      The Walworth County Drug Unit, however, in the last two years has been increasingly tied up with heroin and prescription drug cases, says Capt. Dana Nigbor of the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office. Kiederlen says that left the campus “in a vacuum,” and “we couldn’t just let things go.”

      So the university partnered with the city of Whitewater to use informants, with some assistance from the county drug unit. In an email to the Center, Whitewater police Capt. Brian Uhl sent a redacted copy of his department’s policies, its contracts and a statement but declined to answer further questions about the program.

      Uhl wrote that police agencies across the world use informants to fight crime and “the Whitewater Police Department is no different in our desire to protect our community.”

      But Natapoff, the Loyola Law School professor, says while informants might be needed to investigate political or corporate corruption, they are overused in “the low-level war on drugs.”

      “We don’t use the informants in a targeted, careful way of going after organized crime,” she says. “We use informants the way that a bad cook uses salt.”

      Exploitation or opportunity?

      Natapoff says police departments use a variety of techniques to compel people to become informants, whether threatening a student’s access to federal financial aid or creating an arrest record that could cause someone to lose a job.

      “There is no leverage that has been taken off the table,” Natapoff says.

      Kiederlen, however, calls UW-Whitewater’s confidential informant program an “opportunity” for students.

      “Those few people we use as confidential informants, it’s not going to carry with them for the rest of their lives,” he says. “They’ve made a mistake, shall we say they’ve paid back their debt, and now they’re going to move forward. So to me it’s a positive all the way around.”

      But Richards, the UW-Oshkosh criminal justice professor, says that the use of informants disrupts the campus environment.

      “I don’t appreciate university students used this way. I think it’s detrimental to the campus, and to what we try to do on a college campus, which is to provide a safe and supportive environment for university students to learn,” Richards says. “It disrupts our mission.”

      CONTINUED...

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    7. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

      Prosecuting campus drug cases

      Typically, UW-Whitewater students enter pleas with the possibility of erasing the convictions from court records if they abide by certain terms. The Walworth County District Attorney declined comment on the plea deals offered to students.

      Another approach is deferred prosecution agreements that allow offenders to get charges reduced or dismissed. That is how a group of UW-Milwaukee student drug dealers was handled in 2008 and 2009, says Jacob Corr, assistant district attorney at Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

      In those cases, the UW-Milwaukee students were offered the chance to reduce their felonies to misdemeanors if they stayed out of trouble with the law, maintained full-time employment or stayed in school, Corr says. Students also were required to complete drug or alcohol treatment, if needed.

      Rather than expungement, the county wanted students to have criminal records because the dealing had lured dangerous criminals who broke into homes and committed armed robberies near the campus, Corr says.

      Coad, the Madison criminal defense attorney, questions the value of prosecuting such cases.

      “Do we really want to convict them (students) of crimes and kick them out of school? They’re good kids. They have good GPAs and they’re good athletes,” Coad says. “Is that the way that we want to treat students who otherwise are on their way to becoming productive members of society?”

      Richards agrees.

      “If law enforcement wants to help people avoid consequences, if they want to help them … then give them drug treatment, give them a public health choice if they really want to help them,” Richards says.

      “Because the problem with turning people into informers is that you’re teaching people to betray their friends. You’re teaching people to turn in their friends, the people that they know, the people that they care about.”

      This report was produced in collaboration with Wisconsin Public Radio reporter Gilman Halsted. The nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism collaborates with WPR, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

      All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.

      https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2014/09/undercover-students-used-drug-busts-some-university-wisconsin-campuses/

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  22. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

    Speaking Truth to Power: Confidential Informants and Police Investigations
    Dean A. Dabney
    Richard Tewksbury
    Copyright Date: 2016

    ONE Police and Confidential Informants (pp. 1-18)

    For the past forty years, the American criminal justice system has been at the forefront of a war on drugs.

    Law enforcement authorities have served as the front line in this battle, heading up a wide-ranging array of domestic interdiction operations. Budgetary data speak to the breadth and depth of this prolonged intervention.

    According to a recent Rand Corporation study, police have spent an estimated $600 billion on domestic interdiction operations since the early 1980s (Chalk 2011).

    In fiscal year 2015 alone, federal and state authorities budgeted nearly $10 billion for local, state, and federal drug enforcement operations.

    FIVE The Game: THE IMPACT OF COMMUNITY CONTEXT ON INFORMANT USE (pp. 85-106)

    Given the ever-widening and persistent war on drugs, metropolitan police officers find that law enforcement efforts are becoming increasingly intertwined with narcotics enforcement.

    Departments are progressively being segmented into specialty units that focus their efforts on select types of criminal offending.

    Although many of these specializations (e.g., commercial robbery, sex crimes, and financial crimes) have no direct link to drug markets, most specialty units find themselves routinely bumping up against drug offenders as they investigate and resolve the crimes that fall under their purview (e.g., homicide, property crimes, burglary, and auto theft).

    SIX Maintaining Relationships with Informants (pp. 107-149)

    Once an informant has been identified, recruited, and turned, he or she will be put to work by his or her primary/managing law enforcement agent.

    At this point, the informant will be asked to provide information about unsolved or unknown crimes, set up and make drug buys while under surveillance, introduce officers to criminal-world contacts, or engage in other types of “work” requested and directed by the managing officer.

    It is well documented (Alvarez 1993; Billingsley 2009; Natapoff 2004) that the execution of said work is time consuming, resource draining, and carries with it a host of potential downfalls.

    https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt1cx3vnv

    ReplyDelete
  23. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

    Boy Tortured To Death Was Drug Informant Mother Says Son Felt Pressured By Police; Practice Called Unethical

    March 23, 1998

    By Stuart Pfeifer Orange County Register

    A 17-year-old Yorba Linda, Calif., boy who was tortured and strangled at a suspected drug house spent the weeks before his death making undercover drug deals at the direction of Brea, Calif., police, his mother disclosed Saturday.

    Cindy MacDonald said through an attorney that although she gave written permission for her son Chad MacDonald to be used as a police informant, she told police repeatedly that she wanted to end the arrangement.

    She said her son told her he felt pressured to make increasingly larger buys to avoid prosecution on methamphetamine charges.

    Brea police denied that the boy’s death was related to work he might have done as an informant for them but acknowledged that they occasionally use teens to make drug buys. The practice is opposed by many police agencies, judges and prosecutors, who argue that it places teens in danger, though no law prohibits it.

    “If (the mother’s allegation) is accurate, it’s not only inappropriate, it’s unconscionable,” said Bruce Malloy, administrative officer for the Orange County Juvenile Justice Commission which oversees the county’s juvenile justice system. “That’s unethical police work. I’m sure the commission would not view this lightly.”

    Brea Police Chief Bill Lentini wouldn’t say if MacDonald ever worked for his detectives. He said that MacDonald was not working for the Brea police on the day he died and that Brea narcotics detectives were unfamiliar with his accused killers.

    “Regardless what Chad MacDonald was doing, 17 years old is much too young to pay this kind of price for a string of foolish mistakes,” Lentini said.

    “But those mistakes weren’t ours. They were Chad’s.”

    MacDonald had been an above-average student and avid snowboarder, but in the past year had become involved with drugs, friends said.

    His mother’s attorney, Lloyd Charton, said MacDonald became a police informant Jan. 6 when he was arrested with about a half ounce of methamphetamine. He later was charged with possessing the drug with intent to sell, which carries a maximum sentence of four years in the California Youth Authority.

    Juvenile Court presiding Judge Ronald Owen said typically a high school student such as MacDonald would be sentenced to six months’ confinement in a high-intensity drug-rehabilitation program, or to Juvenile Hall.

    “If Cindy had been told by the Brea police that her son would be put in a rehabilitation program … she would have leaped at it, and her son would be in that program and alive today,” Charton said.

    Cindy MacDonald called the District Attorney’s Office Feb. 24 and told prosecutors about her son’s work for police, Charton said. Prosecutors then told Brea detectives to stop using the teen as an informant, he said.

    CONTINUED...

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    1. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

      MacDonald’s body was found March 3 in a south Los Angeles alley, two days after he drove to a Norwalk home known to be frequented by drug traffickers. His girlfriend, who went with him, was raped and shot in the face. She survived.

      Charton said the boy went to Norwalk hoping to set up a large-enough deal to satisfy Brea detectives. The boy told his mother that detectives said his three previous undercover buys were not enough to offset his arrest.

      “Chad felt right up until the time he went to Norwalk if he could just make one more good buy that his legal problems would go away,” Charton said. “He was directly introduced to the Norwalk people by people he told, ‘I need a bigger quantity.”’

      Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives investigating MacDonald’s death would not say whether they are probing his work as a police informant as a possible motive for the slaying. Court documents allege that revenge was a motive.

      “This is getting too deep into our investigation,” said Los Angeles Sheriff’s Lt. Don Bear. “I’m not going to confirm or deny anything.” Cindy MacDonald, her face creased with grief, made only one statement during a 90-minute meeting Saturday in her lawyer’s Santa Ana office.

      “I want everyone involved in my son’s death held accountable,” she said.

      Charton said the teen’s mother was planning to have him move to the East Coast to live with a relative and escape the drug culture, but was prevented from doing so because of the pending criminal charge in Orange County.

      Cindy MacDonald believes her son would not have been killed had Brea police handled his case differently, Charton said. He said MacDonald’s mother signed a waiver allowing her son to work for the police only after detectives threatened the teen with a lengthy jail sentence.

      “She said, ‘If I sign this form can I take Chad home?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ So she signed the form and took Chad home,” Charton said. “She didn’t even look at it.”

      MacDonald wore a “wire” concealed in a pager during each of the buys. Police monitored his conduct nearby and arrested suspects each time, Charton said.

      Despite his undercover work, Brea police eventually submitted the case to the District Attorney’s Office on Jan. 30 so charges could be filed.

      “Do you think we’d file on someone who was still working for us?” Lentini said. “It doesn’t make sense we would file against someone who was working for us unless they broke the rules.”

      If MacDonald drove to Norwalk to make drug connections, he did so on his own, the chief said. He questioned whether the boy’s mother has been misled by her son.

      “Here’s a young man who’s into drugs. Do you think he’s going to tell his mother the truth about his drug problem?” Lentini said.

      Lentini said his detectives use minors to make narcotics buys “only under a supervised situation.” He said he became aware of such arrangements only after MacDonald’s death, but he is now well-versed in it.

      “It’s lawful,” he said. “We don’t do it without a signed agreement by the parent, under circumstances that we don’t perceive there to be a great deal of danger.”

      CONTINUED...

      Delete
    2. magiclougieWednesday, December 05, 2018

      Lentini said he won’t change the policy.

      “If it’s established that never is a juvenile to be used, then those who traffic in narcotics become confident they can sell to a juvenile without any fear of reprisal from law enforcement,” Lentini said.

      Several juvenile justice authorities said last week that Brea should have turned MacDonald over to the Juvenile Court system instead of converting him into an informant - a practice commonly used with adult suspects.

      “If he was handled initially in Juvenile Court, spent some time in a lock-down, he may have decided drugs are not for him,” said Mike Knox, a Texas-based juvenile justice expert.

      “There’s a big recidivist rate for drug users, so it may have had no impact at all. But we’ll never know that because this young kid is dead now. The dope dealers the youth helped the police catch were replaced the next day by other dealers. So was it worth the risk?”

      Nancy Clark, who operates several drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs in Orange County, said she believes reports about the increasingly violent nature of juvenile crime have hardened police to the special needs of minors.

      “I recognize the need to use confidential information in fighting crime,” she said. “But sometimes we have to sacrifice what we want because it’s not appropriate. The ends do not justify the means. This is a perfect example of that. Here we have a dead boy. Just because he’s caught with drugs does not mean he’s street-smart.”

      The charges against MacDonald were not unusual in Orange County. Last year, 723 minors were charged with narcotics-related offenses ranging from being under the influence to possession and sales of narcotics, according to District Attorney’s Office records.

      PUBLISHED: MARCH 23, 1998, MIDNIGHT

      http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1998/mar/23/boy-tortured-to-death-was-drug-informant-mother/

      Delete
  24. magiclougieSunday, December 09, 2018

    Mike Hallbach involvement (self.TickTockManitowoc)
    by Kay2710

    I've always found it strange the blind faith the Halbachs put in LE, even when LE was shown to do so many dodgy things. Given the bizarre interview with Ryan where they were both very anxious answering questions about being on the Avery property, does anyone else think Mike is afraid if Steven was found to be framed by LE that he would be implicated as well and face time in prison.

    It would be reasonable to expect the family to want justice for Teresa, however any time Buting or Strang interrogated LE on the stand, Mike looked petrified.

    I'm not sure the level of his involvement, perhaps he provided the key, helped move the RAV4, but I think he is involved. I don't believe his mother or other family members are, just him. I believe it may have been financial gain that made him agree to help frame Steven, that or he did it because LE said they knew it was Steven and needed his help to get his sister's killer, i.e. basically used him.

    [–]AgentSpectre

    Agree. It is not a stretch to think that LE and AG connections bribed MH with a cushy BS job like he landed with the Packers. Also the Halbachs simply do not want justice for their daughter. They want SA in prison. As a result I consider them to be complicit in this whole thing.

    [–]demanda_libertas

    I'm guessing his proximity to power structures inside of WI (LE, GB Packers, dairy Farmer orgs, etc) have a strong influence on his blinders. Typical sycophant behavior. Like Dwight Shrute to Michael Scott.

    [–]tinkake

    I am not from the US so what stands out for me are the cultural influences on the case.

    I think MH is a product of his family, religion, the family's standing in the local community and the politics of the situation.

    LE and the family line seemed to be 'justice for TH and SA deserved it'. Good and bad. Black and white. A need to find someone to blame. Faith in LE and a belief they got it right. How they got there doesn't seem to be important. We know LE had a motivation to portray SA as a bad guy. He was challenging this system. It seems LE are unwilling to face the consequences and adopt change.

    Religions are not noted for being progressive on feminism or in some instances, promoting tolerance and forgiveness. The statements made by MH do not show tolerance or forgiveness. Nor were investigations into TH's personal life incorporated into the trial, maintaining this myth of the innocent victim and the evil perpetrator. The outsider Averys against the insider Halbachs.

    It seems victims rights appear to be a vote winner. Appearances seem to be important. Both KK and the judge from Sheboygan were both on a Victims Rights Board. Justice being seen to be done and yet look at what KK was getting up to behind the scenes.

    A quick scan of the information available on TH's law firm page and my sense is he is being groomed for a future career in politics and therefore appears to be firmly entrenched within the system. Public scandal would damage his reputation and future prospects.

    In summary, to expect critical thinking about this case from the family is highly unlikely.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/a4poxu/mike_hallbach_involvement/

    ReplyDelete
  25. magiclougieSunday, December 16, 2018

    Anthony Bourdain Has a Lot to Say About the Opioid Epidemic Destroying Small-Town America

    A short Q+A with the Parts Unknown host about the evils of the pharmaceutical industry, art in the age of Trump, and the secret to his longevity.

    BY ALEXANDER BISLEY

    January 18, 2017

    Anthony Bourdain Has a Lot to Say About the Opioid Epidemic Ravaging SmallTown America

    Anthony Bourdain has never been shy about his history of drug addiction. Now more than ever, he is incensed about the opioid pandemic sweeping rural and small-town America, which the Parts Unknown host and Appetites co-author sees as a notable factor in Donald Trump’s election. At 60, the iconic epicurean worshipped by coastal-dwelling foodies has emerged as an outspoken defender of Americans battling addiction. “When did we decide it was okay to write all these people off?” he asks. With little prompting, he launches into a fiery, thoughtful rant about our broken pharmaceutical industry. (In our short conversation, we also talk about food snobbery and George Orwell.)

    Anthony Bourdain: Look, large corporations track their sales very carefully. If you’re pumping in millions of highly addictive narcotic pills to one tiny little town, or one tiny little state, you know what you’re doing. There’s no question, okay? In what way are they different from some corner boy in Baltimore slinging dope? I have a little more sympathy for the corner boy than I do for some billionaire, who’s already doing quite well, knowingly selling narcotics far and above any reasonable or acceptable level of need.

    Now that the number of prescriptions has dropped, under pressure, these same companies are looking internationally, for the same kinds of markets in countries like Cyprus. They’re targeting places that are less familiar with Oxycontin-style problems and selling them the same line of bullshit that they sold America so effectively. So I think it’s egregious.

    Now that the white captain of the football team and his cheerleader girlfriend in small-town America are hooked on dope, maybe we’ll now stop demonizing heroin as a criminal problem and start dealing with it as the medical and public-health problem that it is, and should be.

    CONTINUED...

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    1. magiclougieSunday, December 16, 2018

      GQ: Your 2014 Parts Unknown episode on rural and small-town America’s heroin and opioid epidemic—and ultimately the mass incarceration of black people—made for some intensely moving television. These pharmaceutical-company executives are dope dealers, and they should be treated worse and more roughly than dope dealers. You’ve got some disadvantaged black kid. You’re working in a one-company town, and that company happens to be a street gang selling heroin.

      The kind of pressures, the limited choices that you have, it’s understandable. David Simon talks about this. That’s a hard situation to deal with in an enforcement model. But when you’re talking about billionaire and millionaire executives at pharmaceutical companies, these are people with something to lose if threatened with jail. Frog-march them out of their door in suburbia, handcuffed and surrounded by DEA officers, with their children and neighbors watching. I think you’d start seeing some real behavioral change if you started putting them through that same system, as we’ve been putting young black men for years.

      There's a quote from Toni Morrison on Bush and Cheney that I'd like to read you. “This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.” As a fierce critic of Trumpism, is that a viewpoint you might agree with?

      I wish I could believe that, honestly. I think I have a more glum worldview. I think the role of the artist is to make art. To put on paper, or in whatever medium, what is in their heart, however ugly or beautiful that might be. The role of the artist is to fulfill or to listen to that compulsion within them. And do the best they can to satisfy that. Art is a very personal and selfish endeavor most times. As much as I find art beautiful and often helpful to a society, I don’t think it necessarily has to play that role. I think art has a disruptive element, even a destructive element. There’s room for all of those things.

      https://www.gq.com/story/anthony-bourdain-opioid-interview?verso=true

      Delete
  26. magiclougieSunday, December 16, 2018

    [–]black-dog-barks

    All the actions, who was on TH route, House bought, wrong people going to jail, no tears, you have to sit with this case for hundreds of hours before it makes any sense.

    The biggest key was the the woman prior to TH was working under cover for the DOJ using AT as a front...

    All you have to do is DVR some of Anthony Bourdain old videos(Part Unknown) on how he got hooked on drugs and how rural America became addicted... nobody explains it better.

    Barb arrested Nov 5 ..Weed possession.... Jason Zip... big time into drugs.... Carmen shooting up...

    The type of event for Federal Agents who get their cover blown is not WP.... per say.

    members of the DOJ who get their cover blown are taken to safe houses, they lay low, get minor plastic surgery, and a new ID in Law Enforcement. Example... if an FBI agent gets involved with a drug cartel and is made, he or she is pulled from the operation if possible. If successful the FBI would get the new ID, a new job somewhere far from where the operation was taking place and where locals don't get involved with National news. A job opens up in Wyoming, the local PD gets a highly trained officer with a resume all made up...

    As far as family knowing, I am sure it's frowned on because it could blow cover... it would depend on dealing with a Cartel, or just a local crime team.

    Let's say Mary Joe West joins the DEA, out of college. Her family would know she had a dangerous job, and may involve undercover work. One day someone knocks on their door and says Mary Joe no longer exists. The family knows not to talk, to go along with what is being told. Sound like someone we all know?

    If you have read Wrecking Crew I don't see a happy ending for anyone who were to speak up... It appears to get onto the force you are a friend of a friend or relative and it's how the reign of terror continues all these years. It's a very loyal outfit of the worst kind.

    Every community has drug problems, and rural America is and was not immune.

    In small communities like where MCSO patrols I'd bet they know every user and dealer.

    If anyone was to speak to KZ about who was dealing and if MCSO was on the take, the case would be solved.

    Most likely TH was recruited out of College as she was tops in her class to become a Federal Agent. People tops in their class don't unusually take jobs to just get by... TH wasn't even making minimum wage.

    Perfect job for undercover work... out on the road, observing, pictures, onto private property... asking questions...

    I am sure the interest for any DOJ in Salvage Yards are if they are part of a "chop shop" where stolen cars are dismantled for expensive parts.

    I am sure SA getting out of jail brought a lot of attention to the area by all agencies in the State. Lot's of eyes on what was going on. That alone could be motive for ST and BoD taking out TH so Avery would be blamed and go back to jail.

    CONTINUED...

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    1. magiclougieSunday, December 16, 2018

      [–]black-dog-barks

      If TH was undercover she would be asking questions of relatives and friends first about where to score some dope... especially a cousin her age.

      People know a lot more then me about stuff like this... these questions should be asked to Barb J, St, and BoD along with MO.

      How about this explanation.... the bones "discovered" in the SA burn pit revealed no DNA for MW and KK to use in court.

      The asking about other dead children or female relatives is telling(if you believe the entire case was a set up) ......

      They had CB body for a long time before they just happened to have the body cremated for the Botwells... Did they fear using CB Pelvic bone would not be enough to "prove" the bones belonged to TH? They wanted another source to harvest some DNA for testing and would rob the grave if necessary.

      As it turned out if you read the true statistics of the partial DNA hit, it is DNA from a female living in the Wisconsin area and would be found in thousand of woman. It's kind of like understanding Ancestry .com.... they develop a profile of ancestors based on statistics from regions of the world. Wisconsin is a unique area of the USA and as we see from family trees in the Avery case everyone is related ...

      Nothing is as it seems in this case... it was made. as in made up. They wanted Avery , so they took him down based on a jury of very little intellectual ability and who believe the police don't lie.

      The only interest of Carmen B to this case is if you connect the dots... Drugs. Was there ever an arrest in the death of Carmen? Did the police write it off to just another OD? Or did they know who killed CB with a heavy hit of opiate because she was working with TH.

      I still say when this is all sorted out by KZ, drugs and the selling of them in MC will come directly back to those who have lied so often...

      Don't be surprised what KZ actually knows.... she has to work with what got SA convicted. That is to get a new trial her only hope.

      If Th is alive it was part of a Federal agency and new ID, with plastic surgery. The program has rules that even KZ is not allowed to go into.

      If RH and TH had a recent breakup I'd say RH should be # 1 , but so much time went by and they remained friendly... not a lot of motive IMO.

      In fact if you read Wrecking Crew TH got involved in a relationship with a married man she had taken nudies of... the wife blamed TH for breaking up the marriage. Many believe the husband didn't take TH breaking up with him well. He may the the constant caller.

      Until Zellner and the book Wrecking Crew, none of us had a lot of info about Kuss Rd.

      Let's say the MCSO has some hatred for SA making them look like amateurs in the 1985 rape of PB. They find the Kuss rd burial site and burning issue down at the quarry deer camp... look at an Ariel Map on Google and you see as the crow flies the SA trailer is very close to Kuss rd turnaround. They have found TH went to SA /Barbs on Oct 31... last phone pings were Oct 31 late in the afternoon... how hard is it to imagine the powers that be decide to Make a Murderer. It's not an investigation, but a plot/plan because they think most likely SA did the crime anyway.

      The case did not evolve as most do when you have multiple suspects, the focus on Steven corrupted finding the truth and justice for TH.

      other then the towing issue they ran into there was no need to go into the SUV... WHY?

      1.. They were able to use flashlights and determine TH was not in vehicle...

      2..... They had down on Kuss Rd. which appeared to be a burial site and signs a body was burned at Deer Camp... Officer Bushman was called out of retirement and was running the operation at Kuss Rd.

      3.... it's why you hear... Do we have him under arrest yet?.... seconds after finding the SUV... those involved knew AC had moved the SUV onto the ASY...

      The plan to Make a Murderer was in process once Kuss rd was discovered.

      Delete
  27. magiclougieMonday, December 17, 2018

    [–]black-dog-barks

    If TH was an agent for the Federal or State government, she was doing undercover work. Those in that position want their original ID to be of a dead person that can't trace Bad Ass Drug Cartel to their family.

    I believe TH working the MC area after her training was for two reasons...the sheriff would use her death to put away SA, and the Federal agency would use her death to scrub any trace of her old life. Once given her new ID, it's as if TH never existed.

    Can any of that be proven without TH coming forward because she retired? No. So it's also the reason why KZ must go after BoD and ST. Who may be the killers or at least involved in the drug trade in MC.

    I can only tell you about local Junk Yards where I lived growing up... many were owned by mafia and one was owned by the Hells Angels. Today most are owned by the Russian mob out of the old country... it's a place of great interest to Federal police agencies.

    [–]SparePattern

    There’s ALWAYS a loose end, a puzzle piece that doesn’t in any way fit, and too many players in this to be simple no matter who killed her, or didn’t kill her if that’s the case. I know that there’s so many theories that on the surface seem so outlandish and people like to write them off instantly, but I’m under the mindset that each rabbit hole needs at least a once-over because that’s how insane this case is. And no matter what the “real” story here is, it’s very obvious it’s multi-layered and very nefarious across various groups of people. This is not a basic run of the mill Dateline murder. This is a complicated web with many people having skin in the game. If you made a chart connecting these Manitowoc players it would look like Carrie’s wall from the show Homeland.

    I don’t have a set theory yet (other than SA was framed). Along the way, even when the trial was going on, I thought I did, but as someone said “it gets messier the further out you go.” So, tbh, the TH isn’t dead theory still has legs with me because of things like the DOJ employee at AT before her, the family’s behavior, the dirty cops, the tiny amount of blood, and the rest of the WEIRD ASS SHIT that goes along with all of this.

    So as much as some of these ideas seem outlandish, I think throwing out those oddball theories (with some legitimate research behind them of course) is crucial to this to force ruling things out or opening another door, or just getting the crowd sourcing going. It only takes one small thing to get noticed (the battery e.g.) to really blow up into something big, so keep going everyone!

    [–]ExtremeCellist

    Cathy Willeford is woman i think you are talking about

    https://www.wicourts.gov/ca/opinion/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=9408

    [–]kookaburrakook

    If the previous AT photographer worked for DOJ and her cover was blown, they would have to replace her.

    If the H's knew TH was working undercover, they would not blow her cover, EVER!

    Remember she was very brave.

    [–]FlowerInMirror

    And wanted to travel the world and be financially well.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/a3sspt/loose_ends/

    ReplyDelete
  28. magiclougieThursday, December 20, 2018

    [–]Mr_Precedent

    MTSO tried to pin the mysterious theft and arson of BJ’s stolen car on SA several months prior in that same area of Zander Road. Fire! Cat! Car!

    I think TH died at home and Wiegert was called instead of 911 (if you haven’t read my theory elsewhere, but want to, let me know and I will elaborate). I think Wiegert called Lenk, who knew Zander Road would be the obvious choice.

    The Zander Road sign was very obviously planted and considered important enough to be photographed repeatedly (MORE than human BONES), but it doesn’t make any sense AT ALL. It was reportedly found and photographed late at NIGHT, but there is obvious DAYLIGHT in the window next to it. It’s the ONLY piece of evidence in the trailer that directly ties SA to TH, yet it was IGNORED after the car was discovered. I think it was SUPPOSED to lead LE to the crime scene but the whole scenario had to be changed when the jail calls were discovered. Kratz’s socks frantically insist it’s been debunked whenever it’s mentioned. There’s a reason he doesn’t want it discussed.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/a7tgc5/they_were_called_off_from_collecting_evidence_to/

    ReplyDelete
  29. magiclougieSaturday, December 29, 2018

    [–]thed0ngs0ng

    You mention the timing as being too perfect. I agree. But consider also the timing of when TH began working the Manitowoc area for Auto-trader: immediately after Steven files the massive $36 million dollar civil lawsuit. That timing is also too perfect.

    The image we have of Teresa, a simple happy go lucky farm girl is a lie. Teresa was smarter than her brothers, and they are 1. Calumet County Court Commissioner and 2. Director of Technology for the Green Bay Packers (NFL team owned by the state of Wisconsin). I think we should consider the idea that Teresa was working for the state as well but in an undercover capacity. This is the reason we don't have any solid evidence that Teresa died. She was in on the plan from the start.

    I don't think they would be worried about her being outed if they knew she was being placed into the witness protection program; especially if this was part of the plan. This is the only reasonable explanation, imo, for the family's incredibly odd behavior. They were in on the plan from the start and know she is alive but publicly and for the cameras they pretended like she was missing/murdered. We all saw through it because they were acting and They aren't professional actors so we could see through the facade.

    Barb's instincts were right on. The MaM producers had to carefully pick 10 hours out of the thousands of hours of footage available. I find it very telling that they specifically decided that Barb's screaming allegation that the H's helped set the whole thing up after Brendan's conviction was so important to the story that it needed to be in the documentary

    [–]JLWhitaker

    She could have had her good gear with her (remember, the tripod was in the back) and used it. It's never surfaced. Funny that, eh?

    BTW, she was well travelled (had even come to Australia) and also liked to take photos of cows.

    [–]7-pairs-of-panties

    The CI angle could have been it. I think it was strange that she did the whole AT thing. It wasn't very much money considering the amount of driving and gas it would have taken to cover that area. It wasn't even real photography to take pics for autotrader. She would have done better working at a photo shop in the mall taking kids portraits. Hell she could have been a waitress a couple nights a week and still worked at Pearce photography getting her start and made better money than she did working for autotrader.

    [–]Redditidiot1

    I always thought this was a possibility [Teresa as a CI]. The one guy that was kicked off [productionsouth.wordpress.com] said she was a CI. I like the way you propose it.

    [–]magilla39[S]

    Do you remember where you heard that? I remember several redacted police reports that I'd like to add as references.

    [–]Redditidiot1

    I'll try to remember his name. He went too far with the CI theory but it was the guy who believes it goes to PL, and he called Strang and Butings ethics and motivation in question. He wasn't taken too seriously and became so combative he was kicked off and is active on twitter. He brought up questions about her college experience and hypothesized that she was a criminal justice major or in that capacity. I felt there was some possibilities; for instance, AM did say SA was paranoid and thought she was setting him up etc. You may want to review the AM reports.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. magiclougieSaturday, December 29, 2018

      [–]7-pairs-of-panties

      Oh gosh, IDK.....I think it's one of several possibilities. I'm starting to lean slightly more to the side of her being alive, at least then. If it goes as far up the chain to the top as I think it may I think it is more likely than not that she is alive and they just disappeared her.

      For that to have happened than I think she just may have been working for or WITH them and her parents knew about the set up and that's why they act so strangely such as not even showing up when her car is found. WHAT MOTHER ON THE PLANET DOES THAT? Wild horses or Wild german sheperds wouldn't keep me away from the scene if my missing child's car showed up. I think that it's entirely possible that she is alive and somewhere else and Peterson helped her get outta Dodge.

      What makes me think this is a possibility is the lack of substance in evidence. Everything is a "partial" match to this and a "partial" match to that of a PAP smear that is "reported" to be of TH. When I saw the dental xrays yesterday I knew he didn't positively identify her, I don't even think that's her tooth. If that isn't her tooth than those most likely aren't her bones either. Whose are they?? IDK. The state claims that she was identified by forensic dentistry and she was identified by the FBI. She just wasn't. There isn't even enough blood or enough of a crime scene anywhere to know that she is dead. I'll give it to them, they worked awfully hard to make it look that way though.

      If she did work for them and she has been alive all this time, she is in more danger now than she ever has been. There are a LOT of people that are in a LOT of trouble if that were to come out that she was alive.

      [–]magilla39[S]

      IDK. Is there a known case where the feds faked the death of someone?

      I definitely could believe she was a CI or under cover for the DCI. It would be interesting to know when SA was starting calling Autotrader and when she started working for Autotrader. If she was inserted into a know situation by DCI, the dates would be revealing.

      [-]magiclougie

      TH started working for autotrader on 10/8/04.

      Oct. 12, 2004: Attorney Walt Kelley of Milwaukee filed a federal lawsuit ... to their still-developing civil rights lawsuit against Manitowoc County.

      [–]magilla39[S]

      But did SA start using Autotrader before Dec 2004. This would be key. If TH was planted as a photographer for Autotrader, the DCI would have to know that SA was using Autotrader. I may be able to estimate his enrollment date from his account #.

      [-]magiclougie

      SA first used AT on 01/25/05.

      DCI agent Kathy Willeford started working for the AUTO TRADER magazine on 12/02/04 and worked until 04/20/05 [at which time TH started covering her territories].

      "I asked KATHY if she had ever been to the AVERY residence in her job duties as a photographer for AUTO TRADER magazine. KATHY told me she had been to STEVEN AVERY's residence on one occasion. KATHY states she believes it was on the date of 01/25/05. She states she believes it was a Tuesday because that was the normal day she would go out and take photos. KATHY states she went to the STEVEN AVERY residence on the morning of 01/25/05 sometime between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m."

      Delete
    2. magiclougieSaturday, December 29, 2018

      [–]magilla39[S]

      I think it is more likely that TH went to MTSO after the towel incident, and was recruited to be a Confidential Informant for MTSO. This would have involved telling LE about her visits, and maybe debriefing with them. I don't think it was anything more than that.

      [–]7-pairs-of-panties

      And you think her going to them prompted them to decide to kill her to frame Avery? Where do you think the plan went from there?

      [–]magilla39[S]

      Cremate the remains and then frame SA. Plant the car. Plant the blood. Plant the license plates. Plant the electronics. Plant the bones. Keep real Crime Scene Investigator's away from the staged crime scenes. Trample everything. Plant the key. Plant the confession. Plant the bullet.

      [–]FlowerInMirror

      This theory would explain my questions in regards to the family's reaction. They seemed to know what happened to her and no one seemed to be really sad like you normally see when their loved ones have died (especially in such alleged horrific way). Some think in this video KH seemed to be genuinely worried but I can read both ways ( either genuinely worried or faking it):

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V8mlAgZ7HM

      [–]Autumndawn30

      Thoughts....

      I have always thought it was strange that she was rumored to be involved with someone in LE.

      They could have made up the towel story so that later they could say he attacked her, but didn't know it would go that far.

      I think whoever it was in LE told her that whenever she went out there to let them know what she saw. On that day however her and the mystery guy were not on good terms and he kept calling her trying to get her to talk to him. I think she finally agreed to meet up with him after she finished at the ASY. However, whoever mystery man in LE was upset and ended up killing her.

      Colborn found her vehicle on the 3rd and reported it. Maybe they really didn't know one of their men did it or maybe they are covering for him because he said it was an accident or blamed it on SA.

      I would like to know who was calling and leaving voicemails. I really believe her true phone records will reveal who she met up with and who killed her.

      [–]magilla39[S]

      Great thoughts...

      Colborn may have been recruited to help plant the RAV4. He's not likely to have been involved in the prior dealings. He wasn't at MTSO in 1985. His testimony in 2005 badly hurt the MTSO case, and he was probably not all the way on the inside.

      [–]TheEntity1

      Although I doubt the TH-as-informant angle, I do find Sgt. O's mention of an informant curious. Searching through the other case documents -- including the 1100-page CASO report -- there is no other mention of an informant. Why would a Sgt. O have an informant familiar with Avery's property? Is this someone who was an informant prior to TH's disappearance, or is he just loosely referring to an Avery associate who was trying to help police after her disappearance? Because LE had no good reason to have an informant monitoring Avery prior to November 3rd.

      [–]NormativeTruth

      Or 36 million good reasons.

      [–]circuitclout

      i have a hard time getting behind a scenario where she is killed in a spur of the moment decision. but how she came to be working this area and involved with SA in the first place is largely unexplored territory.

      https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/5xoxvq/the_burnt_ci_working_theory/

      Teresa started with AutoTrader around October 2004 and was responsible for covering the Green Bay area (per Angela Schuster's testimony). Kathy Willeford told investigators (CASO file, page 331) that she was AutoTrader's photographer for Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties before Teresa took over in May 2005 (Kathy's last day on the job was April 20, 2005). Kathy also told investigators that Steven first used AutoTrader on January 1, 2005, and that she only was at Avery Salvage Yard that one time.

      Delete
  30. magiclougieSaturday, December 29, 2018

    [–]Refukulator

    FWIW, there is this:

    MARTINEZ stated he was friends with STEVEN AVERY. He also told us he would commonly go to the junk yard sometimes as often as a couple times a day. MARTINEZ told us STEVEN AVERY told him he (meaning STEVEN AVERY) thought TERESA HALBACH was coming to his house to pinpoint him for a crime he did not commit. I asked MARTINEZ if STEVEN thought TERESA was spying on him to which MARTINEZ stated that is what STEVEN told him he believed was happening. I asked MARTINEZ if STEVEN mentioned TERESA by name to which MARTINEZ stated STEVEN did. MARTINEZ also told us STEVEN AVERY told him STEVEN said he wanted to dispose of her (meaning TERESA). MARTINEZ also told us STEVEN had shown him a little book, which had TERESA's phone number in it. Again, MARTINEZ stated STEVEN believed TERESA was spying on him for a crime he was innocent of.*

    http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/CASO-Investigative-Report.pdf

    So, maybe LE already had Avery under surveillance by various means, and TH was just one piece of the puzzle. If Avery is aware of their presence, what is he going to do ? Go out and break the law, or lay low and perhaps play a little cat and mouse with them ?

    For LE, when Plan A wasn't panning out for them, i.e., Steven not taking their bait, they turned to Plan B, which is what we've seen play out here.

    You really have to ask yourself, was LE playing offense, or defense with Steven ?

    It's just speculation on my part. I don't know how much credibility to give Martinez, but I find him to be an interesting subject in all of this. Close to the action, close to Avery, strange behavior the week that all of this was going down. He knows something, but is he being truthful in these statements ?

    Perhaps there was drug activity involved, TH could have been an informant, a courier........both ?

    Maybe someone really was trying to set Steven Avery up and he wasn't taking their bait, so the closer they get to deposition time, the more desperate they get......

    [–]MMonroe54

    The only thing I can think of as a LE scheme might have involved her posing as someone with drug contacts. Buying or possession would be a reason to arrest him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. magiclougieSaturday, December 29, 2018

      [–]Refukulator

      FWIW, there is this:

      MARTINEZ stated he was friends with STEVEN AVERY. He also told us he would commonly go to the junk yard sometimes as often as a couple times a day. MARTINEZ told us STEVEN AVERY told him he (meaning STEVEN AVERY) thought TERESA HALBACH was coming to his house to pinpoint him for a crime he did not commit. I asked MARTINEZ if STEVEN thought TERESA was spying on him to which MARTINEZ stated that is what STEVEN told him he believed was happening. I asked MARTINEZ if STEVEN mentioned TERESA by name to which MARTINEZ stated STEVEN did. MARTINEZ also told us STEVEN AVERY told him STEVEN said he wanted to dispose of her (meaning TERESA). MARTINEZ also told us STEVEN had shown him a little book, which had TERESA's phone number in it. Again, MARTINEZ stated STEVEN believed TERESA was spying on him for a crime he was innocent of.*

      http://www.stevenaverycase.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/CASO-Investigative-Report.pdf

      So, maybe LE already had Avery under surveillance by various means, and TH was just one piece of the puzzle. If Avery is aware of their presence, what is he going to do ? Go out and break the law, or lay low and perhaps play a little cat and mouse with them ?

      For LE, when Plan A wasn't panning out for them, i.e., Steven not taking their bait, they turned to Plan B, which is what we've seen play out here.

      You really have to ask yourself, was LE playing offense or defense with Steven?

      It's just speculation on my part. I don't know how much credibility to give Martinez, but I find him to be an interesting subject in all of this. Close to the action, close to Avery, strange behavior the week that all of this was going down. He knows something, but is he being truthful in these statements?

      Perhaps there was drug activity involved, TH could have been an informant, a courier........both?

      Maybe someone really was trying to set Steven Avery up and he wasn't taking their bait, so the closer they get to deposition time, the more desperate they get......

      [–]Refukulator

      That her death was accidental and unrelated to Avery, but possibly to LE.

      Okay, so lets go there. Maybe she was working as an asset, perhaps they flipped her because of trouble that she was having with LE, or perhaps she was working for the Metro Drug Unit willingly.

      Avery has dealt with her before, perhaps there is more to her job than just taking pictures. Avery knows that she's carrying, and so do the immediate people around him, because we all know that he can't keep his mouth shut. Maybe she was delivering to somebody else within his orbit, either way, he knows that she has a baggie, and he wants it. But he thinks that she's setting him up, so he doesn't bite, he conducts his business with her and she goes on her way.

      Now, anything is possible. Somebody knows that she's carrying, runs her off the road, whatever at this point. Something goes horribly wrong, not as it was supposed to be, and Plan B had to be hastily put into action.

      We just don't know. We know that what Kratz sold the media and the jury is a bunch of fiction.

      But the possibility of drugs being used as bait to lure Avery isn't really all that far-fetched. Well, at least I don't think so.

      Delete
    2. magiclougieSaturday, December 29, 2018

      [–]NAmember81

      When I was in my 20s I told a widely read independent newspaper about how I had been pulled over and searched numerous times and each time I refused the search and the drug dog wouldn't always "Hit" on my car and they'd search anyway. I had a drug dog "hit" 7 times or more and nothing was ever found.

      The paper ran a story about how most drug dogs weren't highly trained and were routinely used as "probable cause getters" and a way to get around citizens who refused a search.

      Just from this.. Later I found out I was put under surveillance for months until the cops finally found a plan.

      They looked into my GF's family, and through intimidation, got her cousin's BF to call me multiple times with a sob story about a date he had and how he wanted a bag of weed to smoke with my GF's cousin but couldn't find any and asked me to find him some.

      I refused multiple times because I didn't want to deal with it but he was persistent and I eventually picked a quarter oz. for him... Boom.. "Intent to distribute" charge...

      This started over a rinky-dink newspaper article for fucks sake!! Just imagine how far LE would go with Avery and that nightmare!

      I've always thought Avery was being watched closely from the begining and a drug charge would initially be the easiest way for LE to seek revenge on Avery. He didn't take the bait and the clock was ticking, desperate times call for drastic measures.. In steps the murder of TH by LE.

      This is my theory for today. :)

      [–]OzTm

      I had recently begun to consider whether TH was being used by LE to go on to the Avery property and report back on what she saw. Effectively to spy on him.

      What Fog's post made me consider is that perhaps each time she left the lot, she would meet with her 'handler' to tell them what she saw and hand over photographs / memory cards.

      Fastening the chin strap, I thought that perhaps what TH didn't know is that once her usefulness was outlived she would be sacrificed for 'the greater good'.

      So along these lines, I would be intrigued to learn if the extra phone records Zellner has shows a pattern of leaving the yard and scooting over to 'the farm' (presumably to meet with DV).

      ETA: I wonder if the 'handler' is the mysterious caller mentioned by TP.

      [–]zaw1122

      Makes you wonder why the recovery of photos from her home and the computer and the memory cards are gone, not to mention her diary. I see the point made.

      But, you are accepting that she died. TH was identified by pap smear samples from 2002. Those samples, although the dream team made a stipulation, where not authenticated through testimony. BIG RED FLAG

      Delete
    3. magiclougieSaturday, December 29, 2018

      [–]Ductit

      Martinez said SA told him he thought TH was trying to set him up for something he didn't do. As crazy as that man is, I’m starting to believe him.

      I am also starting to believe that this guy from Yahoo chat did actually chat with someone on the 30th who said they were TH (not sure if it really was TH) who told him she was going to SAs the next day. This guy that claims this isn't some wacko from what i saw. He looks like a legit real person. Although it's interesting that he says he was texting her, was he even looked into? Not very much, one visit... SA hadn't even called in the appointment yet, so how would she be telling this guy? Luring my ass, I think she already knew she was going. Was there another appointment scheduled through her (not through AT) just like the one on the 10th and the "B Janda" was just an additional appointment?

      Then there's the call to AT from a "Steven" who said a "Scott" called him accusing him of stuff sometime before 430pm on the 3rd. I think the manager who was told by Dawn who had overheard the call taken by another employee just assumed it was "Avery". TH was reported missing at 4pm... Who's a Scott that could be calling her appointments for that day, and who's the second outgoing call on that list (Steven Sch...)... But the "Steven" who called AT said she never showed up and he needed to reschedule. But SA tells AC a couple hours later that she was there...

      So who's "Steven", and why would TH know she was going to SAs/why would someone pretend to be TH and tell some stranger on the internet that they were going to SAs the next day when he hadn't even called in the "B. Janda" appointment yet?

      [–]bennybaku

      Scott Bloedorn is a possibility? Could it be something in an erased VM Scott might have accused someone named Steven?

      [–]Ductit

      "possibility"?

      It's either SB, him and RH hacked the call list right? She hasn't even been reported missing.

      Or

      It's ST who maybe listened to the "real" message left on BJs machine. The timing with Karen calling to report her missing though leads me to believe it's SB. However, if ST, it would have some very interesting directions it could go in. One being, did SA really ever see TH, or was he covering for somebody.

      [–]dark-dare

      Scott T would have knowledge through Barb J that TH was going there that day.

      [–]ReallyMystified

      Maybe because LE was monitoring the Avery lot and they heard SA and BarbJ discussing/arguing over the issue and SA stating he would call on Monday.

      [–]Anniebananagram

      And remember that every appointment that day was made by someone other than the person selling the car. FWIW.

      [–]OzTm[S]

      Interesting observation. Just like POG not doing anything either (everything was 'done') by Nikole.

      [–]Refukulator

      The timing of Vogel and Koucourek's upcoming depositions was not a coincidence.

      Delete
  31. magiclougieFriday, January 04, 2019

    [–]dugdiggins

    Wilmer Seibert said he was not questioned by police or lawyers except for when an FBI agent came to his door shortly after Halbach went missing and showed him a picture of Halbach and asked if he knew her, which he didn’t.

    https://algomaphotoandstory.wordpress.com/2016/04/28/what-steven-averys-neighbour-witnessed/

    I'm Jeff Klassen, author of three recent articles on Manitowoc including the one about WS - AMA (self.TickTockManitowoc)

    by Algoma_Photo_N_Story

    [–]Anniebananagram

    Did you ask WS how he knew it was an FBI agent who visited him? Did he leave a card?

    [–]Algoma_Photo_N_Story[S]

    He just said it was an FBI agent. I think I asked him repeatedly if it was an FBI agent. He could be misremembering, I don't know. I take it from some of the comments the fact that an FBI agent there is somewhat controversial? I was not aware of that when I spoke with him.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/4o879o/im_jeff_klassen_author_of_three_recent_articles/

    ReplyDelete
  32. magiclougieSunday, January 27, 2019

    Parallels with The Innocent Man (self.TickTockManitowoc)
    by ali_mujthaba

    I have watched both MaM and The Innocent Man. Both deal with the rape and murder of a woman. In both cases the the defendants are wrongfully convicted.

    Im the innocent man, the defendants Williamson and Fritz were convicted primarily based on jail snitch testimony and microscopic hair analysis.

    Here is where it gets weird. In the innocent man, a friend of the murder victim Glen Gore testified that he saw Williamson arguing with the victim the night of the murder. But as it turns out Glen Gore was actually the killer.

    In MaM the key witness for the prosecution is Bobby Dassey, who is now a Denny suspect in TH's murder. Bobby was obsessed with morbid porn as well as TH. In fact this is how most serial killers start; they run the scenarios of the murders in their head over and over again. Bobby was always looking at corpses of young women and most of them had an uncanny resemblance to TH.

    So I wonder if history is going repeat

    [–]VerdaPlago

    That's actually fairly typical of wrongful convictions, and this was mentioned in both MaM2 and TIM. The perpetrators of crimes for which others are convicted often aid the wrongful prosecution for reasons which should be obvious.

    [–]Mr_Precedent

    Did the DA/prosecutor in the Innocent Man case also have an obsession with preying on, threatening, tying up, torturing and raping women - and taking dates to autopsies?

    [–]butterflycaught2

    Well, his name is Peterson and he seems to be just as narcissistic as Kratz. When asked if he apologized for convicting the wrong men (they were proven innocent by the innocence project using DNA from hair found on the victim) he said he wasn’t sorry, because he had had enough to put them on trial. After exoneration he vowed to put them away again (to the victim’s mother, who was more than baffled about this statement) even though they had been proven innocent! They did find the actual killer eventually, so that shut him up.

    [–]Jessica486

    In the innocent man, was the dirty cops being sued for 36 million and controlling the suspects property for a week to make sure he's guilty ?

    [–]Serge72

    In the innocent man that glen gores was helping the cops with drug trade etc word has it !

    [–]7-pairs-of-panties

    There was also a drug cops connection running illegal things w/ informants. The lady that testified against him as a jail snitch was actually not gaining things for herself but for her boyfriend who was facing other charges. You could really tell the man that got the benefits from her testimony was physically frightened and scared to talk or say much about anything w/ this drug/cop business. These small town areas seem to breed corruption. It’s scary and sad.

    [–]skippymofo

    Never seen the "Innocent Man" but I have an answer to your question:

    I wonder if history is going repeat

    ALWAYS

    https://www.reddit.com/r/TickTockManitowoc/comments/ak2g0m/parallels_with_the_innocent_man/

    ReplyDelete
  33. magiclougieThursday, June 27, 2019

    How to Become a DEA Agent in Wisconsin by Meeting Requirements

    Prospective agents who are interested in how to become a DEA agent in Wisconsin can check in at one of the local field offices in Green Bay, Madison, or Milwaukee.

    The Milwaukee area, including the counties of Waukesha, Brown, Rock, Dane, Racine, Kenosha, and Milwaukee, has been identified as a region with a high amount of drug trafficking.

    DEA Jobs in Wisconsin: Leadership and Collaboration

    The DEA in Wisconsin is proficient in conducting its own operations, however often times the agency teams up with other local, state, and federal law enforcement organizations whose sum combined forces are greater than each individual unit.

    Working in collaboration with the Milwaukee, Brookfield, Shorewood, Glendale, and West Allis police departments, the DEA recently concluded a week-long string of arrests which was the culmination of several months-long investigations. The results were the arrests of 21 individuals on charges relating to prescription drug abuse, a phenomenon cited by a local DEA agent as a vice that causes more overdose deaths nationwide than cocaine and heroin combined.

    Working in a multi-jurisdictional task force, DEA agents arrested 11 Green Bay suspects in connection with a local organized crime group accused on distributing more than 100 kilograms of marijuana and multiple kilos of cocaine obtained from a source in Chicago.

    The DEA recently teamed up with the Rockford Police Department to investigate and arrest a man already on parole for drug violations who was purportedly selling cocaine. Agents located the suspect who was in possession of 14 grams of cocaine and 47 grams of marijuana.

    The South Eastern Minnesota Narcotics Task Force, along with the Rochester Police

    Department, Olmstead County Sheriff’s Office, and DEA agents worked together to arrest 18 suspects in and around the cities of Eau Claire and Rochester in connection with the sale and distribution of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, marijuana, and heroin.

    https://www.drugenforcementedu.org/wisconsin/

    ReplyDelete
  34. magiclougieMonday, July 15, 2019

    Excerpts from Thursday's news conference on Halbach disappearance
    Nov. 11, 2005, 1:38 AM

    Q: Is it standard operating procedure to have the FBI involved in a case like this?

    Pagel: I feel because of the magnitude it was important that we contact them. Again, the area that was searched, the magnitude of this investigation, I felt we needed to have them come on board and see if they could provide assistance and they have totally agreed to do so.

    Q: Did you call them in also so that you wouldn’t be seen as Mr. Avery has suggested maybe evidence would be planted?

    Pagel: That had nothing to do with it, no.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20120616073436/http://www.postcrescent.com/article/99999999/APC/51111002

    ReplyDelete
  35. magiclougieMonday, August 19, 2019

    HOW THE FBI CONCEALS ITS PAYMENTS TO CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES

    A classified policy guide creates opportunities for agents to disguise payments as reimbursements or offer informants a cut of seized assets.

    January 31 2017, 7:13 a.m.

    The FBI’s Secret Rules

    A classified policy guide creates opportunities for agents to disguise payments as reimbursements or offer informants a cut of seized assets.

    IN A SOUTHERN California courtroom in September 2014, defense attorney Jeffrey Aaron pressed an FBI informant named Mohammad Hammad about the hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments he’d received from the government.

    “Did the FBI ever say, ‘Mr. Hammad, there’s a limit to how much we can pay you on one case’?” Aaron asked.

    “No, sir,” Hammad answered.

    “So as far as you know, there’s no limit to how much you could get paid on this case?” Aaron followed.

    “I don’t know, sir,” Hammad responded.

    “Is there a limit as to how much you could be paid working for, as an FBI informant, on all of your cases?”

    “I don’t know, sir,” Hammad repeated.

    Aaron was deploying a well-worn tactic among lawyers defending cases involving FBI informants: suggest to the jury that the informant is primarily motivated by money. Hammad had led an FBI counterterrorism sting in Southern California that targeted four men, including Ralph Deleon, a citizen of the Philippines, and Sohiel Omar Kabir, an Afghanistan-born U.S. citizen. By Aaron’s calculations, Hammad, who previously had been convicted of aiding a conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and was later released from immigration custody to help the FBI, had received $380,000 in government payments for his work on that one case alone.

    Hammad isn’t the only handsomely compensated informant working for the U.S. government. Defense lawyers have long known that informants can earn tens of thousands, even millions, of dollars. Shahed Hussain, a prolific FBI informant, received $96,000 for his work in the Newburgh Four case. Naseem Khan collected $230,000 following a counterterrorism sting in Lodi, California. In the course of a 20-year career as an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security, Alex Diaz has taken in more than $4.9 million.

    For the first time, we can now point to an internal government document that provides the framework for how informants are paid.

    The FBI’s Confidential Human Source Policy Guide, a nearly 200-page manual classified secret and obtained by The Intercept, describes how payments to FBI informants are accounted for and authorized and how these payments can quickly become serious money.

    The picture that emerges is of an approach that borrows some of the sophistication of modern banking. The bureau has devised a variety of ways to pay informants, including directly, before or after trial; via reimbursements; and through a cut of asset forfeitures. The guide provides some options that are clearly preferable when trying to sway a jury at trial, even as it explicitly disclaims selecting them for such reasons.

    https://theintercept.com/2017/01/31/how-the-fbi-conceals-its-payments-to-confidential-sources/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. magiclougieMonday, August 19, 2019

      That doesn't stop informants from making big money. There are some additional levels of approval needed when hitting $100k/$500k per year in payments, but for the most part, money flowing to informants isn't watched that closely by the agency.

      As is stated above, the FBI apparently uses bogus expense reimbursements to pay informants, giving it the outward appearance of someone working for the agency out of the goodness of their heart, rather than for the thousands of dollars they eventually receive.

      Putting money on the table -- even implicitly -- tends to skew priorities. Additional income is hard to give up, even when there's not much criminal activity to report.

      As we've seen in other law enforcement agencies heavily-reliant on confidential informants, promise of continuing payments results in bogus reports that exaggerate the amount of criminal activity witnessed and portray non-suspicious activities as worthy of deeper investigation.

      Possibly the most perverse incentive is the FBI's asset forfeiture program. The ability to directly profit from seized property gives the agency all the nudge that's needed to worry about seizures first and convictions later, if at all.

      The documents show the FBI cuts informants in on this government-ordained scam, giving even more people -- none of them trained law enforcement agents -- reason to seek cash, cars, and property, rather than the criminals they're supposed to keeping any eye on.

      In addition to compensation, an informant may be eligible for 25 percent of the net value of any property forfeited as a result of the investigation, up to $500,000 per asset, according to the guide. This can be a particularly lucrative benefit for drug informants, whose cases sometimes result in the forfeiture of planes, boats, cars, and real estate.

      While the guidelines specifically state the FBI is not allowed to structure its payments to hide their true nature from judges, juries, and criminal defendants, the agency apparently treats this as nothing more than empty words written in service of maintaining plausible deniability.

      Craig Monteilh, a bodybuilder who worked undercover as an informant for the FBI by spying on mosques in Southern California, said he received $177,000 from the FBI over a one-year period. Monteilh said that his compensation was disguised as expense reimbursements. He said he provided receipts for everything — rent, car payments, gasoline, medical bills, food, even for the steroids he was taking — to justify an $8,200 monthly expense bill.

      “Most informants are criminals. So the FBI gets that,” Monteilh said. “They know that I’m going to get the bill for lunch, even if someone else pays for it, and I’m going to say I paid for it. That includes the movies, the theater, going to an Angels game — everything. I’m paying for everything, even though I’m really not.”

      That's only a small part of how the informant game is played by the FBI. Informants are cited as reasons for engaging in dubious investigations and as escape valves for unconstitutional searches. Considering the multiple benefits informants provide -- especially when the true nature of the relationship is obscured and obfuscated -- it's no wonder the FBI wants as many agencies as possible engaged in the business of turning our nation's foreign visitors into junior G-men.

      https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170131/08522636597/fbi-routinely-hides-payments-to-informants-gives-them-cut-asset-forfeiture-proceeds.shtml

      Delete
  36. magiclougieMonday, August 19, 2019

    Profile of a paid government informant
    By Jackie Quarterman, Prisoner of the Drug War

    One of the most disillusioning aspects of the case against my sons and me was the fact that a real drug dealer turned government informant was used to create a "drug dealer" (me) and create a "case" (us) for the prosecution. An unproductive person was used as a tool to entrap three productive citizens. How could the justice system support and create such absurdities in America? We thought our case must be some freak accident, but sadly we learned that the creation of drug cases by paid government informants is the method of choice for securing drug entrapments and convictions in America's bizarre "drug war."

    My personal "narc," Mark Addington, was a small time drug dealer, who became a government informant and entrapped me for the sole purpose of ensuring his own freedom. He did not want to spend one day in jail, and he did not. All he had to do was think of a vulnerable, property owner who might be sucker enough to obtain drugs for him. The most common commodity used to pay government informants is freedom, the one thing Americans may consider more valuable than money. But, if they prove to be a lucrative, skilled entrapper of people with property, they are often paid large sums of money. In addition to their license to break the law, the skilled liar is even more valuable because they are used to commit perjury, as my "narc" did; it's all part of the conviction game. In our case, Mark Addington was brazenly told by a DCI Agent Williams, "You give us Wyarno and you're off scot free." He's probably working full time for them now, earning; good money for his acting skills.

    As we progressed through the system, I learned that Mark Addington was a "babe in the woods" in the paid informant realm. Through the numerous convictees I became acquainted with, I discovered that the entire "drug war" is a scam, perpetuated by the widescale use of unscrupulous agents and paid government informants. Most often these informants are guilty of more than the people they testify against, and many have records a mile long. They are con artists creating slaves and statistics for imprisonment. Virtually every drug case I'm familiar with was based on a paid informant.

    I have met numerous prisoners who had the same Wyoming federal prosecutor as I did, and all were convicted by the use of a paid informant. I became friends with several Wyoming ladies who were convicted by testimony of one Michael Hemlinger, an informant with a long rap sheet that includes rape and armed robbery-crimes for which the long sentences should be reserved. Another Wyoming friend and her daughter were convicted on the less than credible testimony of David Lahr, a child molester, drug dealer and bank robber.

    My friend, Joan Tejada's lawyer pointed very succinctly to how the federal system works: "Either you testify against him, or he will testify against you!" And he did, even though she was totally innocent and unaware of the marijuana that he carried in his suitcase during their trip together. Being an honest person, she knew she could not testify against him, as she knew nothing about the marijuana or its existence. That's the real irony. It's the dishonest and unscrupulous person who is willing to lie to earn his own freedom, while the innocent pay the price. It's an unbelievable, cut-throat game that has destroyed thousands of lives in America.

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    1. magiclougieMonday, August 19, 2019

      One of the more extreme cases involving the use of a paid informant is that of 63-year-old Maria Benitez of Chicago. She was harassed and entrapped unbeknownst to her judgement, by a professional government informant, an illegal alien wanted for murder in Mexico. Thirty-five to forty recorded phone calls demonstrate Varela's persistent harassment of Maria, as he tried to pressure her to buy cocaine from him. She finally told him she didn't have any money when he conveniently told her that he has a friend who will loan her the money. One paid government informant gives her the money; another inforrnant has the drugs. How accommodating. When she is arrested by the DEA, the only thing in the apartment is the government's money. She never even completed the transaction.

      At the trial, Mara learned many things about her "friend," Varela. Sections from Maria's appellate brief tell the story. Varela was "released from jail in October of l993, having served a 16 month sentence. He was initially sentenced to 32 months; however, the court reduced the sentence to 16 months in light of his'cooperation. Varela has participated in some 40 investigations resulting in the arrests of 35-40 persons and the seizure of substantial quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, as well as $1,200,000 in cash. He received $300,000 for his activities with the DEA, which included a single payment of $200,000 in cash in December of 1994, and an $8,000 payment of his activities in connection with this case.

      "An overview of the facts of the case are that between mid-February and March 19, 1994, Varela made some 35-40 telephone calls to the defendant and visited her on several occasions at her bar all for the purpose of inducing her to purchase cocaine. At no time did the defendant ever call Varela unless he first attempted to contact her either by calling or visiting her bar and leaving a message. Varela offered the defendant drugs on nearly each of these occasions, and the defendant rebuffed each offer until March 19, 1994."

      Varela's entrapment of 63-year-old Maria was very lucrative. The court fmed her $200,000 plus $57,000 interest, which she recently paid off from the sale of her bar. The tax-free, $8,000 payment to Varela was small change. In addition to the fines, Maria was sentenced to 14 years in prison and 15 years supervised release.

      In the 1995 and 1996 appeal of Arturo Gonzalez it was revealed that Varela "was willing to kill or have others killed in order to steal cocaine (CI report 2/20/91); was a suspect in the murder of Alfonso Herrera, a possible drug dealer (Ohlin report 2/20/91); participated in simulated drug and firearm transaction Perez and Phlin reports 3/4/91); sold two kilograms of cocaine for which he was neither indicted nor sentenced (Grobe report, 6/29191); sold five to ten kilograms of cocaine per week (Grobe report 6/6/91); hatched several plots to steal cocaine and attempted to convince an undercover agent to participate in these plots (Mazzola report, 6/25/910 was involved in dealing drugs other than cocaine (Naddis report, 6/2519i); and received ~:oner to be used for counterfeiting US currency (Grobe report 12/17/90)." It was also noted that his wife also dealt drugs out of their home.

      The court believed that even if all of the undisclosed evidence regarding Varela had been admissible, "the result of the trial would not have been different."

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    2. magiclougieMonday, August 19, 2019

      In another 1994 appeal of Jose Juan Rodriguez Andrade it was disclosed that Varela was fired from C&NW Transportation Company for stealing mechanical tools (C&NW Transportation Company Police Reports); another DEA informant was ripped off and later beaten by Varela in a drug transaction; and Varela was wanted for murdering a young woman in the Durango Mexico area.

      How absurd is this? It does stand to reason that the majority of paid government informants would be of the lowest caliber, but how did the government stoop to this low point of fabricating cases for a ludicrous ''drug war?"

      I truly believe this fake war with its illustrious paid government informants will go down in history as the biggest farce of all time, but I'm tired of waiting in prison for history.

      1) United States v. Arturo Gonzalez and Ricardo Ramirea. 1995 WL 59249 (N.D.111); and 93 F.3d 311 (Seventh Circuit, 1996).

      2) United States v. Jose Juan Rodriguez-Andrade, 1994 WL 285066 (N.D. III.) No.92 CR 677-3.

      http://www.november.org/razorwire/rzold/22/22010.html

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  37. magiclougieMonday, August 19, 2019

    Federal agencies' payments to confidential informants increase
    Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    FEB 5, 2015 12:00 AM

    Federal programs that pay people to tell on others awarded around half a billion dollars during 2014.

    The bulk of the disclosed awards went to whistleblowers. Their more shadowy cousins, confidential informants, got tens of millions, including $28.8 million in payments from a single Department of Justice fund, according to a report sent to Congress on Jan. 29.

    The informant payments came out of the Asset Forfeiture Program, which last year received $4.47 billion through the seizure of proceeds or tools of crimes.

    The award payments “provide a tremendous incentive to individuals to assist [the Drug Enforcement Administration] in investigations of drug traffickers that result in the seizure and forfeiture of drug-related assets,” according to an Obama administration budget statement. The program also helped the FBI to fight “criminal schemes in white collar crime, organized crime, and narcotics trafficking,” the administration contends.

    Federal law enforcement depends on thousands of informants to help with criminal cases. But a review of 154 recent federal acquittals nationally found that 1 in 6 involved informant problems.

    Informants whose work led directly to seizures got $16.8 million from the program, while $12 million went to sources whose work didn’t lead directly to criminal assets. The total of $28.8 million continued a steady upward trend from $22.4 million five years earlier.

    Defense attorneys sometimes argue that tying informant pay to seizures perverts the process.

    “Now [informants are] being paid on a percentage basis, and the work is now more profit-driven than it is driven for the sake of uncovering criminal conduct,” said Downtown-based defense attorney Mark Sindler, who has defended several clients accused by federal informants. “That’s morally problematic.”

    Last month Attorney General Eric Holder barred most use of the federal forfeiture process by local law enforcement agencies. He didn’t curb the power of federal agencies to seize assets of suspected criminals.

    Last year the Drug Enforcement Administration paid informants $20.9 million from the forfeiture program. The FBI paid informants $7.2 million from the program, with other agencies making up the rest.

    Experts said those totals reflect just a fraction of the agencies’ payments to informants.

    “I have seen so much game-playing with funding and stats during my career that I simply cannot accept these stats on face value,” said Michael Levine, a DEA undercover agent for 25 years who is now a court expert on drug stings and has written two books on his cases. “Each case is different, and when it involves large-award cases the ability to take money from different, sometimes secret, funding is limitless.”

    The DEA's policies for using informants are different from those recommended by its parent agency, the Department of Justice.

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    1. magiclougieMonday, August 19, 2019

      The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has demanded, under the Freedom of Information Act, the full informant budgets of the DEA, FBI and several other agencies. They have not complied.

      The IRS paid $498,184 in 2013 for “purchase of information and purchase of evidence,” according to that agency’s response to a FOIA request. That was up from $280,923 in 2012, but just a notch above the $492,169 spent in 2010.

      The Postal Inspection Service paid informants $65,097 in 2013, according to its FOIA response.

      Last year was a middling one for civil whistleblowers, who can get as much as 30 percent of the funds that the government ultimately recovers when they tell on someone who has bilked a federal agency.

      Lawsuits brought by whistleblowers under the False Claims Act led to $435 million in awards to those plaintiffs during fiscal 2014, according to the Department of Justice. That represents around 15 percent of the nearly $3 billion the government recovered as a result of those lawsuits.

      That payment to whistleblowers is higher than the prior year. It falls short of the high of $559 million in 2011, though recoveries that year were also shy of $3 billion.

      “The Justice Department, for whatever reason, wants to push down the recovery the whistleblower gets,” said Stephen Kohn, an attorney for whistleblowers, based in Washington, D.C. He said some U.S. attorneys have been engineering settlements so that only a portion of the violator’s payment comes under the False Claims Act, reducing the whistleblower’s share.

      Still undisclosed: Payments during 2014 by the much-criticized IRS whistleblower program. In 2013, the program paid $53 million to people who turned in multi-million-dollar tax cheats, down from $125 million in 2012.

      Mr. Kohn cited as “a model” the Securities and Exchange Commission whistleblower program, which pays financial insiders when they reveal information that leads to a successful enforcement action.

      The SEC paid whistleblowers just $1.9 million during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, but announced in September an award of $30 million, to be paid during the current fiscal year. That’s nearly double the total of $16.8 million in awards paid from that program over the prior three years.

      https://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2015/02/05/Federal-agencies-payments-to-confidential-informants-increase/stories/201502050147

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  38. UnknownFriday, September 10, 2021

    I wish you had put a caveat to Mark Zipperer's obit that he was NOT the grandson of George and Joellen Zipperer who Teresa visited on 10/31/2005. Their grandson's name is JASON. Some people have confused the two, thinking George and Joellen's grandson had committed suicide.

    ReplyDelete
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  40. Fair CremationThursday, November 10, 2022

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