Never Mind That All The Perps Are Long-Since-Dead
And that there are loads of untested rape kits piling up in Los Angeles. Forget all that...let's put scarce funds into trying to figure out the case of two babies that apparently died and got packed into a trunk in the 30s.
More here in the LA Times by Kate Linthicum and Andrew Blankstein:
Authorities said they are classifying the discovery as a "death investigation." They stressed that it's too early to tell whether this is a homicide case but vowed to find out what happened to the babies.
I love solving a good mystery (I believe I I just helped an old colleague find her college friend -- she asked on Facebook; it's easy for me; I tracked the lady down, down to her husband's name and their home address and phone number in a matter of minutes).
But, come on -- at this time, and with as squeezed as LA is and the LAPD is for funds? Can we please solve the crimes where there's some chance the perps are still out there endangering the rest of us?
Amy, This is government, stop making sense!
David M. at August 25, 2010 6:51 AM
In times such as these, with lots of people looking for jobs, there must be a lot young people graduating with forensic science degrees who are finding it tough to find work. Maybe if these unemployement grads took this case on pro-bono, it might get them experience and exposure that might give them a competitive advantage when it comes to getting a foot in the door for a real job.
Or perhaps some type of Army of Davids approach, by a bunch of CSI enthusiasts, might relieve the taxpayers of this burden and give some people a chance to be involved in something fascinating.
Mark at August 25, 2010 6:51 AM
Amy, there are no statutes of limitation on murder. The cops can not legally abandon the case till it is solved. I think there should be statutes of limitation since trying and convicting someone for murder X years after their death is meaningless.
Also until they date the bodies at least you can't know when they died. Wrapped in news paper bodies can mummify in a few years. It's quite possible that everything was down there for decades and the babes were added within the last 5-10 years. I agree with the principle but not yet for this case.
vlad at August 25, 2010 7:23 AM
I guess what disturbs me most isn't that they are spending valuable funds researching a case seventy some years old. It's that there appears to be absolutely no evidence of criminal wrong-doing! It'd be a different story had they obviously been strangled or stabbed. In that time period, if an unwed mother had two unwanted babies that died in childbirth or shortly before, I don't see any reason why she shouldn't have packed them away or buried them in the basement as to not ruin her reputation. In fact, I don't know that I would see anything wrong with that action if it was carried out today, minus being a little bizarre. However, if it was to happen today there would be massive investigations and public outcry against an unwed mother that obviously had an explosive amount of grief to bare without the entire nation sticking their noses into her life.
And so why would we want to bring to the pubic something that would shame this dead woman and possibly her grandchildren or great nieces and nephews?
Cat at August 25, 2010 7:43 AM
@vlad,
The police can abandon any investigation they want at any time. They have great discretion in this area; I don't know why you'd think it was otherwise.
Gavin at August 25, 2010 7:50 AM
I'm all for cold case investigations, but depending on age, they definitely need to be prioritized. In the last month, a cold case unit here solved the 26-year-old murder of my stepdad's sister. In this case the man had already been convicted for another murder he committed within months of killing her. He was released from prison after only a few years. I'd say there's a good chance this man is a continued danger to society and since he's middle aged, he's got plenty of years left to be punished.
BunnyGirl at August 25, 2010 9:13 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/08/25/never_mind_that.html#comment-1746414">comment from BunnyGirl26-year-old murders, I'm all for solving.
Amy Alkon at August 25, 2010 9:16 AM
Someone should send the City this link:
http://www.vidocq.org/
Vidocq Society:
"V.S.M.'s are forensic professionals and motivated private citizens who, as a public service, donate deductive, scientific and other talents for the common good. A long-unsolved homicide or death is the focus of a Vidocq Society meeting during which the case and its evidence are dissected for members and invited guests, all with an eye towards rekindling or refocusing the investigation."
There are people who do this pro-bono - experienced professionals. Many of them retired.
While I think it is always important to bring murderers to justice, in any case... I am with Amy. I don't think our overburdened criminal justice system should be required to solve this particular one, at this particular time.
Feebie at August 25, 2010 9:35 AM
"The police can abandon any investigation they want at any time." Pretty sure that in many districts they need DA/ADA approval to do so.
vlad at August 25, 2010 11:38 AM
Amy, there are no statutes of limitation on murder.
Yes. Care to name the odds on the culprit being alive and able to stand trial after 78 or so years, given that their age would be at least mid-90s if not into the low 100's?
What are you going to do if you should find them? put them in a maximum security prison?
I R A Darth Aggie at August 25, 2010 11:51 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/08/25/never_mind_that.html#comment-1746455">comment from I R A Darth AggieWhat are you going to do if you should find them?
Exhume their remains and put them in a prison cell.
Amy Alkon at August 25, 2010 12:10 PM
>>I am with Amy. I don't think our overburdened criminal justice system should be required to solve this particular one, at this particular time.
Why have you and Amy suddenly developed the souls of bean-counting turnips?
Bodies of babies found: police look into it, decide it's not a fresh case, but continue to check it out.
Put out the info in case something shakes someone's memory - and light may be shed on the circumstances.
Further suggest they hope to use the case to, perhaps, refine sleuthing use of modern DNA techniques.
Sounds fair enough. And fascinating.
Why SUCH alarmist screams of: Oh no - this means LA's rapists are running free!!!!!?
Jody Tresidder at August 25, 2010 12:45 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/08/25/never_mind_that.html#comment-1746464">comment from Jody TresidderJody, I saw what seemed to be an attempted robbery in my neighborhood and called the police. Resources are scarce and report times are worse than ever. Police came two hours later.
People who think as I do are realistic: solve crimes where there's a likelihood that the perpetrator will reoffend. This is more likely when they are alive and well and ganging up in Culver City than when they have been under six feet of dirt in Forest Lawn for 40 years.
You don't "refine sleuthing use of modern DNA techniques" by having a bunch of LAPD detectives playing real-life "Cold Case Files."
And do you not get that there are a finite amount of detectives with a finite amount of time? My identity theft case would never be investigated, the LAPD told me. Not by anyone other than me. Do you think those women are six feet under or do you think it's likely they're right now at a bank removing somebody else's money by gaming the security failures in Bank of America?
Amy Alkon at August 25, 2010 12:55 PM
"Why have you and Amy suddenly developed the souls of bean-counting turnips?"
While I disagree, that was hilarious!
I am all for solving cold case files - what I am saying, is not at this time for this case. It's what I would call a low priority.
The organization/society I linked to does this work Pro-bono at no cost to families of the victims nor to the police departments. They do the foot work and had over the results to the police and prosecutors (although,if the guy is dead - you can't really prosecute them now can you?) So it's pretty moot.
Feebie at August 25, 2010 1:27 PM
My mother was murdered down in Jacksonville Beach, FL back in '96---and devil a bit of solving have the police ever done. They found some local punks trying to pawn off some jewelry identifiable as hers, but none of them were talkin'.
CSI? Not that I ever saw, and I haven't heard Word Number One about this case for ages.
Technomad at August 25, 2010 2:53 PM
I quite agree this should just be a minimal investigation and then filed.
There are a lot better ways to spend money.
Jim P. at August 25, 2010 7:32 PM
Unlock the mystery: Cold Case /MUCHO SARCASMO
There's plenty to do getting real-life Mexican crinimals off the streets!
mpetrie98 at August 25, 2010 10:10 PM
"Jody, I saw what seemed to be an attempted robbery in my neighborhood and called the police. Resources are scarce and report times are worse than ever. Police came two hours later." Right however these are two unrelated units in the PD. One is robbery one is homicide.
Police can not and have never have been able to stop most crimes. Unless the get their response times down to under 5 minutes they can't stop anything. They can punish the offenders but that's it. An assailant can break into your house, rape and kill you and be gone in 10 minutes. Get a gun or at least spray if you are too chicken shit to learn to shot. LA like NYC will not issue carry permits but the will give you premisis (sp) permits. Relying on the PD to protect you is exactly the same as your favorite bitch point of relying on government to protect you.
vlad at August 26, 2010 2:10 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/08/25/never_mind_that.html#comment-1746905">comment from vladI have protective measures, but I'm not going to go public about them on my blog.
Amy Alkon at August 26, 2010 2:14 PM
Let's just take the funds to do this from the outsized pensions the California Civil Servants are paid. Everything is a matter of priorities.
MarkD at August 27, 2010 7:35 AM
"I have protective measures, but I'm not going to go public about them on my blog." What no pictures of you demurely holding a .357 Mag or S&W 500. Come one you'll get a whole to lot more traffic firearms enthusiast, at least the male ones.
vlad at August 27, 2010 7:56 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/08/25/never_mind_that.html#comment-1747233">comment from vladBest to not publicize to intruders what they have to expect! But, thanks!
Amy Alkon at August 27, 2010 8:00 AM
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