Welcome to the Frontpage

Online Discussion on Cold Cases

2010-08-20T14:05:33Z

Online National Discussion on Cold Cases

See the Questions and Answers

HOT TOPIC for OVC

On Wednesday, August 18, 2010, Dan Levy, National President of Parents of Murdered Children and manager of the Arizona Attorney General's Office for crime victims, participated with others in the National Office for Victims of Crime sponsored online discussion of Cold Cases.

Check out the questions and answers for the discussion. See how you and your case matches up with others around the United States. You might be surprised.

Click on OVC Cold Case Discussion (the highlighted words) and go to the website or set your web browser to http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ovcproviderforum/index.asp and scroll down to Survivor of Homicide Victims During Cold Cases (honestly, we had nothing to do with that title).

Click on the topic and follow the prompts to see the questions and the online discussions captured during the meeting.

The listing has several other crime victim topics of interest. You may also click on the "e notify" function for future online discussions. If you want, you can participate as well in future discussions.

It's not wrong to discuss cold cases; it's not bad. It's good to listen and read about cold cases. Here's an opportunity.

Countdowns: Cold Case Anniversary and A Cold Case in the Works

2010-08-20T13:19:35Z

Countdowns: Cold Case Anniversary and A Cold Case in the Works

Krahn and Sousa Homicide Cases

Sketch of Kyleigh Sousa homicide suspect.

The Robert Krahn homicide case is 167 days away from its 15 year anniversary of Bob being shot to death. The person who shot Bob needs to be held accountable in a court of law not a mind set of rationalization. What has happened is not justice. It's not heroic. Conceding one murder without court trial is wrong.

Unfortunately, thousands, yes, thousands, of other cold homicide cases have their own anniversaries in process because knowing persons need yet to provide the information to investigators. Victims are listed in this website's index. Because of the failure of law enforcement to establish central registries as required by law, thousands of homicide victims risk being forgotten. Unfortunately, our society has not conceded just one homicide. Killers see these delays as opportunities and support for their criminal acts. This line of domino theory needs to be broken.

Another tile in the string of unsolved murders is the Kyleigh Sousa homicide. The Sousa homicide investigation is 85 days in process. Citizens of Arizona, specifically Maricopa County, cannot and should not let the Sousa homicide become one more cold case. The Sousa homicide should not be one more concession to a killer.

How do these cases impact others? A home invasion on Camelback nets another homicide and no arrest. A tourist from Australia is killed in a hit and run resulting in no arrest. Two men are shot to death in north Tempe resulting in no arrest. A construction executive's killer goes without arrest. A teenager killed in a drive by shooting and his family go without justice. Two women in two different homicide cases go without justice because the suspects were not seen killing the women. Statistics arguments over whether violent crime rate reductions and the solution of just over 50% of all homicides eclipse the pursuit of justice for victims.

Call Silent Witness with any new information. The number is 1-800-343-8477 or use the Silent Witness on-line web tips form at https://www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=524

Concede nothing to killers.

Kudos to All for Stepping Up on Escape

2010-08-20T12:48:52Z

Kudos to All for Stepping Up on Escape,

but

Let's Not Get Lost.

Post Capture Opinion

Kudos to all for stepping up to ensure all the escapees and their abettors spend time behind bars. The U.S. Forest Service and the Apache County Sheriff's Office get the salute for bringing the last of the Kingman prison escapees under control along with the last of the abettors. All along in Colorado, Wyoming and Arizona the people who committed their lives to the realities of criminal justice helped end this episode. The network of individuals stopped this evil escapade. The network itself is larger than just sworn peace officers as well. The press, church goers, and a representative of the "tree huggin'" U.S. Forest Service fulfilled individual roles along with countless ready citizens.

The effectiveness of the U.S. Marshall's office, countless sworn officers, and willing citizens was increased simply by doing the right thing and stepping up to stop wrongdoers in our society. Corrective action is already under way. That's good. Ad hoc prison management activities are initiated with an eye toward long term resolution with adjustments in public policy. That's more people stepping up as well. That's good too.

Thanks to all for stepping up to stop the escape. Thanks to all for stepping up to resolve issues and install adjusted public policy.

However, let's not get lost in the post escape process.

During the escape, we recommended that Arizona establish some sort of civil action against the escapees and their abettors. Maybe our recommendation was premature, ill-timed, or poorly worded. At issue is that as in the Kyleigh Sousa Case and thousands of other homicides, and now the two which occurred during the escape, victims have only two years to file civil suits against the perpetrators of homicides. Arizona has no legal mechanism to protect victims civil suit rights by automatically initiating the civil claim while victim families suffer the loss. It will take more than two years to clean up this mess caused by the escape through the criminal justice system. By then all victim civil claims by law will be illegal and won't be heard by the courts.

Nothing is worse than stepping up and protecting society only to find out that the victims and their families lost all civil claims, rights, and alternatives due to the necessary yet plodding actions of the criminal justice system. We need to remove the two year limitation for filing civil claims against suspects and convicted persons in cases of homicide and felony sexual assault. That civil right for such claims needs to be in force for victims. We will not be the messenger to tell victims otherwise. We will not demean their recourse by devaluing their claim before a court hears it.

Cold Case Legislative Issue 2010

2010-08-03T19:25:43Z

Cold Case Issues August 2010

1. Legislative Issues: Issues for the 2011 legislature are being requested at this website. We have several already:

right to file civil suits against perpetrators up to 55 years after reporting the capital crime to police (11/2009, per NOVA Conference)
meeting with police investigators once a year after the third anniversary of a failure to indict in a homicide or felony sexual assault (12/2007 per queries arising from 2007 Arizona Attorney General's Cold Case Task Force testimony provided through the Victim Subcommittee)
amend Title 13 Sections 701 and 751 to include self surrender or failure as mitigating or aggravating sentencing factors especially in the areas of homicide, felony sexual assault, cold cases, abetting an escape, failure to report escape preparations, abetting an escape during which a homicide or a sexual felony assault occurs, and escape from prison. (New per Sousa Case, 7/12/2010, per ADC 3 Inmate escape in Mohave County)
amend Title 15, Chapter 7, Article 1 to include: 15-721 Arizona Criminal Justice Systems; crimes, criminals, and victims All school districts with existing government education curricula shall include instruction on the laws relating to criminal conduct, crimes, and victim rights with a minor for pupils in grades seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve. Each school district may develop its own course of study to meet the requirements of this section. (New 7/21/2010, per statistics on ages of criminals)
amend Title 11-597 on medical examiner death investigations to ensure that (1) death investigations entail with current technologies; (2) allow for review and revisiting death investigations and widening conditions for revisiting and review consistent with determining if new and viable evidence has been discovered or is present but not included in the most recent death investigation; and (3) when a case goes cold that annual reviews be held. (New 7/28/2010 per inquiries about a withdrawn prosecution)
amend Title 11-597 on medical examiner death investigations to ensure that the death investigation with a finding of homicide is annotated as to whether the case has resulted in: a report being sent and received by the corresponding investigative agency, a criminal indictment, and a determination of guilt or innocence of accused person(s). (New 7/28/2010 per inquiries about a withdrawn prosecution)
amend Title 41, Chapter 12, Article 8 Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to establish formal training standards and levels of certification for homicide detectives, cold case homicide detectives, and child death and homicide detectives to include reorganization of 41-1822.4.(d)-(f) as requirements for certification. (New 7/30/2010 per: (1) year old concerns about homicide and cold case detective education and training requirements, (2) a withdrawn prosecution, and (3) contributed comment on shaken baby syndrome and related national forensic death investigation symposium concerns.)
Use of private contractors by victim families for private detection and private DNA identification with public money with an investigative plan in place to offset heavy service demands to police departments and publicly funded forensic labs. (New August 14, 2010, base on new Tempe homicides, concerns about long testing queues for rape kits, and private inquiries.)

2. Administrative Rules

3. Court Rules

If you have any other possible legislative issues, please let us know. The objective is to have some well hammered out legislation for presentation by mid-December. Issues may be emailed to: mike.durham@durhamike.com Victim issues need stronger voice and a broader base of support from victims, victim families, and victim issues supporters.

Below is a Spanish language translation using Google Translate. It may not be accurate.

A continuación se muestra una traducción de español a través de Google Translate. Puede que no sea exacta.

Cuestiones Cold Case 08 2010

1. Asuntos Legislativos: cuestiones para la legislatura 2011 se solicitan en este sitio web. Tenemos ya varios:

* Derecho de presentar demandas civiles contra los autores de hasta 55 años después de denunciar el delito a la policía de capital (11 / 2009, por la Conferencia NOVA)
* Reunión con investigadores de la policía una vez al año después del tercer aniversario de la falta de acusar de un delito de homicidio o asalto sexual (12/2007 por consultas derivadas de Frío 2007 Procurador General de Arizona testimonio de la sentencia Grupo proporcionado a través del Subcomité de la víctima)
* Modificar el Título 13 Secciones 701 y 751 para incluir la rendición mismo o fracaso como factores atenuantes o agravantes condena especialmente en las áreas de homicidio, asalto sexual, los casos de frío, un escape complicidad, omisión de denuncia los preparativos de escape, y escapar de la cárcel. (Nueva Sousa por el asunto, 07/12/2010, por ADC 3 escapar preso en el Condado de Mohave)
* Modificar el Título 15, Capítulo 7, artículo 1, para incluir: 15-721 Arizona sistemas de justicia penal, los delitos, los delincuentes y las víctimas Todos los distritos escolares con los programas existentes de educación del gobierno debe incluir instrucciones sobre las leyes relativas a la conducta criminal, delitos, y la víctima derechos con un menor de edad de los alumnos en los grados siete, ocho, nueve, diez, once y doce. Cada distrito escolar puede desarrollar sus propios cursos de estudio para cumplir los requisitos de esta sección. (Nueva 7/21/2010, por las estadísticas sobre las edades de los criminales)
* Título 11-597 modificar el médico examinador investigaciones para asegurarse de que la muerte (1) las investigaciones de la muerte de vinculación con las tecnologías actuales, (2) permitir el control y la revisión de las investigaciones de la muerte y la ampliación de las condiciones para volver a examinar y revisar en consonancia con la determinación de si las nuevas pruebas y viable han descubierto o está presente pero no incluidas en la investigación de la muerte más reciente, y (3) cuando un caso llega frío que se celebrará los exámenes anuales. (Nueva 7/28/2010 por preguntas sobre el procesamiento retirada)
* Título 11-597 modificar el médico forense la muerte de las investigaciones para garantizar que la investigación de la muerte con una conclusión de homicidio es anotado en cuanto a si el caso ha dado como resultado: un informe enviado el ser y recibidas por el organismo correspondiente de investigación, una acusación criminal, y una determinación de culpabilidad o inocencia del acusado (s). (Nueva 7/28/2010 por preguntas sobre el procesamiento retirada)
* Modificar el Título 41, Capítulo 12, artículo 8 de Arizona Paz Oficial de Normas y Formación de establecer las normas formales de formación y niveles de certificación para los detectives de homicidios, el frío detectives de homicidios caso, y la muerte infantil y detectives de homicidios para incluir la reorganización de 41-1822.4. ( d) - (f) como los requisitos para la certificación. (Nueva 7/30/2010 por: (1) año de edad se refiere a la educación sobre el homicidio y el frío caso de detectives y requisitos de formación, (2) un proceso judicial retirado, y (3) contribuyó comentarios sobre el síndrome del bebé sacudido y el simposio de investigación nacionales relacionados con la muerte forense preocupaciones.)

2. Reglas Administrativas

3. Reglamento de los tribunales

Si tiene cualquier otra materia legislativa posible, por favor háganoslo saber. El objetivo es tener algún bien elaboraron leyes para su presentación a mediados de diciembre. Los asuntos podrían ser enviado por correo electrónico a: mike.durham @ cuestiones Víctimas durhamike.com necesitamos una mayor voz y una base más amplia de apoyo a las víctimas, familiares de las víctimas, y los partidarios problemas de las víctimas.