My father was found in 1986 dead with gun shot to head' we were told it was self inficted.However the family thinks other wise.my young sister was 5yrs old then she seem to of heard somthing or remember somthing being said?? need some help to open the case..note we were told all files are gone?? his ex-wife's dad was a top officer for the local police and was the frist one to enter the house..he was off duty that nigth???
2006-11-25 14:27:26 · 6 answers · asked by bill w 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
as far as my step mom's dad showing up i was told he also clean up the area?? before cops got there??and this is in orlando fl,,handel by orange county sheriff office.where his was a (Lt) huh?? he is dead also" old age....
2006-11-25 15:28:49 · update #1
Before you do anything else, you should obtain a copy of your dad's death certificate and see what the official cause of death was. If the death was officially listed as suicide, it is likely that any evidence relating to the case - and in some cases any reports - are probably gone. If that's the case, it is unlikely that you will be able to get the case reopened as their will be no evidence, no reports, nothing...
If his cause of death is undetermined there may still be police reports and evidence floating around. It has been 20 years so it is possible that evidence would be gone even under those circumstances.
I have 11 years of law enforcement experience, nearly 4 as a detective. I have worked on a lot of deaths and have had a few families express concerns about the findings of an investigation. So far none of these cases have been reopened. In almost ALL cases, absent of some astounding new evidence, you will find that police departments are reluctant to reopen these cases, instead banking on the finding of the initial investigation.
The issue relating to the ex-wife's dad being involved in the investigation may be something... may be nothing. In a small town it is not uncommon for police to investigate deaths of people they know...even family members. Try addressing your concern through the police department hierarchy first, then try with a lawyer, then move into areas like the media.
Good luck!
2006-11-25 14:58:58 · answer #1 · answered by James P 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get yourself a good attorney, and reopen the case. Any unsolved murders will have files on the computer (even if it was 1986) or it will have a paper file. If your sister remembers something that she may have been afraid to tell, or have just remembered, tell your attorney. They will do an investigation again, but please be patient. It isn't everyday that we open up a new case. All the files can't be gone, if they are, I'm sorry. But you can always sue the city for neglegience of case files.
Good Luck.
2006-11-25 14:33:44 · answer #2 · answered by Jason M 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
well call the local police dept ask for a cold case detective
you want to tell them that you want to inquire about the case
files . if anyone can get the files they may know how. also may want to get a report of the medical examiners see if the keep this info. in most states m.e determines cause of death. if the files are gone then there will not be much you can do. good luck
2006-11-25 14:41:28 · answer #3 · answered by frank a 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would definitely hire and attorney and a private investigator. If the officer was off duty how and why was he the first one on the scene.
2006-11-25 14:42:26 · answer #4 · answered by jusbizness403 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
contact Sylvia Brown
2006-11-26 09:59:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
All that is very fishy, you should get a lawyer.
2006-11-25 14:30:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋