IA IA - Elizabeth Collins, 8, & Lyric Cook, 10, Evansdale, 13 July 2012 - #32

[BunnyHop]

As far as I can tell, Dan didn't provide info to LE without expecting something in return. He was trying to reduce the amount of prison time he might face. JMO

I realize that, but why drop the plea only to face harsher penalties?

snip>
Morrissey's mother-in-law, Wylma Cook, said Morrissey had been giving investigators information on other methamphetamine makers in recent months to shave time off his own possible sentence.

"Dan 'narc-ed' on a bunch of people," Cook said, using a slang term for telling police about other drug users and dealers. "Everybody knows that."

Cook said Morrissey had been expected to accept a plea agreement July 12, the day before the girls vanished, but decided not to do so because he was not ready to go jail. She said prosecutors had shaved his sentence from more than 45 years to 30 years and then to 10 years, with a mandatory five years behind bars, because of his cooperation.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/judge-delays-trial-father-missing-iowa-girl

 

[Marilynilpa]

I must be confused. I heard that way back (from WC)
However, wasn't there an original plea deal that was dropped the day before the girls went missing? So in my mind that "info" disappeared or became void.
I guess my question is; if this "info" had been shared in previous months, why drop the plea and be subjected to harsher penalties?

I'm not sure, I was just providing you with a link to the "narcing" comment.

None of this makes much sense to me!

 

[pearl]

I realize that, but why drop the plea only to face harsher penalties?

snip>
Morrissey's mother-in-law, Wylma Cook, said Morrissey had been giving investigators information on other methamphetamine makers in recent months to shave time off his own possible sentence.

"Dan 'narc-ed' on a bunch of people," Cook said, using a slang term for telling police about other drug users and dealers. "Everybody knows that."

Cook said Morrissey had been expected to accept a plea agreement July 12, the day before the girls vanished, but decided not to do so because he was not ready to go jail. She said prosecutors had shaved his sentence from more than 45 years to 30 years and then to 10 years, with a mandatory five years behind bars, because of his cooperation.



http://cnsnews.com/news/article/judge-delays-trial-father-missing-iowa-girl

As Alice said, "Curiouser and curiouser." (I know curioser is not really a word.)
Bargaining down from prison time of more than 45 years to 10 years with a mandatory 5 years is considered a sweet deal in my area of the country.

 

[BunnyHop]

The other type of plea deal is one in which the defendant offers to trade information in order for a lenient sentencing recommendation to the judge. If the defence wants the plea bargain, the defence attorney makes what is called a proffer; it is a statement worded hypothetically and without hard details that outlines what sort of information the defendant may be able to give to LE. Only after a plea deal has been accepted by both sides does the defendant have to make a sworn statement that has all the details.

BBM-quoted from here:
Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Found Deceased IA - Elizabeth Collins, 8, and Lyric Cook, 10, Evansdale, 13 July 2012 - #32

so perhaps just hypothetical statements were made, as the plea was rejected?

 

[Foxfire]

I believe this was discussed while I was away. There's no way to know what nine cases the lab staffer erred on. smh

State Crime Lab Fires Worker After Noting Errors

Story Created: Jan 10, 2013 at 8:58 PM CDT

(Story Updated: Jan 10, 2013 at 8:58 PM CDT )
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa public safety officials are tightening oversight at the state police crime lab after firing an employee they said mishandled fingerprint data.

Authorities said a review shows at least nine cases analyzed by the staffer in 2012 contained errors, and in two of those cases the employee missed the opportunity to match the data to a suspect. The department is contacting local authorities impacted by the mistakes and plans to toughen their review process.

http://www.kcrg.com/home/top-9/State-Crime-Lab-Fires-Worker-After-Noting-Errors-186401141.html

UPDATE: Authorities `Confident' Bodies are 2 Iowa Cousins

UPDATED Friday, July 20, 2012 --- 4:40 p.m

Abben says investigators have sent evidence to a state crime lab for analysis. He would not elaborate or say what the evidence was.

http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/FBI_Dogs_Joining_Search_For_Iowa_Cousins_8_and_10_162705816.html

<sniped from above link; State Crime Lab Fires Worker After Noting Errors http://www.kcrg.com/home/top-9/State-Crime-Lab-Fires-Worker-After-Noting-Errors-186401141.html

RE: Laboratory administrator Bruce Reeve said the employee's work was flagged after a routine internal review of some cases. A closer look revealed that the staffer had incorrectly classified fingerprint evidence as unusable in nine cases. But other analysts were able to use the data. In two of those cases, this yielded a match with a suspect and in the other seven the evidence was entered in a federal fingerprint database.

Authorities said the errors didn't lead to any wrongful convictions or derail any violent crime investigations.

These statements seem contradictory and are very concerning, imo...

 

[cindersoot]

White pickup with white topper.

 

[Marilynilpa]

<sniped from above link; State Crime Lab Fires Worker After Noting Errors http://www.kcrg.com/home/top-9/State-Crime-Lab-Fires-Worker-After-Noting-Errors-186401141.html

RE: Laboratory administrator Bruce Reeve said the employee's work was flagged after a routine internal review of some cases. A closer look revealed that the staffer had incorrectly classified fingerprint evidence as unusable in nine cases. But other analysts were able to use the data. In two of those cases, this yielded a match with a suspect and in the other seven the evidence was entered in a federal fingerprint database.

Authorities said the errors didn't lead to any wrongful convictions or derail any violent crime investigations.

These statements seem contradictory and are very concerning, imo...

I agree with you, the statements are concerning.

"Authorities said the errors didn't lead to any wrongful convictions or derail any violent crime investigations" - that they know of. But what if there were more than nine cases of incorrectly classified fingerprint evidence?

 

[Foxfire]

<sniped from above link; State Crime Lab Fires Worker After Noting Errors http://www.kcrg.com/home/top-9/State-Crime-Lab-Fires-Worker-After-Noting-Errors-186401141.html

RE: Laboratory administrator Bruce Reeve said the employee's work was flagged after a routine internal review of some cases. A closer look revealed that the staffer had incorrectly classified fingerprint evidence as unusable in nine cases. But other analysts were able to use thee data. In two of those cases, this yielded a match with a suspect and in the other seven the evidence was entered in a federal fingerprint database.

Authorities said the errors didn't lead to any wrongful convictions or derail any violent crime investigations.

These statements seem contradictory and are very concerning, imo...

Wondering if this may have been one of the cases solved when the other analysts were able to use the incorrectly classified fingerprint evidence/data;

http://lawenforcementtoday.com/tag/dna-technology-helps-solve-38-year-old-case/

Archive for DNA Technology Helps Solve 38 Year Old Case.

Recently, deputies in Wapello County, Iowa were able to solve a cold case after almost forty years.

Authorities arrested Robert Pilcher, 66, at a hotel on November 13, for the brutal murder and sexual assault of 17 year old Mary Jayne Jones in 1974.
read more-

 

[georger]

Morrissey's mother-in-law, Wylma Cook, said Morrissey had been giving investigators information on other methamphetamine makers in recent months to shave time off his own possible sentence.

"Dan 'narc-ed' on a bunch of people," Cook said, using a slang term for telling police about other drug users and dealers. "Everybody knows that."

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/judge-delays-trial-father-missing-iowa-girl#sthash.N8km77ry.dpuf

That is what complicates this whole matter ... a "unique" situation. Is THAT what LE was referring to? Out of State connection. Possible In State connection. Klunder. Drug culture.

A unique situation.

LE isn't talking ... except in riddles.

 

[Marilynilpa]

Evansdale police developed the presentation using material available from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the U.S. Department of Justice in response to the July abduction of Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins, Neuman said. The girls disappeared while riding their bikes in Evansdale July 13 and were later found dead.

"We don't want to sit back and assume that kids know what to do. We want to change the mentality of fighting force-on-force because it's not working. Kids can't fight adults, so we want to change that mentality. We want kids to get away from strangers," Neuman said.

http://wcfcourier.com/news/evansdal...5d97-b352-de4c07d72331.html?comment_form=true

 

[Dr. Know?]

The other type of plea deal is one in which the defendant offers to trade information in order for a lenient sentencing recommendation to the judge. If the defence wants the plea bargain, the defence attorney makes what is called a proffer; it is a statement worded hypothetically and without hard details that outlines what sort of information the defendant may be able to give to LE. Only after a plea deal has been accepted by both sides does the defendant have to make a sworn statement that has all the details.

BBM-quoted from here:
Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Found Deceased IA - Elizabeth Collins, 8, and Lyric Cook, 10, Evansdale, 13 July 2012 - #32

so perhaps just hypothetical statements were made, as the plea was rejected?

DM was arrested along with two others on 12/5/2011. One of them plead guilty (the woman). DM didn't until March? 2013. JS has a court docket that is now closed and it was from 12/15/2011 that is titled

Title: ST VS DANIEL MORRISSEY
Case: 01071 SWCR014734 (BLACK HAWK)


https://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/

Maybe JS was the early bird who got the worm? You will need to do a case search on that link for JS's court dockets.

 

[Grainne Dhu]

BBM He did? That's not the way I understood it. Is there a link?

I was going solely on memory, so I may be mistaken (it's been a long, long year for me). I'm not going to go back through the hundreds of news stories because my time on the computer is limited.

As I recall, DM and MC had a hissy fit several days after Elizabeth and Lyric went missing. They said they had consulted a lawyer and were not going to speak to LE any more.

That lasted all of about 48 hours and then they decided to cooperate again. I think it was Vicki Weikert, DM's mother, who said that her son went through his cell phone contact list with LE and gave a statement that revealed who all those people were and the nature of his connections with them.

My personal view is that DM and MC are cases of arrested development and I'm not meaning that in a disrespectful way. Research indicates that when a person becomes addicted to something, their emotional development freezes at that age. The addiction replaces the normal process of developing judgment and coping skills, etc. Rehabilitation can help an addict to develop those stunted skills but they are also fighting off an addiction and (often) a really messed up life. Rehab can help but it can't work miracles.

So when they had their hissy fit, I interpreted it as the sort of thing a teenager is likely to do: lose sight of the greater purpose, lose whatever stress relief skills they may have been developing and lash out at the most convenient target. Once their emotional states had stabilised a bit, they got a grip on what the greater purpose was and started cooperating again.

As I recall, there were posts on WS to the effect that posters couldn't believe his own mother would reveal that information publicly because drug dealers do not take kindly to "snitches." But again, shortness of time and lack of energy means I am not going to go back to find those posts.

 

[Dr. Know?]

I wanted to add, JS still has an open court docket for drugs. His trial has been continued until 8/27/13, I believe. I do wonder what that case was in 12/2011 though right after the arrest of the three. JS had a warrant for his arrest but it was all cleared up I guess. It was a case concerning DM.

 

[Grainne Dhu]

Morrissey's mother-in-law, Wylma Cook, said Morrissey had been giving investigators information on other methamphetamine makers in recent months to shave time off his own possible sentence.

"Dan 'narc-ed' on a bunch of people," Cook said, using a slang term for telling police about other drug users and dealers. "Everybody knows that."

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/judge-delays-trial-father-missing-iowa-girl#sthash.N8km77ry.dpuf

The day before Lyric and Elizabeth disappeared, DM had turned down a plea deal. That means that whatever information had had given LE would not have been detailed and could not be used in a court of law.

It is only after the plea deal has been accepted on both sides that detailed information is revealed in a sworn statement.

The fact that DM turned down the plea deal the day before his daughter disappeared could have meant that he had been intimidated in some way (which, so far as I know, has never been alleged). No one would have any grounds to be angry with DM until after he accepted to a plea deal.

No lawyer in the middle of negotiating a plea bargain would allow their client to give all the details up before both sides accepted the plea bargain.

 

[Grainne Dhu]

I must be confused. I heard that way back (from WC)
However, wasn't there an original plea deal that was dropped the day before the girls went missing? So in my mind that "info" disappeared or became void.
I guess my question is; if this "info" had been shared in previous months, why drop the plea and be subjected to harsher penalties?

BunnyHop, you are correct.

To give up the information before a plea bargain had been accepted by both sides would be like handing a car salesperson $30K and saying you want a car. Does anyone here really think that the salesperson would bring back a car worth $20K and say "this is all you need plus I saved you $10K!"

No. The car salesperson would come back with a car that happened to be worth $30K and say "I found you a great deal on a car. This one is actually worth $36K but because you paid cash and with the manufacturer's speshul price incentives, you're getting it for $30K!!!"

No one who is in negotiations for a plea bargain gives up enough detail for LE to use; that only happens after the plea bargain has been agreed to on both sides.

 

[Grainne Dhu]

Wondering if this may have been one of the cases solved when the other analysts were able to use the incorrectly classified fingerprint evidence/data;

http://lawenforcementtoday.com/tag/dna-technology-helps-solve-38-year-old-case/

Archive for DNA Technology Helps Solve 38 Year Old Case.

Recently, deputies in Wapello County, Iowa were able to solve a cold case after almost forty years.

Authorities arrested Robert Pilcher, 66, at a hotel on November 13, for the brutal murder and sexual assault of 17 year old Mary Jayne Jones in 1974.
read more-

Probably not, since the technician who was fired was dealing with fingerprint evidence and that case involved DNA evidence. Two very, very different fields.

 

[georger]

Probably not, since the technician who was fired was dealing with fingerprint evidence and that case involved DNA evidence. Two very, very different fields.

Well that's a pretty low level error. Either the guy wasn't trained or he was a
slacker. The good news: they caught it (and him). This does not minimise the
grievous consequences even low level errors can lead to.

 

[Foxfire]

Well that's a pretty low level error. Either the guy wasn't trained or he was a
slacker. The good news: they caught it (and him). This does not minimise the
grievous consequences even low level errors can lead to.

<BBM & sniped from article> http://www.kcrg.com/home/top-9/State-Crime-Lab-Fires-Worker-After-Noting-Errors-186401141.html

The name of the fired employee, who was fired Wednesday, was not released. The employee had been with the department for more than 16 years.

The state Department of Public Safety runs Iowa's only crime lab, providing data analysis for law enforcement agencies around the state. The lab has about 40 full-time criminologists and handles about 15,000 cases each year.

 

[Marilynilpa]

The system was designed to quickly alert the public to have more people looking for the kidnapping victim

&#8220;Each scenario can be a little different. Our goal, our primary mission is to get it out as rapidly as possible,&#8221; explains Darrel Cox of the Iowa State Patrol.

But our investigation shows sometimes hours pass between the time a child is abducted and the time an Amber Alert is issued.

http://whotv.com/2013/06/27/amber-alert-why-it-takes-hours-to-activate/

 

[georger]

<BBM & sniped from article> http://www.kcrg.com/home/top-9/State-Crime-Lab-Fires-Worker-After-Noting-Errors-186401141.html

The name of the fired employee, who was fired Wednesday, was not released. The employee had been with the department for more than 16 years.

The state Department of Public Safety runs Iowa's only crime lab, providing data analysis for law enforcement agencies around the state. The lab has about 40 full-time criminologists and handles about 15,000 cases each year.

Is there any statement this employee worked on the Cook-Collins case?
Not to my knowledge.

Sixteen years is more than enough time for an employee to burn out
and start making mistakes or taking shortcuts under the stresses of
employment of this kind. Something in the system brought his errors to
light -