I have some questions that I was wondering if anyone
here knows the answers to or can find the answers from
someone or any legitimate source.
1) First of all, is LE PERMITTED to be viewing the
"other family members" as Persons of Interest,
WITHOUT NAMING THEM TO THE PUBLIC??
There has been discussion on here of ones who LE,
to MY KNOWLEDGE HAS NEVER REVEALED THE
NAME(S) to THE PUBLIC.
2) HOW THEN, should WE HERE, who are researching
VIEW EVEN MENTIONING A NAME NOT STATED BY LE
AS "A PERSON OF INTEREST"??
3) Can A DEAD PERSON, WHO WAS INVOLVED IN
A CRIME BE CHARGED IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM, EVEN
IF IT IS JUST ON PAPER FOR THE SAKE OF CLOSURE??
Thanks!!
Your questions cover a wide area and there is no finite answer to them. Rather, perhaps there could be a long open discussion on each. The comments which follow are only my own ideas, and not meant to be definitive answers.
1. I think that Law Enforcement has the ability and the responsibility to consider anyone as a potential suspect or person of interest in the course of their investigation into the disappearance of the Lyon sisters. However, they have to consider very carefully how, why, or when they would PUBLICLY NAME someone a POI or suspect - this for a number of reasons.
I personally feel that LE has overstepped the line by implying in their press statements the the entire Welch family was involved in the abduction and murder of the Lyon sisters. They have only named Lloyd Welch and his uncle Richard Welch as "Persons of Interest" but have presented no evidence to date. I believe that if they had named them as "Suspects" they would have been required to charge them within a certain amount of time.
LE probably believes that other family members are with holding information or hindering their investigation, but they have not specifically named any other family members in this case.
2. Persons posting on internet sites, or reporting in newspapers, etc. are not under the same constraints as a Law Enforcement Agency in some ways, but certainly could be held responsible for libel or slander against someone, just as LE could be. Just because LE names someone as a Person of Interest, does not mean that the person actually committed a crime, but a reporter can state as a fact that the person has been named as a POI without the reporter/writer being held culpable of libel (unless he/she adds a lot of speculation or untrue information beyond what LE has stated).
A writer, reporter, website poster, could also name someone as a potential suspect in a crime, even if LE has never mentioned them as a suspect or POI. BUT... one would have to be very careful of this sort of thing. I personally have named a number of potential suspects in this case but when I have done this, it is based on the fact that the person was convicted of serious crimes, or (in one case) killed in the act of committing multiple murders. I do know of some other persons who have been considered by LE as potential suspects, but I have never named them in my posts, because they do not have criminal records of capital crimes or crimes against children.
3. A dead person could be named as a POI or as a suspect by LE, if they believe he or she was involved in a crime that they are trying to solve. This is certainly true of a number of recently solved cases. They cannot, however, be charged with anything after their death.