Toltec said:
This scenario is in Steve Thomas book.
Seeker, Toltec,
this is what I stated in my post that started this line of argument
After the patrol officers arrived in response to the emergency call it took another 2 hours before a detective was sent by John Eller - just one lone detective, and she was the only detective there for hours and hours, despite her calling repeatedly for backup, right up until after the body was found. When the FBI did arrive JE sent them away saying the BPD could manage the case themselves.
I will admit that this was not strictly accurate but the point I was trying to make was that IMO John Eller's handling of the case was highly questionable and I suspect it was because he was shielding the pedophiles. At the time of the 911 call he was at home on leave. I have not been able to find out when he was 'officially' informed of the apparent kidnapping or when he arrived at police headquarters and took control of everything.
Sgt Bob Whitson was the on duty supervisor at the time of the 911 call and he paged four detectives who were assigned to the investigation. Only two were sent to the Ramsey house and they did not arrive until over 2 hours after the call. One of them left at 10.30 am along with the five officers who had arrived earlier in response to the 911, call leaving Arndt all alone. From 11:15 am onwards Arndt repeatedly called for backup but none ever arrived. Once the body was found at 1:10 pm however, a BPD detective arrived within 15 minutes.
The FBI were only belatedly called in after Pete Hofstrom, head of felony division of DA's office found out they hadn't been called and told the police they had to do that in the case of a kidnapping. I don't know which officer did eventually call them but I suspect it was not Eller. FBI agent Ron Walker went to police headquarters and did not go to the Ramsey home until after the body was found and he went at the invitation of Detective Sgt Larry Mason, not Eller.
Eller lost no time in making it clear to Mason that the FBI were no longer needed later that afternoon and by the next day he had dismissed them from the case.
Other strange actions that Eller took were to order officers at the scene to 'treat Ramseys as victims' so they did not secure the house or separate the Ramseys from everyone else, thus giving interested parties at the house the opportunity to tamper with any evidence they might choose.
He also wouldn't agree with Mason to use an air scent dog to try to find the body. Eller refused stating or implying that their own dogs were good enough. Why? I think this was because he knew the body was in the house, having been informed of this at 5 am by the mastermind, and knew that the dog would find it there which was not what the coverup plan required.
My source is PMPT so it and Thomas' book might differ on some of the 'facts'