Why are missing persons seemingly such low priority to local cops? Dave Ross (KIRO m-f, 9a-12p) asked that question today, about Tanya Rider, the Maple Valley woman, rescued after more than a week trapped inside her wrecked car.
A sheriff's office flack didn't have very satisfying explanations. Why did it take so long to ping her cell phone- which is the relatively easy investigative method that found her?
As we were listening to Ross, we got an email from murdered talk host, Mike Webb's sister, Marian Bogni still stinging from the bungled Missing Person's investigation that failed so spectacularly to find Mike's body even as it lay in his own house!
"Our experience with Missing Persons was the NIGHTMARE FROM HELL," writes Marian, "They wouldn't take us seriously and continued to do next to nothing for many weeks."
Webb, as you may remember, went missing mysteriously and was slain April 13, but his body was not found until June 29- in the crawl space of his home by the landlord.
Probably the most damning facts are that the police searched the property more than once- even with cadaver dogs- and didn't find the body despite the condition and the smell of the house.
"They found nothing, did nothing," writes Marian Bogni.
"We gave [Missing Persons Detective] Tina Drain pages of phone numbers, sites where a check was cashed after his diappearance, an ATM card that was used," says Bogni.
Despite his car had been impounded and his cell phone used they didn't take the necessary legal steps to obtain phone records.
According to news reports, Tanya's husband, Tom Rider, who was being given a lie detector test at the moment she was found, is understandably angry with the King County Sheriff's Office for not doing more to look for his wife, who disappeared Sept. 19.
He said he was told by the Sheriff's Office that his wife did not qualify for an "all-out search" because she wasn't a minor nor suicidal.
"The policy must be changed." he said, "it almost cost my wife her life," Rider said.
Bogni says, "His outcome wouldn't have been any different, but it sure put us through the ringer."
She adds, "I thank God for the homicide detectives and the prosecutor. They've been totally on it."
It does seem that the police always seem to favor the idea that a member of the family is responsible, and they hold on to that thought for as long as possible. Meantime, the injured person waits hopelessly to be rescued or until they are dead.
Posted by: David Tatelman | September 28, 2007 at 02:11 PM
The mike webb case was horrifying and unconscionable. there should be an investigation, from the outside.
Posted by: stark | September 28, 2007 at 02:23 PM
I want to know the exact reason the cell phone technique wasn't applied much sooner. It seems obvious that there either isn't an optimized procedure, or some dumb fuck didn't follow it and jeopardized someone's life in the process.
Posted by: Andrew | September 28, 2007 at 02:26 PM
"... did not qualify for an "all-out search" because she wasn't a minor nor suicidal."
Bla'M, I would NEVER question the integrity of your reporting, but that statement is incendiary and outrageous!! A missing adult would not be a priority investigation unless there was (what?) evidence of suicide?? Murder is the fuel that inflames the media...how could a potential homicide be ignored?! Serious cognitive dissonance here...
Posted by: Fremont | September 28, 2007 at 03:17 PM
Are you questioning the integrity of his reporting without knowing if he's in fact wrong? You should question the integrity of your complaining.
Posted by: Andrew | September 28, 2007 at 03:44 PM
Mr Fremont:
If you had listened to the Dave Ross Show you would not currently find yourself with your foot so solidly implanted in your mouth.
Posted by: Ryder | September 28, 2007 at 04:21 PM
When I first heard the story of this missing woman, I immediately thought they should be checking the road to her home. Like, get out of the patrol car and look down embankments, in the trees, etc. Isn't that the most logical first step??
WTF is up with these cops???
Posted by: coochie mama | September 28, 2007 at 04:31 PM
Ryd, there are only teeth in my mouth...
&rew, there is no question of Bla'M's integrity...and I stand by my statement that it is outrageous to not prioritize a potential homicide, especially when the media consumes murder like chocolate.
Posted by: Fremont | September 28, 2007 at 05:17 PM
[T]he police searched the property more than once- even with cadaver dogs- and didn't find the body despite the condition and the smell of the house. . . . .
This sorta defies logic, doesn't it? Now causes me to wonder if this search actually took place.
After watching King County's answer to "She's the Sheriff" on KIRO, I believe that King County needs a Sheriff whose qualifications include competence instead of a long history of kissing Dave Reichert's sorry ass.
Posted by: Ted Smith | September 28, 2007 at 05:18 PM
"She's the Seriff"--that's a good one. I'm no fan of LE in general and Sue Rahr in particular, especially since her responding to the PI by filing a WNC complaint instead of fixing the problems they reported.
However, it doesn't seem right to blame to flat out blame the cops here. There are reasons for the missing persons policies. I don't want the cops hunting me down because I haven't returned girlfriends phone call.
Maybe the answer is that in this day of GPS, OnStar, etc, husbands, wives and children could voluntarily pre-arrange the ability to track each other, esp. if they live in or drive along remote wooded areas w/ ravines.
Posted by: wutitiz | September 28, 2007 at 09:04 PM
Shut up stupid liberals!
Posted by: Fade | September 28, 2007 at 09:21 PM
Provincials. We might not be able to aptly desribe them, but we know them when we hear them. Folks liek Dori Monson, Frank Shiers, Sherrif Sue Rohr. Listening to Rohr's nasal, banal voice and asinine, slightly singsong delivery, as she tried to explain her department's failure to find the "car woman" to Ron and Don, one knows he's in the presence of a provincial. You can imagine the sophisticates and bigtimer's back in New York City and gay Paree listening to her on the news, snickering, and mumbling something uncharitable. Big Sue told R and D that they were sure the woman was OK because there was bank activity on her card, and that her husband had told the police that only she could use the card. Then, apparently, according to Rohr, later Mr. Ryder told them the opposite. So , according to her it was Mr Ryder's fault for the confusion about her card, not the cops. You could hear the selfrighteous satisfaction in Rohr's voice as she in essence blamed Ryder for the whole bank card thing. Please. How likely is it that Ryder gave them false information about who was allowed to use that card? Keep covering your ass, Sue,but i get the feeling it's not going to work this time. There are obviously things she's not being straight about. To give Dave Ross his due, his statement that the policy should be changed by 9 a.m. Monday morning is right on.
Posted by: Tommy008 | September 28, 2007 at 09:30 PM
I blame unequivacally two parties: Tim Eyman (and Dori) for causing such an underfunding of our public services, and Karl Rove, for having creating such an environment of lack of compassion.
Posted by: jeeramya | September 28, 2007 at 09:42 PM
Don't they need a warrant to track someones finances, like bank transactions and such like they did in this case. And If they thought the case was important enough for this type of action, then wouldn't the circumstances also warrant that they check out the phone if one was on the missing person. I would think the two would be equally important in solving a case like this,.
Posted by: nevets | September 28, 2007 at 09:47 PM
Missing Persons is the siberia for most cop shops. They usually put lazy,over the hill hacks coasting til retirement. They only jump when a red ball occurs.
Posted by: Jimmy Kowalski | September 28, 2007 at 09:52 PM
A warrant to track finances? Habeas corpus perished last October.
Posted by: Fremont | September 28, 2007 at 10:56 PM
Frank just admitted again tonight that he lives in fear of his wife.
Posted by: Tommy008 | September 28, 2007 at 11:26 PM
Did someone really just say "I blame Dori for public services being underfunded!" You're a nut, dude. Come back to reality. Your hatred of Dori is causing you to lose touch with reality. Just because people don't think like you, doesn't make them evil. It's just talk radio. It's just entertainment. You're taking way too seriously. By the way, public agencies aren't underfunded. You have no idea how much waste goes on in public agencies.
Posted by: Sam | September 29, 2007 at 05:42 AM
Sam,
Your ignorance is showing. You have no idea how some public agencies are underfunded.
Posted by: shadow | September 29, 2007 at 07:05 AM
You know what? I actually agree with you. I believe there probably are some agencies that are underfunded. But I don't think the answer lies in higher taxes. Let's say, for example, that the some parks program is underfunded, and they need more money. I think the way to get them that extra money is to look at other agencies that may be getting a little bit too much money, to the degree that they have some waste going on, then redirect that money to the agency that is underfunded.
I'd also like to know if agencies were underfunded before anyone knew about Eyman or Monson?
Posted by: Sam | September 29, 2007 at 08:10 AM
Begging sir's pardon, Jeeramya is no nut. Take Dori's constant bashing of the arts. If we had more arts, we could have a more caring and concerned society. And in this case, the biggest issue was a lack of care and concern.
And the waste has been cut out. I heard one Senator comment that we have cut PAST the bone, and are now into the marrow!
Posted by: jeeramya | September 29, 2007 at 08:11 AM
Unfortunatly it is not as simple as reallocating money from column A to column B. Some agencies have to raise taxes because of the obsolete tax system in this state. They do not, cannot, get their money from the general fund.
Posted by: shadow | September 29, 2007 at 08:23 AM
Ok, sorry for calling you a nut.
Posted by: Sam | September 29, 2007 at 08:28 AM
Quite alright, as PugetSound well knows, I am here to enlighten the benighted.
Posted by: jeeramya | September 29, 2007 at 08:33 AM
yes, i can attest that Jeeramya is the path to enlightment. with help of course from his sidekick, Sanjaya.
Posted by: PugetSound | September 29, 2007 at 11:35 AM
Years ago, when considering a career in law enforcement - I found out that the King County Police were the bottom of the barrel of major area agencies in pay/recruitment/opportunity. Nothing seems to have changed in the past 20 years.
Posted by: mark | September 29, 2007 at 12:47 PM
Of coarse Mark, that is the gummint chosen by the residents of King County. Seattle PD is a pretty lame department as well.
Both governments have plenty of resources, but chose to invest in feel good social crap instead of quality police, fire and roads.
The line cops and deputies are fine but the administrative staff and officers have their noses up the mayors and county execs butts.
Posted by: chucks | September 29, 2007 at 01:22 PM
"feel good social crap" like what, Chux? Drug court? Victims' assistance? Huh?
Posted by: Fremont | September 29, 2007 at 03:13 PM
So, did they hire you, Mark? Were you dregs enough for them?
Posted by: Fremont | September 29, 2007 at 03:18 PM
$3,500,000 to produce 40 studio apts for the homeless.
$2,700,000 to restore facilities at Sand Point NAS for use by artists and other community groups.
$9,000,000 for 311 service.
$5,000,000 t reduce carbon dioxide emissions in city owned facilities.
$2,160,000 for arts and cultural affairs.
All good places to put your Seattle tax dollars, but surely the best police, fire and emergency medical is important.
I assume (I know joanie) that good roads are important to all the tax payers who are driving to work every day.
Posted by: chucks | September 29, 2007 at 04:44 PM
Hey Chucks, don't forget the $500,000 or so to change the logo of King County. Now how did that logo change help this woman dying in her car in a ditch. If the money was put to use for guard rails to prevent cars from going off the road in this area she would definitly have been found earlier and her life would not be hang on a thread now. Anyone have any idea how many cars have gone off the road in this area. Probably not the first time it has happened.
Posted by: nevets | September 29, 2007 at 09:01 PM
no, but I can be a real cementhead when needed. Decided against a law enforcement career.
Posted by: mark | September 29, 2007 at 09:11 PM
The county was renamed after a Christian minister, no less. And that logo! Did they have to pick the most sulky picture of him? Oh, and I wonder if there would be the same silence from county residents if the county were renamed after, say, Pat Roberson? And spare me the "but he was primarily a civil rights leader!" speech. I don't like MY county being renamed after a minister, period. Talk about Christmas trees making people of other faiths feeling excluded. Oops, I meant holiday tree. Sorry all you PC facists.
Posted by: Dr. Rev. Sam Jr. | September 29, 2007 at 10:11 PM
You're wasting everyone's time over 20 million dollars out of nearly 4 billion dollar budget?
Posted by: Andrew | September 29, 2007 at 11:04 PM
Right, &rew (and welcome back from your long hiatus on this blog).
Also, Chux, 3-1-1 services are essential in streamlining 9-1-1 emergency response. These are not "feel good" expenditures.
Posted by: Fremont | September 30, 2007 at 10:37 AM
Sam sez: ..."I don't like MY county being renamed after a minister, period."
As an agnostic, I agree with you. However, as a civil libertarian, I don't want my county named after a
"gentle slave monger", the first King, either. As a populist and feminist, I don't want it named "King" at all! How about "Queen" after the fabulous operatic rock group?
Posted by: Fremont | September 30, 2007 at 12:15 PM
Sam, Dori IS evil.
I notice that he's talking a lot less lately about his fixation on underaged girls--I guess someone clued him in that his constant discussions were tipping people off to his predeliction for minor females.
Wonder what his wife thinks about it?
Posted by: Dana | September 30, 2007 at 12:55 PM
We need to change the name of Puget Sound so that there's no known link to the ultraconservative 'PugetSound.' I like either "Hemp Sound" or "Peace Sound." PugetSound, your on board, right? Who is Puget, anyway. It sounds French.
Posted by: jeeramya | September 30, 2007 at 01:06 PM
Dana, that's what I've been trying to tell people. If you take "D Monson" and alter the emphasis, you get Demon Son.
Posted by: jeeramya | September 30, 2007 at 01:08 PM
rePugnetSound works for me...
Posted by: zorro | September 30, 2007 at 01:27 PM
zorro. not bad. i thought the other would be pungent sound.
Posted by: PugetSound | September 30, 2007 at 02:51 PM
Dana, I agree. He is evil. I also thought Rachel Corrie was evil. I'm glad she's dead. Honestly, I am.
Posted by: Dana | September 30, 2007 at 05:49 PM