If you think the Northwest Herald fairly reports all murder cases, take a look at the smear tossed in the Views editorial by Northwest Heard executive editor Chris Krug this morning.
Krug wrote: "On May 28, just 10 days earlier (before Feldkamp slayings in Marengo) Kurt Milliman was gunned down in a ramshackle Woodstock house by Timothy Smith after, police said, Milliman had engaged in a consensual $40 sexual encounter with Smith's pregnant wife."
Where's the smear? How about "where are the smears?"?
Start with "ramshackle"? If you drive by 4320 Doty Road, Woodstock (just south of Centegra Hospital - Woodstock), you will not see a "ramshackle" house. In fact, I'll go by again today and take a picture, so that you can see the house that is there. Granted, it's not a million dollar Bull Valley mansion, but it looks like many rural Woodstock houses.
Next, how about "police"? That word was used in other articles about this case. There are NO "police" involved. It's the McHenry County Sheriff's Department that is investigated (don't we hope!) this case. They are called deputies, not police (officers).
Next, the Northwest Herald has never named any of the deputies who are investigating this case - not even the first deputy on the scene, who found the Smiths outside and "secured" them for safety (whatever that means!) or the second. I've been reading the crime reports in the Northwest Herald for 15 years, and that's the first time I ever saw that phrase.
Next, the paper stated, "...after, police said, Milliman had engaged in a consensual $40 sexual encounter ..."
Says who? Said what police? "Police" can't make statements. Deputies make statements. OK, so which deputies? What deputy?
And the Northwest Herald didn't bother to include "alleged" in its sentence.
Maybe the Northwest Herald will begin a recitation of the events of that night (since it seems to be privy to so much information) and publish the names of all the deputies, especially the first two, who came to the scene that night. Maybe it will get cell phone records and begin asking questions about who called whom and why such calls were made at late hours? Anyone lose any sleep that night, after he heard what happened?
And I'm not talking about the Milliman family here...
Why isn't Kimberly A. (Holian) Smith charged as an accomplice to first-degree murder, the charge lodged against her husband? Why was her bond so low - and then reduced???
Isn't anyone else asking questions??? Should an outside investigating agency (100% independent of friendships and good-old-boy relationships with the McHenry County Sheriff's Department (if such an agency can be found)) be called in?
You never know who is interested…
3 months ago
4 comments:
Sloppy reporting if you can even call it that; there in it for a "story" or why don't they call it their "commentary". The NWHerald has existed in that manner for many years. It sells newspapers...their prime purpose.
Hey Gus -
On that "secured for their safety thing"-
From what I understand, it's now SOP for most cops to do this at a crime scene, much less at the scene of a homicide.
It is not only for "safety" (theirs or yours) - you are also being detained, but not arrested at the time. If both you and the responding Officers are acting as adults, that fact will be made clear or understood.
When responding to such a hot call, the responding Officers don’t know who’s who, or what’s what. They don’t know if it’s a justifiable homicide or not (not their call), they don’t know what caused the incident, they don’t know who did what yet – AND, they also don’t know if there is as of yet any “unfinished business” among those left standing. All they can do is “sort it out”. By “securing” and separating those at the scene, they can prevent further complications at the scene and in the investigation, prevent the players from interacting in furtherance of their tussle or to “get their stories straight” – as well as preventing the perp from fleeing or finishing what they started.
As far as I know, during an active call, the responding Officers are in control of the scene, and they have the ability to detain, separate and otherwise immobilize those found there at their response until they’ve completed their duties at the scene.
This reality is not well known or understood - but whether your actions are justified or not, whether you’re a victim or not, the responding Officers will necessarily treat you in a manner that you will personally feel makes you a “suspect”. It really can’t be helped. Both you and the actual perp are telling personal stories that justify your actions. They need time to sort things out. It can’t be helped.
While you may be cuffed in a back seat, or being held in a room, others should be similarly detained elsewhere. Nobody gets away, nobody blunders into the crime scene, and nobody can continue the mayhem that required a response in the first place.
Anything else, and what you’re really asking then is to have a stranger believe your story over someone else’s’ RIGHT NOW.
DBTR, thanks for your comment. It could form the basis for a year-long Crime Scene Investigations course at MCC.
But back to 4320 Doty Road. The woman who called 9-1-1 was outside, waiting for the deputy. The shooter was supposedly outside with her.
MCSD is silent (so far) as to whether the deputy knew he was rolling up to a shots-fired call.
Was the gun outside with the shooter?
MCSD hasn't even said yet when Milliman was shot. Was he shot before the 9-1-1 call? If so, how long before? Any chance it was quite a while before the 9-1-1 call?
Was he shot between the time of the call and the the deputy's arrival? Did either Smith call MCSD said back and report the shooting?
Remember, Kimberly was charged with Obstruction of Justice for lying about whether Timothy was home.
I concur in preserving the safety of all at a crime scene, civilians and deputies. Do you think the Smiths were separated, when they were "secured" for their safety?
Didn't Zane makee a big deal out of NYGREN's Star. It says McHenry County Sheriff's POLICE.
The "deputy" star they all wear says SHERIFF"S POLICE.
The OLD squads ( pre-Nygren) were marked Sheriff's Police
Old patrol patches said SHERIFF'S POLICE.
The Sworn "deputies" were called Sheriff's POLICE and wore a Sheriff's POLICE patch. Other MCSO employees wore a DEPT patch.
Want to re-think the "they are not police statement?"
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