It isn’t in word clues. It isn’t in graffiti. It isn’t in poems. The keys to solving these cases is simple: it’s reopening each case one at a time and proving the victims did not accidentally drown, but were murdered. If these young men were killed, then there should be evidence to prove it and I’m talking about the kind of evidence that could be used in a court of law.
Several months ago, Trish DeAngelis, a lawyer and former District Attorney in New York, agreed to review case files from around the country. She has an extensive background with homicide cases and a track record of convicting killers. DeAngelis frequently relied on the expertise of forensic pathologists to crack unsolved homicides and violent crimes. DeAngelis asked a respected and experienced forensic pathologist and medical examiner to look at autopsy photographs and reports related to these drownings.
Through their analysis, research and fresh interviews with witnesses and family members, we continue to find significant evidence overlooked by the original investigators. When there is conclusive evidence in a case, a report will be presented to local officials. We are in the process of doing that now.
Our goal is to uncover evidence in cases that will convince local officials to reopen cases and reclassify them as homicides.
Kristi Piehl Case Updates
- Joseph Dado
Note: Joseph Dado’s disappearance was posted on this site to bring publicity to his case not to imply a connection to the drowning deaths of dozens of young men.
Joseph Dado disappeared on September 20. The FBI, search teams, dogs and helicopters scoured the campus for any sign of Joseph. It was repairmen who discovered Joseph’s body in a stairwell on the Penn State campus. According to reports, he fell 15 feet to his death. Click here to read more.
The 18-year-old Penn State freshman was last seen leaving Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at 3 a.m. Sunday. Authorities are now investigating who furnished alcohol to Joseph.
Kristi Piehl Uncategorized
I’m not a forensic pathologist or a medical examiner. I’m a journalist trained to ask questions and track down answers. As I’ve worked on these cases, I’ve read autopsy reports from departments around the country. I’ve seen pictures of autopsies and recoveries of bodies. What I’ve found is there is NOT a standard test to prove drowning. Unlike other causes of death, the investigators play a significant role in determining the way the victim died. In the cases that I’ve seen, the determination “accidental drowning” is frequently based on the victim being found in a body of water without significant trauma.
Even if a medical determination can be made that the victim died from drowning, there is NOT a test to prove the victim died from an accident, a suicide or a homicide. The police detectives actually work with the coroner or medical examiner to make this conclusion. If dogs don’t track the victims scent to the water and if no one watched the victim walk to the water or fall in the water, how can a medical examiner or detective determine the young man is the victim of an accidental drowning? I’ve been searching to answer this question for several years and I can not find a reasonable answer. The answers that I can find are about man power or money and the victims and their families deserve a better answer.
Thanks to Kelli for bringing this article from the University of Dundee, Scotland to my attention. It is the best I’ve found to explain what happens during drowning.
Click here to read an earlier post about the difficulty of determining drowning.
Kristi Piehl Uncategorized
Jelani Brinson
What happened to Jelani Brinson? Results of an autopsy on the Minneapolis, Minnesota man are finally being released, but are not shedding light on the 24-year-old’s fate. According to published reports, the coroner’s examination of Jelani was inconclusive.
Lt. Paul Sommer of the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office told a local newspaper, “We’re not saying this is a murder and we’re not saying its a suicide, but it is highly suspicious.”
Jelani mysteriously left a friend’s house on April 17, 2009. A week later, he was found dead in nearby golf course pond. However, the coroner did not find any reason why Jelani died. There wasn’t any sign of foul play, overdose, medical condition or even drowning.
In the days after Jelani’s disappearance, dogs tracked his scent to a nearby bar. The bizarre story took another turn when Jelani’s shoes and hat were recovered in the area.
Click here for more about Jelani and a map of the area.
Click here for local newspaper article.
Click here for a Star Tribune article that includes more comments from Anoka County officials.
Kristi Piehl Uncategorized
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