Baby Kate petition regarding bothced LPD investigation

[Dave]

Found this when looking through my Facebook updates a few minutes ago. Apparently members here are not the only ones that think the LPD botched the investigation into the baby Kate disappearance. Follow the link at the end if you wish to sign the petition.

Why this is Important

Katherine Shelbie-Elizabeth Phillips was 4 months old when she was last seen in Ludington, MI on June 29, 2011. Kate's mother, Ariel Courtland, reported that Kate's father, Sean Phillips, drove off with the infant after a fight between Ariel and Sean. Within hours, the Ludington Police Department arrested Sean Phillips on the charge of felony kidnapping. Once paternity was proven to the court, the charges were reduced to the less serious Parental Kidnapping. While Sean Phillps remains detained and awaits trial, he has maintained his innocence and reports Kate's mother, Ariel Courtland, was the last one to see Kate. With much speculation and uncertainty about Kate's disappearance, we are asking for more from the Ludington Police Department. While one suspect is detained and awaiting trial, a baby is STILL missing -- nearly 4 months later! It is time for a more thorough investigation than the Ludington Police Department wants to provide.

Provided below is a list of the Ludington Police Department's failures regarding this case:
-- LPD has stopped looking for Kate: They have not continued searches and will not allow other agencies and trained professionals to donate their time to the search for missing baby Kate.
-- LPD has stopped investigating Kate's disappearance: They have not conducted interviews or followed-up on important leads. When tips are submitted, phone calls and e-mails are not returned.
-- LPD is not considering all possible options: They will not consider the possibility of additonal suspects, such as the mother, friends/extended family members, or strangers.
-- LPD is not keeping Kate's story in the media: They do not provide press releases, nor do they ask the public for information and/or assistance.

Overall, it appears that the Ludington Police Department is more interested in obtaining a conviction than finding a missing child. Even if Sean Phillips is found guilty of his pending kidnapping-related charges, Kate is still missing. What happened to baby Kate?

Please sign this petition to show your support for a more thorough investigation into the disappearance of missing baby Kate. Your signature will be sent to Bill Schuette, the Attorney General of Michigan, with a formal request to investigate the faults of the Ludington Police Department. This formal request will also include a request for more experienced and committed law enforcement professionals, such as the Michigan State Police and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigations, to assit with this investigation.

Thank you in advance for your time and support. Should you have any questions regarding this petition, please contact: [e-mail]

http://www.change.org/petitions/bill-schuette-attorney-general-of-m...

[Willy]

There is a difference between "kidnapping" and "parental kidnapping". They are 2 completely different statutes. Parental kidnapping carries a sentence of 1year and 1day in jail while kidnapping carries a life sentence.

04:26 PM ET

 

Baby Kate’s Father Due In Court On Reduced Charges

"The father of a missing Michigan baby is expected back in court Tuesday for arraignment on reduced charges in connection with her disappearance, according to CNN affiliate WOOD.

Sean Phillips, 21, was arrested on June 29 for kidnapping 4-month-old Katherine “Baby Kate” Phillips hours after he allegedly drove away from her mother’s Ludington home with her in his car. When police caught him at his parents’ house, Kate was gone and the clothes she was last seen wearing were found in his pocket.

Phillips reportedly did not want his parents to find out he was the girl’s biological father. He already had another daughter with Kate’s mother, 19-year-old Ariel Courtland. He was scheduled to take a paternity test on the day of Kate’s disappearance.

At a hearing last week, defense attorney Annette Smedley successfully argued to have the kidnapping charge dismissed because tests have since confirmed that he is the father and Michigan law does not allow a parent to be convicted under that statute, which could have carried a life sentence. Prosecutors claimed that the charge was still valid because Phillips did not know with certainty that he was the father at the time of the alleged crime, but the judge sided with the defense.

Once the kidnapping charge was thrown out, however, prosecutors charged Phillips with parental kidnapping and wrongful imprisonment, WOOD reported. His bond was reduced from $500,000 to $250,000, but he remained in custody over the weekend. The new charges could carry maximum penalties of more than 15 years in prison.

Nearly three months after Baby Kate went missing, extensive searches have failed to locate any sign of her. Authorities have said Sean Phillips has refused to reveal what happened to her."

[april]

Feeling the police officers of Ludington, well "most" are corrupt. IMO