Intimidation Involves a Lot of Wasted Public Resources: Sarah Knysz

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Today, Sarah Knysz, wife of alleged MSP Trooper shooter Eric Knysz, was at the Mason County Courthouse for a final conference before trial.  The 7 month pregnant 20-year-old has been charged with accessory to murder after the fact and unlawfully driving away a motor vehicle in connection to the Sept. 9, 2013 fatal shooting of MSP Trooper Paul Butterfield. 

Her husband, also housed at the Mason County Jail, has been charged in Mason County with murder of a police officer, and a host of other charges noted in this article.

 

At 3:30 PM, she was taken to the courthouse on East Ludington Avenue, and her hearing was big news, at least four TV stations at least 70 miles away came to view the proceedings, WZZM, WOOD, FOX 17, and the Upnorth Live mobile.  What struck me as odd, however, was the amount of police presence at the courthouse for this afternoon event.  Looking into the courtroom, the court was lined with somber uniformed officers behind Sarah Knysz's back.  Outside, the police presence was remarkable.  Even during the Baby Kate trial, I never saw this many police vehicles.  In the back parking lot of the court there were 5 vehicles (numbered and indicated below with arrows) from city, county, and state law enforcers. 

A Mason County Sheriffs' car, which was used to bring Mrs. Knysz to and from court, was parked within feet of the building across the inner sidewalk, effectively blocking the courthouses handicapped entrance and exit.   Fortunately, no bomb threats or fire alarms were active during the 75 minute proceeding.

 

Finally, a look to the western parking lot (the news dogs and others were entrenched in the east) finds three more police vehicles.  You will note then, that the nine police vehicles in the three pictures were evenly distributed.  That is three vehicles each from the state police, the county sheriff, and the Ludington police.  I even seen Chief Barnett of Ludington drive off in uniform, in a personally -owned vehicle.  So minimally there were ten law enforcement officers present at the final conference-- even though none of them appear to have been needed there to testify from the state police or LPD. 

Was the large presence really needed there, with the MSP vehicles having to travel at least the better part of an hour to get to the courthouse, and then go back later?  Why were at least three LPD active units at the courthouse for this, along with Chief Barnett, when they were not really involved at all?  I'm noting about a thousand dollars of salaries and transportation costs from these two agencies being there when they are on the clock and should have better things to do. 

For Sarah Knysz effectively was pressured into taking a plea deal, calling for her to serve 12 to 24 months on accessory after the fact and to serve 0-11 months for unlawful driving away of an automobile.  Furthermore, the deal stated her Manistee County charges would be dropped, and mandate that she would testify against her husband and any other defendants in the case, which may entail her mother-in-law, who is alleged to have also aided her son in trying to elude authorities. 

According to the City of Ludington Daily News:  She told the court the trooper came up to the truck she and Eric were in (Eric was driving) and Butterfield was in mid-sentence asking the couple how it was going when she said she heard a shot. She said Eric drove off and when she looked back, she saw the trooper lying in the road.

She said Eric brought the guns to Ludington that day so he could sell them. She said he sold some, but not all of them and there were still some in the truck behind the seat, plus a handgun in front when they were pulled over. Knysz said she didn't know why they were pulled over.

She told judge Richard I. Cooper that Eric had threatened to kill her in the past. She said she didn't run because she was afraid of him and was seven months pregnant.

The problem I find here is that she is likely to spend a couple of years in jail for doing nothing other than happening to be in the same car with her husband when he committed a serious crime.  If we take what she says as the truth, and it does seem plausible enough and the prosecution is taking it as such, the State is creating another victim here.  Is it a crime now for a woman being afraid for herself and her baby to obey some psychopath who has just shot a state trooper, who has threatened her in the past, when she can still smell the gun smoke, and is in shock from what she has just witnessed?

 

The intimidation worked.  Because Sarah Knysz was still with her husband a couple hours after the event, whether she was willing or not, seems to not matter to the local justice system as to her guilt on two counts which her sworn testimony debunks. 

 

When Sarah was led out of the courthouse, she had two deputies escort her to the Sheriff's Office's SUV that was blocking the handicapped entrance/exit.  Two.   Obviously, the Ludington and Michigan State Police were there because they figured that Sarah Knysz could easily be intimidated by men with guns, and be led innocently into a situation that is dangerous to her well-being.  

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The reason why they were stopped was one thing that Sarah Knysz did not know the answer to, and Prosecutor Spaniola admitted wasn't on the 9-1-1 tape. 

I am weirded out that all the police say that all of the usual protocols were followed by Butterfield on this stop, but 1) he didn't have an in-car video recording system (dash cam) and 2) he didn't alert dispatch as to why he stopped the vehicle whose license plate he called in. 

It was revealed in court yesterday that there was no dash cam on the trooper's car, but yet even with all the "Remembering Paul Butterfield" stories put out by our local and semi-local media, there has still not been any call by media or police to install these dash cams for trooper safety/accountability.  That includes today's COLDNews headline:  "Tpr. Butterfield:  Not Forgotten".  But no lesson learned.  Dashcams for all, and protocol should dictate that troopers notify dispatch of why they make a traffic stop. 

If there was less going against Eric Knysz, without the willing witness, the murder weapon in his possession, powder burns, etc., the lack of video evidence and the lack of cause for the stop could allow Eric Knysz feasible defense avenues.

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Interesting, even if it's not true, but please supply some links or screen shots, s. todd.