Baby Kate Kops Decide She is Dead. Change Focus of Investigation

[XLFD]

Due to the findings of a jury, the local investigators of Baby Kate are changing her status from a missing person who was unlawfully imprisoned to someone who was murdered.  Does that mean they will now ignore any leads in this case that presumes Baby Kate is still alive?  The public will never know, as this declaration ends with:  "No other information or comments related to this investigation will be released by any police agency prior to the arraignment of the responsible party on the appropriate charges."  Incredible-- the FOIA has just been overruled. 

I see this as a declaration that our local law enforcement officers want to avoid established protocols and any actions beyond trying to prove Sean Phillips "more" guilty.  It sure saves them the problem of having to investigate anything anymore concerning this case.

 

Phillips case now a 'homicide investigation'
PUBLIC -
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The following statement was issued by Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett, Mason County Sheriff Jeff Fiers and First Lt. Kevin Leavitt, commander of the Hart post of the Michigan State Police:
...
“Based upon the finding of guilt by a jury of his peers, Sean Michael Phillips has been sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for the unlawful imprisonment of his daughter — Katherine Phillips.

“The investigation into the whereabouts of ‘Baby Kate’ by the Ludington Police Department, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is officially transitioning into a homicide investigation.

“Speculation during the first 10 months of the investigation that ‘Baby Kate’ was given to someone else is not supported by the evidence.

“Previous speculation as to the involvement of the mother, Ariel Courtland, in the disappearance of Katherine Phillips is also not supported by the evidence. Extensive investigation into Ms. Courtland has been conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies. It has been concluded by investigators, and through judicial proceedings, that she did not have the time, means, or motive necessary, or that she has any knowledge of Baby Kate’s whereabouts.

“It is our belief that the evidence considered by the 12 men and women during the unlawful imprisonment trial, along with new evidence and information being developed, will result in the issuance of additional charges.

“Investigators are convinced that one individual, Sean Michael Phillips, knows the location of Katherine’s body.

“Investigators remain focused and intent on providing justice for ‘Baby Kate.’ Whether or not Sean Phillips participates in that effort remains his decision alone.

“No other information or comments related to this investigation will be released by any police agency prior to the arraignment of the responsible party on the appropriate charges.”

[Dave]

And here I thought that when a case went cold, they just called it a cold case... odd to just assume she's dead.

[XLFD]

Good point, Dave, you must be a year wiser today.  I also couldn't help but notice that the Ludington Daily News published this two stories before the story that told us Sean Phillips was sentenced 10-15 years. 

Honorable Judge Richard Cooper didn't, gasp, leak this information out to the law agencies before the rest of the world was told of Phillips' sentencing of 10-15, did he?  That would be against judicial canons of conduct.  Next thing one might infer is that Honorable Judge Cooper told his son Craig (who was representing Consumer's Energy in the CARRE lawsuit) about his decision there, finding in resounding favor of his son's client).  Or that he allowed his son to represent a defendant for over four months without telling the other parties.  I'm sorry, the whole justice system here just sickens me.

[Fran Cisco]

Pisses me off actually.

[In Dulci Jubilo]

Sooooo.....basically, what they are saying is,  "We have been unable to locate this baby alive, and therefore, she must be deceased?"    Heaven forbid that anyone might manage to outwit Barney Fife and his band of Super Sleuths.

[XLFD]

And in the same breath they are telling you they don't need to further justify that decision or tell you anything more about the course of the investigation.  If I was on the City Council, I would be reading this statement, line by line, directly to Chief Barnett at the next meeting, with a few "you're OK with that?"s thrown in, and a bit of proselytizing at the end. 

If they have made that quantum leap of saying only one individual, Sean Phillips, is responsible for the murder of Baby Kate, I want to be told explicitly why that is the case at this juncture or sift through all the evidence they have uncovered to reach that conclusion. 

[In Dulci Jubilo]

This was a carefully crafted press release that was extremely intentional in its timing.   This strategy has been in the works for months.    My favorite statement in the release is the reference to the fact that the case is "officially transitioning into a murder investigation."  Pray tell, how does something "officially transition?"  Is there a transition-o-meter out there that measures this?

[Dave]

My question would be if they were beginning to think that this was a case of murder, why didn't they add that to the court case that just ended not long ago? Unless they have some sort of new evidence that has just come up, they would of had to of been thinking about this murder thing for awhile.

[Lisa O'Brien]

I think they had to establish that he was the last one with Baby Kate. Now that a jury of his peers has found him guilty of unlawful imprisonment - it has been established. IMO he has no chance of being found not guilty. If he did something to that baby or if he knows something he better have his lawyer get him a deal to start talking, at this rate he will never be free again.

[In Dulci Jubilo]

There is no PROOF that he was the last one with Baby Kate.   The jury came to their decision based on circumstantial (and at best, very weak) evidence.   He still steadfastly maintains that he was not the last person to have Kate.

[XLFD]

I've reviewed the full trial; except for Ariel Courtland, whose truth-telling is assumed by all court officers and investigators, no one has placed Kate with Sean the day she went missing.  Yet Ms. Courtland has contradicted her own testimony-- Sean who has remained mostly silent, has not. 

This has been your proverbial witch hunt from the start-- actually a warlock hunt, since our witch is a guy.  I would never convict anyone on the testimony of a proven liar and such flimsy circumstantial evidence.  Sorry, peers, you were scammed by the preponderance of prosecutorial air time.

[Sargent Pepper]

Don't forget what the Jury foreman stated after the trial. "Lokers said the biggest game-changer was when the jury submitted a question to the judge during deliberation regarding Courtland.

"We wanted to know, if she knew about it, could she still find Sean guilty?" explained Lokers. "And the judge came back and said, 'Yes, it's hiding the Kate from the people of the State of Michigan,' so that weighed heavy on us."

At that point, Lokers said, the jury disregarded almost all of Courtland's day-and-a-half worth of testimony.

"I think it would have probably changed the verdict. It would have probably been not guilty because we wouldn't have been able to decide whether Ariel knew or not," said Lokers."  By Ann Marie La Flamme, 9 and 10 News

[In Dulci Jubilo]

I do realize that age vs. maturity is a relative thing, but I do need to also point out that this was a 21-year-old jury foreman......