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Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 17:47:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: "keith sargent"
Subject: What If?
To: "Larry Hanna" , "Mike Thompson"
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Detective Hannah,

Now that all the leads have been exhausted, why not revisit the assumptions that didn't pan out -- specifically, that the murderers weren't from the apartments on Sunrise, and that no one in the apartments knew anything?

What if an officer was sent to the apartment managers on Sunrise to look over the books and talk with the managers to find out if anyone moved out of the apartments shortly after my mother's murder? (I know that the people on the rental agreement aren't necessarily the ones who live in the apartments, but it's possible that it could lead to some useful information, right?) And the officer could remind the apartment managers they are eligible for a reward. Person-to-person communication is a lot more effective than the phone or a card in the mail.

Second, why not paste flyers on the utility poles, and colorful flyers in the mail boxes of the Sunrise apartments, emphasizing the $10,000 reward, and including a picture of my mother. They do it for dogs and cats, why not for people?

Third, after both those things are done, why not send out an undercover officer to talk to the drug dealers and the people buying drugs in the Sunrise alley. Mention how they'd really like that $10,000 reward, and would be willing to split it with someone who didn't want to get involved with the police, maybe because they are illegal aliens. He could drop the names of people that were listed on the lease, but aren't there any more.

What harm would come from trying those things?

You, Sgt. Thompson, once told me that this was the most important case the detectives had. Is that still true? If it's no longer true, then when it was the most important case, why weren't those things ever done?

It's not too late to pursue a new direction in the case, is it? The old direction didn't pan out. But that's not a reason to give up. Instead of giving up, why not try something new?

Sincerely,

Keith

P.S. I hope you can understand why I am asking you these questions. It was because she was my mother. Would you do anything less if it was your mother or a member of your family?