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THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE AS WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PUBLIC SAFETY OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND WHILE WE ARE BUILDING UP OUR DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL, WE'RE AT 5,400 HIGHEST CERTIFIED PEACE OFFICERS IN HPDS HISTORY WITH OVER A THOUSAND NEW OFFICERS SINCE I'VE BEEN SWORN IN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
BUT WHILE WE'RE BUILDING UP THE DEPARTMENT AND MAKING THE CITY SAFER, WE ALSO HAVE TASK OF LOOKING FOR OFFENDERS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, AND THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS NEWS CONFERENCE THIS MORNING, TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT THERE ARE COLD CASES REFERRED TO DANGEROUS INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN ON CITY STREETS FOR YEARS, AND EITHER LACK OF MAYBE MORALE OR MAYBE LACK OF TECHNOLOGY, AND MAYBE THE LACK OF THE TEAM THAT STANDS BEHIND ME.
BUT I'M GONNA LEAVE IT TO THE PROFESSIONAL CRIME FIGHTERS TO DISCUSS THIS PARTICULAR COLD CASE.
BUT I WANT HOUSTONIANS TO KNOW WE DON'T REST.
THE RANK AND FILE OF HPD AND DPS ARE FRIENDS IN THE TEXAS RANGERS, THE FBI, OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK AROUND THE CLOCK, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND WE'RE GETTING RESULTS, RESULTS TO GET A VIOLENT REPEAT OFFENDER OFF THE STREETS OF HOUSTON WHERE THEY NEED TO BE IN JAIL.
SO I'M HERE THIS MORNING PRIMARILY TO RECOGNIZE THE RANK AND FILE THAT HAVE MADE THIS CASE AND THIS VICIOUS INDIVIDUAL HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
WE URGE OUR COURTS, OUR JUDGES, TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGER WHEN THEY REVIEW A BOND OR CONDITIONS THAT THEY RELEASE SOMEONE OUT ON.
I'LL BE IN THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY THIS AFTERNOON WITH MR. LEE'S FAMILY THAT WAS BRUTALLY KILLED AFTER BEING RELEASED ON A MENTAL HEALTH PLAN.
JUDGES WE'RE DOING OUR WORK AND WE URGE YOU TO GOOD JUDGES TO DO YOUR REVIEW AND MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS ABOUT WHO SHOULD BE RETURNED TO THE STREETS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND OF COURSE, IT'S NOT JUST HOUSTON, IT'S OUR SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS.
WE THANK OUR CONSTABLES, WE THANK THE ADJOINING COUNTY SHERIFFS, POLICE FORCES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE SOLVING CRIME BY WORKING TOGETHER.
AND WHILE I WANT TO TALK AND GIVE SHOUT OUTS TO THE IMPROVEMENTS, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
IT'S GONNA BE VERY PAINFUL TO BE WITH THE LEE FAMILY THIS AFTERNOON.
AND THAT PARTICULAR CRIME, VICIOUS BEATING, DESTROYED HIS BRAIN OCCURRED IN HARRIS COUNTY OUTSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO WHILE I'M THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I WILL WORK WITH ANYONE THAT WILL IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY AND FIGHT CRIME.
LET ME ASK JUDGE, JUDGE DIAZ NOT QUITE JUDGE DIAZ, BUT CHIEF DIAZ TO COME FORWARD AND GO OVER THE OPERATIONS THAT BROUGHT THIS DANGEROUS INDIVIDUAL TO COURT.
I, I, I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR SHOWING UP TODAY AND, AND, AND HELPING US GET THIS MESSAGE OUT.
FIRST OF, I WANNA COMMEND THE DEDICATION OF THE INVESTIGATORS AND THE STRONG PARTNERSHIPS THAT LED TO THE ARREST OF PHILIP SER HERE TO MY RIGHT.
WITHOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG ALL THE AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THIS COMPLEX INVESTIGATION, WE WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE TODAY.
THIS INVESTIGATION REPRESENTS YEARS OF COLLABORATION AMONG THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISIONS OF ADULT SEX CRIME UNIT, THE TEXAS RANGERS, THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER, THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, THE BODE TECHNOLOGY, DNA LAB IN NORTH TEXAS, AND THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
EVERY AGENCY HERE TODAY PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MOVING THIS INVESTIGATION FORWARD.
THE ARREST MADE IN THIS CASE IS A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE, BUT THE INVESTIGATION WILL CONTINUE AS DETECTIVES CONTINUE REVIEWING INFORMATION.
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IS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE VICTIMS. WE CAN'T FORGET THE VICTIMS. THIS CASE DEMONSTRATES WHY CULT CASES ARE NOT FORGOTTEN.THESE INVESTIGATIONS REMAINED ACTIVE BECAUSE THE VICTIMS HAD THE COURAGE TO REPORT THESE CRIMES AND PARTICIPATE IN THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS.
WE BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE POTENTIAL OTHER VICTIMS WHO WERE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY PHILIP SER.
ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'D LIKE TO ADD A THANK YOU TO THEN SENATOR JOHN WHITMEYER.
NOW MAYOR WHITMEYER, WHO WAS THE GATEKEEPER AS THE CHAIR OF THE SENATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE, WHO LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR, FOR TODAY'S COMPREHENSIVE TRACKING SYSTEMS, SUBMISSION, DEADLINES, AND LABORATORY TIMELINES AS IT RELATES TO THESE SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
I PLEDGE THAT WE WILL REMAIN COMMITTED TO PURSUING EVERY LEAD SUPPORTING SURVIVORS AND SEEKING JUSTICE REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH TIME HAS PASSED.
NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF MENENDEZ SIERRA, WHO WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CASES INVESTIGATION.
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO'S INVOLVED IN THIS.
UH, AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO THANK MY SPECIAL VICTIMS TEAM, UH, DETECTIVE HARRINGTON, WHO'S BEHIND ME, UH, LED BY SERGEANT SANCHEZ, LIEUTENANT DAVIS AND, UH, THE CAPTAIN OF THE SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION, CAPTAIN LORENZANO.
BETWEEN 1997 AND 2016, FOUR SEXUAL ASSAULTS OCCURRED IN NORTH HOUSTON.
EACH CASE WAS INVESTIGATED AND DETECTIVES NEVER STOPPED LOOKING FOR ANSWERS.
HOWEVER, IT WASN'T UNTIL RECENTLY WITH ADVANCES IN FORENSIC SCIENCES THAT A SUSPECT WAS IDENTIFIED.
IN EACH CASE, THE SURVIVORS UNDERWENT FORENSIC SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAMINATIONS, ALSO KNOWN AS SEXUAL ASSAULT KIDS.
THE FIRST KNOWN INCIDENT OCCURRED ON JUNE 29TH, 1990.
THE SURVIVOR ACCEPTED A RIDE FROM THE SUSPECT NEAR DEEP PRIEST AND WEST LITTLE YORK.
HE THEN DROVE HER TO ANOTHER LOCATION WHERE HE SEXUALLY AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED HER.
ON APRIL 9TH, 2009, ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL REPORTED SHE WAS PICKED UP NEAR HER HOME ON PRAIRIE VIEW STREET.
SHE TOLD INVESTIGATORS THAT THE SUSPECT DROVE HER TO ANOTHER LOCATION WHERE SHE WAS ALSO SEXUALLY AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED.
ON JUNE 22ND, 2013, A THIRD SURVIVOR WAS APPROACHED BY THE SUSPECT WHO OFFERED HER A RIDE HOME AND DROVE HER TO ANOTHER LOCATION WHERE SHE WAS SEXUALLY AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED.
THE FOURTH KNOWN INCIDENT OCCURRED ON JULY 3RD, 2016.
THE SURVIVOR WAS APPROACHED BY THE SUSPECT WHILE WALKING HOME FROM A GAS STATION NEAR THE EAST X FREEWAY.
AGAIN, SHE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER LOCATION AND SEXUALLY AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED.
IN ALL FOUR CASES, DNA EVIDENCE WAS COLLECTED, PRESERVED, AND ENTERED INTO THE CODA SYSTEM.
ALTHOUGH THE OFFENDER WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AT THE TIME, THAT EVIDENCE WOULD LATER BECOME CRITICAL IN SOLVING THESE CASES.
THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY RANGERS THROUGH THE SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT INITIATIVE, ALSO KNOWN AS SAKI, CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF CODIS OFFENDER HITS.
THIS LED TO IDENTIFYING ALL CASE TO CASE DNA MATCHES WITHIN CODIS.
AND THE REVIEW IDENTIFIED THESE FOUR SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATIONS, SHARING THE SAME UNKNOWN DNA PROFILE BY COMPARING REPORTS, FORENSIC EVIDENCE, WITNESS STATEMENTS, AND INVESTIGATIVE FINDINGS.
ACROSS MULTIPLE CASES, DETECTIVES IDENTIFIED SIGNIFICANT SIMILARITIES THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUSPECT.
PHILLIP G SIR, SINCE THE CHARGING OF THE SUSPECT, WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONTACTED BY A POSSIBLE VICTIM FROM 1988.
INVESTIGATORS ARE CURRENTLY FOLLOWING UP WITH THAT VICTIM.
WE ALSO LEARNED FROM THE INVESTIGATION THAT THE SUSPECT MAY HAVE DRIVEN TRUCKS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, SO IT IS CRUCIAL THAT THIS INFORMATION IS DISSEMINATED, SO WE MAY BE ABLE TO FIND ANY OTHER POSSIBLE VICTIMS. I'M GOING NOW GOING TO LET THE FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, JASON HUDSON, WHO WILL DISCUSS THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE INVESTIGATION.
I'M THE SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF THE FBI HOUSTON DIVISION.
TODAY IS ABOUT GETTING JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS OF THESE HEINOUS CRIMES AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
UH, MY SINCEREST HOPE IS THAT THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS CASE ARE A POSITIVE STEP IN THE HEALING, UH, AND THE CLOSURE FOR THESE VICTIMS. UM, I'VE
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GOTTA RECOGNIZE CHIEF DIAZ AND THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.IT'S BECAUSE OF THEIR RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF JUSTICE FOR THESE VICTIMS, IS THE REASON THAT WE ARE ALL HERE TODAY.
UM, FBI HOUSTON IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS INVESTIGATION.
PROUD TO BE STANDING UP HERE THIS MORNING.
I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ROLE IN THIS INVESTIGATION.
UH, THE FBI SUPPORTED THIS INVESTIGATION THROUGH OUR INVESTIGATIVE GENETIC GENEALOGY TEAM, WHICH IS RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
THIS TEAM IS A, A TEAM OF DEDICATED AGENTS AND ANALYSTS, UH, THAT DO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK TO BRING VIOLENT CRIMES TO A RESOLUTION.
THEY PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS ON VIOLENT CRIME CASES AFTER REASONABLE INVESTIGATIVE LEADS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED, IT'S AT THAT TIME THAT THEY BEGAN TO DO THEIR WORK.
AND THIS IS PRIMARILY ON COLD CASE HOMICIDES, COLD AND COLD CASE SEX CRIMES.
THE GOAL OF IGG, AS WE CALL IT, IS TO BRING VIOLENT CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE AND TO IDENTIFY UNKNOWN VICTIMS IN THE HOPES OF GIVING THEIR FAMILIES SOME TYPE OF CLOSURE.
UH, MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY KNOW THAT THE FBI OVERSEES, UH, THE DNA INDEX SYSTEM THAT IS USED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND IS ALSO USED ACROSS THE GLOBE THESE DAYS.
UH, AND IT'S CALLED CODIS, AS WAS UH, REFERENCED EARLIER.
UH, OFTENTIMES IN CASES LIKE THIS, DNA SAMPLES CAN LINK A SERIES OF VIOLENT CRIMES TOGETHER, BUT THERE IS NO POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION IN THE SYSTEM, UH, FOR THE DNA PROFILE.
UH, THIS CAN CAUSE CASES LIKE THIS TO GO ON UNSOLVED FOR YEARS AND SOMETIMES DECADES.
BUT OUR, OUR IGG TEAM, UH, USE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE GENEALOGY SERVICES TO ID POTENTIAL FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE UNKNOWN SUSPECT PROFILE.
UM, OUR INVESTIGATORS GO THROUGH A TEDIOUS PROCESS OF, UH, CREATING FAMILY TREES OF PERSONS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AS BEING RELATIVES TO THE POTENTIAL SUSPECT BY BUILDING THE FAMILY TREE OF THESE PERSONS IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIAL RELATIVES.
WE HOPE THAT SOMEWHERE ON THAT TREE OUR PERPETRATOR EXISTS USING INFORMATION SUCH AS WITNESS DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SUSPECT, THE LOCATION AND THE TIMING OF THE CRIME.
FBI PERSONNEL TRY TO IDENTIFY A LIKELY SUSPECT WITHIN THAT FAMILY TREE.
ONLY THEN DO WE SEEK A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE POTENTIAL SUSPECT'S, DNA AND THE DNA FROM THE CRIME SCENE.
THE FBI IS ONLY ABLE TO SEE INFORMATION THAT USERS HAVE GIVEN GENEALOGY SERVICES, THE PERMISSION TO SHARE WITH OTHER CUSTOMERS.
WE CANNOT AND WE DO NOT VIOLATE PRIVACY EXPECTATIONS OR AGREEMENTS.
ARRESTS, UH, ARE NOT MADE SOLELY ON THE IGG TEAM'S LEADS.
THERE MUST BE A DIRECT COMPARISON BETWEEN THE CRIME SCENE, DNA AND THE DNA FROM THE POTENTIAL SUSPECT.
THIS TECHNIQUE WAS USED TO ID THE SUSPECT IN THIS INVESTIGATION.
ADVANCEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNIQUES USING DNA, UH, ARE GIVEN THE FBI AND OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY AND ARREST VIOLENT CRIMINALS WHO HAVE BEEN HIDING FROM JUSTICE, SOMETIMES YEARS, SOMETIMES DECADES.
THIS SHOULD SERVE AS A WARNING.
WE WILL NOT STOP LOOKING FOR YOU.
THIS RECENT ARREST, UH, IS A SIGNIFICANT STEP TOWARDS JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS IN THIS CASE, THOSE WHO HAVE COME FORWARD, AND THOSE WHO HAVE YET TO COME FORWARD.
FBI HOUSTON, ALONG WITH HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, BELIEVES THERE MAY BE OTHER VICTIMS IN THIS CASE, AND WE ARE STARTING TO IDENTIFY OTHER VICTIMS IN THIS CASE.
IF YOU ARE, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
WE KNOW IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO DO SO, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT AND YOU DESERVE JUSTICE.
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ONE, ONE G.UH, NOW WE WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, AND I'LL DEFER TO MY BOSSES.
UH, YEAH, HE WAS ASKING IF, UH, UH, WHAT, WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED.
UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS JULY 22ND, IF THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, ALSO ASKED IF WE HAD A NUMBER TO CONTACT FOR THE COMPLAINANTS TO CONTACT.
THAT IS OUR ADULT SEX CRIMES UNIT OF THE SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION.
WHAT MADE INVESTIGATORS, UH, REOPEN THE CASE? IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT'S A REOPENING AS FAR AS WE BEGAN TO GET CODIS HITS, WHICH STARTED LINKING THE FOUR CASES AT THAT TIME.
UH, OUR PARTNERS WITH THE FBI AND, AND WE ALL GOT KIND OF TOGETHER AND STARTED WORKING ON THE CASE, WHICH LED TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUSPECT AND WHAT LED HIM TO SURVEILLANCE SERVICE.
IT'S WHAT, UH, OUR FBI DIRECTOR, UH, KIND OF MENTIONED, UH, REGARDING THE IGG TECHNOLOGY.
THROUGH THAT INVESTIGATION OF THE, UH, FAMILY TREE, WE IDENTIFIED ACTUALLY TWO POSSIBLE SUSPECTS.
UH, ONE WAS ELIMINATED THROUGH INVESTIGATIVE EFFORTS AND THE OTHER ONE WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THROUGH, UH, DNA AND TRUST THEM ABOUT VIEWERS.
MAYBE WONDERING WHAT TOOK SO LONG.
SO LIKE WHAT WAS THROUGH THE TIMELINE OF BASICALLY WHY IT TOOK THOSE AMOUNT OF TIME? YEAH, IT'S A CLASSIC COLD CASE INCIDENT.
YOU KNOW HOW, UH, WE LIKE TO WATCH THOSE ON TV, RIGHT? COLD CASE.
UH, AND SOMETIMES WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE LEAD FOR WHATEVER REASON, LIKE THE MAYOR, UH, MENTIONED.
AND THEN ONCE WE GET THAT ADVANCEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY, WHICH IS WHAT REALLY HELPED US ON THIS ONE, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO CONNECT ALL FOUR CASES AND, AND PROCEED.
AND I, I, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE MORE CASES INVOLVED.
SPEAKING OF THAT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN SAY ABOUT HIS MO OR THE LOCATIONS OF WHERE HE IS DONE, THESE WOMEN THAT MIGHT SPARK SOMEONE'S MEMORY, UM, TO HELP THEM? ALL FOUR CASES APPEAR TO OCCUR DURING THE LATE HOURS AT NIGHT.
UH, ALL FOUR FEMALES WERE WALKING FROM ONE LOCATION TO ANOTHER.
UH, THEY WERE APPROACHED, PROVIDED, OR GIVEN, OFFERED A RIDE.
ONCE THEY GOT INTO THE VEHICLE, THEY WERE TAKEN TO ANOTHER LOCATION WHERE THEY WERE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.
THEY WERE ALL IN THE NORTH PART OF HOUSTON.
UH, NORTH AND NORTHEAST IS OUR PATROL DISTRICTS, BUT NORTH, NORTH HOUSTON AS WELL.
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OH, SORRY.HAVE YOU CONFIRMED THAT THE 1988 CASE THAT RECENTLY, UH, A VICTIM CONTACTED HPD ABOUT IS SHE CONFIRMED THAT SHE WAS A VICTIM? NO, ALL THAT, JUST, SHE CONTACTED US AFTER SEEING THE PICTURE.
ONE OF THE NEWS, UH, HAD RELEASED THAT BOOKING PHOTO AND ADVISED THAT SHE BELIEVED THAT WAS A MALE THAT HAD SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER.
OUR DETECTIVES ARE JUST IN THE INITIAL PHASE OF FOLLOWING UP WITH HER AND, UH, FINDING OUT IF WE CAN TIE HIM TO THAT ONE AS WELL.
YOU HAD MENTIONED HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN, UM, A TRUCKER, I THINK.
DID HE PICK UP THESE WOMEN ALLEGEDLY IN, UH, A, A TWO WHEELER? NO, NOT THE LOCAL CASES.
UM, WE DO KNOW THAT WE TRACED HIM BACK TO BEING UP.
HE, HE GREW UP IN THAT AREA, SO HE KNEW THAT AREA WELL.
AND HE HAD NEVER BEEN ARRESTED IN A WAY THAT HE WAS REQUIRED TO GIVE HIS A TO A AUTHOR.
HE HAD MULTIPLE ARRESTS, BUT NONE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED RELATED OR, UM, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS ISN'T A CASE WHERE KITS WERE SITTING ON A SHELF.
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT, THAT THESE WOMEN COMPLETED THE KITS AND THE KITS WERE TESTED, THERE WAS JUST NO SUSPECT TO MATCH THEM TO AFTER.
AND, AND THE FIRST LINK THAT WE GOT WAS JUST A CASE TO CASE LINK.
IT WASN'T A CONNECTION TO AN ACTUAL PERSON.
ALL FOUR CASES CONNECTED FROM THE PROFILES THAT WERE ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM SAYING, HEY, THIS IS THE SAME SUSPECT AS D THESE THREE OTHER CASES.
UM, NOT TO GET TOO FAR FIELD, BUT SOMETHING SIMILAR HAPPENED WITH, UH, PEROT RECENTLY IN THE, IN THE, UH, LOVER'S LANE CASE, THERE WERE SOME DNA FOR VICTIMS, BUT NOT HIS, HIS DA.
UM, HAS HE BEEN TO COURT? I BELIEVE HE'S ALREADY HAD HIS COURT DATE.
UH, HE STANDS AT NO BOND, IF I'M CORRECT.
IS HE FACING ANY ADDITIONAL CHARGES AS OF TODAY, OR IS IT STILL THE TWO CHARGES YOU BELIEVE? WE WERE ABLE TO CHARGE HIM IN TWO CASES THROUGH THE DA'S OFFICE.
UH, THERE, THERE MIGHT BE APP PENDING, AND THEN OF COURSE IF ANYBODY REACHES OUT TO US, WE'LL INVESTIGATE THOSE AND, AND HOPEFULLY CHARGE 'EM WITH ADDITIONAL CHARGES.
THERE WAS NO, LIKE, UH, PARTICULARLY THERE WAS DIFFERENT RACES INVOLVED IN THE VICTIMS, SO NOTHING THAT, AND DIFFERENT AGES AS WELL.
SO NOTHING THAT HE WAS LIKE TARGETING A CERTAIN SPECIFIC AGE OR, OR, OR RACE.
WHAT SPECIFICALLY LED INVESTIGATORS TO BELIEVE THERE COULD BE MORE VICTIMS OUTSIDE OF THESE FOREIGN CASES? JUST THE SPAN OF THE OCCURRENCES OF ALL THE CASES.
JUST THE FACT THAT WE HAD ONE FROM 1997 AND THERE WAS A BREAK IN BETWEEN THOSE.
SO WE USUALLY BELIEVE THAT THERE MIGHT BE MORE.
UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY ONCE THAT ARREST WAS MADE, WE ALREADY GOTTEN CALLS FROM THE 1980, THE POSSIBLE 1988 CASE.
SO WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT NOT ONLY HERE LOCALLY, BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY NOT, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
IF HE WAS A TRUCK DRIVER, HOW LONG WAS HE A TRUCK DRIVER FOR? HE ADVISED US THAT MAYBE ABOUT, UH, HE DROVE ABOUT 16 YEARS, 10 YEARS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE NATION AND SIX YEARS LOCALLY.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR UNIT? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH COLD CASES? UM, HOW MANY, HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU HAVE? SO RIGHT NOW FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT, UH, CASES, THERE'S TWO DEDICATED, UH, PERSONNEL TO COLD CASES.
AND THEN WE HAVE A HOMICIDE DIVISION THAT DOES COLD CASE MURDERS AS WELL.
UM, ALWAYS COULD USE MORE PEOPLE, BUT IT, IT'S WHAT WE'VE DEDICATED TO NOW, IT'S SEXUAL ASSAULT'S, A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED THAN MURDER CASES JUST BECAUSE OF THE EVIDENCE AND TRYING DNA AND THEIR SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
AND DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY OLD UNSOLVED SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES? I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER, SIR.
UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, BUT THIS IS ON A SEPARATE NOTE FOR THE CHIEF.
UM, SO CHIEF, MY UNDERSTANDING IS TODAY, UH, HPD WHAT YOU WANTED TO KNOW, IS THERE LIKE AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION THAT'S BEING CONDUCTED INTO THE ABRAHAM WIGS DEATH FOLLOWING THE JULY 1ST PURSUIT? MY UNDERSTANDING IS FAMILY IS HERE IN THE BUILDING RIGHT NOW.
OR WERE THIS MORNING PARENTS, WERE GONNA BE WATCHING SOME DASH CAM CAMERA.
THAT A VIDEO THAT WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IF YOU COULD WELL, WELL, THAT'S STANDARD IN ANY KIND OF EVENT LIKE THAT.
SO THE FAMILY IS HERE, UH, COMPLETING THE CRITICAL INCIDENT PROCEDURE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
SO THAT'S WHY THE FAMILY IS HERE.
UH, WILL THE DASH CAM VIDEO BE MADE PUBLIC TO
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MADE PUBLIC AND WHEN, UH, IT'LL WITHIN THE 30 DAY WINDOW THAT WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DETAILS YOU CAN, WELL, AGAIN, IT'S STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION, SO I KIND WANNA COMMENT OUTSIDE OF THAT INVESTIGATIVE WINDOW TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE PROCESS IS FAIR TO EVERYONE INVOLVED.