Darrion Holiwell, Criminal and Corrupt Cop / King County Sheriff's Office (Seattle, WA) / Part 2

Which brings me to the point that I would principally like to make.

I believe that the final disposition, for Darrion Holiwell, and the other departmental personnel involved, will be relatively minor.  Why?  Because the Sheriff will try to minimize the severity of the issue to protect the department and his own reputation as an administrator.  The King County Sheriff, John Urquhart, should be, I suppose, offered some slack in that he has been the Sheriff for less than one year.  But, he has been a member of said Sheriff’s Office for decades.  That he had no knowledge of Holiwell’s dubious behavior over the last many years, is really hard to accept.

When I was in corporate security for a major company, I investigated an embezzlement which occurred at one of our facilities.  The Purchasing Agent was responsible for the theft – and the inquiry reflected that no one else, with the company, was involved or had knowledge of the theft.  I remember the subsequent telephone conference call with the CEO of our company.  I sat in an office with the Mill Manager, and listened to the CEO’s directives.  He said he had read my report and thought about it.  As a result, the Purchasing Agent was to be terminated and I was to coordinate my findings with local law enforcement to ascertain whether or not prosecution was indicated.  We all agreed.  Secondly, the CEO directed that the Mill’s Controller / Accountant be terminated.  I attempted to interject that there was no indication whatsoever that the Accountant was aware of the misappropriation.  However, the CEO cut me off.  ‘Mr. Nelson,’ he said, ‘it doesn’t matter to me whether or not the accountant was aware of the theft.  It was his job to be aware.  He was the supervisor.  He is to be terminated.’  I saw the look on the Mill Manager’s face.  He was thinking that he might be next.  That did not occur – at least at that particular moment.  And, would have been, of course, something the CEO probably wouldn’t have done in my presence.

My question here is who was supervising Holiwell?  How many others were involved or knew what was going on, but did nothing?  These factors will be exposed in court in excruciating detail in any subsequent trial.  Therefore, a trial of Holiwell is one of the last things the Sheriff wants to see.

I think Holiwell will be fired or more likely resign.  He may be asked to make some sort of restitution.  If there is a conviction, it will be for a misdemeanor.  I think Holiwell will not serve any serious jail time.  The Sheriff will make some meaningless personnel reassignments within the department (a smoke screen).  The issue will drag-on for a period of time until the public generally loses interest.  The smoke will clear.  Business as usual.

True Nelson

Darrion Holiwell, criminal and corrupt cop / King County Sheriff’s Office (Seattle, WA)

We see this sort of thing happen too often.  Another corrupt cop, Darrion Holiwell, age 49, a deputy with King County in Washington (Seattle) has been charged with a major theft from his employer, using and distributing illegal drugs (to include steroids), and promoting a prostitution business involving his wife.  Holiwell is currently being held in the King County Jail with bail set at $150,000.

In the grand scheme of criminal endeavors, Holiwell’s alleged crimes aren’t that big of a deal.  Crime-wise, his offenses are undistinguished.  He is in the same league as countless other two-bit criminals.  Nonetheless, he portends to be a police officer; and he has betrayed the public trust.  If convicted, he deserves to be made an example and should receive the commensurate punishment; a punishment, so to speak, on steroids.

Holiwell has apparently been involved in thefts and other crimes for quite some time.  But, reportedly, this all came as a big surprise to the Sheriff and his supervisory staff.  The cat was let out of the bag when Holiwell’s wife started talking to one of Holiwell’s previous wives about her current abuse at the hands of Deputy Holiwell.  The prior wife reported that conversation to someone she knew at the Sheriff’s Office – and an inquiry was belatedly initiated.  As they might say, at that point, the stuff hit the fan.

This reminded me of a case, years back, when I was a deputy sheriff.  The SO arrested five or six men for Statutory Rape, later reduced to Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.  It involved a fifteen-year-old girl.  I happened to see the girl in the office on one occasion.  She certainly didn’t look fifteen – somewhat older – but that is, under law, not particularly relevant.  One of the men arrested was a member of the local police department.  The others were mostly young men in their late teens or early twenties.

Each of the young men ultimately was convicted and received probation.  The cop, on the other hand, upon conviction, was sentenced to three years in the Oregon State Penitentiary.  As I recall the judge lectured the police officer on ‘trust’ and that law enforcement officers should always be held to a higher standard or suffer the consequences.  It is an imperative that the public has trust in their law enforcement personnel.  And, in fact, for law enforcement personnel, it is sometimes not enough to be honest – the public must also perceive them to be honest, which requires a higher level of personal conduct.

Most current and former law enforcement personnel have honored that trust; but many have not.  For those criminally inclined cops, the consequences should be severe, and in the above described instance (for the police officer) they were.

However, I wanted to make another point; perhaps, a more important consideration in the King County Sheriff’s Office investigation.

To be continued…

True Nelson

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl / This Veteran's Opinion (Part 2)

One of the positive aspects of having a blog is that, occasionally, your comments strike a chord with a reader; and they, in turn, offer their own opinion – which I always welcome.

Regarding Bowe Bergdahl, ‘Anonymous’ made the following points:

Point #1:  Her husband was a “Marine Scout in Vietnam,” fought in many battles, came home injured – and he does not agree with my assessment of what Bergdahl’s final punishment or disposition should be – that it should be much more severe – and that he considers Berdahl’s acts to be desertion in time of war, and probably treason.  The former Marine feels that Bergdahl should, at minimum, spend significant time in prison.

Point #2:  Anonymous said that she has a problem with the trade for Bergdahl; the five for one swap, that she was bothered by trading five “Muslim Extremists” for Bergdahl.  Although, she seemed to agree that it is a good thing that Bergdahl has been ‘recovered’ from the Muslim extremists.  Furthermore, she expressed concern that the extremists seemed to have dictated the circumstances of Bergdahl’s release from captivity.

Anonymous, I hope I was able to summarize your principal points.  For those who wish to read the entire comment from this lady, they can read it under my earlier post on Bergdahl.

But, here are my thoughts…

Your husband is probably right.  Perhaps, my recommendation was a little lenient under the circumstances.  Moreover, additional information, aggravating information, seems to be materializing on almost a daily basis.  Now, believe it or not, Hollywood is planning to make a movie about Bergdahl’s life and adventures.  It kind of makes one sick to their stomach; especially in that almost none of the Hollywood types have ever served in the military and the movie is sure to be a sympathetic rendition.

OK, in my initial post on this subject, I attempted to skirt the political aspects of this case; but they may be becoming increasingly relevant.  I swallowed hard when Susan Rice, the President’s National Security Advisor, described Bergdahl’s military service in Afghanistan as him having served “with honor and distinction.”  Ms. Rice is, in my opinion, little more than the President’s ‘groupie.’  Yes, I know she’s smart.  But, look at her closely.  She is a ‘Stepford’ politician (remember the motion picture, The Stepford Wives which was based on a novel by Ira Levin).  So, we shouldn’t be shocked by what Susan Rice has simply been programed to say.

Regarding the five-for-one trade, that’s no surprise.  Western countries are always on the short-end when it comes to trading prisoners.  Why?  Maybe, it’s because we value life more than they do.  Look at the Israelis, they sometimes trade hundreds of prisoners for the return of one of theirs.  In this instance, maybe the Muslim extremists currently sense American weakness or vulnerability.

Anonymous, historically speaking, as your husband may recall, President Carter, in 1977, pardoned hundreds-of-thousands of ‘draft dodgers,’ as well as approximately 1000 military deserters.  So, it is very likely that if there is too much pushback directed at Bergdahl, President Obama will jump in with a sugar-coated pardon of his own.

For me, personally, I wish it would just go away.  I would like Bergdahl to return to Hailey, Idaho; and that I’d never hear about him again.  Will he live out the remainder of his life in disgrace?  No, I doubt it.  This country swims in apologists who will continue to rationalize the actions of ‘deserters’ or other serious criminal offenders.  Now there is an increasing political movement to give voting rights back to convicted felons and current prisoners.  After all, they have political opinions too and an inalienable right to participate (attempt at sarcasm).  (Incidentally, this challenge is mostly pushed forward by Democrats.  Surprised?  Well, statistics show that criminals, when not otherwise occupied, predominantly vote Democrat.)

‘Honor and distinction,’ ‘right and wrong,’ ‘harmful actions should warrant severe consequences,’ are concepts that have already been nearly rationalized out of existence.  I’m not sure what the words even mean anymore.  Maybe, they actually mean nothing?  It just depends.  Everything is relative and subject to a nuanced interpretation.  Right?  Am I as guilty of this as the next guy?  Yes, I probably am.

True Nelson

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl / This Veteran's Opinion

The other day, I was having some minor work done on my truck.  The young mechanic came up to me and said, “I noticed you’re a vet; and I just want to thank you for your service.”  I should explain that in Oregon there are many variations of vehicle plates, one of which reflects that you were a military veteran.  I responded, “Well, thank you, that was many years ago.”  I shook his hand.

Driving home, I started thinking about the young man’s comment.  Perhaps the plates indicated to him and maybe some others that I was searching for, or felt deserving of, a compliment, a thank you, a pat on the back.  That was not my intention.  As I said before, in Oregon, they have many different license plates for which you must pay a little extra.  The little extra is generally dedicated to what might be considered a good cause like veterans’ programs, save the salmon, build more bicycle paths, support a local college (aka football team), etc.  As a veteran, and I am proud of that fact, I felt I was making a small contribution to Oregon veterans; although, I’m not exactly sure how that money is allocated.  Nonetheless, I thought I’d let others worry about the salmon.

I was in the military for four years during the Vietnam era.   I spent two years in Southeast Asia.  I suppose there were some hardships associated with that.  I didn’t see my wife for nearly a year.  I didn’t have an opportunity to see my son until he was six-months-old.  But, I wasn’t any hero – that’s for sure.  And, I don’t pretend to be one.

The military was a job.  I’ve always felt the military did me a favor.  In my estimation, they changed me for the better.  Does that sound strange?  There was, perhaps, a little danger involved, but that only added to the excitement.  All things considered, the military was a good experience.  I was given a lot of responsibility for personnel and equipment – a degree of responsibility that was never matched in my later careers.  Yes, and that included being an Agent in the FBI.

I guess what I’m trying to say is if you want to thank a veteran that’s fine.  But, let’s not forget to thank so many others who may very well be equally deserving:  farmers, nurses, emergency personnel, teachers, mill workers, miners; and even (I might add) the young man who worked on my truck.

There are, of course, true heroes in the military past and present.  Admittedly, their opinion on the following should have more credibility than my own.  However, here is one veteran’s opinion regarding Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.  I’m glad he’s coming home.

From what I’ve heard, he no doubt would be rightfully considered a ‘deserter.’  In times past, he would have been shot or hanged.  But, times are different now.

For the men who searched for and suffered attempting to recover Bergdahl, one can only say that was their mission, their job.  They did it, and for those that survived, they are better men for it.  Their job was damage control, not ‘rescue’ as has been so often described in the media.  Deserters cannot be rescued.  Deserters are recovered to prevent further damage to the overall mission.  However, I understand that this concept may not make a whole lot of sense to non-military types.

Bergdahl is and was a very troubled individual.  He has suffered for his actions.  He will continue to suffer the remainder of his life.  He should be given a General Discharge (not an Honorable Discharge) and allowed to go home.  One other thing.  He doesn’t deserve, nor would he expect, a parade or a community celebration when he returns to Idaho.  Any community that would organize such a celebration dishonors all veterans; and, as a community, brings shame upon their collective-selves.

True Nelson

Kyron Horman / Four Years Since He Went Missing from an Elementary School

Four years ago, today, Kyron Horman disappeared without a trace from Skyline Elementary School; a school within the Portland School District.

I've written many blog posts on the Kyron disappearance and the resulting search and inquiry.  I wish I had something current of significance to offer, but I do not.

What apparently we do have is a near perfect crime.  Or, more likely, an inept investigation by the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, and a County Prosecutor's Office that has been intimidated into inaction by a top-notch criminal defense attorney, Steve Houze.  Furthermore, we have had no fortuitously developed breaks in the case - something we can all continue to hope for.

Whether or not we will ever see a solution to Kyron's disappearance is becoming increasing doubtful.

True Nelson

Elliot Rodger, age 22 / Mass Murder at Isla Vista, California / Near UC Santa Barbara

I’ve read a large portion of Elliot’s ‘manifesto.’  Manifesto:  Haven’t you grown to hate that word?  It once was a respectable word generally meaning setting forth one’s public policies.  Not now – from the Unabomber (Ted Kaczynski) to Elliot Rodger, serial killers and mass murderers have a name for their insane, written, invariably and extensively published ramblings.

I’m not going to show a picture of Elliot Rodger.  The one we’ve all seen kind of gives one the creeps.  I’m not going to quote his words, I’ve thought about them enough.  I do have some thoughts about this tragedy, based on my life experience.  And, some of you might be interested.

First, please don’t blame this tragedy on guns.  That explanation is so ill-considered and uninformed that it hardly warrants an explanation.  Guns are ubiquitous in American society and always have been.  For those of you who can remember back fifty years – as I can.  Could you name one family during that period who didn’t have some sort of gun in the household?  I never lived in a major city like some of you have.  Perhaps, big city dwellers can think of a family; but I can’t.  I wasn’t exactly raised in the ‘boondocks,’ just typical America where people hunted for sport and to augment their food supply; or just enjoyed plinking.  I was shooting a BB gun in grade school; pistols, rifles and shotguns in Junior and Senior High School.  Guns can’t explain Elliot.  No, something is different about our modern culture and it isn’t guns.

To blame guns is simplistic.  It is an explanation used by politicians to simplify a very complicated issue.  To say we need more gun control is a nonsensical cliché, and an inane answer to a complex issue.  Yes, of course, guns can kill.  Knives can kill.  Cars can kill.  Each method of which Elliot used in his rampage.  He also planned arson to increase the body count.

Well, it might be said, he hated women; sorry I don’t buy it.  I think that was the rationalization of his twisted mind.  After all, he also planned to kill his stepmother and brother.  If he hated women, he would have wanted nothing to do with women.  It sounds to me like he desperately wanted a relationship with a woman.  He railed at the injustice of being a 22-year-old virgin.  Well, a short drive to Nevada in his parents’ purchased BMW, wearing his five hundred dollar sweater, would have solved that problem.  More likely, Elliot hated himself.

So what caused this?

I think the number one problem is the overall breakdown and ineffectiveness of our mental health system.  We used to put the mentally ill in hospitals, sometimes against their will, so that they could be treated.  Now, they live under a bridge and beg on the streets.  Society has failed these people.  Society failed Elliot and his victims.  Elliot was a troubled, to say the least, young man who had been receiving psychological therapy from the age of eight.  He was a person that should have never been allowed to purchase a gun ‘legally;’ but he did.  And, as we know, California has some of the strictest gun laws in the Nation.  Someone, probably more than one so-called medical expert, failed Elliot and society; and contributed to the death of six innocent young people.

Secondly, the news media deserves some of the blame.  They give too much publicity to these events.  They tell us everything we didn’t particularly want to know about the murderer’s background, family, friends, etc.  They create an instant celebrity.  And why do they do it?  Three reasons:  money, money, and more money.

Third, our children are overexposed to violence to the point of being desensitized by movies, television, video games, etc.  That’s modern entertainment folks.

Fourth, I think, based on my experience, if we knew the whole story we would learn that there were serious family issues and trauma involved – as seems to be the case in many of these murder sprees by young men and boys.

True Nelson

The Fatal Shooting of Diren Dede, a German Exchange Student / Missoula, Montana (Postscript)

I’m looking for the proper words here.  Is it ironic or paradoxical, or just plain tragic that Diren Dede was shot and killed.  His death, at the hands of Markus Kaarma, was apparently set in motion by the previous illegal actions of one Tristan Stabler and a juvenile associate.  Can we, therefore, postulate that Diren gave his life so that Tristan and / or, perhaps, the juvenile should live?

Stabler and the juvenile have admitted to the two previous burglaries.  Being successful, on the first two occasions without consequences, it is almost certain Stabler would have returned to the open and inviting garage.  Some might opine that, if Stabler was smart, he would not go back to the same house.  It has been my professional experience that petty thieves generally do not have that level of circumspection.  As they say it’s not rocket science.

The Dede killing is more tragic in the sense that, the night he was killed, it was his first venture into Kaarma’s open garage.  What was Dede’s actual motivation?  Was his intention to steal?  Or was it simply immature curiosity?  We will never know.  However, it makes one remember the foolish things that we all did as teenagers.

Life is never fair.  That is a lesson of which we must be continually reminded.

True Nelson