Buffalo Cold Case

[samanthajane13]

Cold Case Squad clears a dozen old murder cases in just two years

DNA helps, but so do old-fashioned investigative techniques

By Gene Warner NEWS STAFF REPORTER Updated: 01/21/08 7:56 AM

Detectives solved one 33-year-old murder when the key suspect spit into a snowbank, and the detective scooped up the spittle, then compared it with the DNA on fingernail clippings taken from the homicide scene. It was a match.

Another homicide, from 1994, was cleared when a reluctant witness agreed to talk about the shooting death years later — but only after the key suspect had been shot to death in a barroom brawl.

And Cold Case Squad detectives cracked one of their first cases two years ago, helped by lab tests on DNA taken from the stockings used to tie a 68-year-old woman’s wrists to a bedpost.

The Buffalo police Cold Case Squad is thriving.

By definition, these detectives tackle the hardest cases, homicides lacking a smoking gun or a quick confession.

The squad, with only three detectives, has cleared about a dozen old homicides since it was formed in March 2006.

Advances in DNA technology, of course, have been the key.

But detectives also rely on the more traditional gumshoe techniques — scanning databases of old homicides, rereading old case files, looking for new witnesses, re-interviewing old witnesses and resubmitting physical evidence to the Erie County Central Police Services labs.

And, oddly enough, they rely on strong detective work and exhaustive police reports from their predecessors to provide them the leads they’re chasing years later.

Detectives Lissa M. Redmond, Charles Aronica and Dennis A. Delano — and a former squad member, Detective Mary E. Gugliuzza — have shed new light on old cases. They’ve brought some comfort or closure to the families of Barbara Lloyd, Alvin Cosby and Sandra Hainesworth, among others.

Now the families of Timothy Dzialak, Edward Myers Jr., Jermaine H. Lloyd and Journey W. Cooper III hope the cold-case detectives can help those four victims rest in peace also.

“This is the last thing in the world I can do for my only son,” said Dzialak’s mother, Louella. “I want to go to Timmy’s grave and say they’ve been put away for what they did.”

In all three of these cases, surviving family members have pushed hard for detectives to reopen their cases.

“I call them every week,” Louella Dzialak said. “I’m like a thorn in their side. I don’t care. That’s my son.”

Even armed with the new DNA technology, cold-case detectives still are stymied by the same problems that prevented homicide detectives from making an arrest immediately after any killing.

That’s the case with Timothy Dzialak, the victim of a particularly gruesome killing.

‘It’s going on 10 years’

On Nov. 8, 1998 , Dzialak’s body was found near railroad tracks in the city’s Black Rock section. He had been shot in the chest and his body set on fire.

No physical evidence has been linked to a possible killer. No one has come forward to tell police exactly what happened. And at least one of the people last seen with Dzialak has refused to talk with detectives, on the advice of his attorney.

Louella Dzialak is convinced that revenge was the motive. The father of two of his friends had stabbed Timothy Dzialak in the knee a few weeks earlier, police had charged.

She believes that four or five young people her son was with the night before he was killed, including the two brothers, were “in the thick” of the events surrounding his killing.

Cold Case Squad detectives aren’t so sure that there was any motive like that. They say Dzialak, 25, was involved in a couple of shoving matches that night while drinking with friends.

“This group of people, on weekends, they would drink heavily, and it wasn’t out of the ordinary for them to get into confrontations with each other,” Aronica said. “The alcohol could have triggered the murder.”

Louella Dzialak and the cold-case detectives agree that a larger group of people — including the killers’ friends and relatives — could help them solve the case.

“Nobody wants to say anything,” Redmond said. “People definitely know who did what, but no one’s willing to take that leap and come forward and give us names.”

In Louella Dzialak’s mind, that’s another crime that has occurred in this case.

“In my heart, the people who know about it and haven’t come forward are just as guilty,” she said.

To stir up new interest in the case, Buffalo police last week posted an item on their Web site, announcing an old $10,000 reward still in effect in the case. That came after some prodding from Louella Dzialak. Anyone with any information on this or any other case can call the department’s confidential tip line at 847-2255.

In her many phone calls and meetings, Dzialak has gotten to know the Cold Case Squad detectives. She says she likes both Aronica and Redmond. But there remain tensions between a still-grieving mother and the detectives hoping to crack the case.

“They say they’re working on it, but you wonder if they really are working as hard as they say they are,” she said. “It’s going on 10 years.”

The Dzialak case shows one key principle guiding the Cold Case Squad — not getting blinded by focusing on one or two possible suspects.

What about the possible involvement of the two brothers whose father was accused of stabbing Dzialak?

“It’s a possibility,” Aronica said. “I’m not eliminating anyone [Dzialak] was with that night.”

Advances in technology

Focusing on one suspect is a cardinal sin in homicide investigations. That’s why family members sometimes are convinced they know who killed their relative, while police try to keep a more open mind.

“The worst mistake you can make is to focus on one person, because then you rule out everybody else,” Redmond said. “You have to keep your options open, or you eliminate your investigative avenues.”

Cold Case Squad detectives insist that no case has higher priority than any other one. They scan computer lists of homicides and reread old files, looking for cases that are solvable even after several years. Often they send old physical evidence back to the police lab, looking for DNA results that weren’t obtainable years ago.

Continued-

[samanthajane13]

“They had no concept of DNA in the 1970s and ’80s,” Redmond said. “That was like ‘Star Trek.’ They didn’t save items we could get DNA off now, like a set of car keys found at the scene. Where they dusted for fingerprints, now we swab for DNA.”

Redmond cited a key piece of evidence in the recent Bike Path Killer case to make a point about the new methods now available.

“If we had told a cop in 1977 that in 2007 we could tell who committed a crime by a microscopic drop of sweat on a steering column, they would laugh at us,” she said.

Similarly, Redmond pointed out that a dead end in a case today might not be a dead end two years from now, the way technology is developing so quickly.

3 victims, 3 families

Cold Case Squad detectives get to know many grieving families from old cases, like Dzialak’s — mothers and brothers and children of homicide victims who still are consumed by their loved one’s unsolved killing.

The detectives mentioned their continuing investigations into the slayings of three other victims whose relatives have been pushing hard for the crimes to be solved:

• Edward Myers Jr., 29, whose body was found at Guernsey and Farmer streets Oct. 18, 1992 , with several stab wounds. Detectives believe he might have been involved in a fight at a bar on Hertel Avenue .

“Once again, we have people of interest,” Redmond said. “We think there is more than one person involved.”

• Jermaine H. Lloyd, 29, whose body was found Nov. 4, 2001 . He was kidnapped, held for ransom and then found shot to death in a vehicle on Humber Avenue , police said.

Detectives believe he might have been set up to be robbed in a drug-related crime. They also know that more than one person had to be involved in the plot.

“We know there are people out there who know what happened, and we want to talk to them,” Aronica said.

• Journey W. Cooper III, 17, whose body was found in a Grant Street stairwell June 2, 2005 , after he had been tortured and shot.

“We believe it’s gang-related,” Redmond said. “We have a number of people of interest. We just need a witness to come forward to tighten up the case.”

Detectives would love nothing more than cracking these cases.

“It’s very satisfying to solve it and call the family,” Aronica said. “The family never forgets.”

Dzialak has another reason for wanting her son’s case closed. Not only does she want to go to her son’s grave and tell him his killers have been caught, she also wants to be able to answer the questions and concerns of Timothy’s son, William, 10.

She said, “He tells me all the time, ‘The bad people should be put away for what they did, Grandma. The police should be able to get them.’ ”

gwarner@buffnews.com

http://www.bpdthenandnow.com/coldcasesquad.html

[samanthajane13]

Brutally murdered man
discovered
Family waiting for justice

Last Edited: Saturday, 08 Nov 2008, 11:00 PM EST
Created On: Saturday, 08 Nov 2008, 6:10 PM EST

* Rob Macko

BUFFALO, N.Y - A man is discovered brutally murdered in Buffalo.

Ten years later, family members are waiting for a killer to be brought to justice.

Timothy Dzialak's mother said she knows exactly who killed her son.

She's upset the wheels of justice aren't turning faster, and because one of the detectives was taken off the case.

Saturday ten years ago, homicide detectives converged on the field near the railroad tracks on Chandler Street in Black Rock.

That's where they found the body of 25-year-old Timothy Dzialak, who was badly beaten, shot, and burned.

Timothy's son William was just 15 months old at the time, never got to know his dad.

Timothy's mother Louella said she's called the police department every week for the past ten years.

?We need justice. They've had this case long enough. It's not like it's a who dunnit, they know who did it. Get them and put them away,? said Louella.

Louella Dzialak believes four people were involved in her son's murder.

She said cold case detectives told her they're about to do some new DNA testing on evidence from the crime scene.

She's concerned because the police department recently transferred Cold Case Detective Lissa Redmond to the Sex Offense Squad.

?My thing is why would they let Lissa Redmond go. I don't care what the reason is, there's a group, they're solving cases, and if they have such a good record as they're claiming they do, then you don't break up the team,? said Louella.

Mike DeGeorge, Buffalo Police Spokesman said, ?It would be false and inaccurate to think that Lissa is the only individual who has worked on this case.?

Buffalo Police said they're taking the case seriously.

They say they sympathize with a grieving family who wants closure.

Police won't comment on specific evidence, but say there may be new evidence that leads to an arrest.

?You don't get, or you don't have 17 cold cases solved this year alone if you're not doing the right things,? said DeGeorge.

Louella said she will continue praying for police to solve the case, and keep calling them every week until they do.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/Brutall...vered_20081108

[samanthajane13]

11/08/08 07:05 AM
COLD CASE
DNA may lead to breakthrough in solving murder
By Gene Warner NEWS STAFF REPORTER

When Louella Dzialak goes to her son Timothy’s grave in Acacia Park Cemetery in Pendleton today — the 10th anniversary of his gruesome killing — she’d love to tell him that his killers have been caught.

That’s not going to happen.

But there could be a breakthrough in the case, law enforcement sources said Friday.

New, more sophisticated DNA tests on old evidence found at the killing site in Buffalo’s Black Rock area have yielded some results that could lead authorities to at least one of Dzialak’s killers.

“We got some positive results [on DNA tests] that hopefully, at some point, could solve the case,” one source familiar with the test results said. That source refused to elaborate.

Timothy Dzialak, 25, died on Nov. 8, 1998, when he was shot in the chest and his body was set on fire near railroad tracks in the Black Rock section.

Detectives have some physical evidence from the case, including saliva found on a cigarette butt, a beer bottle and a plastic milk jug discovered near his body.

Those detectives hope that the ever- more-sophisticated nature of DNA testing could provide the breakthrough that cracks this case, after a decade of trying.

Louella Dzialak admits she has been a thorn in the side to authorities, calling homicide detectives at least once a week for the last 10 years. And she’s a frequent visitor to her son’s grave.

“I’d love to tell him that [his killers] have been put away, so his soul can rest,” she said Friday. “His son is 11 years old. I want him to know that people who do this can’t get away with it.”

Louella Dzialak says she knows of at least five people who were with her son that night, people she believes either were involved or knew what happened.

“I definitely know who did it,” she said. “It’s not a puzzle to me. It’s not a puzzle to homicide [detectives].”

But Buffalo homicide and Cold Case detectives have been stymied by the same problems that kept them from making an arrest shortly after the killing.

No physical evidence has been linked to a possible killer. No one has come forward to tell police exactly what happened. And at least one of the people last seen with Dzialak has refused to talk with detectives, on the advice of his attorney.

“We’re aggressively pursuing all avenues to solve this case, like other [old] cases we’re working on,” Deputy Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda said. “We’re working diligently to solve all of them.”

So far this year, Derenda said, detectives have solved 17 homicides from previous years., nine or 10 from last year and the rest from earlier.

Louella Dzialak, though, is upset that Detective Lissa M. Redmond, who has worked diligently on the cold case, has been transferred back to the Sex Offense Squad from the Cold Case Squad.

“She’s gung-ho on these cases, and she’s a mother. She knows what I’m going through,” Dzialak said. “But for some reason, they took her off the Cold Case Squad.”

Derenda explained why the detective was sent back to the Sex Offense Squad.

“She’s a good detective,” the deputy commissioner said. “She was on loan to Cold Case, and now she’s assigned back to SOS for no other reason than need.”

Other sources said the highly respected Redmond was sent back to the Sex Offense Squad to fill a slot working with the Family Justice Center.

Dzialak plans to meet with Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson next week, to continue pushing her son’s case and question Redmond’s transfer from the Cold Case Squad.

“Timmy’s just a statistic to them, but he’s my only son,” she said. “I’m his only advocate. I won’t give up, if it’s the last breath I take.”

gwarner@buffnews.com

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregio...7717.html[

[samanthajane13]

Cold Case Controversy: Why Was Detective Re-assigned?
Story Published: Nov 7, 2008 at 4:05 AM EST

Story Updated: Nov 7, 2008 at 4:05 AM EST



Its been 10 years this week that a Blackrock man was murdered and his killer is still on the loose. The case is in the hands of the Buffalo Police Department's Cold Case Squad. But the victim's family feels they are now being shut out of the investigation because a detective on that case was suddenly reassigned last week.

After years of dead ends, and unreturned phone calls the Dzialak family was thrilled when Detective Lisa Redmond came on the case. They believe she was making progress and was on the brink of an important evidential discovery, when she was pulled off the case last Friday. Tonight the victim's family is frustrated and they want answers.

Its been 10 years. Timothy Dzialak would be 35 years old. But his family hasn't moved on because they're haunted by what happened on November 8, 1998.

"We believe he bled out from his gunshot wound," said Carrie Spencer, Timothy's sister.

Timothy's body was discovered in this field near the family's house, burned beyond recognition. An autopsy listed his cause of death as a gunshot wound to the chest with a loss of blood. It is believed the body was burned postmortem. Although the family says there are suspects in his murder, no one has ever been arrested. "I want my son's case solved. I know it's a solvable case. They should solve his case," said Louella Dzialak, the victim's mother.

The family believed that was possible when Timmy's case was taken over by the Cold Case Squad in 2006. They speak warmly of Detective Lisa Redmond, who they say goes the extra mile. "Lisa Redmond, when we call her up, we don't get that answer that we'll get back to you. Lisa is up front with us. She says this is what I'm doing this week. I will call you on Friday and let you know how it went," said Spencer.

So last Friday, Timothy's mother was quite upset when she found out that Redmond had been transferred to the Sex Crimes Unit. "She did not request a transfer at all," said Dzialak.

Buffalo Police spokesman Mike DeGeorge would not confirm if Redmond had been re-assigned, saying it's a personnel matter. "It is not uncommon for people to be shifted to other positions," he told us.

When Eyewitness News called the Cold Case Squad today, the person who picked up the phone also told us that Redmond had been reassigned.

"So you're gonna put a new body in there and they gotta start from square one. We want Lisa back. We want Lisa back on the case. That's our main purpose is to get her back in that office," said Spencer.

The Dzialak family points to a February 2006 report done by the New York State Commission of Investigation on Timothy's murder. It found "significant problems in the police department's investigation." The commission also recommended that BPD assigned a "dedicated case detective to each investigation." The family says pulling a detective off the case now contradicts the report and defeats the purpose of the Cold Case Squad. DeGeorge said "The Cold Case Squad was formed when the mayor took office in January of 2006 and any report from February of 2006 was clearly well in the works before this administration came into power."

"There's 27 pages of how they screwed things up. But you know what? You move forward, and Lisa took the reins and she was moving forward," said Spencer.

The family says Redmond was about to submit new evidence for DNA profiling that could have pointed them to a killer. "She had a very good feeling about this new testing that's coming out," said Dzialak.

But the family is left with questions tonight. Was the evidence tested? Who's handling their case now? And why was Detective Redmond transferred out? "Its too fishy," said Dzialak.

Eyewitness News was not able to get in touch with Detective Redmond tonight. Carrie Spencer has an appointment next week with the police commissioner. She hopes to get more answers then and still holds out hope that Redmond will return to the Cold Case Squad.


http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/34077279.html

[samanthajane13]

OMG!!!

Just for the heck of it, I wrote to David Lohr, to see if he could find out what the heck is happening with this case, and he wrote back to tell me he's putting it on his list!!!!

He's going to be in the area next week, and he'll be looking into it, along with the cases of Yolanda Bindics and Corrie Anderson!!

I'm so tickled that he's even considering looking into this, and I hope that it will bring some closure to the Dzialak family!!

I guess it never hurts to ask, and sometimes it actually HELPS!!!!!