Monday, August 25, 2008

08252008 - Officer Ken DeKleine - Sentencing Hearing - Murder Of Ex-Wife Lori DeKleine - Holland PD











Extra security planned for DeKleine sentencing
The Holland Sentinel
Aug 23, 2008
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/x2090471065/Extra-security-planned-for-DeKleine-sentencing

Former Holland Police Officer Ken DeKleine, right, sits with his attorney Floyed Farmer as he listens to prosecution testimony during day two of his murder trial earlier this year in Grand Haven. DeKleine will be sentenced Monday, Aug. 25, for the murder of his wife, Lori. Dan Irving

Grand Haven, MI — When former Holland Police Department Officer Ken DeKleine steps into the courtroom for sentencing on Monday, Aug. 25, he’ll be flanked by two Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

The additional security is not typical for a sentencing, said Ottawa County Circuit Court Administrator Kevin Bowling.

“Often times for sentencings there might be one or two guards that would bring everybody in,” Bowling said, since multiple defendants are brought in to the courtroom at the same time for sentencings.Those guards act as security for all of the defendants, but DeKleine will have his own.

“There’s going to be a couple uniformed deputies assigned specifically to DeKleine to move him in and then move him out,” he said.

DeKleine will be sentenced Monday in Grand Haven on convictions of first-degree murder and felony murder for the January homicide of his wife, Lori DeKleine.

DeKleine was found guilty on both counts July 11 after less than 90 minutes of deliberation by a jury at Ottawa County Circuit Court in Grand Haven.

Lori DeKleine was found strangled in the basement of her home on Calvin Avenue on Jan. 10.

Bowling said he was not yet sure if Lori DeKleine’s family planned on making a statement at the sentencing.

A request for an interview that was sent to Lori DeKleine’s father this week was not returned.













Ex-police officer sentenced in wife's death
NBC 25, Michigan
August 25, 2008
http://www.weyi.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=180022




(AP) -- GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A former Holland police officer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

Forty-five-year-old Ken DeKleine said nothing during his sentencing Monday, which followed his conviction last month on a charge of first-degree murder in 43-year-old Lori DeKleine's death.

Court testimony showed the DeKleines were going through a bitter divorce and custody battle.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman told DeKleine it's "a total mystery" why he didn't consider another course of action given his Christian education, police training and good record.













Ex-Holland officer sentenced in wife's death
WSJV News, South Bend Indiana
August 25, 2008
http://www.fox28.com/Global/story.asp?S=8895451

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A former Holland police officer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

Forty-5-year-old Ken DeKleine said nothing during his sentencing Monday, which followed his conviction last month on a charge of first-degree murder in 43-year-old Lori DeKleine's death.Ex-Holland officer sentenced in wife's death.

Court testimony showed the DeKleines were going through a bitter divorce and custody battle.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman told DeKleine it's "a total mystery" why he didn't consider another course of action given his Christian education, police training and good record.











Ex-Holland officer sentenced in wife's death
WLNS TV 6 Lansing MI
August 25, 2008 
http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=8895451&nav=menu25_2

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A former Holland police officer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

Forty-5-year-old Ken DeKleine said nothing during his sentencing Monday, which followed his conviction last month on a charge of first-degree murder in 43-year-old Lori DeKleine's death.

Court testimony showed the DeKleines were going through a bitter divorce and custody battle.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman told DeKleine it's "a total mystery" why he didn't consider another course of action given his Christian education, police training and good record.













Ex-Holland officer sentenced in wife's death
MLIVE
August 25, 2008
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-56/1219682946315930.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A former Holland police officer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

Forty-five-year-old Ken DeKleine said nothing during his sentencing Monday, which followed his conviction last month on a charge of first-degree murder in 43-year-old Lori DeKleine's death.

Court testimony showed the DeKleines were going through a bitter divorce and custody battle.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman told DeKleine it's "a total mystery" why he didn't consider another course of action given his Christian education, police training and good record.













Ex-Holland officer sentenced in wife's death
WSBT NEWS
Aug 25, 2008
http://www.wsbt.com/news/regional/27362104.html

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A former Holland police officer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

Forty-five-year-old Ken DeKleine said nothing during his sentencing Monday, which followed his conviction last month on a charge of first-degree murder in 43-year-old Lori DeKleine's death.

Court testimony showed the DeKleines were going through a bitter divorce and custody battle.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman told DeKleine it's "a total mystery" why he didn't consider another course of action given his Christian education, police training and good record.













Former Holland police officer sentenced for killing his wife
WZZM NEWS
August 25,2008
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/most_popular_story.aspx?storyid=97550&provider=top



Grand Haven, MI (WZZM) - "I want Ken DeKleine to never see the light of day."

That was what Lori DeKleine's sister told a judge Monday morning at the former Holland police officer's sentencing for his wife's murder.

An Ottawa County Circuit Court judge sentenced DeKleine to life in prison without possibility of parole for the January murder.

Prosecutors say DeKleine was in the home and strangled his wife to death, then staged the scene to look like a suicide. DeKleine later confessed to the murder during a police interview.

DeKleine remained emotionless during his sentencing. The judge asked, "Mr. Dekleine anything you'd like to say?" He responded, "No, your honor.

However, Lori DeKleine's family had plenty to say as they stood a few feet from the son-in-law they once trusted. Gena Meulman is the victim's mother, "I now have peace that Lori is safe and free from a life of abuse and control." She told the court.

Lori's father, Paul Meulman, also spoke, "She has been released from from her world of fear, abuse and violence, into her heavenly home." On July 11, a jury took less than 90 minutes to find DeKleine guilty of killing his wife, Lori, at their home. She was seeking a divorce, and had personal protection orders out against him.

Lori' DeKleine's only sibling, Patty Ticknor choked back the tears as she spoke in court, "The pain and despair I feel are beyond words." Ticknor said she had recently reconciled with her sister, renewing a relationship she said Ken DeKleine had ruined 20 years ago.

"I want Ken DeKleine to never see the light of day again to be placed in the worst possible prison far away from the state of Michigan." And, she hoped the 13 year police officer would be imprisoned - for life - amongst the general prison population.













DeKleine sentenced to life for killing wife
The Holland Sentinel
Aug 25, 2008
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/x1311851501/DeKleine-sentenced-to-life-for-killing-wife


Patti Ticknor, left, sister of Lori DeKleine, addresses the court during the sentencing of former Holland Police Officer Ken DeKleine Monday at the Ottawa County Courthouse in Grand Haven. Standing behind Ticknor is her father, Paul Meulman. Ken DeKleine was sentenced to life without parole for the January murder of his wife. (8/25/08). Dan Irving/The Holland Sentinel.


Jena and Paul Meulman, parents of Lori DeKleine, are greeted by family and friends following the sentencing of Ken DeKleine Monday at the Ottawa County Courthouse in Grand Haven. Ken DeKleine was sentenced to life without parole for the January murder of his wife Lori DeKleine at her Holland home. (8/25/08). Dan Irving/The Holland Sentinel


Former Holland Police Officer Ken DeKleine, left, convicted in the January murder of his wife Lori DeKleine, is led into the courtroom for sentencing Monday at the Ottawa County Courthouse in Grand Haven. DeKleine was sentenced to life without parole. (8/25/08). Dan Irving/The Holland Sentinel


Former Holland Police Officer Ken DeKleine, left, convicted in the January murder of his wife Lori DeKleine, listens to a statement from Lori's sister Patti Ticknor during his sentencing Monday at the Ottawa County Courthouse in Grand Haven. Lori's parents, Paul and Jena Meulman also addressed the court. DeKleine was sentenced to life without parole. (8/25/08). Dan Irving/The Holland Sentinel


Grand Haven, MI — Former Holland police officer Ken DeKleine tried to play God when he murdered his wife.

That’s what Lori DeKleine’s family told the court just before Ken DeKleine was sentenced in Ottawa County Circuit Court in Grand Haven, Monday, Aug. 25, to spend the rest of his life in prison without parole.

By cutting Lori DeKleine’s life short, “Ken took upon himself the role of God,” said Jena Meulman, Lori DeKleine’s mother, in a statement. “I will never be able to trust anyone again the way I trusted Ken.”

Ken DeKleine, 45, was convicted in July on charges of first-degree murder and felony murder. His wife, Lori DeKleine, 43, was found dead in January in the basement of her Calvin Avenue home with a climbing strap tied around her neck.

Ken DeKleine confessed to the murder one day after her body was found.

He told investigators that after he killed his wife and dragged her body to the basement, he panicked and abandoned his plan to make her death look like a suicide.

Ken DeKleine gave no statement Monday, but smiled and winked at family in the room. As he stood facing his wife’s family in the courtroom, Lori DeKleine’s father Paul Meulman said the abuse Lori endured in her marriage was something she kept private.

“Her stories about Ken’s abuse of her were told to only a small group of people. I was included in that small group of people,” Meulman said.

Meanwhile, Meulman said, “Ken deceived and manipulated many people with his side of the story.”

Meulman voiced disappointment with the police department where Ken DeKleine worked.

“I have wondered why the Holland police were not more effective in protecting Lori,” he said.

Several Holland officers testified during the trial in July that Ken DeKleine seemed obsessed with his troubled marriage. He framed his wife as emotionally unstable to anyone who would listen, many of them said.

At the same time, he was a well-liked officer who excelled at the job, they said.

Lori DeKleine’s sister, Patti Ticknor, told the court Monday that Ken DeKleine’s interference caused rifts between the sisters for years.

“What hurts the most is that in the last 20 years, I did not get to have a relationship (with Lori) where Ken wasn’t pulling the strings,” she said.

Just before the murder, the sisters had reconciled, she said.

“On Christmas Day, I told her I loved her,” Ticknor said.

After giving the sentence, Judge Calvin Bosman said it was a mystery that Ken DeKleine plotted the murder for a year, never considering handling his issues with Lori DeKleine in another way.

“Why, during the course of a year, didn’t something trigger in your mind that there would be a different way to proceed in this matter?” Bosman asked.

After the sentencing, Paul Meulman said that his daughter never tried to damage her husband’s reputation the way he did hers.

“She never played his game,” he said. “She wouldn’t tell anyone about the things going on but she did start telling us.”

Meulman recalled sitting down with Ken DeKleine after Lori DeKleine told him about the abuse in her relationship.

Lori DeKleine first mentioned it to him after Ken DeKleine returned from a 2006 stint as a police officer in Iraq, he said.

“When Lori started opening up to us, we started to talk to him,” Meulman said. “We had quite a long discussion with him about how controlling he was.”

He showed little interest or remorse in that conversation, Meulman said.

“He won’t listen to other people,” he said. “He’s always been that way. As head of the household, he was always right.”













Ex-officer sentenced to life for wife's murder
WWMT TV NEWS
August 25, 2008
http://www.wwmt.com/articles/wife_1352656___article.html/murder_home.html

Holland, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - In January, one of Lori DeKleine's children found her body in the basement of their home.

Initially police thought it was a suicide. Autopsy results proved otherwise.

They arrested her husband, Ken DeKleine the next day. The couple was in the process of getting a divorce.

In July a jury convicted him of murder. Monday, Ken DeKleine was back in court to hear his sentence, and hear from his victim's family.

Three very difficult statements were made by victims addressing Ken DeKleine. The convicted murderer is now going to prison for the rest of his life. There wasn't much mystery as to what would happen Monday. DeKleine got a mandatory sentence of life in prison for killing his wife Lori.

The trial was very one-sided. Little if any defense was presented. There was an enormous amount of physical evidence introduced, including the fact that Ken DeKleine's blood was found on Lori's clothes. Perhaps the most convincing evidence was that DeKleine admitted to the crime numerous times in chats and letters with family members, friends and even detectives.

This was an especially difficult trial because DeKleine served the community as a police officer and also had served in the military. Family members say they still don't understand it.

"The pain and despair I feel are beyond words. I don't understand how someone I once cared about was actually that evil and planned and brutally killed my sister cause he thought his kids would be better off," said Patti Ticknor, Lori's sister.

Despite what was said in court, DeKleine wrote in a letter shortly after the crime that it was quote "best for everybody" that she be dead for the sake of the family's two teenage children.













Former Holland Police Officer Ken DeKleine ordered to spend life in prison for killing wife
Muskegon Chronicle
August 25, 2008
http://blog.mlive.com/chronicle/2008/08/former_holland_police_officer.html


Former Holland Police Officer Ken DeKleine appears in Ottawa County Circuit Court for sentencing in the killing of his wife, Lori. Chronicle News Service.


GRAND HAVEN -- Former Holland Police Officer Ken DeKleine was ordered this morning to spend the rest of his life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

A 13-year Holland police officer, DeKleine, 45, was convicted in July of killing Lori DeKleine after a jury deliberated only 75 minutes.

DeKleine said nothing in court, but winked at family members seated in the courtroom.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman questioned why DeKleine did not get help when he was being overcome with the rage that led to the murder.

"With your Christian education, your training as a police officer, your good record as a police officer, why during the course of a year something didn't register in your mind there would be some other course of action to take remains a total mystery," Bosman said.


Ken DeKleine, left, in Ottawa County Circuit Court listens to statements made by family members of Lori DeKleine. The former Holland police officer was sentenced to life in prison without parole for her murder.

His video-taped confessions shows he entered the garage of his former Calvin Avenue home in the middle of the night Jan. 10, waited in attic for several hours, then pushed his way into the house after Lori DeKleine opened the door in the morning.


He admitted to strangling her with a climbing strap, then dragging her body into the basement and trying to stage a suicide. In the confession, he admitted to botching the scheme when he could not lift her body and simply leaving the unattached strap dangling from a rafter.

Court testimony showed DeKleine was in a bitter divorce and custody battle with Lori DeKleine, 43, and was obsessed with her relationship with her therapist. The couple have two teen children, Breanne and Christopher.


Family members of Lori DeKleine, including her mother, Jena Meulman, third from left, and her father, Paul Meulman, second from right, embrace outside Ottawa County District Court after Ken DeKleine was sentenced Monday.

The parents of Lori DeKleine and her sister, Patti Ticknor, made emotional statements before Bosman sentenced DeKleine, They said they cannot fathom why he took her life.

"Thoughts of this event plague my mind frequently. I have spent many sleepless nights trying to understand Ken's selfish act," said Lori DeKleine's father, Paul Meulman.

In court, Ticknor said she once respected and cared for Ken DeKleine, and admired him as a father, "until he thought it best to play God and kill Lori."

DeKleine portrayed his estranged wife as someone mentally unstable who was damaging their children psychologically, but Ottawa County Prosecutor Ron Frantz said the evidence did not show any problems. In fact, she was a good mother and was respected at her church job, he said.

In letters from jail, DeKleine told others he was at peace with his wife's killing and said he was "sleeping better now than I have in two years."

He wrote that the killing seemed like the best option to him.

"I feel so free. I am not worried sick by what (Lori DeKleine) is doing to the kids anymore by her lies, blackmail and extortion."

DeKleine's fellow police officers said they never imagined he would resort to violence, even though many knew about his marital strife. Lori DeKleine had a personal protection order against her husband.

Lori DeKleine's family believes the Holland police department should have done more to recognize that one of their own officers was losing control. They believe DeKleine was protected by the "blue wall," although Holland Police Chief John Kruithoff has always said DeKleine showed no outward signs of trouble.

Her sister's death has motivated Ticknor to become involved with the Michigan Officer-involved Domestic Violence group and try to spread the word about how women can get help in abusive homes.

"Lori would be proud of us for having someone else learn from her situation," Ticknor said. "She would want someone's life to be saved."













Former Holland Police Officer Ken DeKleine ordered to spend life in prison for killing wife
The Grand Rapids Press
August 25, 2008
http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ssf/2008/08/former_holland_police_officer.html



GRAND HAVEN -- Former Holland Police Officer Ken DeKleine was ordered this morning to spend the rest of his life in prison without parole for killing his wife.


A 13-year Holland police officer, DeKleine, 45, was convicted in July of killing Lori DeKleine after a jury deliberated only 75 minutes.

DeKleine said nothing in court, but winked at family members seated in the courtroom.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman questioned why DeKleine did not get help when he was being overcome with the rage that led to the murder.

"With your Christian education, your training as a police officer, your good record as a police officer, why during the course of a year something didn't register in your mind there would be some other course of action to take remains a total mystery," Bosman said.


DeKleine, left, in Ottawa County Circuit Court listens to statements made by family members of Lori DeKleine. The former Holland police officer was sentenced to life in prison without parole for her murder.


His video-taped confessions shows he entered the garage of his former Calvin Avenue home in the middle of the night Jan. 10, waited in attic for several hours, then pushed his way into the house after Lori DeKleine opened the door in the morning.

He admitted to strangling her with a climbing strap, then dragging her body into the basement and trying to stage a suicide. In the confession, he admitted to botching the scheme when he could not lift her body and simply leaving the unattached strap dangling from a rafter.

Court testimony showed DeKleine was in a bitter divorce and custody battle with Lori DeKleine, 43, and was obsessed with her relationship with her therapist. The couple have two teen children, Breanne and Christopher.


Family members of Lori DeKleine, including her mother, Jena Meulman, third from left, and her father, Paul Meulman, second from right, embrace outside Ottawa County District Court after Ken DeKleine was sentenced Monday.


The parents of Lori DeKleine and her sister, Patti Ticknor, made emotional statements before Bosman sentenced DeKleine, They said they cannot fathom why he took her life.

"Thoughts of this event plague my mind frequently. I have spent many sleepless nights trying to understand Ken's selfish act," said Lori DeKleine's father, Paul Meulman.

In court, Ticknor said she once respected and cared for Ken DeKleine, and admired him as a father, "until he thought it best to play God and kill Lori."

DeKleine portrayed his estranged wife as someone mentally unstable who was damaging their children psychologically, but Ottawa County Prosecutor Ron Frantz said the evidence did not show any problems. In fact, she was a good mother and was respected at her church job, he said.

In letters from jail, DeKleine told others he was at peace with his wife's killing and said he was "sleeping better now than I have in two years."

He wrote that the killing seemed like the best option to him.

"I feel so free. I am not worried sick by what (Lori DeKleine) is doing to the kids anymore by her lies, blackmail and extortion."

DeKleine's fellow police officers said they never imagined he would resort to violence, even though many knew about his marital strife. Lori DeKleine had a personal protection order against her husband.

Lori DeKleine's family believes the Holland police department should have done more to recognize that one of their own officers was losing control. They believe DeKleine was protected by the "blue wall," although Holland Police Chief John Kruithoff has always said DeKleine showed no outward signs of trouble.

Her sister's death has motivated Ticknor to become involved with the Michigan Officer-involved Domestic Violence group and try to spread the word about how women can get help in abusive homes.

"Lori would be proud of us for having someone else learn from her situation," Ticknor said. "She would want someone's life to be saved."













DeKleine sentenced to life in prison
WOODTV NEWS
Aug 25, 2008
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8894749&nav=0Rce






GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (WOOD) -- A former Holland police officer will spend the rest of his life behind bars with no chance of parole for the murder of his wife.


Ken DeKleine was sentenced Monday morning on first-degree murder charges. He was found guilty of the charge in July.

DeKleine admitted strangling Lori to death January 10 - an admission he made to investigators, family members and friends. Even his own lawyer said he did it.

Ottawa County Prosecutor Ronald Frantz told the jury DeKleine started thinking about committing the murder a year before it happened, after Lori got a personal protection order against him.

The couple was in the process of a divorce. Their 16-year-old son found his mother's body and testified against his father during the trial.

DeKleine turned down the chance to speak before he was sentenced. But Lori DeKleine's family did.

Her mom, dad and sister talked about his ability to manipulate his wife and those around her. Lori's sister, Patti Ticknor, was blunt in her statement.

"I want Ken DeKleine to never see the light of day again.

To be placed in the worst possible prison, far away from the state of Michigan since he has shown no value for human life or emotion."

Her dad put some of the blame on the Holland Police, and claimed they protected DeKleine after Lori complained about his abusive behavior.













Former Officer Sentenced To Life For Killing Wife
NEWS NET 5
August 25, 2008
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/17286568/detail.html

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A former Holland police officer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

Ken DeKleine, 45, said nothing during his sentencing Monday, which followed his conviction last month on a charge of first-degree murder in 43-year-old Lori DeKleine's death.

Court testimony showed the DeKleines were going through a bitter divorce and custody battle.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman told DeKleine it's "a total mystery" why he didn't consider another course of action given his Christian education, police training and good record.













Ex-Holland officer gets life in wife's death
Lansing State Journal
AUGUST 25, 2008

GRAND RAPIDS - A former Holland police officer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

Forty-five-year-old Ken DeKleine said nothing during his sentencing Monday, which followed his conviction last month on a charge of first-degree murder in 43-year-old Lori DeKleine's death.

Court testimony showed the DeKleines were going through a bitter divorce and custody battle.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman told DeKleine it's "a total mystery" why he didn't consider another course of action given his Christian education, police training and good record.













Ex-Holland Officer Sentenced In Wife's Death
WXMI NEWS
August 25, 2008
http://fox17.trb.com/news/082508-wxmi-sentencn,0,6915519.story

HOLLAND-AP — A former Holland police officer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

Forty-five-year-old Ken DeKleine said nothing during his sentencing Monday, which followed his conviction last month on a charge of first-degree murder in 43-year-old Lori DeKleine's death.

Court testimony showed the DeKleines were going through a bitter divorce and custody battle.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman told DeKleine it's "total mystery" why he didn't consider another course of action given his Christian education, police training and good record.















Ex-Holland officer sentenced in wife's death
WOODTV
August 25, 2008
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8895433&nav=menu44_2_2

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A former Holland police officer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

Forty-five-year-old Ken DeKleine said nothing during his sentencing Monday, which followed his conviction last month on a charge of first-degree murder in 43-year-old Lori DeKleine's death.

Court testimony showed the DeKleines were going through a bitter divorce and custody battle.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman told DeKleine it's "a total mystery" why he didn't consider another course of action given his Christian education, police training and good record.













Ex-Mich. officer gets life in prison for murder
PoliceOne.com, California
August 25, 2008
http://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/1729023-Ex-Mich-officer-gets-life-in-prison-for-murder/

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — Former Holland Police Officer Ken DeKleine was ordered this morning to spend the rest of his life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

A 13-year Holland police officer, DeKleine, 45, was convicted in July of killing Lori DeKleine after a jury deliberated only 75 minutes.

DeKleine said nothing in court, but winked at family members seated in the courtroom.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman questioned why DeKleine did not get help when he was being overcome with the rage that led to the murder.

"With your Christian education, your training as a police officer, your good record as a police officer, why during the course of a year something didn't register in your mind there would be some other course of action to take remains a total mystery," Bosman said.

His video-taped confessions shows he entered the garage of his former Calvin Avenue home in the middle of the night Jan. 10, waited in attic for several hours, then pushed his way into the house after Lori DeKleine opened the door in the morning.

He admitted to strangling her with a climbing strap, then dragging her body into the basement and trying to stage a suicide. In the confession, he admitted to botching the scheme when he could not lift her body and simply leaving the unattached strap dangling from a rafter.

Court testimony showed DeKleine was in a bitter divorce and custody battle with Lori DeKleine, 43, and was obsessed with her relationship with her therapist. The couple have two teen children, Breanne and Christopher.

DeKleine portrayed his estranged wife as someone mentally unstable who was damaging their children psychologically, but Ottawa County Prosecutor Ron Frantz said the evidence did not show any problems. In fact, she was a good mother and was respected at her church job, he said.

In letters from jail, DeKleine told others he was at peace with his wife's killing and said he was "sleeping better now than I have in two years."

He wrote that the killing seemed like the best option to him.

"I feel so free. I am not worried sick by what (Lori DeKleine) is doing to the kids anymore by her lies, blackmail and extortion."

DeKleine's fellow police officers said they never imagined he would resort to violence, even though many knew about his marital strife. Lori DeKleine had a personal protection order against her husband.











Changes in Holland PD after DeKleine murder
WWMT- Channel 3
August 25, 2008
http://www.wwmt.com/articles/holland_1352666___article.html/murder_changes.html

HOLLAND, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - In the wake of the conviction and sentencing of former Holland Police officer Ken DeKleine for the murder of his wife, the Holland Police Department has made some changes to better support and protect each other.

"Because law enforcement is one of those careers, where it's stressful to be a cop and deal with what we deal with everyday," said Capt. Jack Dykstra of the Holland Police Department.

Which is why in Holland, a peer support team is available and has been for several years. What's new in the last few months is that family and friends of officers can voice their concerns through an on-line yahoo group.

The city's Human Resources Director also says that all 425 Holland employees get two free counseling sessions a year, and that has been an option for those employees for 20 years.

"The program has really been utilized across the board, by a lot of different people," said Gary Rahn, HR Director for the City of Holland.

Back at the police department, Capt. Dykstra isn't sure if the latest changes to the system could have helped spot what happened with officer Ken DeKleine.

"It could have given someone in the family a voice that they feel they didn't have," said Dykstra.

Which is what the Capt. says they are after, communication, both inside and outside of the Holland Police Department.

Capt. Dykstra said that the department has "challenged all the employees, not only police officers, but all the employees to say; hey, don't be afraid to admit this is stressful and it affects your family."

The Holland Police Department has also increased the frequency of its employee evaluations from once a year to once every four months.













Family blames killer cop, 'blue wall' of protection
The Grand Rapids Press
August 26, 2008
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-43/12197565307910.xml&coll=6
GRAND HAVEN -- The family of Lori DeKleine says she fell victim to her police officer husband and the "blue wall," the supposed closing of ranks among police to shelter an officer doing wrong.

Nearly eight months after Ken DeKleine murdered his estranged wife, her family has trouble understanding how DeKleine's police officer friends never recognized his hidden rage, or how he escaped being charged with restraining-order violations.

In a Grand Haven courtroom Monday, Lori DeKleine's parents and sister mostly focused their anger on Ken DeKleine, not the police, as a judge sentenced him to life in prison without parole. In fact, Patti Ticknor, Lori DeKleine's sister, shuddered as she looked toward DeKleine and described her hostility.

"I want Ken DeKleine to never see the light of day again. He has shown no value for human life," she said.

Ticknor and her parents, Jena and Paul Meulman, all told how Lori DeKleine's murder shattered their lives. Ken DeKleine, who kept his emotions in check at his July trial and again Monday, said nothing when offered the chance to speak.

Ticknor later said she hoped he would say something, even apologize, but realized her hopes were "a fantasy."

DeKleine, a 13-year Holland police officer before his Jan. 11 arrest, confessed on videotape to strangling his estranged wife. They were going through a divorce and child custody battle and DeKleine, who portrayed Lori DeKleine as mentally unstable, told others he did it for his children.

The Meulmans said Monday they knew Ken DeKleine was abusive and controlling toward their daughter when she confided in them in December 2006 and afterward.

Ken DeKleine began slipping over the edge, they believe, when he returned from a year's stint in Iraq and realized his wife would no longer submit to his control.

But they still cannot fathom the murder.

"I have spent many sleepless nights trying to understand Ken's selfish act," Paul Meulman said. "And I wonder why the Holland Police Department was not more effective in protecting her."

But as he did in January, Holland Police Chief John Kruithoff said Monday there is no "blue wall" at the Holland Police Department.

Lori DeKleine's two reports of restraining-order violations -- instances in which Ken DeKleine came near her at her church workplace and a Memorial Day parade -- were documented by police but found to be incidental by prosecutors and he was not charged.

"I would not protect any officer doing something wrong," Kruithoff said.

Kruithoff said he never received calls from Lori DeKleine's family or friends that she might be in danger and Ken DeKleine, in a jail letter, wrote that he kept his deadly intentions a secret.

In court, Ticknor described how she finally became good friends with her sister about a year ago, with Ken DeKleine no longer "pulling the strings." She told her sister she loved her on Christmas Day.

"Ken has robbed me of the joy I experienced in connecting with her," she said.













Former policeman sentenced to life for killing wife
Holland Sentinel Writer
Aug 26, 2008
http://www.grandhaventribune.com/paid/298153083593607.bsp



"Former Holland police officer Ken DeKleine tried to play God when he murdered his wife..."

That's what Lori DeKleine's family told the court just before Ken DeKleine was sentenced Monday in Ottawa County Circuit Court in Grand Haven to spend the rest of his life in prison without parole.

By cutting Lori DeKleine's life short, "Ken took upon himself the role of God," said Jena Meulman, Lori DeKleine's mother. "I will never be able to trust anyone again the way I trusted Ken."

Ken DeKleine, 45, was convicted in July on charges of first-degree murder and felony murder. His wife, Lori DeKleine, 43, was found dead in January in the basement of her Holland home with a climbing strap tied around her neck.

Ken DeKleine confessed to the murder one day after her body was found. He told investigators that after he killed his wife and dragged her body to the basement, he panicked and abandoned his plan to make her death look like a suicide.

Ken DeKleine gave no statement Monday, but smiled and winked at family in the room.

As DeKleine stood facing his wife's family in the courtroom, Lori DeKleine's father, Paul Meulman, said the abuse Lori endured in her marriage was something she kept private.

"Her stories about Ken's abuse of her were told to only a small group of people," Meulman said. "I was included in that small group of people. ... Ken deceived and manipulated many people with his side of the story."

Meulman voiced disappointment with the police department where Ken DeKleine worked.

"I have wondered why the Holland police were not more effective in protecting Lori," he said.

Several Holland officers testified during the trial in July that Ken DeKleine seemed obsessed with his troubled marriage. He framed his wife as emotionally unstable to anyone who would listen, many of them said.

At the same time, he was a well-liked officer who excelled at the job, they said.

Lori DeKleine's sister, Patti Ticknor, told the court Monday that Ken DeKleine's interference caused rifts between the sisters for years.

"What hurts the most is that in the last 20 years, I did not get to have a relationship (with Lori) where Ken wasn't pulling the strings," she said.

Just before the murder, the sisters had reconciled, she said.



"On Christmas Day, I told her I loved her," Ticknor said.

After giving the sentence, Judge Calvin Bosman said it was a mystery that Ken DeKleine plotted the murder for a year, never considering handling his issues with Lori DeKleine in another way.

"Why, during the course of a year, didn't something trigger in your mind that there would be a different way to proceed in this matter?" Bosman asked.

After the sentencing, Paul Meulman said that his daughter never tried to damage her husband's reputation the way he did hers.

"She never played his game," he said. "She wouldn't tell anyone about the things going on, but she did start telling us."

Meulman recalled sitting down with Ken DeKleine after Lori DeKleine told him about the abuse in her relationship.

Lori DeKleine first mentioned it to him after Ken DeKleine returned from a 2006 stint as a police officer in Iraq, he said.

"When Lori started opening up to us, we started to talk to him," Meulman said. "We had quite a long discussion with him about how controlling he was."

Meulman said Ken DeKleine showed little interest or remorse in that conversation.

"He won't listen to other people," Meulman said. "He's always been that way. As head of the household, he was always right."













Ex-officer sentenced in wife's death
Traverse City Record
August 26, 2008
http://www.record-eagle.com/statenews/local_story_239094059.html

GRAND RAPIDS -- A former Holland police officer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his wife.

Forty-five-year-old Ken DeKleine said nothing during his sentencing Monday, which followed his conviction last month on a charge of first-degree murder in 43-year-old Lori DeKleine's death.

Court testimony showed the DeKleines were going through a bitter divorce and custody battle.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman told DeKleine it's "a total mystery" why he didn't consider another course of action given his Christian education, police training and good record.


























Sunday, August 24, 2008

08242008 - Officer Kenneth Pappas - Sterling Heights PD


OFFICER KENNETH PAPPAS, STERLING HEIGHTS PD, AUGUST 23, 2008








21 Sterling Heights police command officers suspended
Published: Thursday, March 22, 2012
By Gordon Wilczynski
Macomb Daily
http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2012/03/22/news/doc4f6b52911d295280203254.txt

Twenty-one Sterling Heights police command officers have been suspended 10 to 30 days for the inaccurate submission of time cards.

Police Chief Michael Reese could not be reached for comment, but he made his feelings clear at a City Council meeting Tuesday evening.

A report, released by Internal Affairs Lt. Luke Riley on Wednesday to The Macomb Daily under the Freedom of Information Act, said the suspensions range from 30 days for lieutenants to 10-day suspensions for sergeants.

Riley said the officers violated a department manual of rules that stipulates they are required to submit accurate timecards.

The suspensions were the direct result of command officers leaving work early on numerous occasions dating back at least 90 days.

James Hack, a captain, second highest ranking officer at the department, denied participating or knowledge of officers leaving early. Some of the officers said Hack approved the practice. Nine command officers who advised the police administration said Hack was aware of the practice.

Other officers suspended for leaving early are lieutenants David Smith, David Sharna, Steve Jesperson, Kevin Reese, John Rogers, Dale Dwojakowski and Steve Jesperson. They were accused of receiving and permitting wages for the time where they were absent.

Sergeants suspended are Dale Brown, Colleen Hopper, Guy Holmes, Paul LaBaere, James Wood, David Cattaneo, Mark Schmidt, Ronald Gotowicki, James Bryant, Paul Korell, Linda Deprez, Anthony Roebuck, Scott Anderson and Kenneth Pappas.

The lieutenants will have 10 days of their 30-day suspension held in abeyance for two years and if they work with a clean slate the 10 days will be deleted. For sergeants, the same will occur with five days being held back.

Mayor Richard Notte said he believes all of the suspensions are fair. He said the discipline was severe

“They are paying back all of the money they improperly took from their employer,” Notte said. “I don’t think this will ever happen again.”

Notte said Hack promoted the illegal activity because of a recent arbitration ruling against command officers.

The matter remains in Macomb Circuit Court.

“Hack condoned this activity,” Notte said. “He was their boss and promoted it because he was bitter at the city.”

Councilman Michael Taylor, a Mount Clemens attorney, said he is not satisfied with the suspensions. He said it wasn’t enough.

Taylor said the officers of the same rank got the exact same punishment. He said some should have gotten a lot more.

“Some are more culpable than others,” Taylor said.

The officers’ lost wages will come out of their vacation and personal day time bank. Taylor said it will be taken from money the officers have coming.

Taylor said the officers will lose $70,000 from their banked time. Hack, because of money he would have earned on the police department’s DROP program, will lose at least $400,000.

Hack is making $140,000 annually and he still had four years left on the DROP program.











Domestic violence charges dropped against officer
By DEANNA ROSE
Source Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: Sunday, October 5, 2008
http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/stories/100508/loc_story1001.shtml

A judge dismissed a domestic violence charge against a Sterling Heights police officer accused of engaging in a physical altercation with his wife, after the alleged victim and another witness failed to show up in court for the trial.

Kenneth Pappas, 34, was placed on routine paid administrative leave after his arrest at his Macomb Township home on Aug. 24, but was reinstated after the dismissal by Judge Douglas Shepherd at 41-A District Court in Shelby Township on Sept. 29.

Macomb County assistant prosecutor Erika Breitfeld told Shepherd that the prosecution had reluctant witnesses in Pappas’ wife, Kelly Pappas, and an eyewitness, and asked for an adjournment to a later date.

David Griem, Pappas’ attorney, asked Shepherd that the charges against Pappas be dismissed because Kelly Pappas was not in the courtroom.

Shepherd sided with Pappas and dismissed the charges, but told the prosecution he would grant reauthorization of the case if the victim brought charges.

Griem said Kelly Pappas did not show up because she did not want to press charges against her husband, from whom she is separated, and that it was the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department who brought the charges following the August incident. Deputies arrested Kenneth Pappas after responding to a domestic violence call at the home where Kelly Pappas is currently living.

“Kelly Pappas made it crystal clear twice in the police report that she did not want to prosecute,” Griem said. “Many times in cases like this, once the anger has subsided the case turns out to be something very different from what was first described to police, when one or both of the individuals were under the influence of their emotions.”

Griem said Kenneth Pappas and Kelly Pappas wanted the no-contact stipulation removed so the two could spend time at their child’s birthday party the following weekend. The couple has three children, ages 6, 8 and 10.

“Their only concern is the well-being of their three children. They both want to be the best parents they can possibly be,” Griem said. “When one speaks from their heart, many times things don’t come out the way they should. Both Kelly and Ken want to put this behind them.”

Griem said it was his understanding that Kelly Pappas was not in court that day because she was attending a field trip with their 6-year-old child.

Sterling Heights Police Lt. Robert Henigan said Pappas was able to return to work after the charge was dismissed, but an administrative investigation is ongoing with regard to any violation of department rules.



               







Cop arrested for domestic violence
By DEANNA ROSE
Source Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: Sunday, September 14, 2008
http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/stories/091408/loc_story40012.shtml

A Sterling Heights police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after being arrested following an alleged altercation with his wife in their Macomb Township home.

According to Macomb County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Anthony Wickersham, Kenneth Pappas, 34, was arrested after deputies responded to a domestic violence call placed by Pappas’ wife at 2 p.m. on Aug. 24.

Wickersham said officers determined an assault had taken place and took Pappas into custody.

He was charged with one count of domestic violence and taken to the Macomb County Jail for the night. He was released after posting personal bond following his arraignment the next day at 41-A District Court in Shelby Township.

Sterling Heights Interim Police Chief Michael Reese said Pappas was suspended pending the outcome of the criminal charge and a subsequent internal investigation.

Reese said the paid leave is normal protocol when an officer is involved in a criminal matter, although the entire situation rarely occurs.


Pappas will be back in the Shelby Township court Sept. 29. Reese said following the result of the court proceedings, a police department investigation into the matter will be conducted to determine if and when Pappas would be able to return to work - all in conjunction with the court’s findings.













Sterling Heights cop charged in assault on wife
The Detroit News
August 27, 2008
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080827/METRO03/808270305

MACOMB TOWNSHIP -- A Sterling Heights police officer has been charged with assaulting his wife over the weekend, authorities said Tuesday.

Kenneth Pappas, 34, of Macomb Township, an officer with the Sterling Heights Police Department, was arrested by Macomb County Sheriff's deputies on Saturday, said Capt. Anthony Wickersham of the Sheriff's Office.

Pappas was arraigned on Monday on assault charges in 41-A District Court in Shelby Township, Wickersham said. The crime is a misdemeanor and carries a penalty of up to 93 days in jail.

Police responded to a report of domestic violence at Pappas' Macomb Township home about 5 p.m. Saturday, according to authorities.

The officers determined Pappas had assaulted his wife, arrested him and transported him to the county jail where he spent the night, Wickersham said. He also said the officer posted a $25,000 personal bond and was released.











Sterling Heights cops earn awards for saving lives
The Source
PUBLISHED: Sunday, July 27, 2008

Sterling Heights Interim Police Chief Michael Reese recently announced a series of merit and lifesaving awards for more than 20 police officers who demonstrated outstanding service to the community in 2007.

The merit awards recognize several officers for outstanding service to the community, while the lifesaving awards honor police officers and several firefighters for their actions in three separate incidents.

“While the vast majority of our officers perform at an extremely high level, these officers deserve special recognition for achieving results through investigation, observation or just being in the right place at the right time,” Reese said. “It’s efforts like these that help make Sterling Heights one of the safest cities in the state.”

The officers and circumstances that prompted their awards are as follows:

1 Life Saving Award: Officer Jamie Dubay was honored for saving the life of an elderly woman who was unconscious and not breathing.

l Life Saving Award: Officer Randall Shippy and firefighters Jeff Duncan, Jason Nelson, Joe Toth and Kevin Wardrop were honored for saving the life of a mobile home resident who was succumbing to smoke inhalation.

l Life Saving Award: Officer Walter Smith was honored for saving the life of a woman who was unconscious and not breathing after suffering a heart attack.

In addition, merit awards for outstanding service to the community were presented to the following officers:

Det. Gregory Hill, Officer Craig Cole, Officer Michael Kunath, Officer Brandon Pluger, Lt. Paul Wilson, Sgt. Scott Anderson, Det. John Gurnow, Det. David Ormachea, Det. Kenneth Pappas, Det. David Sarvello, Det. Jason Selewski, Det. George Tsouroullis, Officer Jason Modrzejewski, Officer Rodney Damm, Officer Allan Golden, Officer Roger Mueller, Officer Rob Wojciechowski, Sgt. Guy Holmes, Officer David Allen, Officer Gregory Glinski, Officer Anthony Roeske and Officer Matthew Willard.






Saturday, August 23, 2008

08232008 - Firefighter Michael Boyd - Second Offense - Southgate FD


OFFICER KENNETH PAPPAS, STERLING HEIGHTS PD, AUGUST 23, 2008








21 Sterling Heights police command officers suspended
Published: Thursday, March 22, 2012
By Gordon Wilczynski
Macomb Daily
http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2012/03/22/news/doc4f6b52911d295280203254.txt

Twenty-one Sterling Heights police command officers have been suspended 10 to 30 days for the inaccurate submission of time cards.

Police Chief Michael Reese could not be reached for comment, but he made his feelings clear at a City Council meeting Tuesday evening.

A report, released by Internal Affairs Lt. Luke Riley on Wednesday to The Macomb Daily under the Freedom of Information Act, said the suspensions range from 30 days for lieutenants to 10-day suspensions for sergeants.

Riley said the officers violated a department manual of rules that stipulates they are required to submit accurate timecards.

The suspensions were the direct result of command officers leaving work early on numerous occasions dating back at least 90 days.

James Hack, a captain, second highest ranking officer at the department, denied participating or knowledge of officers leaving early. Some of the officers said Hack approved the practice. Nine command officers who advised the police administration said Hack was aware of the practice.

Other officers suspended for leaving early are lieutenants David Smith, David Sharna, Steve Jesperson, Kevin Reese, John Rogers, Dale Dwojakowski and Steve Jesperson. They were accused of receiving and permitting wages for the time where they were absent.

Sergeants suspended are Dale Brown, Colleen Hopper, Guy Holmes, Paul LaBaere, James Wood, David Cattaneo, Mark Schmidt, Ronald Gotowicki, James Bryant, Paul Korell, Linda Deprez, Anthony Roebuck, Scott Anderson and Kenneth Pappas.

The lieutenants will have 10 days of their 30-day suspension held in abeyance for two years and if they work with a clean slate the 10 days will be deleted. For sergeants, the same will occur with five days being held back.

Mayor Richard Notte said he believes all of the suspensions are fair. He said the discipline was severe

“They are paying back all of the money they improperly took from their employer,” Notte said. “I don’t think this will ever happen again.”

Notte said Hack promoted the illegal activity because of a recent arbitration ruling against command officers.

The matter remains in Macomb Circuit Court.

“Hack condoned this activity,” Notte said. “He was their boss and promoted it because he was bitter at the city.”

Councilman Michael Taylor, a Mount Clemens attorney, said he is not satisfied with the suspensions. He said it wasn’t enough.

Taylor said the officers of the same rank got the exact same punishment. He said some should have gotten a lot more.

“Some are more culpable than others,” Taylor said.

The officers’ lost wages will come out of their vacation and personal day time bank. Taylor said it will be taken from money the officers have coming.

Taylor said the officers will lose $70,000 from their banked time. Hack, because of money he would have earned on the police department’s DROP program, will lose at least $400,000.

Hack is making $140,000 annually and he still had four years left on the DROP program.











Domestic violence charges dropped against officer
By DEANNA ROSE
Source Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: Sunday, October 5, 2008
http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/stories/100508/loc_story1001.shtml

A judge dismissed a domestic violence charge against a Sterling Heights police officer accused of engaging in a physical altercation with his wife, after the alleged victim and another witness failed to show up in court for the trial.

Kenneth Pappas, 34, was placed on routine paid administrative leave after his arrest at his Macomb Township home on Aug. 24, but was reinstated after the dismissal by Judge Douglas Shepherd at 41-A District Court in Shelby Township on Sept. 29.

Macomb County assistant prosecutor Erika Breitfeld told Shepherd that the prosecution had reluctant witnesses in Pappas’ wife, Kelly Pappas, and an eyewitness, and asked for an adjournment to a later date.

David Griem, Pappas’ attorney, asked Shepherd that the charges against Pappas be dismissed because Kelly Pappas was not in the courtroom.

Shepherd sided with Pappas and dismissed the charges, but told the prosecution he would grant reauthorization of the case if the victim brought charges.

Griem said Kelly Pappas did not show up because she did not want to press charges against her husband, from whom she is separated, and that it was the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department who brought the charges following the August incident. Deputies arrested Kenneth Pappas after responding to a domestic violence call at the home where Kelly Pappas is currently living.

“Kelly Pappas made it crystal clear twice in the police report that she did not want to prosecute,” Griem said. “Many times in cases like this, once the anger has subsided the case turns out to be something very different from what was first described to police, when one or both of the individuals were under the influence of their emotions.”

Griem said Kenneth Pappas and Kelly Pappas wanted the no-contact stipulation removed so the two could spend time at their child’s birthday party the following weekend. The couple has three children, ages 6, 8 and 10.

“Their only concern is the well-being of their three children. They both want to be the best parents they can possibly be,” Griem said. “When one speaks from their heart, many times things don’t come out the way they should. Both Kelly and Ken want to put this behind them.”

Griem said it was his understanding that Kelly Pappas was not in court that day because she was attending a field trip with their 6-year-old child.

Sterling Heights Police Lt. Robert Henigan said Pappas was able to return to work after the charge was dismissed, but an administrative investigation is ongoing with regard to any violation of department rules.



               







Cop arrested for domestic violence
By DEANNA ROSE
Source Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: Sunday, September 14, 2008
http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/stories/091408/loc_story40012.shtml

A Sterling Heights police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after being arrested following an alleged altercation with his wife in their Macomb Township home.

According to Macomb County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Anthony Wickersham, Kenneth Pappas, 34, was arrested after deputies responded to a domestic violence call placed by Pappas’ wife at 2 p.m. on Aug. 24.

Wickersham said officers determined an assault had taken place and took Pappas into custody.

He was charged with one count of domestic violence and taken to the Macomb County Jail for the night. He was released after posting personal bond following his arraignment the next day at 41-A District Court in Shelby Township.

Sterling Heights Interim Police Chief Michael Reese said Pappas was suspended pending the outcome of the criminal charge and a subsequent internal investigation.

Reese said the paid leave is normal protocol when an officer is involved in a criminal matter, although the entire situation rarely occurs.


Pappas will be back in the Shelby Township court Sept. 29. Reese said following the result of the court proceedings, a police department investigation into the matter will be conducted to determine if and when Pappas would be able to return to work - all in conjunction with the court’s findings.













Sterling Heights cop charged in assault on wife
The Detroit News
August 27, 2008
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080827/METRO03/808270305

MACOMB TOWNSHIP -- A Sterling Heights police officer has been charged with assaulting his wife over the weekend, authorities said Tuesday.

Kenneth Pappas, 34, of Macomb Township, an officer with the Sterling Heights Police Department, was arrested by Macomb County Sheriff's deputies on Saturday, said Capt. Anthony Wickersham of the Sheriff's Office.

Pappas was arraigned on Monday on assault charges in 41-A District Court in Shelby Township, Wickersham said. The crime is a misdemeanor and carries a penalty of up to 93 days in jail.

Police responded to a report of domestic violence at Pappas' Macomb Township home about 5 p.m. Saturday, according to authorities.

The officers determined Pappas had assaulted his wife, arrested him and transported him to the county jail where he spent the night, Wickersham said. He also said the officer posted a $25,000 personal bond and was released.











Sterling Heights cops earn awards for saving lives
The Source
PUBLISHED: Sunday, July 27, 2008

Sterling Heights Interim Police Chief Michael Reese recently announced a series of merit and lifesaving awards for more than 20 police officers who demonstrated outstanding service to the community in 2007.

The merit awards recognize several officers for outstanding service to the community, while the lifesaving awards honor police officers and several firefighters for their actions in three separate incidents.

“While the vast majority of our officers perform at an extremely high level, these officers deserve special recognition for achieving results through investigation, observation or just being in the right place at the right time,” Reese said. “It’s efforts like these that help make Sterling Heights one of the safest cities in the state.”

The officers and circumstances that prompted their awards are as follows:

1 Life Saving Award: Officer Jamie Dubay was honored for saving the life of an elderly woman who was unconscious and not breathing.

l Life Saving Award: Officer Randall Shippy and firefighters Jeff Duncan, Jason Nelson, Joe Toth and Kevin Wardrop were honored for saving the life of a mobile home resident who was succumbing to smoke inhalation.

l Life Saving Award: Officer Walter Smith was honored for saving the life of a woman who was unconscious and not breathing after suffering a heart attack.

In addition, merit awards for outstanding service to the community were presented to the following officers:

Det. Gregory Hill, Officer Craig Cole, Officer Michael Kunath, Officer Brandon Pluger, Lt. Paul Wilson, Sgt. Scott Anderson, Det. John Gurnow, Det. David Ormachea, Det. Kenneth Pappas, Det. David Sarvello, Det. Jason Selewski, Det. George Tsouroullis, Officer Jason Modrzejewski, Officer Rodney Damm, Officer Allan Golden, Officer Roger Mueller, Officer Rob Wojciechowski, Sgt. Guy Holmes, Officer David Allen, Officer Gregory Glinski, Officer Anthony Roeske and Officer Matthew Willard.






08232008 - Firefighter Michael Boyd - First Offense - Southgate FD

FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL BOYD, SOUTHGATE FD: AUGUST 23, 2008


Firefighter Michael Boyd was charged with first-degree misdemeanor assault...just one year after he had been charged for assault in a domestic [08/17/2007]






AUGUST 23, 2008: Case # CRB0801309A. FIRST-DEGREE MISDEMEANOR ASSAULT.















ALSO SEE:
FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL BOYD, SOUTHGATE FD: JUNE 18, 2004
Original charges: Fourth-degree misdemeanor disorderly person; first-degree misdemeanor assault; fourth-degree menacing.
Sentence: Plea bargain. Pled guilty to fourth-degree misdemeanor disorderly person. Sentenced to 30 days in jail, suspended on condition no similar offense and remain law abiding for the next one year. All other charges dismissed.
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2004/06/firefighter-michael-boyd-southgate-fd.html


FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL BOYD, SOUTHGATE FD: JULY 01, 2006
Original charge: minor misdemeanor disorderly person.
Sentence: Pled guilty. Fined $32.
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2006/07/firefighter-michael-boyd-southgate-fd.html


FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL BOYD, SOUTHGATE FD: JULY 15, 2006
Original charge: fourth-degree misdemeanor disorderly person.
Sentence: Pled guilty. Fined $32.
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2006/07/firefighter-michael-boyd-southgate-fd_15.html


FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL BOYD, SOUTHGATE FD: AUGUST 17, 2007
Original charges: first-degree felony aggravated burglary; three counts of first-degree misdemeanor assault; and second-degree misdemeanor resisting arrest.
Sentence: Plea bargain. Pled guilty to one first-degree misdemeanor assault. In exchange, all other charges were dropped. Sentenced to 30 days in jail, suspended on condition no similar offense and remain law abiding for one year. [08/24/2007].
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/08/firefighter-michael-boyd-southgate-fire.html


FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL BOYD, SOUTHGATE FD: DECEMBER 03, 2007.
Original charges: Speeding. 50 /35. Violation of the conditions of his August 2007 sentencing: 30 day jail term was suspended on the condition that Boyd remain law abiding for one year.
Sentence: Paid $32 fine.
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/12/firefighter-michael-boyd-southgate-fire.html


FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL BOYD, SOUTHGATE FD: MARCH 30, 2009
Original charges: First-degree misdemeanor carrying concealed weapon; first-degree misdemeanor operating vehicle under influence; first-degree misdemeanor driving with suspended / revoked license; no tail lights; and driving without seatbelt.
Sentence: Plea agreement. Pled guilty to first-degree misdemeanor operating vehicle under influence; all other charges dismissed. Sentenced to 10 days in jail, suspended on condition that the law be abided by for one year; driver's license suspended for 180 days; first offender program.
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2009/03/firefighter-michael-boyd-southgate-fd.html


FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL BOYD, SOUTHGATE FD: MARCH 01, 2011.
Original charges: First-degree misdemeanor domestic violence.
CASE STILL PENDING.
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2011/10/firefighter-michael-boyd-southgate-fd.html




Monday, August 11, 2008

08112008 - Judge Donald Sanderson - Hillsdale County District Court







Hillsdale County District Court Judge Donald L. Sanderson stated during Officer Mark Sigler's hearing that the officer's case was confidential. Therefore, Judge Sanderson urged the Hillsdale Daily News to not publish a story on Officer Sigler's domestic violence case, as the officer was going to probably  walk away without a sentence.

?????





Litchfield officer gets deferred sentence
By Don Reid, GateHouse News Service
Hillsdale Daily News
Posted Aug 11, 2008 @ 02:59 PM
http://www.hillsdale.net/news/x418528603/Litchfield-officer-gets-deferred-sentence

Litchfield, Mich. — Former Litchfield Police Department Officer Mark James Sigler was placed on a deferred sentence by Hillsdale County District Court Judge Donald L. Sanderson last week, after he pleaded no contest to domestic violence. He also paid a ticket for an expired license plate in the plea bargain.

Sigler was given the option of having the plea taken under advisement. The sentence was “deferred under the statutes,” and will be dismissed if he fulfills the conditions of probation.

Judge Sanderson said the information in his case was confidential, as Sigler will probably walk away with no sentence.
Judge Sanderson declined comment and urged the paper not to publish a story on the case.

LPD Chief Steve Marson said Sigler, 24, of Reading, resigned his position on the LPD, after Chief Marson suspended him without pay for four weeks following a March 15 incident, court reports indicate.

Katurah Miller called 911 after she and Sigler became involved in an argument at 206 Southfield B2 in the evening, court documents said.

Chief Marson was informed by his officer on duty and, according to Hillsdale County Dispatch records, he asked the Michigan State Police to conduct the investigation and answer the call to allay any issues of bias.

Miller said Sigler “flicked me in the face” with his hand then pinned me against a sliding glass door. The statement also said he grabbed her by the face. During the altercation, she suffered a bloody nose.

That night Sigler was transported to the Branch County Jail by MSP, where he was booked and released on bond.

A no-contact order was issued warning Sigler not to contact her but she contacted the court the next day to request the order be removed.



[MI POLICE OFFICER INVOLVED PERPETRATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW ENFORCEMENT MURDER SUICIDE]

08112008 - Officer Mark Sigler - Sentenced - Litchfield PD






Litchfield officer gets deferred sentence
By Don Reid, GateHouse News Service
Hillsdale Daily News
Posted Aug 11, 2008 @ 02:59 PM
http://www.hillsdale.net/news/x418528603/Litchfield-officer-gets-deferred-sentence

Litchfield, Mich. — Former Litchfield Police Department Officer Mark James Sigler was placed on a deferred sentence by Hillsdale County District Court Judge Donald L. Sanderson last week, after he pleaded no contest to domestic violence. He also paid a ticket for an expired license plate in the plea bargain.

Sigler was given the option of having the plea taken under advisement. The sentence was “deferred under the statutes,” and will be dismissed if he fulfills the conditions of probation.

Judge Sanderson said the information in his case was confidential, as Sigler will probably walk away with no sentence.
Judge Sanderson declined comment and urged the paper not to publish a story on the case.

LPD Chief Steve Marson said Sigler, 24, of Reading, resigned his position on the LPD, after Chief Marson suspended him without pay for four weeks following a March 15 incident, court reports indicate.

Katurah Miller called 911 after she and Sigler became involved in an argument at 206 Southfield B2 in the evening, court documents said.

Chief Marson was informed by his officer on duty and, according to Hillsdale County Dispatch records, he asked the Michigan State Police to conduct the investigation and answer the call to allay any issues of bias.

Miller said Sigler “flicked me in the face” with his hand then pinned me against a sliding glass door. The statement also said he grabbed her by the face. During the altercation, she suffered a bloody nose.

That night Sigler was transported to the Branch County Jail by MSP, where he was booked and released on bond.

A no-contact order was issued warning Sigler not to contact her but she contacted the court the next day to request the order be removed.


Monday, August 4, 2008

08042008 - Officer Collin Eaton - Sentenced - Detroit PD

OFFENDER: COLLIN EATON [FORMER DETROIT PD OFFICER]


ORIGINAL CHARGES: SIX COUNTS OF 1ST DEGREE CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT; AND TWO COUNTS OF 2ND DEGREE CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT.



Also See:
Officer Collin Eaton sentenced for CSC: [August 04, 2008]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2009/10/oidv-offender-update-collin-eaton.html

Officer Collin Eaton charged with sexually assaulting step-children. [December 14, 2007]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2007/12/officer-collin-eaton-detroit-pd.html

Officer Collin Eaton: CSC - December 31, 2005 [Sentence 1]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2005/12/officer-collin-eaton-detroit-pd.html

Officer Collin Eaton: CSC - April 07, 2005 [Sentence 2]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/1999/04/officer-collin-eaton-detroit-pd.html

Officer Collin Eaton: CSC - April 07, 2005 [Sentence 3]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/1999/04/officer-collin-eaton-detroit-pd_7.html

Officer Collin Eaton: CSC - April 07, 2005 [Sentence 4]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/1999/04/officer-collin-eaton-detroit-pd_3415.html

Officer Collin Eaton: CSC - April 07, 2005 [Sentence 5]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/1999/04/officer-collin-eaton-detroit-pd_9271.html

Officer Collin Eaton: CSC - April 07, 2005 [Sentence 6]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/1999/04/officer-collin-eaton-detroit-pd_8851.html

Officer Collin Eaton: CSC - April 07, 2005 [Sentence 7]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/1999/04/officer-collin-eaton-detroit-pd_7505.html





 




MDOC NUMBER: 697502
CURRENT STATUS: PRISONER
LOCATION: ST. LOUIS
SECURITY LEVEL: IV
EARLIEST RELEASE DATE: 08/21/2025
MAXIMUM DISCHARGE DATE: 02/21/2043
SENTENCE 1:
OFFENSE: CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT, 3RD DEGREE [MULTIPLE VARIABLES]

MCL #: 750.520D
COURT FILE # : 084558-01
COUNTY: WAYNE
CONVICTION TYPE: PLEA
MINIMUM SENTENCE: 1 YEAR 0 MONTHS
MAXIMUM SENTENCE: 15 YEARS 0 MONTHS
DATE OF OFFENSE: 12/13/2005
DATE OF SENTENCE: 08/04/2008



SENTENCE 2:
OFFENSE: CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT, 2ND DEGREE [RELATIONSHIP]

MCL #: 750.520C1B
COURT FILE # : 084558-01
COUNTY: WAYNE
CONVICTION TYPE: JURY
MINIMUM SENTENCE: 1 YEAR 0 MONTHS
MAXIMUM SENTENCE: 15 YEARS 0 MONTHS
DATE OF OFFENSE: 04/07/1999
DATE OF SENTENCE: 08/04/2008




SENTENCE 3:
OFFENSE: CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT, 1ST DEGREE [RELATIONSHIP]

MCL #: 750.520B1B
COURT FILE # : 084558-01
COUNTY: WAYNE
CONVICTION TYPE: JURY
MINIMUM SENTENCE: 17 YEARS 6 MONTHS
MAXIMUM SENTENCE: 35 YEARS 0 MONTHS
DATE OF OFFENSE: 04/07/1999
DATE OF SENTENCE: 08/04/2008




SENTENCE 4:
OFFENSE: CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT, 1ST DEGREE [RELATIONSHIP]

MCL #: 750.520B1B
COURT FILE # : 084558-01
COUNTY: WAYNE
CONVICTION TYPE: JURY
MINIMUM SENTENCE: 17 YEARS 6 MONTHS
MAXIMUM SENTENCE: 35 YEARS
DATE OF OFFENSE: 04/07/1999
DATE OF SENTENCE: 08/04/2008




SENTENCE 5:
OFFENSE: CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT, 1ST DEGREE [RELATIONSHIP]

MCL #: 750.520B1B
COURT FILE # : 084558-01
COUNTY: WAYNE
CONVICTION TYPE: JURY
MINIMUM SENTENCE: 17 YEARS 6 MONTHS
MAXIMUM SENTENCE: 35 YEARS 0 MONTHS
DATE OF OFFENSE: 04/07/1999
DATE OF SENTENCE: 08/04/2008




SENTENCE 6:
OFFENSE: CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT, 1ST DEGREE [RELATIONSHIP]

MCL #: 750.520B1B
COURT FILE # : 084558-01
COUNTY: WAYNE
CONVICTION TYPE: JURY
MINIMUM SENTENCE: 17 YEARS 6 MONTHS
MAXIMUM SENTENCE: 35 YEARS 0 MONTHS
DATE OF OFFENSE: 04/07/1999
DATE OF SENTENCE: 08/04/2008




SENTENCE 7:
OFFENSE: CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT, 1ST DEGREE [RELATIONSHIP]

MCL #: 750.520B1B
COURT FILE # : 084558-01
COUNTY: WAYNE
CONVICTION TYPE: JURY
MINIMUM SENTENCE: 04/07/1999
MAXIMUM SENTENCE: 08/04/2008
DATE OF OFFENSE:
DATE OF SENTENCE: 08/04/2008

Sunday, August 3, 2008

08032008 - Officer Timothy Hibbard - Self-defense shooting of murderer Marshan Worthey - Jackson PD

Also See:

Officer Timothy Hibbard - Jackson PD - A family in crisis...
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2014/01/officer-timothy-hibbard-jackson-pd.html

Officer Timothy Hibbard - Gerald Landrum charged w/attempted murder of Hibbard. [April 17, 2004]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2004/04/officer-timothy-hibbard-gerald-landrum.html

Officer Timothy Hibbard - Samuel M. Thomas convicted for dragging Officer Hibbard w/vehicle [August 15, 2002]
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2002/08/officer-timothy-hibbard-samuel-m-thomas.html






On August 3, 2008 Officer Timothy Hibbard and other Jackson PD officers responded to a DV call at the home of Shakia Kelley, who had a protective order against her ex-boyfriend Marshan Worthey. Just two days prior, Worthey had been released from jail for violating the PPO.

When the Jackson officers arrived on the scene, Worthy had already shot and killed Shakia. Worthy was dragging Shakia's body down the street and shooting at responding officers. 
Worthy ignored the officers' orders for him to drop his weapon. Instead Worthy's response to the police was to shout at them, "I'll kill you bitches!" as continued to shoot at them. Officer Hibbard and the other responding officers were left with no other choice but to return fire. 

And Worthy's mama said, "They wrong the way they shot him down and they think they can get away with that!"












Domestic calls fraught with danger - Emotion, unknowns make for explosive situations
Jackson Citizen Patriot (MI) 
Sunday, March 14, 2010 

Police officers often work alone. They pull over speeders, follow up on missing persons' reports and investigate crime typically by themselves. 

A domestic disturbance or assault is a different story. Most local departments send officers to those calls in pairs. 

"There's a lot of emotion in them," said Blackman Township Public Safety Director Mike Jester. 

"Officers know that it is a dangerous situation. It's something that's always in the back of their mind." 

In 2009, more officers were shot while on domestic disturbance calls than any other sort of dispatch, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Nearly a quarter,12, of the 49 firearm-related deaths in 2009 happened on domestic disturbance calls. 

The organization's 2009 preliminary Law Enforcement Officer Deaths report concludes that "Once again, responding to domestic disturbance calls proved to be particularly dangerous for America's law enforcement officers during 2009." 

The FBI found that of the 530 officers killed between 1999 and 2008, 14 percent died while investigating a disturbance call, including domestic disturbances. Of the more than half a million officers assaulted during those same years, 31 percent were on disturbance calls. 

Between 2006 and 2009 in Jackson, officers three times shot and killed a person during a domestic disturbance call. In each, the prosecutors reviewing the case ruled the officers acted justly in the shootings. 

And it was a domestic disturbance call that led to the shooting death last week of Jackson Police Officer James Bonneau. Early Tuesday, Bonneau and Blackman Township Department of Public Safety Officer Darin McIntosh entered the house of Elvin Potts on Mitchell Street. Potts shot at the officers, investigators said, killing Bonneau and wounding McIntosh before McIntosh shot and killed Potts. 

Bonneau, 26, the first Jackson Police officer killed in the line of duty since 1978, was laid to rest Friday. McIntosh, 22, attended the funeral but is still recovering at Allegiance Health. 

Detectives concluded their investigation into the 12:26 a.m. shooting at 140 Mitchell St. on Thursday. They expect to send the case to the prosecutor's office Monday. 

"It's not the bank robbery or the bad rapist. Generally officers get killed in situations like this," said retired Jackson Police Officer Robert Howe. 

Jackson Deputy Chief John Holda said domestic-disturbance situations have always been dangerous. When officers respond to domestic reports, often the two parties are still fighting.
Officers typically enter into someone's house, placing the officer in unfamiliar surroundings. 

People are yelling and arguing. Holda called the situations volatile. 

"People have arguments," Holda said, "but when it gets to the point where someone is calling a police officer obviously emotions are at their highest." 

Because a domestic situation often involves two people, it is procedure at the Jackson department and many others to always respond with at least two officers. The officers' task at a domestic, Holda said, is to first separate the fighting parties. 

The Jackson department conducts frequent training on domestic disturbances, Holda said. 

Officers study not only how to tactically handle and diffuse the conflicts but also how to protect and help the victim in the case. 

Even before police officers respond to their first real-life domestic disturbance call, the scenario and procedure has been drilled into them during their police academy training. Ronald Ivey, director of the Kellogg Community College Police Academy in Battle Creek, said his recruits spend 15 hours in the classroom learning about domestic disturbances and countless hours in scenario training.
Ivey, a 30-year veteran of the Marshall Department of Public Safety, said there is no normal or general domestic violence situation, but the recruits study trends and commonalities among different cases.
His academy teaches recruits to stay close to their partners during the investigation and to interview subjects in areas where there is nothing that could be used a weapon. The kitchen, he said, is off-limits. 

Michigan State Police Sgt. Josh Lator said training at the state level tries to incorporate domestic violence in nearly every situation. 

When training how to deal with crimes in progress, mastering defense tactics or even learning how to ask a loud party to turn down the music, the state police Training Academy blends domestic violence into all of it. 

Lator said he teaches officers to be aware of and use four "P's" when responding to a domestic violence situation: 
Plan - Make office safety a top priority; 
Perceive - Use all five senses; 
Perform - Modify the plan if necessary, then execute it; 
Presume - Never presume, always use all your training. 

In these situations, nothing can be discredited or ignored, Lator said. 

"You've got neighbors; you've got pets. You've got other people showing up on scene," Lator said. "You have to be willing to really take your time and step back and say, 'This is what I see, and this is what my training tells me.' " 

Then, Lator said, the officer has to make the right decision. The officer has to make a decision that keeps the victim safe and keeps the officer safe. 

On any given night, Jackson-area officers respond to several domestic disturbance calls. 

Addresses and suspect descriptions chirp across the police radio so frequently, they almost seem routine. But for each officer on each call, they are anything but routine. 

Recent deadly domestic disturbance calls 
Since April 2006, Jackson County police have killed three men and a woman. All of the shootings were precipitated by acts of domestic violence. 

In all but the most recent event involving Elvin Potts, which is yet to be reviewed, prosecutors found the officers' actions justified. 

Jackson Sgt. Michael Gleeson shot and killed Terrance "Terry" Wheeler on May 27 when Wheeler, 58, refused to drop a knife he used to fatally stab his former girlfriend, Dorothy Holliday, 43. 

Gleeson and Officer Chad Dermyer arrived at Holliday's home at 815 Maltby St. after a neighbor reported Wheeler's brother, who since has recovered, had been stabbed and was on the front lawn.
They entered the home and saw Wheeler dart from the kitchen to the bathroom and close the door. Gleeson kicked open the bathroom door and saw Wheeler stabbing Holliday on the floor. 

Wheeler ignored a command to drop his weapon, and the sergeant fired at Wheeler, who fell and continued his assault on Holliday, the prosecutor's office reported. Gleeson then continued shooting, firing nine total bullets. 

Neighbors, family members and friend of Holliday described Wheeler as an angry, violent man with a temper and a big voice. 

He had lived in the Maltby Street home with his brother and Holliday, who had recently kicked Wheeler out of her house. 

Aug. 3, 2008, Marshan Worthey killed his former girlfriend and fired at responding officers with a stolen .22-caliber handgun. Jackson Police Sgt. Timothy Hibbard and officers Jason Ganzhorn and Wesley Stanton returned fire, shooting more than a dozen times and killing Worthey. 

Worthey had shot Shakia Kelley, 22, and dragged her body 100 yards in the area of Bloomfield  Boulevard and Woodbridge Street, officials said. 

On a recording played at an Aug. 14 press conference, the officers were heard ordering Worthey to show his hands as he crouched near Kelley's body. "I'll kill you, b-------," he shouted at cops before he died. 

Worthey and Kelley had a tumultuous relationship that worsened when she tried to break away, police and family members said. She had a personal protection order against Worthey, and he was jailed for five days for violating it shortly before the shooting. 

Jackson Police Sgt. Kevin Hiller and Officer Lisa Medina shot Theresa Cram April 19, 2006, outside her Steward Avenue home as Cram charged toward Medina, wielding a knife. 

Cram did not respond to officers' nine requests to drop the knife, according to recordings. 

Her roommate had called police and said Cram held a knife to her throat. 

Cram had a history of mental-health problems, her brother said, and had spent time in a residential mental hospital for schizophrenia. 

Before Cram's death, it had been 13 years since an officer in Jackson County used deadly force. 













Officials: Officers justified in shooting
Jackson Citizen Patriot (MI) 
Friday, August 15, 2008 

Jackson police officers were justified in shooting to death an armed murder suspect on Aug. 3, investigators and prosecutors concluded Thursday. 

A witness and taped microphone recordings confirmed Marshan Worthey fired upon police and they returned fire, striking him multiple times, Jackson County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Mark Blumer said. 

A police recording from the scene indicated Worthey fired a .22-caliber handgun before three officers shot more than a dozen times at him. Worthey had killed his former girlfriend, Shakia Kelley, and dragged her body 100 yards, Blumer said. 

"There is strong evidence this was suicide by cop," he said. 

At a press conference, he played a recording from officers' microphones. The officers are heard ordering Worthey to show his hands as he crouched near Kelley's body at Bloomfield Boulevard and Woodbridge Street. 

"I'll kill you bitches!" Worthey shouted at police, just before they shot him to death. 

The three officers involved remain on paid administrative leave and will be evaluated to see if they are emotionally ready to return to work, Police Chief Matt Heins said. 

Sgt. Timothy Hibbard and officers Jason Ganzhorn and Wesley Stanton are doing well, Heins said. Eventually, they will undergo "fit-for-duty" evaluation. 

"This is a traumatic event not just for the officers involved," Heins said. "It impacts the whole department." 

Heins called for an outside investigation the day of the shootings. 

A state police detective and two Jackson County sheriff's detectives completed a 60-page report, concluding Worthey shot first and the officers responded. 

"The officers tried to make a clean arrest and Mr. Worthey left them no option," Blumer said. 

Members of Worthey's family said they believe officers could have handled it differently, but were not surprised to learn Thursday the officers had been cleared. 

"My son is dead and gone. They (were) wrong the way they shot him down and they think they can get away with that," said Worthey's mother, Alma Brown of Jackson. "I ain't going to let it go." 

She said it has been difficult losing not only Worthey, but Kelley, who had been involved with Worthey since high school. 

"Shakia was like a daughter to me," she said, declining to discuss the events leading up to Worthey's death or the crime police say he committed. 

"I am just going to let him rest in peace," she said. 

Worthey, 24, and Kelley, 22, had a tumultuous relationship that worsened when she tried to break away, police and family members said. She had a personal protection order against him, and he was jailed for five days after violating it, Blumer said. 

Worthey, a father to five, had been out of jail two days when he attacked Kelley in the early morning of Sunday, Aug. 3. Blumer said Worthey shot Kelley multiple times with a .22-caliber handgun that was reported stolen a year ago. 

He then dragged her body about 100 yards, apparently to hide it, Blumer said. 

A man from the neighborhood who witnessed the shoot-out told police that he saw Worthey dragging a woman and saw him shoot at police.

While the investigation is closed, police await a report on tissue samples sent to the state police crime lab. Blumer said it is possible Worthey was high on drugs at the time of his death. 

"I never knew my baby to do (any) drugs," Brown said, leaning against a car outside her mother's home, which had a seemingly constant stream of visitors. 

Blumer declined to disclose the number of bullet wounds in Worthey and Kelley, but said Kelley was not hit by any stray bullets fired by police.