Monday, June 26, 2006

Even under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the intimidation continues....

Update- June 26, 2006 This is the email response from Chief Mike Olson and the Marshall Police Department concerning our Freedom of Information Request about the family and I being granted permission to be in the previous residence of Mary Lands after the apartment was vacated by former boy-friend, Chris Pratt. On June 19, 2006 he evidently filed criminal complaints against us for entering the abandoned apartment, although we had permission from management.

----- Original Message -----
From:
Michael Olson
To:
jcarlin@justinianlaw.com
Sent: Monday, June 26, 2006 8:03 AM
Subject: FOIA Request
Sir,
I am in receipt of your FOIA request. It was forwarded to the Calhoun County Prosecutor's Office on Friday, June 23, 2006. The complaint remains under investigation and will not be released at this time.

Michael C. Olson,
Public Safety Director
Marshall Police & Fire
323 West Michigan Avenue
Marshall, MI 49068
Office: 269-781-2596
Fax: 269-781-6414
Email: molson@cityofmarshall.com

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Harassment and Intimidation against the family of Mary Denise Lands

Update- June 22, 2006 On June 19, 2006 the leasing manager of the apartment complex where Mary formerly resided permitted Mr. & Mrs. Marshall and I into the unit to take photographs, video and recover a few small items abandoned there after her boy friend vacated, and had not paid any rent.
Acting on a complaint from Chris Pratt, a sergeant from the Marshall Police Department attempted to speak with me prior to a city council meeting. Mr. Marshall and I were in attendance to speak about Mary's disappearance and ask 20 questions concerning the mishandling of Mary's case. The officer came upstairs to the City Hall and requested that I accompany her to the police department for questioning. I declined to speak with her or any police-officer until my attorney was present. The Marshall Police Department then spent several hours at the vacant apartment and verified with the leasing agent that Mary's name was on the lease and, in fact, Mr. Pratt had vacated without paying his rent. One would presume that the issue was over, however on the next day the Marshall Police Department required the Marshall's to come into the Police Department and be questioned about "some criminal matters". They complied and were brought into an interrogation room. They were then informed of their Miranda Rights and they too then stated they would not speak to the police until their attorney was present. The next day, Chief Mike Olson called Mr. Marshall and said there was no problem.
This is just more of the same attitude of arrogance and incompetence within the Marshall Police Department. They knew Monday night that no crime ever occurred with us going into the empty apartment with the permission of management, and while they were present. The Marshall Police Department purposely intended to harass and intimidate the family in an attempt to have us cease our criticism of their mishandling of Mary's case.
How ironic it is that nearly 28 months after Mary disappeared that her own parents were being read their Miranda Rights just for being in her former home. One has to wonder how many times Miranda has ever been read to anyone in the actual Mary Lands case?
Thank you to the management of this great residential complex for standing up and helping the family. The community has been so supportive of the family and it is deeply appreciated. This is just another example of one of the reasons that primary jurisdiction of the Mary Lands case should be taken over by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a grand jury.
Jim Carlin

Thursday, June 15, 2006

A Father's Day Plea to Bring Home his Daughter

Detroit News- June 17, 2006
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006606170332

Update- June 17, 2006 by Clifford Marshall
Can anyone help me with questions about my daughter, Mary, who has now been missing for over 27 months? Mary was 39 years old when she disappeared from her apartment in Marshall, Michigan. She was my adult daughter, but she will always be my “baby.” These are just some of my questions and those of our family:

1. Why were non-certified civilian dog handlers permitted into the original police investigation by the Marshall Police Department, which gave the impression to ourcommunity that my Mary was just another adult runaway?
2. Why did the Marshall Police Department within the first week of Mary’s disappearance tell the Federal Bureau of Investigation that their resources and those of a task force were not needed in the case?
3. Why were family members ridiculed, embarrassed and told outright lies by the Marshall Police Department during interviews about Mary’s disappearance?
4. Why did it take 6 months for the Marshall Police Department to declare Mary a “victim of foul play?”
5. Why did it take 9 months for a search warrant to be executed at my daughter’s home?
6. Why was Jim Carlin, a man volunteering his time and experience to our family threatened with arrest simply for asking questions about Mary?
7. Why was it that 9 months later the police didn’t have any problem with Mr. Carlin working on behalf of our family on this case?
8. Why have the Marshall Police Department refused to interview Mary’s daughter as she obviously has a great deal of first-hand knowledge about her mother’s life and Mary’s relationship with her boyfriend?
9. Why was it that our family did not realize our daughter was a severely battered woman?
10. Why after 27 months have the police failed to name a suspect or at least a “person of interest” in Mary’s disappearance?
11. Why after working with the Marshall Police Department and providing information and tips to them was Jim Carlin, our private investigator, who continues to donate his time and services again threatened with arrest because he wanted to interview Mary’s daughter?
12. Why is it that Mary’s favorite winter brown leather jacket worn on the night of her disappearance was recovered at a flea market in Homer yet the Marshall Police do not seem interested in who was selling it along with many of her other personal items and property?
13. Why have the Marshall Police not done more to inquire about Mary’s boyfriend and other associates who might have information about this case?
14. Why does the Marshall Chief of Police refuse to permit the Federal Bureau of Investigation to take over primary jurisdiction of this case?
15. What is the Marshall Police Department hiding and who are they trying to protect?
16. Why is it that so many people in our community distrust the Marshall Police Department?
17. Why is it that only once in 27 months has any member of law enforcement ever visited our home to give us support? This single instance occurred for just 20 minutes last month and it was only after a plea by Jim Carlin to the Marshall Chief of Police, Mike Olson.
18. It is well known that the Calhoun County Prosecutor will not criminally charge anyone in a case without a body. Why did Mr. Hallacy state to the editor of the Marshall Chronicle he has prosecuted at least twice, but those cases cannot be verified in court records? If he has done so, why won’t he consider such a prosecution in my daughter’s case?
19. Why is it that it appears there are so many intertwining criminal activities related to Mary’s disappearance, but the Marshall Police Department can’t seem to connect the dots?
20. Why does the Marshall Police Department have such a lack of respect and compassion for our family in this unbearable tragedy?
For over two years we have been asking, “Where is Mary?”and “When will we have justice for Mary?” Please help our family in this tragedy.


Sunday, June 11, 2006

Father's Day 2006

just another day searching for Mary.....

Clifford Marshall, Mary's Dad, will not be celebrating this Father's Day with the normal pleasures that most fathers enjoy on this special holiday across the country. On June 18th he will once again have a shovel in his hands and be digging ground on a piece of property in hopes of locating his daughter, a daughter that the family believes has been murdered. Although Mary was a 39 year old adult at the time of her disappearance she will always be Cliff and Anita's "baby." He will be joined by many other fathers, friends and supporters volunteering their time and energy to assist the family on Father's Day in further excavation to find Mary Denise Lands.
The Marshall Police Department have consistently lied and misled the family since March 2004 when Mary allegedly walked away from the apartment she shared with her boy-friend, Chris Pratt. He stated that on Friday, March 12, 2004 at approximately 10:00 P.M. Mary went for a walk on a cold winter evening after a minor argument. 44 hours later Mr. Pratt telephoned the family in California to report that Mary was missing.
One of the signs that was carried in front of the Marshall Police Department during a 5-day protest walk on the Memorial Day Holiday read, "Barney Fife could have solved this case" and that statement says it all. For whatever reason the local police department has not properly investigated this crime? People throughout the community have a mistrust of the department and that lack of confidence has clearly affected the investigation.
We are again asking that the Federal Bureau of Investigation be permitted to take over primary jurisdiction of this case from Chief Mike Olson and the Marshall Police Department. That department has no business conducting an investigation of this this magnitude and importance. They do not have the personnel, resources, initiative or ability to solve this case.
The family needs your help! Do whatever you can to talk about the Mary Lands case. Contact any public official, friend, neighbor, attorney, reporter, or anyone who might be in a position to assist the family in this failure of law enforcement to their job.
This week the Battle Creek Enquirer is going to publish an Open Letter from Clifford Marshall about his daughter's disappearance. For 27 months he has been asking, Where is Mary? and When will we have justice for Mary? In his letter he will now be asking many more questions.
When the article is printed in the Enquirer it will also be published on this forum.

Friday, June 9, 2006

Marshall Police Department return bone.....

but now there are still more questions?

Update June 9, 2006- Today, the Marshall Police Department returned a bone to the family that was recovered while digging on a suspicious area of property in Sheridan Township, Michigan. The item was turned over to a Marshall police-officer on May 6th and secured as evidence for examination. On May 8th the police reported to the family the bone was not that of a human after it was examined by a university anthropologist. After numerous requests the police returned the bone but Marshall Police failed to provide a copy of the official results to the family. Furthermore, the chain of custody noted on their own evidence envelope presents more questions than answers? The family will now attempt to conduct an independent examination of this bone and others that have been recovered. All of these excavation efforts have been done by family, friends, and supporters at their own expense and without any assistance from law enforcement. The family continues to advocate their position that the Federal Bureau of Investigation be permitted to take over primary jurisdiction of this case so that Mary can be brought home.

Sunday, June 4, 2006

The Disappearance of Mary Denise Lands, March 12, 2004, Marshall, Michigan

Michigan State Police-Missing Persons Bulletin

We have all been striving for nearly 27 months to bring Mary home and to have the person/s responsible for her disappearance held accountable. We have constantly been misled and lied to by the Marshall, Michigan Police Department concerning Mary's investigation. Barney Fife of Mayberry could have solved this case yet despite all the tips and documentation provided to law enforcement no arrest has been made. If it was the daughter of the chief of police who was missing you can guarantee that the case would have been solved. For months we have been asking, Where is Mary? and When will we have justice for Mary? We now have another question, What is the Marshall Police Department trying to hide and who are they protecting?

In the June 4, 2006 weekly edition of the Marshall Chronicle there is a comment concerning the lack of criminal charges being filed in this case because no body has been recovered. It is well known within the courts and among law enforcement officials that Calhoun County Prosecutor, John Hallacy will never file charges without a body. This is one of the issues that further frustrates the family and friends of Mary Lands. In the article, Mr. Hallacy stated those decisions would be made based on available evidence and that he has prosecuted for murder at least twice in the past without a body.
I have personally researched that issue for over one year and have never been able to locate any prosecutor, defense attorney, court official or record to confirm that statement.
Mr. Hallacy, if your statement is true we would like you to cite the cases in question? Murder convictions without a corpus have been achieved by prosecutors throughout many counties in Michigan and throughout the United States. No record of any such case has been prosecuted here in Calhoun County, and we want to know why?
Where is Mary? When will we have justice for Mary?

Mary Denise Lands has now been missing for nearly twenty-seven months. In the first 6 months of her disappearance "Barney Fife of Mayberry" would have conducted a better investigation than that of the Marshall Police Department. Not much has improved. That agency today still continues to stumble and fumble in even basic investigative techniques needed to solve this crime. One question is why after two years have the police failed to make an arrest of the person/s responsible for Mary's disappearance? Other questions are why are they not even interested in trying to solve this case, and what are they trying to hide?


WWMT-TV- Kalamazoo- 05/30/2006
WWMT-TV- Kalamazoo- 05/20/2006
WOOD-TV- Grand Rapids- 05/26/2006
WWMT-TV- Kalamazoo- 05/08/2006
WOOD-TV- Grand Rapids- 05/08/2006
WLNS-TV- Lansing- 05/07/2006
WOOD-TV- Grand Rapids- 05/07/2006
WWMT-TV- Kalamazoo- 05/07/2006
WXMI-TV- Grand Rapids- 05/07/2006

UPDATE- Mary Denise Lands- Join our community team to promote public awareness about the disappearance of Mary Denise Lands. We are giving away white caps that display an image of Mary Lands with the words, Where is Mary? There is no cost for them, however friends and supporters are urged to make a donation to the reward fund. By wearing a cap you will signify your support in helping to solve this mystery and building the reward fund that eventually might provide needed answers for the police and the family. Wear the cap, and each and every day ask the question, to as many people as possible, Where is Mary? Talk to your friends and neighbors about Mary's disappearance, and contact law enforcement authorities if you have any information on the case. Remember, someone can provide a vital piece of the puzzle that will solve this investigation. Something trivial and unrelated to you might be the answer to this mystery. For more information contact Jim Carlin at 269.441.7068 or email
JCarlin@BADD.org Photo-Mary Lands Cap
Update- March 30, 2006- The Memorial Day weekend traditionally signals the start of a great boating season and a summer of fun. However, this weekend was the 3rd Memorial Day that Mary Lands was not present to celebrate this holiday with her family. The investigation by the Marshall Police Department has been a total disgrace from the beginning and nothing seems to improve as we approach the 27th month since Mary disappeared from the home she shared with her boy-friend, Chris Pratt. Mr. Pratt indicated that Mary went for a walk after a minor argument at approximately 10:00 P.M. on the cold winter evening of March 12, 2004 still attired in her medical scrubs uniform with flat shoes. She reportedly took her purse, however left a cell telephone and the keys to her newly purchased Dodge Durango. 44 hours later Mr. Pratt notified her family in California that their daughter was missing.
Two weeks ago the family had to wait 52 hours before the Marshall Police Department notified us that a suspicious bone found on a property we had to dig by ourselves, was not that of a human. Only once in 27 months has any police-officer, investigator, prosecutor, victim advocate or any high ranking member of law enforcement ever visited the home of Mary's parents. This attitude demonstrates a lack of empathy and compassion and it is disrespectful to the family. On Friday, September 26th, the family, friends and supporters of Mary Denise Lands commenced a protest walk in front of the Marshall Police Department and the Brooks Memorial fountain circle over the long holiday weekend. "Clifford Marshall, Mary's Dad, Walking for his daughter"
Supporters carried signs expressing displeasure with the way this case has been handled and we are once again demanding justice for Mary. We also are asking that the Federal Bureau of Investigation be permitted to take over primary jurisdiction of this case from Chief Mike Olson and the Marshall Police Department. They do not have the personnel, resources, initiative or ability to solve this case. It was a very long hot humid 5 days for all of us, but the Marshall family is strong. At the conclusion of the 5 day walk numerous family members, friends and supporters will have volunteered approximately 400 hours of participation. We also have personally observed a gracious public display of support from citizens stopping and wishing the family their best. People were honking their horns, bringing water and food, and welcome words to a family who only wants to obtain justice for their daughter. We will continue all our efforts in search of an answer to our question, "Where is Mary?"
We fully realized that many people were away for this long weekend and enjoying the start of summer. However, the Marshall family has not been able to enjoy any happy holidays in the last two years. We have a job to do and it must be done. We will continue now, and in the future to ask, Where is Mary? and, When will we have justice for Mary?
WWMT-TV- Kalamazoo- 05/30/2006


If you have any information, please feel free to contact the family or myself.

Jim Carlin
Justinian Investigative Services
344 Clayton Avenue
Battle Creek, Michigan 49017-5218 U.S.A.

Tx- 269.441.7068
Email
JCarlin@JustinianLaw.com or JCarlin@BADD.org

www.JustinianLaw.com or www.BADD.org