APD Zone 2 Fangirl Report – Drugs and Homicide
Last night’s class was a doozie – drugs and homicide. Thank goodness I stopped at Hattie B’s for a spicy chicken sammie beforehand…
Let’s kick off the fun with some drugs… ahem… I mean some discussion about drugs. This part made me feel totally naïve and worried about being the parent of a 17 year-old. Remember those crystal rock gardens we made as kids – well that is strikingly similar to some of the drugs out there. There’s even a newer drug called “shatter” that looks kind of like honey. There are even some that look like Flintstones vitamins. There are all types of drugs and they are everywhere and people are doing stupid stuff like mixing them all together with Fentanyl (which can kill you with a pindrop of it) just for a good time. Nuts. (Pardon me for a second while I go bubble wrap my son and lock him in the basement!)
And, no surprise, where there are drugs there are guns, prostitution and all sorts of other illegal activities to go along with it. Drugs are never considered a nonviolent crime.
The interesting thing here is the lengths dealers go to in their efforts to disguise drugs for distribution. Everything from packing them in coffee grounds (which doesn’t work) to slicing off the tops of cans to make an insert to hide stuff in, to disguising crack pipes as lovely little roses that are sold at local gas stations. You name it – they’ve tried it.
Note to anyone traveling with drugs…those K-9’s can smell everything you have on you – no matter how small a quantity it may be. It’s a bad idea.
PRO TIP – even though weed is legal in some states, it is still federally illegal so you cannot actually use a bank for any money made from the sale of it. Banking is a federal system subject to federal regulations.
Let’s move on to homicide. This is the part that is the most like what you see on TV. Homicide Investigator Summer Benton is actually a regular on the First 48 and was our presenter for the evening. And she is one smart badass cookie. She handles the cold cases including the Wayne Williams child murders from back in the 80’s. I feel sorry for anyone being “interviewed” (they don’t say “interrogated”) by her. I’m sure many a perp has fallen victim to her good looks and diabolical mind! “Dead serious” describes her to a T. Her mantra is “assume nothing” and she documents everything. Ruling people out is just as important as nailing the criminals in her world.
Investigator Benson walked us through three very different cases to demonstrate her methodical approach and amazing attention to detail. She challenged us when we made assumptions and chided us when we missed key details.
Key tidbits:
- Most murderers now are later teens to early 20s
- Most murders are committed by someone known to the victim – not a stranger
- More than five victims is considered a “mass murder”
- More than three killings of similar nature is considered “serial”
- Anything involving kids will be deemed second degree murder
“Fun” Fact #1: The small of a decomposing body does not come out of your clothes… EEW.
There are five types of evidence:
- Direct witness testimony (what they see and hear)
- Real – physical tangible items
- Demonstrative – sketches and maps created by investigators to explain things
- Circumstantial – logical relationship
- Opinion – expert witnesses
PRO TIP: APD has a “no chase” policy – they can’t chase you with a vehicle. BUT… if you are wanted for murder that does not apply.
I don’t see how anyone can do the job that homicide investigators do and still retain a positive outlook on humanity. One night of only three gruesome stories was enough for me. There’s yet another job that is marked off my list to consider, but that I am really thankful some people are called to do it. The rest of us are lucky to have them.
