Transcription
The investigation is proceeding. New evidence is being developed that we feel is going to help lead us to a conclusion at some point or another. So the investigation is still, uh, very, very active.
And Chief, can you explain the importance? You know, obviously, a lot of people have interest in this case. Sure. From those that have watched our news to us in the meeting, I know people in your department, in the family, and would love more information. Would love to know everything that your detectives know, right? But can you, you know, stress the importance of minimizing public information, especially when you're investigating an unsolved murder like this one that's very high profile?
Sure. It's extremely important to us in all matters to bring the cases to a conclusion. And it's very complex. The legal justice system is very complicated and very complex. And many of our cases are made on the suspects or persons who is involved not knowing the extent of the information that we have about their involvement. So if we expose all that we know, it significantly hampers, uh, makes the case increasingly, increasingly difficult to draw to a conclusion.
And you all aren't a crime TV show, you know, like NCIS that we watch on CBS, yeah, Fridays at night. Um, you know, and I'm sure even with the families that goes to that point, they're keeping the intelligence that you know and the things that you know close to the so you can fully investigate a case, not jeopardize of the legalities, so make sure that you get a suspect. Is, is that a fair assessment to say that we watch too much TV and think there's just this open sharing of information that really isn't productive to solving a case?
That, that is, uh, very, very accurate. Uh, what you see many times on TV, naturally, is staged. And it seemed like the stars always line up, everything works out perfect. But in reality, that is not the case. It takes, you know, weeks, months, days, sometimes years to gather all the right facts, all the right evidence, so that a case can be presented and prosecuted throughout our justice system.
And, and Chief, you know, what would you like to say to the loved ones of the Shamaya Little case, but even any case that, you know, are so involved in it because they've lost someone, that you know, are frustrated over lack of information, uh, that comes in and the lack of information that you all can share?
I feel so sympathetic for the family. Nothing would do my heart better than to be able to sit down with the family and say, here's the entire mountain of information that we know about that. And I'm not sure that that knowing all that could make them feel any better because they lost a loved one. And my heart truly goes out to them. But I, I like to assure them that we are working as, as diligently and as best we can to bring the person or persons who is responsible for this offense against your loved one, uh, to justice.
And I would also encourage the Little family and anyone else to help us in any fashion that you can. Any information that you may hear about or know, don't discount anything. Please give us or give Crime Stoppers a call. You never know. Sometimes it sends us in a direction that would be beneficial. Sometimes it's information we already know, but you don't know. Please help us to solve this and any other crime.
And I understand with this particular offense, there is a significant reward through Crime Stoppers for information that could lead to the arrest of this person, a person responsible for this offense. I know that every, you know, crime, homicide, the detectives who investigate these, you know, take it personally. I know they want to solve these. Yes, but does it weigh on an investigator even more when it's a young person? I mean, every life's a life lost, it's a tragedy. When we see a young person, does that trauma even lay over on them additionally?
Out of all the positions, uh, within the policing arena, I would say being a violent crime investigator is one of the most difficult ones, the most tiring, taxing one on you personally because you, your heart, your mind never rests. Even when you are not physically at SPD, the, the case, the facts, everything is still going through your mind and trying to figure out and pinpoint that one little clue that could lead you in a direction to bring the case to a conclude, to a close. It is very much mentally stressful.
Can you kind of talk to this? But I'll just ask it again. You know, how can giving up too much information in an open homicide case compromise being able to make arrests, or maybe more importantly, get a conviction?
Absolutely. I'll give you just as an example. Some of the information involved in an offense, only the offender would know. If I was to sit down and interview someone and they knew exactly what I knew, it would decrease my chances of getting a confession or gaining new information because, naturally, you would have time to prepare your, your defense. But if you don't know what I know, it helps my chances of getting good, solid information from you and from others who may be involved or know something about it. Uh, that's some of the stuff that investigations are built on.
This, I thought was an interesting question because I see it all the time when people come to me and say, you know, they, they believe they know A, B, and C and believe that the police also, in the way beings, yeah, wonder why a person can't be arrested. Yeah. You know, Jerry wanted us to ask a question. You know, explain what that evidentiary threshold is before y'all can even get in the restaurant to go pick up somebody. You know, is quite a bit of difference, right? About having a suspect and having enough evidence to go to a judge and the DA and get a warrant. You know, what is that threshold that you all have to make?
It is, I can, uh, I can recall numerous, uh, cases, offenses where through some means or another, I felt in my heart that you are the person involved. But sometimes what you know, got to be substantiated by what you can prove. And in order to get an arrest warrant, a lot of thresholds have to be met, such as, would you have a motive to do it? Or would you have a, the means to commit, uh, the offense? And the list just goes on and on. Would you have the opportunity to do it? Meaning, where were you at the time? Was it a better likelihood that you was at this place? And there's a significant laundry list of those kind of, uh, ifs that have to be met and have to be well articulated within the arrest affidavit for the judge, the prosecutors, others who are not connected to the case, that can read it and reasonably believe that such a warrant is warranted. I got to convince somebody else within the justice arena who has no connection, that don't know, that was not there on the scene, have not talked to the witnesses. They are the, uh, average person that you would see every day. I got to convince them.
Unlike on television, this is my last question. If you all can't answer this one, I completely understand. I jumped in was helping Taylor initially when this case before Shamaya was found. And I know there were like resources all over the city and multi-agencies. Uh, are there other agencies still helping you all, uh, investigate this homicide, or the fine men and women, uh, in your violent crimes division are completely at the helm at this point?
Well, it never stops. Uh, immediately on the seventh, when, uh, sometimes that other, when this offense was reported to us, a mass search and rescue, discover effort went into place with us and all of our other law enforcement partners. That degree of intensity has not significantly decreased. Even though our other partners may have moved on to doing other things, they're still very mindful of this. And as information develops, it will be fair to us and we will follow up on the leads. But our investigators are still actively investigating this case. This is an open case and an ongoing investigation, and it will continue, uh, to be that way as long as there's, uh, evidence that's leading us in a direction that hopefully, you know, we'll be able to conclude at some point another.