Uh, Bri, did you miss the Minnesota college freshman who turned up in a pond this week near a college in NY?

He was last seen leaving a party, dressed like Wm. Shakespeare.....

Now, I'm just sayin', that does sound an awful lot like the Jenkins circumstances.

And the media have been virtually silent about it!

LAMBERT: Laura Ingraham will do an hour on it on Monday -- and blame it on Bill Clinton.

Not even remotely related to the Jenkins story, but would this by any chance be the same Sam Zeff who used to be the regional host of Morning Edition on WHYY in Philadelphia back in the 1980s? The name rang an immediate bell because the moment I read it, I could hear him barking "GOODmorningI'mSamZeff!" as he did about 10 times every morning when I was growing up outside of Philly. I always wondered what happened to that guy - he never seemed like the public radio type...

LAMBERT: I don't know. But he tells me he worked for a while in Philly.

I wish all the stations would agree not to run "breaking new developments" in highly visible cold cases during sweeps.They pull the communities collective chain that a missing person is about to be found or a murderer is about to be apprehended only to find out they are being used as ratings fodder.
First,the station runs endless promos to lead you to believe the case has a major breakthrough that will lead to resolution. ( Remember the " phone calls from a youth believed to be Jacob Wetterling"? And the Arab/Mayo connection with strong hints of white slavery raised about Jodi Husentruit ?) Then they take you through a very thin story with litle new information padded with lots of sound bites from authoritative figures.Finally, after the script uses every possible synonym for "allegation", the earnest reporter concludes that "we may never know."
The only difference between this KSTP tripe and all the other stations' faux rating break through stories is they leave no open ended conclusion. But all our stations should take a hard look at how they handle this genre. Especially when the flimsy " new evidence" comes to light in March and it is held for the May book. Is that really delivering news at all ?

LAMBERT: What are you? Some kind of touchy feely socialist? These stations run on revenue, my friend, not lofty ideals. Seriously, this kind of rank exploitation would be much tougher to pull off if they "exposed" themselves to public indignation with a "letters to the news director" page. But, along with never running corrections (unless under legal threat), TV news is the rare media outlet that still gets to act as its own judge and jury ... nibbled at on rare occasion by scurrilous bloggers.

My name is Charles Loesch, I was the private investigator who worked on the Chris Jenkins case. To verify, you can contact either of the Jenkins, or Chief of Police, MPD, Tim Dolan, they all have my email address. I know both Kevin and Anthony, both retired NYPD HOMICIDE detectives. I peronally checked out both of these individuals, as did other close assiciates of mine, in law enforcement, locally. Chief Tim Dolan has a copy of Kevin Gannon's resume. Tim Knows the truth about Kevin Gannons background!! Kevin Gannon is one of THE HIGHEST decorated homicide detectives in NYPD. I have his bio, if you are interested. He twice was awarded the Medal of Valor, I have the press release photos, which, had MPD officer Garcia, had the common sense to even attempt, the most basic fundimentals of police work,he would have easily found the TRUE background on Gannon. And to say that Garcia's contacts stated that no one in the NYPD union had ever heard of Tony, is another bald-faced lie! Although retired, Tony is still a current member of that Union. In fact, he is personal friends of the president of the Union. Garcia has just publically lied, he has NO credibility! In regard to evidence, and casework, I was with Tony and Kevin, when we attended the meeting with MPD homicide. To state (Garcia) that MPD "worked" with them, is another fabrication. There were a number of MPD homicide detectives there, also present was Chief Dolan. NO ONE from MPD brought a file of their caseswork to that meeting...this is simply not done, unless of course, you don't want to walk into the arena of culpability. This and the other connected cases, are very complicated. The fact that a MPD officer took Chris' girlfriend home that night (Halloween, 2002), and in fact, she was wearing his uniform shirt and hat as a costume, goes to one(initial)fact of the case. That Tony Norris, one of the three heads of security at The Loan Tree Bar, kicked Chris out, for no reason, but, subsequent, to, having a conversation with the MPD officer, brings in the starting point to Chris' disappearence. He would still be alive today, had those actions not taken place. The girlfriend, the cop, the bouncer, getting kicked out of the bar, the cop takes her home...do the math. That is mearly the first brick on this mansion of a case. Kevin and Tony, have spent untold hours, interviewing AND THEN following up, any thought, idea, evidence, etc. with ACTUAL POLICE WORK!!! They would go to what-ever State, to include or exclude, what they were told, or what they had discovered. There are over forty thousand police officers in the NYPD, Kevin is one of THE highest decorated HOMICIDE DETECTIVES in that department. He is extremely bright, and doesn't quit. He takes the Oath of The Homicide Investigator extremely seriously. He does have evidence, but what foolish investigator would lay his full case out to the public? Why would you arm the suspect with a defence in court? Tony and Kevin have tried to give what they have to both the FBI and MPD. In that very same meeitng at MPD, that I referred to, Sgt. Dulap stated,the only way we will take that case to the county attorney, is if you produce a video or photos of the murder taking place. Is that an insane statement or what? And then, their explanation as to how a certain piece of evidence happened to end up in Chris's possession...I can't go into detail, but if I did, I assure you, you would be outraged!! As I stated, this is a very complicated case, it has many paths that criss-cross, and intersect, at various levels. I know these guys, Kevin and Tony, I know the quality of work they do, and the extreme dedication they have to finding the truth, and to bring justice to the families of the victims. If OTHER law enforcement personnel, would spend more time on the beat, and less running down someone they know absolutely nothing about, perhaps something might get done. I could tell you about how much interference has come our way from members of MPD, serious lies, and, especially in the initial year or so of the case, taking the position of eyes wide shut. Garcia, has just given the MPD a very black eye. He went public with information that is contrary to the truth. His words, the lack of insite, the workings of officers in that department that wrap around some of the very fiber of this case, once you see the facts from the past and into the present, I suspect some serious questions might be brought foreward to the Mayor of Minneapolis.

LAMBERT: I've heard several intriguing angles on the business about the Minneapolis cop and Jenkins girlfriend. Reporters who have actually worked this case tell me initial MPD interaction with the Jenkins family was not good and likely contributed to their determination not to accept the ruling of accidental death. But that is still a VERY LONG WAY from a nationwide cult of serial killers, which is what Gannon and Duarte are alleging and using KSTP to broadcast across this market and now the country. If they've got anything that supports this -- as I say, wildly implausible theory -- please tell me why either the MPD or the FBI wpuld not seize on it with great curiosity and investigative energy.

And what do you mean when you say, "Unless of course you don't want to walk into the arena of culpability"?

Look, Lambert, man, I'm callin' this Loesch guy, like, out, man. This guy's rambling and grammatically-challenged narrative peppered with opaque innuendos and vague threats is a naked attempt at one-upping my movie, "The Beig Lebowski." But, man, the addled dialogue, man, won't work without a classic, like, you know, story arc, man. What Loesch lays out here, man, sounds like something right out of Walter's ass. It advances the plot, like, no further in, like, an evidentiary sense than when this poor guy, Jenkins left the bar, man.

I see what this Loesch is trying with his scatter-shot blathering about this acid-inspired tale of pods of serial killers, man. He's trying to out do the Cohen bros hoping for a screen play deal when this peters out, man.

I mean, his over-the-top case work, well, man, he makes The Dude's updatings of the Bunny kidnapping look lucid by comparison. But here's where it doesn work, man. HE'S, like, an actual investigator, man. And these other dudes who he's burying even deeper with his defense, MAN, they're, like, former cops, man. I was a slacker bowler, amn, with no...uh, you know...uh, no inverstigative, like, bina fides. That's what made the movie, man. Check it out:

The Dude: "It's a complicated case, Maude. Lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what have yous. Fortunately I've been adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, limber."

The Dude: look, man, I've got certain information, all right? Certain things have come to light. And, you know, has it ever occurred to you, that, instead of, uh, you know, running around, uh, uh, blaming me, you know, given the nature of all this new shit, you know, I-I-I-I... this could be a-a-a-a lot more, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, complex, I mean, it's not just, it might not be just such a simple... uh, you know?

The Big Lebowski: What in God's holy name are you blathering about?
The Dude: I'll tell you what I'm blathering about... I've got information man! New shit has come to light! And shit... man, she kidnapped herself. Well sure, man. Look at it... a young trophy wife, in the parlance of our times, you know, and she, uh, uh, owes money all over town, including to known pornographers, and that's cool... that's, that's cool, I'm, I'm saying, she needs money, man. And of course they're going to say that they didn't get it, because... she wants more, man! She's got to feed the monkey, I mean uh... hasn't that ever occurred to you, man? Sir?

Loesch, man, you're an actual investigator. So, like, when you carry on like me, well, man, it's not funny, man, it's sad. I mean, check it out, man, The Dude solved HIS case. Except for the rug, man, which really tied the room together.

What you dudes need is something that ties your case together. Cuz, like, this script, man, will not stand.

LAMBERT: I need a beverage.

Gotta love the Loan Tree Bar, though.

I would like to hear more on the cop / girlfriend link.

LAMBERT: Bring your handcuffs.

"Neither apparently had exactly been a star of the realm."
Brian, maybe you should've done a teeny-tiny bit of research on Mr. Gannon instead of taking the MPD Spokesmodel's word for it. Makes you look, like, you know, lazy? Duuude.

LAMBERT: You're probably right. But there's something about these two that isn't sitting well with either branch of the local authorities.

You gotta love Loesch. He's a good egg at heart, but he needs a change of scenery.

He can't really defend the "smiley face" killer theory. No one can, it's absurd on its face. And he got caught on Greta Van Sustern saying there was a smiley face found in Minneapolis. I don't think so. Not even the NYPD cops are saying that. (Of course, I am sure there is by now.)

So Loesch resorts to the high school debate tactic of changing the argument ("Hey, there was an MPD cop at the bar, maybe he's part of the pod?"), or relying on non-existent evidence ("I can't go into detail, but you'd be outraged!"))

And that meeting with the MPD cops? They were there to hear the NYPD guys theory. Gannon and Co. were the ones who showed up to the meeting empty handed. What the cops said was show us the proof. And who can blame them. It really is time to put up or shut up.

It's a shame, really. Those who truly believe in this theory need some help. Those who don't and are just proselytizing, should be ashamed.

LAMBERT: Well, I'm with you. I'm not sure what is behind this lionizing of the two ex-cops. But come on, if there is a cut of serial killers working the country, stop the coy bullshit and tell us who and how.

When I talked with someone about this, someone who really wants to believe in the serial killer theory (which is kind of weird itself), I asked them why the victims didn't show some sign of trauma - gunshot, head wounds, stabbing, that would explain how the roaming killers got these strong, athletic, smart (that's their type, remember) kids into the water to drown them, even if they were drunk. And how they managed to do this 40 times without being seen. He said the detectives apparently believe some of the people were given GHB.

Ok. So, these kids are being slipped date rape drugs by people who manage to sneak around the bar unseen. They also manage to drug the kid they somehow know will be walking home alone later that night. They then follow him out of the bar and as he stumbles around, they shove him into the water. This happens 40 times. With no one seeing them. And most college kids I know who drink aren't usually doing it alone. They are with a large group. So you'd think their friends would later remember someone who was lurking around them, not to mention someone would actually see the GHB being put in the drink. Plus, some of the kids were coming fromm house parties. Did the killers manage to get into a party, and again drug the kid who is going to be going home alone (these are apparently clairvoyant killers)?

I look forward to KSTP's May 2009 story on this.

LAMBERT: While a few newspaper reporters and more than a few TV competitors took note of this debacle, it is interesting that is caused barely a pop in the broader world. I'm inclined to wonder if the public has such low regard for these TV hype-fests they no longer even think of them as real -- rather just as some more fiction spinning out of one of the networks' 9 p.m. crime dramas. But as long as local TV puts a higher priority on eyeballs than credibility, what the hell.

I'll bet it's a CSI episode story line within six months

Any new developments on this crazy interesting story?

LAMBERT: Predictably enough, no. It did modest ratings during the sweeps and disappeared into the same not so fertile imagination from which it sprung.