Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy blasted Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper on Wednesday for naming a person of interest in the Oakland County child killer case and releasing DNA test results, saying those actions "severely compromised our investigation."
Cooper's revelation at a press conference Tuesday was described as a breakthrough in the unsolved murders of four children in 1976 and 1977. In an appeal to the public to come forward with information, Cooper named convicted pedophile Archibald Edward Sloan as a person of interest and said that a hair found in Sloan's red 1966 Pontiac Bonneville has the same mitochondrial DNA profile found on victims Mark Stebbins and Timothy King, the first and final victims.
But Worthy, who is also investigating the case because one victim's body was found in Wayne County, said the information should not have been made public while investigators continued their work.
Reached for comment, Cooper said: "Contrary to Kym Worthy's unfortunate assertions, the release of information made by the task force to seek the assistance of the public has indeed produced several valid leads in less than 24 hours."
During a 13-month period in 1976 and 1977, four children were abducted and murdered. Their bodies were found along roadsides, three in Oakland County and one in Wayne County. Parents were afraid to let their children go out unchaperoned.
Both prosecutors are investigating. Cooper's office is working with Michigan State Police, which is part of the Oakland County Child Killer Task Force. Worthy has her own investigators, and it has been reported that a Wayne County grand jury is conducting its own probe at the request of Worthy's office.
"It is my understanding that they have said they have reached an impasse and they need the public's help. Well, we haven't reached an impasse," Worthy said. "We have many leads that we continue to follow. In any investigation, you don't, essentially, tell your targets that you are investigating them."
Worthy would not comment on the specifics of her investigation but said Wednesday that Cooper's office had been uncooperative and withheld information from her investigators.
Worthy said she was particularly stung because it has been her office that spearheaded the renewed investigation in 2004 with the successful prosecution of pedophiles Theodore Lamborgine and Richard Lawson. When Cooper took office in 2009, Worthy said, she brought Cooper up to speed on all the new leads her investigators had generated.
Worthy said relations with Cooper deteriorated to the point that she gave up trying to contact Cooper.
"There has been no communication with that office for a year, and not just on this case but any case," Worthy said. "It's certainly not from a lack of trying. We have even tried to work through other channels to open up lines of communication.
"Basically we have prostrated ourselves in terms of putting egos aside. I don't need a feather in my cap. My reputation has been established for years. We have worked on this consistently since 2004 and have always been able to share our information with investigating agencies.
"Even when they shut us out we still shared information."
Cooper countered by saying: "I have the greatest respect for Kym Worthy." But, Cooper said, a conflict arose with one of Worthy's investigators.
Worthy said her team gathered DNA evidence that remained in storage for years and pressured the task force to get it tested.
"It was not just a request, " Worthy said. "We insisted. We were pushing to have it tested long before Cooper ever became prosecutor. "
Worthy declined comment on a number of questions.
She said she would not confirm her office was investigating Sloan, nor would she comment on the DNA evidence in the case.
Cooper is facing a re-election battle in November.
In other developments Wednesday, an Oakland County circuit judge ordered Cooper to provide her with a "bill of particulars" detailing why investigative reports should not be provided to attorney Barry King, father of the fourth victim, 11-year-old Timothy King.
King sued for access to investigative reports about Christopher Busch, a Bloomfield Township man who King and others believe is a prime suspect in the case. Busch committed suicide in 1978.
Judge Wendy Potts ordered the Prosecutor's Office to provide the bill of particulars, plus affidavits with "detailed descriptions of the material withheld" within 21 days. The judge will review them and provide information to King and King's attorney.
From The Detroit News:
www.detroitnews.com/article/20120719/METRO/207190407#ixzz212z5SLo4
