First, let's clear up the untruth that reporter James Ewing could not be bothered to fact check. Here's a quote from attorney Ian Friedman from the article:
"our sole focus is on the indicted case against Mr. Dienes. But there is no information that anything has changed since Bay Village police closed their investigation almost two decades ago. It was my understanding that [Dienes] was eliminated as a suspect" in the Mihaljevic case."
As Det. Spaetzel, who Ewing also spoke to, will say, when asked, the case has never been closed. Not for one minute. And nobody has been completely ruled out as a suspect.
And then there's this:
The defense attorney and the police lieutenant sounded the same cautionary note when they warned there are many rumors circulating, fueled by people heedless of the difference between rumor and fact.
See, if you know Ewing, you know he's a petty, vindictive sob who likes to slip in little slaps like this aimed at the people he's writing about. At one time he was even bumped down to writing obits again for these kind of shenanigans. His hard-on for a Portage County judge's removal was some of the worst yellow journalism the Plain Dealer has printed in the last fifty years.
I also suspect metro editor Chris Quinn had something to do with the lack of coverage for this new development. And certainly this particular article should have passed by Quinn's desk. Quinn isn't a Renner fan. Not since I exposed his tight relationship with 1st assistant prosecutor Michael O'Malley, who would pass stories to Quinn which would then show up in the pages of the Plain Dealer.
For the record, let me state again, I am not convinced of Dienes' guilt. There are many likely suspects, which you can read about on this blog. But Dienes needs to be looked at. Needs to be questioned. And people need to know the police are looking at this guy.
8 comments:
Fact-something that actually exsists.
Rumor-a story unconfirmed.
Fact: Joe Kopp told several people Frank Dienes was involved in the murder of Amy Mihaljevic.
Rumor: Joe Kopp was murdered by someone to cover up for a murder of a young girl 21 years ago.
Federal Rule 804 Hearsay Exceptions, equate to the dead speaking!
James, I have not seen anything that describes why Dienes was interviewed in 1995. I just see that they say he was a look alike to the sketch. To me that does not make complete sense. There would have been thousands of look alikes. Was there anything else that made him stand out? Thanks
Also, a comment under that article maintains its spirit:
"Glad to see this. Maybe it'll stop giving Dean Runkle a bad name."
Ouch. How exactly does Runkle deserve a good name, given his history of writing sexual letters to former students?
Well put Anon...How does Dean Runkle get his name cleared??? He was a perv whether he's involved with Amy's case or not!
James,
Obviously BVPD knows more about this guy than they're revealing to the media, but what I wonder is this: why was Dienes questioned not in the immediate aftermath of her abduction and murder, but a full five years later? What led them to him in 1995? And why didn't he surface in all the research you did when writing your book? Do you think Spaetzle deliberately withheld info about him? Or was he just considered a B-list suspect not worth pursuing?
Another rabbit hole.....but at least the light will continue to shine on this one because it's linked to the Kopp murder.
To Anne,
You said "Do you think Spaetzle deliberately withheld info about him?"
Why do you believe BVPD have to be forth coming with info on everyone they interviewed? Perhaps he STILL is a person of interest and they do not want anyone knowing about it, and are trying to collect the evidence needed to charge him.
I think when all the truths come out, we are going to hear a completely different scenario than anyone has ever put forth reagarding Amy's initial disappearance!
In the print edition of that story that last paragraph
about rumors and fact was left out. What's printed
here appears to be taken from the online edition. the
print edition ran on the back of the metro section.
Couldn't tell if when the lawyer said it was "closed" he was talking about the investigation of Frank or the case itself which clearly isn't.
I'm sure the FBI and Bay are doing a lot behind the
scene that we don't know about..
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