Presentations subject to change
The Fentanyl Overdose/Homicide of Beautiful Giles
Presented by the Palm Beach County FL Sheriff's Office
This case study will detail the investigation of a one-year-old girl named Beautiful Giles who died of a Fentanyl Overdose. The parents did not seek professional medical treatment when she overdosed. The parents kept the body for several days before discarding it and fleeing the state. They were arrested three weeks later in another state and later pled guilty. These overdose cases are increasing in numbers while the ability to successfully prosecute them proves difficult. In this case study the presenters will discuss issues that arise in similar child death investigations. This includes the value of the MDT, conducting interviews and follow-up interviews, building a rapport with family members, cellular location records, surveillance, multi-jurisdictional cooperation, and the willingness to travel if necessary. The presenters will discuss other fatal and non-fatal child overdose investigations and their related legal consequences.
The Leroy Brandt Murders
Presented by the King County Sheriff's Office
The Leroy Brandt Murders – A long-term murder investigation with several unexpected paths and unintended consequences. Spoiler: Leroy Brandt killed two men in King County in 2015. Justice for those crimes was finally served on him in 2022. The time in between should have been better spent. MPO Mellis will share the good work (by many others), the bad, and the ugly side of this case. As detectives, your takeaway lessons will be to use your time wisely, stop putting things off, and don’t waste the gifts handed to you on a silver platter. All from a detective that should have known better.
The Murder of Jerry Rasmussen
Presented by the Stevens County Sheriff's Office and the Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Jerry Rasmussen was reported missing by his wife Brenda on September 27th, 2021. She reported he left their residence in Valley, WA on September 8th or 9th on his Harley Davidson, and took approximately $30K in cash with him. Brenda’s adult son Danny (Stepson to Jerry) had moved into their residence the same weekend Jerry allegedly went missing. Brenda’s other son Andrew, as well as her father both became involved in the investigation in the following weeks, as all had visited the property during the same week Jerry went missing. Inconsistencies in Brenda’s, Andrew’s and Danny’s stories lead to the execution of over 20 search warrants across numerous states.
Ultimately the victim was located on his own property. His Harley Davidson was never located. Danny, Andrew, and Brenda were arrested in another state by Stevens County Detectives, Mohave County SO, and the US Marshals following the issuance of arrest warrants. The three suspects had previously attempted to avoid capture in Arizona, New Mexico, and California after fleeing Washington in October.
The case came to a conclusion after some negotiations with the Prosecutor’s Office, which resulted in some surprising resolutions.
The Murder of Kay Thomasson
Presented by the Sandy Springs, GA Police Department
On June 27th, 2018, a 71-year-old female who lived alone in a quiet neighborhood was found brutally murdered and dumped in a bathtub full of water. Evidence on scene suggested a violent attack, ligature marks on her hands / feet and her vehicle missing. Detectives would work this case around the clock for months with no viable leads or suspects. Utilizing new Google Geo Fence technology and new DNA testing practices, Detectives would identify their suspect on June 26th, 2020, one day before the two-year anniversary. Det. J.T. Williams was one of the first law enforcement officers to submit a Google Geo Fence warrant in the state of Georgia. This would lead to hours of testimony in motions to suppress by the defense as there was no current case law to affirm or deny the legality of this new technology. The defenses motion was denied by a Superior Court judge; however, they were allowed to petition the Georgia Supreme Court for immediate review which the court accepted. Teamwork, a never quit attitude, and support from our city kept this case alive and moving forward until the suspect only known as the “Monster in the shadows” was identified and arrested.
*** Oral arguments for this case were heard September 19th and we anticipate a ruling soon.
The Murder of Greg Moore
Presented by the King County Sheriff's Office
Greg Moore, a 53-year-old resident of Maple Valley, Washington, was killed on July 18, 2021, during his morning jog along 216th Street in Maple Valley Washington. Investigators determined that a 15-year-old girl from SeaTac, Kasama Z. Smith, purposely struck Moore with a 2004 Toyota Camry and fled the scene.
The King County Sheriff’s Office conducted an extensive investigation, utilizing headlight fragments found at the scene and video surveillance to identify the vehicle involved. In March 2023, Smith plead guilty in King County Juvenile Court to second-degree hit-and-run murder and a separate hit-and-run incident in Des Moines that occurred the day before Moore’s death. She was sentenced to remain in custody until age 21, the maximum penalty permissible in juvenile court for someone of her age.
Michelle Moore, Greg’s widow, expressed dissatisfaction with the sentencing, believing the case should have been tried in adult court, which could have resulted in a longer sentence. She also advocated for a first-degree murder charge, contending that intentionally hitting someone with a vehicle at high speed demonstrates clear intent to cause fatal harm.
This case has sparked discussions about the appropriate legal responses to serious crimes committed by juveniles, balancing the need for accountability with considerations for the potential for rehabilitation.
The Murder of Adrian Bonar (and others)
Presented by the Anaheim (CA) Police Department
On October 17, 2019, Anaheim Police Department officers in Anaheim, California, were dispatched to investigate a suspicious vehicle with a possible dead body in the trunk. Upon arrival, officers located the vehicle and discovered a large item in the trunk wrapped in a blue tarp with duct tape that had an odor similar to a decomposing body. The vehicle was towed to the coroner’s office, and the item in the trunk was determined to be the deceased body of a male adult who had sustained gunshot wounds. The investigation spanned more than one month and led detectives from Los Angeles to San Diego counties. Seven suspects have been charged in this case.
The Murder of Kendra Hanks
Presented by the Douglas County (OR) Sheriff's Office
On July 7th, 2022, 18-year-old Kendra Hanks was walking home from her place of employment in the Green District of Roseburg when she disappeared. Loved ones contacted law enforcement that same day just several hours after Kendra was expected home. After extensive searching by Search and Rescue was done with no results, detectives were contacted regarding the suspicious nature of the call. The investigation into the disappearance of Kendra Hanks would lead the Douglas County Major Crimes team to an investigation that culminated in the largest digital and video evidence case in the team’s history. It would also put them face to face with a very familiar suspect.
During the course of the investigation, detectives would make discoveries that made the Kendra Hanks case eerily similar and connected to a prior investigation.
The Murders of Nathan O'Brien, Alvin and Kathryn Liknes
Presented by the Calgary (AB, CAN) Police Service
In this presentation, Ian Oxton describes his role as the Primary Forensics Investigator on a triple homicide case involving the longest lasting Amber Alert in the history of Alberta, Canada, as well as the challenges of prosecuting a no-body homicide and the many lessons learned from this case.
Operation Amber started as a race against the clock for a missing child and his grandparents, then quickly evolved into a massive search effort on a 40-acre property. During the investigation, a wide range of forensic techniques, including aerial photography, bloodstain pattern analysis, forensic odontology, footwear analysis, DNA, toolmarks & lock picking, video analysis, arson, digital forensics, pathology, osteology, genealogy, and odontology were combined with a large scale crime scene examination and landfill searches to resolve the case. The investigation included assistance and resources from the Calgary Police Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, local Fire Department, local Search Rescue volunteers, Human remains detection dogs, drone units, Clandestine Lab teams, and the International Commission on Missing Persons.
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