Interestingly, in Nashville we just wrapped up a very high-profile case (Perry March). He was a lawyer whose wife disappeared in 1996. They never found her body.
Here's the interesting thing. He had moved to Mexico, and they finally indicted him and extradicted him to Nashville last year. It turned out, during his trial, that at the time they arrested March, the state had almost no evidence against him. However, once he got to jail in Nashville, March shot himself in the foot several times - the most important was his trying to hire a cellmate to kill his in-laws (who had been instrumental in his arrest). This meant new charges against March, and his father, who was in on the plot. March's father then copped a plea, and told all (even about the original murder, which he called an "accident")
They just convicted March on murder 2. Amazingly, in my opinion, without March's jailhouse behavior, the case was so flimsy, he would have been acquitted.
The point being, if you can get away with it, arrest can make a great investigative tool. I ain't saying it's right, but it is what it is.
I vote for massive prosecutorial incompetence.
The entire Boulder law enforcement community makes the Keystone Cops look good.
Oh, those exigencies will get you every time.....
If this were a crime novel, this guy would be a shill taking the fall to clear the late Patsy's name.
Just plain strange.
On the other hand, I hate to see a circus atmosphere in the USA over such a serious problem.
From Friday, August 18, 2006 (SF Chronicle) DOUBTS ABOUT HIS STORY/SUSPECT'S PAST: His work with children drew complaints from their parents:
But in March, [2001]detectives for the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department were tipped to e-mails that Karr had sent, according to court documents. "The e-mails concerned children, and deputies were concerned because of (Karr's) employment as a teacher," according to the records.
In an interview in April, Karr told Napa County sheriff's Detective Martin Frey that he was writing a book about Richard Allen Davis and that he had a copy of Polly Klaas' death certificate and a letter from Davis at his house. Karr encouraged Frey to go and see the documents.
When detectives arrived at the home, they found images of child pornography on Karr's computer. He was arrested a few days later and charged with five counts of possession of child pornography.
Karr, who had been held on $100,000 bail, was released from jail on his own recognizance on Oct. 5, 2001. He was ordered to remain in close contact with a probation officer and to stay away from "parks, schools, day care centers, swimming pools, beaches, theaters, arcades or other places where children congregate," according to court records.
When he failed to appear at a scheduled court date, a warrant was issued for his arrest on Dec. 13.
That was when he fled to Europe, Central America, and Asia, to "teach" and work as a "nanny/tutor". There was no need to to do "basic investigative work" on his involvement over there; he confessed over there, and needed to be brought back any way. This way, the CO people get their mitts on him, and investigate, rather than risk having CA toss him free again.
For one thing, they didn't even know his name until they followed him to a PO Box in Bangkok on Wednesday!
This all originated from "Prof" Tracey's "alarm" over an email "Daxis" (JohnMarkKarr) sent him. "Daxis" told him he had a new 21-speed bike and was living in Bangkok. Tracey told him he was sending him something by snail mail and Karr gave him a PO Box number.
Boulder DA investigators rented a room at his fleabag hotel 3 weeks ago (we have to assume he also told Tracey about "The Blooms," so the LEOs could go there) and tailed "Daxis"'s-- or somebody's - comings and goings.
Finally, the Blooms guy jumped on his 21-speed and went to that PO Box to pick up the whateverm addressed to Daxis, sent from Tracey in Boulder - and they nailed him. We assume it was then that they learned his real name and could do the other background checks.
What is the problem in Boulder? It is really troubling to say the least.