INS special agent found [shot] dead in car

Arizona Republic ^ | 16 March 2004 - 8:50pm | David J. Cieslak & Daniel Gonzalez

[Spiff]

The special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Phoenix was found dead Tuesday in his government car north of Tucson, an apparent suicide victim.

Thomas DeRouchey, 45, interim special agent charged with dismantling violent criminal operations associated with immigrant smuggling, was on his way to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson to participate in a press conference announcing the federal government's latest efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigration.

[archy]

A Mexican here was driving in rush hour traffic and some car pulled alongside and shot him in the head ---- the cartels tend to do this kind of thing --- I doubt this agent shot himself.

Sort of the way UPI statehouse bureau reporter Judy Danielak was shot in the head *by a sniper* with a revolver of the same type and caliber used by Arkansas Highway Patrol, just after the inaugeration of governor Clinton... only a few months after Juanita Broddrick was raped in the Little Rock Doubletree Hotel.

[Alamo-Girl]

Very interesting! Thanks for the ping!

[TheConservator]

He is on his way to announce a crack down on immigrant running. A mexican hit man pulls up alongside his car. The first shot misses. Our man accelerates to high speed and pulls out his piece. The second or third shot hits him, his car flies into the median, and he dies.

Seems pretty obvious to me.

[TheLion]

This guy certainly doesn't look like the type.

[oceanperch]

Good find.
Both died the same way, same type of area ect..

[Robert Lomax]

Maybe he was making a dent in the human smuggling business and someone didnt' like it. Check out this article.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/2056662.stm

[oceanperch]

The new Mafia of 2004 and it doesn't include ole Blue Eyes.

[Imal]

Locals may try to cover it up so the investigation may take awhile.

According to the article, the Marana Police Department has, within the span of twelve hours of the incident, ruled it a suicide.

Awfully damned efficient of them.

Suicides by their nature tend to be more suspicious than obvious murders, but this one seems a little too suspicious.

Granted, the eyewitness accounts and evidence on the scene may have been compelling, but I have a hard time believing MPD has performed any sort of ballistics testing in this case or received any autopsy results. Also, it would seem wise to know as much as possible about the witnesses and their backgrounds. One of them could be a murderer.

Why make a "ruling" when it is pretty clear that a diligent investigation simply could not be done this quickly? That is suspicious in itself.

Conceding that I can only pontificate from afar on this, I am still not reassured at all by the Marana PD's lightning-fast investigation.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

A. Not enough!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Well if he didn't commit suicide, how did someone shoot him without creating a bullet hole in the car?

No one else was in the car, or one of the witnesses would have saw them leave. Yeah, its wierd, but unless the investigators are lying and have destroyed evidence(the car), should be real easy to determine if it is suicide or not.

[lainde]

---Move on...Nothing to see here---

Okey Dokey...I feel so much better now!

[TheLion]

Good point! The car might be damaged to much to easily find a bullet entry but your question will probably not be answered due to this:

"The Marana Police Department refused any comment, saying any information would have to come from ICE."

[PLMerite]

"Well if he didn't commit suicide, how did someone shoot him without creating a bullet hole in the car?"

Maybe the window was down. How warm is it in Arizona this time of year?

[saradippity]

I live in Phoenix and I frequently drive with the windows down this time of the year. He may have been driving with his windows open,it was a beautiful day.

Over the past three weeks we have had several hundred illegals picked up in "drop houses",two were in very nice upper middle class neighborhoods. There has been a definite surge in the number of raids on the "drop houses",many of them have upwards of 50 and several have had over one hundred.

Just yesterday there was a really unusual news report. A "coyote" called for police protection. He claimed that he and several other "coyotes" as well as their illegal transports had been kidnapped by another gang of "coyotes",when the police or immigration,I can't remember which,arrived he was the only one there and he was taken in.

Marana is a strange little town and I can't put my finger on why. I just know they don't like strangers. About 20 years ago I was driving from Phoenix to Tucson with my three boys and I had to go to the bathroom. I saw the road sign and could see the town from the highway so I pulled in and stopped at the first gas station,went in and asked to use the bathroom. They said they didn't have one,I asked where I might find one. The guy kind of grunted and pointed down the street so I drove to a place that looked like a bar and ran in and asked where the bathroom was.

The bartender just looked at me,I asked again and he said they didn't have a public bathroom. By then I thought I was going to have an accident and I asked him where I could go. He remained silent and then finally pointed to the back of the place;there was a public restroom there. On my way out I thanked him and told him how grateful I was and he didn't say a word just turned around and dusted off a bottle. I was so glad to get out of that town. Weird.

About three years ago a helicopter was being tested at Marana. It went down with about 20 men on it,they were all killed. It gave me the chills and I remembered how spooked I was in that eerie little town.

I don't know what all this has to do with the price of eggs but I think that the death of the Immigration agent was not a suicide. On the radio reports I heard,including the last one that mentioned in at 9:30 (nothing since) they said he was killed in an accident while travelling from Phoenix to Tucson for a meeting with Homeland Security federal personnel. I thought it was an auto accident until reading these posts.

[BurbankKarl]

sounds like a hit to me too...Sierra Vista Ping

[dalebert]

Locals can do a lot. They may not do it well but they can do it. startng with destroying evedence. Several years ago I was visiting the little town I grew up in. A person was foung dead at a state park with 24 bullet wouds to his chest. It was ruled a suicide and no one questioned it.

[lonewacko_dot_com]

Check this old article out: http://www.azpressclub.org/content/contest/2002%20any_publication.htm

"“A most unusual investigation of a most unusual police department. Cavanaugh began his investigation after a patron of the New West Nightclub, where nearly every member of the Marana Police Department — including the chief — had moonlighted at one time or another, was killed by bouncers. Although authorities ruled the death occurred accidentally as the man was being restrained, witness accounts, as well as 52 injuries on the victim’s body, raise the possibility that it was murder. Using this case as a

window into the workings of the local police, Cavanaugh dug for 18 months, examining thousands of pages of documents and developing dozens

of sources inside the department and out. The result: an intermittent series that paints a shocking picture of unsavory associations, conflicts of interest, plummeting morale, incompetence, favoritism, witnesses intimidation, and an atmosphere of distrust so severe that officers sometimes felt it necessary to conceal investigative files from their chief. Although most of Cavanaugh’s sources inside the department unfortunately but understandably insisted on remaining anonymous, their accounts are nevertheless convincing both because of their consistency and the way in which they are supported by documents and named sources. Cavanaugh tells his story in a vivid narrative that is fascinating even to this reader living 3,000 miles away. It is a rare investigative story that is both a compelling read and a valuable public service.” (Note: Different stories on the same subject were entered in this category and the B4. Sustained Coverage category.)"

I have no idea when that was published, but this article from 2/4/04 says:

"A year ago, the Marana Police Department was in far different shape than it's in today... The department’s chief, David R. Smith, had resigned amid questions over the handling of a homicide investigation... Shortly after that, a state audit showed staff members had low morale and worried about inadequate training and a lack of communication within the department."

http://www.fox11az.com/news/local/stories/KMSB_local_marana_020404.82d178ed.html

[Indie]

apparently died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head

NUTS!

[CyberAnt]

Is this a case of Arkancide ..??

[AnimalLover]

Ping