Posted on 01/25/2013 9:12:50 AM PST by RummyChick
HARTFORD -- The prosecutor investigating the Newtown school massacre told a new panel Thursday not to expect a final report on the Dec. 14 slaughter anytime soon.
Danbury State's Attorney Stephen J. Sedensky III announced that while no criminal prosecution seems likely to emerge from the mass murder and suicide, he wants to suppress much of the evidence from the public anyway.
"This is an ongoing criminal investigation, for which I have obtained extensions of time from the Superior Court to keep documents sealed, so that the investigation may continue unencumbered by distractions," Sedensky said.
"The rules of professional responsibility for prosecutors require that I take steps to prevent publicity that would have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing a potential prosecution," he said.
In a brief appearance before Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's 16-member Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, Sedensky said that he expects the State Police report on the shootings to be several months away.
"Of course, if the investigation reveals that there should be a criminal prosecution, then that prosecution would take precedence over any report," Sedensky told the panel of municipal officials, mental health experts, security professionals and social-service providers.
"Though no such prosecution currently appears on the horizon, I am sure you can appreciate that all leads need to be investigated and evidence examined before final decisions and statements are made," he said.
He offered to meet privately with a representative of the advisory panel to provide information that he might not release to the public.
Sedensky said that during the first week after the shootings, federal, state and local police worked around the clock investigating the crime scenes at Sandy Hook Elementary School, at the 36 Yogananda St. home of Nancy Lanza, whose son Adam, 20, murdered her before driving her car to the school, and elsewhere.
It will be months before a report is released.
"We are hoping for some time this summer, perhaps in June," said Sedensky, a Newtown resident, adding that details on the mental health of Adam Lanza, are protected from disclosure under privacy regulations and might not be able to be provided to the commission.
Bill Ritter, the former governor of Colorado whose district attorney of Denver investigated the aftermath of the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, told the panel the nation is watching.
"You could wind up saving lives at some point in the future," said Ritter, who later became governor and became a target for a deranged gunman who was shot and killed by a state trooper outside his office. "Healing can happen" but it can be a long-term process.
Richard Bonnie, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Law who was an adviser to the Virginia Tech Review Panel following that 2007 shooting, warned that legislation and regulatory changes can be affected by emotions.
"Tragedy can compromise thoughtful policy making," he said from Virginia.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, in the panel's first meeting Thursday morning, said that the consequence that seems to be separating Newtown from other mass shootings is that momentum for a positive outcome to the crime seems to be gaining every day, not fading.
"We must take a serious look at public safety, particularly school safety, so our children can grow up and go to school without the fear of violence in a culture that does in fact glorify violence," Malloy said.
"We need to have a discussion about stopping that," Malloy said. "The recommendations you will craft over the coming weeks and months will no doubt take us toward that goal: better mental health, better safety in our schools and a system that is set up to stop the glorification of the violence."
Later in the afternoon, after Sedensky's testimony, Malloy, a former prosecutor, was asked by reporters about the reticence to release more details of the shooting.
"I think there's always this situation where a prosecutor is trying to make the right balance," Malloy said.
"This was an attack so outrageous, in the killing of 20 six-year-olds that in many ways it's going to have an imprint, the likes of which I can remember where I was, in the classroom, when someone came in to say President Kennedy was shot," Malloy said. "I think this is that kind of event. So I think he needs to take the time necessary to conclude the investigation. Having said that, I would hope that as little time is necessary. It's more important to get it right than to rush out a report."
On Friday morning, a legislative subcommittee looking into issues of school security after the Sandy Hook shootings will hold a public hearing starting at 9:30 a.m. in Room 2-C of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
In the last month??? It must be the same people who have been seeing Elvis Presley.
Never heard of that report.
it was reported to Fox that he had a checkered past and was a troubled youth but juvenile records were sealed.
So now let’s get to the gun . Any actual gun experts out there on the
Bushmaster .223 caliber— model XM15-E2S
Are they ALL equipped to handle a 5.56 . Can you jungle tape 5.56 in a Bushmaster and not have it jam up due to pressure.
Isn't that ironic -- a thread on Sandy Hook school where "education" is verboten.
Another anonymous driveby report without evidence???
Do you understand the technical differences in the least? I can assure you I do, and as a practical matter for purposes of the discussion regarding Sandy Hook, 5.56 and .223 are interchangeable.
Minutia regarding chamber dimensions, brass thickness, and chamber pressures are not relevant issues here.
I wrote my previous before seeing your #120. Boy did I ever nail it.
Go read up on the differences. Brass is visually indistinguishable between the two unless you can read a head stamp.
They aren’t interchangeable if your gun has only a .223 chamber.
If it is chambered for both then it can handle both.
I have read enough on this in the few minutes to see that if it is only chambered for .223 it can cause a problem.
THEY ARE DIFFERENT CASINGS.
And it is relevant if Vance said they were .223 casings.
<>556 is not the same as 223<>
“The 223/5.56mm quickly became popular as a civilian cartridge because of the availability of brass, and the chambering of commercial varmint rifles in that caliber”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.223_Remington
Get an education even though some here don’t want you to.
http://www.humanevents.com/2011/02/15/223-remington-vs-556-nato-what-you-dont-know-could-hurt-you/
“ATK, the parent company of ammunition manufacturers Federal Cartridge Company and Speer, published a bulletin entitled “The Difference Between 223 Rem and 5.56 Military Cartridges.” In this bulletin, ATK stated using 5.56 ammo in a .223 rifle could result in “…primer pocket gas leaks, blown cartridge case heads, and gun functioning issues.” “
“However, ATK dropped this bomb in the bulletin on the .223/5.56:
“It is our understanding that commercially available AR15’s and M16’s – although some are stamped 5.56 Rem on the receiver – are manufactured with .223 chambers.”
So, even if your AR is stamped 5.56, is it really? Check your owner’s manual or call the company directly and make sure you get an answer you feel comfortable with.”
http://www.humanevents.com/2011/02/15/223-remington-vs-556-nato-what-you-dont-know-could-hurt-you/
Does he still have the part in there about there being no broken window in the front of the school or has he taken that out yet???
YOU get an education.
.223 IS NOT THE SAME THING as 5.56
http://le.atk.com/downloads/technical_bulletins/223VS556.pdf
“All Bushmaster rifles are chambered to accept 5.56mm ammunition and always have been. The NATO Spec 5.56mm chambers have a longer “leade” or throat than the SAAMI Spec .223 caliber chambers which have about half of the leade or throat of the 5.56mm chambering. While it is safe to fire both 5.56mm and .223 caliber ammunition in our rifles, the 5.56mm ammunition should not be fired in rifles chambered in .223 caliber as they will develop very high pressures.”
http://www.bushmaster.com/faqs/afmmain.aspx?faqid=62
So , did Vance say if .223 or 5.56 casings were on the scene
Yep, he says initially the window wasn't broken...Says there's a picture/video of it and it has been confirmed/documented that the window was broken by the police to gain entry...
Had the window not been broken by Lanza, the police would not be able to get in without breaking the glass...The police stated that numerous doors and windows were smashed to gain entry by the police...
I have no problem with Powers' statement...
Folgers coffee is not Maxwell House coffee, but they both fit into my Mr Coffee and brew good cups of coffee.
Where has he said anything about casings yet???
Given that the Ammo manufacturer says that there are problems with shooting a military ammo 5.56 out of a 2.23 chamber - I suggest they know more than you.
Even Bushmaster says it is an issue.
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