AUTOPSY AND INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS ON THE DEATH OF CHIEF NEGOTIATOR

08/23/02 | Harris County Medical Examiner's Office, Houston Fire Department Fire/Arson Investigations

[Humidston]

The ME is a she?

Not by chance, the one who just turned in her resignation? The one who is so controversial??

Who appoints an ME in Houston? If Lee Pee Brown did, that explains a lot of things!

[Illbay]

How does a man burst into flames spontaneously?

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

The Houston PD was not involved in this investigation.

I find comfort in that news. What PD is supposed to be on the job?

In Houston the HFD handles arson cases. However HPD does in fact have a case file on this matter, but will not work it unless asked to by Arson.

[carenot]

Like others, I am mad all over again. And I assume they will argue they've done the best they could do. With people like this in charge, all in Houston are in real peril if they have any enemies!

I agree Humid.

[F.J. Mitchell]

I must respectfully disagree, COB1, there is evidence of bureaucratic incompentence all over the place.

[COB1]

Valid concerns, in my opinion, Illbay!
First of all, I don't think this was a cover-up - period.
What I think happened here was that a crazy asshole got really pissed and broke through the back door, hit Herb with a firebomb and fled the scene without leaving enough evidence for the investigators to find.
I don't know how this could be done, but I'm not in the business of knowing, and the arson investigators are not privy to all the knowledge the military has of doing this.
There's just too darn many things that don't add up, and I've been watching this for ten months!
The arson investigators are covered up with cases.
They don't have the time or the money to invest in any one case.
At the same time, all of this smacks of piss poor detective work!

[MistyCA]

The Houston Fire Department Arson Investigators. I am not sure how comforting that should be in view of the fact that the liberal Government of Houston saw fit to cut the size of that team down to the bone. I have never seen such a pathetic excust for an investigative effort....not because they didn't try, but because they were not given sufficient resources, imo.

[DainBramage]

It was kicked open!

I'm not trying to undermine anything here at all,hope you ndon't get that feeling from what I've said. But you have to understand, you turn loose a bunch of firemen on a burning house and the odd thing would be to not have a door kicked in somewhere. Thats why they try to teach rookies "try before you pry", and "check before you wreck", They kick in unlocked doors just because of all the adrenaline flowing and the rush to get in.

Its also not uncommon to have alot of unknowns in an arson report. Alot of the evidence gets burned up.

I hope things get better attention though and the picture gets clearer.

[MistyCA]

As I told you before, there are lots of things that happen in investigations that you will never see. That's pretty standard. So who signed the report you have?

[COB1]

"Gee COB, no ping? ;-)"

HC, I'm hanging my head in shame!
Since I posted this thread I've been scrambling trying to keep up with freep mail and these posts.
I'm glad you found it, but I would have pinged you sooner or later. Sorry!

[carenot]

Dang! LOL!!

[DeSoto]

Thanks for the clarification. Let's see the HFD and the ME has been messing around for over 10 months and they still can't decide if it is arson? How come I don't find comfort in THAT news?

From what I have been reading about Houston, they need a major house cleaning at City Hall.

[MistyCA]

Could be, but the time elements never have made sense. Lots of discrepancies there.

[DeSoto]

"Houston, we got a problem................"

[F.J. Mitchell]

The last I heard on that subject, a victim of spontaneous combustion, usually burns to ashes with little or no damage to surrounding combustible material.

[COB1]

"Not by chance, the one who just turned in her resignation? The one who is so controversial?? Who appoints an ME in Houston? If Lee Pee Brown did, that explains a lot of things!"

Yes!
Yes!
And he does it, either directly or indirectly.
And, yes, that does explain things, doesn't it?

[MistyCA]

The ME report is pathetic, Cob. The ME told me himself that the fire started on the kitchen stove! The ME would be the last person I would believe in this investigation. The very last. :)

[MistyCA]

The person who did the report and the autopsy is not the same person Cob is referring to. That was a "he"

[COB1]

Oh, no, DB!
I didn't mean to sound like I was getting hostile about it.
I understand how firemen work.
My son is a fireman.
What puzzled me was that it was never determined how that door got a footprint on it!
It would appear that it would be of paramount interest!

[DeSoto]

Thanks for your reply too.

I am not impressed with Houston's municipal forces. Lack of funds, or lack of effort, either way, it stinks. I hope that the person(s) behind the Chief's murder finally get what coming to them. If not in this life, surely in the next. May God NOT have mercy on THOSE souls.