February 18, 2005
OAK PARK - At a press conference today, the Michigan State Police (MSP) announced a renewed investigative effort in the 1976 Oakland County Child Killer case, calling for anyone with information about these murders to come forward.
For nearly 29 years, detectives from the MSP, Berkley Police Department, Birmingham Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, Franklin Police Department, Livonia Police Department, Royal Oak Police Department, Southfield Police Department, Troy Police Department and Oakland County Sheriff’s Department have received a steady stream of tips from the public and have exhausted every lead,” said Detective Sergeant Garry Gray, MSP Metro North Post. “It is now time to double our efforts and we need your help.
Whether there is something you just remembered or something you want to make sure we are aware of; anyone with information is encouraged to call (248) 584-5755. If you were afraid to step forward before, now is the time to act – 29 years is a long time to keep a secret.”
This announcement comes shortly after the case files were transported from the MSP Second District Headquarters in Northville to the MSP Metro North Post in Oak Park under police escort. The files, which contain 99,000 names, are housed in five, five-drawer filing cabinets and 15 additional boxes.
“As the files return to Oakland County, the location of these horrific crimes, so must we,” Gray stated. “To that end, detectives and forensic investigators will review each piece of evidence and each interview, looking for clues to help solve these crimes and bring closure to the victims’ families and the state.”
In addition, scientists from MSP forensic laboratories are meticulously combing over every piece of evidence and using state-of-the-art technology, not available in the past, to perform analyses.
This renewed effort is led by Gray and Detective Sergeant David Robertson of the Metro North Post. The case is especially meaningful to Robertson whose father, Captain Robert H. Robertson, was the original task force commander in the case. He retired from the MSP in 1984.
The original task force was created by State Police at a time when Oakland County residents were terrorized for 14 months in 1976 and 1977 by the deaths of four children, ages 10 to 12. The children were individually abducted from suburban business areas and held in captivity from three to 19 days before their bodies were discovered along roadsides, miles from their homes. The rash of killings incited fear and paranoia in parents who would rarely allow children outside alone in the months and years following the abductions.
The Oakland County Child Killer is one of the most notorious and horrific criminals in the state’s history,” said Gray. What we are doing today is not re-opening a cold case, but creating a renewed focus for an ongoing investigation which will continue until the truth is discovered.”
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Detective Sergeant Garry Gray, Metro North Post, (248) 584-5740
Read more press releases from the Michigan State Police.
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