Record Of LAPD Murder Investigation In 1980

[whimangb]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CAlifornia

This is a two-part question:

1 Does LAPD keep records of murder investigations it made in 1980?
2 May a citizen see so old a record and, if so, how does he/she go about doing so?

 

[sandyclaus]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CAlifornia

This is a two-part question:

1 Does LAPD keep records of murder investigations it made in 1980?
2 May a citizen see so old a record and, if so, how does he/she go about doing so?

I'm sure that they must keep the records. They are probably archived, and difficult to find, but pretty sure they are available.

As to how someone requests a copy of the records, I'm not entirely sure that a private citizen could request them. The police will want to know what your reason is for having the records. Unless you have a good reason for viewing them, or have information you could actually add to the investigation, I doubt you could actually get to see the files.

Have you contacted the station where the investigation was initiated? What do they have to say about the subject?

 

[whimangb]

I'm sure that they must keep the records. They are probably archived, and difficult to find, but pretty sure they are available.

As to how someone requests a copy of the records, I'm not entirely sure that a private citizen could request them. The police will want to know what your reason is for having the records. Unless you have a good reason for viewing them, or have information you could actually add to the investigation, I doubt you could actually get to see the files.

Have you contacted the station where the investigation was initiated? What do they have to say about the subject?

Quote what?

Thanks for the reply. To enlarge on what I started with, if a member of my family was murdered in 1980 and no charge was brought, and I hired a reputable, licensed private detective to investigate the murder, would he be granted access to LAPD's original investigation records? (It's no fun having doubts hanging over you about a relative's death, but it's hard to know where a PI could begin, if not with the LAPD record.) Sorry if I should have explained this in my first post.

 

[sandyclaus]

Quote what?

Thanks for the reply. To enlarge on what I started with, if a member of my family was murdered in 1980 and no charge was brought, and I hired a reputable, licensed private detective to investigate the murder, would he be granted access to LAPD's original investigation records? (It's no fun having doubts hanging over you about a relative's death, but it's hard to know where a PI could begin, if not with the LAPD record.) Sorry if I should have explained this in my first post.

Have the PI contact the precinct where the investigation was started. They may or may not choose to share the files with them, depending on whether or not they feel that the PI can contribute something to the investigation.

Do you know whether or not the detectives classified the death as a homicide/murder? If no charge was brought, either they didn't have enough evidence to prove their case, or they didn't believe that the death was the result of a criminal act.

 

[whimangb]

Quote what?

Thanks for the reply. To enlarge on what I started with, if a member of my family was murdered in 1980 and no charge was brought, and I hired a reputable, licensed private detective to investigate the murder, would he be granted access to LAPD's original investigation records? (It's no fun having doubts hanging over you about a relative's death, but it's hard to know where a PI could begin, if not with the LAPD record.) Sorry if I should have explained this in my first post.

Two people were shot to death. No weapon was found at the scene. It was homicide, but I don't know if LAPD had a suspect. After 32 years the detectives will have retired, won't they? They may be dead, even, and the problem for a PI is that until he sees the original record he won't have much of a starting point, so how can he say honestly that he can contribute something new? He can say he intends to try. How does it serve the public if LAPD declines to let a PI see the record? Would a refusal be certain? If so, it seems pointless hiring a PI. The only person who would benefit then, it seems to me, is the killer. Where else could a PI start if not with the police record? Newspaper articles? How reliable would they be?

 

[startedone]

If is has not been solved, the case remains open. In the 80's, this would have been 32-22 yrs ago. I don't think enough time has passed to make the records open (if they exist) if the case is unsolved IF the PD wants to deny the records to the public.

 

[CdwJava]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CAlifornia

This is a two-part question:

1 Does LAPD keep records of murder investigations it made in 1980?

Yes, they do.

2 May a citizen see so old a record and, if so, how does he/she go about doing so?

You can make a public records request pursuant to the CPRA and hope they allow you to see it. However, if the case is still open then they probably will not permit you to see it. If it is closed, and the suspect has already been dealt with then you have a much better chance of getting to see it.

http://www.lapdonline.org/i_want_to_know/content_basic_view/36329

 

[whimangb]

If is has not been solved, the case remains open. In the 80's, this would have been 32-22 yrs ago. I don't think enough time has passed to make the records open (if they exist) if the case is unsolved IF the PD wants to deny the records to the public.

'It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it.' I'm too lazy to find out which songwriter wrote that, but not too lazy to approach LAPD. However, I suspected that how I made my approach might affect the response. Hence my original question. And, believe me, I know you're not my momma. She was nice.

Thanks to the man who likes croissants for a straight answer.

 

[Zigner]

You are responding to signature lines...they are not directed at you personally.

 

[rebeccainak]

any PI who knows his stuff would be able to tell you if he could get those records. Hire one and see what he/she says.

 

[justalayman]

'
Thanks to the man who likes croissants for a straight answer.

this will make it much simpler for you:


http://www.lapdonline.org/i_want_to_know/content_basic_view/36329

 

[whimangb]

this will make it much simpler for you:
http://www.lapdonline.org/i_want_to_know/content_basic_view/36329

I seem to have obtained conflicting answers, a phenomenon that also arose in the 16th century:

'There's a destiny that shapes our ends, rough hew them how we may.'
'It is not in stars, but in ourselves our destiny lies.' Shakespeare again, and in direct conflict with the above Hamlet quote (the second's from Julius Caesar). These two quotes prove psychoanalysts are talking tripe when they say you can tell what an author thinks from what he writes. 'Save your money, talk to Mom.' Quoting me, twenty years ago.

The idea was to know what the position was before hiring a PI, who might, conceivably, say he/she could get the data and then discover, alas, that it wasn't possible. I know murder cases are never closed (good), but I hoped so old a case might mean the report was available. The Nor Cal Cop who likes croissants with his coffee, and has given me good advice previously, confirmed my suspicion that it wouldn't be. So I think this one is finished. It's newspaper archives for me, by the looks of it.

But does anyone know why city cops get to retire at 50 and county cops at 55?

Not only am I not an attorney, I'm also not a psychoanalyst. Nor am I Shakespeare.

Thank for the replies. They were interesting.

 

[CdwJava]

Retirement age is a function of MOU and retirement system. Mine allows me to retre at age 50 if I wanted to .. I wouldn't earn much, but I could. Others might say 55. There is no rule that says local police retire at 50 and deputies at 55, it is a function of their MOUs and retirement system.

 

[whimangb]

Retirement age is a function of MOU and retirement system. Mine allows me to retre at age 50 if I wanted to .. I wouldn't earn much, but I could. Others might say 55. There is no rule that says local police retire at 50 and deputies at 55, it is a function of their MOUs and retirement system.

Thanks for the reply. I looked at LAPD and the LA Country Sheriff's Dept.'s retirement schemes, ditto San Diego. The two city PDs said 50, the county depts. 55. Clearly, that was a coincidence. In fact, I wonder now if they were simply quoting examples and not hard-and-fast rules. I'll revisit their sites, though I don't doubt you've told me the truth. What I doubt is my ability to read what's in front of my face!

I do research for Bangor Almond (hope I can say that), who writes like a dream, but hates it when he gets even small facts wrong. If he does, it's always my fault (except on finance and corporate law: he has another adviser for that). So thanks for putting me straight - and thank goodness I added a second question at the end of my thread. It's funny, Id have guessed right on the big one, but just thought I should check, while on the second I thought I'd researched it enough and only mentioned it here as an afterthought. Phew!

'You should do your best, even though the good workman often fails and the poor workman often succeeds.' Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (My translation. But near enough, I think.)

 

[whimangb]

Confusion!

Thanks for the reply. I looked at LAPD and the LA Country Sheriff's Dept.'s retirement schemes, ditto San Diego. The two city PDs said 50, the county depts. 55. Clearly, that was a coincidence. In fact, I wonder now if they were simply quoting examples and not hard-and-fast rules. I'll revisit their sites, though I don't doubt you've told me the truth. What I doubt is my ability to read what's in front of my face!

I do research for Bangor Almond (hope I can say that), who writes like a dream, but hates it when he gets even small facts wrong. If he does, it's always my fault (except on finance and corporate law: he has another adviser for that). So thanks for putting me straight - and thank goodness I added a second question at the end of my thread. It's funny, Id have guessed right on the big one, but just thought I should check, while on the second I thought I'd researched it enough and only mentioned it here as an afterthought. Phew!

'You should do your best, even though the good workman often fails and the poor workman often succeeds.' Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (My translation. But near enough, I think.)

May 4th, 2012: LAPD, whom I contacted via www.lapdonline.org., emails me that its 'Records and Identification Section usually retains police records up to ten years (and) the records are then purged'.

Surely this can't be true in the case of of an unsolved murder?

I understood that the file on a murder was never closed.

Any thoughts, anyone? Please.