Private Detectives

The private investigators associated with the Maura Murray case are, like those in other unsolved cases of the murdered or vanished, a bunch of ambulance chasers. They come out of the woodwork and attach themselves to the families of the victims with claims of great but phony sympathy. They say they offer free service in the name of justice and victims' rights, but they seek only self-promotion. They accomplish this by the repeated use of the same strategy. They dangle a pet suspect or so-called "person of interest" in front of the family. They often call attention to these POIs by vaguely associating them with their alleged proximity to a crime scene, or the availability to them of a suspicious vehicle, or their resemblance to a sketch. Not surprisingly, these efforts rarely, if ever, pan out. The cases of Molly Bish and Holly Piirainen are two examples. Several times PIs have come up with their pet suspects. News coverage has been carefully orchestrated to associate not only the POI with a sensational crime, but to, in effect, advertise the services and skill of the PI by crediting him with uncovering a so-far "hidden" criminal. Remember Tom Shamshak's "discovery" of Rodney Stanger, someone he virtually accused of having murdered Molly Bish solely on the basis of Stanger's supposed access to a white car, his vague resemblance to a sketch, and a mere ten minute conversation Shamshak had with Stanger? Shamshak got great press out of his claim, which amounts to terrific <b>…</b>