Reitmeier and Sturrup Updates

Information on the blog has been used by a number of media outlets, including this CBC Calgary story (they do however continue making the mistake of stating the ARA is actively involved in the blog which is not true, although we do share information extensively).

We had noted that there had been rumors about bonehead involvement in the murder of Mark Marianifor some months, however as we also noted the information that we had was limited and as such we didn't feel it was appropriate to publish anything. We did, however, continue to look into the case. Also, one of our readers made the following comment in a completely unrelated post:

Have a look at this article, and particularly the picture. I see a swastika amongst the angry graffiti. Do you see some sort of connection between this murder and the aryan nation?

Another reader made a comment regarding his or her concerns about the seriousness of the accusation. Our response was as follows:

It is a hell of an accusation, but "Cody" here isn't the first person to make the suggestion. We're of the understanding that the police might be suspicious as well given what we've been told. We don't know if it has anything to do with the swazi on the wall, but apparently there might be other details which suggest a link. 

At the time "Cody" left his comment, we thought the presence of the swastika was likely a coincidence, however as it turns out that may not have been the case after all:

Swastika possibly led to murder suspects 

NADIA MOHARIB, QMI Agency 

Saturday, June 4, 2011 1:44:01 EDT AM 

CALGARY - Fingerprints, fibres and DNA are perhaps the more typical evidence left behind at homicide scenes. 

But sometimes clues are more unique -- a piece of clothing, a receipt or maybe graffiti spray-painted on a cinder block wall. 

This week, police charged two men with second-degree murder in the slaying of innocent Calgarian Mark Mariani. 

While the accused, Robert Reitmeier and Tyler Sturrup are said to be players in a white supremacist subculture, police have said those possible affiliations had nothing to do with the killing, which seems to be a random act of violence. 

But, as they gathered evidence culminating in arrests eight months after the Oct. 3, 2010, killing it would appear, in part, the writing was on the wall -- a red swastika scrawled on the side of a building where Mariani was attacked. 

Major crimes Insp. Cliff O'Brien could not comment on what role the graffiti played in charges being laid given it is now before courts but confirmed the accused were suspects early in the investigation. 

"Obviously, everything at the scene and the graffiti on the wall would have been analysed as evidence," he said. 

"When we analyse a scene, sometimes we don't know what's important until an investigation is unfolding. We look at everything." 

Homicide Staff Sgt. Doug Andrus said in-house resources to help detectives decipher spray-painted images were consulted as they sought Mariani's killers. 

Most investigators say what might initially appear utterly innocuous in any major investigation, if overlooked, can lead them to dismiss a key clue or compelling evidence.
Whether it's murders or other crimes, criminals leave leads before they leave. 

Car prowlers have left wallets in stolen cars and killers have been caught in vehicles stolen from victims. 

Andrus said he once solved a bank robbery after the culprit left a pawn-shop receipt behind. 

Retired police officer Robin Greenwood said a brand new wrench found at a crime scene in a major arson case proved to be crucial evidence, even though it initially seemed to have nothing to do with the crime. 

"I seized it anyhow, if we are unsure, we document everything," said Greenwood, who worked as a homicide detective for about nine years. 

"Lo and behold it was instrumental in putting (the culprit) at the scene." 

Repeatedly, police have been led to criminals -- or were able to make cases against them --  by the very evidence they gave them in the form of everything from diaries to restaurant receipts and cell phones. 

When Travis Martel stabbed his girlfriend Sarah Rae, he captured her dying breaths on his cell phone along with his taunting and cruel commentary. 

Ultimately, the courts found that evidence was compelling proof of Martel's guilt. 

Staff Sgt. Patty McCallum recalls how a well-worn, baseball cap left in a bedroom where two young girls were sexually attacked led to the sick stranger. 

"It was really unique," the veteran investigator said. 

"That was key to us." 

Before DNA was found in the cap the suspect's mother seeing a photograph of it published in the media turned her son, Morgan Smith, in. 

Fortunately for police, criminals aren't infallible and investigators do their best to capitalize on their slip-ups or sloppiness. 

"It make you very happy," McCallum said. 

"I don't mean to gloat about it, but it means you have something to work with." 

That was certainly the case in a file which recently saw two people convicted of first-degree murder. 

It began when police found the body of an individual and not long after, mere feet away, a garbage bag filled with gloves and the victim's identification. 

The contents of that bag were pivotal for police, leading to forensic evidence and a possible identity of the murdered man. 

Sex killer Christopher Watcheston left Calgary mom Arcelie Laoagan to die outside a church one winter night in 2008. 

But he also forgot his work hard-hat and lunch bag behind, presumably in his rush to flee the scene. 

"That's the main (intent) to get out of doge," McCallum said. 

While waiting for DNA to be analysed, police had a viable lead to their suspect by following clues found in union-type stickers on the hat. 

O'Brien spent several years working as a homicide detective and repeatedly saw killers' bad luck deliver good fortune for police. 

In 2006, Dean Commanda killed Chad Largy, leaving his dismembered body parts in various city trash bins. 

Not long after Mounties -- aware of the high-profile case -- called city cops after finding a bag of kitchen items oddly left burning in the fire-pit outside a Springbank home.
"I thought, 'What are the chances?'" O'Brien recalls. 

Sure enough, chances were great and after sifting through assorted cutlery, coffee cups and such, detectives linked the loot to the killer's home. 

A faded receipt somehow surviving the fire and being swept away by wind led police to a 7-11 where they found video surveillance of the killer. His otherwise admirable clean-up efforts were foiled when an investigator crawled under and up behind a toilet and found Largy's blood. 

"Clearly, when the offender cleaned up, he missed a spot," O'Brien said. 

McCallum said "most offences are committed by average people. 

"It's not your Dexters (a reference to the TV serial-killer character), they make mistakes, they are under stress and they always leave stuff behind." 

nadia.moharib@sunmedia.ca

We've been following the various hate sites to see what is being said and, predictably, it isn't much. Boneheads like to sweep these cases under the rug, so to speak, when it is one of their own who is accused of a terrible crime (which means they tend to be silent on a lot of issues). On Stormfront, a thread asking what the hell is going on in the Calgary scene was quickly closed by the Canadian moderator:

The irony is that while Mr. Martin ("OdinPatrick") is correct that the two men are innocent until proven guilty and that they should be afforded a fair and open trial, such attitudes are never extended to people of color when accused of similar or lesser crimes; the assumption of guilt is presumed in all such cases.

Of Facebook, there is a little more discussion. Numerous people have posted their well wishes to Reitmeier, for example, and his wife has posted the following comment as well:

Our favourite loose canon Tom Trenerry is also back at it:

K.H. also has offered her $0.02 which takes the novel approach of blaming the police for daring to arrest murder suspects:

It was later confirmed that Reitmeier's wife had given birth to a son. We were sent some screen shots, including these ones which are obviously depressing given that it was a skewed sense of ethnicity and hatred that has put a father in jail and perhaps a very long prison term:

 

The man making the last comment, Reitmeier's uncle, had been trying to talk sense into his nephew for years. We're sorry that he wasn't successful, however we have a great deal of respect for the effort and the man himself given what we've come to learn.

We were distressed that some of the first comments concerning Reitmeier's son were ones that seemed to want to instill the same irrational hatred that has now resulted in Reitmeier's current troubles. However, given this post on K.H.' s profile, perhaps the child might have a chance: