12/09/18, 3:35 PM
Dave Stevens, a former Nebraskan and short-time resident of LaJolla, California was found shot to death in his burning 1995 Chrysler LeBaron on December 23, 1998.
What has happened since that December day?
The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) stated immediately that they had conducted a thorough investigation in Dave’s murder. The detectives stated they interviewed everyone at his place of employment, a dating service, called Perfect Match, along with everyone that Dave socialized with, in an attempt to develop a viable theory for his execution-style murder. However, less than a month after Dave’s murder, the lead detective announced to family members and the press, “they were stumped.”
In March 1999, Gerald Stevens, Dave’s father, asked me to witness a meeting with the lead detective for the purpose of obtaining a status report. The detective was unresponsive to any inquiries, but did repeat they-SDPD were stumped and added, they had “no leads, no tips, no working theory or motive.” He told Gerald there could be as many as “1001 theories including alien abduction and murder.”
It was additionally revealed at this brief meeting that SDPD not only missed potentially important information, but seemingly only wanted to focus their investigation on topless clubs,
Gerald Stevens felt compelled to seek some help.
Our Investigative News Team started work immediately and learned many potential witnesses and/or sources who should have been contacted or interviewed, including Dave’s inner circle, were overlooked by the homicide detectives. Several reported that they kept information close to their vest for fear of police mishandling.
The homicide detective is not just searching for a suspect(s), that is obvious. He must painstakingly reconstruct every detail of the crime and the victim’s life. This requires a detailed investigation into not only the victim’s personal history, but also the history of absolutely everyone who may have worked or socialized with the victim.
If a motive is to be exposed, the detective needs to explore the historical aspects of the homicide investigation in a timely and professional manner. Lacking the foundation of a strong historical record, the detective(s) may be left clueless, without a theory and usually with no viable motive.
A concerted effort to communicate and share information-leads and theories with SDPD proved unsuccessful. Each and every time efforts were made to share uncovered information the homicide team resisted and actually went on the offensive attacking the messengers.
Based in part on the above and because the investigation was riddled with irregularities Gerald Stevens filed a “CITIZEN COMPLAINT” with the San Diego Grand Jury on June 23, 1999.
Section 4, of the CITIZEN COMPLAINT requested the nature of the complaint and Gerald Stevens stated the following: “Negligence in the processing of the crime scene, Neglectful pursuit of serious evidentiary sources/witnesses, Untruthful communication with family and the media, Unprofessional and abusive treatment/behavior of the victims family.”
This case has been the subject of an America’s Most Wanted segment and several true crime productions, always portraying the homicide team as nothing but professional. 20 years later it’s time for the backstory-reasons behind why Dave’s case went cold along with questions the bunglers never addressed.
There’s is so much more to this story and if told, would blow you away. While the homicide detectives were chasing topless dancers from San Diego to Las Vegas, our News Team focused on Dave’s inner-circle. SDPD stated right in the beginning all of Dave’s co-workers had been investigated, “CLEAN-BILLED” and the physical evidence was supposedly used in part to clear them all as suspects.
Approximately three years after Dave’s murder, a young woman, within Dave’s inner-circle, who worked as his employee, was charged with his murder along with a male co-defendant.
MORE TO COME.
