February 19, 2008
Car Impound Hides Yet Another Body From Police
In reading the story today about a missing woman found dead in police employees' parking space, we were reminded of a similar tragedy that happened here in San Francisco, where a Leonard Milo Hoskins' body was undiscovered in a van for a month, before being impounded by police and found a week later. While the couple wanted in connection with Hoskins are still at large, we think these incidents bring up serious questions about police procedure in potential homicides.
In both cases, police did not search the vehicles despite both vehicles being connected with missing persons. In the case of the missing woman in LA, since no evidence of foul play was observed on the outside of the van, the vehicle remained unsearched until family members came to claim the car and discovered the body of the missing woman themselves. In San Francisco, the undiscovered body of Hoskins was in police custody for nearly a week and police haven't stated why the suspects' van was not investigated immediately after being impounded.
While we're concerned with privacy laws as much as the next person, it seems unreasonable for police procedures to allow incidents like these to happen. A loophole large enough for bodies to remain undiscovered for days at a time (while in police custody!) should require a definite reexamination of police protocol, especially with these vehicles linked to crimes with possible foul play.
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You know, with all the car break-ins in this city, it's possible that dead bodies are among the items that are being ransacked and/or stolen.
i can't say i agree with you diane. missing people rarely if ever turn up in their own car dead. it's a statistical anomaly. bodies are buried or burned or cut up. if the car was burned, i'm sure they'd have examined it for the hidden body of evidence, no pun intended.
the big story, which it sounds like you totally whiffed on, was the shitbag neighbors that didn't call the cops after watching the room mates beat the crap out of this guy in the driveway and drag him back into the house.
what kind of a worthless piece of shit witnesses that and decides its none of their business?
there's a special place in hell for you fucktard.
i believe a cadaver-sniffing dog was involved in the SF case. you know, a dog specifically trained from puppyhood to sniff out human bodies, going at it near a van parked by the missing person's house... obviously nothing to see there...
Whoa. So if my car is impounded I could theoretically be heading to jail if that 20 bag of _______ that I lost was found on the floor? I assume that unwarranted search and seizure and the vagaries of probable cause come into effect here, and they certainly should since after all it is a random event.