Monday, April 28, 2008

Deeper details

Over the weekend, an intriguing series of feature articles ran in the Lincoln Journal Star. I have blogged about the burglary at Scheel's All Sports and the subsequent recovery of about half the stolen guns on several past occasions. But a Trail of Guns, by Cory Matteson, provides deeper details into the story of eight stolen guns from Lincoln showing up in the Phoenix area following our largest-ever gun burglary.

Mr. Matteson, who often covers the police beat on the swing shift, is a frequent visitor to the Duty Commander's office at Headquarters. I frequently see him checking in with Capt. David Beggs when I'm headed home or out to an evening meeting.

One day after a Scheel's gun was recovered in Phoenix, he remarked that it would be interesting to go to Arizona for some more in depth reporting. It was the dead of a cold Nebraska winter at the time, and we laughed about the prospects. I told him that I had just received a humorous email from Det. Sgt. Terri Hruza, volunteering that she, Investigator Greg Sims, and the entire Crime Analysis Unit were willing to spend a month with the local authorities in Phoenix on follow-up work. No doubt her golf clubs were included in the proposal.

Cory, to my surprise, actually talked the Journal Star into his plan. He got some excellent interviews, the front page of the Sunday edition, and three full pages in section A. The articles are interesting, the graphics and photos very nice, and the online version is another example from the Journal Star of notching up online newspaper publishing to an entirely new level.

It is unknown at this time whether Mr. Matteson dabbles in the ancient game, but the investigation continues.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

A bit off topic but here goes. Some readers would like to know an update on the internet MySpace hijack saga. I will refer to my son as MJ.
MJ has been sent to the Kearney Youth Facility. MJ was then transferred to a drug and alcohol treatment center at Hastings and is currently in treatment.
During the last four years MJ was living with me. MJ was a very compliant and cooperative son. MJ went to Lincoln's Child Guidance Center on a regular basis. MJ spent time at Epworth Village and was an Inpatient and Intensive Outpatient at the Lincoln Independence Center.
Two important things were dealt with. One, the prisons are full of people that think like MJ. Two, past mental abuse and witnessing the sexual abuse of MJ'S sister by step dad are impacting MJ'S life.
Now I have exhausted all attempts at helping my son. The other option was to do nothing, but nothing is what was done during his first 13 years of life.
Now today, in MJ'S clever attempt to hustle the system, MJ says that all the claims of abuse by step dad were concocted, lies, because MJ was mad at step dad. MJ thinks that he will return to his step dads to continue a life of smoking pot and drinking and retracting the allegations will promote his twisted objective.
Some people find Nebraska Health and Human Services, Office Of Juvenile Services an agency that causes great pain to people. In this case of MJ, the OJS is the only hope MJ has in not letting MJ return to a home that is not very healthy for MJ and helped wreck MJ'S life for thirteen years. If MJ is adamant about not wanting to come home, that hurts. I hope a Drug and Alcohol halfway house is available at that time when MJ leaves treatment.
When MJ was with me, his Dad, MJ had one primary rule and goal. NO DRUGS AND NO ALCOHOL. Because of MJ'S addiction he could not successfully achieve that goal. So now once again the paid professionals are taking a shot at helping MJ to find a life with NO drugs and No alcohol. MJ is alive today because he was dumped off here in Lincoln four years ago to me by Mother who could not do, and did not do, any efforts to help MJ, aside from changing his diapers. Step dad had a thirteen year head start at destroying MJ'S innocence.
I have assurance from the JSO that MJ will not go back to his past home with the history and all. I only hope MJ gets the help he needs so desperately.
More on this in several months. Thank you again to all the LPD Officers who helped us find a way.
Jim J

Anonymous said...

Woah..... major buzz kill.

Anonymous said...

I thought the article in LJS was great and I hope the employees at scheels take the stories to heart. I wish LJS would do a story on what steps scheels has taken to make sure this never happens again. This was too many guns let out on to the streets. People in Lincoln need to realize the Arizona connection there are a lot of drugs and contraband going back and forth. Ditto on the buzz kill.