Question for Former/Current Journalists

I really don't know the answers here since I'm not doing any investigative journalism myself, though.

My gut reaction on the last question, though, is that it is most definitely his business. You don't want to be charged with interfering with an ongoing investigation or (accidentally) tampering with evidence.

I'd proceed with caution. I think definitely getting on the good side of the police/investigators and working/writing only with their cooperation would be the way to go.

But...

I'm admittedly overly cautious/sometimes timid. lol

Ok, I don't do crime stuff either...but I know that I never sink a lot of research time into a piece I haven't sold yet. When you call up sources it's good to say "I'm working for Blah Blah Blah", which makes you sound a whole lot more ligit than, "I'm a freelance writer digging around in your personal business."

Do you have an editor you're friendly with? Maybe you should ask them how much info you can expect to get from the police. You might also contact your police department and ask for the officer who handles media. You could ask them what the procedures are for getting into records, without mentioning what case you're trying to pry into.

I'm thinking that if the case is still open the cops are not talking to anybody. When you watch the news, reporters often say that the police aren't releasing details, "but the neighbors said blah blah blah."

And of course there are lots of stories out there about unsolved crimes - they do it all the time. If reporters waited until the case was solved, newspapers would be pretty boring. In fact, sometimes cases get solved BECAUSE somebody read about it in the paper, then decided to talk to the police with some clue they didn't think was important.

Good luck!

Hi Alex,

About 20 years ago, I was a reporter and one of my beats was police. I covered a couple of murders during that time. Here's what I learned. Reporters want to get the story, have the scoop, be the first to break something that everyone wants to know. But the real hard truth is that unlike other types of crime that a reporter may cover - murder is the most serious of crimes. That may seem like a obvious statement, but look at media coverage today and how sometimes a person's death is treated so lightly.

Reporters can interfere with investigations by being too eager to be the first and it can do damage to the police's ability to catch and help convict the guilty party. So my advice is tread softly. It would not hurt to contact the detective/investigator and let him or her know of your interest. But I would be careful not to overstep the bounds that law enforcement sets. It could hinder their investigation, it could hinder what you would like to accomplish, it could affect justice being served, it could even put you in harm's way if your detective skills get you too close to the murderer.

Don't get me wrong, the media can do lots of good in helping law enforcement. But you've got to use some common sense and remember, this teenager is someone's child. If you were the parent, you wouldn't want someone who wanted to "write a story" to come between your child's murderer and justice.

AlexP said:

Hello all. Newbie here. I hope this question is appropriate for this section.

With my freelance magazine and newspaper work so far, I haven’t yet covered any serious crimes. There is one case however, which has been on my mind – the murder of a local teenager 11 months ago whose charred corpse was found near his home. No one has been arrested yet.

Problem is, since the case is still open, the medical examiner will not allow me to see the case file. I’m assuming the detectives involved will also be tight-lipped about it.

I'm mostly learning as I go with this whole investigative journalism thing - I'm sure this is basic stuff in J school - so I have a few questions:

1. Is there any way to see the files on a case that is still open?

2. Is it unusual to investigate a case (and poke around talking to the victim’s family, friends, and co-workers) and then write about it before the case has been solved by the police?

3. I realize there is a possibility that writing an article could jeopardize a police investigation. So, should I begin by phoning up the lead detective and asking if I can proceed without causing problems? Or is it none of his business?

Thank you very much for any advice you're willing share.

Click to expand...

Eleven months without an arrest is pretty cold. With zero facts, it's hard to give sound advice, but I'd say go for it. I would NOT announce myself to the lead detective. And no cop is going to turn over his file to a nobody. Call a cop and ask if you can cozy up to a case he'd stuck on will get you a snotty "screw off".

What I'd do? I'd find out who was working the case through a third party, if possible. Or, even easier, just check who was quoted in the newspapers following the crime.

Then I'd look into doing a feature story on the cop for something like his involvement in Little League, or Big Brothers. Anything. Doesn't have to be a brilliant idea. Heck, it could even be something his wife is doing for the community, then chat him up about his wife. Timing is everything when you then ask about that old case he had been working on.

But you are either on the inside, or you are on the outside when it comes to cops. Get on the inside, and they'll drop the entire folder in your lap.

And, btw, in the big picture -- ya know, the grand scheme of things -- it's not bad thing for citizens to want to help solve crimes, whether or not they call it investigative journalism. After 11 months, you won't be smearing any fingerprints. Heck, after 11 months, statistics say the case will never be solved.

This is all just my opinion, but I have a fairly deep background in this stuff.

Good luck!

I'd call around the police and all-just to find out if its okay to write about it. Also, tell them that you are writing for "so and so", that could be used to your benefit. Also, by reminding people of the crime, it might shed some new light on the case. New people might come forward and all. Looking into it is my best advance I can offer.

Good luck!

I have a thought - why not call the paper, and offer to do a follow up article on it (for pay)? They may take you up on it. They will probably suggest an angle they want you to take, or they may have an inside source they use and would connect you with. In any case, it just may be easier to get cooperation if you have the go-ahead for your article, and it may save you some footwork.
Good luck!

Hi Alex,

I covered crime for six of my 11 years as a journalist, so I can tell you that the medical examiner's file is confidential as long as the case is open. Even after it is closed, only a small percentage of the file is public record unless, of course, the report is entered into evidence in a court case.

I have written about many unsolved murders and, once, I even went into a guy's house alone, interviewed him and watched the news with him, suspecting that he was the killer based on an interview just half an hour earlier. No one knew where I was and I later learned that, not only was he the killer, but the body was decomposing in the back yard (buried) while I was chatting with him. That was really stupid of me.

What I am saying is that you have to be very careful, especially as a freelancer with no legal support system. Newspapers are generally leary of crime stories from freelancers because of the legal issues involved (If you get anything wrong, they are in big trouble.), but, if there is something different about this case that might make it of regional or national appeal, you might want to pitch a one-year anniversary story to a news magazine.

I would start by re-interviewing family members, friends, co-workers, etc., and see where that leads you. Often, the police tell them things they shouldn't out of their own frustration with the case. When you have specific questions that need answering, that's when you go to the police. Keep a good eye on the newspaper for the most-often quoted officers and investigators. They are likely to be the most cooperative.

Good luck and don't go alone into any killers' houses without telling anybody!

I'm of two minds on this:

1. This is deeply personal and shouldn't be tampered with.

2. This is deeply personal and SHOULD be brought to light.

I know that sounds odd, but sort of the same thing happened to my cousin. She went missing, then was found mummified in 1996 behind a dumpster in Florida. I think it was Daytona, not sure anymore.

It got coverage on America's Most Wanted, a friend of hers gave the cops her name after they did a sketch of what she may have looked like. I happened to be watching when they aired her name, called in and so on.

We were very happy (my family) that we finally found out what happened to her. Thing is, she was murdered and they have/had a suspect. Did anything ever come of it? No. The guy involved supposedly had mafia ties. Cops wouldn't do anything because they were investigating the suspect for other crimes.

So, basically, my cousin was a casualty that will forever go without justice, all because there are other 'more important' crimes possibly commited by this person. Would media coverage have changed that fact? I don't know. I don't know if I would have wanted to talk to a journalist back then.

Today? You bet your sweet bum I would. Maybe his parents would feel them same. Just be careful and caring in your approach. This isn't an article or a sale, it's a life.

As a current crime reporter, I'd say try talking gently to friends and family. If 11 months have passed with no arrest, they may want to get the story back in the news so that anyone with info might be persuaded to come forward. They may be frustrated with what they see as a lack of interest from police.

As others have said, you are not going to see the medical examiner's report unless some secret source loves you enough to risk their job over it. And police rarely like to talk during an ongoing homicide investigation unless they are seeking help from the media to reach the public. Developing good cop sources can take years, even for full-time reporters.

That said, you should still check with the detectives, especially if the story is likely to run. You want to give them a chance to voice their objections in case a story might jeopardize their investigation. This tactic can work in your favor -- sometimes I call a detective to give him a chance to object to an upcoming story, and we end up agreeing on something he'll say on the record. Often they take the bait, sometimes they don't.

Your main problem may be not having the credibility of working for the local paper. If you approach newspapers editors and they like the story idea, they may well assign their own reporter to follow up, In fact, when the 1-year anniversary arrives, they may do that anyway. Or are you are already close with the editors and trust them with your story ideas?

It sounds like an important story... good luck with it and feel free to ask any followup questions.


PS. In answer to question #2, no it's not unusual for reporters to poke around unsolved murder investigations. I do it all the time. Just be sensitive to all involved.

I was a police-beat reporter. Here's how I handled homicide cases:

First, call the public information officer with the investigating law enforcement agency. He or she will be able to point you in the right direction and get you everything that is considered public information. Some detectives prefer to work directly with the media while others only go through the PIO.

Second, the autopsy report should be public information. Call the coroner's office and find out what they need from you to get you the report. For my county, I just needed to send a formal request with my contact information.

Third, don't worry about compromising the case. Just make sure all facts you are reporting are coming directly from the law enforcement agency. If you hear any speculation, follow up on it with the police. They may tell you they can't confirm information and ask you to not include it. It's their job to make sure information isn't leaked, and it's your job to respect what isn't considered public information.

Fourth, you cannot write this story without talking to the victim's family. I have covered a few cold cases where the family declined to comment and then was upset when the article ran because they didn't agree with the leading investigator. If they think the police have it wrong, it's okay to quote them, but don't present their information as fact.

Just an idea if you're running into a bit of a wall: Try working the cold case angle. Families of Homicide Victims and Missing Persons is an excellent resource. I live in Colorado, and they are a local nonprofit, but the director has contacts in other states if you need something local.