Florida Re-opens Michelle O'Connell Investigation

[Chakab]

Source: CBS News

The governor of Florida has ordered an independent investigation into the death of Michelle O'Connell, a 24-year-old mother who was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in September 2010.

Governor Rick Scott issued an executive order Friday reopening the investigation into O'Connell's death, which was initially ruled a suicide, and appointed special prosecutor Jeff Ashton to oversee it.

O'Connell's body was discovered in her St. Augustine home on Sept. 2, 2010. The weapon used was her boyfriend's sheriff-issued handgun.

Over the years, O'Connell's family has been adamant that the young mother would not have taken her own life. Instead, they say they believe O'Connell's boyfriend, St. Johns County Deputy Jeremy Banks, pulled the trigger, according to CBS affiliate WJAX.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-opens-new-investigation-into-2010-death-of-young-mother/

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I suggest that anybody who isn't familiar with the case watch the PBS Frontline investigation into Ms. O'Connell's death.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/death-in-st-augustine/

If you don't have time to watch the entire video, just skip to the last 15 minutes. There's a forensic examination that blows the suicide theory out of the water.

Deputy Jeremy Banks is a murderer, yet he's still on the job. Not only that, he's been protected by his employer, the St. John's County Sheriff's Department, and the FDLE for the past four years.

[savalez]

1. I'm familiar with it.

Fishy! I'm glad they reopened it.

[TorchTheWitch]

2. funny, I just watched the Frontline episode recently

I watch tons of them and 48 Hours episodes online.

I tend to remember the ones that were unsolved or where I'm so sure that someone got off scott free. This is one of them.

[valerief]

3. Haven't you heard? Law enforcement can now shoot whomever they want.

They have a penchant for unarmed black teens, but they'll happily shoot anyone, and they shoot to kill.

Welcome to the New World Order.

[Chakab]

4. The fact that cops give their brethren free reign to commit domestic violence is one of the

most serious problems with police culture.

It's a shame that there are so many of other problems in police forces nationwide that domestic abuse has been totally ignored.

[valerief]

7. Escalated with Nixon's War on Drugs which set funding based on drug arrests and

allowed civil forfeitures. So cops can steal you at will and shoot you if you complain.

[TRoN33]

5. I hope her family can uncover the questions surround this loved one...

But... I'm questioning the timing of this investigation being ordered by almost embattled Rick Scott when this is only less than month from next election.

[kmlisle]

6. St Johns Sheriff's Dept has a long history of abuse of civil rights and protecting murderers

In the 1940s and 50s the sheriff in that county is on record as having deputized Klan members who in turn bombed the homes of over 40 black families, many of whom were involved in civil rights movements including the early establishment of the NAACP. The most famous murder was of Henry Moore and his wife who died after a bomb exploded under their bed on Christmas eve. Lynchings and torture were common and local law enforcement was often either involved or turned a blind eye.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_T._Moore

In the 60's St Augustine in St Johns County was the center of a battle between the Klan and Civil rights and NAACP organizers including an arrest of Martin Luther King in 1964.

In September 1963, the Klan staged a rally of several hundred Klansmen on the outskirts of town. They seized Robert Hayling and three other NAACP activists (Clyde Jenkins, James Jackson, and James Hauser), and beat them with fists, chains, and clubs.[8] The four men were rescued by Florida Highway Patrol officers. St. Johns County Sheriff L. O. Davis arrested four white men for the beating and also arrested the four unarmed blacks for "assaulting" the large crowd of armed Klansmen. Charges against the Klansmen were dismissed, but Hayling was convicted of "criminal assault" against the KKK mob.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Augustine_Movement

[698888]

8. You obviously have NOT read all the official reports

If you read everything posted by L.E. you would realize this is clearly a suicide. The FDLE report is riddled with improper and fabricated information, that agent has ZERO experience in death investigations.

She had gun shot residue all over her hands and she actually wrapped her lips around the gun barrel, no possible homicide victim does this. As far as her being a domestic violence victim, from her background she clearly had mental health issues and like to fight. She had NO defensive wounds and the minor cut to her eye can be explained a number ways...

I heard Ms. Johnson on the radio tis morning, sounds like Mr. Harmon is a liar from the comments of the other lawyer. Seems like the other so called witnesses that heard these screams from 100s of yards away through woods, are related to the best friend Morris (that does not sound like an independent witness). There two question asked while wired to a polygraph is also NOT a polygraph as posted on the Frontline story. I believe that is purely an investigative tool but is NOT a polygraph..

It is also clear that the Frontline story used the FDLE for their basis. I will also believe the public servant's reports before I believe a paid expert witness, of course a paid researcher will find results in anyone's favor paying for services...

[Chakab]

9. I want you to watch the last 15 minutes of that PBS Frontline special where the foresenic

scientists from John Jay University examine the suicide theory that the ME signed off on then get back to me.

[698888]

10. Yea I saw it already..

I have viewed and watched everything...Paid opinions are just that... Do you really believe if they had not supported the Frontline story/NYT story they would have printed their results, yea.. I trust the ME's opinions more, they see many more dead bodies and more that are involved in trama..

[Chakab]

11. I don't believe for a second that you actually watched that video.

It thoroughly discredited the ME's report and the suicide theory.

Are you saying with a straight face that you believe that O'Connell sustained an injury from the tactical light on Banks' gun because it "recoiled forward" when she shot herself? Do you even know about the injury caused by the tactical light?

Nobody who's actually informed of the facts could lend any credulity to the version of events that the State signed off on.

[noiretextatique]

12. well, you could believe the ME

if you are an authoritarian who believes "officials"

[698888]

13. I know you want to think it's a conspiracy but it's not.

I guess Ms. O'Connell could have never bumped her face with the pistol in a haste to put it to her mouth...No one is murdered by sucking on a gun barrel. Per the ME she had injuries consistent with suicide..

Removing a pistol from a security holster is NOT that difficult for an adult.

I know you want it to be a conspiracy but the facts are a little clearer than some want to believe. The text messages clearly show a woman in crisis.

[698888]

14. Well State Attorney Jeff Ashton's report is done

Go here to look at the report... Results are it's suicide not homicide and FDLE is raked over the judicial coals..

www.sao9documents.net