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Pastimes : Murder Mystery: Who Killed Yale Student Suzanne Jovin? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jeffrey S. Mitchell who wrote (799)	6/7/2000 3:36:00 AM
From: Jeffrey S. Mitchell	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1397

Re: 6/7/00 - Cusick murder probe quietly continues Cusick murder probe quietly continues By William Kaempffer, Register Staff June 07, 2000 NEW HAVEN ? As a state grand jury continues to probe allegations of police misconduct, the investigation of a 1996 murder inextricably linked to the controversy becomes more complicated. No one has ever been arrested in the slaying of 23-year-old Philip S. Cusick. When an old witness account suddenly surfaced this year, it prompted a criminal investigation into whether New Haven police hid evidence from North Haven police investigating the case. Now, with a potential suspect?s name in hand, authorities are presented with a tricky question of how to catch a murderer without undermining a grand jury?s parallel investigation. North Haven Capt. Thomas Habib, head of detectives, said his investigators continue to follow new leads as they come. "Our main focus continues to be the ability to solve this homicide," he said. He said the department certainly will cooperate with the grand jury, "but that?s not our main concern. Our main concern is to try to solve this case. "The homicide investigation is proceeding at the direction of the state?s attorney?s office," he said. New Haven State?s Attorney Michael Dearington said, "Solving the Cusick homicide has been and continues to be a priority." Sources close to the case said detectives would be reluctant to interrogate new witnesses in a murder investigation who might later be called to testify before the grand jury, which is held in secret. The sources said officials have two options on how to handle the murder probe. ? They can wait for the grand jury to conclude its investigation before following the new leads. ? The grand jury could expand its probe to investigate the allegations of misconduct and the murder itself. That would be allowed under state statute if the murder were directly connected to the grand jury?s mission. In April, the grand jury began investigating whether members of the New Haven detective bureau withheld evidence from North Haven police investigating Cusick?s murder. The murder happened late on Nov. 5, 1996. Police believe Cusick was killed when a drug deal in the Fair Haven section went sour. Police received a potential break in the case in 1998 when a witness picked up by New Haven detectives provided information about the slaying. He said he was in Fair Haven the night of the killing and saw two men standing at a light-colored car nearby. The man told detectives he looked away for a moment and then heard gunshots. Looking back, he saw the two men running from the car, which was speeding away. The witness identified both men and said one said as he ran, "I got him. I got him," according to sources close to the case. Cusick was a passenger in a light-colored compact car. Police believe he was killed when the alleged drug dealer fired into the vehicle. The driver, William Clark, later left his body in front of Cusick?s parents? house early on Nov. 6. That witness? statement is at the center of the state grand jury probe into alleged police misconduct. The New Haven Police Department is accused of failing to inform North Haven detectives of the statement. Dearington launched an investigation in March into allegations that the evidence was suppressed. When his investigation stalled, he secured a state grand jury to take over the investigation. Grand juries are exceedingly rare in Connecticut. Meanwhile, New Haven Police Chief Melvin H. Wearing launched an internal investigation and last week placed two officers on administrative leave: Capt. Brian Sullivan, who headed the department?s detective bureau; and Sgt. Edward Kendall, who headed the department?s forensics unit. Wearing said statements made by the two as part of the internal probe suggested there was information that was not shared with North Haven police. Matthew Cusick, the victim?s brother, said the family is anxious to find the killer but said he understood that the process could take time. "We?ve waited this long," he said. "We?ll wait until the grand jury decides what to do." Habib said he couldn?t discuss any of the grand jury proceedings or evidence presented there. ¸New Haven Register 2000 zwire.com