Re: 11/26/00 - Jovin’s folks say justice ‘essential’
Jovin’s folks say justice ‘essential’
Register Staff November 26, 2000
[picture]
Jovin
NEW HAVEN — Almost two years after the murder of Yale student Suzanne Jovin, and despite no apparent progress in the investigation, her parents say they have renewed hope their daughter’s killer will be found.
A lack of physical evidence has hindered police in solving the high-profile murder, which attracted international media attention. City police Chief Melvin H. Wearing said last week through a spokesman that detectives continue to work the case "every day."
Privately, however, rank and file officers wonder if after a lapse of nearly 24 months the case will ever be solved. One Yale law professor shares that view.
Contacted by e-mail and telephone at their home in Germany, where they are scientists, Tom and Donna Jovin remained outwardly optimistic.
"There have been new developments in the investigative effort that renew our hope the case will indeed be solved," the Jovins wrote in response to an e-mail from the Register.
"Apprehending the culprit is not only a matter of concern to our family," they said. "There are numerous individuals in New Haven (and elsewhere!) who feel that achieving justice is essential for the good of the institutions represented in the case, namely Yale University and the city of New Haven."
The Jovins declined to be more specific on the "new developments" and their attorney, David Rosen, said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on whether or not there is new evidence.
Jovin, 21, was found gasping and near death Dec. 4, 1998, on the corner of East Rock and Edgehill roads, 17 stab wounds in her back and neck.
From early on, police have maintained she probably knew her killer. In January 1999, police identified a Yale faculty member, James R. Van de Velde, as being in a "pool of suspects." No other suspect has ever been identified by police. Van de Velde has maintained his innocence and has not been charged.
Van de Velde, who at the time of the killing was Jovin’s senior thesis adviser in the Political Science Department, could not be reached for comment. Yale relieved him of his teaching duties and did not renew his contract.
According to Yale faculty members who asked not to be identified, Van de Velde is believed to be living in the Washington, D.C., area and may be working in intelligence for the government.
He is a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserves. Van de Velde worked in intelligence for the Bush administration.
A government officer visited Yale in the spring to inquire about Van de Velde, said a former Yale colleague. The government agent appeared shortly after the ABC News program, "20/20," aired a segment on the Jovin murder.
"He showed his papers and asked lots of questions," the Yale professor said. "He seemed to know all about the case."
Another Yale faculty member said Van de Velde recently contacted the chairman of the Political Science Department to inquire about several vacancies on the faculty in his specialty — international relations.
Van de Velde had read about several faculty departures in the online edition of the Yale Daily News.
"He basically wanted to let us know he was available," the Yale professor said.
As the second anniversary of Jovin’s murder approaches, Wearing declined to answer Register telephone calls inquiring about the case, nor did he respond to written questions sent to his office.
The Jovins traveled to New Haven last month and discussed the case with members of the New Haven Police Department, State’s Attorney Michael Dearington, Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and representatives of the Yale Corporation.
"There’s a good team in place," Rosen said, adding that Wearing, Dearington and Assistant State’s Attorney James Clark are "100 percent committed" to solving the crime.
In their e-mail the Jovins spoke openly about their loss, saying that two years have done little to diminish their suffering.
"The fact and manner of our daughter’s death are as vivid and incomprehensible to us today as they were two years ago. We agonize over her loss and suffering and we miss her terribly."
None of the four detectives who spearheaded the Jovin investigation are still on the case.
Detective Thomas A. Trocchio retired from the department last July, and Anthony A. DiLullo, the other lead investigator, died from cancer this summer.
Capt. Brian Sullivan, former chief of detectives, and Sgt. Edward Kendall, former head of the forensics division, were placed on paid leave in May in the wake of allegations that top New Haven detectives hid evidence from North Haven police in a murder case.
Currently, the two are awaiting a grand jury decision on an investigation into that matter.
Wearing has said no ground would be lost in the Jovin case because of the department’s problems.
David P. Gold, the prosecutor assigned to the Jovin murder case, left the state’s attorney’s office in March to become a Superior Court judge and Clark has been assigned to the case.
Steven Duke, a law professor at Yale University, said New Haven police have their work cut out for them if they expect to solve the Jovin murder.
Most often, police get breaks in old murders when the killer gets arrested for another crime and confesses or confesses to an acquaintance who then comes to police.
Duke said arrests in cases this old are fairly unusual.
"It is true that the police, at least in theory, never stop working on a murder case, but they certainly tend to lose momentum," Duke said.
On Dec. 4, 1998, Jovin spent her day working, doing some shopping, and holding a pizza party for Best Buddies, a program for adults with special needs.
She left the Best Buddies party at 8:30 p.m., dropped off a classmate and went to her apartment at 256 Park St. She was next seen on the Old Campus, and, at 9:25 p.m., was spotted by a classmate walking north on College Street toward Elm Street.
Residents in the East Rock Road area said they heard a woman screaming at 9:45 p.m.; 10 minutes later, an emergency 911 call was made to police.
At 9:58 p.m. Dec. 4, 1998, police arrived at the intersection of East Rock and Edgehill and found Jovin covered in blood.
W
©New Haven Register 2000
zwire.com |
