I recently received a letter* from Paula Hunsicker, an Edwards resident who is the cousin of Brian Alexander, a East Bluff resident who was found shot and murdered outside him home back in December. I blogged a bit about the murder at the time, and expressed some frustration that police didn’t consider it linked to drive-by shootings that happened not all that far away. Linda included a letter she sent to the police advocate Linda Glackin back in March. She has yet to receive a reply.
In addition to the material in the letter, Paula says that she understand that firefighters who were the first to respond trampled through potential evidence. She is also frustrated that neighbors who did hear a shot made no effort in calling the police. “If the neighbors don’t try to raise the awareness by reporting gun shots then they are no better then the deaf ears at the police station.”
In defense of the neighbors, I have spoken to many residents of that and other high-crime areas. They say it is nearly impossible to get police to respond to a report of shots fired, and probably have given up trying to report it. The dispatchers want to know if you saw somebody shooting a gun, or if you know of somebody being hit by gunfire. I can be sitting on my porch and hear gunfire and have no idea how far away it happened or what direction it came from. I’ve also heard cops complain that the average citizen can’t tell the difference between fireworks and the sound of a gun being fired.
Related:
Local media lacking a sense of direction … again
Benign neglect on Peoria’s venerable East Bluff
PPD shooting itself in the foot
This is what happens when the city cares more about shopping malls that fighting crime
Seven unsolved murders in Peoria
* Paula Hunsicker’s letter can be read by clicking the following link:
June 14, 2005
600 SW Adams
Peoria, IL
61602
Dear Linda Glackin,
I received a packet from you several months ago and I am now utilizing you to vent some of my frustrations. Brian Alexander (now know as case #: 04-37560) is my cousin and was found dead at this home on December 18th, 2004. From the time the police arrived at the scene the investigation seem to be awkward at best. My aunt, (Brian’s mother) received a call from the coroner stating Brian was found dead and they felt like there was no foul play. At the site were the body was found, it was my nephew who asked the policemen to look at a bullet hole in the garage door, and another family member found a casing close to where the body was discovered. The policeman’s response was I better call the detectives back.
I feel because Brian lived in a less then desirable neighborhood the initial investigation was mediocre at best. I can not believe that trained policemen could not see an entrance and exit wound on Brian’s head, designating this immediately as a homicide.
To add insult to injury the Peoria Journal Star quoted our mayor and Ann Ruggles as saying less then favorable statements about the slayings of 2004. I realize the statements were some what generalized but they remain hurtful to me and my family. (My brother did write an editorial to defend my cousins name Remember the murder victim as more then a statistic)
The last blunder was published in the Journal Star on 2/21/05. The Crime stopper article gave the wrong address of the murder scene as well as describing the scene in an attached garage. All these facts are incorrect. These inconsistencies only lead us to believe that there is little hope that this murder will be solved by our police force.
Sincerely
Paula Hunsicker
Cc: Lisa Madigan & Kevin Lyons
Paula Hunsicker
cc: Lisa Madigan
cc: Kevin Lyons
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
They need some AA preachers to go to bat for them…
Thank you, thank you, thank you for publishing Paula’s letter.
The circumstances surrounding Brian’s death and the apparent inability to locate his killer are completely incomprehensible. There is no excuse, no good reason, for this murder to have gone unsolved, nor is there any excuse for coverage of this murder to have been dropped by the Peoria media. It’s particularly painful that as part of the print coverage of his murder, Brian’s character had to actually be defended, as if being shot dead in his neighborhood was a sufficient measure of the man.
I would say that we won’t even “go there” in terms of a tainted crime scene and other irregularities at the outset, but I would be lying, because those of us who knew Brian and loved him — we’re gonna “go there” and we will keep “going there” until justice is done.
Thanks again, dear Pundit, for the attention.
I would like to advertise a monetery reward sponsered by friends and family of Brian’s in addtion to the Crime Stoppers reward.The reward for any information leading to the arrest of those involved is at $7,000.00.
Friends have posted flyers in the East Bluff advertising the reward. If the reward is not used it will eventually roll over to a nursing scholarship @OSF, in Brians name. Thanks for the exposure.
I lived in 1700 block Of New York Street at the time of Brian’s murder. I am appalled as well as to the apathy of the Peoria Police Department. My house was robbed that summer and ofcourse the Police suggested it was “probably a neighbor” an never followed up. I called the police several times that year to report gunshots and people jumping fences etc. The only thing the Peoria Police ever did for me was issue me a ticket for loud noise. My stereo was too loud supposedly. I have lived on that block on and off for the past 13 years and have seen alot of crime. The neighborhood is getting worse and the police are getting more apathetic and lazy! My next door neighbor at the time has lived in her house for over 50 years. She is probably in her 80’s and an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia. When I asked her if she was scared to live there she replied “I survived Hitler. I suppose I can handle a few gangs.” I have since moved back to Chicago where I feel alot safer. I hope they solve this tragic murder. I personally think he was hit by a stray bullet or a botched drive-by shooting that had the wrong address. But that is just a theory and the police should not take the same attitude.
[...] One recent victim of this sort of behavior is a man named Brian Alexander. His murder remains unsolved. Alexander, a nurse at one of Peoria’s hospitals, was gunned down in the driveway of his East Bluff home. His family is heartsick over his loss and want to see justice done. [...]