Gliniewicz death investigation troubling on several levels

 

   

It is completely understandable the widow of deceased Fox Lake Policeman Charles Gliniewicz would characterize talk of his death being a suicide rather than murder as 'hurtful'. But she went further and said it was 'irresponsible and disrespectful'. What would be irresponsible and disrespectful is for investigators to consciously avoid considering suicide out of concern for Gliniewicz, his family and the entire police... fraternity. Some, including members of that fraternity, have raised the specter of doubt, one even being arrested for threatening authorizes for an alleged cover up. The issue first surfaced when the coroner went public with suicide as one of several possible death causes along with murder and accident. Lake County authorities went ballistic over his valid professional assertion which led to public doubts about the their trustworthiness.

Much is at stake is getting the Gliniewicz death investigation right. Initially, his death became a nationwide story connected to the 'Black Lives Matter' movement as it was used by some in the 'push-back' movement to argue the problem is not cops killing unarmed minorities, but lowlifes killing cops. Some even postured that no comment from the President about Gliniewicz showed he was on the side of the cop killers.

Then there is the denial of the universal suicide problem which affects every human who understands that all life is ultimately futile and ends in death. How many, like me, still can't accept that funnyman Robin Williams would commit suicide. Afterwards we learned that besides his lifelong depression and drug/alcohol abuse, he suffered from Parkinson's Disease and an early form of dementia; a potent recipe for checking out early. Yet, the media completely accepted and transmitted the portrayal of Gliniewicz as the perfect police/family man who would never kill himself. Suicide stalks the mighty, the rich, the loved, the elite; just as it does the beaten down.

While Lake County authorities now state that suicide or even accident haven't been ruled out, they are still treating his death as a homicide. Many, myself included, are skeptical they can be impartial given both their love of a police family member and the economic pension benefit which would be significantly diminished if Gliniewicz's death is ruled suicide rather than on the job homicide. The reaction to suicide even initially being brought up, the curious disappearance of three racially diverse suspects from the planet, the unacceptable prevalence of police cover up of internal police misconduct, and the economic incentive to rule out suicide, all fuel legitimate doubt.

Maybe it's time for some outside folks to get involved in the Gliniewicz death investigation. It certainly cannot hurt; might not only aid a timely resolution, it might quell some very troubling but healthy skepticism that hovers over one of the most bizarre death investigations in memory.