WTF? WHY? This STINKS of a COVER-UP!!!!
Also see: Massachusetts Murder Mystery
"Investigation of Needham man's death in Fla. may take months" by Lisa Kocian, Globe Staff | March 27, 2009
The investigation into the death of a Needham man shot on Miami Beach last week will probably take months, not days, the prosecutor assigned to the case said yesterday.
In the meantime, the family of Nicholas Burdett, who was shot March 16 by an off-duty sheriff's deputy who said Burdett tried to rob him at knifepoint, has hired a local lawyer with extensive experience in police matters. The lawyer, Timothy Burke, is a former prosecutor for the Suffolk district attorney's homicide unit. He has also represented police unions, including the Massachusetts State Police union, and has handled many cases of police-related shootings, he said.
Burke, a Needham resident, knew Burdett because he coached him in basketball when Burdett was in middle school. Speaking on behalf of Burdett's family, Burke said the story coming out of Florida is "very inconsistent with the young man they knew and loved."
Burdett was in Miami Beach with his girlfriend, Linna Hor of Lowell, to celebrate his 25th birthday. The two had arrived around noon on March 16. Hor said he went out to look for his lost sunglasses that evening while she took a nap in their hotel room, but he never returned. Burdett was shot around 10 p.m., and died the following day, on his birthday, March 17.
Florida authorities have presented the shooting as a case of self defense by off-duty Palm Beach County Sheriff's Deputy Justin Clayton, who was walking on the beach with his girlfriend when he crossed paths with Burdett. Asked yesterday about that account, Abbe Rifkin, the Miami Dade assistant state attorney handling the case, said as far as crime scenes go, there was nothing "unusual" presented to her the night of the shooting.
I want to know where the ALLEGED KNIFE IS? WHY haven't we heard about it, seen it, etc, etc? Because there WAS NO KNIFE, was there? What ILLEGAL ACTIVITY was this cop up to that this man stumbled across? Drug-running?
"There was nothing glaring, and I told this to the family, from what I saw that night," said Rifkin. "However, that has nothing to do with the job I am required to do and which I take seriously. I need to be completely objective and look at everything."
Yeah, when its one of their own they are so careful about rights, evidence, blah, blah, blah.
Rifkin declined to elaborate on what she meant by "glaring." She noted that she is prohibited from discussing specifics while the investigation is ongoing. Burke said he would not comment on details in the case. "We're obviously concerned about the investigation and would like to have it concluded as quickly and as professionally as possible," he said.
Burke said that after talking to Florida authorities he felt confident that would happen, particularly after finding out that Rifkin, whom he called a "very experienced prosecutor," was assigned to the case.
Rifkin has worked on several high-profile cases, including a so-called road rage incident involving O.J. Simpson, who was found not guilty. Rifkin, who has been with the Miami-Dade state attorney's office for 28 years, handles only capital cases now, she said when reached by phone yesterday. Rifkin said a previous estimate from Miami Beach police that the investigation could be completed by the end of March was optimistic. She estimated it would take months.
Since Burdett's death, Rifkin has heard from people in Massachusetts who have told her the situation was out of character for the Needham man, she said. His friends have told the Globe that the Springfield College graduate, who was from a well-liked family, would never have attempted armed robbery. "Who he was is also going to be taken into consideration," Rifkin said.
Clayton, who is 26, has been placed on paid administrative leave. He graduated from the police academy about 15 months ago. He was hired as a community service officer by the city of Lake Worth in 2006, and became a deputy sheriff in October, when the Lake Worth force merged with Palm Beach County. His early evaluations, when he was working for Lake Worth, indicate he met or exceeded standards in all categories.
Why the cover up?
