Diary of a Mother's Mission

My son, Kevin Martin, disappered under mysterious circumstances in the wee hours of July 18, 2004. His partial remains were found on February 1, 2005 in the river. The Des Moines Police have not been helpful and this is my blog to tell what I have done as it's done.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

The Police

I had written a few letters to the police concerning the disappearance of Kevin. Many times I prefaced it with the fact that I couldn't know their job and the constraints they worked under. Especially after 9-11 so many of us became more aware of the wonderful job the police and firemen do and usually done with very little recognition or accolades from the public. I do not know what they have to deal with and I have told them so. Avery minor attempt, I suppose to try and put myself in their shoes - if that is at all possible. I did question though because I had seen things done in other areas of the country regarding missing person cases that were not done in Kevin's situation. I heard no resources, budget cuts, not enough man power, a matter of priorities.

A couple of weeks ago I saw an officer on the news mentioning a collaboration of agencies in an attempt to solve a crime. If the police didn't have the resources, why didn't they seek a collaborative effort as they apparently do in other criminal investigations? Obviously Kevin's case was not a priority as I have mentioned before.

Why should the police dept. use their resources to find a young man, to investigate his disappearance and ultimately his death, when his partial remains were found? Would the city of Des Moines be a safer place? Would the citizens of Des Moines feel their lives were threatened or lacking in security because a young man was missing and possibly killed? What difference would it make to most people? People are threatened by guns, theft, drugs, which lead to more violent crimes as we're told. So why would the police waste their time and energy finding out what happened to my son. What would happen if Governor Vilsac's son had disappeared or one of Senator Charles Grassly's children had gone missing?

So where do I go to get help in finding out what happened to my son? Sad to say I can not put the life of my child in the hands of just two men (police detectives), as expert as they might be, because they feel there is nothing more to investigate, it's not a priority, they've moved on to other things. There is no evidence of foul playaccording to them. Maybe so. But they have no proof of anything else either. The case is open in name only in my opinion.

I am to fault too. Two years ago I never looked at the pictures of missing children. That was a different world unrelated to me. I never thought this would happen to me or my family. Not something like this. I have been touched by the harshness of life before, I lost the American dream somewhere along the way, but I never thought anything like this would happen. It could happen to anyone as I found out. We have been brought up in a society which espouses the dignity of each and every human life . Our Judeo-Christian background of so many of us teaches the sanctity of life. We are all children of God. As we mature we're dealt many blows as we face the realities of life and distinguish between what really is and what our society gives lip service to. I have given up alot of my idealism but the value of my son's life, the meaning of his young life as deserving the highest regard, protection, investigation by those who are given that authority by society - I expect it just as President Bush, Governor Vilsac, Charles Grassely and others would expect and receive it.

Does the death of my son make a difference to Des Moines. Yes it does as a death of anyone else would make a difference too. The death of any young person is a loss of a potential unfullfilled. Kevin loved Des Moines. Who knowes what his future would have held. But the circumstances of Kevin's death are ambiguous, to say the least. It is a tragedy and his cause of death is unknown. Why? A year and a half later and we have no answers and more questions.

If the police can do no more where do I go then for the answers we deserve. Kevin's life deserves answers.

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