SIC Investigating Tankleff Case

The New York Times breaks the news that the New York State Investigation Commission (SIC) has begun an official investigation into Suffolk County law enforcement's handling of the Tankleff case. The Times reports the investigation began quietly over a year ago, but was kept quiet until now so as not to interfere with Marty's legal appeal. “The S.I.C. is viewing this as a serious and significant investigation. The commission is looking at how Suffolk County handled this case,” said the Times's source.

The SIC is a "sunshine" agency with no direct enforcement powers. However, the article states, "it can refer evidence of crimes to the authorities or propose a special prosecutor — something Mr. Tankleff and his supporters have urged as a means to reopen the case and pursue other suspects."

The Times reports, "The commission is taking special interest in the Tankleff case as a follow-up to its investigation of Suffolk County law enforcement in the 1980s, which found entrenched misconduct among the police and prosecutors. 'This is certainly an outgrowth from the commission’s 1989 report,” said the person associated with officials at the agency.'"

In the 1989 investigation the SIC found "misconduct and mismanagement in homicide investigations and prosecutions," including "over-reliance on confessions," and called Suffolk's confession rate "an astonishingly high figure compared to other jurisdictions, so high, in fact, that in and of itself it provokes skepticism regarding Suffolk County's use of confessions and oral admissions." The report found "[T]he Suffolk County Police Department and District Attorney's Office engaged in and permitted improper practices to occur in homicide prosecutions, including perjury, as well as grossly deficient investigative and management practices. Because of credibility problems with prosecution testimony, including police testimony, and other defects in homicide prosecutions, guilty persons may well have been allowed to go free."

According to today's article, with Marty's appeal complete, the SIC will begin field investigations, including the interviewing of potential witnesses.

“Now they will be intensifying the investigation,” the Times's source said. “They want to find out: was this issue handled appropriately or not by Suffolk County, are there still systemic problems and should anyone be held accountable for the arrest and prosecution of Mr. Tankleff.”

Meanwhile, Marty continues to prepare for a possible retrial. “There is this talk that this is going to go away with some kind of a plea, but I don’t see that happening,” Marty's lawyer Bruce Barket said. “Either the D.A. is going to dismiss it, or it’s going to trial."

Read the 1989 SIC Report online

Read our blog summarizing the 1989 SIC Report

Read Newsday's 1986 series on Suffolk law enforecement corruption

Comments

[Dan Merner]

I can't believe it! The state is finally going to step in. I hope they don't just limit themselves to marty's case. Although there's enough right there to bring some people down. There appears to be no shortage of corruption to be investigated in and around the DA's office

[lookingforjustice]

I hope McCready's losing some sleep over this, and I hope he takes Marty's place in jail.

[Patti]

This is very good news. I hope McCready goes to jail.

[peter]

This is great news for all residents of Suffolk County,NY. Spota has become too powerful due to a lack of checks and balances in the judicial system.
I know him personally and he deserves to be prosecuted. He is just as bad as ex-DA Nifong. He should resign immediately.
The community should unite and force him to step down.

[Judy Zizlsperger]

Great news for everyone in Suffolk County, especially for Marty and his family. Although, it will not give him the time lost, maybe the right people will end up where they belong.

[Cappy]

Hallelujah! It's about time!! I hope that there is an investigation that is thorough enough to get to the bottom of all of the Suffolk County shenanigans and that Spoto, McCready and Steuerman all wind up in jail where they blong for the crime that, together, they all perpetrated on Marty! I will follow the progress of the investigation carefully. Good luck!

[susan]

A very Happy New Year to Marty and his family!
I have followed this case for the past 6 yrs and am in awe of how Marty has presented himself thoughout the yrs.
My new yrs wish is for McCready to have the prison cell that Marty came out of.
How many others are wrongly convicted at McCready's dirty hand?
Special thanks to Jay Salpeter for his fight for Marty's justice.

Susan Stanley
Fort Wayne, Indiana

[P.J.Michalek]

McCready will get his, believe it. Here or in the hereafter...possibly both. A scum like him wouldn't believe in the hereafter, anyway. He's a God-less piece of shit. It is beyond comprehension, how he and all the others involved in this egregious incident ocurred in THIS country, in THIS day and age. LIARS, manipulators, cruel and without conscience.....not to mention the blatant INSULT to the intelligence of ANYONE with a brain, who knew the cold hard truth and FACTS of this fiasco! I would say, "God Help those pig bastards....but HE never would!" Marty.....God Bless you and your family...have a wonderful life, dear sweet man. I am so very sorry for what you had to endure for so long as a totally innocent young man, who lost his parents in such a gruesome manner, by men who are the spawn of Satan. I pray you are compensated to the fullest degree in ALL ways......and that those RESPONSIBLE for the crime commited against YOU, are forever cursed and doomed.

[Rose Colombo]

It's about time someone is doing something
about the corruption which exists in the
Suffolk County courts. I experienced over twenty years of civil rights violations in the Suffolk County courts and I have just completed a manuscript entitled CORRUPTION IN THE SUFFOLK COUNTY COURTS which I am trying to get published.

The hell that I have gone through began in
1985 when I was coerced by Hon. Harry Richard Brown to falsify the grounds of my
divorce. I had to apply for a divorce three
times and appear before three different judges before my divorce was granted. Then
I was left deeply in debt and completely locked out of all of the marital assets, including the pensions, after almost thirty (30) years of marriage.

In 2001 Hon. Paul J. Baisley, Jr. ordered
that Dr. Michael Schwartz of Stony Brook University Hospital perform a psychiatric
evaluation on me to cover up the many
years of civil rights violations which I experienced. When I protested the perjured psychiatric evaluation and requested that I be allowed to subpoena Dr. Schwartz regard-ing his perjured psychiatric evaluation, Judge Baisley recused himself from the case and ran like a fox caught in a henhouse.

I believe that the law needs to be changed
to put an end to "absolute immunity" for
judges. Accountability is long overdue
and corrupt judges should be removed from office.

[jleskowicz]

thank god!....even though i have lost complete faith in our judicial system, maybe now they may be a glimmer of hope. after this d.a.'s office put my 13yr old nephew in jail for a crime he didn't commit, just to sway a custody battle in my divorce, which as a result lost me custody of my children, that i have not seen in over 2yrs now, the same crap goes on now as it did before. any investigator wants to question me, i will sing like a bird!!!
marty, we are all proud of you for staying strong. we all stand behind you, all the people who walked the walk one way or another. thanks for giving us a voice too!

[Laura]

Hey marty,sorry you had to wait so long for Justice.Stay strong.

[sandi2s]

Warmest wishes for a happy and blessed New Year to Marty, his family, his legal team, Jay, and everyone else who is working to TRULY free Marty from the injustices which have been done to him.

It is a wonderful surprise that SOMEONE in the State of New York is finally looking into the corruption in Suffolk County. What has happened to Marty is inexcusable. I pray that the 'long arm of the law' finally brings accountability to those in Suffolk County who have made such a mockery of the law and justice.

King David prayed in the Psalms that the feet of those who persecuted him be trapped in their own snares... and I pray the same for Marty.

[Jim Scalici]

Hi Marty...Don't know if you read this or not, but I lived on Crystal Brook Hollow Road at the time of your horrific experience. You got SHAFTED and I only hope that the justice system listens to what the public knew at the time of the Murders. Your Fathers partner was a drug dealer and so were his sons. It was public knowledge. Buy a dozen bagels, get an 8 ball of cocaine. They were scum. Your Dad called in a debt and got killed for it. You Mother saw it and got killed too. Those cops were probably on the take and you got screwed.

I don't know how you did it...19 years in prison, but I admire you and wish you nothing but the best from this point forward. There is nothing that can replace your time lost, or you parents, but I hope ytou do what is done in this country.....GO FOR THE PURSE...Nail those greedy bastards in the pocket, humiliate the powers that be, send the proper people to prison, then change your name to Harry Shwartz and start a new life.

Best of luck to you, and if it means anything at all, I knew from the start and told everyone I new, "Marty didn't do it."

I still wear your T-shirts to the gym and tell your story to anyone that asks who is Marty.

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Karla]

We all need to keep this going to make sure Steurman, MacCready & Spota get what they deserve.
Marty you are a class act. I wish you all the best.

[DOPPELHERZ]

HAPPY NEW YEAR MARTY!I'M GLAD YOU'RE FINALLY OUT!I REALLY FEEL SORRY FOR YOU THAT YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT UNNECCESSARY TIME WASTED,AND PROBLEMS DUE TO CORRUPT COPS.I HOPE THEY GET THEIRS 1,000 TIMES WORSE THAN YOU HAD IT!I HOPE IT'S SO UNBEARABLE FOR THEM IN H---!YOU SHOULD SUE THEM FOR 1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR ALL THE YEARS YOU WERE IN JAIL!PLUS-ADD ANOTHER MILLION FOR EACH YEAR FOR THE MENTAL STRESS!I'D SUE THEM FOR ALL YOU CAN GET FROM THEM!I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK MARTY!I SINCERELY HOPE YOU ENJOY 2008-AND THAT IT'LL BE YOUR YEAR FOR EVERYTHING!

[Alfonse D]

This guy McCready deserves to get HUNG!! Im sorry to speak this way but how can they get away with something like this is beyond my comprehension. I hope Marty's Lawyers dont settle just for a dismissal but also go after the bastards that caused 17 years of unwarranted time for Marty!!

[toby06]

Whens the Marty party??? We are all so happy for you and your family. You have the best legal team!

[Helen]

This sounds just like the Stowe case in Escondido Ca., or the scottpetersonappeal.org in California
I hope you will fight to change the system.
Peterson's DA got a Judgeship out of false
show. pwc-sii.com Prevent Wrongful Convictions.

[Helen]

Marty, congratulations! In memory of your parents, try to have a happy life. Forget
those bums who did this to you. Let a good lawyer handle it. You will find love and joy making a new life in a positive way.
Help others with your knowledge, and don't
waste any more time thinkin of those bums who put you there for the personal gain,
they are not worth your thoughts.
Unfortunately today we have a legal system,not a Justice system. God bless you.

[edward bowman]

now its time to GO AFTER THE POLICE and that sorry da make them pay and pay good i mean pay with money and prison time