Colonie Soldier's Mom Pledges to Investiate Death

The mother of a local soldier who died in Iraq maintains that her daughter did not commit suicide despite an Army pathologist’s findings, and she said she will now launch a private investigation.

Sgt. Amy Seyboth Tirador, 29, of Colonie died Nov. 4 at a military base in Kirkush, Iraq. Her family said the Department of Defense told them Tirador died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Her body was found in the base’s generator room.

Tirador’s mother, Colleen Murphy, said Amy’s father received the results of a military investigation into the death, including Amy’s death certificate, which states the cause of death as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She said they were led to believe the investigation had been completed.

Murphy has openly refuted the possibility that Amy killed herself on numerous occasions. At a press conference last month, Murphy said she felt the Army was trying to build up potential domestic problems and work issues in Amy’s life to make a suicide ruling seem more plausible. Amy’s husband, Michael Tirador, was living at the Caldwell Forward Operating Base where Amy was stationed at the time of her death.

Murphy has also denied any history of depression or substance abuse in her daughter’s past.

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Records: Sanders, Foley involved in probes of board members, employees

Records obtained yesterday by The Blade from the state auditor's office show that at least one of the investigations ordered by Toledo Public Schools of three former school board members began with a tip from former TPS Superintendent Eugene Sanders.

And the documents reveal that the district made repeated use of a private investigator to check on suspicions about its employees.

In addition, a check paid to the investigative firm for the investigation of two private citizens who were often critical of the school district was signed in 2006 by the current superintendent, John Foley.

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Detective owes city $22,000

DOWNTOWN — A former Burbank police detective has been ordered to pay the city $22,500 to cover a portion of the legal fees it incurred in defending itself against his privacy and defamation lawsuit.

Attorneys for Christopher Lee Dunn filed the lawsuit in July, claiming City Atty. Dennis Barlow illegally released his personnel records to the media the same day the former detective filed a wrongful termination and racial discrimination lawsuit.

But Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Irving Shimer struck down the complaint on the grounds that it constituted a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, or SLAPP. The city then submitted paperwork showing legal costs of roughly $47,000, Barlow said, but on Friday was awarded the $22,500.

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Criminal found through World of Warcraft

It seems that law enforcement agencies are getting more creative with ways of leveraging dug up information about wanted criminals.

Using the knowledge of a previously seemingly inconsequential detail such as a game that the suspect is addicted to, Matt Robertson, a sheriff's deputy from Howard County has been able to zero in on the location of a man that has run off to Canada to avoid getting arrested and charged for dealing with controlled substances and marijuana.

Kokomo Perspective reports that the game in question was World of Warcraft, and Robertson sent a subpoena to Blizzard Entertainment, asking for their help to track him down. “They don’t have to respond to us, and I was under the assumption that they wouldn’t,” said Roberson.

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