Re: Jane Bashara Murder (thread #1)

[Darkman]

Did Joe Gentz plot out Jane Bashara's murder?

Grosse Pointe Park mother found dead Jan. 25

Author: Marc Santia, Local 4 Defenders
Published On: Feb 10 2012 07:05:39 PM EST Updated On: Feb 10 2012 07:51:58 PM EST

---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

DETROIT -
Sources tell the Local 4 Defenders investigators are now looking into the possibility Joe Gentz was trying to sub-contract a hit on Jane Bashara in the weeks before her death.

The Local4 Defenders have learned Joe told people he was being offered money for murder, first $5, 000 then the offer jumped to $8,000, plus a used Cadillac.

Sources tell the Defenders one of the scenarios they're looking into is the possibility that Joe asked others to help out and make this look like an accident, a hit-and-run accident, on the freeway.

But the belief among investigators right now is Joe did not get any takers on his request for help, and while Joe says he was offered money for murder, he also says he was forced at gunpoint to carry out the crime.

Local4 Defenders have confirmed police are now working to talk to the other metro Detroiters who were allegedly approached by Joe to help out with the murder and split the money.

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Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Did-Joe-Gentz-plot-out-Jane-Bashara-s-murder/-/1719314/8629856/-/ud6ybaz/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Bob Bashara's defense attorney talks about life insurance policy for Bob's murdered wife Jane

Posted: 02/10/2012


---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

GROSSE POINTE PARK (WXYZ) - On the record with 7Action News, Bob Bashara's attorney David Griem continues to defend his client publicly against accusations that Bashara was involved in the killing of his wife, Jane.

"I can tell you the insurance policies were not for large amounts of money. The total policies put together were less than $100,000. And keep in mind that if that's the police motive, Jane Bashara was making $120,000 a year," said Griem who discounted money as a possible motive in the murder.


Griem told 7 Action News, "If this case is based strictly on the evidence, or lack of evidence, and not based upon rumor, innuendo and police leaks, there will be no arrest of Bob Bashara".

Bob Bashara's former handyman Joe Gentz claims Bob hired him to kill his wife, Jane. Sources say Gentz also told investigators that Bashara forced him to carry it out by pointing a gun at his head.

Griem says his client does not own a handgun but does have a BB gun.

So far, no arrests have been made.

Police and prosecutors continue to investigate.

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Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/bob-basharas-defense-attorney-talks-about-life-insurance-policy-for-bobs-murdered-wife-jane

[Darkman]

Were different murder plots considered in the death of Jane Bashara?

Joe Gentz claims several scenarios discussed

Author: Marc Santia, Local 4 Defenders
Published On: Feb 13 2012 03:16:36 PM EST Updated On: Feb 13 2012 05:20:28 PM EST

---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. -
A syringe full of Insulin, just a small amount injected into the bloodstream, enough to potentially kill an adult, the Defenders have learned this was one of the ways Jane Bashara was supposed to die.

Dr. Frank McGeorge says, "Insulin has been used for many murders over the years and the way Insulin works is by lowering your blood sugar. By lowering your blood sugar you actually pass out."

An overdose of Insulin, Doctor Frank McGeorge tells the Defenders, not only can it be deadly but nearly impossible for a medical examiner to find in an autopsy.

It can be very difficult. If it was given directly into an artery or vein it would be even more difficult because the body actually metabolizes or burns it off very quickly.

The Defenders have confirmed Joe Gentz is at the center of this medicinal murder plot even though Gentz told detectives he ultimately killed Jane Bashara in her suburban garage through brute force because Gentz was being held at gun point to commit the crime.

Now the Defenders have learned Gentz has also made statements saying when he was approached and asked to kill Jane Bashara different plots were considered and Gentz was told on several occasions by the alleged mastermind to get Insulin and the drug Heparin "any way he could find it."

Heparin is a blood thinner and it would actually kill somebody by thinning their blood and if they would have any trauma they would bleed severely.

The Defenders were the first to tell you - one of the early murder plots involved making Jane's death look like a hit and run accident on the freeway...Doctor McGeorge says in that case Heparin could have been lethal.

If someone's on a large dose of blood thinner like Heparin and they were in a car accident for example it could cause a bleed massively, causing almost instantaneous death.

One reason sources believe Gentz was told to get Heparin is because of its high profile use in author Dan Rown's best selling book.

Heparin was used most notably in Angels and Demons to kill the Pope.

Sources tell the Defenders Joe Gentz approached several people in the weeks before Jane's death, trying to find Insulin and Heparin. We're also told Gentz was unsure of how to pronounce Heparin so the man who allegedly contracted Gentz wrote the name of the drug on a piece of paper that Gentz kept in his apartment. While the Defenders have confirmed Grosse Pointe Park Police searched Gentz's home - it is not known if they found the piece of paper with the alleged mastermind's handwriting on it...spelling the word Heparin...one of the ways Jane Bashara was supposed to die.

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Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Were-different-murder-plots-considered-in-the-death-of-Jane-Bashara/-/1719314/8763302/-/cnmuft/-/index.html

[Darkman]

New insight into Bob Bashara's life

Published On: Feb 13 2012 06:05:33 PM EST Updated On: Feb 13 2012 06:37:34 PM EST


---- VIDEO ---- (3:28)

The Local 4 Defenders get revelations from those who say they knew the "other" Bob Bashara.

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Watch at the Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/New-insight-into-Bob-Bashara-s-life/-/1719418/8771322/-/1ie2ouz/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Source: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com

Bob Bashara Was Accused of Child Molestation in 1995

New concerns about Bob Bashara. He's been named a person of interest in his wife's murder. Now, there are questions about his past, including an allegation of molestation.

"There was no truth to it. That's why it never went forward," said Bashara's attorney, David Griem.

He was responding to new revalations about a very old allegation, a case from April of 1995 when Bashara was accused of alleged child molestation.

"At some point in time, there was a falling out between Bob and members of Jane's family, and then after that falling out there were some allegations," Griem explained.

[Darkman]

Handyman Joseph Gentz loses visitation with daughter in wake of Bashara slaying probe

8:06 PM, February 10, 2012

By Eric D. Lawrence, Gina Damron and Joe Swickard
Detroit Free Press Staff Writers


Joseph Gentz walks out of the Grosse Pointe Park Police Station after a brief visit on Wednesday, February 08, 2012 in the death of Jane Bashara. / JESSICA J.TREVINO/Detroit Free Press

The handyman who sources say confessed to killing Jane Bashara at her husband’s behest lost his bid, at least temporarily, for supervised visitation with his daughter today.

The suspension, late this afternoon, came after prosecutors appealed a referee’s decision on Wednesday allowing Joseph Gentz, 48, to continue supervised visitation of his 10-year-old daughter. Visitation had been scheduled for this afternoon.

The case is to be reviewed again on Feb. 17, and Gentz faces a parental rights termination hearing in April.

John Ange, the chief of the Juvenile Division in the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office, said he was satisfied with Circuit Court Judge Kathryn Viviano’s decision. The prosecutor’s office had cited media reports of Gentz’s confession in asking that visitation be suspended.

“Mr. Gentz is a developmentally disabled individual who does not handle pressure well. On one occasion, police had to be called to a visitation. On another, Mr. Gentz pursued a case worker out to the parking lot after an argument and harassed her,” according to the prosecutor’s appeal after Referee Karen Transit ruled earlier this week the visitation could continue.

During numerous supervised visits with his daughter, Gentz also had to be reminded not to discuss court issues with his daughter.

Gentz’s attorney in the visitation matter, Donald Aubrey of Mt. Clemens, could not be reached for comment. Aubrey earlier noted that Gentz was innocent until proven guilty and has not been charged in the Bashara case.

Macomb County Circuit Court documents obtained today shed additional light on Gentz, saying he has a history of mental health issues requiring treatment and was committed because of those issues on at least one occasion. In 2003, he was diagnosed as bi-polar and suffering from organic mood disorder. His IQ is listed as 67, which is well below average.

The documents also paint a picture of a difficult home life for Gentz’s daughter, who is also developmentally disabled .

During a visit from Children’s Protective Services in July 2009, the family’s home “was observed to be filthy. The bathtub was black and moldy” and the wash room was unsafe because of exposed wires, documents state. The child’s bedroom was covered in trash and dirty clothing. In addition, the family dog had an untreated injury causing its mouth to bleed, and blood splatter was seen on floors all around the home. That visit preceded an order placing the child in foster care, which led to Gentz’s supervised visits, documents state.

The documents say the girl’s mother lost her parental rights in November 2001 because of neglect — as did Gentz — but the child was eventually returned to Gentz’s care following a trial.

Authorities offered no updates today in the investigation into Jane Bashara’s slaying. Authorities believe she was killed in her Grosse Pointe Park garage Jan. 24. Her body was discovered the next morning in her Mercedes-Benz SUV in Detroit. Sources have said Gentz told police he killed her at the behest of her husband, Bob Bashara, but Bashara has denied any involvement.

Capt. David Loch, of Grosse Pointe Park’s Department of Public Safety, said he had no comment today.

Susan Reed, Gentz’s attorney in the criminal matter, said Friday she was unaware of any new developments.

Maria Miller, spokeswoman for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, said the case remains under investigation.

One of Gentz’s brother told the Free Press Thursday that Gentz suffered a stroke when he was born, likely contributing to him being developmentally challenged. Several people who know Gentz said he seemed to have a learning disability and could be easily manipulated.

Still, Gentz’s brother — who asked not to be named — said Gentz once worked as a merchant marine. More recently, Gentz held down odd jobs. Bob Bashara said Gentz worked for him as a handyman on rental properties. Bashara’s attorney said his client and Gentz were having a dispute about payment Gentz felt he was owed.

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Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20120210/NEWS02/120210062/Joseph-Gentz-visitation-Jane-Bashara-slaying

[Darkman]

Source: http://www.detroitnews.com

Husband big in community

Bob Bashara, who has been described as a popular figure in the Pointes, comes from a prominent family. He is the son of the late George Bashara, who was the youngest appeals court judge in Michigan history.

George Bashara, a 33rd-degree Mason, served on Wayne State University's Board of Governors, was a former president of the Detroit College of Law, and served on the State Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Alcoholism.

He also was a Wayne County Probate and Circuit Court judge.

Bashara, known as Big Bob — a license plate on his SUV reads "Big Bobb" — served as president of the Grosse Pointe Rotary Club and was involved in various charities.

[Darkman]

Jane Bashara slaying: Investigative subpoenas being issued

February 16, 2012

By Joe Swickard and Gina Damron
Detroit Free Press Staff Writers



Wayne County prosecutors are issuing investigative subpoenas in the Jane Bashara murder investigation, the Free Press learned Wednesday -- a sign to some criminal-law experts that officials are trying to bolster their case before it gets cold and stale.

Word of the subpoenas, from sources familiar with the case, came on the heels of a second forensic search at the Bashara home on exclusive Middlesex Road last week, and the release of Joseph Gentz, who told police that he killed Bashara on Jan. 24 at the bidding of her husband, Bob Bashara. The body of Jane Bashara, a Grosse Pointe Park marketing executive, was found in her Mercedes SUV in an alley in Detroit.

The subpoenas are a powerful tool that can force witnesses to talk under oath with prosecutors. Akin to federal grand juries, the subpoenas are shrouded in legal secrecy that forbids any public disclosure of their issuances, the witnesses who have been called or the evidence being sought and gathered.

Wayne County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Maria Miller said the office was "unable to comment because it's an ongoing investigation."

The subpoenas "may be why the prosecution is not going forward. They may see some problems" needing attention or investigative trails to be retraced, said University of Detroit Mercy law professor Richard Krisciunas.

Krisciunas, a former top-ranking prosecutor, said the subpoenas and the second search make sense with the assignment of assistant prosecutor Lisa Lindsey to the case.

"She is the most thorough person in the world," he said. "There can be things that should have been done or found the first time. Or they can be looking for other things based on Gentz's statement, or to corroborate what he told them."

Steve Fishman, a top criminal lawyer, said the subpoenas are used "in difficult or complex cases," or when witnesses are uncooperative.

"People tend to be more forthcoming when they're forced to raise their hand and swear to tell the truth under penalty of perjury," Fishman said.

But Bashara's lawyer David Griem said tight-lipped witnesses aren't a problem in this case: "I'm surprised, because people can't stop talking.

"With all of the leaks coming on a daily basis from the police, you'd think they don't need to use an investigative subpoena. Anyway, this case has more twists and turns than a python in heat."

Other experts said that the case could be sputtering after three weeks and no arrests.

"I would be concerned that it's starting to get cold," Eugene O'Donnell, professor of law and police studies at John Jay College in New York, said.

The older the case, as a rule, the harder it is to solve. And the subpoenas could be a sign that investigators are trying to clean up missteps.

The case in prim Grosse Pointe Park has taken a bizarre and sometimes puzzling course. In addition to questions about police properly questioning Gentz, there have been allegations of Bob Bashara having an affair and his participation in sex clubs.

Bob Bashara, who has not been charged, was quickly identified by police as the only person of interest in the case. And Gentz was released without charges after spending three days in the Grosse Pointe Park police station.

As well, some said Gentz was not given a timely warning of his Miranda rights, but a source familiar with the investigation insisted he was notified of his rights.

"It's very hard to clean up" problematic police questioning with the subpoena, said Dennis Jay Kenney, a professor at John Jay College and former police officer. "You can try to tidy up, but it's pretty hard to do. Once the mistakes are made, it's pretty hard to get yourself out of them that way."

O'Donnell said investigative subpoenas help get at crucial pieces of the puzzle, such as pinning down the movements of those involved, motives and potential suspects, and assist with corroborating information.

But the passage of time, with no movement in the case, could be a bad sign, the law professors said.

Murder cases, O'Donnell said, are urgent.

Police "want to get it right and they don't want to rush to judgment, but there is an urgency because somebody has been killed," he said.

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Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20120216/NEWS02/202160518/Jane-Bashara-slaying-Investigative-subpoenas-being-issued

[Darkman]

Source: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com

Bob Bashara Was Accused of Child Molestation in 1995

New concerns about Bob Bashara. He's been named a person of interest in his wife's murder. Now, there are questions about his past, including an allegation of molestation.

"There was no truth to it. That's why it never went forward," said Bashara's attorney, David Griem.

He was responding to new revalations about a very old allegation, a case from April of 1995 when Bashara was accused of alleged child molestation.

"At some point in time, there was a falling out between Bob and members of Jane's family, and then after that falling out there were some allegations," Griem explained.

Source: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com

Police Report Details Bob Bashara's 1995 Child Molestation Allegation

There's yet another allegation that doesn't quite jive with his public persona. In April of 1995, the parents of a five-year-old girl went to police with some disturbing allegations.

According to a police report, the child said Bob Bashara "picked her up and
took her to the spare bedroom, closing and locking the door behind them."

Her statement went on to say Bashara was wearing nothing but a bathrobe. The girl said he put her over his lap and spanked her for no reason, opened his bathrobe, then trapped her hand between his legs in a sexual manner.

The child also told her parents of other allegedly inappropriate behavior.

[Darkman]

Defenders: Bashara murder mystery special

56-year-old Jane Bashara was found dead Jan. 25

Published On: Feb 17 2012 02:55:26 PM EST Updated On: Feb 20 2012 11:26:05 AM EST


DETROIT -
On Thursday night, the Local 4 Defenders aired a special on the ongoing Jane Bashara murder investigation.

The 56-year-old Grosse Point Park woman was found dead Jan. 25 in her sports utility vehicle which was parked in a Detroit alley.

Since then, police have taken just one man into custody after he confessed to being involved in her murder. However, he was later let go.

Jane Bashara's husband, Bob Bashara, has been named a person of interest in his wife's death.

Still, no other arrests have been made and no charges have been brought forward.

In this special, the Defenders run down the timeline of known events in the investigation. They take a closer look at Bob and Jane and speak to people who know them best.

Here we provide the special broken into 10 parts.

Watch: Bashara murder mystery: Chapter 1 -- Timeline
Watch: Bashara murder mystery: Interview with David Griem
Watch: Bashara murder mystery: Chapter 2 -- Jane's family
Watch: Bashara murder mystery: Chapter 3 -- Joe Gentz
Watch: Bashara murder mystery: Interview with Todd Flood
Watch: Bashara murder mystery: Chapter 4 -- The investigation
Watch: Bashara murder mystery: Interview with Tom Berry
Watch: Bashara murder mystery: Chapter 5 -- Bob Bashara
Watch: Bashara murder mystery: Chapter 6 -- Bob's secret life
Watch: Bashara murder mystery: Chapter 7 -- Grosse Pointe Park community

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Watch at the Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Defenders-Bashara-murder-mystery-special/-/1719314/8800826/-/q2tj6h/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Source: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com

Bob Bashara Was Accused of Child Molestation in 1995

New concerns about Bob Bashara. He's been named a person of interest in his wife's murder. Now, there are questions about his past, including an allegation of molestation.

"There was no truth to it. That's why it never went forward," said Bashara's attorney, David Griem.

He was responding to new revalations about a very old allegation, a case from April of 1995 when Bashara was accused of alleged child molestation.

"At some point in time, there was a falling out between Bob and members of Jane's family, and then after that falling out there were some allegations," Griem explained.

Source: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com

Police Report Details Bob Bashara's 1995 Child Molestation Allegation

There's yet another allegation that doesn't quite jive with his public persona. In April of 1995, the parents of a five-year-old girl went to police with some disturbing allegations.

According to a police report, the child said Bob Bashara "picked her up and
took her to the spare bedroom, closing and locking the door behind them."

Her statement went on to say Bashara was wearing nothing but a bathrobe. The girl said he put her over his lap and spanked her for no reason, opened his bathrobe, then trapped her hand between his legs in a sexual manner.

The child also told her parents of other allegedly inappropriate behavior.

Source: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com

Bob Bashara faced child sex case in 1995

According to police reports from 1995, Bashara was threatened by Wayne County prosecutors with a second-degree criminal sexual conduct charge after a young relative of his now late-wife told her parents and investigators Bashara on two occasions caused her to touch his genitals — once while wrestling in his bed and once while she was being spanked in his home.

The girl reported while spanking her, Bashara kept telling her she liked the spanking. An investigator who interviewed the girl wrote, "… and the victim kept struggling and saying that she did not like it. …

"Bob kept telling her over and over, 'Yes you do.'"

[Darkman]

Man who claimed to kill Jane Bashara described as 'crazy'

Published: Tuesday, February 07, 2012

By Mitch Hotts and Jameson Cook
For The Voice

The man who allegedly confessed to killing Jane Bashara once threatened to kill a teenage neighbor with a crowbar following a dispute over shoveled snow, according to a police report and the neighbor.

Joseph Gentz, who was released from police custody on Friday after he claimed to have killed Bashara on her husband’s order, was well known for the wrong reasons when he lived on North Avenue in Clinton Township.

“He was a big strong guy who was scary looking, but he’d run the other way if you chased him,” said former neighbor Nicholas Puglia. “He was easily controlled; you could tell him what to do. We all knew he was crazy.”

Gentz is a handyman who one week ago today walked into the Grosse Pointe Park Police Department and told authorities he had been paid by Bob Bashara to kill Bashara’s wife.

After three days of questioning, Gentz was released by police, who have labeled Bob Bashara as the “person of interest” in the strangulation of his 56-year-old wife.

Back in 1989, Gentz was living on North Avenue near Elizabeth in Clinton Township with another man next to Puglia, whose son had a series of run-ins with him.

In one case, police were called to settle a dispute after Gentz became upset that Puglia’s 15-year-old son, Scott, had shoveled snow too close to the back of Gentz’s home to the point the snow covered parts of the window.

According to a police report, Gentz — who was 25 at the time — grabbed a crowbar, walked over to the Puglia house and began banging on the door, threatening to kill the youngster.

Gentz then went back home and brought his stereo system outside about 9:30 at night and played the music at a high volume as he shoveled the snow back onto Puglia’s property. Police were called and advised the two parties to stay away from each other.

“A few days later, he was out there with a BB gun and shot my son in the face right below the eye,” said Puglia, 63, a retiree. “He shot a bunch of holes into my house. A day or so later, the police came and we heard he was taken to a psychiatric clinic in northern Michigan.”

Puglia said he was surprised to learn of Gentz’s alleged role in the Bashara case.

“Anyone who would admit to a murder is probably not all there,” he said.

Clinton Township police Capt. Bruce Wade, who was able to calm Gentz down on several occasions, said it was evident back then that there was “something different” about him.

“After that snow incident, he was just gone,” Wade said. “I have no idea where he went, but I never saw him. He really stuck out. You know how some people you look at and say, ‘He’s going to be a problem?’ We could see he was going to be a problem at some point.”

Gentz has played a central role in the Bashara case, telling investigators differing versions of how he was paid or forced to kill Jane Bashara. He formerly worked as a property manager for Eagle Pointe Apartments in St. Clair Shores, but now resides in Grosse Pointe Park.

Meanwhile, a Wayne County Circuit Court judge has appointed a Detroit attorney to represent Gentz in future legal proceedings.

Susan Reed, president of the Wayne County Criminal Defense Bar Association, was appointed by Judge Timothy Kenny, presiding judge of the criminal division of Wayne County Circuit Court.

The appointment sparked speculation that Gentz could be facing criminal charges even though he has been released, but his attorney would not shed light on her involvement and would not say whether she had spoken to him yet.

“I’ve been appointed to represent Mr. Gentz and that’s all I’m going to say,” Reed said on Monday afternoon, adding her appointment was made on Friday.

Reed referred inquiries to Kenny’s office, which emailed a copy of the judge’s order for appointment of counsel dated Feb. 3.

“Upon the representation by the People of the State of Michigan that Joseph Gentz is entitled to legal counsel, the court determines Mr. Gentz is without means to secure counsel in the cause involving the investigation into the death of Jane Bashara,” the ruling reads.

“It is hereby ordered that counsel, Susan Reed, shall be appointed to represent Joseph Gentz regarding the investigation into the death of Jane Bashara.”

Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, declined to comment.

Grosse Pointe Park police Chief David Hiller on Friday issued a statement that indicated he would not comment on the development.

“Our job as investigators is to prove facts beyond a reasonable doubt. In doing so we must conduct a thorough and complete investigation,” he said in the statement.

Mount Clemens-based attorney Stephen Becker, co-chairman of the Macomb County Bar Association’s Criminal Law Committee, pointed out that it’s uncommon for someone in Gentz’s position to receive a public defender.

“I would wonder why they’re assigning counsel at taxpayers’ expense and he hasn’t even been charged,” he said.

He deferred to the judge who made the appointment, noting media reports that have indicated Gentz may not have a high intellect.

“It’s even more critical he has a professional to make sure his due process rights are followed,” Becker said.

By the way events developed, he assumed that at some point Gentz was not free to leave the Grosse Pointe Park police station and asked for an attorney. The paperwork for such a request typically takes one or two business days, he said.

He speculated about police failing to seek a warrant against Gentz despite his three-day visit with them.

“They’re possibly building a case against him, or possibly they don’t believe him,” he said.

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Source: http://www.voicenews.com/articles/2012/02/07/news/doc4f312d7675ff7037526210.txt?viewmode=fullstory

[Darkman]

Bashara murder: Key piece of evidence?

Tip leads Defenders to old Cadillac

Author: Marc Santia, Local 4 Defenders

Published On: Feb 21 2012 05:31:08 PM EST Updated On: Feb 21 2012 05:47:12 PM EST


---- TEXT & VIDEO (2:50) ----

Is Cadillac key piece of evidence in Bashara murder mystery?

DETROIT -
The Local 4 Defenders have tracked down what could be a missing piece in the puzzle of Jane Bashara’s murder.

Sources say Joe Gentz was offered thousands of dollars plus a used Cadillac to kill the Grosse Pointe Park mother.

Jane was found dead Jan. 25 in the back of her SUV in an alley on Detroit's east side. She had been strangled.

Her husband, Bob, had reported her missing the night before.

On a tip from a viewer, the Defenders found the alleged Cadillac Tuesday.

Who is the Cadillac registered to? Jane’s husband.

It was parked on a piece of property that can be traced back to Bob Bashara.

Legal expert Todd Flood said the Cadillac could be used to solidify Gentz’s story.

“You want to determine whether or not someone is a truth teller. You do that by corroborating their statement. If it all matches up it's either a really big coincidence or he's telling the truth,” Flood said.

From surveillance video of Gentz at this McDonald’s just minutes after he says he dumped Jane's body, to blood, electrical cords, and golf bags in the Bashara garage where he said he killed Jane, Gentz’s story, according to police sources, is becoming more believable.

Flood says there are three keys to determining the truthfulness of a witness: if they have information about the crime not known to the public, if they know something unusual about the crime scene and have a unique fact about the homicide.

“You got three things you're trying to find and they've got one of them with this Cadillac that's for sure, because they corroborate a fact they didn't know about,” Flood said.

And now this: a used Cadillac registered to Bob Bashara. Investigators now want to know if this was part of the alleged offer, a possible pay out to Gentz for killing Jane. The license plate on the vehicle is expired. it expired in 2008.

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Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Bashara-murder-Key-piece-of-evidence/-/1719314/8827322/-/13yg6no/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Bashara defense builds own investigation

Bob Bashara's attorney David Griem says Joe Gentz is not his team's focus

Published On: Feb 22 2012 05:30:17 PM EST Updated On: Feb 22 2012 06:21:32 PM EST

---- TEXT & VIDEO ----



DETROIT -
Bob Bashara's attorney David Griem said his investigative team is focused not on Joe Gentz, but someone else.

Griem said Gentz should be behind bars if he has been telling the truth about 56-year-old Jane Bashara's murder.

"We started with a little different focus than the police did," Griem said. "We started without a person of interest. We have turned our focus away from Joe Gentz, believing that no responsible police official could release someone they know is a murderer."

"We believe that police and prosecution officials have concluded that Joe Gentz is lying about everything," Griem said.

According to police sources, Gentz said Bob Bashara offered him thousands of dollars and a used Cadillac to kill his wife. The Defenders found a Cadillac registered to Bob Bashara, but Griem said if police were convinced Gentz was telling the truth, the Cadillac would not be sitting in a suburban parking lot right now.

"If they believed Joe Gentz, that car would've been seized," Griem said. "That car would've been in a police garage, and it would have been thoroughly examined for any evidence."

Bob Bashara has been paying Griem's team for this separate investigation into his wife's murder. Griem said Bob Bashara hired a private investigator, a retired FBI agent, to dig into the case for one reason.

"The focus of our investigation is to find the killer of Jane Bashara," the attorney said.

Griem said he will release the name of a person of interest to police when his team has finished its investigation.


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Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Bashara-defense-builds-own-investigation/-/1719314/8869010/-/y003x1z/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Bob Bashara's lawyer: We're investigating a new suspect

February 23, 2012

By Joe Swickard
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

Bob Bashara's lawyer says another person is under investigation.

Privately hired defense investigators have swung their focus away from Joseph Gentz and on to a new suspect in last month's strangulation murder of Jane Bashara, her husband's lawyer David Griem said Wednesday.

Griem, whose client Bob Bashara remains the sole person of interest in the case, said he hoped to have enough evidence gathered by next week to turn over to officials.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office and Gentz's lawyer reacted coolly to Griem's announcement.

"The investigation is continuing and we have no comment," said prosecutor's spokeswoman Maria Miller.

"I'll wait to see what he has," said Susan Reed, who was appointed to represent Gentz. "This could make my job easier."

Jane Bashara's killing "may share certain similarities" with the 1996 murder of Oakland County eye doctor Deborah Iverson, who was found strangled in the backseat of her Toyota Land Cruiser left abandoned on a remote Macomb County road, Griem said.

Iverson's husband was a prime suspect for months -- even after passing two polygraph examinations -- but a young couple confessed to snatching the doctor from a Birmingham parking lot because she looked wealthy and they needed money.

"We've changed direction because of certain actions taken by the police and prosecutor's office" in releasing Gentz, who reportedly has made numerous statements to police, a prosecutor and private citizens linking himself to Jane Bashara's killing, Griem said.

Jane Bashara was found strangled in the backseat of her Mercedes-Benz SUV, which had been ditched in an east-side Detroit alley the morning after her husband reported her missing.

In a series of statements he made after walking into the police station, Gentz said he killed Jane Bashara at her husband's behest. In one version, he said he was promised cash and a used Cadillac; in another, he said he was forced to do it at gunpoint.

Gentz was released after spending 72 hours with police. Questions have arisen about whether Gentz's Miranda rights to remain silent and to have a lawyer present were honored while he was in custody.

"If they believed Gentz took part, there's absolutely no way they'd let him out on the street," he said. "I really believe if he were a target they never would have released him."

Griem said his investigators, including a retired FBI agent, have been "beating the bushes and we've come up with at least one person of interest -- a brand-new person."

He would not identify or characterize the person his team is looking at, but did say "we believe this person was not acting alone."

He said his team is waiting until it gathers "concrete evidence" before releasing details for fear the person might flee.

--------

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20120223/NEWS02/202230480/Bob-Bashara-s-lawyer-We-re-investigating-a-new-suspect

[Darkman]

Lab Test Results Due In Jane Bashara Murder Case

February 27, 2012 4:46 AM



GROSSE POINTE PARK (WWJ) – There could be a break this week in the Jane Bashara murder case.

Investigators are expecting to receive the results from lab tests on items found in her Grosse Pointe Park home. Michigan State Police Crime Lab technicians and Grosse Pointe Park police reportedly found hair and possible blood samples in the garage.

The Michigan State Police lab is investigating the forensic evidence taken from the scene.

If the samples do belong to Jane Bashara, her husband Bob could be arrested. He denies any role in her death and has hired his own detectives.

--------------

Source: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/02/27/lab-test-results-due-in-jane-bashara-murder-case/

[Darkman]

Test results on Bashara evidence are in, sources report

March 1, 2012

By Joe Swickard
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

Results are in from forensic testing of physical evidence taken from the Grosse Pointe Park home of homicide victim Jane Bashara, people familiar with the investigation said Wednesday.

Police could not be reached for comment, and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said it would not discuss the results or any other aspects of the case.

"It's an ongoing investigation," Maria Miller, Prosecutor Kym Worthy's spokeswoman, said Wednesday.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, in broad terms, DNA, fingerprints or hairs could be expected to be found around the house or garage because the Basharas lived there, and Joe Gentz, the man who told police that he killed Jane Bashara at the behest of her husband, Bob Bashara, had been there doing yard work.

Defense attorney David Griem, representing Bob Bashara, said the news is just more of the unsubstantiated reports that have characterized the case since Jane Bashara's body was found in late January in her Mercedes-Benz SUV.

"It's very difficult to comment on rumor and innuendo," Griem said. "But then again, I haven't gotten official word on anything in this case."

He said he is still waiting for an official accounting of items seized in two searches of the Basharas' home.

Bob Bashara remains the only identified person of interest in the case.

Gentz was released after spending three days at Grosse Pointe Park police headquarters.

The second search of the Bashara home is thought to have been a hunt for evidence to corroborate Gentz's information. However, investigators said Gentz gave multiple versions of the killing and some evidence might not be conclusive.

---------

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20120301/NEWS02/203010464/Test-results-on-Bashara-evidence-are-in-sources-report

[Darkman]

Bashara murder witness comes forward

Neighbor says he saw Joe Gentz driving Bashara SUV Jan. 24

Published On: Feb 29 2012 03:02:58 PM EST Updated On: Feb 29 2012 08:24:23 PM EST

---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. -
The Local 4 Defenders have learned that a neighbor of Bob Bashara has come forward and told police investigators he saw a man who looked like Joe Gentz driving Jane Bashara's Mercedes-Benz sports utility vehicle out of the Bashara garage on Jan. 24, the night of Jane's murder.

The same witness also said about the same time Bob Bashara moved his Lincoln Navigator so the Mercedes-Benz could be pulled out of the garage.

This new witness could be key for prosecutors.

"If they have a witness that says, 'I saw on this date at this time Joe Gentz leaving the house,' then that's a pretty significant statement and that's going to be used pretty powerfully, I think, by the prosecution," said legal expert Todd Flood.

Another witness also recently told police that Gentz approached him and asked for help carrying out Jane Bashara's murder. That local man has now been questioned by investigators.

Both witnesses could be critical to the case.

"It is something that solidifies their case. If someone else can say that, 'I listened to Joe. Joe said this to me,' and that affirms a consistent statement that Joe is telling the truth, because that's what you want to find out, is Joe telling the truth. if that adds up, it solidifies the case for them, " said Flood.

The Local 4 Defenders are told the evidence taken from the Bashara's Grosse Pointe Park home, including blood samples, have been thoroughly tested. The results still rest in the hands of investigators.

The witness statements and evidence collected at the home could help solve the mystery of who strangled 56-year-old Jane Bashara.

She was found Jan. 25 in her SUV parked in a Detroit alley.

No charges have been brought forward in the case.

--------------

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Bashara-murder-witness-comes-forward/-/1719314/9152100/-/lp8ck0/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Bob Bashara's cousin speaks about Grosse Pointe Park tragedy

Cousin says Bob Bashara is innocent, Gentz was harassing him before Jane's murder

Published On: Feb 29 2012 03:12:54 PM EST Updated On: Mar 02 2012 04:10:28 PM EST



---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

DETROIT -
The murder of Jane Bashara still doesn't compute a month later to Stephanie Samuel-Lucas, Bob Bashara's first cousin.

"And she said, 'Jane is dead.' And I said, 'What?' I thought that she said, 'Jane's dad.' That she's going to tell me a story about Jane's dad," she said as she recalled how she found out about her cousin's wife's death. "Right then, my brain did not even comprehend the words 'Jane's dead.'"

Samuel-Lucas said Bob Bashara is much more of a brother to her.

"I trust him with everything that I am," she said. "He is the best big brother that I could have ever wanted. And I just know without a doubt he had absolutely nothing to do with Jane's murder."

But who did?

Samuel-Lucas admitted that the suspicions around Bob Bashara have created a bit of divide in a family that had been rock-solid and air-tight for so long.

"The thing about the Bashara family is that we are so tight and we have no secrets," she said.

Were there any secrets?

She has not ignored the coverage and the leaks that have sprung about everything from a a failed marriage, a failed lie detector test and accusations of her cousin's alternative lifestyle -- his secret life.

Was there an affair? Did Bob Bashara have an S&M life leading him away from Jane?

"Quite honestly, it's irrelevant," Samuel-Lucas said. "And so many people would say, 'No, it's not.' Well, you know what? It is. Because what's happening is everybody is sitting here waiting to find out who killed Jane. No one's got anything to do right now. Twiddling their thumbs. Well, let's talk about this ... let's talk about that."

She would rather talk about what seems to her as the obvious. She has a difficult time understanding the way police have dealt with Joe Gentz, the handyman who Samuel-Lucas says had been hounding Bob Basahara for work.

"Well, Joe kept calling Bob saying, 'Hey, I need some side jobs. I need some money.' Bob was saying, 'I don't have any right now. I will let you know.' Well, this Joe guy within a three-week time span had called Bob 12 times demanding work. Demanding money. It started to get to the point where it was harassing phone calls," she said.

Samuel-Lucas can't understand how investigators have treated Gentz's confession.

"The man walked into the police station and said he is the man who put his hands around her neck. Hello?" she said.

-------------

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Bob-Bashara-s-cousin-speaks-about-Grosse-Pointe-Park-tragedy/-/1719314/9152134/-/44m9wyz/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Joe Gentz arrested for the murder of Jane Bashara

Posted: 03/02/2012
By: WXYZ.com Web Staff


---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. (WXYZ) - Joseph Gentz , the man who sources say has admitted to playing a role in the murder of Jane Bashara, is under arrest.

7 Action News crews were there to witness Gentz being arrested at the Macomb County Circuit Courthouse.

"He was scared. Real scared, panicking", said Steve Virgona, a friend of Gentz who drove him to court Friday afternoon for an unrelated custody case that was later adjourned.

After Gentz took the elevator to the second floor of the courthouse, Macomb County deputies and authorities from Wayne County were there to guide him to a back room where a law enforcement officer could be heard telling Gentz, "Sit down. Here have a seat. You're under arrest for the murder of Jane Bashara".


Gentz was then handcuffed.

Jane Bashara was found murdered in her Mercedes-Benz SUV on Detroit's east side on January 25. The Wayne County Medical Examiner determined that she had been strangled.

Bob Bashara reported his wife missing Tuesday, January 24 around 11:30 p.m. and says he had no contact with her that night. She was found dead the next day.

Bashara is considered a "person of interest" in the case and sources say he failed a police administered polygraph.

Early on in the murder investigation, Gentz went to Grosse Pointe Park Police and told investigators that Bob Bashara offered him money and a Cadillac if he would kill his wife, Jane Bashara.


Gentz reportedly told investigators that when he went to the Bashara home on January 24, Bob Bashara pulled out a gun and threatened to kill him if he didn't strangle Jane with his bare hands.

Sources suspect blood found on the floor of the Bashara's garage is from Jane Bashara.

Bob Bashara's lawyer, David Griem, previously told 7 Action News that when police asked Bob Bashara for a list of people who might want
to harm him or his family, the name Joseph Gentz was on the list.

Friends and relatives of Gentz believe Bob Bashara took advantage of Gentz's reported slow cognitive skills to carry out the killing.

-------------

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/joe-gentz-arrested-for-the-murder-of-jane-bashara

[Darkman]

Joseph Gentz -- suspect in slaying of Jane Bashara -- arrested again

4:14 PM, March 2, 2012

By Joe Swickard and Eric D. Lawrence
Detroit Free Press Staff Writers

Joseph Gentz, who authorities say has confessed to killing Grosse Pointe Park mother Jane Bashara, was arrested this afternoon at Macomb County Circuit Court.

Gentz was to appear for a child custody case. His court-appointed attorney, Susan Reed, said she knew only that Gentz had been arrested.

"I don't know what the charges are," she said. "I haven't seen the warrant."

Reed said she was in contact earlier today with Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Lisa Lindsay about the pending arrest.

Steve Virogna, 54, of Warren drove Gentz to the Macomb County Circuit Courthouse today. Virogna said he got a call to bring Gentz to the Eastpointe police station, but Gentz knew his attorney was at the Macomb courthouse for the visitation hearing and asked Virogna to take him there.

After they entered the building and Gentz rushed to see his attorney, he was arrested, Virogna said.

Virogna also was the one to initially bring Gentz to the Grosse Pointe Police Department to turn himself in after the slaying. He said Gentz had approached him a few months ago and asked him if he wanted to help commit a "hit on some lady," but he said no. He said he realized Gentz was referring to Jane Bashara after she was killed.

"I didn't know who it was," he said of the discussion with Gentz a few months ago. "Then I put the pieces together four or five days after it happened."

Virogna said he knew the whole story, and Gentz was offered more than $2,000 to commit the crime, but Virogna said he couldn't tell the story yet.

“He wants justice done for both families,” he said. “He's scared, panicked.”

At the custody hearing, which involves Gentz's 10-year-old daughter, a judge said today she was suspending his visitation. No details were offered.

Gentz has a pending parental rights termination hearing in April.

Reed said she was trying to call Gentz to alert him to the upcoming arrest, but had been unable to reach him because her calls kept going directly to voicemail.

Jane Bashara's body was found the morning of Jan. 25 in her Mercedes SUV, abandoned on Detroit's east side. She had been strangled.

Her husband, Bob Bashara, had reported her missing the night before. Police have said Bob Bashara is a person of interest in her slaying, but he has denied any involvement.

Bob Bashara's attorney, David Griem, has said Gentz did work for Bob Bashara at his rental properties, and Gentz was upset about money he believed he was owed.

Days after the slaying, Gentz showed up at the Grosse Pointe Park Police Department, where sources have said he admitted his involvement in her slaying.

He told authorities he killed Jane Bashara at her husband's behest after promises of money and a car -- claims Bob Bashara has repeatedly denied.

“What took so long?” said Bashara’s attorney David Griem at the news of Gentz’s arrest.

He said he had been expecting the arrest for some days because Gentz’s has reportedly made multiple confessions to the slaying and that he acted at Bob Bashara’s behest.

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office issued an e-mail statement this afternoon that Jane Bashara’s slaying “is currently under investigation and we have no comment on it.”

Griem said he’s not sure what the arrest means for his client.

“I don’t have a crystal ball," he said. “I just don’t know. Most of what I know has come from police leaks through the media. All along, this case has been handled differently than any other case I’ve had. ”

“We’re in a reactive position,” he said. “All we can do is react to the news we get. What’s next is not under our control.”

Griem said he has not been in contact with the authorities, but he said that he’s been assured he will be notified if a warrant is issued so that Bashara will have the opportunity to turn himself in.

As for Gentz, Griem said that “he has a very good attorney. But unfortunately we lawyers can’t write the script.”

Reed said that is too late to arraign Gentz today.

“More likely, he will be arraigned Monday,” she said. “When I find when and where, I’ll be there."

------------

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20120302/NEWS02/120302042/Joseph-Gentz-suspect-slaying-Jane-Bashara-arrested-again

[Darkman]

Joseph Gentz held without bond on first-degree murder charge in Jane Bashara's death



3:36 PM, March 5, 2012

By Gina Damron, Joe Swickard, Elisha Anderson and Eric Lawrence
Detroit Free Press Staff Writers

---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

Joseph Gentz arraigned on murder charges: Joseph Gentz is arraigned by video in 36th District Court for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the slaying of Jane Bashara. Arraignment on Monday, March 5, 2012.

Joseph Gentz, who purportedly admitted to killing Grosse Pointe Park marketing executive Jane Bashara, was arraigned this afternoon on murder and conspiracy charges.

Gentz was arraigned by video on first-degree murder and conspiracy charges in the Jan. 24 slaying of Jane Bashara, whose body was found the next morning in her Mercedes Benz SUV.

Gentz’s court-appointed attorney, Susan Reed, requested a competency hearing, which Magistrate Laura Echartea granted. The hearing will determine if Gentz is competent to stand trial on the charges.

According to Macomb County Circuit Court records, Gentz was diagnosed as bipolar and suffering from organic mood disorder in 2003. His IQ is listed as 67, which is well below average.

Reed said she just received discovery in the case and plans to meet with Gentz in the next two or three days. “He is worried and he is anxious,” Reed said of Gentz.

Reed said the conspiracy charge indicates “more than one person is involved.”

Sources have said that Gentz told authorities he committed the murder at the behest of Jane Bashara’s husband, Bob Bashara.

Bob Bashara, who has insisted he had nothing to do with his wife’s death, has not been charged.

“We have issued these charges today on Mr. Gentz, but the investigation continues,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement today. “This case is neither cold nor closed. At the appropriate time further information will [be] released.”
Gentz is being held without bail. A preliminary examination is set for March 16 at 36th District Court. According to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, the preliminary exam could be adjourned if the competency evaluation is not yet completed by that date.

---------

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20120305/NEWS03/120305036

[Darkman]

UNCUT: The arrest of Joe Gentz

Published On: Mar 02 2012 04:26:03 PM EST Updated On: Mar 02 2012 04:34:33 PM EST

---- VIDEO (0:39) ----

Local 4 cameras were there as police took Joe Gentz into custody saying, "Joe Gentz you are under arrest for the murder of Jane Bashara."

------------

Watch at the Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/UNCUT-The-arrest-of-Joe-Gentz/-/1719314/9210044/-/13xsu5h/-/index.html

=====================================================================================

Bashara attorney says family relieved with Gentz arrest

Published On: Mar 02 2012 05:09:03 PM EST Updated On: Mar 02 2012 05:34:11 PM EST

---- VIDEO (1:12) ----

David Griem said Bob Bashara was relieved for his family on the news of Joe Gentz's arrest.

------------

Watch at the Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Bashara-attorney-says-family-relieved-with-Gentz-arrest/-/1719418/9210428/-/jxgvqg/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Joe Gentz arrested in connection with Grosse Pointe Park mother's murder

Jane Bashara found dead Jan. 25

Published On: Mar 02 2012 02:55:47 PM EST Updated On: Mar 04 2012 10:31:35 AM EST

Joe Gentz arrested at Macomb County courthouse

---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. -
Joe Gentz, the man who told police he was there the night Jane Bashara was killed, has been arrested in connection with her killing.

Gentz was arrested Friday while appearing in a Macomb County Circuit courtroom for a custody case hearing for his 10-year-old daughter.

Police arrested Gentz on probable cause without a warrant.

WATCH: Uncut video of the arrest of Joe Gentz

This is not the first time Gentz has been in police custody in this case. He was kept in custody by Grosse Pointe Park police for three days after he entered the police department to allegedly confess to his involvement in Bashara’s murder.

Sources have told the Local 4 Defenders that, according to Gentz, he put Jane Bashara's body into her Mercedes-Benz sports utility vehicle with the help of the other man. Gentz then drove the SUV to Detroit. The other man did not make the trip to the area of Seven Mile Road and Hoover Street, where Bashara was found dead on Jan. 25.

The Defenders have learned that Gentz admitted to throwing the SUV keys down on the driver's side floorboard then leaving the vehicle in an alley near Annott and Pinewood. Gentz was chosen as the driver because he grew up in the neighborhood.

He then walked from the SUV south to a McDonald's on 7 Mile Road near Gratiot Avenue where he grabbed some food while waiting for the bus.

The Defenders have confirmed that police pulled video from that McDonald's surveillance and Gentz was seen on the video from that day, further solidifying his story.

Gentz took the bus to the Rosa Parks terminal in downtown Detroit where transferred to the Jefferson bus back to Grosse Pointe Park.

A short time later, the Defenders have learned that Gentz stepped off the bus near the police station and walked to Art's Party Store on Kerchavel. Sources tell the Defenders that detectives have gone to the party store for surveillance video. After buying a pack of cigarettes, Gentz walked home.

One week later, he turned himself into Grosse Pointe Park police.

"I want them to know the truth," he said in an interview with the Defenders.

Bashara's husband, Bob, reported her missing Jan. 24. He has been called a person of interest by police but is not charged.

In an interview with the Local 4 Defenders, Bob Bashara maintained his innocence and said he had nothing to do with his wife's death.

"I talked with moments ago and he feels a profound sense of relief. Not so much for himself, but especially for his children, knowing Joe Gentz is off the street," said David Griem, Bob Bashara's attorney.

------------

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Joe-Gentz-arrested-in-connection-with-Bashara-murder/-/1719314/9209322/-/b063q2z/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Bob Bashara's attorney talks about the murder investigation and Joe Gentz

Posted: 03/05/2012
By: Scott Lewis


---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) - Few people were surprised to see Joe Gentz arrested and charged for Jane Bashara's murder, after all the guy walked into the police department weeks ago and confessed to the crime.

But just last week, Bob Bashara's attorney was spinning the different story to the press, saying he had decided that Joe Gentz was not the killer.

David Griem told reporters that he hired two FBI agents and the three of them had come to the conclusion that the murder of Jane Bashara was a random crime.

“We’ve turned the focus of our investigation away from Joe,” Griem said. “We’re thinking that it could be a random crime. “

Lewis asked him, “Why, then, didn't they take her stuff?”

“Maybe, just maybe that killing is just taking place seconds before, and somebody sees a police car, somebody sees a vehicle that is headed in their direction,” Griem answered.

His reasoning: If police really thought Gentz was the killer, why did they let him go after the confession? Griem said that would be the height of irresponsibility.

Police sources tell 7 Action News that the reason Gentz was released originally is because investigators did not have enough evidence to charge him and make it stick based only on a confession. They needed more time to build a solid case.

-----------

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/bob-basharas-attorney-talks-about-the-murder-investigation-and-joe-gentz

[Darkman]

The brother of the handyman accused in the murder of Jane Bashara speaks to Action News

Posted: 03/06/2012
By: Tom Wait


---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) - The brother of the handyman accused of killing Jane Bashara says Joe Gentz didn’t have the motive or mental capacity to commit murder on his own.

Gentz’s brother, who spoke to 7 Action News but did not want us to use his name or show his face, says Bob Bashara is behind the violent plot.

“There was no motive for (Joe) to hurt anybody. I’ll always believe that,” Joe’s brother told 7 Action News.

Joe Gentz, 48, was arrested last Friday and charged Monday with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Gentz maintains Bob Bashara forced him to kill Jane at gunpoint when he arrived at the couple’s Grosse Pointe Park home January 24 to collect a check for his work at Bashara’s properties.

Although the warrant charges conspiracy and states another person was involved in the crime, the prosecutor’s office is not releasing the name of an additional suspect.

“I believe the story is true. I think he went over there to move some stuff and things went bad,” Joe’s brother said.

Gentz’s brother also points out Joe’s diminished mental capacity. Sources say he has the mental capacity of a child.

But Bob Bashara’s attorney, David Griem, says his client is innocent and that law enforcement is releasing information that makes Bashara appear guilty.

“The news that has been funneled to the media has all been negative toward Bob Bashara,” Griem said.

And as far as a co-conspirator, Griem tells 7 Action News his client is innocent.

“We could speculate. For example, there could be somebody who assisted Joe Gentz and now is testifying against Joe Gentz,” Griem said.

-----------

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/the-brother-of-the-handyman-accused-in-the-murder-of-jane-bashara-speaks-to-action-news#ixzz1zqWWYFOj

==================================================================

Source: http://www.myfoxdetroit.com

Joe Gentz's Brother Speaks Out after Charges in Bashara Case

He said his brother came to him a few months ago, told him he was offered a job to become the Bashara handyman and that he was looking forward to it. He thought it was going to be great for his life and a chance get regain custody of his daughter.

His brother said he didn't know if it was a good idea. Now, months later, Gentz is facing murder charges, and his brother feels he is not the only one to blame.

[Darkman]

Bashara Attorney: Murder Suspect Has Tried This Before

March 6, 2012 9:07 AM

GROSSE POINTE (WWJ) - An attorney for the husband of a slain Grosse Point Parke woman said the handyman charged in her death was under police scrutiny years ago for a similar strangulation situation.

Joseph Gentz, 42, was arrested Friday and charged Monday with First Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the January killing of 56-year-old Jane Bashara.

David Griem, an attorney for Jane Bashara’s husband, Bob Bashara, said Gentz was on the radar three years ago.

“Joe Gentz, in 2009, tried to strangle another woman,” Griem told Talk Radio 1270 morning show host Charlie Langton. “I think that is quite the fact.”

Griem said the information is based on what Bob Bashara’s private investigators have found.

“I think Joe Gentz’s mental condition and his competency has been over played by the police because it fits their theory of the case. We’ve had two investigators out on this case for four weeks now, and the people they’ve talked to who know Joe Gentz indicate violent temper, not somebody you’d want to have be your neighbor, but not, you know, maybe not a rocket scientist but certainly somebody who could graduate from high school and lead a normal life,” said Griem.

Griem said the Bashara family is holding up as well as can be expected. He said his client has done nothing wrong, even though police haven’t cleared him as a person of interest in the case.

The body of Jane Bashara, a marketing executive and mother of two, was found in the back of her Mercedes-Benz SUV parked in an alley at Pinewood and Annott in Detroit on Jan. 25. Her husband reported her missing the night before. An autopsy showed that she had extensive bruising to her upper body, a crushed windpipe and missing fingernails.

Gentz, who had reportedly told Grosse Pointe Park investigators he was paid by her husband to kill Jane Bashara, spent three days with police last month, but was released without charges.

Because Gentz is facing a conspiracy charge, Langton said it’s almost certain that others will be charged in the case.

“Conspiracy means, by definition, that some other person. I cannot conspire with myself to commit murder. I need somebody else,” said Langton. “And the big question of the day: Who is that person?”

“It’s hard for me to tell where the prosecutor is going … They did not name the co-conspirator in the criminal complaint, we had a chance to look at that,” said Griem.

Gentz remains jailed at the William Dickerson Detention Facility in Hamtramck. He will undergo a competency evaluation and is due back in court March 16 for a preliminary exam.

“I think the chances of him [Gentz] being found incompetent are a zillion to one,” said Griem.

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Source: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/03/06/bashara-attorney-murder-suspect-has-tried-this-before/

[Darkman]

Investigators search Rachel Gillett's Grosse Pointe home

Sources say woman may have had affair with Jane Bashara's husband

Published On: Mar 06 2012 11:46:16 AM EST Updated On: Mar 06 2012 05:26:07 PM EST

---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

Woman's home searched in Bashara investigation

GROSSE POINTE, Mich. -
Investigators executed a search warrant Tuesday at the Grosse Pointe home of a woman who has been linked to Bob Bashara.

Law enforcement sources say Rachel Gillett has been questioned by investigators about the extent of her relationship with Bob Bashara.

Sources also said the search was to unearth any evidence about a romantic or sexual relationship between the two.

In a previous interview with Local 4 Defender Marc Santia, Bob Bashara denied any extramarital actions.

Marc Santia: Were you having anaffair?

Bob Bashara: No. I was not. I loved my wife. I loved my children and I would do nothing to hurt them. She meant everything tome.

Marc Santia: So, the reports andthe other woman by the name of Rachel, you would characterize that as?

Bob Bashara: She was a good friend, that’s it.

Investigators removed several bags of evidence from the home.


IMAGES: Police search the home of Rachel Gillett

Jane Bashara, 56, was found dead Jan. 25 in her SUV that was parked in a Detroit alley. She had been strangled.

Police have named Bob Bashara a person of interest in his wife's murder, but he has not been charged.

A family handyman, Joe Gentz, was charged Monday with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Sources say he has told police he killed Jane Bashara but under the order of another person who had hired him to do it.

-----------

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Investigators-search-Rachel-Gillett-s-Grosse-Pointe-home/-/1719314/9233232/-/12w354yz/-/index.html

[Darkman]

03-06-2012

Police are searching "alleged" mistresses house in Grosse Pointe!

Posted: 11:01 AM

By: WXYZ.com Web Staff


GROSSE POINTE, Mich. (WXYZ) - Multiple law enforcement agencies are searching a home in Grosse Pointe in connection with the Bashara murder investigation.

Officers appear to be going in and out of the home of Bob Bashara's alleged mistress. It does not appear that anything has been taken from the home at this point.

The new search comes just one day after an arraignment in the case...

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More at the Source: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/search-conducted-at-home-in-connection-with-bashara-murder-case

[Darkman]

Source: http://www.detroitnews.com

---- SNIP ----





Grosse Pointe— Police from Grosse Pointe Park and the Wayne County Sheriff's Department were at the home of a woman romantically linked to Robert Bashara, husband of murdered marketing executive Jane Bashara.

Several unmarked police cars were at the St. Clair Street home of the woman, a former Wayne State University secretary, who police have identified as the girlfriend of Robert Bashara. The woman has not been named a person of interest in the case.
It is unclear if the officers, about eight arriving in about five vehicles, were raiding the home or just there to collect evidence. About five police officers came out of the home carrying clipboards, an evidence box and a paper bag. Seven cardboard boxes also were loaded into police vehicles.

During the investigation Tuesday, Robert Bashara's mother, Nancy, was spotted driving by the home before investigators left shortly after 12:15 p.m...

[Darkman]

big boob takes out the trash. soon, the police will take out the trash.


The Detroit News
Robert Bashara stayed home most of the day Tuesday as police removed evidence from a nearby house rented by a woman, who police say was his longtime girlfriend. Bashara's former employee, Joe Gentz, told police he was hired by Bashara to commit the murder, according to police sources. Gentz is in jail on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder after being charged Monday.

David Griem, the attorney Robert Bashara hired shortly after his wife was found strangled in the back seat of her sport utility vehicle, said he believes authorities are working out a plea deal with Gentz in exchange for testimony against his former boss. :::fyeah::

"I'm convinced that is on the immediate horizon in this case," Griem said. "(Bob) knows it's likely to happen. I've discussed this with him. He's sad and disheartened that they would take the word of Joe Gentz." =))

The removal of evidence from the home of the former Wayne State University employee, romantically linked to Robert Bashara, was the second straight day of breaks in the case after weeks of relatively little activity. Police had told The News they were awaiting analysis of forensic evidence, including blood, hair and computer hard drives, collected from the Bashara home and garage last month by Michigan State Police technicians.

[Darkman]

Police Search Home Of Alleged Bashara Mistress

March 6, 2012 2:57 PM



GROSSE POINTE PARK (WWJ) – Grosse Pointe Park Tuesday served a search warrant at the home of a woman who has been linked to Bob Bashara, named a person of interest in the murder of his wife, Jane.

According to sources, Rachel Gillett has been questioned by police about her relationship with Bob Bashara. It’s believed the two were having an affair.

Investigators reportedly removed several bags of evidence removed from the Mack Ave. bungalow where Gillett lives in a flat on the upper floor. Tuesday’s search of the home lasted about three hours.

Bob Bashara denies he had a romantic relationship with Gillett. But sources talking to WWJ Newsradio 950′s Marie Osborne say Jane Bashara was murdered a short time after she learned of an affair between the two.

The 56-year-old mother one two was found strangled in her SUV in a Detroit alley in January. Joseph Gentz, the family’s former handyman, was charged on Monday with first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

----------

Source: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/03/06/police-search-home-of-alleged-bashara-mistress

[Darkman]

Police remove items from woman's home in Bashara case

Published On: Mar 06 2012 06:10:54 PM EST Updated On: Mar 06 2012 06:59:13 PM EST

---- VIDEO (2:22) ----

--------

Watch at the Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Police-remove-items-from-woman-s-Grosse-Pointe-home-in-Bashara-case/-/1719418/9236828/-/9knnsw/-/index.html

================================================================

from the same above Source: (by lauriej)

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Police-remove-items-from-woman-s-Grosse-Pointe-home-in-Bashara-case/-/1719418/9236828/-/9knnsw/-/index.html

--video w/ "defender" marc santia.

--talks about joe's brother steven

--joe’s little brother says:

--joe is scared, and did not act alone
--joe is sorry, agonizing over that night in January
--joe spent the last 2 weeks w/ him
--joe was nervous and thought something was about to go wrong, that the “2nd person”—who planned jane’s murder-- would get away w/ this



--joe's brother has his name on the list--hopes to visit joe in jail soon.

[Darkman]

Investigators appear to be focusing their efforts on others, including Bashara's alleged mistress Rachel Gillett. On Tuesday, investigators searched her Grosse Pointe home and left with half a dozen boxes and bags.

FOX 2 has learned while the search was being conducted, Gillett was at a car dealership in Redford trading in a vehicle Bashara had given to her. She has not commented on this case."

Local 4 catches up with accused mistress of Bob Bashara

Published On: Mar 07 2012 05:11:48 PM EST Updated On: Mar 07 2012 05:27:54 PM EST

---- VIDEO (1:49) ----


She was polite to our reporter.

---------

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Local-4-catches-up-with-accused-mistress-of-Bob-Bashara/-/1719418/9242436/-/11wgg7iz/-/index.html

[Darkman]

7 Action News Investigator Scott Lewis looks into Joe Gentz's past

Posted: 03/06/2012
By: Scott Lewis


---- VIDEO & TEXT ----

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) - I have obtained records indicating that Joe Gentz has a long history of mental problems and explosive tempers and has threatened suicides in the past.

All of this comes from court records in Gentz's child custody case.

According to the records obtained by the Investigators, Gentz is a potentially dangerous and unpredictable man - a guy who needs medication to control a slew of mental problems that have been diagnosed by numerous professionals over the last 24 years.

The records shows Gentz has refused to take medications to control his mental issues.

Over the years, Gentz has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, intermittent explosive personality disorder, seizure disorder and antisocial traits.

Reports also indicate Gentz has borderline mental retardation and is blind in the left eye from a birth defect.

He was also hospitalized three times between 1998 and 2001 for psychiatric problems and suicidal thoughts.

During a hospitalization in '99, reports say, Gentz threatened to break every bone in his brother’s body because he stole his leather jacket.

He also threatened to kill his wife and a stranger he had an altercation with in a hospital parking lot.

The reports also talk about Gentz having explosive outbursts. Reports describe one incident in 1999 three weeks after he was arrested for domestic violence against his wife. The report says, "Joseph had a loaded shotgun and was going to shoot his wife, whomever she was with and himself because she was coming home late."

In that case police confiscated Gentz’s gun and a bow.

As recently as last May, a doctor diagnosed Gentz with impulse disorder and recommended Gentz not be allowed to visit the daughter alone.

The doctor said Gentz “clearly does not have the cognitive capacity, behavioral controls or judgment to be able to safely and independently parent her.”

Gentz’s mental state is something his defense attorney plans to explore. After Gentz was arraigned on murder and conspiracy charges, defense attorney Susan Reed, asked for a mental evaluation for her client.

--------

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/7-action-news-investigator-scott-lewis-looks-into-joe-gentzs-past

[Darkman]

it doesn't get much worse than this for the prosecutor's office. this is INFURIATING!!
This is a disaster. This is like police work 101.
this is either criminal obstruction or supreme stupidity.

FREEP

Jane Bashara's clothing -- a potential trove of forensic evidence in her murder investigation -- never made it to the Michigan State Police crime laboratory for testing and may have been destroyed, the Free Press has learned.

"We received no clothing from the victim's body from the medical examiner" or police, Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division Director John Collins said Thursday. "There were items in the car that were submitted, but nothing that she was wearing."

The Grosse Pointe Park woman's body was found the morning of Jan. 25 in her SUV, which had been abandoned in an east-side Detroit alley. Her body and clothing were sent to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy and then were picked up by a funeral home -- but it's unclear where the clothing ended up.

Grosse Pointe Park Police Capt. David Loch and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office declined to comment. The apparent loss of the victim's clothing in a major high-profile murder investigation stunned legal and medical experts -- although it's unclear what impact, if any, it may have on the case.

"This is important. Very, very important," said Dr. Werner Spitz, former Wayne County medical examiner and coauthor on the standard textbook for medical-legal investigations of death.

According to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office, an autopsy was conducted Jan. 26. Records show Bashara's body and clothing were released the next day to the A.H. Peters Funeral Home in Grosse Pointe Woods, which handled the visitation and cremation. According to the office, her clothing included black stretch pants, a greenish-blue blouse, house shoes and underwear.

The records show her husband, Bob Bashara -- who was named a person of interest after failing a polygraph examination -- authorized the Medical Examiner's Office to release his wife's body and her personal effects to the funeral home.

Phillip Potter, an A.H. Peters funeral director, signed for the body and clothing. He said Thursday that he didn't remember what was done with the clothing. The funeral home's usual practice is to discard soiled or bloodstained clothing in the trash rather than return it to the family, Potter said.

According to the Medical Examiner's Office, the standard procedure calls for releasing the clothing with the body unless police ask for it. The morgue, which handles more than 3,000 bodies a year, doesn't have space to store clothing.

Bob Bashara's attorney, David Griem, said his client never got the clothing.

"DNA and other evidence that could have pointed to the killer and that could have exonerated Bob Bashara has now been lost," Griem said.

The loss of clothing is "devastating news for the family," Griem said. "This is a significant roadblock in the search for truth and justice for Jane Bashara."

http://www.freep.com/article/20120309/NEWS01/203090437/Jane-Bashara-s-clothes-missing-along-with-potentially-crucial-evidence

[Darkman]

F*CKING OUTRAGE!

The Detroit News
Grosse Pointe Park— The attorney for Robert Bashara says clothing worn by Jane Bashara when she was killed on Jan. 24 has been misplaced, which he said will exonerate his client.

Jane Bashara's body was found in an alley on Detroit's east side in the backseat of her Mercedes-Benz ML350 the day after her husband reported her missing. But David Griem, Robert Bashara's attorney, said the victim's clothing has come up missing.

"The significance of that is huge," Griem said Friday. "I think most crime scene experts would tell you the clothing the victim was wearing in a case like this is likely to contain more evidence than the body itself.

"I would submit that the handling of Jane Bashara's clothing alone is sufficient reasonable doubt for a jury to return a not-guilty verdict if my client is ever charged."

Grosse Park Police weren't immediately available for comment Friday.

I GUESS NOT!! :furious:




attny. griem. an aging hippie has lucked out here for bashara.

[Darkman]

Report: Key Evidence Missing In Jane Bashara Murder Investigation

March 9, 2012 8:00 AM



GROSSE POINTE (WWJ) – Some potentially key evidence in the murder investigation of a Grosse Pointe Park woman has disappeared.

A report Friday morning said the clothing 56-year-old Jane Bashara was wearing when she was killed is missing, and experts say it might contain the missing pieces that could help police solve her murder.

Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division Director John Collins told the Detroit Free Press on Thursday that its crime lab didn’t get any clothing worn by Jane Bashara.

“This is a disaster. This is like police work 101,” said WWJ Legal Analyst and Talk Radio 1270 morning show host Charlie Langton. “It’s the first thing you collect in any kind of criminal case and clothing could potentially identify the killer in this case.”

Records from the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office show Jane Bashara was wearing black stretch pants, a greenish-blue blouse, slippers and underwear when she was apparently strangled to death and left in her SUV, abandoned in an alley at Pinewood and Annott in Detroit on Jan. 25.

“The crucial pieces of evidence in this case would be the DNA, the blood, which could very well be on that clothing in that car, in that house. But, when you don’t have a substantial piece of evidence like the clothing, that is a big blow to the prosecution’s case,” said Langton.

The medical examiner says the clothes were turned over with the body to a local funeral home in Grosse Pointe. Representatives from the funeral home say in normal cases, blood-stained clothing is usually destroyed and not returned to the family.

Speaking live on WWJ Newsradio 950, David Griem, attorney for Bob Bashara — Jane Bashara’s husband — said private investigators hired by the family picked up rumors of the missing clothing about a week ago.

“They went to the funeral home and the director of the funeral home refused to answer their questions,” Griem said — adding that he’s not sure what is to blame for the loss of evidence.

“I’ve tried not to bash the police. All I can say is that we are deeply, deeply disappointed. We could count the ways, you know, there have been so many such issues in the case and this is just one more,” said Griem.

Investigators are now trying to figure out exactly what happened to that clothing, or if it even still exists.

“The police knew that this was a crime scene right away, that there was going to be an autopsy done, that there was criminal activity all around this case. And so police have a duty to take every single thing that they can get and the first thing is the clothing,” said Langton.

Joseph Gentz, 42, was arrested last Friday and charged Monday with First Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the case. Gentz reportedly told police that he was hired to kill Jane Bashara by her husband – who was named a person of interest early on.

Langton and Griem both said the loss of evidence could be devastating to the criminal case against Gentz.

“The defense could make a motion to throw the case out if there isn’t substantial evidence and that would be a real tragedy here. We’ll have to see if police have other evidence and I suspect that that’s why police went back to the Bashara house to see if they could possibly find that DNA evidence,” said Langton.

“Speaking for the Bashara family, we’re doing everything we can do. We’ve got two investigators working on this case, we’re trying to find Jane’s killer and this is just one more road block in accomplishing our goal,” said Griem.

---------

Source: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/03/09/key-evidence-missing-in-jane-bashara-murder-investigation

[Darkman]

Report: Jane Bashara's clothes missing as murder investigation continues

Published: Friday, March 09, 2012, 7:08 AM Updated: Friday, March 09, 2012, 7:17 AM

By The Associated Press



A newspaper reports clothing on the body of a suburban Detroit marketing executive found strangled in January may be missing or possibly destroyed.

Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division Director John Collins told the Detroit Free Press Thursday that its crime lab didn't get clothing worn by 56-year-old Jane Bashara of Grosse Pointe Park. Her body was found in Detroit on Jan. 25 in her luxury SUV.

The newspaper reports her body and clothing were sent to the Wayne County medical examiner and picked up by a funeral home.

An email seeking comment was sent Friday morning to a spokeswoman with the Wayne County prosecutor's office, which on Monday charged handyman Joe Gentz in Bashara's death.

Of the possible missing clothing, Gentz's lawyer Susan Reed said: "That shouldn't happen."

------------

Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2012/03/report_jane_basharas_clothes_m.html

[Darkman]

Jane Bashara's clothing missing, never turned over to Michigan State Police Forensic Lab

Posted: 03/09/2012
By: WXYZ.com Web Staff


---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

(WXYZ) - 7 Action News has confirmed that clothing Jane Bashara wore when she was killed has gone missing..

The Forensic Science Division Director for Michigan State Police, John Collins, tells Action News their crime lab never received the clothing.

Pat Dostine, a spokesperson for the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s office, tells Action News the office received a request from the Grosse Pointe Park Police Department for the clothing about five to six days after the autopsy had been completed. But the request was too late. After completing the autopsy, the medical examiner’s office followed protocol and released the body and the clothes to the A.H. Peters Funeral Home, which handled Bashara’s funeral arrangements.

One source close to the investigation says Grosse Pointe Park police should have had control of the evidence as soon as the medical examiner was done with its investigation, but others say at that time, the Detroit police were handling part of the case since the body had been discovered in Detroit.

In a statement to the media, Detroit police said, “"There were items of clothing that was recovered from the body of Jane Bashara and sent to Michigan State police lab for testing." But MSP said they never received it. At this time, Grosse Pointe Park police have not commented on the missing clothes.

Action News reached out the David Kesner, the manager of the funeral home. He declined to comment on the on-going investigation, and would not say if the clothes had been returned to the family or if they were destroyed.

Collins declined to comment further specifically about the Bashara case, but said in situations where a victim has been strangled, like Jane Bashara was, the clothes a victim is wearing can be critical to linking a suspect through DNA.

Our source close to the investigation, however, characterizes the loss of Jane Bashara's clothes as a minor setback. "Trace evidence like hairs, etc. on her clothing would have minimal value, if any, in linking her to Bob Bashara since they lived together. The DNA evidence investigators do have is very strong against Gentz."

Jane Bashara was found murdered in her Mercedes-Benz SUV on Detroit's east side on January 25. The Wayne County Medical Examiner determined that she had been strangled.

Joseph Gentz, the man who sources say admitted to playing a role in her murder, has been charged with First Degree Murder and Conspiracy to commit murder in the case.

The warrant charging Gentz with Conspiracy says that he "unlawfully conspired with another known individual to commit murder - 1st degree premeditated." However, it does not name the second individual.

Jane Bashara's husband, Bob Bashara, is still considered a person of interest in the investigation.

-------------

Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/jane-basharas-clothing-missing-never-turned-over-to-michigan-state-police-forensic-lab#ixzz1zrX6VRoI

[Darkman]

Detroit police say clothes from Jane Bashara are not missing

Spokeswoman says clothes were turned over to Michigan State Police lab

Published On: Mar 09 2012 09:30:31 AM EST Updated On: Mar 09 2012 06:13:42 PM EST

---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

DETROIT -
Multiple sources and the Detroit Police Department confirmed Friday to the Local 4 Defenders that some of the clothing Jane Bashara was wearing when she was found murdered is in the hands of the Michigan State Police forensic lab.

The rest of the items of clothing remain with Detroit police in Wayne County.

"There were items of clothing that were recovered from the body of Jane Bashara and sent to the MSP lab for testing," said DPD spokesperson Sgt. Eren Stephens.

Earlier on Friday, sources close to the murder investigation had said the clothes recovered from her body never made it to a Michigan State Police forensic lab for examination.

Michigan State Police have not commented.

The 56-year-old Grosse Pointe Park mother was found dead Jan. 25 in her Mercedes-Benz SUV, which was parked in a Detroit alley. Sources said she died as a result of her windpipe being crushed.

Police have named Bashara's husband, Bob, a person of interest in her death, but he has not been charged.

A family handyman, Joe Gentz, was charged Monday with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Sources say he has told police he killed Jane Bashara, but under the order of her husband, who had hired him to do it. Sources said Gentz told police he was promised cash and a used Cadillac for the killing.

The Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office told Local 4 Jane Bashara's body and her belongings, including her clothes, were turned over to the AH Peter's Funeral Home on Jan. 27. Sources said Grosse Pointe Park police asked for the clothes five days after her body was released.

The Grosse Pointe Park Police Department has not commented.

-----------

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Detroit-police-say-clothes-from-Jane-Bashara-are-not-missing/-/1719314/9266928/-/o4epalz/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Here is a sarcastic poem on the subject matter:

POLICE CHIEF BOTCHES BASHARA MURDER INVESTIGATION. AGAIN.

Fri, 03/09/2012 - 10:43 | Gary M Wilson Esq

“THE CASE IS NOW SOLVED!”
Proclaimed “Chief” Hiller.
“Just a single day since her death,
And her sad, awful last breath,
I’VE decided that I have the killer!”

Then in walks Joe Gentz with a story
Threatening to deflate Hiller’s self-glory
“You’re telling a lie!
We already got our guy!
We’d love to chat, too busy though, so sorry-goodbye.”

“No really, I swear I did it!”
“No you didn’t”, they all laughed
“Besides, you’re too daft
To invent such evil craft.
What a twit.”

An unwelcome but persistent pest
Gentz came back again
And he pressed and he pressed

But to deaf ears he confessed.
"We're too busy right now
Besides, we haven’t a dick in the place
We've work to do, evidence to misplace
And we can’t let your nonsense replace
Hiller’s Guess with an actual honest to god arrest!”

The Walrus, boy, he did posture and he did preen
For the media fests he did repeatedly convene
“I don’t understand your interest in my client Bashara
I tells ya!-your focus is too narra!”
“But I do love to see my face on your screen”

Into every microphone they would lug
Griem shoved his mustachioed mug
Each new comment he’d make
Suggesting again that the guy is a flake
As he mumbled and bowed to his media drug.

But once again it gets quickly worse:

Hiller’s arrogance brings down yet another curse
"Ms. Bashara’s clothes have gone missing!"
He lost them while his own ass he was kissing
The jurors, my gosh, won’t they be hissing
Wait, folks, you know this will get worse.

--------

Source: http://thisisgp.com/gary-m-wilson-esq/police-chief-botches-bashara-murder-investigation-again

[Darkman]

Joseph Gentz gets fast track to psych evaluation

March 10, 2012

By Joe Swickard
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

Joseph Gentz, charged in the slaying of Grosse Pointe Park marketing executive Jane Bashara, is on the psychiatric evaluation fast track and will meet with doctors Monday.

"This does seem fast, but this is a very unusual case," said Gentz's attorney, Susan Reed. "Maybe they decided to expedite this."

It often takes weeks to get a date for a psychiatric evaluation, Reed said.

Gentz "is concerned and anxious, and that is to be expected for anyone charged with premeditated murder," Reed said.

At Gentz's arraignment Monday, Reed asked for an evaluation by the state Center for Forensic Psychiatry, noting Gentz had a reported history of mental and emotional problems.

Gentz was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy for the Jan. 24 slaying of Bashara, whose body was found the next day in her Mercedes-Benz SUV left in an east-side Detroit alley.

No one else has been charged, but Bashara's husband, Bob Bashara, was publicly identified as a person of interest by Grosse Pointe Park police early in the investigation.

Reed said she won't be meeting with or talking to Bob Bashara's attorney, David Griem, because there might be conflicting defenses if Bashara is charged in the case. Griem said Reed "needs to do whatever is best to represent her client."

In a series of statements to police, Gentz said he strangled Jane Bashara in her garage at her husband's behest on a promise of a cash payment and a used Cadillac. In one account, Gentz said he did it because a gun was held to his head.

Reed requested the examination to determine whether Gentz is competent to face charges -- basically, that he understands the allegations and is able to assist in his defense.

Gentz also might be examined to check for any mental condition that would affect responsibility for his actions, Reed said. Reed also could request a private, independent evaluation.

A preliminary examination is on hold pending Gentz's competency hearing, scheduled for May 4 in 36th District Court in Detroit.

In the meantime, Gentz is being held without bond away from the general population in the Wayne County Jail. Reed commended his treatment by jail officials.

"The sheriff's people are very concerned and very attentive," she said.

---------------

Source: http://www.freep.com/article/20120310/NEWS02/203100348/Joseph-Gentz-gets-fast-track-to-psych-evaluation

[Darkman]

Bob Bashara takes trip to Iowa with family

Attorney says trip was therapeutic for Bashara family

Published On: Mar 13 2012 02:35:12 PM EDT Updated On: Mar 14 2012 03:55:05 PM EDT

---- TEXT & VIDEO ----

DETROIT -
Bob Bashara is free to leave Michigan.

He is not facing any charges and he has no travel restrictions.

The road trip has Bashara behind the wheel for 8 hours with his mother at his side. The Local 4 Defenders learned he left Michigan for Iowa this past weekend.

His lawyer explains why the trip is so important.

"He's trying to do anything he can do to keep the family together and the weather this storm," said his attorney, David Griem.

Griem said it's no secret undercover officers have been following Bob Bashara around town for weeks. However, they did not tail the Grosse Pointe Park man when he left the state, and Griem said that is significant.

"Bob Bashara is not a flight risk. Bob Bashara is going to see this thing through," said Griem.

Why the weekend trip to Iowa? Griem said Bashara's son, who works in Iowa, needed time with the family.

"There was a lot of hugging. There were a lot of tears," Griem said. "And it was good therapy for Robert Jr., and it was great therapy for Bob and his mother."

Bob Bashara has been called a person of interest in his wife's murder -- the only person of interest. Joe Gentz is the only person facing charges in the murder of Jane Bashara. Griem said this past weekend's round trip is noteworthy for one reason.

"It sends a message that Bob Bashara has nothing to hide. Bob Bashara is concerned most about his children. Next, the rest of his family and finally about himself," Griem said.

Bashara did not have to ask police or prosecutors for permission to take the trip. But he did have to ask Griem.

--------

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Bob-Bashara-takes-trip-to-Iowa-with-family/-/1719314/9287148/-/9eb7oz/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Sources say DNA evidence lacking in Jane Bashara murder investigation

Sources: There's no blood, fingerprints linking to co-conspirator

Published On: Mar 20 2012 07:49:58 PM EDT Updated On: Mar 20 2012 07:56:53 PM EDT

---- TEXT & VIDEO ----



GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. -
Nine weeks have passed since Grosse Pointe Park mother Jane Bashara was found dead, and the only person charged in the case – Joe Gentz - is facing a charge of conspiracy.

Why hasn’t a co-conspirator been charged?

The Local 4 Defenders have learned that it may have to do with DNA evidence, or lack thereof.

Sources close to the investigation say there isn’t any blood or fingerprints linking the co-conspirator to the killing.

But that doesn’t mean the case should be closed.

“Circumstantial evidence is just as good, and at times, better than direct evidence because you can paint the Picasso of how motive drove the case. Or, witness statements that put them in a particular position or particular place at a certain time,” said legal analyst Todd Flood. “You can paint this circumstantial case that is airtight.”

Sources say Bashara’s husband, Bob, has been zeroed in on being the co-conspirator and that investigators are working to re-interview potential witnesses and anyone connected to the family.

Source says Gentz has told investigators he was forced to kill Jane Bashara under the order of her husband, and was promised cash and a used Cadillac for it.



The 56-year-old mother was found dead Jan. 25 in the back of her SUV, which was parked in a Detroit alley. Her windpipe had been crushed.

---------

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Sources-say-DNA-evidence-lacking-in-Jane-Bashara-murder-investigation/-/1719314/9635910/-/5whjy5/-/index.html

[Darkman]

Investigators focus on bar, alleged mistress in Bashara murder case
Surveillance video from Grosse Pointe Park bar shows Bob Bashara there on night his wife was murdered

Published On: Mar 21 2012 07:18:33 PM EDT Updated On: Mar 21 2012 07:20:58 PM EDT


--- Video & Text ---

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Investigators-focus-on-bar-alleged-mistress-in-Bashara-murder-case/-/1719314/9656554/-/io2sf6/-/index.html

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. -
Investigators are backtracking and taking a close look at Bob Basahara's relationship with his reputed mistress, Rachel Gillette.

Moreover, investigators are returning to a building Bashara owned in Grosse Pointe Park. They want to talk to people who worked in a bar above an alleged sex dungeon where Bashara spent time.

Can the alleged sex dungeon help determine a motive in Jane Bashara's death? Investigators were searching the supposed dungeon and re-interviewing those who worked at the bar in the building which Bob Bashara owned.


Surveillance cameras on the back of the building captured Bob Bashara working outside bar and doing odd jobs in the parking lot the night his wife was murdered. However, Grosse Pointe Park police never obtained the video. Tapes were recycled before police could get control of them.

Investigators are working overtime putting together stories from witnesses who saw Bob Bashara at the bar the night before the murder...

-- more at the Source (above)

[Darkman]

Joe Gentz remains jailed in Jane Bashara murder
Attorney says she doesn't know when Gentz's competency exam results will be revealed

Published On: Mar 23 2012 05:31:33 PM EDT

DETROIT -
As the investigation into the murder of Grosse Pointe Park mother Jane Bashara continues, the man at the center of it remains locked up.

Joe Gentz, the handyman who has allegedly confessed to killing Jane, has completed his competency exam.

His attorney, Susan Reed, said Gentz has had few visitors.

“He’s locked up. Anyone in that situation, you know, would be a little anxious and I don’t see that as anything out of the norm,” Reed said.

Reed said she’s not sure when the results of Gentz’s competency exam would be revealed....

--------

More at the Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/investigations/Joe-Gentz-remains-jailed-in-Jane-Bashara-murder/-/1719314/9690960/-/9oy4h6z/-/

[Darkman]

BB and RG during school years: (from Classmates)

[Darkman]

MARCH 24, 2012 AT 1:00 AM

New twist in Bashara case

Police have more info on missing clothing; alibi proof missing

BY GEORGE HUNTER AND CHRISTINE FERRETTI THE DETROIT NEWS

Grosse Pointe Park— The mystery surrounding what happened to Jane Bashara's clothing after she was killed took a new twist Friday.

Michigan State Police officials said two weeks ago they hadn't received the garments the 56-year-old marketing executive wore when her strangled body was found Jan. 25 in the backseat of her sport-utility vehicle in a Detroit alley, although a Detroit Police spokeswoman insisted the clothing had been sent to the state laboratory.

On Friday, Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw said one part of the mystery had been cleared up: "We finally were able to determine that the clothing was with the Detroit Police Department, but they hadn't sent it to the lab yet," Shaw said.

However, Detroit Police Sgt. Eren Stephens said she's sticking with the statement she gave to The News on March 9: "There were items of clothing recovered from the body of Jane Bashara and sent to the MSP for testing."

Stephens said Friday. "At this time, we have no additional comment on this matter."

David Griem, attorney for the victim's husband Robert Bashara, who was named by Grosse Pointe Park Police Chief David Hiller as the only person of interest in the case, said investigators also failed to secure another key piece of evidence: Videotape which Griem claims would have supported his client's alibi that he was working at one of his rental properties when Jane Bashara was killed.

"The State Police crime lab never received (Jane Bashara's) clothing," he said Friday, adding that police waited two months to retrieve surveillance video from cameras at buildings his client owns on Mack Avenue.

Griem said Bashara gave investigators his alibi a few days after the murder, and informed police that the buildings are equipped with two video cameras.

Griem said he assumed detectives had taken the video into custody, but he said two retired FBI agents hired by the family uncovered this week that the video was never released. The tapes have subsequently been recorded over, Griem said.

"None of the … agencies thought it was important to take into custody the videotape that could have cleared Robert Bashara," Griem said. Handyman Joe Gentz on Jan. 31 told Grosse Pointe Park police that Bashara had hired him to commit the murder...

--- more at the Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120324/METRO/203240342/New-twist-Bashara-case

[Darkman]

basically the same with earlier mentioned headline ... but "different pile"



Evidence collection the newest complication in Bashara murder case

Published: Saturday, March 24, 2012, 8:50 AM
By Ashley C. Woods

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Read aat the Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2012/03/evidence_collection_the_newest.html

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