PHOENIX (3TV / CBS 5) – murder or suicide? It’s a debate that has haunted Phoenix for years – how Phoenix cop Sean Drenth died on duty. After years of not getting any responses, his family makes a clear statement about what they think happened. Sean Drenth, 34, lived for his job. Passion and police work went hand in hand for the young policeman. “Everyone should love their job so much in the course of their lives. Everyone should, ”said his mother, Diane Drenth. Diane was proud of her only child. He had just been promoted to sergeant and was happily married to his wife and high school girlfriend, Colleen. Things went as well as possible. That changed suddenly. “I was home and it was about 1 or 2 in the morning when the doorbell rang,” Diane recalled. On October 18, 2010, Sean was found dead in a parking lot near the State Capitol with a gunshot wound under his chin. (Source: 3TV / CBS 5) Death Ruled Suicide On October 18, 2010, Sean was found dead in a parking lot near the State Capitol with a gunshot wound under his chin. His shotgun was lying on his stomach and his pistol was thrown over a nearby fence. Although he had no scratches or bruises, the knees of his uniform were dirty. The officers told Diane it looked like he was in some kind of fight. The race was on to find his killer, but then the conversation changed. “We turned on the news that night and I saw a reporter who said it was apparently suicide. And I thought what? Because that never came up. With all the guys that were here, it never showed up, ”said Diane. “There wasn’t even a nanosecond of me thinking it was a suicide. I mean, I knew my son. He was very happy. ”Diane believed that her son was shot dead on the scene based on evidence, but why would Sean have committed suicide in a random public parking lot? She and his widow Colleen share the same feelings about a potential killer. “They tried to make the scene look like a suicide,” she said. Arizona’s family brought the case to retired Police Sgt. Kevin Boontjer. He looked at the case objectively from start to finish. “So you start looking to see where the guns were found,” he said. Boontjer worked for the Tempe Police and is now a private investigator. Irregularities in the Scene The first curiosity about the scene was what weapons were used and where they were found. “The fact that the shotgun was used, which is normally, and I can’t say for sure, but is usually secured in the patrol car. How did that shotgun come out unsecured and out? ”Boontjer said. The first curiosity about the scene was what weapons were used and where they were found. (Source: 3TV / CBS 5) He noticed another bizarre factor – the fact that while Sean was in an argument, he only had dirt on his knees. “Just a fight that goes down, you have more than just scratches on your uniform pants. Stuff is torn. They have scratches, elbow scratches. If they hit you, you will have bruises and abrasions on your face. And if you’re fighting for your life, I think that would be a lot worse than dirt on your knees, ”he said. Boontjer said just minutes after Sean’s death the investigation also went downhill. “I think the biggest problem with the scene as a whole was that it was completely destroyed and contaminated. It was horrible, ”said Boontjer. Pull Quote “I think the biggest problem with the scene as a whole was that it was completely destroyed and contaminated. It was horrible, “Boontjer said. Dozens of police officers stormed the scene, contaminating the entire area with steps and DNA from other police officers.” Would you go so far as to say that Phoenix PD botched this first investigation into the crime scene itself from the start asked reporter Briana Whitney. “Botched is a strong word and I hate to use it, but I think any Phoenix employee or manager would admit that was exactly what happened,” Boontjer said. Staged suicide? ” I think it was a suicide staged like a murder and the shotgun is one of the elements that lead me to that conclusion, ”he said. Boontjer said it would have been extremely difficult for another person to get the shotgun get out of Sean’s car and why should they when he had a pistol and a spare pistol with him. He said officers know you can survive with a shot in the head. One shot swunde is fatal every time, especially if shot under the chin. Years later, the City of Phoenix ruled in favor of Sean’s widow Colleen that she would receive the full benefit in the event of death. (Source: 3TV / CBS 5) But there is still one rather inexplicable factor. “What about the shotgun recoil? When they found him, the shotgun (sic) was lying like this (showing it on camera) wound is right here. There is only about 10 cm between the weapon and this wound. So many people have asked, ‘Well, if he shot himself, how could the gun be found so perfectly where it was?’ Can you give any insight into whether that is even possible? ”Whitney asked. “Was he kneeling? Was he (sic) lying? Did he get up? I dont know. We have no idea, but all these combinations of things could make this weapon go in a different direction, ”Boontjer said. His family said no. Others said yes. “This police sergeant was on criminal charges for a number of crimes committed within the police department,” Boontjer said. Several Phoenix police officers were involved in a fraud case for receiving thousands of dollars for work they had not done. Sean Drenth was part of the investigation and I understand he would have met the (Attorney General) office’s criteria for grand jury review, ”a Phoenix police officer said on a video file years ago when he spoke about the case. Just before an indictment was expected, Sean died. “Do we have police officers as suspects? Absolutely not. Do we have cops that we take as clues in this case? Yes, “said the officer in the file video. Many believed that another officer was responsible for Sean’s murder in connection with the fraud case. There was never any evidence of that. “If your personality and your whole being is to be a cop who is a great person but you know this serious problem is coming out of line and it will definitely take a toll on your reputation, it is driving people to do things do, ”said Boontjer. Cop suicide is a huge problem and it really is being swept under the rug. ”“ Do you think this incident was related to his death? ”Whitney asked his mother, Diane. “I really don’t. I think it was published out there – here’s the thing, the investigation has been going on for years. We knew about it. Sean knew about it. It wasn’t new. Sean was promoted to sergeant while this investigation was ongoing, ”said Diane. “I feel like someone who knew about it made sure it was the only motive for suicide.” Phoenix police said the case was closed. “If you really thought it was suicide, you might have interviewed his mother. Because they never interviewed me, ”said Diane. Years later, the City of Phoenix ruled in favor of Sean’s widow Colleen that she would receive the full benefit in the event of death. “That wouldn’t completely happen if it was a suicide, would it?” Whitney asked. “That is my understanding,” said Boontjer. “If there is a suicide, the family does not get the full benefit in the event of death. If the widow is receiving the full death benefit, the conclusion would be that she has been classified as a homicide. But if it’s branded unsolved murder, then I don’t know how that could be closed. ”“ He knew something. ”That brings us back to a possible murder. “Do you think he was killed by someone he knew?” Whitney asked Diane. “Yes,” she said. His mother remains true to a pointed theory. “To this day, I firmly believe that he knew something and met someone to tell them, ‘Look, this can’t go on like this. I will not cover this. You have to fix that. ‘ Unfortunately, we don’t know what it is and we never found out, ”she said. But with whom? “I think it was someone from law enforcement and I think they knew how to stage the scene,” said Diane. “I don’t even want anyone punished or imprisoned for the rest of their life. I just wanna know why I want to know what was so bad that I lost the remaining years with my son. ”“ I think it was someone from law enforcement and I think they knew how to set the scene, ”said Diane. (Source: 3TV / CBS 5) With no clear answers for over a decade, Diane’s allegations go one step further, against the place where her son was destined for the Police Department that killed Sean? ”Whitney asked Diane . “I do. I think it was someone he knew from the Phoenix Police Department,” she said. The Phoenix Police declined our request for an interview about the facts of this case and whether it was still an open investigation. They replied in response to our request: “The case status is currently closed and we are not available for interviews.”
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