Too interesting - Are Auburn canal drownings more than coincidental? Updated: 8:00 AM November 16, 2013 AUBURN, Calif. (KCRA) In the span of 23 months beginning in 2009, six men have drowned in an Auburn-area canal within less than a half mile of one another, said two private investigators looking into the deaths. Now, those private investigators, Larry DeMates and Jim Goodrich, are asking for an outside law enforcement agency to investigate those drownings. People have gone back and forth all the time over the years, DeMates said. So, why in a few months would they all the sudden begin falling in? It just doesnt add up. The Placer County coroner, with information provided by the sheriff and police investigators, deemed the causes of death as accidental or natural. But, Goodrich and DeMates, with more than 50 years of combined experience, suspect there may be more to the story. I think somebody pushed people in, Goodrich said. Goodrich and DeMates, who have been looking into these drownings for the past year, now believe at least three of these deaths may have involved foul play. They said they believe someone or several people began pushing people into the canal after stealing from them. I think once the person saw that the authorities were not going to investigate anyone who drowned in the canal, then the opportunity was there for anyone who had bad thoughts or wants to harm somebody, DeMates said. However, both the Placer County Sheriffs Department and the Auburn Police Department told KCRA 3 these private investigators have not presented them with any new evidence. A sheriffs department spokeswoman said investigators consider the cases closed barring new evidence. In an email, John Ruffcorn, the Auburn police chief, said he would be willing to meet with the investigators, but without new evidence, he considers the drownings to be coincidental accidents. DeMates and Goodrich responded by saying they do not trust the investigating agencies to take their findings seriously. We would like an outside agency like the Department of Justice to review these cases, Goodrich said. Matt Templeman, who was a transient, was one of the men who drowned. His sister told KCRA 3 she does not believe her brothers death was an accident. He was an avid swimmer. He sure as hell doesnt go swimming in three pairs of pants and boots, said Cari Viles, Templemans sister. David Miller was another drowning victim. DeMates said cold beer and a significant amount of cash were found in Millers vehicle shortly after the drowning. My first thought was, theres a serial killer out there. ... But, I dont know if anyone will ever know, said Brian Miller, Davids brother. Kenny Manaro is another person who said he was pushed into the canal. His mother, who asked not to be identified, told KCRA 3 her son told her he had been pushed into the canal, but survived, weeks before the first drowning. I tried to report it to the sheriffs department, but no one ever called me back, Manaros mother said. Dr. Janice Ophoven is a forensic pathologist who reviewed the autopsy reports supplied to her by DeMates and Goodrich. She told KCRA 3 that when viewed individually, there is nothing immediately suspicious about any one of these drownings. However, with so many in such a short time span, she said a deeper investigation is warranted. If you look at the statistics, this would really be a bizarre set of coincidences. ...That alone warrants a homicide investigation, Ophoven said.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 03:52:17 +0000
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