Los Angeles—James Fayed is due to appear befor U.S. District Court Magistrate Ralph Zarefsky at 2:00 PM for initial appearance on a single count Indictment that was unsealed today. Although bail must be set I suspect that prosecutors may seek an order from the assigned trial judge to freeze Fayed’s assets because of the certainty of future asset forfeiture proceedings. That may make posting bail or paying lawyers difficult or impossible for Fayed.
Sources told me the LAPD is keeping Fayed’s booking photo under wraps at least until they can complete showing witnesses a photo line-up so not to taint the identification process. That makes it quite clear that Fayed is a “Person of Interest” if not a suspect in his wife, Pamela Fayed’s murder.
Updated! Click here for the very latest information on this investigation
Here is a copy of Fayed’s Indictment.
Comments
One thing I've noticed is that a lot of reports on other blogs and papers mention a Red SUV being the possible get away car. That red SUV is becoming the little white car (can't rmember the make) that hit Princess Dianas car. Would you really drive a red vehicle in broad day light to savagely kill someone in such a public place?
Do paid killers normally stab? I'm no law enforcement expert, but isn't stabbing more personal?
Hired killers use whatever will do the job. In a populated area the swiftness, sureness and silence of a quality combat knife had a huge advantage. The problem here was the victim was able to scream bloody murder until she died.
Knives are deadlier than guns by far. The downside is the blood evidence that will transfer to clothing and car interiors. Hired killers are usually not very bright or they’d find a better line of work.
I called the red SUV a "red herring" in an eatlier story. Be sure to click on fayed murder at the bottom of the story and you will be able to read all I wrote.
Ernie Brown has taken a pretty big hit publicly after applying for a Arizona Police Chief job. He also lost his house to a foreclosure after being demoted to lieutenant.
Milstead's climb to top candidate comes after the town eliminated Ernest Brown from the running because of inconsistencies in his Chicago police background.
Previously, Brown was the southwest Valley town's leading choice.
"I don't see this as a hiccup in the process," Hughes said. (Brown) went through the interviews . . . and they had to see if the walk matched the talk."
Top staff and interview panelists remained silent about what kind of irregularities they found in Brown's record that threw him out of the race.
"What we were told (by Brown) and what we were seeing were two different things," said Scott Rounds, Buckeye's assistant town manager, who traveled to Chicago to visit Brown and tour his department in mid-July. "Through the process we found Mr. Brown doesn't fit the team."
Brown's résumé, submitted on April 5, lists his position as assistant deputy superintendent, one of the department's highest ranks. However, he was demoted in March to lieutenant over the detective divisions for five districts, Brown told The Republic. The move followed the appointment of a new superintendent who reorganized the department, he said.
"It did not come as a result of poor performance or discipline," Brown said. "Most of the people who were long-in-the-tooth were removed from their positions."
Brown said he began applying for jobs before his reassignment and must have accidentally sent an old version of his résumé to Buckeye in April. "I certainly had no intention on my part of deceiving anybody," he said.
During June interviews in Buckeye, Brown described overseeing about 100 detectives when asked about his duties, but was never questioned directly about being assistant deputy superintendent.
He said it was clear when Buckeye officials visited what his rank and division were.
"If it was an integrity issue, I would not have invited them into my workplace," Brown said.
An unsigned letter faxed last week to Buckeye's mayor, the Police Department and The Republic noted the demotion and made allegations concerning personal, professional and financial issues.
Asked to respond, Brown said Chicago's internal investigations unit had never found him guilty of excessive force or police brutality, though he acknowledged there had been complaints against him.
Brown also said a $50,000 pay cut after he was moved to lieutenant caused him to lose his home to foreclosure recently.
Monique Bond, director of Chicago police news affairs, declined to provide Brown's employment history records, but wrote that he has had "an exemplary career" and "is highly regarded in the communities he has served."
Buckeye's former police chief, Dan Saban, retired in May to run for Maricopa County sheriff.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2008/08/05/20080805chiefsearch0805.html