PORTSMOUTH
Police may have the blood of Meghan Landowski's killer, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in Circuit Court.
The 16-year-old Woodrow Wilson High School sophomore was killed April 10 in her Simonsdale home. No arrest has been made, and no suspects have been identified. Police have released few details of the crime scene.
The affidavit, dated Sept. 11 and filed Wednesday afternoon, says police found blood at the scene that later was determined not to be Meghan's. Police are seeking the medical records of anyone who sought treatment from April 10 through April 13 at nearby Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center for an injury that would have caused bleeding.
The warrant describes different types of injuries for which police are asking the hospital to pull records, including serious gashes that could have been caused by an edged weapon, cuts or scrapes, and broken bones.
The affidavit says the nature of the injury that caused the bleeding is unknown. Police declined Thursday to provide more details.
Lynne Zultanky, a spokeswoman for Bon Secours Hampton Roads, said Thursday that Maryview had yet to be served with the search warrant.
Zultanky said the hospital will cooperate with the police within the guidelines of federal privacy laws. She said staff members have taken a preliminary look at the four-day time span in question and it will mean reviewing more than 200 records.
"This is not a common occurrence," she said.
Blood can be the source of DNA samples that can be compared with those in databases or with samples from suspects in other crimes.
DNA is "like a fingerprint - an internal fingerprint," said Officer Chris Amos, a Norfolk police spokesman who's not involved in Meghan's case. But investigators still have to make their case, he said. "DNA doesn't prove guilt or innocence, but it definitely puts someone at a location." Amos said.
The Virginian-Pilot obtained the warrant from a public file during routine court checks, and its contents were published Thursday afternoon on PilotOnline.com. Later, public safety officials said the warrant was supposed to have been sealed and that it was made available in error. They asked that the story be withdrawn.
Pilot Editor Denis Finley said the story was not withdrawn because once published on the Internet the information cannot be retrieved or stricken. Further, he said, the story about the killing of a 16-year-old girl has been one of compelling public interest.
Meghan's body was discovered in her Roberts Court West home after she had come home early from school. Her killing unnerved her neighborhood and the surrounding community. Her family has since moved out of the area.
At 9 a.m. Saturday, friends plan a march in her name from Kelli's Dance Explosion, at 6243 Portsmouth Blvd., to the City Park waterfront.
Pilot writer Matthew Bowers contributed to this report.
Janie Bryant, (757) 446-2453, janie.bryant@pilotonline.com
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Pilot Editor Denis Finley said the story was not withdrawn
Typical dirt bag media
arrdaisem
If you know for a fact that Meghan was afraid to go home for some reason, then you need to be talking to the police about that. You may be the lead they are looking for. Cheers, MGM
Has it occured to the
Has it occured to the Pilot-Bashers that perhaps they are working with the police and the story was published at the PPD's request or, at least, with their blessing?
big mike
I never heard about the city worker. Please fill me in.
Why release the info...
Why release the information? Simple, guilty people make mistakes; the police department might already have suspects in mind. Making it public knowledge that they have collected some evidence could cause the murderer to run, but who is to say that the police aren't hoping that is what happens. If one of the few people they may have a suspects flees it is a good indicator of guilt.
Start In the Home
Sometimes things are going on in the home that children are afraid to talk about. This girl was afraid to go home for what ever reason. This might sound far fetched, but it happens. Take DNA from anyone that might have come in contact with her.
Military DNA
Actually, I have asked about that before, thinking that military folks would never be able to commit crimes again, as our DNA is all stored in the national repository.
That is in the category of "unreasonable search and seizure" or "self-incrimination." Meaning that, although the Navy has my DNA, they cannot search their DNA data base every time there is a crime, hoping to turn up a match. I kind of wish they could, but they can't. It would require a warrant and, even then, this has never been successfully attempted for any crime yet committed. Cheers, MGM
A lot of puzzles here.
Why would anyone think releasing the info in the article would hurt the investigation? The info that there is a very violent killer running loose and that the PPD has no suspects should have been released from the very start. Another puzzle is, why only Maryview? I have heard that a Portsmouth City worker tried to report to the crime line an incident with a motorist on Elmhurst Lane in the approximate time of Meghans murder. Yet, no investigation there. Elmhurst would be a route to get to I-264 from Meghans house and from there to any other area hospital. The media and the PD have not done well at all of alerting the public of a heartless murderer that could very well kill again. It seems holding back too much information is as bad as giving out too much information. If the PD wants the publics help, they have to give out a little detail. Example; looking for a suspect who killed. vice; looking for a suspect with a possible cut or wound.
odds are
the killer is not military. all military DNA is in the database from the day they get to boot camp. so if NCIS was given a sample to match, i'm sure its already been tried. (at least i would hope so by now....)
Why not tell the public right away?
The police should have released info that the killer had a wound the first day. They might have caught him right away.
keep doing your job
instead of telling the reporters how to do their job think of this young girl's life that was taken!right now the PPD need all the information that they can get to solve this murder. IF the murderer is still in the city of Portsmouth or the surrounding cities he or she will sooner or later get caught.
which way do you want it???
The community, and the Pilot, has been all over PPD for keeping silent about the progress of this investigation.
So now, some info is released, and 2/3 the comments on this article say it should not have been published?
Once again, cops are damned if they do, damned if they don't.
pros and cons
When it comes to choosing between (A)keeping this part of the investigation under wraps or (B) allowing the killer to know what leads are being followed in hopes of a credible tip coming in from another party, I think the right choice was made. Someone else out there has an inkling that their cousin, neighbor, son or whomever committed this crime. Keeping it in the minds of the general public may help the guilt of their knowledge weigh on them enough to turn in the killer.
marym63204
How do you know what NCIS has done or is doing? Maybe everything is not in the newspaper.
Chances are...
That the killer did not go to a hospital, but releasing this may spark the memory of an acquaintance or family member that knows someone that refused to go to the doctor for a wound. Otherwise, I cannot see why the police department would wait 5 months to try to get some kind of match, especially on such a big case.
Why?
Why did the Pilot find it necessary to print this story? In the Army, we'd call it giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
I feel for the police....you've just made their job that much harder.
Thanks...
for making this public knowledge. This is a perfect way to destroy an investigation. The writer and the editor should have used a little common sense before this article was posted.
youd be suprised
you'd be surprised how much they think they wont get caught... time and time again, suspects will go to the closest hospital
I'm Sure
there's a reason to divulge the blood information at this time. It could have been a blunder to report this right at the time, but at this point the police, etc. are probably trying to jog people's memory about this case, and just maybe they're on to something that putting this out might help. And I agree...al hosps and med ctrs should be checked.
hmm.
I think it would be worth a look into ALL of the local hospitals. I mean, how far can you drive to avoid being obvious..Pretty far if you just killed someone.
How far should you go to find a killer? Just as far. Don't limit your findings by looking in one place. I am sure they will expand the search to other hospitals if they find nothing at their first choice. Let's hope.
Sounds like he/she used a knife on Mehgan. I hope they catch this sicko.
Should the media just be able to report everything?
It seems to me that this story would hinder the investigation. I am sure that the PPD were not planning to call the murderer and let him know that this was the next stone that they planned to turn. If he is still around here and went to the hospital on these dates then you can bet he's running now. Come on.. let's think before we release stories like this!
Keeping mum hasn't worked...
...hopefully jigging someone's memory of a "friend" or "acquaintence" with such an injury will provide a lead and break this case. After all, they cannot stop the police from finding a hospital record, if one exists! And, to Mary's point, I hope like heck NCIS is involved with checking NMC Portsmouth, Branch Medical Clinics, AND ship's medical departments! Corpsmen treat and stitch wounds all the time!
Why reveal police strategy?
I agree with the other reader - Why divulge this type of information if it means the person who committed the murder can run? It's slightly akin to the military revealing where they're looking for Osama bin Laden. Why put it out there?
Is this news that should be
Is this news that should be published for the killer to read? So who benefits from the story?
Interesting . . .
They are not looking at records at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, though the NCIS is involved? Cheers, MGM
Chris
If I knew my DNA was floating around waiting to match any number of DNA data bases, I would be extremely nervous. By requesting certain types of wounds means they have an idea of the injury substained by the person. Now people can think back to whom gained a bandage at the time this child was killed. Them people can tell the police who gained a bandage. I for one think all people over the age of 18 should submit their DNA for reasons that only a idiot couldn't understand. Young children should be DNA typed in case they should become missing and or worse. The military takes your DNA because they may have to wipe you and several others up with a sponge.
Virginian Pilot keeps murderers informed
Why don't you just tell the killer how the police are trying to catch him? Don't you have any sense at all?