Voices for the Dead - Exclusive Interviews

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NEXT UP: Becky Woodruff has agreed to discuss the April 2013 disappearance and "drowning" of her 25-year-old son, Jeffrey, in Saugatuck Michigan. This is interview #3 in Killing Killers ongoing true crime series with Eponymous Rox.

 

Interview #2 - Published December 14, 2012

 

Interview with the family of Joshua Swalls, 22, who disappeared/drowned under suspicious circumstances in Indianapolis in November 2012. Case overview:

 

Between the evening of November 3rd and the morning of November 4th, Joshua Swalls, 22, was visiting a friend at a housing complex located near Keystone Avenue and Glen-Lake Plaza in Indianapolis, Indiana.

According to reports, the young man briefly stepped outside in the vicinity of where his car was parked, leaving behind his keys, wallet and cell phone.

He was expected to return shortly, but was never seen or heard from again.

In the days following his disappearance, an intensive neighborhood sweep was conducted by Swalls’ family and friends with some assistance provided by the Indianapolis Fire Department.

Acting on a tip from a local merchant, these searchers discovered the missing man’s shoe on the bank of a nearby retention pond and firefighters immediately assembled their tactical divers to scour the small body of water, retrieving only a black jacket from it and abandoning the effort after approximately an hour.

Officers on the scene from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department then took possession of the coat, stating it did not belong to the missing man, and, even after the item had dried, refused to present it to the Swalls for identification.  

Thereafter, the Swalls family, accompanied by numerous members of the community, continued the daily search-and-rescue mission essentially on their own.

Three weeks after the young man vanished, a corpse was spotted floating in that retention pond by a local businessman and was recovered by the same dive unit who, upon inspecting it, estimated it had only been in the water for about seven days. From there it was delivered to Marion County’s coroners who announced that the remains were not those of Joshua Swalls, but reversed that determination on the following day.

Swalls’ death was then tentatively ruled an “accidental drowning” with full autopsy results and toxicology tests still pending, and IMPD detectives began indicating that they too saw “no signs of foul play” in either the disappearance or drowning death of the 22-year-old man.

Since then, although toxicology reports came back negative for drugs and alcohol, there has been no progress in ascertaining the actual timeframe of events that led to Joshua Swalls’ demise, and his family has had no success in getting the police to further pursue the investigation.

Additionally, repeated attempts by the Swalls to connect with the mayor of Indianapolis in hopes he’ll intervene in the standoff with the IMPD so that the mystery of Joshua’s “accident” can be solved have also been ignored.

Joshua’s father, Dan Swalls, has agreed to discuss the case and will share other important details and evidence he wants the public to be aware of regarding his son and the night he vanished.

by Eponymous Rox for Killing Killers December 14, 2012

Q#1: Your son’s troubling disappearance sparked a massive search for him, and the concern for his wellbeing extended far beyond the physical perimeters of the neighborhood he went missing in—all over the web strangers became emotionally invested in finding Josh alive and safe. Tell us a little bit about this young man who moved so many to want to rush to his aid. What was Josh doing with his life in November of 2012 and what were his long term plans? Where there any issues clouding his outlook that you know of, and had he ever had any problems with the law, whether major or minor? What accomplishments was he most proud of?

“Josh was a very energetic young man who would do anything for his family and friends. He would come home at night after work and either go to the gym and then come home and sit and watch TV with us, or sit up in his room. He had a special bond with his little sister which is why we called him her security blanket. She would always call or text him to make sure he was going to be home when it was her bedtime. He loved to play with the kids. They would hang out in his room and play X-box and watch movies till late in the night on weekends. The kids would fall asleep in his bed and even though they took up the whole bed he would just lay in the little spot that they left him instead of carrying them to bed.

“He worked as an Automotive Technician with AAMCO Transmissions. His dream was to have his own garage; he would ask me about building my garage because he wanted to put a car lift in it so he could work on cars at home. He even said he would invest money into it just so I would do it sooner. Josh had a super boss at AAMCO who he spoke about often. They talked about starting a business in automotive repair together. When it came to tools he had already purchased more tools than most technicians would have purchased over a ten year period.

“Josh had no issues clouding his outlook in life. Yes, he did have some trouble with the law. He had been pulled over for a DUI and had a prescription drug in his car that belonged to his girlfriend. This issue was almost resolved and all charges were being dropped had he been available for court. He had another issue where he stayed up two nights straight working on his car and worked a full day. He was observed swerving on the road and had his girlfriend’s prescription in his car again one mile from home. This had been resolved, and the normal speeding tickets were also resolved.

“I would have to say Josh was really proud of all the tools he had bought and his tool boxes. He kept them well organized and clean. He even went as far as to come home and organize my tool box and put labels on the drawers. He had a lot of passion for his job and took every opportunity to learn all he could.”

Q#2: Where was Josh coming from when he drove to his friend’s place in those afterhours between November third and fourth? Did he just spontaneously drop by there or was he expected for a particular purpose? And where would he ultimately have been returning to once that visit had ended?

“Josh had spent the entire day with me, his stepmom Shannon, and little sister Ciera. We went shopping and had lunch together at his favorite restaurant BW3’s and then came home and watched TV until dinner. He had originally planned to go visit his friend after dinner who then told him he wanted to take a nap around six pm. He then decided to go on a first date with a girl he had met. She picked him up at the house and they went to TGI Fridays and then to a movie. She then dropped him off at the house prior to him getting in his car and visiting his friend. Prior to his disappearance he was texting with the girl he had gone out with after he arrived at his friends. The last text she sent him he would have normally been all over replying to as a young 22 boy.

“From what I could put together it started with a text from his friend stating he had all the parts to fix his car and had asked Josh to help him. They had shared a few text messages about this and then Josh asked him if he wanted to hang out. There were some text messages after a plan was made to fix his friend’s car about pills where his friend stated he had them. So the visit was planned.

“Josh would have returned home to insure he had his laundry done and was ready for work the next day. If he was under the influence he would have called me to make sure that we would pick him up. We have had to drive as far as Pendleton before to pick him up before because he did not want to drive due to him drinking too much. This is when I became concerned because we had not heard from him and I had sent a few text messages without a response.”

Q#3: Had you ever met or heard of this friend of Josh’s before and whoever else was present in that apartment? If so, tell us what you know about these individuals.

“I had met his friend one time at my house. He was in the garage smoking pot. He tried to tell me it was some type of tobacco he was smoking in a rolled up wrapper which I knew better. He was of course asked to leave. We had heard his friend had a girlfriend and brother. We did not ever meet any of them. The day I reported Josh missing he did state his brother was in the room sleeping to the police officer. We had heard several stories about the friend from his own former friends that he was not a good person and could be dangerous, which is what drove our concerns as well.”

Q#4: How many hours (or days) had lapsed between the time your son first went missing and you realized something was wrong and started to hunt for him?

“I had sent Josh messages on his phone overnight on Sunday which at this time would have been 24 hours from when his phone was last used. When I woke up Monday morning I went straight to my phone to see if there was a response and then checked his room. I then tried to text message him again with no response. At this point I called his phone when the friend answered it and told me he just “freaked out” and up and left his apartment around 130am Sunday morning (meaning Josh would have only been there about 35 minutes). He said he left his phone there and had not heard from him.

“At this point is when I really got concerned. I waited until Josh should have been to work and checked in with them to see if he had arrived. Once I knew he was not at work I contacted his mother to see if she had heard from him and she said she had not. His stepfather had an idea of where the friend lived so he started driving over there. I then called my son’s cell phone again to get his friend’s address. Once his stepfather arrived he located Josh’s car parked at the apartments. I told his friend to take the phone to him until I arrived. At this point it would have been 34 hours that my son was missing. I contacted IMPD at this time to file a missing person report.”

Q#5: How and where did you begin your search, and when did you decide to involve the police in it?

“The family began searching immediately on Monday November 5th and continued every day since then. Within 48 hours we knew we needed more help and planned our first large ground search. The police were not involved in any of our searches. We were told by the police that they had searched the apartment and the ponds around the apartment. They said they were going to sonar the ponds as well, which they did without telling us on Wednesday afternoon, with no findings. We focused our search around the apartments and saturated a five mile radius. We made sure that our lead Detective knew our plans at all times in the hopes IMPD would help. My wife Shannon (Josh’s stepmom) reached out to the Indiana K9 Search & Recovery Team and asked for their help and they got approval from the lead Detective, but were later told there were “no real areas of concern” to search.

“Based on our research, if a person hurts someone they would panic and place the victim within a mile or so radius, so we focused with that in mind. Not that this is what we wanted to think but we had to base our searches on all scenarios we could think of―a parent’s worst nightmare. There was no evidence to know otherwise as Josh’s bank account was not touched and his car was left behind and he had only kept $60 dollars from his paycheck.”

Q#6: Who first questioned the occupants and other guests of the apartment where Josh was last known to be—you or the IMPD’s detectives? When you questioned this person or persons, did you happen to notice whether they had been recently injured?

“I first questioned Josh’s friend over the phone asking him why he had my son’s cell phone which is when he told me that Josh just left the apartment without it. (This would never happen.) I asked had they been doing something and he told me that they had been smoking but did not state what they had been smoking. When Josh’s stepfather and I arrived at the apartment, the friend stated he did not know my son’s car was there. At this point we recovered the phone from him but could not immediately access it due to a pass code. When the police officer arrived who took the report he spoke with the friend which was when he stated he was drunk. The officer then asked if he could look around the apartment. During this time the friend gave me our son’s shirt which he had worn over a T-shirt the night he went missing. We did notice the officer spoke to at least three to four people that were sleeping in the apartment. According to the friend there were only three of them in the apartment at the time Josh left (the friend, his girlfriend and Josh). At no time did anyone ask what items Josh might have on him besides his phone, so when searching the apartment police had no clue what his keys, wallet or jacket would look like.

“We did not notice any injuries to Josh’s friend and was not aware there were others in the apartment until after the officer had entered. When I and my wife went back that day to get Josh’s car, which we were told to go ahead and drive home, we went back up to the friend’s apartment and asked again if he knew where Josh would have gone to and he kept playing with his lip and looking down and talking softly.”

Q#7: In your own investigation, was there anyone’s story that didn’t seem credible to you, and did anyone sound as if they might be holding something back?

“Once we received access to the cell phone there were several questions running through our mind. Josh did not arrive at the apartment until sometime after 12:27AM because he sent a text message stating he was almost there. He was currently texting the girl he had gone out with until around 1:07AM when all his cell phone communication just stopped. There were six missed calls from his friend starting at around 3AM and continuing on until about 3:45AM. The fact that first this friend had told me they were smoking but then told the police officer he was drunk really bothered me.

“I had located the phone number of the girl Josh went on a date with on my son’s phone and called her to ask if he had been drinking. She stated that he had not because he was waiting to go to the friend’s house to drink. I know my son and he would not be drunk in a matter of a half an hour to an hour when the friend stated he left the apartment around 1:30AM. When I questioned him about those missed calls he stated the phone was set on silent. Again, the phone had a pass code and when I received it from the friend the ringer was on full volume, [a level] which I could hear ring in my own downstairs bedroom at night when Josh would be upstairs with his door closed.

“Without the pass code the phone’s volume could not be changed, so if Josh had been in the apartment with his phone he would have heard it ring. And when we were talking to the friend he kept looking away when answering our questions. We felt that the friend knew more than what he was telling us. No one else would come out of the apartment while we were there, and he never once asked us if we needed help, nor did he ever come to any of the searches.”

Q#8: The housing complex itself appears to be well-tended, upscale, and sprawling. Do you know if it’s also equipped with a full range of security systems and/or a security patrol? And if the property is indeed physically patrolled, who are those guards and what are their backgrounds and training?

“From what we were told by residents and others that apartment complex has several problems. Originally when we talked to the apartments’ manager she was willing to help us. This all changed the very next day after we presented the police report which she stated she needed for us to search the grounds. She then told us that we could not search the grounds. She said they did have a security company but a name was not provided at the time. We did not see this security company until after we started our search. The security was increased once FOX 59 got involved only to keep them off property. They later had an apartment meeting which the manager herself was not present at and we were later told she was “on vacation”. (They had terminated the current security company and had hired a new company that carried weapons.)”

“We did notice security sitting in their car one time while we were searching. We also had issues with flyers being removed from foyers and light posts around the apartments. I contacted the Indianapolis Public Lighting who told me they could not give me permission to post flyers on the poles but did state they would not remove them. I then contacted the apartments to speak with the assistant manager and informed her that if I catch any apartment employees or security removing flyers that I would take pictures and forward them to the press. At this point higher management contacted us and said they would help put flyers up in the foyers since they had been removed.”

Q#9: If security guards are employed, are they armed, and, if so, with what type of weaponry? Also, did you get to speak to any such personnel and/or with management concerning your son’s visit as well as his activities in the parking lot where he was last alleged to have been? If so, did anybody seem evasive and/or appear to have recent injuries?

“The previously employed security company did not have weapons that I’m aware of. I did not see the new security company myself. A friend that had helped us search attended a meeting at the complex thinking it would focus around our son. They were not allowed to discuss our son there but were told if they wanted to they could do it privately in the back. Our friend did state that the new security company was armed, but did not say what type of weapons they carried. But they had made everyone aware that they carried weapons.”

Q#10: Does anyone associated with the daily operation or ownership of this housing complex have any ties whatsoever with the police or government officials? If so, please elaborate.

“Not that we were aware of.”

Q#11: Were you and your team present at the time when a shoe believed to belong to your son was discovered at the nearby retention pond and when that small body of water was searched by tactical divers? If so, describe these two closely related events.

“On Tuesday November 6th sometime after 7pm some of us were at the apartments and some were getting ready to head home for the night when the manager of the sewing company stopped by asking what they were doing. Once they told him, he took them over to where the shoe was and said it was not there Saturday when he closed his store but it was there on Monday when he arrived to work. One of them called me on my cell, so I, my wife, and Josh’s boss ran from the apartments to the retention pond to take a look at the shoe. We looked at its size and once we saw it matched Josh’s we then noticed that a few fence boards had been pulled apart on the top but were still intact on the bottom. The manager of the sewing company gave us permission to pull it apart to get in and walk around the water. Josh’s boss and I walked the inside of the retention pond but couldn’t find anything usual and searched the culverts that ran into the pond. At that point I called the police.

“Once the police arrived, they called in other units and I updated them on Josh. At that point they made it a crime scene and called the missing persons detective on call. Once they arrived they called in the fire department to dive the pond. While we were all standing waiting for the dive team, an employee came out from the bar and told us and one of the police officers that he had seen a shoe next to the dumpster the night before and put it in the trash. The police did not search the trash dumpster because trash had been picked up Monday afternoon.

“When the divers arrived we were told what they would do and how they were going to search: First they would walk the outside of the fence, then walk inside the fence, then search the side of the pond and then go in to search using the checker board approach. They stated if Josh was in the water they would find him as the pond seems to be no more than 10 feet deep. We were waiting in our cars just a few feet from the gate they opened to enter the boat. Half way through the search we were told by the detective that they had found a black jacket and they were going to finish searching the other half. We ask immediately to see the jacket to ID it and we were told we could not see it as they were taking pictures of it and that it was muddy and appeared like it had been in there longer than Josh had been missing and it was most likely NOT his jacket. This didn’t sit well with us but gave us a little hope that Josh was still out there alive. We then came up with our next plan of action and started planning our next large ground search.”

Q#12: What exactly is a retention pond, is it ever used for public swimming, and when you first inspected this one and its six-foot-high enclosure walls was there any indication that someone had recently entered there, either by scaling the fence, crawling beneath it, or by some other means? Also, are the pond banks gradually sloping, or sheer drop offs?

“A retention pond is used for drainage of parking lots when it rains. These ponds are off limits for swimming and fishing. When we first arrived where the shoe was located, the fence was partially pulled apart at the top which still did not allow easy access. There were several areas around the fence that could easily be crawled under and one in particular was only a few feet away where you could crawl under the fence. There was no indication that someone had entered the retention pond area. All these areas were recently boarded up after our son was found. The entrance to the pond had a padlock on it which was removed when they searched the pond and was not replaced until after we had found Josh. From what we were told, the pond slopes down to about 10 feet deep from the bank.”

Q#13: Were you and your team present nearly three weeks later when a body was retrieved from that same pond by police? If so, briefly relay your observations, including whether the body was found face down or not and whether the eyes were open and glistening.

“We were not notified by IMPD they were pulling a body from the retention pond. We had found out about this because someone had posted on our find Joshua Swalls Facebook page that they were pulling a body out of the retention pond at 65th and Keystone Avenue. I and my wife immediately grabbed our stuff and headed to the location and contacted Joshua’s mother and stepfather on the way. His stepfather had already arrived at the location prior to us. Due to the privacy fence around the pond we could not see into the area where the body was located. I myself so desperately wanted to climb in the back of the truck and look, but then again my hope was that it was not him so I did not.

“Very little detail was provided to us about how he was found in the water and his appearance. We were only told he had on jeans, a t-shirt and his watch. Other than that the coroner stated she could not find any tattoo markings on his body. The Fire Department did tell us that one of his team members removing the body said it looked like it had been in the pond for about a week.”

Q#14: If you will, please describe the condition of the body once you were finally able to fully view it, including how it was clothed. In your objective opinion as a military man, did it appear that it had been dead and/or in the water for the entire length of time your son was missing?

“Unfortunately, we were never provided the opportunity to view our son at any period. We were told that he had on his blue jeans, underwear and a T-shirt. This was very odd to us because our son always wore socks even while in the house. As stated earlier by the Fire Department, they said the body of our son looked like it had been in the water for about a week. We had to identify Josh by pictures of his tattoos on Saturday the day after. Then, when the coroner was at our house showing us the pictures, she stated he appeared to have been in the water the entire time he was missing. This, after saying she was 99% sure it was not our son.

“Another odd thing is that some of the tattoos were more faded then others which leaves us to believe that maybe he was originally partially in water at some point. We have had contact with some individuals who explained to us that all his tattoos should have been faded, more especially if there was color involved in the tattoo. This specific tattoo of a sword and a snake around it had very little discoloration. But of course this is how the whole case went with our missing son. They refused to show us anything regarding the possibility it could have been our son, including the jacket that was pulled first from the pond.”

Q#15: When you re-inspected the pond and surrounding enclosure at this later date, had any alterations been made there? And, aside from searchers on the scene, did it appear that someone else may have recently entered the premises, either by scaling the fence, crawling beneath it, or by some other means?

“No changes were made to the fence until after our son was discovered in the pond. The gate was left unlocked after the first search and a new lock was installed once his body was recovered. This is also when someone had placed new boards in the crawl areas at the bottom of the fence, and the area that had been pulled back had also been fixed so you couldn’t pull it open anymore.”

Q#16: Regarding the Marion County Coroner’s Office informing you (and the public) that the drown victim they received was not your missing son, but reversing themselves on the very next day…can you elaborate on this and explain the major mix-up as you understand it?

“Yes, the coroner did come and speak with us on Friday, November 23rd and stated she was 99% positive it was not our son due to no signs of tattoos and because the body appeared to be about 5’8”. We were not home when the coroner arrived to our house again, this time to identify our son. My wife’s sister was home and called her to tell her that the coroner needed to talk to us. The coroner then asked if we were close to home and, when my wife said yes, she asked if we wanted to come home or have them meet us somewhere else. My wife said no we were on our way home. When we arrived she, along with the IMDP Chaplain, was waiting for us. The coroner then stated that, after cleaning and processing a procedure  they call “de-gloving” she was able to see the wrist tattoos. We were then shown pictures of them and had to identify him from those tattoos. These were the only photos the coroner brought to our house. Josh was not formally identified until around Wednesday through his dental records.

“I cannot explain the major mix up. How can you state that you are 99% positive it was not our son, who had several tattoo marking on his body and a scar on his lip from a dog bite? Saying you are 99% positive is the same as saying you are 100% positive. This was a very disappointing moment for us because they had given us some hope that maybe our son was still alive. It sent us all on an emotional rollercoaster ride that no one should have had to endure. This is already a nightmare and add to it no help from IMPD, the coroner misidentifies your son, you can’t see the body for yourself…What can you feel but a sickening, absolute disgust and angry feeling. Everyone had failed us and Joshua.”

Q#17: Weather archives for Indianapolis during the period your son first went missing show average low temperatures at the freezing point of 32 °F, the mean at 38 °F, and the high just under 50 °F. In fact, the fourth of November saw a chilly mix of rain and melting snow. Nevertheless, there is speculation that despite it being cold outside Josh strolled the distance to the enclosed retention pond in order to swim. If so, there is a much closer pond with no fence preventing access to it right behind the apartment he was visiting…can you comment on this aspect of the mystery?

“First of all, our son was a good swimmer. We have a pool in the back yard amount 10 feet deep and he would race his Aunt Stefanie in the pool every time we had a family get-together. Temperatures during this period were up and down. Every day that we searched we had nice weather in the 50’s and 60’s. And if our son was desperate to go for a swim all he would have had to do was walk out the door of the apartment and jump into a pond that has no fence around it. There was a pond directly behind the apartment which you can see from the balcony of his friend’s apartment and that same pond was next to where his car was parked. So why would our son go to a retention pond that was fenced with a six-foot privacy fence and have to struggle to get inside to take a swim? Why was his keys and wallet nowhere to be found and not in his pocket? Why were there no socks lying around since he had none on? These are all questions that are running through our mind that IMPD obviously has not bothered to look into. Plus, our son wasn’t a walker so he wouldn’t have just walked around an area, he would rather drive. We told the police this and they just replied that we didn’t know his state of mind. But we know people are creatures of habit no matter what they are doing.”

Q#18: Other men fitting Josh’s description have been disappearing and drowning during cold weather now too, and almost without exception, even when the victims supposedly tumbled down rocks, medical examiners have said they found “no signs of trauma” on their bodies. That’s also strange because the act of drowning is extremely traumatic and well over ten percent of such victims will bruise and even rip muscles in their shoulders, neck, and chest while struggling to save themselves—did the coroner find any evidence of such bruising or ruptures in your son’s autopsy?

“The examination has not been provided to us. The only type of trauma the coroner has stated is that Josh had an abrasion around his knee area on one leg which they said could be from the rocks around the retention pond. They also stated he could have slipped on the rocks before going swimming…really…not so much. They are more out to give reasons as to why it is accidental rather than looking at the case as a homicide. It’s easier for them to do that since there was no evidence of trauma…open/close case. We have found this seems to be the case a lot when bodies are found in water. The homicide detective even stated it was hard to rule anything other than accidental unless there is trauma. SAD and NOT RIGHT!!! When we ask about specifics of a drowning victim we receive the same answer: that we have to wait for the autopsy report. This is the same story we have heard from IMPD and the coroner. IMPD will not proceed with anything until the autopsy report comes out, which they say will take up to 8-10 weeks from when he was found. In fact, over a week after our son was found the homicide detective hadn’t even really looked at the case and still had to reach out to the missing person detective.”

Q#19: Did the coroner find any evidence of external injuries, even minor, and, if so, where were these located and what were they attributed to?

“Again, the coroner has provided very little details to us. We hear the same answer for every question we ask the coroner and IMPD: We have to wait for the autopsy report to be released. Of course the homicide detective was not even aware that they had our son’s phone in the property room even though the case was turned over to him over two weeks ago. So obviously communication within the department does not exist when passing a case over from missing persons to homicide. It is sad to say but we the parents have to do IMPD’s job because they won’t do it. Time is everything when trying to find out what happened. To us this is not an open close case, SOMEONE KILLED OUR SON.”

Q#20: Were there any plants or other foreign objects clutched in Josh’s hands, and did he have any items on his person that didn’t belong to him, or items missing that still remain unaccounted for?

“We were not aware of any details of any plants or foreign objects he may have had in his hands. He had a Bic lighter and his watch which had the date of November 9th on it when we received it back from the coroner on 12/10/12. We do not know if they paid any attention to the date on the watch when they removed him from the water. It appears the watch was not working at some point. His car keys and tool box keys are still missing which has very distinct keys for them. His wallet has yet to be recovered.”

Q#21: Did the coroner find any water in the stomach and/or the lungs? If fluids were indeed found in these organs, was it tested against a sample of the water Josh was alleged to have drowned in, and found to match? Also, did the coroner determine that Josh had entered the water feet first, or head first?

“The coroner would not tell me if they found any water in his lungs or stomach. All she would tell me was that they were looking at “accidental drowning”. Since we have received very textbook answers from the coroner we cannot say if they have done any type of testing of the water. The same applies to if he entered feet first or head first.”

Q#22: Was a diatom test conducted to ascertain if the diatom breeds in your son’s system were identical to those that naturally inhabit the waters he is alleged to have drowned in?

“We do not know if they did this test as well.”

Q#23: If a diatom test was indeed performed, were these microorganisms found to be clustered only in the airways and/or stomach, or were they found to be evenly circulated throughout the entire body?

“Unknown, since we do not know if they did this test.”

Q#24: What was the average water temperature of the pond during the timeframe your son was missing, and would you know the depth of the water as well, particularly in the place that he was found floating?

“I would say the average temperature of the water was around 40-50 degrees. From what we were told he was in the Northeast corner of the pond which is only two to five feet deep depending exactly where he was at the time.”

Q#25: Have you revisited the recovery site since the day Josh was found there and observed anything out of ordinary along the banks or in the neighborhood?

“We have visited the site on several occasions. The main changes we have seen are how they have secured the areas that you could climb under around the retention pond. And they have placed a lock back onto the gate of the entrance of the pond. Nothing else has changed.”

Q#26: Where and in what condition was Josh’s cell phone ultimately recovered, and who found and examined it first—you, a third party, or the police?

“Joshua’s phone was in good condition. The friend had the phone in his possession. Once we found our son’s car at the apartment I recovered his phone from the friend. Once I received the pass code from Josh’s previous girlfriend I was able to access the phone and examine it. It was later turned over to IMPD on Tuesday, November 6th and we received the phone back on Monday, December 10th.”

Q#27: At present, what is the official theory regarding the events that took place leading up to Josh’s disappearance and entry into the pond, and what evidence have you uncovered on your own that either supports or refutes this?

“Our son spent the entire day with us until after dinner. He then said he was going to go hangout with the friend. His plans changed 15 minutes later because the friend wanted to take a nap around 6PM. Our son then went out on a first date with a girl he had met who picked him up at the house and dropped him off after dinner and a movie. There was a specific text message to the friend around 12:27AM stating he was almost there. He had been text messaging his first date until around 1:07AM when all his cell phone usage stopped. The friend claimed maybe he had left with someone but yet there was no text or phone calls on his phone to support this theory. The friend claims that Josh did not know anyone else in the apartments. So where could he possibly be? There was nothing on his phone until around 2:56AM when the friend called his cell phone six times until around 3:17AM, which he claims the phone was on silent when I asked him about it. The phone’s volume was at its max when I received the phone. This has a very loud ring.

“We had K-9 units out helping us search who came across a couch that was placed in the dumpster outside of the apartment that the dog had a hit on. IMPD refused to come out and collect the couch even though we had two individuals that described the couch the friend had in his apartment without seeing pictures of the actual couch in the dumpster. In fact, Josh’s keys and wallet have never been recovered. Josh typically will lay his keys down on a table and he will do the same with his wallet if he trusts the people around. Other than that he would have had his wallet in his possession. So where are these items now? The friend also turned over a shirt my son was wearing that evening which my wife noticed had some areas that appeared to have dirt on it. When she told the lead detective, she said they couldn’t use it because we had touched it. To this day it lies off to the side so no one can touch it. IMPD did not even bother to look at our son’s car. They did come to our house and search the car but only well after the fact.”

Q#28: Throughout law enforcement’s handling of your son’s disappearance and death, do you feel they have been 100% helpful and forthright?

“Absolutely not!!! We feel that IMPD treated this as a runaway from the start. They did very little as far as searching for our son. They refused to allow Texas Equu Search (TES) to come in and help even though it was free to IMPD, to us the family and to the State of Indiana. Shannon (Josh’s stepmom) had started a petition to get IMPD to allow this team to come in and help. TES has the best equipment to do land, air and water searches. TES even reached out to us saying they were ready and how sorry they were because IMPD wouldn’t let them come in to help. Shannon then wrote a letter stating all our concerns to the lead detective of missing persons and asked very detailed questions about IMPD’s policies and procedures in many areas, and requested her boss be forwarded the letter and that we wanted a meeting. This was all sent on Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving).”

“On top of that, IMPD refused to come out and look at the couch found though it appeared to have blood on it (it could have been evidence to possibly link foul play). Then IMPD missing persons called us down to their office the day before Thanksgiving to follow a tip they had received. First of all, they could not remember what day they received this tip, as they went back and forth between Monday and Tuesday, and then they said they just received the video Wednesday morning. Once I viewed the picture they showed us, they immediately said Josh could be disguising himself with a haircut and beard. As I told the detective, first of all if my son got a haircut he would be bald as he already had short hair. And as to growing a beard in the matter of a week or two, that would be impossible since he inherited my traits of very little facial hair. When asked who they received this tip from, all they would tell us is that it was a family dollar store. So, as you can see, they provided little help. We think they did this because of the letter Shannon had sent and because we were pushing for detailed answers. Had this been one of their own they would have all been involved until the end.”

Q#29: Have you received the final autopsy and toxicology reports yet, and, if so, can you share any or all of these findings with the public now?

“We have yet to receive any reports. They are telling us it will be another *4-6 weeks before the final autopsy will be available to us. They cannot even provide us with a date of death and from what we have been told from the coroner’s office when picking up Josh’s personal effects the representative said they will probably use the date he was found because they cannot determine the date of death on anyone in water for a period of time.”

*INTERVIEWER'S NOTE - January 18th 2013: Toxicology reports finally came in for Josh Swalls this month---all results are negative. There were no drugs or alcohol in his system.

Q#30: Do you believe your son really went for a swim and drowned, or do you think he was murdered?

“We are without a doubt sure our son did not go for a swim in cold water. He would not even get in our pool if the water was cold. With the evidence we have seen and how close I and my wife are to Joshua we do believe he was murdered. All we want is justice to be served for his murder. IMPD needs to change the way they treat all these young victims who are placed in water.

 

Also missing/drowned from this same area was Walton Matthew Ward, 23

Scroll down to read complete interview with Ward's family spokesperson

 

INTERVIEW #1 - Published December 5, 2012

 

Interview with the family of Walton Matthew Ward, 23, who disappeared/drowned under suspicious circumstances in Indianapolis in October 2012. Case overview:

On October 23, 2012, the body of Walton "Matt" Ward was recovered from the White River near 64th Street and Westfield Boulevard in Indianapolis. The 23-year-old man had gone missing on  Friday, October 12th.

Ward was visiting from California that week and planned to hook up with a girl he'd met on OkCupid.com. His mother said she dropped him off outside Peppers Bar where the two had arranged to meet, but then never saw her son alive again. 

The owner of the pub confirmed that Ward was there alone and stayed for about an hour or so before departing alone as well. He said the girl never showed.

At around 10:30 that same night Ward spoke to his mother by cell phone and told her that he was okay, but at approximately 1:30 a.m. on October 13th he placed a 911 call from his cell which only lasted for one second before terminating. Shortly thereafter Ward disappeared.

Detectives traced the call back to a cell phone tower in Broad Ripple and the device itself was recovered in the parking lot of Applebee's restaurant. Ward's drowned corpse was ultimately found almost two weeks later north of that location. Subsequent toxicology reports showed his blood/alcohol level was only slightly above the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle.

Matt Ward's mother, Julie Kvinge, will discuss the case, the current status of the police investigation, and share other important details that the public should know about her son, his movements, and his interactions on the night he vanished. 

 

by Eponymous Rox for Killing Killers - December 5, 2012

 

Q#1: To begin, introduce us to your son, Julie. What was Matt up to in October 2012? What interests, skills, and long term plans had he developed by the 23rd year of his life? Did he have any pressing issues affecting his outlook? Had he ever had any run-ins with the law, whether major or minor? What accomplishments was he most proud of?

“Matt was an extremely motivated and determined young man. His main interest was undoubtedly Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts combat fighting. He ate, slept, and breathed Muay Thai. He would light up at the mention of anything related to the sport, and could talk about it for as long as anyone would listen. He would wait outside of his gym in California in the mornings waiting for it to open, and then would spend hours training and watching others train. When he was not training, he was pouring over interviews and video footage of professional Muay Thai fighters trying to learn from them and improve his skills outside of the gym.

“His dream was to become a professional Muay Thai fighter, but he also knew he needed a college education since the chances of becoming a professional athlete are slim and injury rates in this sport are high. One of his goals was to complete a double major that would bring together his love of fitness and nutrition with business and economics. That way he would always be close to the sport he loved and be able to make a living, if he was not able to do it professionally. He had a major 'salesman quality' to him, he could sell you anything! He was extremely outgoing, sociable and could talk to anyone. He had recently gotten a new job selling alarm systems and was excited to get started. This job would also allow him the opportunity to move to a nicer area in California.

“Matt did have some run-ins with law enforcement, most of which were traffic violations or alcohol related. Another passion of his was the cause of most of his traffic violations, and that was his Camaro z28. He loved working on cars, and he had 'modified' the Camaro to his liking. Which means it was loud, fast, and did not sit well with the strict California emissions requirements. He recently had to sell the car in favor of getting something more economical, which was tough for him. He had ups and downs like the rest of us, but he took them all in stride. He had worries over things such as money, school and work, but his outlook on the future was positive. He was never easily discouraged. He was the type of person that had no regrets. He lived in the moment and saw mistakes as an opportunity for growth.”

Q#2: Your son disappeared from Indianapolis in the middle of autumn which in this particular region of the United States is typically brisk. Weather archives for October 12th show clear skies and a slight breeze, with the lowest temperature recorded that day at 33.1 °F; the mean 50.4 °F; and the high at only 62.1 °F. What was Matt wearing when he went out, and how was he equipped if it suddenly got too chilly?

“Walton Matthew was wearing a short sleeve T-shirt that was black with large white lettering. I cannot remember what the T-shirt said, however it normally had something to do with Muay Thai, Cross Fit Training and the CSA Gym where he trained in California. He was also wearing black jeans with a more normal fit (not the loose show your underwear) kind. He did not want to take his jacket with him, he was afraid he might lose it and did not want to carry it around. He said, ‘Mom, I will only be outside if I walk to another bar and they are all so close together I will not get cold.’ I was concerned because I had on a pretty heavy sweater, but he said he would be fine. Coming from California he found it very ‘cold’ here so I know he would not have been outside any longer than necessary.”

Q#3: You dropped Matt off at Peppers Bar—how close is that to the water’s edge? Briefly describe this establishment and the district it’s situated in, for those readers who are not fully familiar with the Indy area.

“The neighborhood ‒ Broad Ripple – is a college bar town community for the most part, with a few nice upscale restaurants nearer the water. Peppers Bar is located at the corner of North College Ave and Broad Ripple Ave. North College is a main north/south street that runs from Carmel all the way to downtown Indianapolis. Broad Ripple Ave is an east/west street that is lined primarily with bars, and a few shops on both the North and South sides of the avenue. Further north by a small amount is Westfield Boulevard which runs right behind Broad Ripple Ave, and Westfield Blvd bends north as you move eastward. This is where the canal that runs into the White River resides.”

 

Q#4: Matt was going to Peppers to meet a young woman he’d romantically connected with on OkCupid.com. It’s estimated now that forty-million Americans have experimented with online dating in one form or another and twenty-million say they visit a dating site at least once a month. Do you know if your son had ever relied on such methods before, or was this his very first hookup?

“He had used the dating website before while he was in California and had met one or two girls in person that he connected with online. It never resulted in a serious relationship, maybe a few dates.”

Q#5: Tell us what you know about the young lady Matt was hoping to meet. Had you ever met the woman yourself or spoken with her? What was her online handle and her name in real life? How did she portray herself in the avatar she’d uploaded on that dating site?

“I did not meet or speak with her personally, but he did tell me about her and showed me her pictures. She was attractive and petite with long brunette hair. In the photos he showed me, she wore her hair in loose curls and had stylish, bold black-framed glasses on in one of them. She said she was from the small town of Brownsburg, Indiana. He said that she was currently in college and that her plan was to become a lawyer. One odd thing that he mentioned about her was that she told him she had gotten a college scholarship for wrestling. Upon looking into this, I have not been able to find any school that has a women's wrestling program. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department [did not question her] and still have not had their cyber unit complete that part of the investigation.”

Q#6: It seems on its face an understandable precaution for Matt’s prospective date to bring a couple of friends with her, but was there anything about the arrangement that struck you as peculiar and cause for concern when he first discussed it with you? Who exactly were these friends she intended to bring, and how were they all arriving?

“He had met up with her in the week prior to that night and said that she had come with a few friends to make it more of a laid back group environment. They were not going on 'dinner and a movie' type dates, it was more of a casual situation where they were hanging out and getting to know each other. It seemed to make sense that she was possibly being cautious, as a young woman meeting up with a man that she met online. That Friday night, I understood that he would be meeting her and her same friends he had met the other night and that she and the friends would ride together and meet him at Peppers around 9:30 pm. Since they were going to a bar and not on an actual date, having a group of people did not seem suspicious.”

Q#7: You say Matt cell-phoned you around 10:30 PM that evening to touch base again. Even though he reported that everything was all right, intuitively speaking, could you tell if he seemed troubled or not? Did he explain to you that he’d been stood up, and, if so, did he sound upset about it?

“I actually called him to check in; he sounded perfectly fine. He was upbeat and in a good mood and said he was having a good time and was going to stay out. He did not say anything about her standing him up. I don't think he would get that upset about her not showing up, it would be typical of him to shrug it off and enjoy the night anyway. There was a music festival going on in Broad Ripple the next night, and there were some bands that he was interested in seeing. He had no problem talking to people or making friends, so going to a bar alone would not be a daunting task for him as it would for many people his age.”

Q#8: After the two of you spoke and hung up, did you have any apprehensions at this point regarding your son’s impromptu plans for the rest of his evening? How was he supposed to get home afterward and what time?

“I think as a mother you always worry a bit about their plans, however I thought: he is an adult and certainly had fully taken care of himself in Oakland, CA. I felt questioning too much would be overstepping a bit. Regarding getting home, he was to call me for a ride, or take a cab. He also said, depending on where the girl lived and if the group of friends were staying over at her house, he might just sleep there for the night. They had all planned on going to the music festival together the next day.”

Q#9: Was his not coming home when he said he would, nor calling to inform you where he had gone instead, out of character for Matt?

“It would not be completely out of character for him. He was not used to having to check in during a night out or give frequent updates on his whereabouts after living by himself in California for years. He even lived in the high crime city of Oakland for most of that time without incident, so what could possibly happen to him in Broad Ripple, Indiana? He saw himself as being very street smart and capable of taking care of himself, which he was. So it wouldn't be surprising if he met some new people and had gone back to their home to continue hanging out and partying after the bars closed.”

Q#10: When did you realize something was wrong and start searching for him? Where did you go first and did you do this alone?

“I really started worrying Sunday night. I knew they planned to go to the music festival on Saturday and with 12 bands is was predicted to go very, very late. I did try to call him, but did not get any answer. I realized the phone he had was probably dead unless someone had a Blackberry charger. I was worried but tried to tell myself he would be OK. When Monday rolled around I went to the Carmel police and reported him missing. I did go to Broad Ripple and walk up and down the streets, but I had no idea where to even start.”

Q#11: During your own initial inquiry into Matt’s disappearance, was everybody’s story adding up, or was there anyone’s account that you found somewhat wanting or questionable?

“I really had no one to ask. He went there to meet a girl I did not know, nor did I even know her name. I realized I needed to get the word out quick so I started posting missing persons signs everywhere on Broad Ripple Avenue and talking to anyone who would talk to me. I started at the bar I dropped him off at (Peppers) and the bar owner was very helpful. He called in his employees that were working that evening and the bouncer and bartender both remembered Walton and both said he was alone, not with a girl or a group. The bar owner had all the video tape pulled for the evening and it confirmed he went in alone, had a beer or two and left alone. He could tell from the video that Walton was texting someone....who we do not know.

“I walked east up Broad Ripple Ave and did not meet anyone else who said they had seen him. Coming back done on the other side of Broad Ripple Ave (headed west), I came to a bar called Mindshaft and the bouncer recognized his picture right away. The bartender did also, and they both confirmed he had been sitting at the bar with three regulars.

“At some point the regulars left and Walton did not go with them. The next bar west of Mindshaft was Landsharks. When I went into Landsharks they had almost no customers and a group of employees were standing all together toward the back of the bar. I showed them Walton's picture and they confirmed he was there late Friday night and dancing. The bartender said at one point Walton had taken his outer shirt off and was just wearing his black T-shirt on the dance floor. He said he had to ask Walton to put his regular shirt back on. My question was ‘Did he?’ He said, yes, no problem. I must admit looking back, I had a very funny feeling when I left that bar and I am now sure they knew more than they were willing to say.”

Q#12: When did you decide to report to the police that your son was missing, and what was their immediate response?

“I reported him missing on Monday mid-day to the Carmel police (where I live). I was informed the next day that I needed to file a report in Marion county that Broad Ripple was not in their jurisdiction, and they could not transfer the paperwork (so we lost a day). I then went and filled out all the paperwork again with IMPD and was finally assigned a case worker on Thursday of that week. When I met with her she had no concern, she just said, ‘He is an adult and I am sure he is just out having fun somewhere and he will show up. After all,’ she said, ‘I have 30 other cases of runaways 17 and under and I have got to give them more of my time and attention.’

So their immediate response was poor. I should have been told day one to file the paperwork in Marion County and I was not happy to hear from the missing person case worker/detective that in her opinion he was most likely staying with people he had met and would come home and that most young men that go missing will come around in a few days.”

Q#13: Do you know which cops were patrolling the neighborhood where your son was that night, and if any off-duty officers happened to be acting as bouncers in any of the establishments Matt might have visited?

“I do not know the names of any of the cops that were on duty that night. I do know when I dropped him off there were two police cars in the middle of the street with policemen in uniform. I asked about them later and was told they are off duty cops hired by the bar owner of Mindshaft to assist with keeping order.”

Q#14: Were there any arrests made on that night/morning in the vicinity of where your son was? Also, do you know if anyone was ejected from any of the premises he may have been visiting for drunken or disorderly conduct?

“None that I am aware of, however I have not asked that question.”

Q#15: To the best of your knowledge, had Matt become overly-intoxicated during his night out? Was he himself involved in any altercations, verbal or otherwise, and, if so, was this type of behavior customary for him at his age?

“I can tell from the video tape he had two to three beers at Peppers. I know from the bartender at Mindshaft he had one beer and one shot. The guys at Landsharks did not say what he was served. I have heard from the police that Walton was escorted out of Landsharks at 1:20 AM - the police have still not talked with the bouncer who escorted him out so I do not know why. What I do know is that at 1:34 he made a 911 call that lasted one second and was never heard from again.”

Q#16: By some eyewitness accounts, Matt was said to be in the company of two “local” men just a few short hours before he vanished. Can you confirm this and, if so, could you tell us what you’ve learned about these individuals? Were they ever identified and questioned by authorities and, if not, why not?

“I do not know the men nor have I talked with them. I have been told by IMPD that they have talked with them and found out nothing. The guys at the bar gave the police their names and they are known as regulars in the bar. The bartender and bouncer said they seem OK, no real trouble with them ever before.”

Q#17: What was the scope of the official search for Matt once it was legally established he was a missing person? When and where was it initially launched, and when and why did it officially conclude?

“I was the only one looking for my son. The IMPD and missing persons did nothing. Well, excuse me, they did make up a poster and gave me about eight copies. I went to Kinkos and had 100 made and starting putting them up myself all over Broad Ripple. The news channels Fox 50 and Wish Channel TV 8 ran stories on my son and we did several interviews at my home and in Broad Ripple.”

Q#18: Who was it that actually discovered Matt’s body in the water near Broad Ripple on October 23rd 2012, and how did this person come to be there? Also, where in proximity to Peppers Bar is this spot?

“His body was discovered by construction workers adding to the dam in the White River. From Peppers, I guess it would be around a mile or less.”

 

Q#19: You were the one who identified the corpse retrieved from the White River as your missing son—was this done through a visual inspection or by matching Matt’s dental records? If you will, what was the condition of his body the day it was pulled from the water, and did you notice anything else about it which you found curious and would like to comment on?

“I was not able to see my son at all. I was informed by both news channels that a body had been pulled from the White River and did I have a comment. Honestly at that moment in time, I thought Why would they call me for a comment on a body pulled from the White River? What could I possibly know about that? Then the reality started to sink in. I headed for the White River, and at the same time received a call from the bar owner at Peppers telling me how sorry he was and did I need any help. I told him I was on my way to the river to see if it was my son. He told me they already have the body and are headed to the Marion County coroner’s office.

“I immediately told him then that is where I am headed and he said ‘I will meet you there, you should not have to go through this alone.’ I did hear from the police the missing persons detective (hard for me to call her anything but a case worker) and she said ‘We did pull a body from the White River. Can you tell me about Walton's dental work.’ I asked her, ‘What do you want to know?’ She said, ‘Just tell me anything remarkable about his dental work.’

“All I could think of was Matt had braces at age 13, and really that was it. I said, ‘You do not need dental work to identify my son. He has very specific tattoos,’ which I started to describe. I was promptly cut off by her and told to just answer her question regarding the dental work, did I not understand they have procedures!!!! She told me not to worry and she would call me in the morning if it was my son. I said I understand they are taking him to the Marion County Coroner's office, and she told me I was not allowed to go down there! As I was hanging up on her I just said, ‘Watch me and try to stop me!’ Upon arriving I was presented with his wallet, ID, and keys from his pocket. The coroner also confirmed the tattoos and I knew right then it was my son.”

Q#20: Were there any plants or other foreign objects clutched in Matt’s hands? Did he have items on his person that didn’t belong to him, or items missing that still remain unaccounted for?

“I was not told, nor did I ask, about anything in his hands. The only unaccounted for item would have been his car keys. His car was parked in a garage in Oakland, CA. He had almost $200.00 of cash, credit cards and keys to my house. No car keys were found and the cell phone he was using was missing.”

Q#21: In the preliminary examination of his corpse, did the medical examiner find any water in the stomach and/or the lungs? If fluids were indeed found in these organs, was it tested against a sample of the water Matt was alleged to have drowned in, and found to match?

“I have asked to see the report and I am awaiting this information.”

Q#22: Was a diatom test conducted to ascertain if the diatom breeds in your son’s system were identical to those that naturally inhabit the waters he is alleged to have drowned in?

“I do not know.”

Q#23: If a diatom test was indeed performed, did the medical examiner find that these microorganisms were clustered only in the airways and/or stomach, or were they found to be evenly circulated throughout the entire body?

“I do not know.”

Q#24: What was the average water temperature during the timeframe your son was missing, and would you know the depth of the river at the place where he was found and the speed of its currents?

"All I know is where he was found the depth was two feet. The current runs at a pretty good clip...Not sure what the speed would be. I asked IMPD; of course they had no idea in either question.” 

Q#25: Have you revisited the Broad Ripple recovery site since the day Matt was found there and observed anything out of ordinary along the shore?

“I have been there twice and my father and I were just there on Monday of this week. I cannot say I noticed anything unusual, however they are doing construction on the old dam so things are changing every day at the recovery site.”

Q#26: It has been reported that an emergency call was placed from your son’s cell phone near Broad Ripple in the early morning hours of October 13th but quickly interrupted—did you explore that particular location as well and observe anything out of the ordinary there? Also, do you have any additional information to share about the 911 call now?

“The 911 call lasted one second. I know that it pinged off the tower at the Broad Ripple fire station. I have been there and talked with the fireman on duty; he had nothing to report, but was going to give Walton's picture to the other guys and put it up in the firehouse.”

Q#27: Where and in what condition was Matt’s cell phone ultimately recovered, and who found and examined it first—you or the police?

“The cell phone was recovered about eight days after Walton's body was found. Given he was missing for nine days, that would suggest the cell was missing for 17 days. It was found outside of Applebee's behind the restaurant. It was found by someone who takes their boat over to Applebee's area and climbs up the steep bank by pulling himself up by a big steel chain. He turned the cell phone in to the Indianapolis Yacht Club, who turned it in to the police. The phone was dead. The police receiving the phone charged it up and found my name in the in-case-of-emergency section on the front screen. The phone was turned into IMPD homicide for inspection. They just finished with it and again said they found nothing. We asked if it had been dusted for prints and they said no!”

Q#28: Who first discovered the cell data concerning the emergency phone call, and how did detectives react when they learned that Matt had dialed 911 only minutes before he went missing?

“The missing person detective had the phone records pulled, so we knew very early he had dialed 911. Their answer was it was probably a misdial, no worries.”

Q#29: Was the 911 call the last one Matt made, and who else had he chatted with or attempted to notify in the course of that entire evening?

“Yes, the 911 call was the last outgoing call I am aware of. I can now pick the phone up at IMPD, not sure what good it will do now. They have been messing with it for weeks. Who knows what they have done.”

Q#30: Throughout law enforcement’s handling of your son’s disappearance and drowning, do you feel they have been 100% helpful and forthright?

“NO, and I [take issue] with their incompetence. [The answer below is from Matthew’s father, my ex-husband.]”

“The answer is absolutely NO. The IMPD effort has been very frustrating and unresponsive during the entire process from the initial missing report to this moment! IMPD initially filed the necessary electronic missing person report but took no action to investigate the case. It appears they chose to manage the case from behind their desk and did not take any proactive action. My ex-wife assumed the investigative responsibility by going to various bars in the Broad Ripple area interviewing bar managers, security personnel, bartenders and employees. She established locations, timelines, videos, and contact names who had met my son that night. She obtained mobile phone and computer data to help trace leads. She had posters with a picture made, posted and distributed. She contacted the media and conducted multiple TV interviews to increase awareness. All pertinent information was given to IMPD for follow up. IMPD was lethargic with the follow up appearing to hope my son would magically appear. The one consistent response we got from IMPD was how very busy and overworked the detectives were with each handling approximately 30+ cases.

“Not until the body was recovered and positively identified 11 days later (Oct 23) in the White River did any real follow up take place. The response was still very slow taking weeks to make contacts, conduct interviews, search the area and gather facts. To this date (Dec 5) many questions remain without answers. We had provided a specific list of open issues . Yet IMPD has classified his death as accidental due to drowning, stating it appears my son accidently fell into the canal. It is very suspicious and illogical that a very healthy and strongly trained 23-year-old athlete ‘fell’ and drown in three feet of water on his own.

Q#31: What is the current status of the police investigation into Matt’s death, and have you received the final autopsy and toxicology reports yet? If so, can you share any or all of these findings with the public?

“As it stands right now it will be accidental. They found ‘no defensive wounds’ or head injuries. I do not think they could tell too much about scratches after nine days in the water. However when pressed, they indicated ‘no trauma’ whatsoever.”

Interviewer's note: There were three very different Blood/Alcohol findings (BAC) in this case, depending on the organ tested. These were: 0.132 in the eye, 0.28 in the heart, and 0.4 in the urine. Police told Julie Kvinge they “don’t know what this means.”  HOWEVER, these authorities knew or should have known that the reading from the vitreous in the eye is the only one that matters in a decomposing corpse. Matt Ward's official BAC then, adjusted to account for additional alcohol produced during putrefaction, equals a mere 0.09 to 0.11 at best. (FYI: 0.08 is the legal limit for driving a motor vehicle.)

Q#32: Do you believe your son really drowned, or do you think he was murdered?

“My son was murdered, and I will spend the rest of my life looking for who did this cowardly act to my son. I know this group or whatever they are have gotten away with this over and over. I believe from what I know their time is coming to an end very soon.” - Julie Kvinge, mother

“I believe he was murdered on the basis of:  1) a 911 mobile call being placed at 1:40 am and terminated within one second 2) his cell phone was found two weeks later in workable condition on the bank of the canal (normally would be in his pocket) 3) he was in excellent physical condition capable of getting out of three feet of water and, 4) he was visiting from California and was not familiar with the area and accessible paths to the canal. My conclusion: Someone (probably more than one) was with him and knows what happened.” - Walt Ward, father 

Have a tip about Ward's murder? www.JusticeForWaltonMatthewWard.com

 

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