Was Popular Sheriff Wrong? Police Say 5 Burned Bodies in Ariz. Likely Murder-Suicide, Not Drug Cartel Violence
- Posted on June 6, 2012 at 1:13pm by
Jason Howerton
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This image provided by the Pinal County Sheriffs Office, shows the vehicle where five burned, dead bodies were found, in Pinal County's Vekol Valley area, west of Casa Grande, Ariz. (AP Photo/ Pinal County Sheriffs Office)
Officials are now saying that the five bodies found burned beyond recognition inside an SUV in the Arizona desert may actually be linked to a missing Tempe Ariz. family, not drug cartel violence, the Tucson Citizen reports.
Tempe Police announced Tuesday afternoon in a press conference that their investigation has led them to believe that the incident is likely a murder-suicide and completely unrelated to the Mexico’s drug war – despite claims to the contrary by Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu.
(Related: 5 Bodies Found Inside Torched SUV in Ariz. Desert, Drug Cartels Suspected)
“Right now, we’re dealing with a murder-suicide investigation,” Tempe Police Sgt. Jeff Glover confirmed. However, the evidence still doesn’t point to a clear-cut case.
A few days before this announcement, Babeu went on the record saying almost the exact opposite.
“It doesn’t appear to be suicide or something like that where you hear of some crazy events,” Babeu said Saturday. Ever since the bodies were discovered, Babeu has repeatedly made the case that the deaths were proof that drug cartel violence was spilling across the U.S border.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu (Source: pinalcountyaz.gov)
His assumptions were based on a few facts, according to KPHO in Arizona. First, the bodies were found in a known drug smuggling corridor and the grisly style murder certainly fit the profile for the drug cartels. Second, law enforcement initially attempted to stop the SUV hours before it was torched, but the driver fled. Finally, the Pinal County Sheriff’s office said the evidence found at the scene also furthered their theory.
“All information is pointing that this is connected to the violent drug cartel smuggling in this high smuggling area,” Babeu said Saturday via his Facebook page. “The border is NOT more secure than ever Ms. Napolitano!”
At first glance it doesn’t appear that Babeu is completely backing off his initial conclusions. Today the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) had a press release posted stating that homicide detectives were still investigating a potential drug smuggling connection.
The Tucson Citizen has more on the details of the investigation by Tempe Police:
Tempe police said Tuesday that they went to the family’s house at 2 p.m. Monday and found obvious signs of a crime and notified the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office shortly thereafter.
Late Tuesday morning, Tempe police informed the Sheriff’s Office that they had confirmed that the burned vehicle found in the Vekol Valley belonged to the family.
At an afternoon news conference, Sgt. Jeff Glover identified the victims as the Butwin family of Tempe and knocked down the theory that their deaths were linked to cartel drug smuggling, as Pinal County sheriff’s investigators had originally stated.
Tempe Police identified the missing couple as James and Yafet Butwin. They have been missing, along with their children, for several days now.
KNXV in Phoenix reports that the father actually left a note with a neighbor instructing him how to run his business when he was gone. Officials also found signs of a struggle in the house. Watch more on the report here:
Babeu’s critics accuse him of jumping the gun and relying on emotion and speculation instead of the facts in the case.
But the news release posted today on the PCSO website says they are continuing the homicide investigation. The release reveals some of the evidence collected and makes further references to drug cartels:
On Saturday afternoon, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office received a phone call from an individual who asked to remain anonymous. The individual reported that he feared his brother-in-law was among the dead. The brother-in-law had told him the night before that he was “going to Vekol Valley to make money.”
The brother-in-law had left to Vekol Valley with four other acquaintances. Homicide detectives asked the reporting party if his brother-in-law was involved in drug or human smuggling and he said he didn’t get involved in his business but he “knows its illegal.” The reporting party said that when he tries to call his brother-in-law or his friends on their cell phones they go straight to voicemail.
On Sunday, a homicide detective again spoke with the reporting party who told us he still has been not able to get in touch with his brother-in-law or his acquaintances. The five men were last seen driving in a Ford SUV. Homicide detectives are also not able to locate the brother-in-law either.
PCSO knows the names of the family members involved including those who are missing, but we’ve been asked to withhold as the family fears possible retaliation from the drug cartel.
The release also points to a report in the Boston Herald where a federal law enforcement officer theorized that the victims could have been hostages killed by a Mexican drug cartel.
It may be safe to say that the dust hasn’t quite settled in this case.
Babeu is no stranger to controversy and has been known to jump into the heated immigration debate. He recently went on CNN and told Anderson Cooper that the Bureau of Alocohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was an “accomplice” to drug cartel murders in their involvement in the failed drug-running operation Fast and Furious. Watch here:
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marybethelizabeth
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 9:03pmAgain theblaze runs with an unsubstantiated story and will not admit its error.
Their standard of reliability is Beckian: just make it up.
Report Post »TJexcite
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 8:41pmWhen a van full of bodies was found by the cartel drug runners on their turf and drug route they would not hesitate to burn it and make it go away. Just how would someone suicide by burning oneself when in the seat. That would take effort over just shooting oneself. And then have the bodies burned beyond recognition as if they where covered in gasoline including the murderer themselves.
Report Post »garbagecanlogic
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 4:42pmHe was probably out playing leapfrog with his boyfriend and was not totally aware of the accurate story. Give him a break!
Praise Be To Obama. Psalm 109:8
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.
Report Post »The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
BlessedONE333
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 4:33pmBabeu lost my support the minute his gay illegal lover came out of the wood work!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 4:14pmMASS SUICIDE; Pigs Fly; and, the Cow jumps over the Moon!
Report Post »2Fedup
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 4:09pmFunny, fort hood was an attempted murder-suicde. Theres been alot of that the last 3.5 years.
Report Post »Arizona 9-12
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 3:44pmLive here in AZ, just drove past Vekol Rd this weekend, it is desolate and in THE very middle of nowhere. If your going to commit a “Murder-Suicide” you do it, anyplace. If you dont want to be seen killing a entire family and burning their bodies, you go to a place like Vekol Rd.
This is just another plausible distraction from the corrupt State Dept. hopeing to stop the outrage that will erupt if this happens to be the case, that Drug running, human trafficing, Hamas trainned cartel animals did in fact kill this family.
Way to early for anyone to say, I just know the track record of our Federal Justice Dept, and it isnt good.
Report Post »cgnick
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 8:38pmARIZONA 9-12
Report Post »“Hamas trainned cartel animals did in fact kill this family. ”
So where are your facts? Or are you just making things up?
Arizona 9-12
Posted on June 7, 2012 at 12:35pmIf your asking how do I know that Hamas or Hezbollah is operating in Mexico;
http://congressmantomtancredo.com/category/hamas/
or
http://patdollard.com/2012/03/former-dea-chief-mexican-cartels-in-close-ties-with-islamic-terrorist-groups/
Or the adaption of Terrorist tactics by the cartels, or the eye-witness reports stating that training grounds have been found in central Mexico that resemble those in the middle east? If your denying that the Mexican drug gangs are being schooled by Terrorist you are a lost cause.
If your asking for my proof that the cartels are responsible for the death of this family I would call into question your reading ability, just before the semi-quote you misused there is the word “if”, and ask you to re-read the entire post.
So what is your question? Really?
I am serious, I have no knowledge of cartel actions, but I refuse to delude myself either. The entire reason for my post was simple, I thought.
Group suicide/murder can be done in your own garage. If you plan on killing a family, and you do it a secluded place to hide your identity. Yes?
Still too hard to understand?
Report Post »tckid17
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 3:40pmSheriff Joe knows how to run Law Enforcement and not this “Jack in the Box”.
Report Post »shanew
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 3:21pmI do not know a lot about this story and not saying it is the Drug cartel, but given the location, and what I can read about I is plausible that the Cartels were involved. The cartels have a kill first police for anyone that gets in the way, and if a family member was involved in with the cartel then they could have well done it. if possible they clean up the crime scene and relocate the bodies. Now yes the family had problems but how many people commit suicide by burning themselves? And if you shoot yourself how you do light the fire afterward? Yes some may try to make something out of nothing but too many are quick to cover up Drug related or cartel related crimes. I see it all the time along the border, witnesses say one thing but quickly change their story or its not reported beyond the local media if its reported at all.
Report Post »Watch this on you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO1h6NRUVGM&feature=relmfu
it might open some eyes, and we need more coverage of the Border then what we have.
AZGodGoldGuns
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 3:21pmThe Missing family had 2 small children, are you telling me that the cops can’t tell the difference between adults and children. Even burt as bad as they were, you can tell. Also being a cop for 26 years I know that there are several places on a vehicle that has the seriel number of the car. This investigation smells like a coverup.
Report Post »cgnick
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 8:52pmEither they couldn‘t tell the difference between adults or children or Babeu didn’t even bother to find out about such details. I’m thinking the latter of the two.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:37pmWow! Does anyone realize the complexities in investigating crime scenes? I think you ALL have been watching NCIS way too much!!! So this Sherriff made a bone headed statement but it goes with the territory. How would you do it when you have the ambulance chasing media beating you down for answers or they will start reporting your “private life” on the front page again? I was taught that you NEVER tell the media “no comment” THAT is Hollywood BS! Unfortunately with the Sherriff the bick stops with him and his answer can’t be “go talk with the PAO”…….key to this ENTIRE story is “the investigation continues”!!! Feels like a lynch mob in this comment thread today……be HAPPY Scott Walker won!!
Report Post »CougarNick78
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:20pmMurder Suicide? Wow, this sounds about as plausible as the Magic Bullet Theory……
@The_Adversary- geez, do you losers ever shut up? Scott Walker just handed your comrades their collective a$$es in Wisconsin…..grow up already. And it‘s not like you godless jackholes don’t generalize or fume, like YOU ARE DOING NOW…..STFU.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:17pmI read somewhere that Babeu became a police officer to emulate his idol… the cop in the Village People.
Report Post »Hill60
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:14pmI live in the Phoenix area and I’m more familiar with this story than I want to be.
Babeu has a lot of problems – the least of them is his grandstanding. While the Vekol Valley IS a major trafficking route – he came out well before any investigation could show conclusively whether this was drug-related or not – and proclaimed that it was. He has egg on his face, and seems reluctant to admit his error.
Report Post »Deckle
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 1:55pmI am just wondering if it was suicide, how did they set it on fire after they killed themselves?
Report Post »troymac20
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:05pmYep, Something doesn’t seem right with the murder/suicide theory.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:44pmAlso “ burned beyond recognition”….
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 3:10pmI wonder IF any of those weapons were part of the missing Fast and Furious ones?
Report Post »SilentReader
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 1:48pmWhy hasn’t Nation-of-Cowards, head coward Eric Holder been indicted over Fast and Furious?
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:09pmHis eyes are coated with brown from being up the arse of Obama. He is blind.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 1:42pmI hope Babeu is correct on this one. He surely hasn’t had very good press of late. Time will tell.
Report Post »THE_ADVERSARY
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 1:26pmTypical naive right wing religeous bigots always jumping to conclusions before having the facts.
RightUnite
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 1:35pmYeah, like those left wing nut jobs have never jumped to the wrong conclusions, right you freaky leftwing nutcase??
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 3:51pmYou mean like Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik who stated that Sarah Palin was behind the shooting of Gabby Giffords?
Report Post »VoteRightDammit
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 1:23pmJust to clarify:
This guy drove to the valley with his wife and children.
He then shot his wife … kids sat there waiting.
He then shot each kid while the others sat there waiting.
He then shot himself.
He then set the SUV on fire to conceal his crime.
Got it.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:46pmHey, did you work with Holder on that Fast and Furious deal ?
Report Post »saranda
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 3:35pmSigns of a struggle at the family home would suggest that they were all killed at home possibly. He fled from border patrol because he was carrying his dead family to the desert. Easy to set the scene on fire and then shoot yourself to be included in the fire. This is too simple. Sherrif jumped to a conclusion that fit his political needs.
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