# How the cops tried to frame my best friend for murder. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 13, 2009, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160 "2009-01-13T22:18:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/81 "2009-01-13T23:52:00Z")
Stan, I don’t think exculpatory means what you think it means. The fact that there was no blood or evidence of an accident on the Van is not exculpatory. See, it doesn’t mean he didn’t kill her. It means he didn’t kill her with _that van_. He could still have killed her with another vehicle. Or had a buddy do it. Neither is out of the realm of possiblity. When a wife dies, they look at the husband first. And vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/82 "2009-01-13T23:53:41Z")
> [@Algorithm](#): > > My apologies. I did not intend to antagonize! Sincere thanks. Anybody else here want to amend their contention that I am a liar? ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/83 "2009-01-13T23:54:18Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > Edit: I had no trouble finding the same story on Lexis-Nexis. 15 seconds, it took. Did you happen to notice the date of the incident? I did. You would think if a person was so close to this incident and so integral to the investigation they would get the date right. Anyway whether the story happened or not, Stan hasn’t done himself any favors with his self aggrandizing style and tendency to proclaim his own brilliance… ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/84 "2009-01-13T23:56:49Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Stan, I don’t think exculpatory means what you think it means. > > The fact that there was no blood or evidence of an accident on the Van is not exculpatory. > > See, it doesn’t mean he didn’t kill her. It means he didn’t kill her with _that van_. He could still have killed her with another vehicle. Or had a buddy do it. Neither is out of the realm of possiblity. > > When a wife dies, they look at the husband first. And vice versa. It all happened over the course of a less than five minutes. Yeah, he somehow gained access to another vehicle, returned to pick up the van then flee to the studio, or called in a friend to do his dirty work, because we all know those rough and tough gangbangers like Danny can call in a hit on a moment’s notice! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/85 "2009-01-13T23:58:22Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Did you happen to notice the date of the incident? I did. Honestly? Who cares. The other day I was asked what day my mom died, and I couldn’t remember. It was only 13 months ago. And I can tell you I remember everything that happened that day, where I was when I heard the news, what I tried to eat for lunch, driving to see my dad and how it was dark and I was crying. I just couldn’t remember when it was. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/86 "2009-01-14T00:01:10Z")
Stan, just because you’re an asshole, doesn’t mean your story isn’t true. I believe it and I’m not offended by the tone. My advice to people: The cops don’t need you, and you better damn well hope that you don’t need them. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/87 "2009-01-14T00:02:52Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Did you happen to notice the date of the incident? I did. You would think if a person was so close to this incident and so integral to the investigation they would get the date right. Anyway whether the story happened or not, Stan hasn’t done himself any favors with his self aggrandizing style and tendency to proclaim his own brilliance… It was on Danny’s birthday, a holiday we no longer celebrate around here. So, after there is a link to the obit, with details that EXACTLY match my recollection, you are still calling BS? I give up. I am lying about everything. I never knew anyone named Kelly Cortes, I just looked up a random traffic death so I could dis on the Burbank PD. With logic like that, they would make you a detective at that Mickey Mouse operation. You should fill out an application. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/88 "2009-01-14T00:03:14Z")
The woman in questions exists. I am sorry for the loss. I am not sorry for taking Stan to task for using her for his own self-promotion. When you shake away the very biased accounts of what Stan alleges the police did, and factor in the events he beams about (the ones that did not help his or Danny’s case in the least) it is fairly obvious that the cops weren’t ‘framing’ anyone. They were investigating a very violent death. If Stan’s account of their investigation was true (and I take it with a grain of salt) the worst that can be said is that they leaned on some folks too hard. But given Stan’s antics its not terribly surprising. Not approving, mind you, but not surprising. I mean, come on. Standing under your car and declaring it to be clean, followed by calling the cops idiots is akin to saying ‘Hah! You never find the car we used to really do the killing’. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/89 "2009-01-14T00:06:34Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > I am surprised there is even that record, although, for obvious reasons I never sought it out myself. Thanks for at least confirming that I am not full of what makes the grass grow green. Sad to say, this doesn’t really corroborate your story. A woman named Kelly Cortes was found on Sunday Night, and ID’d on Monday. It doesn’t say she hit by a car (it said she had suffered major head injuries. she could have been beaten with a golf club for all we know). It does not say she was married, or had a child, or that anyone was suspected of anything. it is sadly lacking in details and follow up. I don’t if the story is BS or not. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/90 "2009-01-14T00:06:39Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Stan, just because you’re an asshole, doesn’t mean your story isn’t true. I believe it and I’m not offended by the tone. My advice to people: The cops don’t need you, and you better damn well hope that you don’t need them. I never said I was not an asshole, and the fact is I can be very much of an asshole. Ask anybody that knows me. I am not someone to cross. But for those whom I care about, the asshole in me is always in their service. /shoulda gone to law school ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/91 "2009-01-14T00:06:56Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > It all happened over the course of a less than five minutes. Yeah, he somehow gained access to another vehicle, returned to pick up the van then flee to the studio, or called in a friend to do his dirty work, because we all know those rough and tough gangbangers like Danny can call in a hit on a moment’s notice! :rolleyes: Because no one ever planned a murder in advance. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/92 "2009-01-14T00:08:20Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > /shoulda gone to law school Not based on what I’ve seen here, no. Your grasp of legal issues and law enforcement procedures is tenuous, at best. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/93 "2009-01-14T00:11:23Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Sad to say, this doesn’t really corroborate your story. > > A woman named Kelly Cortes was found on Sunday Night, and ID’d on Monday. > > It doesn’t say she hit by a car (it said she had suffered major head injuries. she could have been beaten with a golf club for all we know). It does not say she was married, or had a child, or that anyone was suspected of anything. it is sadly lacking in details and follow up. > > I don’t if the story is BS or not. Yah, ya moron, because one traffic death in the big city don’t amount to a hill of beans in this world. At least as far as the media is concerned. I have given you the actual, factual story behind the headline. If you still want to doubt it, or the facts relating to the asinine behavior of the police in this case, fine with me. The cops are always your friend, always act in the interests of justice, and never lie. Sleep tight in your ignorance. No skin off my nose. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/94 "2009-01-14T00:12:54Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Because no one ever planned a murder in advance. Ever. Well, if that is the case, I am roomates with a man who commited cold blooded and premeditated murder. I gotta get out of here! Can I stay at your house? ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/95 "2009-01-14T00:13:51Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Sad to say, this doesn’t really corroborate your story. > > A woman named Kelly Cortes was found on Sunday Night, and ID’d on Monday. > > It doesn’t say she hit by a car (it said she had suffered major head injuries. she could have been beaten with a golf club for all we know). It does not say she was married, or had a child, or that anyone was suspected of anything. it is sadly lacking in details and follow up. > > I don’t if the story is BS or not. Oh please. It’s a news story about a death several years ago. Unless this guy looked up archival stories about various deaths so he could yank our collective chains, I’d say the death occurred, that he knew the people involved. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/96 "2009-01-14T00:13:57Z")
And still mourns the death of his wife, years later. As do I. Kelly would be laughing at this thread! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/97 "2009-01-14T00:15:03Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > The cops are always your friend, always act in the interests of justice, and never lie. Sleep tight in your ignorance. No skin off my nose. I never said the cops were always my friend. I have personally known some cops to be criminals and despicable people. Doesn’t make _you_ any more believable, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/98 "2009-01-14T00:16:48Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > Well, if that is the case, I am roomates with a man who commited cold blooded and premeditated murder. I gotta get out of here! Can I stay at your house? That sound you hear is my point going over your head. You claim that he was innocent because the events happened so fast, and his engine was cold. But that fails to grasp a very simple concept that I explained in the previous post. The cops, even if they were wrong in this case, are able to grasp that concept. You are not. Doesn’t say wonders about your self-proclaimed smarts. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/99 "2009-01-14T00:17:02Z")
> [@wring](#): > > Oh please. It’s a news story about a death several years ago. Unless this guy looked up archival stories about various deaths so he could yank our collective chains, I’d say the death occurred, that he knew the people involved. And normally I would give people the benefit of the doubt. And he may actually know people involved. But he comes off as an asshole, and the story is self-serving. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160/100 "2009-01-14T00:17:09Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > Kelly would be laughing at this thread! I hate to speak ill of the dead, but if she would really laugh at a thread of how her suicide destroyed the life of her husband and young daughter, as well as a close friend who now weeps as he writes about it… well, she must have been kind of an asshole. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-cops-tried-to-frame-my-best-friend-for-murder/481160.md?page=6)