# I've got a bone to pick with the Washington D.C. Police Dept. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 7, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851 "2002-06-07T15:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/1 "2002-06-07T15:45:27Z")
The police search may have overlooked Chandra Levy’s shinbone! It is 12 to 14 incles long! It was only 25 yards away from where her skull was found. They also overlooked other evidence that could conceivably be related to the murder, such as a twisted coat hanger. The [Washington Post](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8750-2002Jun6.html) discretely says, “But the possibility that a large bone likely belonging to Levy was somehow overlooked – and in proximity to where most of the remains were found – raises questions about how thoroughly and systematically the immediate scene was canvassed.” _Raises questions_, indeed! :rolleyes: I’m speechless. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/2 "2002-06-07T16:10:39Z")
well, you should be comforted by the Chief of Police comments that he’ll investigate why his investigation wasn’t very good. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/3 "2002-06-07T16:12:11Z")
I read that the “twisted coat hanger” was actually a wire of the type used by park services to support young trees. Other then that, I’m also pretty mystified how they missed a bone that large within 100 feet of the scene. They _have_ re-secured the scene though, and are likely going to go over it again with an even finer comb. Quite an embarassment for them, all around. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/4 "2002-06-07T16:18:16Z")
I read that the “twisted coat hanger” was actually a wire of the type used by park services to support young trees. Other then that, I’m also pretty mystified how they missed a bone that large within 100 feet of the scene. They _have_ re-secured the scene though, and are likely going to go over it again with an even finer comb. Quite an embarassment for them, all around. ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/5 "2002-06-07T16:20:36Z")
Is there the possibility, though, that her body was dumped there after the police had finished searching the area in the beginning of the investigation? ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/6 "2002-06-07T16:24:59Z")
IIRC, they don’t think so **brondicon**. They acknowledged that where she was found was off the pathway and hadn’t been searched before. Early reports that her body was ‘buried’ or words to that effect failed to take into account that it was a year later and a very woody area, leaves would have fallen, etc. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/7 "2002-06-07T22:33:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by december \* > _Raises questions_, indeed! :rolleyes: > > I’m speechless. You clearly don’t live in the DC area. But even I will grant the sorry-ass DCPD at least some benefit of the doubt on this one. Searching heavily wooded areas is a tricky business, and it isn’t exactly their forte. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/8 "2002-06-08T16:42:50Z")
You get what you pay for. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/9 "2002-06-09T13:03:56Z")
Whatever that means. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/10 "2002-06-09T13:08:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by december \* > The police search may have overlooked Chandra Levy’s shinbone! …It was only 25 yards away from where her skull was found. I don’t know much about this case but I must say, Ms Levy sounds an unusually tall woman. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/11 "2002-06-09T13:47:12Z")
Maybe the folks in D.C. should tune into **CSI**. They can find _carpet fibers_ 25 yards from the body… On a serious note: my sympathies to the Levy family. Firstly, and most importantly, for the loss of their daughter. And secondly for the shockingly inept way the DC police has handled the investigation. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![tarragon918](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@tarragon918](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tarragon918)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/12 "2002-06-09T16:11:49Z")
The most recent information from the DCPD is the speculation that (warning this is gross) an animal may have taken that bone into their den, so they are now back searching the area for animal dens and burrows. ☹ (apparently, there were gnaw marks on the bone). I still find it hard to believe that the -police department- missed this bone, yet the Levey investigators found it! Granted that Rock Creek Park is huge and there was just too much area to search during the original search made there, this time, they should have found it, imo. ~~tarragon~~ ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/13 "2002-06-09T17:35:01Z")
In mild defense of the DCPD, they _do_ have a lot of other things to focus on, and this is pretty far outside their usual expertise. The Levy’s investigators are soley focused on just _one_ case. It does make a difference. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-got-a-bone-to-pick-with-the-washington-d-c-police-dept/112851/14 "2002-06-09T18:52:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > \*\* > I don’t know much about this case but I must say, Ms Levy sounds an unusually tall woman. \*\* thank you! I needed a good laugh…😃 😃