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Old 11-10-2009, 07:57 AM   #1
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Default This sor tof shit worries me

It's always a tragedy when some teenager goes missing without a trace. This girl vanished several weeks back and all that has been found of her, is her backpack in an alley. What worries me though are the tactics police are now using to try and find her.

6,000 homes searched for Mariam clues

Martin O'Carrigan says he has nothing to hide.

That's why he didn't think twice when officers showed up at his door Monday asking to search his apartment for clues in the case of a missing Toronto teen. He even opened up his closet door for the two detectives to get a closer look.

"They were just doing their jobs," said O'Carrigan, adding he had no qualms about letting the "very personable" detectives search his apartment, in the same building where the family of 18-year-old Mariam Makhniashvili lives.

In what police are calling an unprecedented move, they have assigned 60 detective constables from squads such as fraud, sex crimes and homicide to canvass about 6,000 homes in the midtown area where Mariam lived and went to school.

While O'Carrigan responded to a list of questions about whether he saw Mariam or anything suspicious around the time of her disappearance on Sept. 14, the officers listened attentively. They took note of what he said and how he said it.

"If you've got nothing to hide, just answer the questions. Someone in the building must know something, some lead, some tip, something that will help," said O'Carrigan.

Police are hoping to find that someone. For the next two or three weeks, plainclothes officers will visit houses, condos and apartments near Bathurst St. and Eglinton Ave. W., targeting Shallmar Blvd., where the family lives.

"You will expect a knock at your door and police will keep knocking at your door," Det. Sgt. Dan Nealon told a news conference. "We're also asking to be invited into your home just for a quick peek into areas of your home to ensure that there is no evidence ... and we can move on."

While people have the right not to answer questions from police or let them into their homes, those who do not co-operate may find themselves subject to a search warrant, said the lead investigator. In the past, such door-to-door searches have raised concerns by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association because residents felt intimidated and threatened by the presence of officers.

No one from the association could be reached for comment Monday, but residents told the Star they did not mind the police presence.

"There's a missing child involved, why wouldn't you help?" said one man, who asked that his name not be used.

Even though police visited homes in the area after her disappearance, this "intensive investigative canvass" will enable investigators to "drill down," said Nealon, adding there is no evidence of foul play.

One resident, who lives above the Makhniashvili family, said this second visit by police was much more thorough.

"Last time, they didn't come in and we just had a very short conversation in front of the door," said the man, who asked not to be identified. But this time, he said, officers entered his apartment and looked inside cupboards, closets, and the refrigerator.

The canvass comes after failed attempts by police to drum up leads in a case that has baffled them. In the nearly two months since Mariam disappeared, police have appealed for help at three high schools, used helicopters to search two Toronto parks and seized 27 computers from two public libraries to try to trace her emails and Internet surfing. The city has been papered with posters and officers have followed up on hundreds of tips. But still, no clues.

The teen disappeared after walking to Forest Hill Collegiate with her brother. They parted ways outside and she never made it to class.

The siblings had moved to Toronto in late June from the Republic of Georgia to be reunited with their parents, who had been living in California for five years. Her parents have said she did not speak English very well, had no friends and did not know her way around Toronto. She left home without her passport and with no money.

On Monday, police released a new digitally enhanced photo of Mariam in the clothes she wore Sept. 14. The image will be displayed on a large information screen outside the Yonge-Eglinton Centre, which is near where Mariam's knapsack was found last month, in a parking lot behind 120 Eglinton Ave. E.

The intersection is "one of the busiest areas in the city and hopefully it'll grab someone's attention," said Nealon.

With files from Ann Hui and Leslie Ferenc
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Old 11-10-2009, 08:45 AM   #2
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While people have the right not to answer questions from police or let them into their homes, those who do not co-operate may find themselves subject to a search warrant, said the lead investigator. In the past, such door-to-door searches have raised concerns by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association because residents felt intimidated and threatened by the presence of officers.
This is the part that bothers me. Don't they have to have some form of evidence before a warrant can be obtained?
I am with the one dude, if it can help, I would answer questions, but there ain't no way they are getting in. If they do come back with a warrant, it better be justified, or I am calling a lawyer, and will be sunning in Cuba in the spring.
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Old 11-10-2009, 09:11 AM   #3
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had my property searched randomly for a missing woman 16 years ago in tenn. the "nice" officer even offered to shoot my dog if he even growled at him again. He did tell me he found no reason to look further otherwise he would have searched inside the house. It was without a warrant and he did knock and I allowed him to search. It's nothing new, they're just trying every avenue to find someone. I disagree with them using any evidence found of other crimes against you though.
Had a friend get his place searched in Florida for a missing person, he forgot to hide his plants. He went to jail because they couldn't "overlook" the plant right out in the open.
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Old 11-10-2009, 09:35 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by wildchild View Post
the "nice" officer even offered to shoot my dog if he even growled at him again.

not trying to sound all "billy bad ass" here in the shoulda-coulda-woulda senerio....but I'd have to say something I'd be in jail for in response to THAT kinda shit


As far as the rest of it....say hello to the future my friends! Big Gov means less privacy. It doesn't matter WHAT party is in control....because absolute control....well ....you know the rest
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Old 11-10-2009, 03:16 PM   #5
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not trying to sound all "billy bad ass" here in the shoulda-coulda-woulda senerio....but I'd have to say something I'd be in jail for in response to THAT kinda shit


As far as the rest of it....say hello to the future my friends! Big Gov means less privacy. It doesn't matter WHAT party is in control....because absolute control....well ....you know the rest
Agree 100%.
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Old 11-10-2009, 10:20 AM   #6
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the "nice" officer even offered to shoot my dog if he even growled at him again.
That's totally fvcked up and I'd probably be in trouble after that if I was innocent and some cop did this.
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Old 11-10-2009, 10:29 AM   #7
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Scary shit.
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Old 11-10-2009, 01:33 PM   #8
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That's totally fvcked up and I'd probably be in trouble after that if I was innocent and some cop did this.
I consider it one of my better moments of control. not sure what would have happened if he had decided to carry out his little threat.
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Old 11-10-2009, 01:38 PM   #9
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I consider it one of my better moments of control. not sure what would have happened if he had decided to carry out his little threat.
"Officer, I am now exercising my right to have you leave my property."
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Old 11-10-2009, 03:21 PM   #10
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I consider it one of my better moments of control. not sure what would have happened if he had decided to carry out his little threat.
I hear ya and just to be clear I was talking about if he had actually shot my dog...when I knew I had done nothing wrong at all.

For him just making the threat...yes I would have had to excercise control as you did.
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