Dennis Day
Phoenix Police Department failed to find 76-year-old Dennis Day when he disappeared, led a careless investigation, ruined evidence, and caused his family emotional distress.
Day was reported missing in July 2018. Prosecutors said handyman Daniel Burda, who was living with Day at the time he went missing, shoved the elderly man to the ground in 2018, and let Day die by not taking other actions to prevent it.
Day’s badly decomposed body was eventually found by police in his own home months after he was reported missing. Before the body was found police told the family Day’s home had been searched by a cadaver dog when it hadn’t.
In April 2021, Day’s family filed a $2.2 million lawsuit against Phoenix Police for leading a careless investigation, ruining evidence, and causing the family emotional distress – both intentionally – and through their own negligence.
MASS MEDIA ABOUT THE CASE:
“Police officers, of course, make mistakes in their job. This isn’t that. This is an absolute lack of any effort to find this person despite the overwhelming evidence of where mister day was,” said Erin Gould, the family’s attorney.
“The fact that the Phoenix Police Department failed to find this body where it was eventually found shocks the consciousness because it was quite literally under their nose,” the family’s attorney wrote.
CASE STATUS:
The initiative group has requested the clarification from US President Joseph Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland. The initiative group believes it is important to fight against police brutality and, if necessary, will provide legal and financial assistance to the family of the victim.
Letter to Biden
Letter to Garland
