For investigative matters outside of your state or the United . Ph: 616-240-1937 Unbelievable is the story of a girl known as Marie who, in 2008, was victim-blamed and coerced into falsifying her own rape story. While with the State Police he was assigned to various MSP Posts across the State, as well as being assigned to the MSPs Organized Crime Unit and the Michigan Attorney General Office, Criminal Division. Galbraiths real husband was indeed a police officer in another county and made the connection between the rape case his wife was investigating and another a detective at his station was handling. But not one single officer in the entire Lynnwood Police Department was disciplined for their actions. This man tried to tie her wrists together, but when he looked away, the womanjumped out of her window to escape, breaking three ribs and puncturing a lung during the seven-foot drop. He holds FBI certifications as a Police Instructor, SWAT Operator, Tactical Instructor, and Firearms Instructor. They used this DNA sample to circle in on a suspect, who was originally not Marc OLeary, but his brother, Michael. He was also chosen for a third rotation to assist in the creation of the FBIs overseas personnel recovery plan due to his extensive knowledge of the Afghanistan theater of operations. Shortly after Marie is raped, she calls the police. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. The dots were connecting themselves, and amidst their search for more, they uncovered another victim who had escaped a similar attack around the same time. Youll love our magazine! Kalamazoo, MI Rittgarn can only [be] labeled as bullying and coercive. Detective Stacy Galbraith (portrayed as character Karen Duvall in Unbelievable, played by Merritt Wever) sat on the couch across from her husband, also a cop, and described her work day in detail. Here are eight important details you should know about the true story that inspired Unbelievable. Authorities searched OLearys home and found all corroborating evidence: the camera stolen from a victim and used to photograph multiple women, various ropes and belts used to bind them, and a collection of womens underwear. The Snohomish County sergeant who conducted the internal review concluded: The manner in which she was treated by Sgt. Jeff Mason didn't believe her. As a Special Agent, Mr. Aubermann founded and coordinated the Dallas Metroplex Health Care Fraud Task Force and he also led two FBI Major Cases that were directed at national white-collar crime targets. Mr. Vander Vliet was selected to receive highly specialized training in Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM), more commonly referred to as sweeps, and he has done TSCM examinations of FBI facilities throughout Michigan, the United States, and at US Embassies around the world. Another thing Armstrong talked about is the implicit bias against victims of sexual assault built into the criminal justice system. Even though this was true, she recanted her claim soon after and said she made it all up. You can read the full award-winning article An Unbelievable Story of Rape here. Submit a white paper on any investigative topic. Jerry Rittgarn threatened to book Marie into jail and recommend that she lose her housing. This was all because Marie didnt follow the correct pattern of how law enforcement (and civilians) believed people should respond to trauma, or have the stable childhood people who prosecute sex crimes would prefer she have. There wasnt enough DNA to tell detectives exactly who the assailant was, but it was enough to tell them that it was a male in the OLeary family who had committed these heinous crimes. Prior to her new position, she was the Senior News and Entertainment Editor for the brand, covering and editing all things in the entertainment, pop culture and celebrity world forGood Housekeeping. They moved from looking exclusively at unsolved rape cases to looking at home invasions as well, and they found an interesting case. In hindsight, it was my job to get to the bottom of it and I didnt.". This story was reported by ProPublicas T. Christian Miller and the Marshall Projects Ken Armstrong, and their reporting was expanded into a book that came out this week called A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America. We do know that Marie is her middle name. Anthony Tony Aubermann is a retired FBI Special Agent with over 30 years of service to the FBI. He also said that he had to correct an error in the piece about fifteen minutes before it was to air for the first time on WBEZ in Chicago. According to the report, Cunningham called Sgt. Marie struggled to regain normalcy after admitting to making up her attack. Claiming police coerced her into recanting her story, the woman was charged with false reporting and fined $500 when she later tried to insist the rape did happen. He is a licensed professional investigator in the State of Michigan. "I just started watching #Unbelievable and am already so angry. The next paragraph in Armstrong and Williams book notes Det. The sight titillated 5-year-old Marc, who later said hed imprinted on fear and humiliation like a young animal bonding to the first creature it sees.. Mason and Det. People cope differently, react differently," Kaitlyn says. A woman had been attacked at knifepoint, tied up, and raped in her home in Golden, Colorado. When Cunningham received a call from a crying Marie, she recounted that it sounded like a lot of drama.. Mr. Neil is a licensed professional investigator in the State of Michigan. A False Report will fascinate readers interested in the finer points of police procedure even if they grow dizzy trying to keep track of a dozen different police officers and detectives involved with unraveling the multijurisdictional case. 12 Likes, 0 Comments - Jule Saynes (@resident_of_collinwood82) on Instagram: "Happy Birthday Actor Jerry Lacy, he played Private Investigator Tony Peterson, Reverned Trask," Jerry L Rittgarn Jr, age 50s, lives in San Diego, CA. That wonderful voice is dropping one f-bomb after another, he said. I asked Armstrong about him during the Q&A and he said he couldnt comment on him, only saying that hed only agree to an interview if he was paid for it. Mr. Vander Vliet is an FBI-certified Technical Agent. In real life, however, the names of the two male officers are Sgt. Where you live in the country . Danielle Macdonald (who plays Amber) talks with Merritt Wever (Stacy Galbraith, in real life). The aforementioned Pro Publica article mentions that Mason had only investigated one rape before he was put in charge of Marie's case as lead investigator. View their profile including current address, phone number 858-748-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. According to her, Mason apologised, saying he was "deeply sorry", but unlike the show, Rittgarn was nowhere to be seen. Grand Rapids, MI Two years after her attack, Lynwood police found Marie and informed her of OLearys arrest. When an important and widely read news story is later expanded into a book, readers can be excused for wondering if the original has merely been padded. In the report, Marie says that Mason looked "like a lost little puppy", much like the actor who played him did during that same scene in the Unbelievable show. Miller and Armstrong tell their story plainly, expertly and well. Jerry Rittgarn, who threatened Marie with jail if she failed a lie-detector test, left Lynnwood to work as a private investigator. Lynnwood added training on the effect of trauma, which can cause rape victims memories to fragment, and adopted well-respected guidelines, which train police officers not to doubt a victim because he or she doesnt behave as expected and crucially not to accuse one of lying without definite proof. He retired from Amway in June 2017. He also has specialized training in installing and detecting various covert devices to include cameras, microphones, and global positioning systems (GPS). While assigned to Detroit, Mr. Vander Vliet worked bank robberies, violent crimes, and narcotics cases. Rape Crisis England and Wales works towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct. Those are twin narratives that run through the piece and how theyre told individually is captivating. Mr. Blynn is an FBI-certified Police Instructor, Firearms Instructor, and SWAT Agent. Noting the Lynnwood police failed Marie and further victimized her instead of investigating what she reported had happened to her is very important and it is essential we ask about who else might have been failed. One example, he noted, was using the word groped instead of fondled because groped is more likely to be read as non-consensual. These contested stories divide our sympathies and spur angry debates. Marie conceded and later told her case managers that she, in fact, had not been raped. It should come as no surprise, then, that Mason left that field behind soon after, returning to narcotics to lead his own task force. According to the ProPublica report, Marie spent most of the night on the phone with her friend Jordan before finally dozing off. RELATED: 10 Things In Netflix's Unbelievable That Were Shockingly Real. It was an incredible, serendipitous moment both in the series and in real life and it is that conversation that sets the entire story in motion, eventually leading to Maries vindication and the capturing of a serial rapist. She also "listened to the woman with a sense of alarm.". Since I read it over two years ago, the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning story An Unbelievable Story of Rape has never been far from my mind. It sounds clich, I guess, but its really kind of an actual Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in real life, OLeary said at his own trial. Mr. Blynn began his career with the FBI in Washington, DC, and he has also been assigned as a Special Agent to the FBIs St. Louis Office and the New York City Office. As an adult, he came to treat rape like a hobby, stalking victims via their social-media profiles and studying their routines for months before an attack. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and Western Michigan University. As previously noted, Detective Rittgarn left the department prior to Marie's rapist being caught. Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning story in Pro Publica, this memorable book examines the case of a serial rapist and his first victim, who initially wasnt believed. Theres a scene in the show where Merritt Weavers character, Duvall, comes home to her police officer husband and they begin recounting their days. Upon his retirement from the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office, Mr. Crumb was selected to be the Manager of Investigations and Risk Services for Amway Corporation, a position he held for over 11 years. Like what you just read? The eight episode series, tells us about a girl named Marie, who is horrifically raped, but after police coercion and neglect, she recants her story. In these units, Mr. Neil became well-schooled in the areas of both overt and covert surveillances and high level white collar crimes. We have one just like that, he said, perturbed. Mr. Heffron has extensive experience in white collar crime, extortions, kidnapping, fugitives, and surveillance investigations. "Bullying" and "hounding" are two words his report used to describe the male detectives who questioned Marie and it goes on to label them further as "coercive, cruel, and unbelievably unprofessional". Unbelievable is one of the most emotional and harrowing shows Netflix has ever put out. After the attacker left, Marie was able to get a drawer open with her feet and cut herself free using a pair of scissors. The terrible reality of it is that, you know, it was for me it was just an opportunity, which is disgusting, and I know that, he says, but thats you know, thats the truth.. Ph: 772-913-5280 At 18, Marie moved into her own subsidized apartment for young adults transitioning from the system to the real world through a program called Project Ladder. Again, no experience with sexual assault victims. Ph: 269-217-6668 What happens next is of monumental importance, and I hope the right people take the right lessons from this book. Personal Details & Biography. His investigative experience includes major crimes, fraud, larceny, internal investigations, and vehicle identification. Unbelievable on Netflix: What happened to the male detectives in real life? Theyremained truthful to the details and the investigation, but out of respect for all of the women, they changed their names. Dont miss a thing by downloading Apple News here and liking Prevention. He also has provided training in identifying fingerprints and crime scene processing. He was charged with multiple counts of rape, and shortly thereafter, plead guilty and was sentenced to the maximum. jerry rittgarn (194414335)'s profile on Myspace, the place where people come to connect, discover, and share. The Bureau Group has the ability to provide a wide range of investigative, security, and training services for corporations and/or individuals on a local or an international level. Her hobbies include perpetual coffee sipping and pretending to be a Chopped contestant while cooking. The real cop is named Jerry Rittgarn, who at the time of Marie's attack had been a detective for eleven years, but with a background in helicopters and the aerospace industry. Mr. Vander Vliet is a graduate of Calvin College and the University of Wisconsin Law School. Does Unforgotten work without Nicola Walker? Its not until three years and many more rape victims later, that Maries original claims are investigated and her attacker is brought to justice by a couple of amazing female detectives. A FALSE REPORT A True Story of Rape in America By T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong 291 pp. But which brother is the rapist? In the final episode of Unbelievable, we learn that the incredible police work conducted by Detective Stacy Galbraith ('Karen Duvall' in Unbelievable, played by Merritt Wever) and Detective Edna Hendershot (AKA 'Grace Rasmussen', played by Toni Collette) resulted in an arrest. Millers parts are more exciting because youre following along as good police officers unravel the mystery. They kept to the truth often but changed a few things for it. Her co-star Danielle Macdonald also revealed what she thought of Marie's investigation. Ken Armstrong, a former reporter with the Seattle Times, came by Elliott Bay Book Company on Wednesday evening to read from, and talk about, his new book. Ken Armstrong said early in his talk that there had been some physical evidence that would corroborate Marie, but when presented with some doubt by people close to the victim, the police changed strategy and bullied Marie into confessing to inventing the crime. The book-length version fills in his portrait, and it is chilling. What's more, of the sexual violence crimes not reported to police from 2005 to 2010, 13% believed the police would not do anything to help, according to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). Jerry Rittgarn asked Marie, according to the report. One person they didn't talk to was one of the two officers who were tasked with investigating the case, Detective Jerry Rittgarn, who looks to have scrubbed almost everything off of his LinkedIn . Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. It was a story out of a horror movie or a Law & Order script. Last Friday, Netflix released their latest true crime series entitled .css-1me6ynq{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#125C68;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#125C68;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-1me6ynq:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:#595959;}Unbelievable, which is centered around The Marshall Project and ProPublica's Pulitzer-prize-winning article, An Unbelievable Story of Rape. Miller and Armstrong point out a pattern in Lynnwood. His backup in the series is named Detective Pruitt and he takes more of the bad cop approach when questioning Marie. Kalamazoo, MI Ph: 269-271-0440 . Digital Spy participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. You also know who you are hiring when you hire the Bureau Group. Jeffrey Mason, a detective on the case, the day after the assault occurred to report that Marie had a past history of trying to get attention and she was unsure whether or not the attack actually took place. The first one wasnt good enough because it claimed that she dreamt her rape. Ph: 616-901-7796 Gerard B. Alexander is a graduate of the American University in Washington D.C. In Netflix's Unbelievable, the two male detectives that Marie primarily deals with after reporting the rape are Detective Parker (Eric Lange), and Detective Pruitt (Bill Fagerbakk). Both Rittgarn. Though stranger rape isnt the norm for sexual assault, or the focus of the sexual misconduct fueling the #MeToo moment in which this book appears, it offers broadly relevant lessons. When the woman reported the attack to Lynnwood police, she says detectives Jerry Rittgarn and Sgt. Roy Johnson founded and created The Bureau Group in the Fall of 2010 and still remains the Managing Partner. 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