Bulldog PI (540) 922-3896

Author’s note:

My response to a reader’s comment on my offer of reward money in exchange for information on Holly Bobo’s disappearance  covers a lot of ground.  Like a jar of Prego sauce ingredients are ‘ in there’, which  I need to get off my chest.  It also sums up how  families of disappearance victims are making a mistake by not bringing in their own investigator.  Where did Morgan Harrington ultimately wind up being found?   What about Sharon West?   Could these girls have been saved?

Caldwell Fields Murderer:  You cost me another decent nights sleep dirtball.   I’m not done with you yet….

-BulldogPI

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Chuckle. I decided to approve this person’s comments. I dont know Chelsea Hoffman personally, or anything about what may or may not have been posted on topix. I merely found wisdom in what she had written in her article posting, nothing more and nothing less. As for “there is a reward offered for info, if you are as good as your claims we welcome you. The reward money should pay for your time….”

Umm, the BulldogPI has been around. First off, many times rewards offered on behalf of Victims families are the carrot and the stick routine. Several incidents come to mind where the tipster has actually had to sue in order to recieve payment for his (or her) tip.  They also are generally attached to a Law Enforcement (LE) tip line.  People ’in the know’ regarding a disappearance generally speaking, are not squeaky clean.  Do you think they are going to be in a hurry to speak with the police?  Second, I’ve  learned quite a bit regarding publicized missing persons investigations, and just  how chaotic things can get over at  tip line headquarters. 

During the course of the Morgan Harrington investigation, I know for a fact that several strong sightings and other tips were not followed up on in a timely fashion by LE. I know this, because I personally spoke directly to several tipsters who expressed a great deal of frustration for not being taken seriously.   As a result of this I decided to contact them and see what they had to say.  Next, in the defense of LE, they are simply not able to dedicate all their resources and time to focusing on one persons disappearance. It just doesnt work that way.   In the early months of the investigation’s publicity, the tip lines were absolutely swamped with calls. 

People need torealize that what really occurs so often, is that after a while disappearances, murders, etc wind up taking a backseat,  police manpower is refocused on a current, more pressing  crime.  Do they want to solve the crime?  Absolutely.  They also however have plenty of others to address.  Peoples memories then begin to fade, potential witnesses become harder to locate, evidence is damaged by the weather….. stuff happens.  Eventually cases grow cold. 

  Do not put blind faith in the system making your problem their top priority.   This is truly a nieve course of action if there ever was one.  Ask   Hurricane Katrina victims in Lousiana their thoughts regarding the system.  You chastized me a bit for being an outsider and ‘telling you the problem.’  I only blog what I truly believe and now  I get to say my piece.

 It is simply foolish for a victims family to sit back passively when their loved one is missing, turns up murdered, whatever. Im not saying that the Bobo’s aren’t out there taking an active  roll, by  posting flyers, and making inquiries.  It’s not the Bobo case which immediately comes to my mind regarding my previous  statement.   I would like to however assure you that if the situation was reversed I would bring a PI in to assist. Someone who answers directly to me.  Someone who levels with me.  Who lets me know  what progress has and has not been made.   I would not just blindly go along with whatever I am or am not told by LE.  Let me stress, as a point of clarification, that for a private investigator to be effective  on criminal cases it is crucial they assist (not hinder)  law enforcement.  Once LE realizes the goal of the investigator is not to make a mess of things… that they might  even prove useful… then things can move in a positive direction.   The goal is establishing a  joint effort.  Dialogue.   Hopefully this approach makes sense to you. 

 My final statement on this matter may truly shock you. I can’t speak for all PI’s but for me, it’s not just about the money. Read my postings about Caldwell Fields. You think I lost sleep over that because I’m not making profit off it?   If that’s what you believe, then you can stick it.   I have a strong suspicion who did that heinous act and by God I want him caught…   but Bulldog Investigations is a business, not a hobby.   If I want bread on my table, and a  roof over my head I have to run it like a business.  

A professional PI needs to always remember that time does indeed equal money.    What is earned as well as paid out  is best measured with a calendar.    Time waits for no one; insurance and  licensing fees are an ongoing  expense.  My state requires bi-annual continuing education coursework, which comes with it’s own pricetag.   There are many expenses behind the scenes the client remains blissfully unaware of.

 Make no mistake, I genuinely want to help in these matters.    At the same time, if I want to keep the doors opened and lights on, I can’t  run this as a charity.

End of Sermon.

Private Investigator Bill Warner’s blog entry is a PERFECT example of how victim’s families often make  a terrible mistake.  When a loved one goes missing you need someone in your corner who thinks outside the box.    When a family doesn’t bring in their own investigator to assist  they place unrealistic expectations on law enforcement.  The police don’t have the luxury to focus solely on one person’s disappearance.    PI’s are known for coming up with new possibilities overlooked by  law enforcement.  Private investigators aren’t  pressured by city hall, the fiscal budget,  or some other force behind the scenes to put your problem on hold and address new crimes.   Cases go cold that way… days, weeks, months tick past and memories fade. 

Don’t sit by the passively by the phone waiting for miracles.  Be proactive. 

-Bulldogpi

Bulldog Investigations is offering a $1000 dollar cash reward, in unmarked twenty dollar bills for information  leading to the safe return of Holly Bobo.   

Do I have your attention now?

 Speaking plainly, I don’t care who you are, what your bad habits are, or who you hang out with.  As a private investigator I’ve learned that human beings by definition are a mixture of good and evil.  Someone out there has valuable information but is afraid to speak to the police.  A private investigator is not law enforcement.  If you know something and are reluctant to talk to the authorities, talk to me.

The girl’s family has suffered enough.   All I care about is getting the girl back to her family.  Period.

Obviously if Holly is found, the reward offer expires.  Additionally, Bulldog Investigations reserves the right to cancel the offer at any time, without notice, for any reason.  The offer is however, genuine.

“Volunteers searching for Holly Bobo, the Tennessee woman who was snatched from
her home and led into the woods by a camouflage-wearing stranger, found a
“significant” item, the Decatur County sheriff said.”

Ignoring the majority of the rest of the article, and focusing in on this key opening statement, seems to support my initial statements regarding the Holly Bobo matter:

It’s a mistake for Law Enforcement to critisize volunteer efforts as interfering with the investigation, rather than shaping them into a proactive asset:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/holly-bobo-search-police-make-significant-find-hunt/story?id=13448569

Another article regarding the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation I found rather interesting.  My blog linking to it should not be taken as an endorsement regarding the accuracy of it’s content.  I did however, find it a worthwhile read.