Paula Petty
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Author
  • Speaker
  • Paula's Coppers
  • Pen in Her Pocket
  • Contact

An Interview with Lt. Peter Culnane

10/6/2011

8 Comments

 
Picture


 from Blinded by the Sight by S.L. Smith


                 
 


We have with us today Lt. Peter Culnane with the St. Paul Police Department.  Lt. Culnane, please tell us about yourself.
Most people call me Pete … or a number of other names that don’t bear repeating. I’m a lieutenant on the St. Paul Police Department. Incidentally, in St. Paul we’re called   investigators, not detectives. I’ve been with the St. Paul PD for nine years.
 

Pete, tell us about this case. What made it so special? 
This case was special right out of the chute. The murdered man was believed to be homeless, but he was wearing a ring with a huge diamond. That made no sense. The body was reported by two young boys who disappeared a short time later. Attempting to determine the reason for their disappearance and whether they were safe became another priority. The lack of cooperation from some members of the victim’s family made
parts of the investigation difficult and revealed they were a splintered and secretive group. When all was said and done, I was amazed by the ways an attempt to help someone can go awry, ruining many lives.
 
Did anything make this case hard to solve? 
Two words sum it up:  loyalties and fear. The victim’s family was torn by conflicting
loyalties. Those loyalties were long-standing and divisive. In addition, poor   communication meant family members were afraid of implicating each other and  themselves. Fear also dictated the actions of others critical to solving the case. This fear wore many faces: the rejection of one’s cohort, the retribution of a parent or an employer, and betrayal to name just a few. Interestingly enough, each time fear was a factor, loyalty was always a part of that equation.
 
Did anyone outside of the police department help you solve this case? 
The two boys who reported the body and a homeless man were key. Although I’m not in a position to discuss the boys, gaining the trust and cooperation of the homeless man was  essential. Also, out of necessity, I solicited the cooperation of another police department. The cop with whom I worked was a real team player.
 
Has this case affected your personal life in any way? 
During this investigation, I gained a glimpse into and appreciation for both the plight of   the homeless and the absurdity of the stereotypes attributed to this group. It’s now impossible for me, as a regular citizen, to ignore a request for help from one of these people. I’m enough of a realist to know that the money doesn’t always go for the stated purpose. Whenever possible, I provide for the stated need in lieu of cash.
 
Anything else? 
We all assume things, and we often act on those assumptions. This case provided an excellent example of the tragedy that can result. Several people acted on assumptions they either failed to verify or were afraid to verify. They went off half-cocked and made
tragic mistakes—and the tragedy touched many lives. What a waste! I wish I knew of a way to get people to think more and react less. Yes, that includes me.
 
The last thing is more difficult to share. Since my wife’s death, I’ve avoided the opposite sex by hiding behind my job. Having run into a former acquaintance during this   investigation, I feel like I’m ready to pick up and carry on. And I love kids, want some of my own, but I want to do it the traditional way. My job makes my hours irregular and unpredictable, so I think it’s even more important for someone like me to ensure the stability of a traditional life foe my future. 

Pete, we wish you well with future investigations. I'm glad that you are ready to move forward in your personal life.
 
 
S. L. (Sharon) Smith was born in St. Cloud and moved to the Twin Cities after graduating from St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul. For Blinded by the Sight, S. L. drew upon her education in psychology, a career with vast amounts of law enforcement interaction, and her thrill for the investigative hunt. She is a member of the National Writers Union and Sisters in Crime (an organization that supports mystery writers). Blinded by the Sight was released on September 1, 2011 and is available at many St. Paul and Minneapolis bookstores. For more information visit her website www.slsmithbooks.com or email her at slsmithbooks@gmail.com.

8 Comments

    Paula's Coppers

    Interviews with fictional cops and other crime-solving characters

    Archives

    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011

    Categories

    All
    Acclaimed Books
    Aliens
    Book
    California
    Carpetbagger
    Casey Daniels
    Celebrities
    Cemetery
    Cops
    Cop Stories
    Cozy
    Cozy Mystery
    Crime
    Crime Solvers
    Crime-solvers
    Crime Solving
    Crime-solving
    Crim Solvers
    Detective
    Detective Inspector
    Diplomatic Mystery
    Doberman Pinschers
    Dog Mystery
    Drug Detection
    E-books
    Fbi
    Fiction
    Fictional Cops
    Fiddle
    F.M. Meredith
    Foreign Service Officer
    Geocache
    Ghosts
    Ghost Town
    Holli Castillo
    Homeland Security
    Homeless
    Investigations
    Investigator
    Jean Henry Mead
    Jenny Milchman
    J.R. Lindermuth
    J.T. Ellison
    K-9 Units
    Law Enforcement
    Magic
    Marilyn Meredith
    Martial Arts
    Microbrewery
    Minneapolis
    Murder Mystery
    Musician
    Mysteries
    Mystery
    Mystery Missing Child
    Native American
    New Orleans
    Novel
    Oak Tree Press
    Ozarks
    Paranormal Mystery
    Police
    Private Investigator
    Realtor
    Romance
    Royal Canadian Mounted Police
    Shaarleen Johnson
    Smoky Mountains
    Soldier
    Spokane Police Department
    St. Paul
    Suspense
    Teen Idol
    Thriller
    Vampires
    Women
    Women Authors
    Women's Fiction
    Writer
    Writing

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.