SOUTH JERSEY

Detectives are back on the (cold) case

Andy McNeil
Courier-Post

After more than four decades putting killers behind bars, retiree Marty Devlin isn't ready to hang up his detective hat for good.

"My goal is to be the oldest (expletive) to ever lock up a murderer," the 69-year-old recently said.

Devlin has a shot at his gritty aspiration thanks to his role on a new Camden County police squad aimed solely at investigating unsolved homicides.

The hard-boiled veteran is joined by Joe Forte, a fellow retired Camden County Prosecutor's Office investigator, and two seasoned Camden County police detectives.

The squad is the first since a shortlived cold case task force was shut down by city police layoffs a few years ago, according to law enforcement officials. A similar effort led by the prosecutor's office also quickly fizzled in the 1990s.

Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson insists this time will be different.

"Previous efforts to create a cold case squad were unsuccessful because of personalities, work rules, contracts (and) resources," he explained. "Law enforcement agencies can be very territorial.

"Fortunately, the collective group of police leaders at (the Camden County Crime Commission) prioritize public safety and managed through the traditional roadblocks."

The squad is currently digging into 10 homicide cases spanning from 2010 to 2013 selected by the prosecutor's office and department brass.

"An unsolved homicide means a killer is still at large," Thomson said. "History has taught us these sociopaths are the most likely to kill again."

Living legends

Thomson said the force is fortunate to have "living legends" like Devlin and Forte. The chief hopes their experience and work ethic will help set the tone for years to come in the detective bureau.

"It's similar to the Phillies or Sixers having Hall of Famers like Mike Schmidt or Dr. J spending time in the clubhouse," Thomson mused.

Devlin spent 28 years with the Philadelphia Police Department — mostly as a homicide detective — and another 15 years with the Camden County Prosecutor office, where he lead the major crimes unit.

"I truly have been fortunate in my career where, both in Philadelphia and over here, I handled some very, very high-profile cases."

Across the Delaware River, Devlin helped solve the 1988 brutal beating of 4-year-old Barbara Jean Horn. Her naked body was found stuffed in a cardboard box on a curb a few blocks from her Philadelphia home, according to previously published reports..

Her killer, Walter Ogrod, is on death row.

Devlin's first South Jersey assignment was the highly-publicized 1994 murder of Carol Neulander, the wife of a prominent Cherry Hill rabbi. His dogged work led to the eventual conviction of Rabbi Fred Neulander and two hit men.

Devlin was forced to leave his lieutenant's post in 2010, because a state statue says officers must retire by age 65.

Forte, 58, retired around the same time as a captain after a nearly 30-year career with the prosecutors' office and was Devlin's supervisor.

"He would say 'Yes, sir,' and do it his own way," Forte quipped.

The men, now consultants for the force, are working closely with Camden County Police Detectives Bob Chew and Shawn Donlon, who have spent a combined 30 or so years as police in Camden.

Chew, a detective since 2008, worked alongside the prosecutor's office on the 2012 slaying of 6-year-old Dominick Andujar. The boy's alleged killer is currently on trial.

Devlin explained Thomson approached them about starting the squad in April, and a month later it came together.

While Devlin and Forte, as retirees, will have to rely on Chew and Donlon to place suspects under arrest, they'll investigate the cases just as they have for decades.

"There's a fight going on here and I want to be in it," Devlin said.

Changing tide

Camden had more than 125 unsolved homicides from 2010 to 2013, according to Camden County Prosecutor's Office Spokesman Jason Laughlin.

"The past three or four years have been the worst that we've had in a long time," he added.

Camden saw its deadliest year in 2012, with a record-setting 67 homicides. The following year tied 1995 as the second most deadly, with 58 slayings.

That grim pace has slowed this year, with only 18 killings in the first six months.

Laughlin explained the increased volume of cases in recent years made things difficult for investigators. During particularly bloody times, he noted, the homicide unit was getting multiple slayings to investigate in a single week.

"I would say a couple of years ago the advantage was with the bad guys," Devlin said.

"The police department was going through what they were going through," he said of the nearly 170 city police officers eventually laid off due to budget cuts in early 2011.

(That year, the city had 52 homicides, up from 39 in 2010.)

"The prosecutor's office was losing a lot of their top guys, their experienced guys," Devlin recalled. "The bad guys knew it and they took advantage of it."

But Devlin noted the tide has changed.

Officials say the county-run department has ramped up street presence and bolstered its investigative functions since replacing the 141-year-old city force last year.

Thomson has credited much of the progress to the influx of recruits that has brought the force close to its goal of just over 400 officers. He noted Friday shootings are down 35 percent so far this year.

"The momentum has definitely switched back to us," Devlin said.

Cold cases, meanwhile, have their own challenges.

"When you're working a cold case homicide, you're living somebody's life backwards," Devlin explained.

The veteran explained investigators must first pore over crime scene photos and learn as much about the victim as possible before hitting the streets.

The challenge continues as detectives then try to find witnesses who have been "stepped on" numerous times, or worse, may be dead.

"This may be arguably the hardest thing you can do in law enforcement," Devlin said of investigating cold cases.

Yet sometimes the passage of time can be a boon. Devlin pointed out witnesses may be less afraid to speak up once those threatening them have moved away.

He also noted how the technology available to help police solve crimes has changed over the years — from the bulky mobile phones he once considered the greatest invention ever to the city's Eye in the Sky network of surveillance cameras.

Forte said all of the cases their squad handles have been investigated thoroughly by the police department and the prosecutor's office.

"They worked very hard on these cases and sometimes they take it very personal; they don't want to give them up," he allowed.

"But the reality is they can only work so many cases."

Chew noted he and Donlon have noticed the "no snitching" street culture and witness intimidation have plagued homicide investigations over the past few years.

Thomson said many non-fatal shooting victims also are shooting suspects themselves and refuse to cooperate with police.

Chew credited Devlin and Forte for helping him and Donlon get better at gaining the trust of witnesses and victims' family members.

Meanwhile, the squad has so far exceeded Thomson's expectations.

While the men weren't at liberty to discuss ongoing cases, they have filed charges in three aggravated arsons and two aggravated assaults while looking into the cold killings.

Authorities plan to release more information in the days to come.

"The more justice we can give," Thomson insisted, "the more sorrow we can prevent."

Reach Andy McNeil at amcneil@courierpostonline.com or (856) 486-2458. Follow him on Twitter @Andy_McNeil.