The Last Palm Tree

Going on vacation

2008-04-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I'm going to take a break from writing for a while. I'll be back soon with more photos. I'm contemplating moving out of LA after reading this.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hXeKaSsdfKGgsWuAvev198ypDSIg

You guys have my email so keep in touch.

Best,
Mike

treated photos

2008-04-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

Crystal sent me these photos. They are of a local LA fire station I believe. Anyone know what fire station #? Looks like she treated them with a nightvision green.

New post

2008-04-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

We still have a lot of digging to do to find out what happened. Here is Eric's latest:

new photos

2008-04-09T23:32:00.001-07:00

hey guys,

I know it's late but want to write down a quick update. Looks like Eric has almost pieced this thing together. But he's had your help.

You guys have been amazing over the last month especially with finding the location of that apartment. I commend everyone who has participated. You are all respectable detectives in my book.

Someone sent me some really cool photos. I am going to post them tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Also, that anagram in Russell's video?

Ugo.com April 10th 2008. Thanks Kevin for the email. I think you cracked it.

M

New video from Eric

2008-04-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

New Photos

2008-04-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you to reader Derek who found the building where the incident took place using Google Street View. Great job Derek! When I walked to this address there was debris in the street and the second floor had a discoloration on the exterior.

Here are a couple of shots I too around the building and in the neighborhood. So sad that the Ambassador is gone.

Explore LA

2008-04-05T09:03:00.001-07:00

Are there any readers who live in LA? I'm going to go exploring for more apartments this weekend. Let me know who is around.

More photos

2008-04-03T14:31:00.001-07:00

So I'm still trying to find the exact address of where the incident took place. I sent Eric some suggestions. I received some more photos from you guys. Thank you again for your effort. Please send anything else you find.

Mike

New videos

2008-04-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

video from Russell

2008-04-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Russell gave me a piece of cell phone video. It shows you how upset he is and how nonresponsive the police have been. I actually have to side with the police on this, from my experience it takes time to find a missing person. Go back to and read by blog about what a typical missing persons case entails.

Anyways, I am going to send Eric this video to upload on his channel. Stay tunned.

Mike

Russell

2008-04-01T09:44:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone,

So I'm going to meet a man named Russell today for a late lunch. Russell says his brother has been missing since early March. I'll get his story and see how it connects to Eric's shooting video.

In the meantime, I got some interesting photos from Jason, a loyal reader. The first photo looks to be Southwest University on Wilshire. I actually almost went back to school there. That's near the Brown Derby that burned down mysteriously in 1988. I used to work that Wilshire beat so I know the area well.

Please guys, send in any other photos you have.

Mike

Black mold

2008-03-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, major bummer this weekend. Couldn't get out to take any photos because I had to deal with some black mold growing in my bathroom. As you can see from the photo it's nasty stuff. I did get word from a friend that there's some guy making noise around town about his missing brother, a fire fighter, who went MIA the night of the 1017 video.

My friend and I are going to meet up this week. I'll see if I can get more details. In the meantime, does anyone know any mold or home inspection specialists?

Thanks guys.

Mike

Another photo

2008-03-28T18:43:00.001-07:00

Thank you Big Edwin for sending in this photo. Looks like it could be the apartment, but it is a little blurry. Anyone else have any other photos to share?

Another photo

2008-03-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you Jay for sending me this photo. It looks similar to the building in the shooting but I need more concrete evidence. My FlickR account is almost full. Can you guys send me more photos of where you think this took place?

Eric posted new videos

2008-03-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

Photos

2008-03-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

People have submitted photos, but they look to be my own.I don't think the shooting happened at City Hall. Looks to be more of a residential neighborhood.

I'm looking for additional photos you may have of Los Angeles where the shooting could have taken place.

Mary M, I noticed you left a comment to check if there are any fire fighters or other police officers who went missing the same night. I actually have been snooping around but haven't gotten anywhere yet. Thanks for the suggestion.

Tuesday

2008-03-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I'm thinking about heading downtown again this week. Maybe take some pictures of neighborhoods where the shooting could have taken place. If anyone has any photos they want me to post on the blog, feel free to email me at excopmike@gmail.com

Laura called this AM to thank me again for posting her message. She is dedicated to finding out what happened that night.

M

The recording

2008-03-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

Here is what I was talking about earlier. Blogger Help suggested that I upload Laura's message to this site called imeem and then I could play here on my blog. Again, Laura wanted me to post this. She wants more people to help. She is grateful to all of you who have been searching for answers. Click below to listen. She's desperate.

Photos from last weekend

2008-03-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

So I know some of you asked me last month what goes into a missing person case. I can't tell you anything from my career, but case 1017 might be a good examination for you. I took a step back over the weekend to go over everything I know.

I want to post a piece of audio from Laura. It's a message she left last week. It will give you insight into how traumatic a missing person case can be. Hey, you said you wanted to hear the details. Laura was fine with me posting and she has been grateful for all your interest in the case as well.

While I figure out how to upload this audio please check out some of my most recent photos from downtown. They are now on my Flickr.

M

Comments

2008-03-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you to those who are reaching out to help find out what happened to Laura's husband. I'm running some errands downtown today. I might poke my head in my old haunt to see if anyone knows anything about what happened on March 11th.

I'll keep you posted.

Best,
M

case 1017

2008-03-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I saw Laura's comment below. I'm going to follow up with her. I saw something today on YouTube, I'm not sure if this is real or not, but I would like to help this kid figure out what happened. See if I can ask around, maybe gather info.

looking for a new toy

2008-03-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I'm finally feeling close to 100 percent. I was able to recharge the last couple days and drink plenty of tea.

I went shopping today at Whole Foods, man they have a great selection. I also stopped by the local electronics store and looked at the TVs. I'm so lame but I don't own an HD tv. But I'm going to buy one before March Madness.

Anyone have any good suggestions or coupons?

Thanks,
M

Feeling better

2008-03-10T14:51:00.001-07:00

Hey Blog World,

I came down with a nasty flu last week. Had some of the worst shivers up and down my body. Could not get warm to save my life. Luckily, the bug only last about 24 hours.

Feeling much better now and I actually got out yesterday to snap some photos. Check out my new adds on Flickr! I'm really happy with how they turned out.

Hope everyone is enjoying their week. One thing that's great about being retired - I don't dread Mondays the way I used to!

M

Off the juice!

2008-03-04T11:09:00.001-08:00

Day two of resisting carbs - and I'm doing pretty well I must say.

Anyone get a chance to check out some of my new photos on Flickr?

Hope everyone out there is having a great Tuesday.

Wish me luck on my diet!

M

Ten in a row!

2008-02-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

How about the Lakers! 10 wins in a row! Can't wait until Bynum gets back.

I owe you guys more Palm Tree photos. Should have time to upload some this weekend.

Best,
M

More photos

2008-02-25T15:38:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, hope you had a nice weekend. I took some more photos in LA. I will try to upload to Flickr today. My wireless has been acting up. Unfortunately I'm not so patient with technology.... hope to have them up by tonight.

M

Palm trees 1

2008-02-19T21:41:00.001-08:00

Palm trees 1
Originally uploaded by mdavidson47

My latest photo from Crenshaw Blvd.

Last Palm Tree on Flickr.com

2008-02-19T21:11:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone, I took a friend's advice and uploaded some of my palm tree photos to Flickr. Check them out here:

www.Flickr.com/photos/LastPalmTree

Add me as a contact if you're on that site.

Thanks,

Kobe playing through the pain

2008-02-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of respect for #24 and how he'll play through the pain the rest of the season. I can't wait to see what these Lakers look like when they get Andrew Bynum back.

Also, have you guys seen that Kareem started a blog? Very cool. I've added to my favorites.

Have a great three day weekend everyone. Stay safe!

Mike

I finally have some questions!

2008-02-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

I’ve finally got some questions!

Unfortunately, I cannot give you examples of real life missing-person reports but I can tell you the normal process. Someone, usually a friend or relative, submits a form with their local police. This document informs authorities how long the person or persons have been missing.

Last year, nearly a million missing-person cases were reported to the FBI. Local police have to take each call from frantic families or friends seriously. Most people do turn up and are not victims of foul play or alien abduction. When I worked in the department we would find people almost as often as they went missing. Nevertheless, most people think the police and FBI have nothing else to do but look for their wife or husband who’s probably on a drug runner, or an alcohol toot.

Figuring out how to proceed in a missing-persons case where there is no body dump can be tough. Please note that we take every case seriously and have sympathy for the families of missing loved ones. Even though when hear us talk about it you would think we sound like a bunch of assholes.

We know every missing person is a life. But understand we do have limited resources. We also know from experience that even though the stats are not comforting, most people do show up. Usually sadder but wiser.

In all my experience on the force I have had hundreds if not thousands of missing-persons cases. But the good news is that only a small handful turned out to be victims of foul play. Now I’m a little reluctant to delve into details of the really horrible cases because I do not want to relive the anguish those families had to endure. Maybe one day I’ll sit down and change all the names. I always wanted to write a book about my job. For now my blog will have to do.

Okay guys, I’m taking the afternoon off to get a check up and take my dog Tyler in for her flu shot. Or maybe it’s the other way around. I can’t believe I did all the stuff life requires when I still had a job.

Keep the questions coming!

Pedestrian Killed By Bus in Downtown L.A.

2008-02-05T11:07:00.000-08:00

Pedestrian killed by bus in downtown L.A.

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 7:32 AM PST, February 5, 2008

A Los Angeles city bus struck and killed a woman who was walking downtown this morning, fire officials said.The woman was crossing the street in the 400 block of Los Angeles Street near Arcadia Street about 5:30 a.m. when a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus that was turning struck her, said Los Angeles City Fire Department spokeswoman d'Lisa Davies.The woman was pinned under a front wheel of the bus, Davies said, and had to be pried out using tools and airbags. She died at the scene, Davies said.The woman's name had not been released this morning, Davies said. Los Angeles police, who are handling the investigation, did not have information this morning concerning the crash.

There is a traffic light at the intersection of Arcadia and Los Angeles streets, but Davies said it was not clear whether the woman was crossing at the light.Several other passengers were on the bus at the time of the crash, but none were injured, she said.Investigators with the Los Angeles Police, L.A. County Sheriff's Office, MTA and the Department of Transportation shut down Los Angeles Street near Arcadia as well as the nearby exit and entrance to the 101 Freeway this morning while they investigated the crash.

Sad story in today's LA Times

2008-02-04T09:25:00.000-08:00

Man found dead after calling friends to report being chased

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 8:09 AM PST, February 4, 2008

A Lake Los Angeles man who had called friends to say he was being chased was found fatally wounded Sunday afternoon, authorities said today.Friends and paramedics found Jeremy Mancera, 19, in the back seat of his car with gunshot wounds to his upper body at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the 41700 block of 170th Street East, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Ed Hernandez. Mancera had told his friends he was being chased by three men in a brown truck, Hernandez said. Paramedics took him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead soon after, Hernandez said. Investigators have not arrested any suspects in connection with the shooting or recovered any weapons, he said.

Enjoying My Free Time

2008-01-28T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I really enjoy my time off from the force. Turns out they have free WIFI at the coffee shop down the block. I can kick back and blog from the comforts of a back booth. Plus, I’ve got a perfect view of the TV to catch up on the Lakers. Hell, I might even watch the Clippers.

I also can keep up to date on the news. I’m relived I’m not spending my time working some of these bizarre cases.

Although I do miss trying to solve the mystery of some of the weird cases. They’re always full of surprise. Like my old friend on the force used to say, “You never know.”

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2008/01/27/hot_tub_not_so_hot_hiding_spot/3803/

http://www.davesdaily.com/out.php?id=36943&url=http%3A%2F%2Fapnews.myway.com%2Farticle%2F20080124%2FD8UBUR400.html

http://www.thatsweird.net/news48.shtml

http://www.davesdaily.com/out.php?id=36980&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.yahoo.com%2Fs%2Fnm%2F20080125%2Fod_nm%2Fspain_driver1_dc%3B_ylt%3DAkY6w9ykqStG5qb9VJvhp4gSH9EA

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23102177-5012895,00.html

http://www.davesdaily.com/out.php?id=37031&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ananova.com%2Fnews%2Fstory%2Fsm_2701789.html%3Fmenu%3Dnews.quirkies

Hope everyone is enjoying the New Year as much as I am.

Police Slang

2008-01-24T18:04:00.000-08:00

A reader of my last entry asked if we use police slang. Sure do. Here’s a few I picked up over the years.

Acute Lead Poisoning – Gunshot wound

AQR – Ain’t Quite Right

Blood suckers – those who take blood samples, ie lab techs

CLL – chronic low life

CRAFT – can’t remember a f*cking thing. “Our witness has developed a bad case of CRAFT.”

Coffin Dodger – A cop who’s served as long as I did and lived to tell the tales.

DFO – Drunk and fell over

TOMB TOWN - The Morgue

We have a bunch about found bodies.

DRT – Dead Right There (victim dead at the scene of a crime)

FDSTW – Found dead, stayed that way.

PNF – Pulse not found.

LI – Living impaired.

Remembering "Betty"

2008-01-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

Well it's January 14th again and most people might not realize it's the 61st anniversary of the discovery of Elizabeth Short's mutilated body on Norton Ave and 39th street.

Before Elizabeth Short became the ultimate symbol of 40's L.A. Noir as the Black Dahlia she was simply known as Betty by her mom and sister. I like to think of Betty on this day as a young woman full of life rather than the image of the Dahlia cut in half in a vacant south L.A. field.

There have already been too many books written detailing the murder with theories ranging from mob bosses to film directors as the brutal killer. I say today we focus on the happiness; the smiling girl in the photos in Miami and Melford, MA. Not the slashed mouth of a kid led astray chasing the Hollywood dream.

During my fifteen plus years on the force I found myself visiting her last haunts on the anniversary of that gruesome discovery. While the case is technically still "open" I imagine we will never learn exactly what happened during that missing week of her life. Too much time has passed.

From what I've heard on the inside the L.A.P.D. of the 40's did a botch job on the crime scene. They let cops and photographers step all over the murder site damaging any additional evidence (shoe prints, tire tracks) that could have aided the investigation. But maybe that's exactly what the L.A.P.D hierarchy of the day wanted.

She was last seen alive leaving the Biltmore Hotel in downtown before she disappeared into the night. Betty, our thoughts and prayers are still with you.

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a nice Holiday break. I enjoyed Christmas with the family and had a very relaxing New Year's Eve.

I read back in October that the flu shot might not work as well this season, but now I'm kicking myself for not getting one. I'm almost over a bad case of the stomach flu - or maybe it was food poisoning. I hear something is going around that you catch at public dining places. My friend Patrick told me it's just the old fashioned stomach flu, also called the norovirus.

Anyways, I'm feeling much better now and hope to get some questions on this blog. I saw someone posted a comment on my first entry stating "once a pig always a pig." Well I agree that many cops are corruptable but I worked with good men and women during my tenure. A bad seed can ruin the bunch, no matter what profession.

I hope to do more writing in the New Year once I feel better. I'm off to the TV room to rest and eat saltine crackers.

Hope everyone the best in '08.

Mike

Welcome to The Last Palm Tree

2007-12-19T17:18:00.000-08:00

Hey blogspot world. Welcome to The Last Palm Tree. My name is Mike and I’m new to blogging. I’m recently retired and looking to write down some of the interesting things I’m finding out there on the web. I live in Los Angeles and love this town. But I'm sad to see more and more palm trees disappear each year from fungal disease. Why I titled my blog The Last Palm Tree, as an homage to that southern California icon.

Here's a shot I took last year at the Day of the Dead Festival at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary.

I’m an ex-cop, retired missing persons detective to be specific. I spent the last fifteen years of my life helping others. My goal for this blog is to continue to help people by answering your questions and examing current cases in the news.

If anyone has questions on how cops handle certain situations feel free to post away in the comment section. If there are any cases you want to discuss let me know. I still have some friends on the force so I may have some pull for inside information.

My former employers were kind enough to get my this fancy laptop. They were going to get me a gold watch but I guess this computer was their way of saying I need to catch up with the digital age.

I’m okay with some stuff like inserting photos as you can see above but I have a lot to learn about blogging. I've lived an analogue lifestyle but now I have to learn to survive in this digital jungle. Hopefully some of you can help me along the way with technical tips.

Let me know if you have any questions for an ex-cop.

Thanks for reading.