A Manhunt, Tragedy and $1.4 Million: Who Should Get The Dorner Reward Money?
Unless you have been in sequester and prohibited from the use of any and all electronics and social media, the name Christopher Dorner should ring a bell. If, for whatever reason, you aren’t familiar – let me fill you in. Dorner, a former member of the LAPD, who was dismissed in 2008 on a charge of making false statements, led police on a ten-day manhunt after being identified as the suspect in the murder of a couple in Irvine, CA, one being the daughter of the man who represented Dorner in the disciplinary hearings that resulted in his dismissal.
Dorner is accused of killing four people in a spree that began on February 3rd and ended on the 12th, after the remains of a body, that has since been determined to be Dorner’s, with a single gunshot wound to the head was found in the burned cabin in the San Bernardino Mountains, where Dorner is believed to have engaged in a shootout with officers.
A number of sources, including the Los Angeles City Council, The County Board of Supervisors, and Riverside City Council contributed funds toward a reward in return for information leading to Dorner’s capture. At the time of his death, the reward money was at an extraordinary $1.4 million.
The question now is: Who gets that money?
On the 14th, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck issues a statement regarding the reward money:
Just the following day it was revealed that a “legal loophole” could prevent any of those 20 jurisdictions and entities from claiming the reward because Dorner died, and was not captured.
In an email to ABC News, Frank T. Mateljan, spokesman for the Los Angeles city attorney said, “Arguably, city law is broad enough to allow payment to persons who assisted in the ‘identification, apprehension OR arrest and conviction” of a suspect. As it stands, the reward is still on the table, though no one has yet stepped forward to claim any of it – the LAPD does, however, report a number of inquires about the reward. If it is determined that the city will honor the reward, one must follow the procedural steps to do so, applying first in writing and being subject to a review by both the LAPD robbery and homicide division and the city council.
Among those who are thought to be eligible for the reward – either personally or via the court of public opinion – are Rick Heltebrake, who Dorner allegedly carjacked on the 12th, Karen and Jim Reynolds, the couple who Dorner held in their Big Bear-condo before encountering Heltebrake, and the murder victims’ families.
What do you think? Who should get the reward, if anyone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Featured image via The Telegraph
