At least they caught them. Note the bold print near the bottom, what a load of BS:
2 men charged in slaying of officer
Valley manhunt ends in mobile-home park
David J. Cieslak and Emily Bittner
The Arizona Republic
May. 13, 2005 12:00 AM
Two men have been charged in the shooting death of a veteran Phoenix police officer. They were taken into custody Thursday after an intensive two-day manhunt ended at a quiet retirement community.
The capture of Chris Wilson, 27, and Donald "Donny" Delahanty, 18, brought relief to the officer's grieving family members and police across the Valley, who searched for the men day and night after Tuesday morning's fatal shooting. Officer David Uribe, 48, was shot in the head and neck during a traffic stop, then left to die in the roadway.
Police also believe that a third man was with Wilson and Delahanty in the car Uribe had pulled over, but his involvement in the slaying remained unclear. The man, identified only as "Johnny," turned himself in Thursday afternoon and was being questioned, Phoenix police Lt. Benny Piña said.
"Now we can turn our attention to honoring Dave," said Officer Jeff Pfaffenbach, Uribe's former partner and a close friend of his family. "It was just so unnecessary to take his life . . . . It's just a tragedy."
According to Channel 12 News, Delahanty was charged early Friday morning with first-degree murder, and Wilson was charged with second-degree murder.
Detectives were continuing to interrogate Wilson and the other man but neither had been arrested, said Sgt. Randy Force, a department spokesman.
During questioning late Thursday, Wilson and Delahanty separately admitted they were in the car but both denied shooting Uribe, Piña said.
Police took Wilson and Delahanty into custody at the San Estrella mobile-home park for senior citizens near 67th Avenue and Van Buren Street. Investigators said Wilson bolted through several back yards before a police dog found him hiding under one of the trailers. Delahanty surrendered at the same mobile-home park after a two-hour telephone conversation with detectives and his father, Piña said.
Police were led to the retirement community by Wilson's ex-roommate, Piña said. That man told police he had allowed Wilson and Delahanty to stay at his father's house elsewhere in the Valley on Wednesday and that he had dropped them off at the mobile-home park early Thursday morning. It was unclear who owns the trailer.
Eric Anderson, who lives two doors down from the mobile home where Delahanty was apprehended, said he had seen Delahanty and Wilson around the mobile-home park for the past week or two.
On Wednesday night, Wilson asked Anderson for a cigarette and the men spoke briefly. The next morning, when police showed him pictures of Delahanty and Wilson, Anderson immediately recognized Wilson.
"I didn't put it together until the cops showed me the picture," Anderson said. "I didn't just think it was him. I knew it was him."
Wilson and Delahanty were quickly identified as investigative leads in the death of Uribe, a 22-year veteran patrolman killed Tuesday morning after he stopped a vehicle with stolen license plates at 34th Avenue and Cactus Road. Uribe was a married father of five and stepfather of two. His son, Adam, also works as an officer with Phoenix police.
Pfaffenbach, a longtime colleague who held Uribe's hand as doctors removed his life-support systems Tuesday afternoon, said he was riding in a car with Uribe's family when they received word about the apprehensions.
"They're really glad that there was no other bloodshed," Pfaffenbach said. "Dave would have been grateful for that. He would have been glad that there was no violence."
Police said Wilson's and Delahanty's names surfaced after detectives combed through a maroon Chevrolet Monte Carlo abandoned blocks from the shooting. Evidence found inside the car led them to a Denny's restaurant near 35th Avenue and Bethany Home Road, where they believe Wilson and Delahanty ate with "Johnny" the afternoon before Uribe was killed, Piña said.
Janet Wilson, a friend of Delahanty's, said she believes police targeted the wrong man in Uribe's death. Wilson, who is not related to Chris Wilson, said Delahanty was involved with a tough crowd but is not capable of murder.
"Donny has such a big heart. We can't picture him doing anything like this at all," Janet Wilson said. "He's a good boy. We're shocked about all this, absolutely shocked."
At the retirement community where Wilson and Delahanty were apprehended, dozens of patrol cars and a SWAT team surrounded the otherwise quiet neighborhood as officers searched the complex. Residents said they were unnerved by the commotion and shocked that the men were found in their community.
Terrie Cooperman, who lives across the street from the home where Delahanty surrendered, said she saw heavily armed officers aim their weapons at the home just before he walked out. Fearing stray bullets, she hid behind her refrigerator.
Pete Neisser, 75, said his wife, Linda, was inside their mobile home when the police dog found Wilson beneath it. Neisser said his wife was frightened but police safely evacuated her from the home.
"She was a little upset, but she's doing OK," Neisser said.