Stephen Sandlin

[hostedbyrobertstack]

Just watched this case again and I really couldn't find too many old posts about this segment. It's very annoying and disturbing, especially since he was only 21 yrs. old. I wish there was more info on the net about this case. I did find this link: http://www.odmp.org/officer/11746-pa...hen-a.-sandlin
says he was survived by his son and gf? I didn't know he had a son, that's interesting and I wonder why they didn't mention that, or I just missed it.

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by hostedbyrobertstack

Just watched this case again and I really couldn't find too many old posts about this segment. It's very annoying and disturbing, especially since he was only 21 yrs. old. I wish there was more info on the net about this case. I did find this link: http://www.odmp.org/officer/11746-pa...hen-a.-sandlin
says he was survived by his son and gf? I didn't know he had a son, that's interesting and I wonder why they didn't mention that, or I just missed it.

Yea I recently watched it too. No UM never mentioned he had a son. Interesting and sad. I never bought the theory he was playing with his gun and it went off. I tend to believe he was killed by drug dealers like the informant said. Especially considering the marijuana that was planted in his house after the police searched it. Well if Spike ever airs it, at least they'll let us know if there were ever any arrests in his case.

[kadrmas15]

Well, Steve Sandlin was only 21 at the time so I imagine his son was only an infant at the time or maybe a year or two old at most. It might not have been viewed as politically correct to talk about the child. But I do find that interesting that he did have a child. Yeah, I never bought the theory that he was playing with his gun and that it went off accidently. I dont know, I just have always had the feeling that Chief Carson knew more about this case than what he was telling. I have kicked around the idea that Chief Carson might have even murdered Sandlin, that maybe they got into an argument at the police station and one thing led to another and Carson shot Sandlin. Carson by his own admission got into an argument or as he called it a 'disagreement' with Sandlin just before Sandlin returned alone to the police station. However I tend to think that Carson did not kill Sandlin. However I do think that Carson knows or at least strongly suspects who did kill Sandlin and is playing dumb about it. Clearly someone was uncomfortable with Sandlin doing all the investigating and drug busts he was doing. I mean this was a rookie cop that was getting together some pretty impressive stats in terms of drug busts. I do find it interesting he was murdered the day after he had talked to the New Mexico Attorney's General's office. It leads me to believe someone in the police department was in some way involved in Sandlin's death as how would anyone outside the police department and perhaps Steve's family know he had been talking to the New Mexico Attorney General's office? This case just stinks to high heaven and it goes all the way up to the top. I mean one of the assistant attorney general's that was actually doing his job was fired and another resigned in protest because of the bungling in the case.

[mozartpc27]

This case is unfamiliar. Someone want to give us a synopsis?

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by mozartpc27

This case is unfamiliar. Someone want to give us a synopsis?

I'm going from memory but he was a rookie cop at the Mountainair, New Mexico police department. I believe he was found shot dead at the police station. Soon after the police finished searching his house a bag of weed was found and most people are convinced it was planted there. An informant had told police after Steve was killed he was told a cop was going down. His memorial page said it is believed he was killed as retaliation for a large narcotics arrest he made 2 days earlier.

[hostedbyrobertstack]

I don't know if anyone read the reflection page, but quite a few people wrote about him..including his brother.

[Obi Wan]

Originally Posted by hostedbyrobertstack

I don't know if anyone read the reflection page, but quite a few people wrote about him..including his brother.

Newbie here What is a "Reflection page?"

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by Obi Wan

Newbie here What is a "Reflection page?"

Its a page where people who knew Steve posted about him. If you click on the link the thread starter posted and then look a few inches below Steve's picture and click "view all reflections" it will take you to where you can read them. A little belated but welcome....

[Zlatko]

It's interesting to note that there was a big bag of marijuana found in Steve Sandlin's house. I would think the only people who have access to such things are either drug dealers or police officers involved in drug raids. Maybe one of Steve's fellow officers killed him and put the marijuana in his house to make him look bad. Hmm...

Also, it's worth pondering if there were any connections between drug dealers and the police. Corruption isn't out of the question.

[economistman192]

There has been a lot of talk about police corruption in New Mexico, there was even a website devoted to it, I think called Real Crime. Whenever I see New Mexico and police department, I think there may be something involving a cover-up.

[DarkDante]

Originally Posted by economistman192

There has been a lot of talk about police corruption in New Mexico, there was even a website devoted to it, I think called Real Crime. Whenever I see New Mexico and police department, I think there may be something involving a cover-up.

Maybe but this case is one of a handful that UM profiled where they just didn't give the viewer enough information to make a proper determination as to what happened.

[TheCars1986]

I had no idea they reclassified his death as homicide until reading a recent article where there was a memorial dedicated to Sandlin in Mountainair. This changes the whole complexity of the case, IMO. There's no doubt in my mind he was murdered by a drug dealer (probably the one he pulled over for DUI and later 50 lbs. of marijuana was found at his residence). I see it going down like this:

-Steve was talking to his girlfriend shortly before his murder and she said she heard a lady yelling at him in the background and that Steve said he had to go and it wasn't a big deal. This woman was probably there to create a disturbance that would distract Steve so someone could get the drop on him. I think he was murdered while being distracted by this woman.
-The police either directly or indirectly helped cover his murder up. The chief, Carson, was so smug in his interview about Steve always playing with his gun it makes me think he helped cover it up. Proof of a direct coverup was the bags of marijuana found in Steve's house after his murder. No one else would have had access to the siezed drugs outside of the police department. I can see Carson ordering the planting of the drugs to try to discredit Steve and to make his death look more unhonorable and more like a suicide.

I really hope they find some actual evidence of coverup in this case and had out some indictments. The chief suspect in the case (the man Steve arrestd for DUI) is now dead. He died in 2004 from an overdose.

[Steve W.]

So do you all think that the drug dealer mentioned (or maybe some of his associates as well) that was busted by Steve Sandlin paid-off some of the officers to keep them quiet and help cover up the murder?

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by Steve W.

So do you all think that the drug dealer mentioned (or maybe some of his associates as well) that was busted by Steve Sandlin paid-off some of the officers to keep them quiet and help cover up the murder?

Yeah. That's why the drugs were found in Sandlin's home. Only fellow officers would have had access to them.

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

I had no idea they reclassified his death as homicide until reading a recent article where there was a memorial dedicated to Sandlin in Mountainair. This changes the whole complexity of the case, IMO. There's no doubt in my mind he was murdered by a drug dealer (probably the one he pulled over for DUI and later 50 lbs. of marijuana was found at his residence). I see it going down like this:

-Steve was talking to his girlfriend shortly before his murder and she said she heard a lady yelling at him in the background and that Steve said he had to go and it wasn't a big deal. This woman was probably there to create a disturbance that would distract Steve so someone could get the drop on him. I think he was murdered while being distracted by this woman.
-The police either directly or indirectly helped cover his murder up. The chief, Carson, was so smug in his interview about Steve always playing with his gun it makes me think he helped cover it up. Proof of a direct coverup was the bags of marijuana found in Steve's house after his murder. No one else would have had access to the siezed drugs outside of the police department. I can see Carson ordering the planting of the drugs to try to discredit Steve and to make his death look more unhonorable and more like a suicide.

I really hope they find some actual evidence of coverup in this case and had out some indictments. The chief suspect in the case (the man Steve arrestd for DUI) is now dead. He died in 2004 from an overdose.

Like DD mentioned in an earlier post, I never felt there was enough determination in the UM segment to make a good determination on MPD's involvement and/or a definite drug angle. That article was very enlightening--particularly the theme of MPD correcting a wrong, for lack of a better phrase. I also found it interesting that out of the what, three or four remaining officers in that entire department, none of them attended Steve's funeral.

I watched this segment again a few months ago, and got the feeling that the MPD might have suffered from professional complacency (if not worse). A young, fresh, energetic, eager officer like Sandlin reportedly was can be a real irritant to an old guard--and especially one that engages in illegal activities. I wonder if his murder was perpetuated solely by an angry dealer who only afterward involved police in a coverup, or if the department itself planned a scheme because Steve had the potential to air any dirty laundry he might have later stumbled across--that is, was he branded a potential "trouble maker" and targeted solely on that basis by his fellow officers, who might not have been so squeaky clean--or was it indeed retaliation by the "hassled" dealer?