Private investigator says GPD erred in Tyler Smith investigation

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An independent investigator says the Galesburg Police Department mishandled several aspects of their investigation of Tyler Smith, the 23-year-old man found dead in Galesburg’s Cedar Fork in September of 2018.

Smith’s parents held a press conference in Galesburg on Friday with Gia Wright of the Missing Persons Awareness Network and Mitchell Drake.

Drake is a recently retired officer with the East Hazel Crest, Illinois in Cook County, with 35 years experience and 14 years in investigations mainly homicides.

Drake said despite working 170 hours reviewing this case after a police acquaintance asked him to, and receiving no compensation, he thinks Smith was likely dead before being thrown over a railing.

He also says Galesburg Police erred.

“The Galesburg Police Department did not follow establish police practices according to basic crime scene training available, or their own policies of handling a death investigation, both from the discovery of the body and throughout the investigative process,” Drake says.

Among the issues Drake says; no crime scene technician was called to the scene, there was no canvass of the area for witnesses, and no instructions were given to the pathologist to obtained nail scrapings or save Smith’s clothes for evidence.

The investigator also reached the conclusion that members of the GPD were misleading with Smith’s family about what inquires they had completed and leads and tips were not properly followed up on.

Smith’s parents and the MPAN are seeking a second autopsy, x-rays and for the Illinois State Police to investigate the case.

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