Two Toronto cops charged for alleged bungling of Tess Richey search
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TORONTO — Two veteran Toronto cops face charges stemming from an alleged lacklustre search for murder victim Tess Richey when she was initially reported missing last year.
The 22-year-old woman’s body was ultimately found by her mother behind a downtown building that was under renovation — about 40 metres from where an address the officers visited three days earlier.
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Richey was reported missing to Toronto Police by her family on Nov. 25, 2017, when they couldn’t reach her after she spent a night out at a bar with a friend.
A Notice of Hearing states Const. Michael Jones and Const. Alan McCullough, of 51 Division, received a radio call dispatching them to check out an address near Church and Wellesley Sts.
“While on scene, you learned that this location was the last known location where T.R. had been seen,” the court documents state.
It is alleged the officers “did not search the adjoining property or immediate area thoroughly” and they “did not conduct a canvass any of the neighbours.”
It is also alleged they “failed to notify a supervisory officer of all of the particulars.”
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In the ensuing days, friends and family — including Richey’s mom — travelled from her hometown of North Bay to distribute missing person posters and conduct their own search of the area.
Richey’s mother and a family friend found her dead on Nov. 29 in a stairwell near Church and Dundonald Sts. — two houses away from the address the officers responded to three days earlier.
Investigators at first believed Richey had taken a fatal fall down the stairs and deemed her death not suspicious.
It was only ruled a homicide after an autopsy was conducted and determined she died of “neck compression.”
On Dec. 5, police confirmed the Professional Standards Unit was conducting an internal investigation into the handling of the case.
Kalen Schlatter, 21, of Toronto, was arrested Feb. 4 and later charged with first-degree murder.
Police confirmed Tuesday that Jones, a member of the service for 20 years, and McCullough, a member for 16 years, face charges for alleged misconduct and neglect of duty under the Police Services Act.
However, their charges have been adjourned pending the resolution of the homicide case.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Police Association is defending the accused officers, maintaining they did nothing wrong.
“It was horrendous how she was found and the officers are devastated by it,” TPA President Mike McCormack said Tuesday.
He said the officers, who he described as “long-serving members” and “great guys,” are also “devastated” to find themselves facing internal charges.
“They did what was required for a check address call,” McCormack maintains. “Now they’re before a tribunal and we’re trying to figure out why.”
He claims the address was not Richey’s last known location but he was unable to elaborate.
However, sources say it may have been an address on Dundonald St. where Richey lived before moving to Scarborough.
“We believe this is a training issue,” McCormack said, adding he supports the service’s review of how missing person cases are handled, which was ordered by Chief Mark Saunders late last year.
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