Question for Leo?

[Dirtebiker]

I'm in Michigan right now for the funeral of my cousin who died inside his house. My uncle (not a gun guy) has no idea what they took or WHY! But said the police took my cousins guns out of the house.
First, why would they do that?
Second, shouldn't they have given my uncle a receipt for anything taken out of the house?

Can anyone tell me why the police would take personal belongings out of the house?
Any insight at all?

In case it matters, he did have a roommate.

 

[GBuck]

Send HandK a PM. He may be able to help.

 

[Simon6101]

Depends

If the police were called to the house for a Welfare check and found your relative dead then they would remove the guns if no other relative was on the scene.
They can not leave the weapons in a residence after a death. If your Uncle was present they will usually turn the firearms over to them. Are you sure your Uncle didn't tell them to remove them being that you stated he is not a gun person?

 

[Dirtebiker]

Uncle was not there at the time, just the roommate.


Thanks Greg,I'll do that.

 

[daddymikey1975]

how did he pass away?

why were the police called?

Are there other details to the story that might help us answer your question?

 

[Liberty Sanders]

Dirtebiker,

It is common procedure for the police to remove valuable, easily transportable items from the home of a person that has died alone. I performed this duty many times during my LEO career.

This prevents theft after the person's death, and also prevents removal by greedy relatives who may not be entitled to the property.

Any items that were removed are now part of your cousin's estate and will be assigned either by his will, or by a probate court if he died intestate.

No receipt is issued because usually there's no one to give one to.

There is nothing unusual or sinister about the police doing this.

 

[PGRChaplain]

They will all be documented in the Incident Report. Prayers and Condolences on the family loss.

 

[EvilBlackGun]

Yeah ....

... and whistle Dixie again for us, all you honest Michigan LEOs. Nope, I wasn't there. Nor were you. EBG

 

[Dirtebiker]

how did he pass away?

why were the police called?

Are there other details to the story that might help us answer your question?

Heart attack. The roommate called 911 when he found my cousin in the morning.

Dirtebiker,

It is common procedure for the police to remove valuable, easily transportable items from the home of a person that has died alone. I performed this duty many times during my LEO career.

This prevents theft after the person's death, and also prevents removal by greedy relatives who may not be entitled to the property.

Any items that were removed are now part of your cousin's estate and will be assigned either by his will, or by a probate court if he died intestate.

No receipt is issued because usually there's no one to give one to.

There is nothing unusual or sinister about the police doing this.

I didn't think there was anything "sinister" here, just thought it unusual! I guess your comment about valuables would make sense if they would have taken other items too! But just guns!? And not just the one that would have been out as his home defense weapon.
And like I said, I just assume that they would have to issue some sort of receipt or inventory, otherwise how is everything accounted for?

They will all be documented in the Incident Report. Prayers and Condolences on the family loss.

Thank you very much PGRChaplain!

... and whistle Dixie again for us, all you honest Michigan LEOs. Nope, I wasn't there. Nor were you. EBG

????? Huh?

 

[eatsnopaste]

Michigan City is part of the State of Indiana last I checked.

 

[Liberty Sanders]

Heart attack. The roommate called 911 when he found my cousin in the morning.



I didn't think there was anything "sinister" here, just thought it unusual! I guess your comment about valuables would make sense if they would have taken other items too! But just guns!? And not just the one that would have been out as his home defense weapon.
And like I said, I just assume that they would have to issue some sort of receipt or inventory, otherwise how is everything accounted for?



Thank you very much PGRChaplain!



????? Huh?

Dirt, we usually took all guns laying around loose (we didn't remove or try to enter safes), cash (Depression-era folks often had tens of thousands in cash around), valuable jewelry, the deceased's wallet with his ID and credit cards, and negotiable items such as checkbooks.

I can't account for the taking of a single gun and leaving others.

There's an accounting somewhere, either at the coroner's office or the property room of the PD...procedures vary by jurisdiction. It is entirely possible that they took possession of items of which you are not yet aware.

 

[Dirtebiker]

Dirt, we usually took all guns laying around loose (we didn't remove or try to enter safes), cash (Depression-era folks often had tens of thousands in cash around), valuable jewelry, the deceased's wallet with his ID and credit cards, and negotiable items such as checkbooks.

I can't account for the taking of a single gun and leaving others.

There's an accounting somewhere, either at the coroner's office or the property room of the PD...procedures vary by jurisdiction. It is entirely possible that they took possession of items of which you are not yet aware.

All I know right now is, they took "guns". I don't know how many.

And to top it all off, my cousins car is missing from his driveway. WTH?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

All I know right now is, they took "guns". I don't know how many.

And to top it all off, my cousins car is missing from his driveway. WTH?

Sounds like there's a lot more to the story.

 

[Hawkeye]

Michigan City is part of the State of Indiana last I checked.

OK. And your point is? I didn't see Michigan City mentioned as the location. Funeral is in Michigan. Presumably that is where the deceased was living?

 

[Dirtebiker]

OK. And your point is? I didn't see Michigan City mentioned as the location. Funeral is in Michigan. Presumably that is where the deceased was living?

Yeah, I don't know where that came from. He was a Michigan resident living and died in Michigan.

 

[Dirtebiker]

Sounds like there's a lot more to the story.

I agree, I think there is more to the story than what I'm getting.

 

[Liberty Sanders]

All I know right now is, they took "guns". I don't know how many.

And to top it all off, my cousins car is missing from his driveway. WTH?

Dirt, you got me on this one...we occasionally towed cars for "safekeeping" (driver had a heart attack while driving, etc. so we tow his car to be released later) but never took one from a decedent's home.

Is his death in any way suspicious?

 

[Dirtebiker]

Dirt, you got me on this one...we occasionally towed cars for "safekeeping" (driver had a heart attack while driving, etc. so we tow his car to be released later) but never took one from a decedent's home.

Is his death in any way suspicious?

Not that I know of.
And my uncle said that he had the only extra key to the car and took my cousins keys with him when he left the house. As far as we know, it was stolen.(it is, after all, Pontiac Mi.)

 

[GunSlinger]

Sorry for your loss Dirtbiker. Our prayers are with you and your family.

 

[Dirtebiker]

Sorry for your loss Dirtbiker. Our prayers are with you and your family.

Thank you GunSlinger! His death came just a couple weeks after his mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Very hard time for this family!