Pack93z
  • Pack93z
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15 years ago
This happened not to far from where I live.. so I might have biased opinions on the topic.. but lets just say, I don't think I could just sit there, listening to her call for help and not go looking for this lady.. and that is not criticism on the neighbor, as he was being ordered to stay put.

If he was worried about the River.. cut behind her along the river keeping her cries for help ahead of you with the river to your six.

Couldn't do it, not try to find her.. your thoughts upon the subject..

Original Story 


Family, friends, and even some public officials are demanding answers - after what they claim was a half-hearted search effort for a woman with dementia.

The 70-year old was reported missing by her family on the evening of Monday, March 16th. Her body was discovered the next morning, dead from exposure and hypothermia.

NewsChannel 7 received numerous complaints that the Price County Sheriff didn't seem to take the complaint or the search seriously - so we agreed to take a closer look.

When Deanne Brien didn't return home from a routine walk in the woods with her two dogs, her husband George knew something was wrong. Worried that her dementia may have caused her to get lost - he called the Price County Sheriff's department for help.

For the next 16 hours, the Price County Sheriff lead the search effort for Deanne - but that effort fell tragically short. The 70-year old woman was found dead in the woods later the next morning, her two dogs still at her side.

As Deanne's family grieves, some complain sheriff Wallace Krenzke mishandled the situation by failing to use all the resources available to help find her.

Jeff Peterson, a neighbor of the Briens, first heard a woman was missing on his police scanner. "The first thing that popped into my head was, 'George's wife', he says. Just minutes later, Jeff says he heard a woman in the woods screaming for help. "I could hear help me coming from this direction. I went in the house right away and I called the Sheriff's Department and told them, I can hear the lady screaming, she's straight south from my house."

Peterson says the next two hours were agonizing. He and his wife stood outside, listening to the woman's cries for help, with a deputy who encouraged them to stay put. "I was ready to go and they told me I couldnt go in the woods, that I had to stay home."

According to department records, 4 deputies searched the area, on and off, for the next few hours. Shortly before 11pm, one of them also reported hearing a woman's cries. An ambulance was dispatched to the area, but still, Deanne wasn't found.

Records show help from outside agencies was never requested. In fact, offers from at least two outside agencies, the Iron County Sheriff's Department and Park Falls Fire Department, were turned down by Sheriff Krenzke.

But outside assistance was never requested that night, and Sheriff Krenzke called off the search at 3 in the morning. The woman's cries for help had silenced just hours earlier - before 11pm.

Sheriff Krenzke confirms no more than 6 deputies were responding at any one time. He says he had his reasons for not calling in - or accepting - extra help with the search. At that particular time, there were other mitigating circumstances which I prefer not to go into, he says. I think you'll find that in the reports of the department, and you, of course can read and release what information you choose to."

According to those reports, and a statement released by Krenzke, he had decided that adding people to the search party could scare Deanne further into the woods. "My concerns were that if we brought more people in, the individual would flee across the river, break through the ice and drown, he said. My concerns were for her.

When asked why a woman who is missing and freezing would run, he said because of HIPPA laws, he wouldnt discuss it.

According to deputies' reports and Deannes husband, she suffered from dementia. But friends say the fact she was calling for help should have been a sign she wouldnt hide from searchers.

But Sheriff Krenzke says it wasnt clear to him that she was calling for help. Well there's some confusion as to whether it was the words help, or if it was just hollering, he says.

Peterson disagrees. It was help me, he said. It was crystal clear. My wife, my kids, and myself all stood out there for 2 and a half hours and listened to her."

Deanne's friends say holding back on the search was the wrong decision, especially since she was freezing to death and calling out. They say they dont believe she would run or hide from searchers.

Kreznke says he was also fearful that he could be putting additional searchers in danger - since one of Deannes dogs was part Rottweiler, and there could be coyotes in the woods. When asked if he believed Deannes life was in more immediate danger than searchers that could be threatened by a dog or coyotes, he said, well I think her situation was, I didn't want to push her on the river to break through and drown."

Krenzke says thats the same reason he told his deputies to stop searching the woods at about 3am. Well, we weren't getting any response. And the darkness, he said. I felt that if we put more people in there, that we would chase the individual across the river and she would break through the ice and drown."

Many of Deannes neighbors had no idea she was missing until it was too late. Her body was discovered just a mile south of Petersons home, in the area he had described to deputies.

Neighbors say the tragedy was preventable. Oh yes, said Peterson. If they could have gotten the EMTs or fire department or search and rescue out here at 7:50 when I called, Im sure it would have been a different outcome."

We could have fanned out following the river, 20 feet apart from each other, and we could have found her, said Tony Kovarik. Especially if you hear the person yelling for help."

I just cant get it through my head that they would hear her call and not come out and send people out to look, said Bertha Herbst, another neighbor.

But Sheriff Krenzke believes the situation was handled the best it could be. When asked if he could do anything differently; if he could do it all over, he replied, Not that I can see."

Price County's Emergency Management Director, Jeff Hein, recently wrote a letter to the local newspaper, the Phillips Bee. He calls the search for Deanne Brien an utter failure, and blames the Sheriff's errors in judgment for her death.

He has been openly critical of what he sees as the Sheriff's ongoing refusal to offer or accept help from other agencies in regards to this and other situations in the past. His letter, the Sheriffs response to criticism, and Sheriffs Department Reports can be found linked to above.




Town Hall Meeting.. 


Price County Sheriff Wallace Krenzke was invited to a public forum at the Eisenstein Town Hall Monday to answer citizens' questions about the failed search for 70-year-old Deanne Brien.

The Sheriff didn't show up for that forum, but sent a press release, saying he had asked the Department of Justice to review his department's actions. That press release can be found linked to above.

Sheriffs Department reports say Krenzke refused outside help in the search, and called deputies off the search just hours after a voice could be heard crying for help. Deanne, who had dementia, was found frozen to death the next morning.

The Sheriff has said the search was handled properly, and he wouldnt do it differently.

At Mondays forum, more than 200 signatures were gathered requesting a recall election, in an attempt to strip Krenzke of his position as sheriff. Deanne's widower, George Brien, says hes glad to see support from his community, and he hopes action against the Sheriff goes father than a recall. I'm going to make sure that he's never in law enforcement anywhere else, said Brien. And if possible, Im going to make sure he's prosecuted. I'm going to follow it as far as I possibly can."

The Department of Justice confirmed they were conducting an investigation, but wouldn't comment on how long their investigation could take, or what action could result.

According to State statute, a sheriff can be removed from office by the Governor if just cause if found.


"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
zombieslayer
15 years ago
Well, I'm not too crazy about law enforcement to begin with, but prejudices aside, this is what really bothered me:


Peterson says the next two hours were agonizing. He and his wife stood outside, listening to the woman's cries for help, with a deputy who encouraged them to stay put. "I was ready to go and they told me I couldnt go in the woods, that I had to stay home."



WTF? I'm sure Peterson knew the woods (his back yard) better than those ass clowns. As he heard her, he would have had the best shot to find her.

This is one thing I really hate about law enforcement to begin with - they have this attitude that they're the ONLY ones who know what's up. This is just another reminder of their elitist attitude that gets people killed.

My heart goes out to Mr. Brien.
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Zero2Cool
15 years ago
I guess I'm not understanding. I thought the police were paid money out of our taxes to server and protect and I'm failing to see how that was accomplished.

If that guy wanted to search for them and the police were concerned of coyotes or the dog or whatever, was that guy aware of it? If so, let him go. We always want citizens to step up and help one another. Do onto others as you want done onto you right?
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vegOmatic
15 years ago
I didn't see anything in the article that states the sheriff didn't respond or delayed responding. If you read between the lines it reads like the sheriff is at fault for not deploying the National Guard or to that effect.

The sheriff was also right for not appearing at a hearing which was nothing short of a media lynching.

Bottom line: Not enough information. The article has absolutely nothing in it that describes any actual lack of effort or protocol on the part of the sheriff.

If the woman has dementia then why is the family allowing her into the woods by herself in the first place? You want to blame the sheriff for that?
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Pack93z
  • Pack93z
  • Select Member Topic Starter
15 years ago



If the woman has dementia then why is the family allowing her into the woods by herself in the first place? You want to blame the sheriff for that?

"vegOmatic" wrote:



That part I agree with.. I pondered the same thing myself.

As far as the Sheriff's efforts... why not utilize help that is willing and able to assist? Worried about the River.. like I said, when she was hollering.. you could easily flank the river and work your way back to her..

My issue is that he had people and departments that were willing to assist and he won't even allow them to join the search.. much less gather alternative ideas on how to locate this person in cold weather and avoid his fears of the river.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
Trippster
15 years ago
I thought a badge made you smart? Guess not.


What an idiot.

And what is the husband doing letting his wife (with dementia) out in the woods unescorted??
"Let Your Light Shine!"
zombieslayer
15 years ago

I thought a badge made you smart? Guess not.


What an idiot.

And what is the husband doing letting his wife (with dementia) out in the woods unescorted??

"Trippster" wrote:



Not exactly. She had 2 dogs. I'd take a dog out in the woods with me over a human any day of the week.

Even after she was dead, those 2 dogs were with her, by her side.

Veg - Where it said not enough info, the beef I had was they told Peterson to stay put. That's what got her killed.
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longtimefan
15 years ago

I thought a badge made you smart? Guess not.


What an idiot.

And what is the husband doing letting his wife (with dementia) out in the woods unescorted??

"zombieslayer" wrote:



Not exactly. She had 2 dogs. I'd take a dog out in the woods with me over a human any day of the week.

Even after she was dead, those 2 dogs were with her, by her side.

Veg - Where it said not enough info, the beef I had was they told Peterson to stay put. That's what got her killed.

"Trippster" wrote:



If she was as bad as the friends and family say, no way in hell do you allow her to be out at night alone in the woods no less.

The dogs were not going to send her back home like Lassy..And guess what? they didnt get her back home so sounds like that part was a failure.

The sheriff should have allowed that neighbor to go out and locate her...The extra police could have went with him as well, since he more than likely knew the woods.
zombieslayer
15 years ago



If she was as bad as the friends and family say, no way in hell do you allow her to be out at night alone in the woods no less.

The dogs were not going to send her back home like Lassy..And guess what? they didnt get her back home so sounds like that part was a failure.

The sheriff should have allowed that neighbor to go out and locate her...The extra police could have went with him as well, since he more than likely knew the woods.

"longtimefan" wrote:



1) True.

2) They would have barked when you got close. They would have given her the best shot of being found. Keep in mind dogs are used to find people in avalanches, and help people who are drowning.

3) Completely agreed. Instead of telling him to stay put, he should have said "lead the way." But one thing I noticed about cops is their egos are bigger than their brains.
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djcubez
15 years ago

I guess I'm not understanding. I thought the police were paid money out of our taxes to server and protect and I'm failing to see how that was accomplished.

If that guy wanted to search for them and the police were concerned of coyotes or the dog or whatever, was that guy aware of it? If so, let him go. We always want citizens to step up and help one another. Do onto others as you want done onto you right?

"SlickVision" wrote:


That whole "serve and protect" thing is just a police slogan, they really aren't obligated at all legally to help.

"fundamental principle of American law that a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any individual citizen" (Warren v. District of Columbia, 444 A.2d 1 (D.C. Ct. of Ap., 1981)


http://home.absolute.net/xode/nwofraud/obvious_fraud/protectnscam.htm 
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