TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Tacoma’s mayor says misleading information from city police officials about the investigation of a 12-year-old girl’s fatal 2007 abduction damaged the city’s credibility.
After a closed door meeting Tuesday that involved the City Council and City Manager Eric Anderson, Mayor Marilyn Strickland said city leaders made it clear to Anderson that communication needs to be better.
But Strickland also said that no further personnel or disciplinary action needs to be taken. And the mayor said the only person responsible for Zina Linnik’s death is Terapon Adhahn, the girl’s confessed killer. Adhahn has said he killed the girl within minutes of grabbing her.
Last week, court papers filed in a lawsuit brought against the city by the girl’s family said an Amber Alert was delayed for six hours because a Tacoma police officer fell asleep. The News Tribune says the police chief gave other explanations for the delay in 2007.
