1 Sept 2009 - Today's Current News - ***NO DISCUSSION***

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Angel Who Cares

Angel Who Cares

If you seek an angel with an open heart, you shall
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2009.09.01 Today's Current News - ***NO DISCUSSIONS HERE PLEASE ***


Missing Boy's Foster Mother Speaks About Release
Posted: 11:05 pm PDT August 31, 2009
Updated: 1:07 am PDT September 1, 2009
<snipped>
Jennifer Campbell was released from jail just hours before her first scheduled court appearance. Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers said there was &#8220;insufficient evidence&#8221; to charge her at this time and that police have a "different standard of proof" than prosecutors.

"All I know is that this was one of the most difficult times in my life," Campbell told KTVU after her release. "I'm still focused on finding Hasanni."

Campbell said she was "in utter shock" when police arrested her at the Union City BART station Friday when she spoke to KTVU about being interrogated by police.

"They just said I was guilty of something. I told them I didn't do anything. I just said find Hasanni. They accused me over and over again of doing something. I told them I didn't," Campbell said.

Oakland police have not said what led to the arrest of the foster parents or why investigators believe the child is dead.

Following her release, Campbell attended a prayer service for Hasanni in the Rockridge neighborhood.

Campbell said she was kept away from other inmates in an isolated cell at Santa Rita jail, but could still hear the inmates yell out derogatory remarks at her.

A search of Lake Elizabeth in Fremont has been organized for Saturday morning. Volunteers said they intend to continue to hold weekly vigils for Hasanni until he is found.

VIDEO~ OAKLAND: Foster Mother Of Missing Boy Talks About Release From Jail
http://www.ktvu.com/video/20660060/index.html

Article:
http://www.ktvu.com/news/20660596/detail.html
 
Hasanni's foster mom says couple are innocent
Tuesday September 1, 2009
<snipped>
(08-31) 19:11 PDT OAKLAND --Jennifer Campbell, 33, standing near a collection of photos and Hasanni's favorite toys at a vigil Monday evening in Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood, said she and Louis Ross "are both accused of a crime we didn't do."

"He's our little boy," said Campbell, who is also Hasanni's aunt. "We want him home."

Campbell was arrested Friday on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact to what Oakland police believe was the boy's murder. But Alameda County prosecutors let her go Monday, saying they had no evidence to make a case.

Campbell was held over the weekend, during which, she said, police tried to raise doubts in her mind about Ross. The Fremont couple are expecting a child in about two months.

She said she had no such doubts. "I told them that they were lying to me," Campbell said.

"Anybody who knows me knows what I'm capable of," Campbell said. Hurting the boy, she added, is "not in my character."

"You live your life to be a good person," Campbell said, "and all that disappears, and you're interrogated and treated like s-."

Article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/01/BA1919GD4D.DTL
 
Hasanni Campbell's Foster Mom Won't Face Charges
Sep 1, 2009 12:14 am US/Pacific
<snipped>
Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers said 33-year-old Jennifer Campbell would not be charged in the disappearance of Hasanni Campbell, who is also her biological nephew.

Rogers indicated that Campbell was being released from custody because there was insufficient evidence at this time to charge her as an accessory in the murder of the boy, whose body hasn't been found.

But Rogers added that the district attorney's office was still deciding whether to charge her fiance, 38-year-old Louis Ross, who remains held on suspicion of murder.

He also emphasized that the investigation into the boy's disappearance was continuing.

Burris said he thinks that that Oakland police arrested Campbell as "a tactic to intimidate her to talk" and disclose incriminating evidence against Ross.

"She hadn't done anything wrong but the police didn't accept that," he said.

Burris indicated that he has found a lawyer to represent Ross in the event charges are filed against him.

Article:
http://cbs5.com/crime/jennifer.campbell.charges.2.1154600.html
 
Missing 5-year-old s foster mother: "We wouldn't hurt him for anything in the world
Posted: 08/31/2009 07:15:46 AM PDT
Updated: 08/31/2009 10:49:50 PM PDT
<snipped>
The foster mother of Hasanni Campbell, the 5-year-old disabled Fremont boy who police now consider a homicide victim, was released from jail Monday.

Was arrested Friday. Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers said no charges will be filed against Campbell, 30, who was released from Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. "There is insufficient evidence at this time, and the investigation is continuing," Rogers said.

Campbell, just hours out of jail, attended a vigil Monday at College Avenue Presbyterian Church across the street from Shuz of Rockridge, where the boy was reported missing Aug. 10. "I'm not doing well," she said in an interview after the vigil. "I'm inspired by the people who are here. I'm inspired by God. When I was incarcerated, my faith was stronger than ever."

Asked what she thinks will happen to Ross, she said: "They didn't have any evidence to hold me. They shouldn't have any evidence to hold him either. We wouldn't hurt (Hasanni) for anything in the world. Anyone who knows me knows that. Anybody who knows (Ross) knows he's not capable either."[/U]

Campbell, Hasanni's biological aunt, refused to talk to police about the case after her arrest, investigators said. Ross, 38, is scheduled to be arraigned today.

"There was no evidence implicating her with criminal activity," Burris said at Monday's vigil. "It was more associating her with (Ross). There is no evidence linking him to a crime. As far as I'm concerned, there is no crime. "... I believe (the police) don't believe the initial story that Hasanni was in this place at this time."

Three dozen people, about three times more than last week, attended Monday's vigil. "It's really encouraging to see all these faces here," said Courtney Tascoe-Burris, Burris' daughter.

Article:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_13238636?source=most_viewed
 
UPDATED: Foster Mother of Missing 5-Year-Old Has Been Released From Police Custody
8/31/2009 10:20:00 AM
<snipped>
Five-year old Hasanni Campbell's step-mother insists he's done nothing wrong.

Jennifer Campbell made the comments while leaving the Santa Rita jail Monday after spending the weekend in custody. Prosecutors now say they don't have enough evidence to hold Campbell. The missing child's step-father Louis Ross remains jailed. The Alameda County District Attorney's office says it will announce charges, if any, against Ross on Tuesday.

"I'm just glad to be out of jail," Campbell told reporters outside the jail. "I didn't do anything. I hope the focus can shift to finding Hasanni and bringing him home safely. We are still having the vigil tonight for him because he is still missing. Thank you to anybody who has offered support. I don't want to comment on the police. All I know is I'm putting my faith in God and trusting him to lead me in the right direction and to steer me the right way. I can't say anything else about anything."

KRON 4&#8217;s Reggie Kumar spoke to John Burris, the couple&#8217;s legal consultant, who says he talked to Ross just a few hours before the arrests and that the couple had been undergoing intense questioning by Oakland police, &#8220;I know there is no body. I&#8217;m surprised as to why they were arrested. Which then means, and we hope, that there may be probable cause to support the arrest, other than they were the last people to see the child alive.&#8221;

VIDEO: Hasanni Campbell's Foster Mother Says She's Done Nothing Wrong
http://serve.castfire.com/video/149997/149997_2009-08-31-212413.mp4

VIDEO: DA Not Filing Charges Against Hasanni Campbell's Foster Mother
http://serve.castfire.com/video/149983/149983_2009-08-31-205002.mp4

Article:
http://www.kron4.com/News/ArticleVi...een Released From Police Custody/Default.aspx
 
UPDATED: Jennifer Campbell says she's innocent
Monday, August 31, 2009 | 11:51 PM
<snipped>
Oakland attorney John Burris has been offering legal advice to the couple. He says authorities tried to get Campbell to implicate Ross in Hasanni's disappearance.

"Either to get her to implicate him, in order to have him, not so much implicate her, but feel the pressure of having her be in custody," said Burris.

Before the vigil Campbell said, "They accused me over and over again of doing something I didn't do or knowing something and I told them I didn't and they had to let me go. They didn't have evidence to hold me."

Campbell admitted police tried to get her to turn on Ross.

Before police said the couple had been cooperating.

"Why do I want to talk to them now? What do I want to say to them now? 'Have you found Hasanni?' No. 'Are you looking for Hasanni?' I don't know," said Campbell.
Ross is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday.

When Campbell was asked what she thinks police may do to Ross on Tuesday, she said "I don't know. He didn't do anything. They have to let him go."

Oakland Police say they are anticipating a press conference some time on Tuesday, but it is unclear if they'll make it before or after the scheduled arraignment of Ross. They could either drop all of the charges against Ross for lack of evidence or drop a bombshell and explain why they're charging him with the murder of Hasanni.

VIDEO: Jennifer Campbell says she's innocent
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=6992504

VIDEO: Campbell Attends Vigil For Hasanni
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=6992771

Article:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=6991584
 
No Charges to Be Filed Against Jennifer Campbell
Posted: Monday, 31 August 2009 10:16PM
<snipped>
Aunt and foster mother Jennifer Campbell of missing Hassani Campbell attended a vigil Monday night in Oakland for the child just hours after authorities decided there was not enough evidence to charge her in the case.

Five-year-old Hasanni Campbell was reported missing earlier this month. Police now believe the little boy was murdered.

According to Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers, said there is insufficient evidence to charge Jennifer Campbell, 30, as an accessory in Hasanni's murder. The boy's body has not been found.

AUDIO: KCBS' Bob Melrose reports
http://www.kcbs.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=3988860

Article:
http://www.kcbs.com/Foster-Mom-Attends-Campbell-Vigil/5117538
 
UPDATED: Missing Fremont boy's foster father calls police investigation "irrelevant" after release from jail
Posted: 09/01/2009 09:02:51 AM PDT
Updated: 09/01/2009 07:51:12 PM PDT
<snipped>
Louis Ross, foster father of Hasanni Campbell, described jail as "hell" and refused to answer questions about the police investigation into the boy's disappearance after he was released from jail tonight.

Ross was released from Santa Rita Jail in Dublin at 6:30 p.m. wearing black sweatpants, a white hat and white long-sleeve shirt. He was unshaven and visibly angry. Asked what it was like in jail, he said: "One word: hell."

He said he and fiancee Jennifer Campbell, the boy's foster mother and aunt, would continue looking for the boy, who Ross reported missing Aug. 10.

"As long as I have got breath in my body, we will search for Hasanni," he said.

Ross was arrested at the family's Fremont home Friday. He said he was told to step out of his house, identify what he was wearing and put his hands up. He waived his rights and talked to police for a little while Friday afternoon and then asked to speak to attorney John Burris, who has been counseling Ross, 38, and Campbell, 30.

"I told the same story I told to the detectives," Ross said tonight. "They got the same story, but they weren't happy with that story. They wanted something else."

Several times while speaking to the media after his release, he called the police investigation "irrelevant."

"We are going to do what we need to do as parents," he said. "We don't care what (the police) do."

Campbell, while awaiting Ross' release from jail tonight, said that after her neighbors told police that they hadn't seen Hasanni for three weeks before his reported disappearance, she produced a receipt showing that the family had gone shopping at the Wal-Mart on Aug. 6.

Campbell said police have told her that they have evidence that the couple is implicated in this crime but that they will not say what it is.

"I don't know what type of evidence they plan to come up with," she said. "I know I am innocent, and I know Louis is innocent."

Campbell said she last saw Hasanni around 7 a.m. Aug. 10 while the boy was still sleeping. She said she kissed him goodbye and went to work. "It's been a living a nightmare ever since," she said.

She said that when she returned to her house Monday after being released from jail, every room was a mess from a police search conducted Friday after the couple's arrest. A couch was flipped over, things were pulled out of dressers and cupboards, Hasanni's clothing out of the closet and some of her paperwork was missing. "Everything is everywhere," she said. "They went through every single room."

Investigators, who are treating the case as a homicide, said today they have no substantial open leads and will not be conducting any more searches for Hasanni unless they receive new information.

"We believe we have a case, and there is a lot of information we can't make public while the investigation is open," said Oakland police spokesman Officer Jeff Thomason. "But the video we're releasing is big. This is the last time anyone other than our two suspects confirmed Hasanni was alive."

Thomason said the Oakland police investigation has not included searches in Monterey, where Ross lived until about nine months ago according to a former housemate.

"There are probably only two people who know where Hasanni is, and those are our suspects," Thomason said.

Burris said he has lined up criminal lawyers to defend the foster parents should charges be filed in the future.

The 1-year-old girl was taken into protective custody after Hasanni's disappearance. Campbell went to court today and learned that her parental rights are being severed and that the girl will be put up for adoption. "I basically will never see her again," she said.

Frame grabs of a video show Hasanni Campbell at a Fremont Wal-Mart on Aug. 6, the last confirmed sighting of the boy before he was reported missing Aug. 10 by his foster father, Louis Ross. Hasanni is in the front of the shopping cart basket.
20090901__ross~1_GALLERY.JPG


Acting police Chief Howard Jordan makes some brief statements at a news conference at the Oakland Police Headquarters on Tuesday about the release of Louis Ross.
20090901__eoak0902ross~1_GALLERY.JPG


Jennifer Campbell, right, Louis Ross, center and attorney John Burris leave Santa Rita Jail on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, in Dublin, Calif. Ross was released from the jail after being arrested Friday by Oakland Police on suspicion of murder in the case of his missing foster child Hasanni Campbell, 5. Jennifer Campbell, also arrested Friday, was released from the jail on Monday. The Alameda County district attorney's office said there was insufficient evidence to hold either one.
20090901__eoak0902ross~2_GALLERY.JPG


Louis Ross talks with reporters after leaving Santa Rita Jail on Tuesday September 1, 2009 in Dublin, Calif. Ross was released from the jail after being arrested Friday by Oakland Police on suspicion of murder in the case of his missing foster child Hasanni Campbell, 5. Jennifer Campbell, at right, also arrested Friday, was released from the jail on Monday. The Alameda County district attorney's office said there was insufficient evidence to hold either one.
20090901__eoak0902ross~3_GALLERY.JPG


VIDEO: Oakland Police Release Video Of Hasanni 1:44
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1870899437?bctid=36558193001

Article:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_13245654
 
D.A. won't charge foster dad in Hasanni case
Tuesday September 1, 2009
<snipped>
(09-01) 09:21 PDT OAKLAND --Louis Ross, 38, was arrested Friday on suspicion of murder in what police believe was the killing of Hasanni Campbell. But there was insufficient evidence to charge him, Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers said.

Rogers declined to elaborate, but said the investigation by Oakland police was continuing.

The decision came a day after Rogers said there would be no charges brought against Ross' fiancee, Jennifer Campbell, 33. Campbell, who is six months pregnant with Ross' child, was arrested Friday on suspicion of being an accessory to murder.

John Burris, an attorney who has been consulting with the couple, said today that he was gratified that prosecutors had opted not to file charges.

"I'm not surprised," Burris said. "There never was evidence linking him to a crime. At best, there was some suspicion that the police may have had, but that suspicion wasn't supported by any evidence. So I think now the attention should go back toward finding Hasanni. It was a travesty that these two people were subjected to this kind of humiliation without just cause."

Campbell's mother, Pamela Clark, 62, of San Francisco agreed, saying today, "The focus should be finding this missing boy." She said of the attention on the couple, "It's like a terrible witch hunt."

Ross was expected to be released from Santa Rita Jail later today.

Article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/01/BA3619GT72.DTL
 
UPDATED: Breaking News: Prosecutors Say There's Not Enough Evidence to Charge Foster Father in Hasanni Campbell's Disappearance
9/1/2009 9:00:00 AM
<snipped>
Alameda County prosecutors say there's not enough evidence to hold Louis Ross in the alleged murder of five-year old Hasanni Campbell.

KRON 4's Will Tran says that means Ross will be released from custody a day after his financee Jennifer Campbell was allowed to go free for the same reason.

Oakland police arrested the pair last Friday evening. At the time they said Hasanni's case was a matter of homicide not of a missing person.

VIDEO: Attorney John Burris Isn't Surprised Prosecuters Won't Charge Either Foster Parent In Hasanni Campbell Disappearence
http://serve.castfire.com/video/150311/150311_2009-09-01-123642.mp4

VIDEO: Breaking News: Prosecutors Say There's Not Enough Evidence to Charge Foster Father in Hasanni Campbell's Disappearance
http://serve.castfire.com/video/150271/150271_2009-09-01-121353.mp4

Article:
http://www.kron4.com/News/ArticleView/tabid/298/smid/1126/ArticleID/2878/reftab/506/Default.aspx
 
UPDATED: Foster Parents Remain Focus Of Missing Boy Investigation
Posted: 11:05 pm PDT August 31, 2009
Updated: 3:51 pm PDT September 1, 2009
<snipped>
The foster parents of missing Fremont 5-year-old Hasanni Campbell may have been released from jail because of a lack of evidence, but the Oakland police said Tuesday the couple remained the focus of their investigation.

At an afternoon news conference, Acting Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan left little doubt that the couple remained at the center of the "on-going" investigation.

"This case is an on-going investigation; we will continue to follow up on leads,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We strongly believe and know for a fact that Hasanni Campbell never made it to Oakland on August 10th...We are continuing putting our efforts into solving this case and potentially re-arresting Mr. Louis Ross or Jennifer Campbell at some point. We respect the DA's opinion, but we have more work to do here." The Alameda County District Attorney&#8217;s Office released Jennifer Campbell on Monday and said it would release Louis Ross on Tuesday.

Veteran defense attorney John Burris, who has been advising the couple, told KTVU the arrests were an investigative gamble that had backfired.

A search of Lake Elizabeth in Fremont has been organized for Saturday morning. Volunteers said they intend to continue to hold weekly vigils for Hasanni until he is found.

VIDEO~ OAKLAND: Authorities Set To Release Foster Father Of Missing Boy
http://www.ktvu.com/video/20677346/index.html

VIDEO~ OAKLAND: Acting Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan Comments On Release Of Foster Parents
http://www.ktvu.com/video/20672781/index.html

VIDEO~ OAKLAND: Foster Father In Hasanni Campbell Case May Be Released From Jail
http://www.ktvu.com/video/20667267/index.html

Article:
http://www.ktvu.com/news/20660596/detail.html
 
UPDATED: No charges in Hasanni's disappearance
Tuesday, September 01, 2009 | 8:15 PM
<snipped>
Both foster parents of a missing 5-year-old boy are now off the hook -- at least for the moment.

Prosecutors decided there isn't enough evidence to charge either one with his disappearance. But authorities still have their suspicions about what happened to little Hasanni Campbell when he vanished three weeks ago.

During a press conference, police released surveillance video taken inside a Fremont Wal-Mart the evening of August 6th.

It shows 5-year-old Hasanni Campbell, sitting in a shopping cart, wearing a red cap and holding hands with his foster parents, four days before his foster father, Louis Toss, reported him missing.

Investigators say it is the last time they were able to independently verify Hasanni was alive.

"We strongly believe and we know for a fact that Hasanni Campbell never made it to Oakland on August 10 on College Avenue at 4:15 as was previously reported," said Chief Howard Jordan from the Oakland Police Department.

Police aren't saying what evidence they have that leads them to believe Ross is guilty, but they say there could be more arrests to come.

"We are continuing to put our efforts into solving this case and potentially re-arresting Mr. Louis Ross and or Jennifer Campbell at some point," said Chief Jordan.

Oakland Police Chief did not take any questions during the press conference about why the department is investigating this case as a homicide. After the conference, police told ABC7 they will no longer be making statements about this case until there is either an arrest or a mayor development.

EVENING NEWS VIDEO REPORT: No charges in Hasanni's Disappearance 3:46
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=6994373

RAW VIDEO: Hasanni's Last Appearance
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=6994584

VIDEO: No Charges In Hasanni's Case
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=6993630

Article:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=6993281
 
UPDATED: OPD Focus Still On Uncharged Foster Dad
Sep 1, 2009 2:54 pm US/Pacific
<snipped>
Oakland police said Tuesday that they were continuing to focus their homicide investigation on the foster parents of a missing 5-year-old disabled boy, despite prosecutors announcing there isn't enough evidence to charge them.

"We strongly believe and know for a fact that Hasanni Campbell never made it to Oakland on August 10 to College Avenue at 4:15 as was previously reported," Jordan said.

Police also released surveillance footage from a Wal-Mart store in Fremont recorded on Aug. 6 that they said is the last known sighting of the boy.

In photographs, the boy is seen wearing jeans, a black jacket, black shoes and a red and blue cap. Hasanni and his sister were captured in the pictures shopping with Ross and Campbell.

Earlier Tuesday, Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers said police had insufficient evidence against Ross, 38, who was arrested Friday on suspicion of killing the boy.

"We are continuing to put our efforts into solving this case and potentially re-arresting Mr. Louis Ross or Jennifer Campbell at some point," Jordan said. "We respect the DA's opinion but we have some more work to do here."

Ross will help with the search for the boy upon his release from Alameda County's Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, his attorney John Burris said, calling the decision not to file any charges against Ross at this time "terrific."

Burris said Oakland police seemed to suspect Ross hadn't told them the truth but he indicated there isn't any evidence to support those suspicions.

"There aren't any independent witnesses and there is no physical evidence or DNA" pointing to Ross's guilt, Burris said. "There's nothing that tied him to his involvement in the disappearance of Hasanni."

VIDEO: OPD Focus Still On Uncharged Foster Dad 09/01/09 6:07pm PT
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=54827@kpix.dayport.com

VIDEO~ Surveillance Tape: Last Known Video Of Missing Boy 09/01/09 4:26pm PT
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=54818@kpix.dayport.com

RAW VIDEO~ Surveillance Tape Video Of Hasanni Campbell 09/01/09 2:14pm PT
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=54814@kpix.dayport.com

VIDEO~ OPD Briefing: No Charges Filed In Missing Boy Case 09/01/09 2:99pm PT
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=54813@kpix.dayport.com

VIDEO: Hasanni Campbell's Foster Father Avoids Charges 09/01/09 12:52pm PT
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=54809@kpix.dayport.com

VIDEO: Hearing Set For Hasanni Campbell's Foster Father 09/01/09 8:46am PT
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=54799@kpix.dayport.com

Article:
http://cbs5.com/crime/hasanni.campbell.father.2.1157010.html
 
UPDATED: Update: Acting Police Chief Says Investigators Know Hasanni Campbell Was Not in Oakland on Date of Reported Disappearance
9/1/2009 9:00:00 AM
<snipped>
The acting police chief says investigators know five-year old Hasanni Campbell was not in Oakland on August 10th, the day the foster parents say the child disappeared.

Acting Chief Howard Jordan made the remarks at a news conference held after prosecutors said there isn't enough evidence to charge Louis Ross with murder in the case.

Jordan says investigators remain convinced Ross and Jennifer Campbell are responsible for the disappearance and murder of the five year old.

Oakland Police spokesman Officer Jeff Thomason tells KRON 4's Haaziq Madyun investigators continue to build their case against the child's foster parents. Campbell was released from custody Monday. Ross is due to be let go later Tuesday.

Police are also releasing video showing Ross and Campbell with Hasanni from a surveillance camera at a Wal-Mart store taken several days before the child disappeared.

Investigators have said they don't believe Ross left Hasanni alone behind a Rockridge shoe store as the foster father has insisted happened. Last week police said this is no longer a missing person's case but a case of homicide.

VIDEO: Hasanni Campbell's Foster Father Released From Jail
http://serve.castfire.com/video/150717/150717_2009-09-01-234408.mp4

VIDEO: Walmart Surveillance Video Shows Louis Ross, Jennifer Campbell, And Hasanni Campbell Three Days Before Child Is Reported Missing
http://serve.castfire.com/video/150561/150561_2009-09-01-174452.mp4

Article:
http://www.kron4.com/News/ArticleView/tabid/298/smid/1126/ArticleID/2878/reftab/506/Default.aspx
 
D.A. won't charge foster dad in Hasanni case
September 1, 2009
<snipped>
(09-01) 13:50 PDT OAKLAND -- The foster father of Hasanni Campbell will not face criminal charges and will be released from jail, a prosecutor said today, even as police declared that they "know for a fact" that his story of how the 5-year-old Fremont boy disappeared is false.

The Alameda County district attorney's office said it did not have enough against Louis Ross, 38, to build a case that he murdered Hasanni. Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers, who made the announcement, declined to elaborate but said Oakland police were still investigating.

But at a news conference today, acting Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan made it clear that investigators didn't believe Ross' account of events.

"We strongly believe and we know for a fact that Hasanni Campbell never made it to Oakland on Aug. 10 to College Avenue at 4:15 as was previously reported," Jordan said.

Police released a DVD and photos showing Hasanni, his year-old sister, Ross and Campbell shopping at a Wal-Mart store in Fremont on Aug. 6. The images were taken from store surveillance cameras.

Officer Jeff Thomason, a police spokesman, said the Wal-Mart trip is "the last time that we have independent information about Hasanni Campbell being alive."

The images show Hasanni walking next to Campbell as she pushes a shopping cart with a big box inside it. Ross is pulling the cart from the front.

Jordan said he respected prosecutors' decision not to charge the couple. But he held out the possibility that Ross and Campbell could be re-arrested.

"We have some more work to do here, and we're going to continue to work diligently to try to solve this case," the chief said.

Article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/01/BA3619GT72.DTL
 
Prosecutors Release Both Foster Parents
September 1, 2009
<snipped>
The Alameda County District Attorney's Office has decided to order the release of both foster parents of a missing 5-year-old boy, saying there is not enough evidence to charge them. According to the Chron, the foster father, Louis Ross, will be released later today. His fiancée, Jennifer Campbell, was freed yesterday. Oakland police had arrested the couple last Friday, apparently in the hopes that they would incriminate themselves. But according to the Trib, Campbell refused to talk to investigators. It's not clear whether Ross was cooperative. Police do not believe Ross' story that little Hasanni Campbell went missing from behind a Rockridge shoe store last month. Investigators also discovered that Ross had recently threatened to abandon the boy. In addition, Ross has admitted to failing a police lie-detector test.

Article:
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/blogs/prosecutors_release_both_foster_parents/Content?oid=1185958
 
DA Drops All Charges in Hasanni Campbell Case
Updated 2:38 PM PDT, Tue, Sep 1, 2009
<snipped>
The district attorney won't file charges against the man arrested in the disappearance of his fiancee's disabled foster child.

That word crossed the wires early Tuesday morning.

Alameda County Assistant District Attorney Tom Rogers says there's insufficient evidence against Louis Ross in the Aug. 10 disappearance of Hasanni Campbell.

Rogers says the 38-year-old Ross was released Tuesday.

Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan said Tuesday that investigators know the child was not in Oakland on Aug. 10.

Also Tuesday, police also released surveillance footage from a Wal-Mart store in Fremont recorded on Aug. 6 that they say it is the last known sighting of the boy.

An attorney who has consulted with the foster parents of the 5-year-old old, who was reported missing three weeks ago and is now believed to have been murdered, said Monday that he was "glad" that no charges were being filed against the foster mother either. Burris said police rushed to judgment in an effort to get new information in the case.

A police search warrant affidavit indicated Ross sent an expletive-filled text message to Campbell 10 days before the boy went missing, threatening to leave him alone on a BART platform.

Sherri-Lyn Miller, a volunteer whose company has created T-shirts and fliers during the search, said the focus should be on locating Hasanni, not on Ross and Campbell.

"We're not going to treat him as a homicide victim like the police because we don't know that yet," Miller said. "It's time to bring this baby home."

Included In Article Many New Pictures Are Included In It!

Article:
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...harges-in-Hasanni-Campbell-Case-56612982.html
 
Foster Father Released
Posted: Tuesday, 01 September 2009 2:28PM
<snipped>
Oakland Police said they're continuing to focus their homicide investigation on the foster parents of missing 5-year-old Hasanni Campbell, despite prosecutors announcing there isn't enough evidence to charge them.
Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan said Tuesday that investigators know Hasanni Campbell was not in Oakland on August 10, the day his foster father Louis Ross told authorities the boy disappeared after being briefly left alone in a car outside an Oakland shoe store.

Jordan's comments come after prosecutors decided no charges would be filed against Ross or his fiancee Jennifer Campbell, Hasanni's biological aunt.

Police have also released surveillance footage from a Wal-Mart store in Fremont recorded on August 6 that they say is the last known sighting of the boy.

AUDIO: KCBS' Bob Melrose Reports
http://www.kcbs.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=3991970

Article:
http://www.kcbs.com/Foster-Father-Released/5127882
 
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