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| Joseph John Gentz |
Earlier this week, I was working on a story
on the Bob Bashara murder trial for the Daily Beast and realized that on
September 25, I had written a letter to Joe Gentz, the man who confessed to
killing Jane Bashara in January 2012.
The letter came back a week later with the words “out for
writ” written on the front of the unopened envelope, meaning he has been moved somewhere else awaiting a court date. This was at least a week
in advance of jury selection, a process Gentz would have no reason to attend. I
called and emailed the Michigan Department of Corrections on Monday to inquire
when Gentz was moved. Predictably, in a state where the citizens are viewed by
government employees as a cash cow/annoyance, no response.
Still, I thought perhaps the prosecution would want him to
be closer to the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in downtown Detroit, where the case is being heard.
I checked the Wayne County inmate search
several times Tuesday and no Joe Gentz. I called the jail on Tuesday afternoon
and asked. No, Joe Gentz was not in the jail.
I asked her to double check. Again, no Gentz.
At 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, I got an email from
Russ Marlan from Michigan DOC:
“This prisoner is
currently housed in the Wayne County Jail as his trial will begin shortly.
He will remain at the Wayne County Jail until the conclusion of this
case. You can contact the Wayne County Sheriff Department for additional
information.”
Check the jail website again. No Gentz. So the question
becomes, where is Joe Gentz? He’s been in trouble since being locked up in
March 2012. He has defied guards, fought with fellow inmates and in general
been disruptive.
Are they hiding him to ensure he stays out of trouble in the
weeks leading up to the trial? Any recent trouble would be one more of many
fallible points the defense can exploit in its cross-examination of Gentz. And how much is this secretive housing costing the
taxpayer?
