This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In New York it took the Nassau County Police Department 48 hours to reveal that one of its officers accidentally shot and killed Hofstra University student Andrea Robello during a home invasion hostage situation ("Authorities: Hofstra student was killed by police," Tribune, May 19).
Meanwhile, in West Valley City it has been seven months since two West Valley City police officers killed Danielle Willard and the investigations into what happened still aren't complete. The DA's office said its probe could take at least two more months ("DA: Probe into fatal Willard shooting likely to take at least two months," Tribune, May 15).
Both shootings are tragedies, but at least in the case of the Hofstra student her family knows what happened to their daughter; while Danielle Willard's family has to have its lawyers fight the Salt Lake County Council, the DA's office and an uncooperative WVCPD just to get access to documents related to her shooting.
I hope that when all the agencies finish their investigations, Willard's family will finally have some answers. Still, no family should have to wait this long.
Jason Wessel
Salt Lake City