Art Project Off Mark

As a former member of the San Diego Metropolitan Homicide Task Force, I was deeply troubled by the utterly false portrayal of the investigation into the murders of Donna Gentile and the 42 other victims in the “NHI” (“no humans involved”) display. This artistic “protest” is obviously meant to imply that law enforcement authorities have not vigorously pursued these cases or consider these victims not worthy of their determined efforts. This is artistry extremely wide of the mark.

The San Diego Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, the district attorney and the attorney general have all committed substantial resources to solving these crimes. While Gentile’s killer has not been identified and apprehended, a number of other suspects involved in these and similar attacks have been identified, apprehended, charged and convicted as a result of the task force’s work. Moreover, in the 12 months I spent working on a daily basis within the Homicide Task Force I never once heard the term “NHI,” “no human involved,” or any reference to any of the victims in a similarly derogatory manner. Not withstanding the background of many of the victims, each case was treated professionally and diligently by the investigators, attorneys and support staff at the Task Force.

If the “NHI” display reflects any reality, it is the misconception in the minds of the so-called artists who created it.

GARY W. SCHONS, Senior Assistant Attorney General, San Diego