Pubdate: Sun, 14 Dec 2008
Source: Globe-Gazette (IA)
Copyright: 2008 Globe-Gazette
Contact: http://www.globegazette.com/sitepages/modules/editorltr.shtml
Website: http://www.globegazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1568
Author: Laura Andrews
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

TURNING TRAGEDY TO A GOOD PURPOSE

HAMPTON -- Eighteen months after their son, Bob,  died from an overdose of 
illegal drugs, Philip and Pauline Strand believe his death could have been 
prevented by Grinnell police.

The Strands say their son would be alive today if police in Grinnell, a 
city of about 9,200 in central Iowa's Poweshiek County, had removed items 
from a vehicle they had impounded -- including a drug-laced water bottle. 
The Strands claim the water bottle was left in the vehicle by two people 
involved in a Grinnell drug arrest.

While Grinnell police decline to comment on their policy for inventorying 
such items, the case has gotten the attention of State Rep. Linda Upmeyer, 
R-Garner, who  wants items left in impounded vehicles bagged before owners 
pick up the vehicles.

Robert "Bob" Strand, 19, Hampton, died May 23, 2007, after allegedly 
drinking water from a meth-laced water bottle he found in a car involved in 
a drug arrest. Friends and family say he thought the water bottle belonged 
to his girlfriend, Jordan Kruszka of Thornton.

Police say that his death resulted from an accidental overdose of 
methamphetamine and D amphetamine, but his parents say there's more to the 
story.

"I tell people he died because he was thirsty, and sometimes I say he was 
poisoned," Pauline said.

Bob's older half brother,  Keith Johnson, bought the car in March 2007 for 
someone under 18 under the condition that the title be transferred out of 
his name within 30 days. However, before the title was transferred the teen 
he sold it to and another person were arrested for possession of 
methamphetamine. The car was involved in the arrest and impounded by the 
Grinnell Police Department.

Because the title still was in Johnson's name, he had the choice of having 
it auctioned off or picking it up and selling it to someone else. He 
decided to sell the car to Kruszka.

On May 23, Kruszka's mother drove her, Strand and Johnson to Grinnell to 
pick up the car. Included in the car were all of its contents, including 
two PlayStations and CDs that belonged to the two people who were arrested.

"They asked the police if it was safe," Pauline Strand said. "They didn't 
want to get caught with drugs on the way home."

It was on the way home, according to his parents, that  Strand took a drink 
from the water bottle. After the first two gulps he stopped and asked what 
was in it.

Johnson, who is a recovered meth addict, took a sip of it and immediately 
knew it was meth. What they didn't know was that an autopsy later would 
show that Strand had swallowed almost six times the lethal amount of meth.

The Stands said their son died about an hour after returning to Hampton. He 
became sick and stopped breathing at Johnson's apartment and was taken by 
ambulance to Franklin General Hospital where he died.

Because he hadn't sought medical attention and the complexity of the case, 
lawyers have told the family it can't sue anyone for damages.

"It was like dominoes," Pauline Strand said. "You look back on the whole 
thing, and it's like, man, click, click, click."

The Hampton Police Department recovered several bottles from the vehicle 
and Jim Wobschall, police chief, said at least one tested positive for 
methamphetamine.

Friends and family claim the water bottle was in the car when they picked 
it up. The Grinnell Police Department declined to comment on whether the 
water bottle was in the vehicle.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation looked into the incident, and 
Jessica Lown, spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Public Safety said, 
"We don't have any information that can lead us to conclude one way or 
another."

Procedures for documenting and removing items from impounded vehicles 
varies between law enforcement agencies and case by case.

Upmeyer hopes to see that change. She's been discussing the incident with 
the Iowa Department of Public Safety and other people.

"I don't want to be heavy handed and make a whole lot of extra work for 
individuals, but on the other hand this was a loss of life," she said.

She'd like to see a policy, rule or law that would require all the items in 
a car be placed in a bag before being handed off to its owner or someone 
else. Upmeyer is considering other ideas, too.

"This was an unnecessary loss of life," she said. "If that water bottle 
hadn't been there, this wouldn't have happened. I just don't want to see 
that again."

Pauline and Philip Strand don't want to see it happen again either, which 
is why they're sharing their story.

"I think anyone is in danger," Philip said. "The police don't have to take 
anything out of a car unless they deem it of worth. There could have been a 
gun in that car."

"If it happened to us, as bizarre as it is, it could happen again," Pauline 
said.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D