Please take a look at the video put out by the campaign for Bill Prim for McHenry County Sheriff. It was excellently done and highlights all the points on why Bill Prim would make an exceptional sheriff for McHenry County. I had the opportunity to ask Bill Prim some questions in relation to my book, the sheriff’s office, and Andrew Zinke. I found his answers to my questions to be very much to the point, fair, and honest; exactly the man I have become to know over the last few months. After watching the video you can read my Q&A with Bill Prim down below.

Paul Scharff – Have you read my book MURDER IN MCHENRY?

Bill Prim- Yes.

Paul Scharff – What was your overall impression of the book?

Bill Prim- It was interesting, and sad to think of a young boy losing his father that way and only coming to the truth after many years.

Paul Scharff – What part of McHenry County are you from and how long have you lived there?

Bill Prim- I live in Cary and have been in the same house for over 20 years

Paul Scharff – Based on your personal experience of living in the community do you find what happened to my father and my family believable, why or why not?

Bill Prim- As a career law enforcement officer, I am aware that organized criminal enterprises don’t just stop at the city or county or even state limits.  Or national borders, for that matter.  So yes, it is believable.

Paul Scharff – The first investigator George Hendle, whom later became Sheriff of McHenry County, seemed to have ignored a lot of information as it pertains to suspecting Larry Neumann as the killer of my father. Jim Hager tells Investigator Hendle that he suspects that Larry Neumann may have killed my father after witnessing an altercation with my father throwing his ex-wife, Debbie Neumann out of the bar. A year later Investigator Hendle and States Attorney Ted Floro are told by the FBI and Frank Cullotta, a high ranking Chicago Outfit associate turned government witness that Larry Neumann killed my father and Patricia Freeman. Larry Neumann was already a convicted of a triple murder of a bar owner, bar employee, and newspaper vendor outside of the bar in 1957. A sentence he received 125 years for each victim, and only served 12 years. He was a well-known Outfit Associate and as a “killer” by the Chicago, Las Vegas FBI, and Las Vegas Metro PD and Intelligence Unit.

Paul Scharff – What do you think about an Illinois Parole Board that lets a triple murderer out on parole after only serving 12 years for three consecutive sentences for 125 years?

Bill Prim- It was an unconscionable decision.

Paul Scharff – Would you have brought him in for questioning for the murder of my father and Patricia Freeman?

Bill Prim- Given the credibility the U.S. Justice Department afforded Mr. Cullotta, as is attested to by the multiple times they put him on the witness stand, any investigator would be foolish not to pursue that lead.

Paul Scharff – Can you think of any justifiable reason that George Hendle would not question Larry Neumann?

Bill Prim- I can only say what I would have done under the circumstances.  I would have pursued the lead vigorously.

Paul Scharff – In my book Murder In McHenry I suggest that Andrew Zinke, made his own milestones, and not achieved a single one. He would establish dates for arrests (I am assuming either Debbie Neumann or Tommy Amato or both) and arrests never came. He would set dates for the Sheriff’s Dept. to make a statement about the case to NBC 5 News Chicago, from October to December and didn’t until the 12th hour when NBC News was running with the story with or without their statements. He would not provide me with regular updates, so I had to start calling in to him and he would not return my phone calls. I had to call the producer for NBC 5 News who in returned called Zinke, which suggested to him strongly to accept my calls. Then he passed me on to a detective for updates, but the first time I spoke to him he was ordered not to provide me any new info without permission. When he wrapped up the case naming Larry Neumann in his summary report called the Letter of Notification, it provide me no new information that I did not know except one thing. The woman that called the hit on my father accused him of rape. I asked Andrew Zinke he personally thought about her creditability in that statement. He did not find it creditable at all. It makes me believe that was put in the Letter of Notification on purpose. Maybe a way to make me consider if I wanted to pursue this matter further. This is my believe anyway.

Paul Scharff – What are your thoughts of Andrew Zinke as I portrayed him in my book MURDER IN MCHENRY?

Bill Prim- I would not be running for Sheriff if I believed Mr. Zinke was the best that McHenry County could muster for chief law enforcement officer.

Paul Scharff – How would you have handled the communications to me as the lead family member overseeing the reinvestigation?

Bill Prim- It is not always easy to balance the legitimate requests of family members against the need for discretion and awareness of the constitutional rights of the targets of any investigation.  In this case, I believe I would have made more of an effort to keep the family apprised of progress or lack of it.

Paul Scharff – Does it seem to you that they were trying to obsessively control what I would find out?

Bill Prim- I’ll defer to my last statement.

Paul Scharff – What does it say about Zinke that it took a producer from NBC 5 to get him to return my calls?

Bill Prim- That’s hard to say, and I don’t want to speculate without knowing all the facts.

Paul Scharff – Debbie Neumann did accuse my father of raping her, I read the report, but do you think that there was a motive for that being the only thing that I learned out of a supposed investigation of about 1,200 man hours?

Bill Prim- I can only say this case appears to have been poorly managed from the start.

Paul Scharff – I am in an ongoing fight to get the remainder of my father’s case file, but I believe that I have most of it. A double homicide that was committed now almost 33 years ago. The murderer, Larry Neumann has been named and he has been dead now for seven years. His ex-wife, Debbie Neumann, who called the hit on my father, is now also dead. The lead investigator that I connected to the Chicago Outfit through a newspaper clipping, FBI reports, and witness statements, Sheriff George Hendle is also dead. I connected Hendle through mostly FBI reports. In the FBI reports he was subpoenaed to testify on the behalf of Tony Spilotro. They also indicated that they held Tommy Amato (alleged drove Larry to kill my father) for a Las Vegas warrant, however that was never listed in my father’s case file. Larry Neumann was there with the Outfit’s attorney Adam Bourgeois. A Las Vegas SUN articles had Adam Bourgeois slandering Frank Cullott’a creditability about my father’s murder. Someone had leaked the meeting that Floro and Hendle has with Frank and the FBI. In that same article Bourgeois said that he was going to use Hendle as witness on behalf of Larry Neumann in another murder trial. I also have other supporting statements, like the head of Las Vegas Metro Intelligence Unit stating that Hendle was going to “clear this up.” His meaning was the debacle of an innocent man being suspected as the killer of my father and Pat, instead of Neumann.

Paul Scharff – What do you think about me connecting Sheriff George Hendle to the Chicago Outfit?

Bill Prim- I’m not in a position to say.  You, on the other hand, are an author, but more importantly, the son of a victim in which the criminal has not been brought to justice.  If I were in your shoes I would be pushing hard for justice myself.

Paul Scharff – What do you think about Zinke either not connecting Hendle to the Outfit or not disclosing it in the Letter of Notification that Hendle was connected to the Outfit?

Bill Prim- Again, these are matters I am not in a position to pronounce judgment upon.

Paul Scharff – Do you think that the investigation should have went the direction of investigating Hendle and company?

Bill Prim- It seems to me that first and foremost, someone must be held accountable for the murders.  That has yet to happen.

Paul Scharff – As I mentioned I filed a FOIA request with the sheriff’s office for my father’s complete file. A double murder that has named the killer that is now 33 years old with almost every associated with it being dead. The remainder of my father’s case file being denied to me. I originally corresponded with Jan Weech, whom is the Freedom of Information Act Officer for the McHenry County Sheriff’s office. She is trained and certified for this position. However, on my appeal to the PAB the McHenry County Sheriff’s Equal Employment Opportunity Officer Donald Leist, a position that I understand, was forced on the McHenry County Sheriff’s office because of a sex discrimination suit, took over the correspondence in my appeal.

Paul Scharff – Can you explain why?

Bill Prim- I can only speculate that while Ms. Weech is not an attorney, Mr. Leist is.

Paul Scharff – Also he seems to me to be hired as Sheriff’s Keith Nygren in-house lawyer on the taxpayer’s dollar. I thought that the States Attorney for McHenry County, Lou Bianchi is attorney for the McHenry County Sheriff, am I wrong? What gives with this position?

Bill Prim- I have already taken a firm stand in this campaign that the State’s Attorney represents the Sheriff and indeed all county officers.  I have also publicly taken the position that I would abolish the EEOC position in the Sheriff’s Office.

Paul Scharff – Do you think that I have a right to my father’s case file?

Bill Prim- [This is a tough one.]  The Sheriff’s Office should seek out competent legal counsel and then follow it with respect to your request, but given what you have been through personally, they should err on the side of more information, rather than less.

Paul Scharff – What are your thoughts about FOIA requests in general?

Bill Prim- We have a relatively new and comprehensive FOIA statute in Illinois.  It should be followed, period.

Paul Scharff – Andrew Zinke tipped off Brian Goode that he may be a person of interest in drug shipments being received at his RITA Corporation in Crystal Lake. Two weeks later Zinke received a $5,000 contribution to campaign for Sheriff. The suspected drug shipment was destined to the same address as Zinke’s campaign HQ and Brian Goode sits on the McHenry County Sheriff’s Merit Commission. A Commission that is responsible for Promotion and Disciplinary of deputies. First I have to say, WOW!

Paul Scharff – Does tipping off a person of interest by a law enforcement official in an ongoing investigation break any laws that you know of?

Bill Prim- In certain circumstances, yes.

Paul Scharff – How about the Sheriff’s General Orders?

Bill Prim- Yes again.

Paul Scharff – Brian Goode’s campaign contribution of $5,000 looks like a thank you to me, what is your perception?

Bill Prim- I have consistently criticized Mr. Zinke’s judgment in this whole matter.  Even if there had been no contribution, the contact between the two men, apparently initiated by Mr. Zinke by Mr. Koziol’s account, is way out of bounds.

Paul Scharff – You and Andrew Zinke agreed to the Patriots United Debate, but recently in a Patriots United Press release it stated that Andrew Zinke was declining to do the debate because you and he were scheduled to debate in the Northwest Herald sponsored debate and League of Woman Voters sponsored debate; a third would not be necessary. I thought that it was poor showing on Zinke’s part for not honoring his commitment. Then your campaign turned around the next day with a press release of your own stating that you have been contacted by either of these organizations.

Paul Scharff – This is hard to follow. Is there a debate?

Bill Prim- The Northwest Herald has contacted me to see if I was interested. I replied that I was and I have not heard from them since. The league of Women Voters has never contacted me or my campaign.

UPDATE Since the question was asked of Bill Prim, there has been a debate scheduled. The debate between Bill Prim and Andy Zinke before the March 18th Republican Primary for McHenry County Sheriff will be held on Tuesday, February 25, at 7:00PM at McHenry County College. The Northwest Herald will sponsor the debate in conjunction with the McHenry County League of Women Voters. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that all that can join to watch the debate do.

 

 

 

 

 

KNOWLEDGE CENTER

I have put together some of the articles that I have written that are prevalent for the upcoming election in MARCH!. This is the Republican Nominee election but probably more important than the general election. It is most likely the winner in March will win in November and become sheriff. If you review the articles in the Knowledge Center, you will read all kinds of unbelievable things as it relates to this election.

 

Freedom of Information Act Appeal to get the remainder of my father’s file. In my efforts to get to the bottom of my father’s murder and what the McHenry County Sheriff’s office has done to me and my family 33 years ago. I filed a FOIA Request (Freedom of Information Act Request) to get my father’s case file. Many documents were withheld from my request. It is my believe the documents are withheld to protect guilty individuals that are known to Sheriff Keith Nygren and Undersheriff Andrew Zinke that covered up who actually killed my father during the original investigation. Start on page 11 to read what sounds like a murder mystery thriller, but this is my true life. It is backed by FBI reports, witness statements, and newspaper articles.

Andrew Zinke for McHenry County Sheriff, Really??? This article is based on my own father’s murder investigation and Undersheriff Andrew Zinke. I talked about how he made his own milestones and failed to meet every single one. How it took me calling NBC News Chicago to get Andrew Zinke to return my phone call about my father’s murder investigation, as he was the lead investigator. I am fighting to get the remainder of my father’s case file. It is my believe that Undersheriff Andrew Zinke and the Sheriff Keith Nygren are hiding and protecting individuals that covered up the true killer of my father during the original investigation.

Andrew Zinke plus Rita Corporation equals ON THE TAKE Brian Goode and his RITA Corporation was a person of interest and focal point for the investigation of the distribution of 30 plus tons of marijuana. Undersheriff Andrew Zinke told Brian Goode of the investigation. Two days later, according to Koziol, (Sgt. Koziol was working on the investigation and filed a complaint against Zinke) Goode gave Zinke’s election campaign a $5,000 donation. The RITA Corporation address is the same address as Andrew Zinke’s campaign headquarters.

McHenry County Deputy Zane Seipler under siege, Again!! Zane Seipler is a whistleblowing deputy that was fired by Keith Nygren after he exposed the sheriff’s office for racial profiling. Nygren was forced to hire Seipler back after he lost an arbitration ruling, a court hearing, an appellate court hearing, and a failed attempt to be heard by the Illinois State Supreme Court. After Seipler was hired back, Nygren fired him again. Zane Seipler is currently fighting to get his job back.

Another McHenry County Deputy under siege, Scott Milliman Scott Milliman was a deputy and former right hand man to Sheriff Keith Nygren. He was fired by the sheriff for whistleblowing that the sheriff allegedly transacted in ticket fixing, bribery, general corruption, fraud in a SBA Loan, and in tapping Milliman himself to kill a McHenry County Judge and a Coroner’s Candidate. Scott Milliman is currently fighting to get his job back.

How Gary Gauger got to DEATH ROW This is the real life, tragic story of Gary Gauger. He was falsely arrested and sent to Death Row by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department for the double murder of his parents. Investigators from the sheriff’s department rigged a false confession so that they could convict him.

 

McHenry County Ethics Commission, Ethical or NOT!?!? The McHenry County Ethics Commission conducted a hearing of a complaint filed by Cal Skinner that Undersheriff Andrew Zinke used a government computer for a very politically charged email. The hearing was ran over by Zinke’s attorneys Mark Gummerson and Rebecca Lee. The sign up sheet to speak at the hearing went missing but found in the possession of Rebecca Lee. The commission went into secret session, made its decision, and did so without explanation.

First Electric Newspaper v.s. Sheriff Nygren and EEO Officer Donald Leist Pete Gonigam won a Public Access Bureau (Illinois States Attorney) appeal for the release of a 100 page report conducted by the McHenry County Sheriff’s office. The report exonerated Undersheriff Andrew Zinke after he told Brian Goode that he and his RITA Corporation was a the focal point of a drug investigation by the DEA.

Zinke’s middle finger may cost Cal Skinner $5,000 After filing a valid ethics complaint against Undersheriff Andrew Zinke for using a government computer for his campaign, Cal Skinner was to face Zinke’s attorney Mark Gummerson. Gummerson was lobbying for a $5,000 fine against Skinner filing a valid complaint. An act of bulling and intimidation of a McHenry County citizen.

Will McHenry County be Ripped Off by Special Interest in Sheriff Election? I question the interest and the contribution to Undersheriff Andrew Zinke’s campaign from the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 election. I send a letter to the President-Business Manager of the union James M. Sweeney.

IUOE Local 150 and Andrew Zinke. Is this Gangster Money for a Gangster Cop? The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 contributes money to Undersheriff’s Andrew Zinke’s campaign. They have known ties to the Colombo and Gambino Crime Families.

 

Undersheriff Andrew Zinke Shuts Down Cal Skinner’s Blog Site Undersheriff Andrew Zinke’s campaign was able to get Cal Skinner’s website, mchenrycountyblog.com shut down by falsely accusing him of stalking and linking to obscene material. Read here on how Zinke’s campaign resorts to breaking the law to silence a citizen’s voice.

 

Andrew Zinke Fearful to Debate Bill Prim Lies to Get Out of It. Undersheriff Andrew Zinke is so fearful to debate Bill Prim for McHenry County Sheriff that he lies to get out of it. Zinke knows that he would be out matched, outwitted, and the truth of his corrupt character would be revealed to the citizens of McHenry County. Instead of enduring such damage to his campaign he lies to coward out of it.

Is Sheriff Nygren and Undersheriff Zinke Intimidating and Tampering with Federal Witnesses? Is Sheriff Nygren and Undersheriff Zinke intimidating federal witnesses? Or are the deputies fighting back? Donald Leist, the sheriff’s in house lawyer sent a letter to 30 deputies and correctional officers to be interrogated prior to their depositions in a federal case. Would that work anywhere else in the US or just McHerny County?