Menasha 2-year-old's death stymies police
A decade later, new leads sought in cold case
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs...H0101/307050024
(IF YOU GO TO THE WEBPAGE, THERE'S A PICTURE OF THE LITTLE BOY'S HEADSTONE, HE'S ADORABLE)
By Michael King • Post-Crescent staff writer • July 5, 2008
MENASHA — Police Investigator Dave Jagla said he is resigned to the fact he may never know who caused the decade-old death of 2-year-old Aaron Lee.
"If a small child dies at the hands of a parent, that's a sad thing," said Jagla, a 29-year police officer.
What's more disheartening is not being able to prove which parent committed the crime and bring about justice for the boy who died July 6, 1998, the day after police say he suffered a severe brain injury in his family's apartment at 614½ First St.
"I'm sad that we can't put somebody to answer for it," he said. "But we've done everything that we can do."
A similar sentiment is shared by Jagla's supervisor, Lt. Ron Bouchard. "Somebody needs to come forward and tell us the truth," he said.
Police believe either Ying Lee, 41, or Jee Lee, 30, who are now divorced and live apart out of state, shook their son so violently that it caused a brain injury that claimed his life.
Three months after Lee's death, a district attorney's inquest (an investigative hearing) was held in Winnebago County Circuit Court.
"The (six-person inquest) jury told us that they felt one of the two adults was responsible for Aaron's injuries and his death," said Bouchard. "Dr. (Michael) Chambliss (the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy) indicated the injuries were caused by a severe shaking. It wasn't a simple fall or anything like that. It was a severe-type shaking and it had to be done by a stronger, larger individual."
For police, that tips suspicion toward the father as the No. 1 suspect. Ying Lee, who now reportedly lives with Aaron's three siblings in Alaska, is off limits to investigators since he told police before the inquest that he retained an attorney.
"Ideally, we'd like to talk to dad but he's indicated on the advice of his attorney that he's not talking to us," Bouchard said.
On July 5, 1998, after breakfast, the Lees' four children, who ranged in age from 2-year-old Aaron to his 6-year-old sister, were playing on a mattress in a spare bedroom not far from where their father was sleeping.
"There was information that the kids had been creating problems that morning, that Aaron had been fussing and mom had yelled at the kids a couple times, afraid that they would wake up the father," Bouchard said.
Sometime later, Jee Lee was in the kitchen when "she heard something like Aaron crying, sustained crying as if he was pain. Then she went in there and he had fallen limp to the ground in the bedroom," he said.
"She goes in and quiets them down and yet she's telling us she didn't hear or see anything when it comes to this violent shaking," Bouchard said. "She claims that she brought Aaron, his limp body, to her husband in his bedroom while he was sleeping."
The initial explanation provided by the parents was that Aaron was choking on potato chips or corn flakes before going limp. Later, it was suggested he might have been hurt falling off a mattress or from a windowsill.
"His story wasn't consistent with what the facts were," Jagla said. Authorities believe Ying Lee was exhausted from driving throughout the night from the (Minneapolis area) and was trying to sleep. "He was angry about being woke up and I believe this (shaking) happened," he said.
Jee Lee, who was last interviewed in March 2002 when the family lived in Appleton, now lives in Utah. She maintained her story that she did not see anything physical between Aaron and her husband.
Jagla wondered if any of Ying's former co-workers or members of the Hmong community who knew him might have heard him comment on Aaron's death.
"If he had mentioned anything, that would be helpful," Jagla said. "I know he talked to people; that's why I think everything stopped. That's why (his wife) was afraid to say anything because of what was going to happen to her if she told what happened.
"If there's a member of the clan that knows something that they could tell us, that would be real helpful," Jagla said.
In the meantime, justice remains elusive.
"Once we can pinpoint the (perpetrator's) identity, then we can proceed," said Winnebago County Dist. Atty. Christian Gossett, who has not officially reviewed the case. "We can't just put two people on trial because we know one of them did it. You've got to be able to show that one or the other did it."
Now that the couple is divorced, Jagla said he would like to speak to Jee Lee again. He said the case "is not sitting idle" but admittedly "there isn't a lot to follow up on."
"Without the responsible party coming forward and admitting it, I just don't see this really going anywhere," Bouchard said. "It's a cold case with two potential suspects."
Michael King: 920-729-6622, ext. 33, or mking@postcrescent.com
"Hmong OG's needs to stop withholding informations and give that child justice. If it really was an accident, just tell the cops it was an accident and stop making the cops suspicious" - mly14
A decade later, new leads sought in cold case
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs...H0101/307050024
(IF YOU GO TO THE WEBPAGE, THERE'S A PICTURE OF THE LITTLE BOY'S HEADSTONE, HE'S ADORABLE)
By Michael King • Post-Crescent staff writer • July 5, 2008
MENASHA — Police Investigator Dave Jagla said he is resigned to the fact he may never know who caused the decade-old death of 2-year-old Aaron Lee.
"If a small child dies at the hands of a parent, that's a sad thing," said Jagla, a 29-year police officer.
What's more disheartening is not being able to prove which parent committed the crime and bring about justice for the boy who died July 6, 1998, the day after police say he suffered a severe brain injury in his family's apartment at 614½ First St.
"I'm sad that we can't put somebody to answer for it," he said. "But we've done everything that we can do."
A similar sentiment is shared by Jagla's supervisor, Lt. Ron Bouchard. "Somebody needs to come forward and tell us the truth," he said.
Police believe either Ying Lee, 41, or Jee Lee, 30, who are now divorced and live apart out of state, shook their son so violently that it caused a brain injury that claimed his life.
Three months after Lee's death, a district attorney's inquest (an investigative hearing) was held in Winnebago County Circuit Court.
"The (six-person inquest) jury told us that they felt one of the two adults was responsible for Aaron's injuries and his death," said Bouchard. "Dr. (Michael) Chambliss (the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy) indicated the injuries were caused by a severe shaking. It wasn't a simple fall or anything like that. It was a severe-type shaking and it had to be done by a stronger, larger individual."
For police, that tips suspicion toward the father as the No. 1 suspect. Ying Lee, who now reportedly lives with Aaron's three siblings in Alaska, is off limits to investigators since he told police before the inquest that he retained an attorney.
"Ideally, we'd like to talk to dad but he's indicated on the advice of his attorney that he's not talking to us," Bouchard said.
On July 5, 1998, after breakfast, the Lees' four children, who ranged in age from 2-year-old Aaron to his 6-year-old sister, were playing on a mattress in a spare bedroom not far from where their father was sleeping.
"There was information that the kids had been creating problems that morning, that Aaron had been fussing and mom had yelled at the kids a couple times, afraid that they would wake up the father," Bouchard said.
Sometime later, Jee Lee was in the kitchen when "she heard something like Aaron crying, sustained crying as if he was pain. Then she went in there and he had fallen limp to the ground in the bedroom," he said.
"She goes in and quiets them down and yet she's telling us she didn't hear or see anything when it comes to this violent shaking," Bouchard said. "She claims that she brought Aaron, his limp body, to her husband in his bedroom while he was sleeping."
The initial explanation provided by the parents was that Aaron was choking on potato chips or corn flakes before going limp. Later, it was suggested he might have been hurt falling off a mattress or from a windowsill.
"His story wasn't consistent with what the facts were," Jagla said. Authorities believe Ying Lee was exhausted from driving throughout the night from the (Minneapolis area) and was trying to sleep. "He was angry about being woke up and I believe this (shaking) happened," he said.
Jee Lee, who was last interviewed in March 2002 when the family lived in Appleton, now lives in Utah. She maintained her story that she did not see anything physical between Aaron and her husband.
Jagla wondered if any of Ying's former co-workers or members of the Hmong community who knew him might have heard him comment on Aaron's death.
"If he had mentioned anything, that would be helpful," Jagla said. "I know he talked to people; that's why I think everything stopped. That's why (his wife) was afraid to say anything because of what was going to happen to her if she told what happened.
"If there's a member of the clan that knows something that they could tell us, that would be real helpful," Jagla said.
In the meantime, justice remains elusive.
"Once we can pinpoint the (perpetrator's) identity, then we can proceed," said Winnebago County Dist. Atty. Christian Gossett, who has not officially reviewed the case. "We can't just put two people on trial because we know one of them did it. You've got to be able to show that one or the other did it."
Now that the couple is divorced, Jagla said he would like to speak to Jee Lee again. He said the case "is not sitting idle" but admittedly "there isn't a lot to follow up on."
"Without the responsible party coming forward and admitting it, I just don't see this really going anywhere," Bouchard said. "It's a cold case with two potential suspects."
Michael King: 920-729-6622, ext. 33, or mking@postcrescent.com
"Hmong OG's needs to stop withholding informations and give that child justice. If it really was an accident, just tell the cops it was an accident and stop making the cops suspicious" - mly14
