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Investigator hired by o.j. described as bitter ex-cop

By: Roger Glass

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

July 22, 1994, Friday , FINAL

Investigator hired by o.j. described as bitter ex-cop

SOURCE: P-I News Services

SECTION: NEWS LENGTH: MEDIUM: Pg. B1

LENGTH: 666 words

DATELINE: LOS ANGELES

A top investigator for O.J. Simpson has been portrayed in court papers as a bitter ex-cop with a vendetta against a former Los Angeles Police Department colleague assigned to the Simpson case.
Zvonko "Bill" Pavelic gave up a generous pension package when he quit the department 18 months ago after nearly 20 years on the force. He contends he was forced out because he had complained about racism and corruption in the department.
"I was sick and tired of watching innocent people get framed, especially members of minority groups, and that includes African Americans and Mexicans," Pavelic told The Associated Press. "I was disturbed about officer-involved shootings, and how they covered up the incidents."
Pavelic was hired to review the police investigation in the case, looking for mistakes, violations of LAPD policy and skeletons in investigators' closets.
Simpson, 47, is charged with murder in the June 12 stabbings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, 35, and Ron Goldman, 25. He faces arraignment today .
Court papers describe Pavelic as angry, bitter and paranoid.
"Pavelic thought there was a big conspiracy among the supervisors at Southwest Detectives and command staff officers of LAPD who were 'out to get him,' " prosecutors wrote in a case in which the defense was considering calling Pavelic as a witness.
In recent days, the Simpson camp has leaked unflattering details about Detective Mark Fuhrman, who testified at a preliminary hearing that he found a bloody glove at Simpson's estate.
The defense reportedly was going to argue that Fuhrman planted the glove. However, an internal police investigation has concluded that scenario is virtually impossible, police sources told the Los Angeles Times.
Many of Fuhrman's defenders suspect Pavelic was responsible for revealing details to the media of a 1983 lawsuit that portrays Fuhrman as racist and violent.
A review of his personnel file suggests, however, that Pavelic enjoyed a successful career. He strongly defended his reputation, pointing to 175 commendations.
But his career apparently took a turn for the worse in his latter years, when he started openly criticizing command staff, including former Chief Daryl Gates.
Pavelic retired in 1992 on a service-related disability pension of half pay, claiming his working conditions aggravated his health.
On Wednesday, the defense launched a toll-free tip line and a $500,000 reward for "the real killer."
Simpson's lead defense attorney, Robert Shapiro, said hot-line operators were receiving 100 calls a minute. Earlier, an AT&T operator had said technical difficulties were blocking some calls.
"This is done totally outside our office. . . . This is totally O.J.'s thing," Shapiro said yesterday, adding that a message on the hot line had been changed to delete a referral to Shapiro's office for legal representation.
Meanwhile, officials said yesterday that a notebook detailing Nicole Simpson's activities last winter was found in the car of O.J. Simpson's girlfriend and has been turned over to Los Angeles police.
Police in Newport Beach, 40 miles south of Los Angeles, said the notebook was recovered from Paula Barbieri's car Jan. 31 after the vehicle had been stolen and used in four armed robberies.
Newport Beach police spokesman Sgt. Andy Gonis said the notebook was handed over on July 12 to the lawyer of William Wasz, who stole the car, and was now in the hands of Los Angeles police.
Wasz's lawyer, John Stewart, told CNN that the notebook contained a detailed schedule of Nicole Simpson's movements.
"I found the contents very, very interesting as it relates to possible scenarios relative to O.J. Simpson (and) . . . the ongoing prosecution of O.J.," he said.
TV coverage
ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC plan live coverage of O.J. Simpson's arraignment on murder charges today in Los Angeles. The court session also can be seen on Court TV. It is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. PDT.
Read More on Bill Pavelic or William Bill Pavelic visit http://www.officialpavelic.com/
- The Associated Press
sdh/md

LOAD-DATE: November 24, 1998

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

Article Source: http://articlekarma.com

Author is an online investigative consultant.........

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