My Daughter is Dead! What I want to know is WHY?

On February 1, 2008, I received a call at approximately 5:30pm from a man I had never met before but knew as my daughters caregiver. He told me that Wendy was missing and that he had called 911. I am currently a certified detention officer with NC and was BLET certified as Law Enforcement officer from 1968 to 1993! I am very familiar with what policies/procedures do to effect the actions of any officer via Department Administration and Governmental Politicians!

I could hear the noises in the background of excitement, then he told me that the officers were here and that he would call me right back. An officer of the Tampa Police Department took the Initial report called Report#08-65454. His report was dated 2/1/08 at 1937(which is 5:37PM,EST). The offense was noted as #1 9500-112 MISSING PERSON-COMPLETED. The complainant was listed as Bernard I. Silver, Wendy’s caregiver. The officer showed Bernard’s physical description, address and phone number. The next of kin was listed as James Brown. The officer wrote that I was from Fayetteville, NC. In fact I have never lived in Fayetteville, but rather spent most of my life in Gastonia, NC.

Here is where things get me angry! The missing person was listed as Wendy Leigh Rich Mullins, showed address and a home phone of 813/458-2368 and business phone as 813/377-5645. Occupation listed as Disabled. Marital Status as Single. Disability listed as Drug/Alcohol Addiction. He then proceeded to give my daughters height, weight, hair color, hair style, and eye color. His additional remarks were as follows: “reported missing, possible suicide victim”. Further details about Wendy were then listed, among which was a “History: repeat”.

At this point I wish to stop. My daughter was not and never has been a drug addict or alcoholic!

Showing as History Information is “Missing before: yes Reason: Voluntarily missing. Where found: Mom’s residence-Winter Haven. Officer Hoffman of the pick up desk was notified at 2048 hours(8:48PM,EST). Please note that Wendy and her mother were co-dependent on one another,but Wendy, thru counseling, was trying to break her mom’s dependent hold upon her. Her mother did not like this!

The report continued with a case summary by the officer at 1948 hours on 2/1/08. It stated that the complainant is the missing ‘s roommate and that the roommate has last seen her at 1530 hours(3:30PM,EST) and that the current location of the missing person is unknown and that a pickup was placed with an Officer Huffman at 2048 hours(8:48PM,EST) with TPD(Tampa PD). It was again noted that the missing person had been missing before and had a history of drug abuse. I will not argue with the times as I was not there, but in their own words and times, Wendy was reported as missing at 3:30 and a pickup order was not given until 8:48PM. No search was made by the responding officer nor was a K-9 team called in for assistance.

Again, I will stop here for clarification facts. My daughter was suffering from “three bulging disc’s, one of which was causing obvious nerve root compression
At C-5-C6. Protrusion was also noted at C3-C4 and C4-C5. The impression of the doctor at Sport and Orthopedic Radiology at The Tower a was: Three disc protrusions are seen. Two are visible on the left compressing the left neutral foramen and this is seen at the C3-C4 and C4-C5. There is a large disc protrusion at C5-C6 on the right also at the neural foramen”.. These tests were ordered by and received by a medical doctor. Some of her doctor’s were prescribing the following in addition to her normal pain and psysic meds:

1. Tizanidine 4mg prescribed on 1/15/08
2. Gabitril 4 mg prescribed on 1/31/08
3. Promethazine 25 mg prescribed on 1/31/08
4. Trazodone 50 mg prescribed on 1/13/08
5. Topamax 200 mg prescribed on 1/13/08
6. Lexapro 20 mg prescribed on 1/13/08
7. Clonazepam 2mg prescribed on 1/13/08
8. Baclofen 10 mg prescribed on 1/3/089
9. Etodolac 400mg prescribed on 9/3/07
10. Metoclopramide 10 mg prescribed on 7/6/07
11. Amitriptyline 10 mg prescribed on 11/29/06
12. Mirtazapine 15mg prescribed on 9/18/06
13. Promethazine 25mg prescribed on 8/3/06
14. Hydrocodone 5mg/500mg prescribed on 8/13/06
15. Propoxyphene 100w/apap650tabs prescribed on 5/26/06

Her caregiver as well as others stated that she had been practically bedridden for approximately a month, yet two ladies of her residence building saw her enter the elevator. The told me when I first arrived on Saturday that she appeared to be very distressed and that normally she spoke to them, which she did not do. A man outside the door of the building that also lived on her flour right across from her, stated that he saw her exit the building, walking at a rather fast passé and that she did not speak to him either. She then walked about 75 feet to the exit gate of the complex and turned right. This same gentleman was also later to tell a daughter/mother living right down from Wendy when they questioned him about Wendy’s were abouts that “don’t worry, she is safe, I know where she is, don’t worry”. He repeated this to them 2-3 times as the mother spoke very little English. The daughter came to me the next morning when she found that I had arrived and told me of this conversation. This man knew of Wendy’s physical and emotional problems which were being coped with painfully. Yet he, being a “friend” next door did not speak to her as she exited, nor did he make any attempt to stop her when she exited the gate and turned right. He later told me that he thought that she was going to meat her mother. Well, her mother would have come into the complex parking area and picked Wendy up, knowing of her problems. When questioned by detectives, the two ladies at the elevator that were talking as Wendy entered the elevator stated that she didn’t seem to be distressed or anxious at all, only quiet, but they had thought enough of the incident that they approached me and told me what they did on Saturday 2/2/08.
The man did not deny that he had said what he had told to me. This man was known around the complex as preferring young white girls over his own race. He had also reportedly made some rather strange and out of place remarks to the caregiver one evening, stating that it was a shame that he was leaving that lovely white girl up there in the bed all by herself….and that he would not do so. The caregiver took offense but the man was much older than he therefore took the comment without any further incident.

The young daughter and her mother had gone out looking for Wendy as had many other members of the community, but outside the gate is a very dangerous area of Tampa, much less at night. Everyone had searched inside the perimeter of the fenced area. The daughter and mother did venture outside the gate over to the area of a building that faced their complex, but were afraid to go too far outside the gate. That building was an old folks nursing home which I will get to later.

OK, why did it take Tampa PD to issue a call to their vehicles for 5 hours, when the officer was shown empty medical pill bottles and was told that she should be considered as endangered? Why were there no K-9 units brought out? Well the answer was given that at 5PM on Friday evening, everyone goes home in the missing persons department of Tampa PD and returns Monday at 8AM. The caregiver was asked by the me to ask Tampa PD to bring out a k-9 unit or to help him find a private unit. Their answer was there is no private K-9 unit available.

The caregiver was panicky and began to call around to other departments, one being the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department. They advised him that they kept missing persons officers and K-9 units available 24-7, especially for a person considered as “endangered”, however they could not respond due to department protocol unless the Tampa PD requested their assistance……to which they did not do so. Only their cars were told to be on the look out for a person of Wendy’s description…The did however advise Hillsborough County to also request that their cars be on the look out for Wendy.

I feel that what I have said, even though some of it being second hand to me, could be determined as right or wrong by the tapes that all police departments of any reasonable statue have available. Even their radio transmissions are recorded. How do I know this. Well I have had 13 years experience with law enforcement or detention. I know the process and I know the politics within both the Commissioner level to keep down costs, and the pressure on lower level officers to comply to the same keeping down of costs. Was the loss of a dollar what cost my Wendy, my precious daughter, her life. NO ONE WAS WILLING TO PUT ON EVEN A SMALL SEARCH WITH A K-9 UNIT. WHO DO WE FAULT? We fault the system and the politics that are played daily with the lives of the citizens of every community in this nation. We have lost our way friends! A mother’s numerous calls in panic asking for help in locating her daughter. She calls were as most panicky parents might do, that do not know how the process works. I was on the cell phone in transit from Gastonia to Tampa with the follow-up detective, but was told that nothing would be able to be done other than notifying the cars on patrol. I advised him that I was retired a detention officer from Gaston County Sheriff’s Department and would appreciate any help he could muster. Maybe he took offense with my asking for a ”brother officer” to do what he could but I doubt it!


When I arrived in Tampa, I took an initial survey of the situation and called a PI friend of mine. That friend helped me to try to be calm and walk thru the needs of the Tampa PD when they arrived. I had a list of all prescription bottles, their Rx numbers, the pharmacy, the doctors, the doctors addresses and phone numbers, and had as a citizen father interviewed who ever I could find within the complex that might know anything. All of this was written down for the detective, but the next detective I would see was the one that came on duty at 8AM. She was there to tell me that they had found my daughter. I had already found out that a body had been found on the far side of the old folks nursing home, only about 125 feet from where Wendy was found. I had already gone to the scene, where there was so crime scene tape. The detective advised me that there was a faint pulse and the paramedics did their best to keep her alive until they could reach the St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, only a few minutes away. The emergency room pumped Wendy’s stomach because a very large quantity of pills was found beside her in a plastic bag along with her cat carry cage and the little white cat. ER did what they were supposed to do as fast as they could do it, but Wendy died.

I ask…. is the political gain, dollars, or man hours saved worth a life, much less the life of my daughter? I am not angry with the officers of Tampa PD. I well know their dilemma! I do however hold the administration of the Tampa PD and the Tampa City Commission RESPONSIBLE!

I ask that any officer that has knowledge of this incident come forth for another of the thin blue line whose daughter’s life was carelessly taken from him, her three children, her brother, and my x-wife. She is not someone to be swept under the “carpet of politics as usual” and I will not allow it, as things were conducted! I will not divulge your name. Please give facts that can be supported.

Remember, this could be a loved one of yours that might go missing next!!!!