Lost Evidence, "Biased" Investigation Cited In NYPD's Probe Of Killed Cyclist Mathieu Lefevre

Mathieu Lefevre (Courtesy Lee Brunet)

An attorney representing the family of killed cyclist Mathieu Lefevre has sent a scathing letter to the NYPD's Accident Investigation Squad, blasting the department's handling of the investigation. Lefevre, a Canadian artist living in Brooklyn, was killed in October by a flatbed truck driver who left the scene of the Williamsburg accident. When the NYPD finally tracked him down, he said he didn't know he ran anybody over, and investigators took his word for it. Gothamist has obtained a copy of the letter, sent today to the NYPD Highway Patrol, in which attorney Steve Vaccaro raises serious concerns about detectives handling of the investigation, such as:

Lefevre's mother Erika and Vaccaro both say Detective Sheehan told them there was blood and paint marks from Mathieu's bike found on the driver's side front bumper of the truck, which was allegedly driven by one Leonardo Degianni. Vaccaro says this evidence was not collected, and allowed to wash away in the rain without any documentation.
The accident report shows the truck hitting Lefevre from behind, and his family is "astonished" that investigators believe Degianni dragged the body 100 feet and did not notice that anything was amiss.
An AIS detective allegedly told the family's lawyer, "We don't think he hit him with the front end of the truck." This, Vaccaro says, would seem to contradict the accident report, as well as the blood and bike paint found on the front bumper.
Other evidence, such as Lefevre's helmet, was left on the street "to be washed down into the sewer with blood and remains."
A witness interviewed by Detective Sheehan says Sheehan told him or her that Lefevre "must have been a big cyclist given all the attention these advocacy organizations are paying to this case."
Sheehan also suggested to Vaccaro, the attorney, that Lefevre was a bike messenger (not true), and he seemed to shrug off the accident with the observation that cyclists in general "do crazy things."

All told, the letter alleges glaring holes in an investigation that—like other cyclist accidents—seemed designed from the outset to blame the cyclist and take the driver's claims at face value. Vaccaro also alleges that the NYPD turned to him for "assistance in responding to thousands of inquires regarding the Lefevre investigation." In the letter, Vaccaro tells Sergeant Matthew Bono, "You asked me if I... would request that NYPD not release information about Mathieu's death to members of the public."

Ironically, one of the family's complaints all along has been that they've had to read about developments in the investigation in the media, while the AIS detectives aren't telling them much of anything. In response to Sergeant Bono's request, Sheehan emphasized that "the Lefevres have no objection to NYPD's release of information to the public concerning Mathieu's crash, as long as the NYPD also discloses that information to them." But at this point, with the investigation essentially concluded and no criminal charges expected, it looks like the Degianni is off the hook. Last week he told the Times "it hasn’t been proven yet" that he was the one who killed Lefevre.

Mathieu Lefevre

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on December 19, 2011 12:10 PM

Comments [rss]

Emmily_Litella

What if the victim were black and had an arrest record? Would they charge him posthumously for interfering with traffic?

nyc36

90th Precinct. How incompetent you are in every way. I feel so sorry for this family having to deal with the utter incompetence that goes on there. The complete contempt and dismissive behavior the cops showed when they went to the 90th Precinct for help and info. And their son was dead. So sad.
Here is typical behavior by the cops of the 90th Precinct. The 90th Precinct refuses to take police reports for crimes, they never answer the phone, and if they do the woman who answers hangs up on you within minutes. They have utter contempt for all residents of the 90th precinct (of all races--I'm white.) I attempted to make a complaint about a guy groping me and then following me in his car and around the hood. My friend called them about an actual assault in her building where she was grabbed and thrown against a wall (and we had the info on the guys who did it). The cops on the street would refuse to take reports. We go to the 90th Precinct. They try to tell us we can't make complaints unless the guys "leave marks on you." ?? A Sgt Alvarez (if that was his real name) kept screaming at me that no they would not take a report (about the previous issue) and that "anyone can follow you into your building and there is nothing you can do about it." He kept screaming and the other cops in the precinct just looked the other way. How can we not have anything but the same complete contempt for NYC cops that they show for us? And I am very aware that it is probably way worse for people who aren't white. One time I called (when all this was happening) because I stupidly thought the cops were there to help citizens (the taxes I pay are supposed to pay them). Some weird cop answered the phone (surprisingly) and started to tell me I better get out of the neighborhood because the "minorities" were in charge and the whole problem was that NYC was Democratic not Republican. ANd told me I should move out of the city. Who is in charge of that precinct that they let this kind of behavior go on? Uh yeah I am Democratic too idiot. And no I am not moving to the suburbs.
http://newyork.nearsay.com/nyc...

robindustry

Fuck the NYPD

angry_pickle

Nothing will change any time soon because no heads will roll. NYPD will protect their own. You need big bucks to get lawyers to ram through those walls; such is our justice system.

randomtransplant

Human life has value, and you can't just dismiss needless death. The NYPD should try spending all this effort stonewalling familes & protecting shitty cops on doing the right thing in the first place.

This family should be allowed to move on, not have to get stuck playing Serpico of the Streets. They're doing the world a basic service some pretty shitty investigators seem unable or unwilling to do.

swampyankeesmom

this story just keeps getting shittier and shittier. but at least so far [holding breath] there hasn't been any asshole comments blasting cyclists. the family must be going through hell.

bggb

The NYPD very clearly does not seriously investigate the death of bicyclists.

This simply has to change.

And it will.

It's only a matter of time.

BUT, how many more people have to die before the NYPD gets serious about traffic enforcement and the safety of anyone not driving a car?

In 147 crashes this year which killed a pedestrian or bicyclist, there have been 20 arrests.

TWENTY.

http://www.streetsblog.org/201...

nicemarmot

Like I've said before, the NYPD clearly views cyclists and pedestrians as a nuisance. Maybe if they had to walk or bike their beat they'd be more sympathetic to the large portion of New Yorkers who don't own a car.

Spirit of 76

Cut the bloated NYPD budget and get rid of a bunch of police cars. Take cops out of their mobile glass and steel cages so they can know firsthand how vulnerable it feels to be in traffic with no protection. Then maybe they just might take bad drivers seriously. Although probably not.

moocow

When can we all just accept that the acronym NYPD = Shitshow?

We are on our own out on the streets, the Department sworn to protect us will not do it.

swampyankeesmom

we should never have to accept that.

Jereremy

Especially if they're on our collective payroll.

miss_subways

This is a terrible and tragic situation made worse by the non-cooperation of the NYPD. I knew Mathieu, not well, but he was a lovely guy. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

Fronko

Take note, bike commuters. The NYPD thinks every single person on a bike must be a bike messenger.

chuzzlewit

blood and paint on the front bumper? jesus christ.

edit: the letter refers to the AIS accident report as being attached - do we have access to this document?