Bob Bashara Attorney Expects Arrest Warrant For 'Person Of Interest' In Murder Case
GROSSE POINTE (WWJ) - The attorney for the family of a murdered Grosse Pointe Park woman says he soon expects to see an arrest warrant for a "person of interest" in the case, who was reportedly released sometime Friday.
Speaking live on WWJ Newsradio 950, attorney David Griem said he doesn't expect any charges against his client, Bob Bashara. He does, however, see a warrant request for 48-year-old Joseph Gentz of Saint Clair Shores, who claims he was at the home the night Jane Bashara was strangled.
Listen to the full interview:
Bob Bashara's Lawyer Defends His Innocence
"I do expect a warrant for Joe. It seems that Joe has confessed to either being a murderer or an accomplice to murder. Even though by last count from the leaks that I've heard, he's told six or seven different stories, each one different than the one before it and some of the most recent ones bordering on the bizarre. It would seem that police and prosecution officials have no alternative but to charge him," said Griem.
Gentz walked into the police station Tuesday morning and reportedly told police that Jane Bashara was killed on January 24 in her garage and that her husband, Bob Bashara, was home at the time and paid him for the killing.
There were unconfirmed reports, Friday afternoon, that Gentz has been released.
Michigan law states that police cannot hold someone in custody for more than 72 hours after making an oral report of a crime without making an arrest. Reporters were camped outside the Grosse Pointe Park jail beginning Friday morning, waiting to hear if Gentz was going to be charged or let go, but officials are staying mum.
Police Chief David Hiller would not answer questions on Friday, but released the following statement: "Our job as investigators is to prove facts beyond a reasonable doubt. In doing so we must conduct a through and complete investigation.As a result we are not going to answer any specific questions regarding the ongoing investigation."
- Jane Bashara (Facebook photo)
During a lengthy afternoon news conference, Griem said he can see why Gentz might be angry at Bob Bashara. Griem said Gentz and his client had business dealings in the past and that those dealings might have gone sour.
An autopsy showed that Jane Bashara had extensive bruising to her upper body, a crushed windpipe and missing fingernails.
Although the police are seemingly remaining tight-lipped, rumors have swirled around Bob Bashara, some indicating that he failed a lie detector test, that he has a history of extramarital affairs and that he even hosted S&M parties in a sex dungeon at a bar he previously owned.
"This has become the theatre of the absurd. Lets stick to the evidence and lets find us the killer of Jane Bashara... And the bottom line is even is you do have an alternative lifestyle, that doesn't make you guilty of any crime. My client has professed his innocence since the first moment I met him," said Griem.
Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 and CBSDetroit.com for the latest.
