AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MORGAN COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JURY
The family and friends of John Myers II invite the members of the Morgan County Circuit Court jury to visit this web
site frequently to learn the true facts of the Jill Behrman murder case. Additional information is being posted on the
site as court documents, investigative reports, and other information are released.
This web site seeks to educate the public and, in particular, members of the jury about the events of May 31, 2000
and the subsequent investigation of what happened that terrible day. An extremely large volume of legal documents
has recently been released. This information is being catalogued, copied, and prepared for posting on the web site
as public interest dictates. Virtually none of these sworn documents were available to you during the trial.
John Myers II has steadfastly maintained his innocence in this crime. He has no knowledge or information
concerning the person or persons who actually committed this terrible act.
We believe you would have rendered a verdict of not guilty had you been provided all the established, sworn facts
and investigative information developed in this case. Listed below are eleven examples of well-established factual
information you were not permitted to see, hear, or discuss:
1. CONTEMPORARY REPORTS OF SIGHTINGS. According to investigative reports, Ms Maral Papakhian
encountered Jill Behrman in the 4700 block of Harrell Road around 9:45 a.m. on the morning of Wednesday, May
31, 2000. This area is approximately two miles south of the Behrman family residence on Bloomington’s far south
side. Ms Papakhian, an Indiana University student on her way to class that morning, had attended elementary,
middle, and high school with Jill. Ms Papakhian reported her sighting to authorities on June 2, 2000 after reading
about Jill’s disappearance in the Bloomington Herald-Times morning newspaper. Investigators canvassing the area
in the week following Jill’s disappearance located four other people who reported seeing a bicyclist in the same area
south of Bloomington fitting Jill’s description. One of those four people was Mrs. Mary Beth Roedl, a neighbor of Jill’s
in the Hyde Park subdivision. You were never told of these sightings. Instead, you were told of sightings by two
people who belatedly came forward in late 2005 after many public requests for witnesses by investigators. These
individuals claimed they had sighted a female bicyclist north of Bloomington around the May 31 date, but could not
be sure of the exact day or time of their supposed sightings.
2. PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT. After an intensive investigation lasting 2 ½ years, FBI Agent Gary Dunn
submitted a 72 page sworn Probable Cause Affidavit in the matter of Jill’s disappearance to Monroe County
Prosecutor Carl Salzmann. Prosecutor Salzman took no action concerning the Affidavit. This Affidavit provided a
detailed summary of the investigation of three people publicly named as suspects. This Affidavit contained a
detailed accounting of the movements and activities of these three people on the evening of Tuesday, May 30, 2000
and the morning of Wednesday, May 31, 2000. This document contains confirming information provided by several
other people who encountered these three people. None of the information produced at the trial contradicts,
refutes, or invalidates the information detailed in the Probable Cause Affidavit. No new information revealed to date
invalidates, contradicts, or refutes the Affidavit. Morgan County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Burnham denied
admissibility of the entire Affidavit prior to the start of the trial. Judge Burnham’s action in denying admissibility to this
sworn document blinded you to the most likely perpetrators in this tragedy. It is no secret that all three of the named
individuals are well-known confidential drug informants and are being accorded privileged treatment.
3. DETECTIVE RICK LANG. Beginning in December 2004 and continuing through the summer of 2006, Indiana
State Police Detective Rick Lang actively courted testimony from Betty Swaffard, grandmother of John Myers II.
During the trial preparation period, Detective Lang maintained a personal relationship with Mrs. Swaffard. He bought
patio furniture from her in exchange for cash. He left messages on her answering machine without needing to
identify himself. He visited Mrs. Swaffard regularly, all under the guise of friendship. Detective Lang performed
errands and household tasks for Betty as a way of courting her cooperation and developing her testimony. Mrs.
Swaffard has herself stated that she “bonded” with Lang and that they had a “connection.” This lengthy act of
witness courting was never revealed to you, the jury, during the trial. Detective Lang and Mrs. Swaffard have
continued to maintain their personal relationship since the conclusion of the trial. This personal relationship, while
probably not illegal, certainly has the appearance of a conflict-of-interest. It is definitely outside the bounds of ethical
conduct given Detective Lang’s status as an employee of The State of Indiana and his complete inability to develop
any credible direct evidence in this case.
4. MS CARLY GOODMAN. Ms Carly Goodman dated John Myers II from December 1999 until April 2000. She had
given birth to a son in late November 1999, while a senior in high school. Ms Goodman refused to identify the father
of her son during her pre-trial deposition. Ms Goodman gave birth to a second child in 2001; she also refused to
identify the father of the second child during her deposition. You, the jury, were never told these facts because Ms
Goodman had an infant son to care for during the time she dated John Myers II and could not have spent an
inordinate amount of time away from the infant. This would have undermined her trial testimony.
5. GRAND JURY ANNOUNCEMENT. Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonnega called a press conference in March
2006 to announce the formation of a Grand Jury to review information in the Jill Behrman case. Calling a news
conference to publicly announce a secret legal proceeding was highly unusual and unprecedented. This unusual
announcement was the subject of commentary on several news broadcasts, most notably, Greta VanSusteren’s
news program on Fox News. Ms VanSusteren is herself a former prosecutor. The pre-trial publicity generated by this
press conference was undoubtedly prejudicial to the subsequent trail proceedings, which were originally scheduled
to begin in September 2006.
6. TELEPHONE TAP. Investigator Tom Arvin stated in his sworn deposition that a telephone tap was placed on the
residence phone of John Myers II on May 9, 2005. This tap was in place throughout the remainder of 2005 and until
April 2006. Absolutely no incriminating information of any kind was obtained from this tap. No telephone tap
information was introduced at trial. Defense attorney Patrick Baker was not informed of the telephone tap until just
before the commencement of the trial. You, the jury, were never told any of this.
7. NO DNA EVIDENCE. No DNA evidence of any kind relating to Jill Behrman was ever developed by investigators
in the car, pickup truck, or residence of John Myers II. As stated by Prosecutor Sonnega on more than one
occasion, there is no direct evidence of any kind linking John Myers II to the Jill Behrman abduction or murder.
8. EIGHT NAMED SUSPECTS. The eight named suspects in this case were presented in a power point presentation
that the prosecution never bothered to show during trial. With the exception of one, all the named suspects had
lengthy arrest records; some of these suspects had arrests for sex offenses.
9. GPS TRACKING DEVICE. According to a sworn deposition given by investigator Tom Arvin, a GPS tracking
device was placed on a vehicle owned by John Myers II during the course of the investigation. No useful data of an
incriminating nature was obtained from this device. You were never told this during the trial.
10. One of the eight named suspects, lived within one mile of Ms Papakhian’s reported sighting of Jill Behrman in
the 4700 block of Harrell Road, south of her residence.
11. REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS. At least three registered sex offenders lived within one mile of the Ms
Papakhian’s reported sighting of Jill Behrman in the 4700 block of Harrell Road, south of her residence. Several
registered sex offenders lived within one and one-half mile of the location where Jill’s bicycle was dumped. It is not
known if investigators contacted any of these individuals.
In Indiana, neither the prosecuting attorneys nor the defense attorneys are sworn before the start of court
proceedings. It is the jury’s task to test unsworn assertions made by prosecutors and defense attorneys against
actual testimony and physical evidence presented in court. The judge has the authority to deny or admit evidence in
a case based on broad discretionary authority. In effect, the judge has the power to steer the jury to a guilty verdict
by denying admissibility to evidence or testimony that might exonerate a defendant.
As jury members in this matter, your thoughts and ideas are of great value. You are invited to submit questions,
comments, and suggestions to this web site via regular mail, email, or by calling the listed telephone number. Your
communications and identities will be kept in strictest confidence. You will be treated with respect and dignity. We
are willing to provide you personal copies of any and all releasable documents in this matter.
The Friends and Family of John Myers II
Please pray with us for God's guidance over the information we have
obtained. Proverbs 3:6 "Seek his will in all you do, and he will
show you what path to take."