Based on a true story. Names and addresses have been changed
Mike Arnson was a private cop. He wore the uniform, and carried the side arm, just like your everyday police officer, but he was not a regular cop. He was one of four units that worked around the clock, and would have been seen in and out of our village at different times of the shifts. The company he worked for, North Shorewood Protective Agency, (NSPA) was in fact owned and operated by a police officer.
Mike’s duties were to patrol the area of his assigned customers, punch a time clock that was located at the customer ‘s residence, on a regular basis. He would walk the yards and sometimes, he would even go inside the residence, if so assigned to do so.
This true story that you are about to read concerning the actions of Mike Arnson going inside a residence, on a routine check, has changed his life forever.
The police officer that started the NSPA saw a need for such a company, or protective force if you will, and decided to start it and man it around the clock. It started out slowly and within five years became one of the most professional protective services on the Northshore. When Mike came on board less than a year ago, they had added three more units and also added a roving unit that was assigned to a shift commander. The shift commander was called a Sergeant, the same sort of ranking personnel that you would find on the police department. Matter of fact, all of the members (officer’s) on the NSPA were sworn deputies of the Cook County Sheriff’s office. Cook County bordered the West Side of our village, and most of the customers that used the NSPA lived there.
Mike Arnson was pulling his rounds in the Village of Wilmette, just south of Kenilworth’s South border, approximately three blocks into Wilmette, and was checking 149 Delwood Lane. The owner of that residence was Jeff Saewards, a Chicago attorney.
Jeff and his wife, Linda had been separated for over six months. Jeff had asked the owner of NSPA to keep a special watch on the house, and that included going inside the residence after 9:00 p.m. and checking on the well being of Linda and their five year old daughter, Becky Ann.
When Mike pulled up to 149 Delwood, he noticed something very different about the house. It was very dark inside and out. Normally there were outside lights that stayed on all night, and inside certain lights were on timers and would alternate through out the night. Mike knew which lights were on timers, and it looked very different on this dark and foggy night. The residence also had an alarm that would not only sound at the police station, but would also sound at the residence. An alarm that would be heard very easily from a distance of at least one city block, if set off.
As Mike walked up to the front door, he noticed that it was slightly open. He got the old gut feeling, just like a real police officer gets when he feels something is not right. He opened the door wide and stepped inside the residence. He heard the crying before he saw her. Becky Ann Saewards was sitting on the top stair of the long winding staircase that led to the second story of the residence.
“Becky Ann?” Mike knew Becky as he had seen her many times when he would come to check on her and Linda. “Becky Ann? What’s wrong honey?” He asked her. When she saw him she ran to him and hugged him, tears were running down her cheeks. “Oh Uncle Mikie. It’s Mommy, she won’t wake up. She won’t wake up.” She said. It was then that Mike noticed the red blood stains all over Becky Ann. It was all he could do to keep his composure.
“Becky Ann, where is your mother, show me, please.” Mike was afraid of what he was going to find. He knew in his gut that Linda was most likely already dead, but he had to find out. He followed Becky Ann up the stairs and as they reached the top of the landing, Mike noticed blood on the carpet and also on the door and door frame of one of the bedrooms, just off to the left. She is in there, Becky Ann pointed towards the blood splattered door. She then stopped and would not go any further.
Mike pulled his side arm and entered the bedroom. It was just a normal reaction, pulling his weapon. Knowing in his gut, she was beyond being helped by him or anyone else. Too much blood he thought, as he moved closer to the body of the female lying across the large king size bed in the middle of the room. Mike was unable to get a pulse, he had taken some courses in first aid and knew how to check for restrictions in someone’s air ways and to check for a heartbeat and the normal things you do in checking for signs of life. Mike was not an expert, but he knew she was dead when he checked her vitals.
Mike left the room, leaving everything just as he had found it. He was also very aware of a crime scene and what not to do, when coming upon one. He took Becky Ann with him as he returned to his vehicle that was parked in the driveway in front of the residence.
Once inside the vehicle he called the Wilmette Police Department on his car phone. His vehicle looked much like a police car, being black and with a spotlight, but it had no two-way radio equipment. It had a police monitor and a telephone. He could hear police units in the area, but could not talk to them.
He advised the Wilmette Police dispatcher that he had found Mrs. Jeff Saewards lying in her bedroom, and it appeared her throat had been cut, and that she showed no signs of life. Mike was known to most of the officer’s in the area and even the dispatchers, as he would often visit the police department during the night. After all a guy has to take a coffee and a pee break once in a while.
Wilmette Police responded as did theWilmette Fire Rescue, to 149 Delwood Lane. It was too late, a local Doctor that had been called in order to assist, pronounced Linda deceased at the scene.
The Wilmette Detective’s jumped on the case very quickly. Within thirty minutes they had found out from questioning a few neighbors, that Linda had been dating a Doctor Franklin Braidwood, a local dentist. He had been seen going and coming from her residence on numerous occasions, during the last week. It was also common knowledge that the two lovers would quarrel, shouting and screaming at each other during those visits. One of the Detectives, Mickey Gardner, knew the Dentist, Frank Braidwood. The Dentist had taken care of his sister’s family, and as far as he knew he was an okay guy.
Detective Gardner obtained an immediate search warrant from a local Judge, to search the residence and the office’s of Dr. Franklin Braidwood. They were not only looking for the Dentist, but for a murder weapon as well.
When the Detectives arrived at Frank Braidwood’s residence, there was no answer, when they knocked at the door. His vehicle was parked in the driveway, and the garage door was open. Detective Gardner looked into the front seat of Frank Braidwood’s vehicle and saw what appeared to be blood stains on the seat, and the driver’s door inner panel and even some foot prints on the driveway next to the vehicle, appeared to be from blood.
Back up units was called in to assist the Detective’s. With the assistance of six other officers, they entered through the open door of the garage. At the same time a few other fellow officers watched the entrance and exits of the residence, thinking that if Frank Braidwood was there, they certainly did not want him to escape.
When Detective Gardner entered the basement, after searching the residence with nil results, he saw Frank Braidwood lying in a pool of blood. He had been shot in the head with a .357 six shot Smith&Wesson mag. After an investigation, it was found that he had taken his own life. He had left a note, in which he had asked for forgiveness, and apologized, to Becky Ann for hurting her mother the way that he did.
There were no other suspects in this case. Frank Braidwood was her only boy friend, as far as an investigation showed. Her husband, Jeff was in Tennessee on business, and had a solid alibi during the time frame that his wife, Linda was killed.
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