While some Koschman cops await fate, many get big pensions

By TIM NOVAK AND CHRIS FUSCO

Nine months after a nephew of former Mayor Richard M. Daley pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, not a single cop has been disciplined for letting Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko get away for nearly 10 years with killing David Koschman.

And many of them can’t be punished because they no longer work for the city.

Dan K. Webb, the court-appointed special prosecutor who won Vanecko’s conviction in January, identified 53 police personnel involved in two botched investigations of Koschman’s death.

Both investigations — the first in 2004 and the second, prompted by Chicago Sun-Times reporting, in 2011 — ended with no charges filed.

Vanecko was finally charged in December 2012, when a grand jury led by Webb indicted him.

After Webb wrapped up his investigation, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration asked City Hall Inspector General Joseph Ferguson to determine whether any police officers should be disciplined for their roles in the Koschman case. Police Supt. Garry McCarthy is awaiting Ferguson’s recommendations.

But only 21 of the cops and other police officials identified by Webb remain on the city payroll, still subject to possible disciplinary action. Their salaries total more than $2.2 million a year.

Twenty-eight others have retired and are collecting pensions totaling $2.6 million a year. Another has died, one is on disability, and two others have left the department.

Here’s a look at the Koschman cops:

2004 INVESTIGATION

◆ Patrol Officer Edwin Tremore — responded after Koschman was punched. Pay: $80,724.

◆ Sgt. Patrick Moyer — signed Tremore’s report. Retired June 2013. Pension: $69,907.

◆ Cmdr. William O’Donnell — boss of cops on Rush Street. Retired March 2008. Pension: $98,843.

◆ Cmdr. Michael Chasen — top cop in Area 3 detective division, which investigated Koschman’s death. Retired July 2008. Pension: $130,468.

◆ Lt. Richard Rybicki — supervised case. Retired July 2006. Pension: $88,688.

◆ Det. Rita O’Leary — the first detective on the case. Retired August 2014. Pension: $69,059.

◆ Det. Robert W. Clemens — Rita O’Leary’s partner. Retired September 2012. Pension: $74,756.

◆ Sgt. Robert O’Leary — supervised O’Leary and Clemens. Retired March 2011. Pension: $84,884.

◆ Cmdr. James Gibson — approved several case reports as a sergeant. Retired August 2013. Pension: $90,940.

◆ Det. Andrew Sobolewski — listed as “primary detective” but never worked on case. Died in July 2012.

◆ Det. Edward Day — listed Sobolewski as being assigned the case. Retired April 2006. Pension: $73,373.

◆ Sgt. Gillian McLaughlin — another case supervisor. Retired in October 2010. Pension: $86,438.

◆ Patrol Officer Tracie Sheehan — oversaw transfer of Koschman’s body to the Cook County morgue. Pay: $78,012.

◆ Det. Thomas Skelly — assigned to the case before it was reclassified a homicide. Pay: $87,372.

◆ Det. Kenneth Webb — opened case to which Skelly was assigned. Retired June 2012. Pension: $76,994.

◆ Det. Ronald E. Yawger — lead detective in the homicide case. Retired August 2007. Pension: $77,443. Now an investigator for Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Pay: $81,264.

◆ Det. Anthony Giralamo — Yawger’s partner. Retired January 2007. Pension: $37,632.

◆ Det. Edward J. Louis — interviewed a Koschman friend, but his notes are missing. Retired April 2010. Pension: $77,931.

◆ Det. Anthony A. Villardita — Louis’ partner. Retired April 2010. Pension: $75,378.

◆ Det. Charles A. Redman — assisting detective. Retired April 2010. Pension: $77,931.

◆ Det. Patrick Flynn Jr. — with Yawger oversaw Vanecko’s police lineup. Retired September 2004. Pension: $73,168. Now a security officer for city’s aviation department. Pay: $60,648.

◆ Det. John Griffin — took Vanecko lineup photos. Retired February 2006. Pension: $74,985.

◆ Evidence Technician Willard Streff — took lineup photos of Vanecko’s friends. Retired April 2014. Pension: $69,746.

◆ Supt. Phil Cline — city’s top cop when Koschman was punched. Retired August 2007. Pension: $162,972. Now heads not-for-profit Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. Pay: $115,707 in 2012.

◆ Thomas Epach — former Cook County prosecutor who was Cline’s assistant. Retired. Pension: $42,414.

◆ Dep. Supt. Hiram Grau — detective bureau supervisor. Retired June 2008. Pension: $133,194. Now heads Illinois State Police. Pay: $132,566.

◆ Chief of Detectives James Molloy — detectives’ day-to-day supervisor. Retired June 2007. Pension: $141,629

◆ Deputy Chief of Detectives Richard Kobel — Molloy’s deputy. Retired June 2005. Pension $123,153.

◆ Officer Matthew Sandoval — handled media request for case files. Pay: $78,012.

2011 RE-INVESTIGATION

◆ Supt. Jody Weis — ordered reinvestigation of Koschman case after Sun-Times requested files. Quit in 2011.

◆ General Counsel Debra Kirby — alerted Weis about Sun-Times request. Retired January 2014. Pension: $122,352.

◆ Chief of Staff Michael G. Masters — discussed case with Weis and Kirby. Now heads Cook County Emergency Management Agency. Pay: $160,000.

◆ Legal Officer James McCarthy — got copy of Sun-Times request. Now a sergeant. Pay: $102,564.

◆ Legal Officer Terrence J. Collins — got copy of Sun-Times request. Pay: $93,708.

◆ Sgt. Melinda Polan Linas — helped oversee handling of Sun-Times request. Pay: $99,444.

◆ Officer Rory O’Brien — handled Sun-Times request. Pay: $78,012.

◆ Deputy Supt. Steven Peterson — convened meeting on re-investigation. Retired August 2011. Pension: $142,438.

◆ Assistant General Counsel William Bazarek — attended meeting. Pay: $129,096.

◆ Chief of Detectives Thomas Byrne — attended meeting. Retired June 2013. Pension: $115,879.

◆ Deputy Chief of Detectives Constantine “Dean” Andrews — attended meeting and reassigned case to new set of detectives. Now deputy chief of patrol. Pay: $162,012.

◆ Cmdr. Gary Yamashiroya — attended meeting. Opposed Andrews’ decision to take case out of his jurisdiction. Pay: $154,932.

◆ Lt. Denis P. Walsh — couldn’t find original Koschman case file. 2014 salary: $122,718. 2013 overtime: $32,248.

◆ Cmdr. Joseph Salemme — attended meeting. Took over case from Yamashiroya’s detectives. Pay: $154,932.

◆ Sgt. Sam J. Cirone — supervised re-investigation. 2014 salary: $105,864. 2013 overtime: $37,085.

◆ Det. James Gilger — lead detective on re-investigation. 2014 salary: $93,192. 2013 overtime: $60,687.

◆ Det. Nicholas Spanos — Gilger’s partner. 2014 salary: $87,732. 2013 overtime: $44,598.

◆ Det. Emiliano Leal — assisted Gilger. 2014 salary: $90,540. 2013 overtime: $3,102.

◆ Sgt. Thomas Mills — signed Gilger’s reports. Pay: $105,864.

◆ Lt. Maureen Biggane — coordinated response to Sun-Times with Mayor Daley’s staff. Pay: $119,076.

◆ Deputy Supt. Ernest Brown — briefed reporters on case. Retired December 2011. Pension $127,148. Now police chief in suburban Darien.

◆ Internal Affairs Det. Richard Downs — investigated missing files Walsh later found. 2014 salary: $93,192. 2013 overtime: $11,652.

◆ Sgt. Thomas Flaherty — Walsh’s former partner, who said he was present when files were found. 2014 salary: $105,864.

◆ Det. Nicholas Rossi — explained police record-keeping procedures to special prosecutor. Now on disability leave. Pay: $63,936.