I didn't know Sam as well as some of us in Elk Rapids did, but I was quite sure that he didn't kill himself.
He was depressed a bit, yes, but he was surrounded by friends that he vented too, even though we weren't that close.

The fact that it was immediately assumed his death was a suicide, was completely bogus. And all of his friends knew it.

We may have believed it in the initial shock, but it didn't take three days before we began to question the validity of the case.

It's taken long enough for them to determine or even tell the public that it was a homicide.

I agree with Jessica, there really needs to be something done about the corruption.

And it's not Gotham City, so nobody really notices. All I could think of during Dark Knight is how much Sam would have loved that.

I'm not going to point the finger at any suspects. I was one of Sam's good friends. I went over to his place nearly every day for a good long time there. We went to school together. Had a few classes together. We lived right next to each other. They don't write the details in the paper. They don't tell the details on the news. You wouldn't know about much unless you were friends with Sam, or knew even remotely how things were in the Avery household.

I wasn't mature to the point where I observed the behavior of Anne Avery and the way it was between Sam and Anne. Even now, looking back, I really should have.

Yes, the streets up there are safe. Homicides don't happen often in Elk Rapids, or even Traverse City. But I do agree that there are some corrupted officials in the little village of Elk Rapids, and something must be done about it. There's nothing a twenty one year old like myself can do, especially now that I live in another state. But I implore you all to help in any way you can to solve Sam's case. He deserves so much more than what has been given to him.

From the way the crime scene was handled to the length of time it has taken to even rule on the evidence and the fact that he was murdered.....his killer is walking our streets....or maybe the streets of, oh....maybe Traverse City, where it's easier to blend in.....the bottom line is this was COMPLETELY mishandled from the beginning and that fact won't be changed until the proper person is in jail....can that happen now????

back then the vic was on the "Watch-List" for local gangStalker Units operating in the area... he was listed as an undesirable & probably was neutralized with extrem-prejudice??? re: DHS protocol ?

We ARE safe. Have a little faith in your local law enforcement. The men and women investigating this scene, and theses circumstances are doing their very best, and they are the very best at what they do. Michigan is the climate where the best of the best in the Law Enforcement Community choose to work. The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) sets the bar higher than any other state. So high that Michigan has thousands of officers trying to fill dozens of positions. This lets individual police departments select the candidates from the very top of the list to become officers. I have real faith that there are no bad or careless officers investigating Sam's tragic death, and while results may come slowly, the truth WILL surface and justice will be served. If you have questions about how an investigation is progrressing, then talk with the agency handling that investigation. Usually they are more than willing to put your mind at ease. Or in a case like this one, have the local media outlet help. Remember that no matter how long it takes, Sam will have justice, and his family will have the peace of mind that comes with the truth.

We never believed Sam had committed suicide from the beginning. What scares me is the obvious mishandling of the crime scene that took place from the start. Even amatures understand the importance of containing a crime scene and treating it as evidence regardless of appearances. There never should have been a delay in processing the house for evidence. People were allowed to return and live in the house for how long before the authorities returned to look for the evidence? How much evidence was allowed to be compromised either intentially or accidently? We will never know. Who is responsible for allowing this? Is the investigation one that was mishandled or are the guidelines set up for the investigators at fault and should they be reveiwed? As a news source do you have the responsibility to look for and ask questions that obviously need to be asked instead of just skimming the bare facts? Two years is a long time for someone to question the findings when the lack of fingerprints on the gun was an obvious sign that the case was not a cut and dried finding. There is no cut and dried case until evidence is processed in total. All crime scenes should be processed correctly until foul play is ruled out. Even in the case of suicide bullets,casings,and holes from the bullets should be looked for and at, immediately. The delay in gathering the evidence may be the main reason this crime does not get solved and a criminal is allowed to get away with murder. Should residents of Elk Rapids feel safe? Has justice for Sam and his family been served? These are questions that need to be addressed by everyone since we are all effected. Our criminal justice system needs to be held at a high level of competence in order for us to feel safe in it's ability to solve crimes. This case makes me wonder, do I feel safe? Do you?