Greggory Meissner
Gregg was a hard working, penny pinching, typical teenager. In the early morning hours of January 5th 1998, Shawn Patrick Padden - a Clay County Drug Informant - entered Gregg's room and hanged him; leaving Gregg to be found by his mother, Sharon. (Click here for the forms signed by Padden to become a police informant)
Sharon reached for her son, as any good mother would do, only to have him fall from his position on his closet door on top of her. Sharon screamed, and ran to call 911. As if the nightmare of finding your own son dead wasn't enough, unknown to Sharon and her husband Steve, the real nightmare was only just beginning.
Immediately upon their arrival, the procedures used by the police in this investigation were grossly flawed. In the field of cold case homicide one gets accustomed to seeing mistakes made in investigations - but this one case stands out in my mind as the worst case of Forensic Procedure I have witnessed. (Click here for a time line of Police actions and mistakes)The crime scene was never properly sealed off, and even before Gregg's father, Steve was notified of the death of his son, students at Gregg's High School were notified by police of his "suicide". The Meissner's home was flooded with teenagers and community members immediately - including Shawn Padden. Gregg's body still in his bedroom, no evidence collected, and no forensic procedure being followed, the scene became more and more contaminated.
Evidence collection was a halfhearted effort. What was collected from the scene was done by non-gloved officers well after the 5th of January. Sharon's pleas were ignored and dismissed as hysterics. Officers and deputies of the local authorities seemed to have no regard whatsoever for the case, nor Gregg's family.
Police seemed less interested in the crime and more interested in dismissing the crime as something other than it was. Sticking with the story of "suicide" until the fight for justice put forth by the Meissners, talk around town and what little evidence there was, indicated that Gregg was not alone the night he died. Changing the story to suit a "hanging to get high" theory the police began a homicide investigation. In this case, IN SPITE of police efforts, 24-year-old Shawn Padden was arrested and later found guilty of Murder in he Third Degree. "Hanging to get high" was Padden's story as he explained to police that He and Gregg frequently hung each other for "the trip." Ignoring the scabbed wound on top of Gregg's head and the missing bowling pin from Gregg's room later seen by police (but not collected) in Padden's apartment.
The issues that surround this case are without number. Evidence was ignored, and what was noted was contaminated. Of most alarm, was the cancellation of Forensic tests on key pieces of evidence by Pete Graber, an Special Agent on the case assigned by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. (Click here for forensic reports)
Since Gregg's murder, the Meissners have been shunned in the community, fired or denied jobs, and denied the right to free speech within he media. The ever-looming presence of Clay County Law Enforcement has made life hell for this family because they dared to speak up for their son and demand the truth be told about his death and the investigation.
This case is far from over. While Padden sits in Stillwater Prison there are still many questions regarding his relationship to the police and the events of that night. Most importantly Gregg's family deserves the truth.
As SHE has been advocating and trying to solve many of the questions surrounding Gregg's murder, a number of interesting facts have arisen that simply need answers. Not the least of which are the possible connections to two unattended hanging deaths of young people in the Elizabeth and Castle Rock areas of Elbert and Douglas County, Colorado; where Padden lived during the time of these unattended deaths. Is there a connection between these seemingly similar deaths?
If you have any information regarding the unattended deaths of these two young people in Elbert or Douglas County Colorado, please DO NOT HESITATE to contact SHE immediately.
Click here for the case summary and information on Gregg's Murderer
The Sexual Homicide Exchange
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Sexual Homicide Exchange
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