Margaret Perkins

On the evening of June 2, 1990 the life of a promising young woman ended on the bike path leading to the small town of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, a residential area of 1000 families just a couple of miles from the University of Maryland. The body of twenty-two year old, Margaret (Meg) Perkins, an employee of NASA, was found by a member of the local softball team as he chased a errant ball down to the stream. The townspeople were stunned. This kind of thing didn't happen in such a peaceful town. Murder was unheard of. There were families talking of stepping up precautions in watching their children. There was talk of moving to Howard County which was farther away from the borders of Washington DC. A couple small articles were run about the rape and murder of Meg Perkins and then folks lost interest. After all, Meg wasn't a local girl. She was from Texas. Besides, as rumor would have it, the killer of Meg Perkins was dead. A young man who lived near the path, eighteen-year-old David Dodson, had shot himself to death just three days after the murder. It was said he had been upset over the breakup of a romantic relationship, had killed Meg Perkins (not the girl he was dating) and shot himself in remorse. The townspeople, satisfied with this sad, but "logical" answer to the unexpected homicide in their town, accepted the story. Oddly enough, so did the family of the victim. After all, the story came to them DIRECTLY from the Park Police and it apparently provided the closure they needed. Justice seemed to have been served when the young man took his own life.

HARDLY.

THIS IS THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE INVESTIGATION (OR LACK THEREOF) OF THE MURDER OF MARGARET PERKINS

The same day David Dodson died, the Park Police had information that a new resident of town had stated he had been on the bike path the night Margaret Perkins was killed. Dirk Edward Deyo, age twenty-five at the time, had moved into town just four weeks previously. Having a car with dead tags, he walked the bike path from Berwyn Heights to Riverdale on a daily basis where he caught a ride to his job in Washington DC with a coworker. He returned every evening by the same method. Sometimes he spent time at this coworker's house after work, making his return down that path a little later in the evening. Deyo had also been dating this coworker. A week prior to the murder, Deyo gave this woman a ring as a one month anniversary gift (of their going out together). This made the woman rather uncomfortable as she was not interested in their relationship taking such a serious turn. She told him so a few days later (and a few days before the murder), she preferred to not continue dating. Deyo was quite angry at the turn of events. A few days after the murder he stated to this woman when she questioned his mental state and possible ideation of suicide, "You don't KNOW what I have already done."

The morning following the murder, Deyo admitted to being on the path, but claimed he crossed a creek behind the bowling alley some distance down the trial and got his feet wet. As the path led directly to his place of residence AND he had never done that in the past, one wonders either why he would wade through a stream or why he would say he did. He showed no interest in the murder itself, which strikes one odd considering the coincidence of it occurring where he regularly walked. The morning following the murder, Deyo went on a hike in the warm June weather, but rather than his usual shorts and T-shirt, he covered his body in jeans and a long sleeved shirt. There were briars at the sight where the woman was murdered and scratch marks from them would undoubtedly be somewhere on the killer's body. Subsequently, while he was at work on that following Monday, a search by the landlord (myself) was conducted of his room. In the trash, I found the following items: A pair of relatively new tennis shoes, washed and still wet. A wet shirt, ripped in the back (in numerous places). A clump of mud wrapped in plastic. A couple dozen pornographic magazines. A letter opener filed down to a very sharp point. A receipt for $40 for the ring he gave his coworker (he claimed it was a real gem). Along with this, the Park Police received information on his peculiar behavior - disappearing at odd hours, wearing all black and claiming he was a Ninja, his ranting about women being sluts, bitches and whores, and his pathological lying habit including stories of men attacking him on the bike path, being shot in Grenada during his time of service there (untrue), and his girlfriend being decapitated on prom night in an accident (not true). Park Police also received a copy of a story he had written, excerpts of which follow:

The park was his favorite hunting ground.

I entered the darkness which had become my home. I drank deep of the silence which permeated the night. This was my slayground, my battlefield. Here I was master. My territory. From where I stood I could see him walking aimlessly into the night. He was looking for me. He was a lost, weak miscreant who got in my way time and again. He always turned a blind eye to all around him. To all crime and vermin who were my prey. I was the eradicator or evil, I who meted out justice swift and terrible.

And final.

Death wore my face.
Death used my name.

The Park police had all this information in their hands just two days after the murder. Yet Deyo was NEVER even brought in for an interview. He should have been a PERSON OF INTEREST. After all, he admitted to being on the path that night and if nothing else, should have been questioned as a possible witness. WHY WASN'T HE?

Instead, David Dodson was labeled a murderer with no evidence AT ALL to support such a conclusion. The DNA was inconclusive. The story doesn't end here, however.

In 1995, a new Park Police investigator, Detective Howard Baker, reread the notes of the 1990 murder of Meg Perkins and gave me a call. He asked me to come in for an interview which he tape recorded. He called the coworker and interviewed her. He continued his investigation and brought in Deyo in February of 1996 for questioning. Following the interview with Deyo, he called me and warned me to watch my back as Deyo was very angry. From February until June, the investigation seemed to be making progress. Det. Baker asked me at the end of June if I would testify in court. I responded affirmatively. Then, I heard nothing more. I repeatedly called and my calls were not returned. Finally, four weeks later, in July, I reached Det. Baker who stated "Deyo was excluded by the DNA. He is no longer a suspect." I was stunned. I told Det. Baker, I didn't believe it. I COULD believe the results were inconclusive (there was rumor the specimens were severely degraded. In 1990, the results were inconclusive on Dodson when they were fresh. RFLP was done at that time. This time PCR testing was done on a probably very small sample.) When I argued with him, Det. Baker told me "To get a life".

I didn't take his advice. I pursued the truth about Deyo and the handling of this investigation. My interviews with Deyo's family, friends and coworkers support my conclusion that this man has the personality that matches that of a sexual psychopath. His behaviors and a great deal of circumstantial evidence lead me to believe he may be involved with a number of other homicides. Deyo is entirely aware of my views of him and has never told me I was wrong. He has never taken any legal action against me in spite of his threats. It is also odd that he never informed his sister or father that he was under investigation for the homicide of Margaret Perkins.

Finally, in April of 1998, I got Sargeant McNichol of the Park Police to read to me from the DNA report. He stated "No PCR products obtainable from sperm fractions. There is no DNA evidence there to charge anyone. The evidence may have been degraded to a point where there was no DNA evidence available."

I had been right all along. Det. Baker had outright lied to me when he said Deyo was excluded by the DNA results. WHY? From my experience dealing with other cases, this method of lying to victims or citizens seems to be an everyday occurrence. Lying appears to be an acceptable way to get irate citizens off the backs of the investigators when the investigators have run into some problem in moving forward with the investigation.

In February of 1999, I took the matter the State's Attorney's Office. I have heard nothing back to date by Jack Johnson but I have talked with Bill Manico. I sent him two letters and he has sent me back nothing in writing. He also never called me. I had to call him for information. He finally made this admission. Yes, the DNA results were inconclusive. Then he proceeded to insult me and mock my interest in the matter. He asked me what I wanted him to do, "Slap the hands of the Park Police?" He also claimed he saw NO reason why Deyo should have been interviewed in 1990 and CLAIMED that the only reason Deyo was investigated in 1996 was at MY REQUEST. This would seem odd as Detective Baker of the Park Police called me, I didn't call him.

So why the big cover-up? Does it have something to do with the big jurisdictional battle that occurred at the beginning of the investigation? Is David Dodson a scapegoat of some turf war? Are the citizens of Prince George's County victims of incompetence and misconduct by the Park Police, the Medical Examiner's Office and the State's Attorney's office?

Right now, this case is supposedly being reviewed by the new Commander of the Park Police, Commander Brownlee. He told me she would do a full review of the case and get back to me in two weeks. This was on April 23, 1999. It is now four weeks. It is my fervent hope that when I call tomorrow, Commander Brownlee will be doing the job required on behalf of the citizens and will finally bring the truth to light on the handling of this case.

April 1999, Commander Brownlee stated the case had been reopened (yet again) and was now an active case and therefore, he would not discuss it with me.

August 1999, I was asked by Lt. Foxwell to come in to bring him information and he would answer any questions I had. He took the information, interrogated me on matters unconnected with the case and answered none of my questions.

October 1999, I sent out letters to Bill Manico and Jack Johnson at the State Attorney's Office, a letter to Councilman Hendershot, and letters to Mary Wells-Harley and Elizabeth Hewlitt of the Park and Planning Commission, the organization charged with oversight of the Park Police. Manico and Johnson have not responded, Wells-Harley sent me a letter stating the case was active and she was sure the Park Police were actively pursuing it and could not discuss anything with me. Hewlitt did not respond. Councilman Hendershot wrote an excellent letter in my behalf to the State's Attorney's Office and the Park and Planning Commission getting no response from Johnson and a copy of the letter Wells-Harley sent to me.

On December 7, I informed Hewlitt I was not pleased with her lack of response and I was going to make the issues about the case public at the Berwyn Heights meeting on December 8, 1999. I was told to attend a meeting the following day with Commander Brownlee at Park Police Headquarters.

On December 8, 1999, I attended the meeting with Brownlee and three investigators involved with the case. I was told that they had held the meeting at "my" request. I was told they would answer my questions. In the next two hours, they refused to answer ANY questions at all and merely told me I should trust them. Lt. Johnson became angry when I insisted they honor their statement that they would answer questions and started insulting me. Finally, Brownlee terminated the useless meeting and informed me he MIGHT be able to answer some of my questions after they "had time" to properly review the case…say, in six months. He seemed to have forgotten he said the same thing OVER eight months ago in APRIL!

Then, later that evening on December 8, I spoke at the Berwyn Heights Town Meeting and informed the citizens of the Park Police's handling of the Margaret Perkins homicide. Lt. Foxwell showed up and represented the Park Police's position. This is the first time in almost ten years there has been any statement at all from Park Police. Foxwell proceeded to not answer any of the questions I raised nor did he answer the question about Dodson from the Mayor. He stated he did not want to impune my character and then claimed I was a liar, had an agenda and was "promoting myself". He gave no facts to support his claims. Foxwell did inform the citizens that the when Margaret Perkins was murdered, her family, who had connections to people in high places, contacted the governor of Texas who contacted the White House who contacted the governor of Maryland who contacted the State's Attorney's office, then run by State's Attorney Alexander Williams. This confirms part of the longtime rumor that the Perkins case was quickly closed down because Williams did not want it to become a deterrent to his future political career should the case go unsolved and the Perkins family was dissatisfied. Could this be why the Perkins were told Dodson killed their daughter in 1990 and Deyo was so quickly shoved under the rug? If this is so, now Federal Judge Alexander Williams and the Park Police may have be involved in criminal misconduct and obstruction of justice.

In February, after two months of calling the councilmen's offices and calling County Executive Wayne Curry's office, I had made no progress and no one had shown interest in our police obstructing justice and putting the public's safety in jeopardy. I then called Wayne Curry's office again and told them since Mr. Curry refused to answer any phone calls I would speak at the upcoming council meeting. When I arrived at the meeting the Park Police were there in force. No one knew I was coming except one newspaperman and Curry's office. Clearly, Mr. Curry informed the police so they could be ready to defend themselves. After I presented my case against the Park Police, Dorothy Bailey stated that she would send the matter over to the Office of Law for review and investigation. The Park Police were not permitted to speak.

May, 1999, I contacted the Office of Law. They had never heard of the Perkins case, it had not been referred there, and they stated they had no jurisdiction. At this point, newspaperman Eyobong Ita was starting to work on his story of the Margaret Perkins' homicide for the Gazette newspaper.

June 1999. Dorothy Bailey sends me a letter stating the case has now been referred to the Office of Law.

July 28 - Sean Wallace, the County Attorney, states the following:

Additional Case Information

Pat Brown
Investigative Criminal Profiler
Chief Executive Officer
SHE- DC/CCC