Steve, as your ex-partner and friend of 26 years, I have to take exception to some of the comments in your letter.
The comment you seem to take most exception to is Jeff Asher’s sentence of “We can do better. We must do better.” Why is that so offensive to you? Doesn’t it simply state the obvious that there is always room for improvement in any plan and indicate Jeff’s dedication to doing better in the future? If your plans and leadership were actually all you could do, perhaps you’d care to explain your statement that some of Jeff’s supporters were also unsuccessful in their attempt to capture Harris-Moore. Since I know of no other attempts by private citizens, I can only assume you are referring to the efforts of me and my team of volunteers consisting of Chuck Silva, Corey Wiscomb, Vitaly Drobyshev, and technowizard John Gorton (thanks team!) The reader should be aware that the following took place before Asher even declared his candidacy and thus Vierthaler is in error when he makes an effort to somehow connect our efforts to capture Colton Harris-Moore with Jeff’s candidacy.
I’d be happy to explain my involvement in volunteering to help protect my friends who were being terrified by multiple burglaries by Harris-Moore, terrified to the point that they were ready to leave the island. I found this totally unacceptable. If your plan, efforts and leadership were everything that you could possibly do, how is it that it was left to the crime victim and myself to find the point of entry that you were unable to ascertain, despite being in the building multiple times, not only the point of entry, but the nest Harris-Moore built in the hanger (replete with food, water, mattress, clothing, stolen property) and the vital evidence consisting of a stolen handgun and the flight manual from the last plane he stole in Anacortes and dumped on Orcas?
My team then set up a trap in the hangar and informed you of our plan. An FBI agent was also consulted and he termed our plan as “solid.” When I consulted you on our trap and explained what response would be appropriate in the event Harris-Moore returned and was trapped in the hanger, you were obviously irritated and the department couldn’t even cooperate with us by providing a portable radio so I could communicate with the responding deputies as the incident unfolded. Is this your idea of doing all you could do? Isn’t the fact that we maintained our surveillance for 30 consecutive nights, taking shifts between watching the monitors and sleeping on the cement floor, worthy of a simple thanks for trying, instead of your snide dismissal of our efforts? We made our effort to protect our friends and community solely because we had the talent and cared enough to do so. And even we constantly updated and added to our plans as time went on.
I don’t agree that it is enough to say, “Some guys just get away.” I’d want to know how he got away, where he’d gone, and how I could find and arrest him. But that’s just me. I’d also like to commend the deputies who did all they could while on duty and then came back out on their own time to try to catch Harris-Moore. Good cops never do their job solely for the paycheck. An old retired guy like myself still enjoys the hunt. But we all ultimately do it to protect our communities.
As to the nasty letter campaign and outrageous false statements against Jeff Asher’s candidacy: I am in awe of his calm, rational, and even conciliatory response to the baseless and negative attacks on himself and his supporters. The letters offer not a single fact to support their nasty comments and letters. In Jeff’s efforts to look to the future, when he may have the task of pulling the members back together, he has requested that his supporters, inside and outside the department, use restraint in coming to his defense.
What I will say is that in my 25 years of experience of working with Jeff, he has consistently been the most professional member of the department, both in proficiency and character. He has never had a reprimand and his file is full of commendations. He doesn’t rely on stars or stripes on his uniform to establish his authority. He does it by simply being a leader.
I have literally trusted him with my life. You can certainly trust him with your vote.
Ray Clever
Orcas Island
