Concerned Portsmouth Citizens Say: Expand Webber-Goodwin Investigation

By Jane Zill, Joe Onosko, Diane Connors

After four years of effort, the citizens of Portsmouth are close to having a comprehensive investigation of the Webber/Goodwin case to determine how a city police officer could become the primary beneficiary of the substantial estate of an elderly resident (with dementia), and how we can prevent this from happening in the future.

Judge Steven Roberts, Chair of the Webber-Goodwin Investigation Task Group, wrote to us last week to explain that many, if not most, of the 57 questions we wanted examined could not be reviewed due to the narrow scope of the investigation as directed by the Police Commission (To read the 57 questions, go to the City Council homepage and click on “Meetings Calendar.” Then scroll down to “October 20, 2014” and click on “Council Packet.” A “pdf” file will download. Open it and go to pages 21 to 27.)

We brought Judge Roberts’ letter to the attention of the City Council on Monday.

Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine strongly encouraged the Council to ask the Police Commission to expand the investigation. After much deliberation, the Council voted 9 to 0 to ask the Police Commission for an expanded review that allows the investigation group to “follow the facts” wherever they may go in an attempt to get to the bottom of this debacle.

On Wednesday Oct. 29, at 11 a.m. in City Hall, Mayor Lister and Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine will meet with the three members of the Police Commission (John Golumb, Brenna Cavanaugh, and Gerald Howe) to request that the investigation be expanded to ensure a fulsome review.

Please help to ensure that we get past this hurdle by assembling at 10:45 a.m. to attend the 11 a.m. meeting. We do not expect a public comment period but your presence will send a message that anything less than a full review is unacceptable.

We would also like to thank Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine for his courageous efforts to ensure transparency and to renew the public trust in our city government.

Sincerely,

Jane Zill

Joe Onosko

Diane Connors