PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Bones found in Dayton burned garage identified as missing man
Officer Timothy Liddy, who has been on leave since May, posted a comment on Facebook saying, “Karma finally got Kwasi! When you live the life he did and are a career criminal it comes back to get them. We’ve seen it too many times for many years!”
A screenshot of Liddy’s Facebook comment went viral over the weekend and was shared by community members outraged by the statement.
Latoylia Houston, mother of two of Casey’s children, told News Center 7 that her 13-year-old daughter saw the comment after someone shared it with her at school.
“Somebody obviously didn’t know him at all,” Houston said of the officer.
Responding to the social media comments regarding the death and kidnapping of an African-American man in the Dayton community, Dayton Human Relations Council said on Facebook that “The statement made by a Dayton Police Officer regarding this case shows a lack of respect for human life, human dignity and for the community that is to be served.”
The Human Relations Council said the comments “hinder community-police relations especially when historical issues have not been addressed and resolved. All members of the community must feel confident that their safety will not be compromised due to the color of their skin or socio-economic status.”
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family seeks answers about Dayton man involved in kidnapping case
Dayton Police stated on Saturday that it is their mission “to bring the person or persons who harmed Mr. Casey to justice.”
The department said an administrative investigation has been started looking into the social media post and the officer.
“The core values of the Dayton Police Department are Professionalism, Integrity, Fairness and Respect. The social media comment that was made by an officer, who has been on extended leave since May 2019, does not reflect the values of this department, nor does it reflect how we handle any kidnapping or violent crime case,” the department stated “If someone is kidnapped, it is a priority to find them. If someone has been the victim of a violent crime, it is a priority to find the perpetrators.”
Dayton police stated the department received a call July 7 reporting a suspicious person near Hilary Avenue and Eleanor Avenue and after investigating, it appeared that Casey had been kidnapped. A detective was called to investigate, the Dayton homicide squad responded and the police department said it asked the FBI for assistance.
The department said the investigation led to “several persons of interest” interviewed about Casey’s disappearance and two were arrested on unrelated charges. The case is still being investigated, police said.
On Sept. 26, police were called to investigate human remains reported inside a Dayton garage on Fountain Avenue that had burned to the ground earlier that month in a fire considered to be suspicious. The remains were identified Oct. 12 as Casey by the Montgomery County Coroner's Office.
Houston said when she learned the news, it was like living the day he went missing all over again.
“It was like living July 7 all over again, like it was day one. It was unreal. Unbelievable. I guess there’s really no words to describe it,” Houston said.
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