Going Back For More
We’ve written elsewhere about the dogged persistence required to find the suspected murder weapons at Robert Hansen’s home. There was a sense of relief among all concerned when the Hansen attic finally revealed its treasure trove. That relief was short lived. In the post-search interval, Glenn Flothe and Fairbanks D.A. Pat Doogan had a sickening “aha” moment when, in a moment of reflection, they took a second, closer look at the aviation chart (one of two they found in Hansen’s home). Three marks on those charts turned into four — each was the site of a confirmed murder victim. It was a eureka moment. With a problem. A Robert Hansen problem.
So he [Hansen] knew now we had the maps – so now he had a very serious problem: What’s he gonna do? He knew – and I think Frank Rothschild was an excellent D.A. – it was clear to Hansen – see, when we first got the search warrant, the only guns we were allowed to seize was the .356 magnum used in the Paulson case and a .223 used on Goulding and Morrow. We didn’t think we could justify seizing all the weapons at his house. And he had like 30-something guns.
But when we found the maps with X’s – you find the maps and you think, now there can’t be 22 bodies out there. These are favorite hunting spots, You try to give yourself more reasons why it can’t be than why it can. It just seems almost grotesque to think that these maps represent bodies – in fact, Pat Doogan came down from Fairbanks a third time and we sat down and talked about the maps – and I was firmly convinced that those maps represented bodies.
Sgt. Glenn Flothe, The Hansen Interview, May 11, 1985
Flothe continues in this vein: “And I think then is finally when it hit me – when I was sitting there talking to Pat – I sort of got a cold chill and it was very quiet and it was, ‘Oh my God, what has this man done?’ Very sobering feeling… And finally I sat down with Pat and looked at the maps and it was just, ‘Oh my God. What has this man done?’ And I knew it – I just knew what he had done. And I knew we’d be out there [that] summer, diggin’ a body up at every X that was there.”
Not So Fast
There was, however, a problem. Not an unresolvable problem, but a problem nonetheless. Their search had turned up tens of firearms, not just the two they’d specified in their original search warrant. Now, they knew they needed every single weapon they’d seen. Knew that because, as Flothe noted, “with 30 weapons in his house – it could be any one of those weapons that were used to kill any number of the victims over a ten year period. Now it may have been the weapon he bought six years ago [that] killed the first two. And now he’s got 15 guns and the one he bought five years ago is the one he killed the second one with. So we just don’t know.”
The answer was straightforward: Go Back To The Judge.
1/13/84: Sergeant FLOTHE met with District Attorney, GAIL VOITLANDER, at approximately 1:40 pm with regards to obtaining a search warrant to seize all remaining weapons and related ammunition from the ROBERT HANSEN residence. D.A., ROTHSCHILD, in court regarding other matters. GAIL VOITLANDER assists in drawing up preliminary documents after which time Sergeant FLOTHE and Sergeant HAUGSVEN met with D.A., ROTHSCHILD at 4:05pm before Judge VICTOR CARLSON. D.A. ROTHSCHILD requested a search warrant for the HANSEN residence to seize the remaining weapons and ammunition. Request was based upon the bodies which were already found that corresponded with marks on HANSEN's map. D.A. noted that if other bodies should be found at other locations marked on HANSEN'S map the weapons and ammunition would have to be seized with regards to purposes of comparison.
Judge Carlson recognized the gravity of the situation immediately. He granted the search warrant.
Sequence of Events Leading to Arrest of Robert C. Hansen:
At approximately 7:28 pm Sergeant FLOTHE, Sergeant HAUGSVEN,
Sergeant STOGSDILL, Trooper VonCLASEN served the search warrant
obtained from Judge VICTOR CARLSON on the ROBERT HANSEN residence.
During the time of the search, DARLA HANSEN was at the residence.
Of the additional weapons, ammunition, and reloading equipment was
seized. The search was concluded at 10:04 pm.
You’ve seen the bounty here: Part Nine: The Search.
The Map: Now Hansen Knows
That search warrant was, of course, shared with Robert Hansen’s defense team. They shared it with their client. And Robert Hansen knew something his defense team did not. Yes, those X-marks on the chart represented bodies. Not all of them, Hansen would claim. But that simple revelation set up a cascade of events that left even Hansen’s defense team gasping for air.
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