This blog has explicitly recognized the importance of Cindy Paulson in blowing the Robert Hansen case wide open. We have, in fact, dedicated 22 posts to Cindy, more than any other single person involved in this case (although Sgt. Glenn Flothe is there throughout). We do this, of course, with the benefit of hindsight. In the real world, that “hindsight” took a while to develop. Not too long, mind you. But long enough for Hansen to have struck again, had he not been so freaked out about what had gone down with Cindy.
Cindy Paulson
In the entries below, Sgt. Glenn Flothe chronicles the day-to-day of the “missing dancers” investigation. We call them “missing dancers” because, before Cindy, that’s all the police had. Dancers who had suddenly gone missing.
These entries record the rhythm of police work — and how one discovery leads to the next. A new piece of information surfaces. A trooper follows up on it. Two weeks later, he takes a two week vacation. It takes more than a month for him to receive the case file from another agency. Even so, Sergeant Haugsven’s earliest steps show that he takes the Cindy Paulson information seriously.
He looks for the cabin that Hansen mentioned to Cindy. He starts keeping an eye on Hansen’s airplane flights. These small steps will soon pay off. These small steps began to provide “hindsight” into the biggest serial-murder case in Alaska history.
6-13-83: CINDY PAULSEN reports rape-kidnapping to Officer Baker and later Investigator Dennis.
6-16-83: A.P.D. Investigator Maxine Farrell relates PAULSEN incident to Lyle Haugsven – A.S.T. Haugsven contacts Investigator Dennis and subsequently follows investigation.
7-01-83 to 7-17-83: Sergeant Haugsven on leave.
7-01-83 to 8-12-83: Sergeant Flothe on leave.
7-17-83: Sergeant Haugsven returns.
7-22-83: Sergeant Haugsven attempts to locate cabin owned by HANSEN — negative results.
7-25-83: Sergeant Haugsven receives a copy of PAULSEN case from A.P.D. Officer Baker via Sergeant Stogsdill.
7-27-83: Sergeant Haugsven initiates Merrill Tower reporting of HANSEN’s flights.
8-12-83: Sergeant Flothe returns from leave.
8-20-83 to 9-05-83: Sergeant Flothe in Southeast Alaska working INVESTOR case.
8-27-83 to 9-14-83: Sergeant Haugsven on leave.
Source: Sequence of Events Leading to Arrest of Robert C. Hansen, 1/31/84, Sgt. Glenn Flothe (“Ruff Copy”)
Purchase Butcher, Baker