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Nationwide Investigations Discredited I have had my own personal bad experiences with Nationwide Investigations and realized awhile back that their credibility was in doubt. The serial killer theory regarding the drowning deaths of young males, did not originate with Nationwide Investigations. I've traced the theory back to concerned citizens in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1999. The theory resurfaced in 2002 after another abnormal regional cluster of suspicious deaths. This time the theory gained national attention. I and many other investigators believe that a serial killer is responsible for many of the water related deaths. Hopefully, the troubles at Nationwide Investigations and with Kevin Gannon, will not hurt the many other good and honest people who have volunteered their time to help solve this case. Below are some quotations from various sources that discredit Nationwide Investigations. The purpose for this web page is to alert people to the allegations and hopefully prevent further victimization. NATIONWIDE NOT HELPING POLICE "Chief Steve O'Connell says the New York investigators have not contacted him for information about the Kruziki case. But O'Connell says the investigator's information seems inaccurate." (SOURCE: KCRG-TV May 8, 2008) "Middlebury police have reached out to the New York authorities but have yet to receive a reply" (SOURCE: Burlington Free Press May 8, 2008) "But local cops investigating some of the deaths see Gannon’s team as snake-oil salesmen who parachute into their jurisdictions and never return calls. “They never called us, never asked to look at reports, nothing,” says Deputy Chief Gene Deisinger, who’s investigating the Bolanos case for the Iowa State University Police." (SOURCE: Milwaukee Magazine October 27, 2008) "Ford says the New York cops have not contacted him..." (SOURCE: KDKA April 30, 2008) "In recent days, two retired New York police detectives have been making the rounds of various news outlets to talk about their investigation into a gang they say could be responsible for an East Dubuque, Ill., death.But local authorities say they have not been contacted by the private investigators and are wondering why.Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte have told a number of national television news shows and other media outlets that they discovered what they believe to be a link between as many as 40 drowning deaths of young men that occurred across the country in the past several years." (SOURCE: Dubuque Telegraph-Herald April 30, 2008) "'We expected Kevin would hand over evidence to law enforcement and answer more questions about his theory...I viewed our story as a launching pad for him. Instead, he went in his own direction and didn't answer calls and questions from cops, families and media.'" (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) NATIONWIDE TAKING MONEY FROM VICTIM'S FAMILIES BEFORE SCANDAL: Nationwide web site as it looked in 2009 AFTER SCANDAL: Nationwide web site as it looked in March 2010 "Gannon and his two confederates have formed a company called Nationwide Investigations, based in the absurdly obscure New York town of Rock Tavern. It bothers the Kruzikis that Gannon has asked for money, telling the media he mortgaged his house to continue investigating and the team was short of funds." (SOURCE: Milwaukee Magazine October 27, 2008) "'I feel Kevin is like a sponge — he latches onto the families, sucks the life out of them, and when he has nothing else to suck, he dumps them," said Szostak, who doesn't remember one conversation he had with the ex-cop in which Gannon didn't mention needing money to continue to investigate the deaths. 'Do I think he has revictimized families and done more harm than good?' Szostak said. 'Yes, I do, and that's a shame.'" (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) "Szostak, the Albany father, has a clearer idea. At one point, he was named a member of Gannon's team of investigators. But he asked to be removed following an incident in which he learned that Gannon reportedly tried to shake down an NBC-TV producer for money before he would make Szostak and other victims' family members available for interviews. 'I call a spade a spade, and I confronted him,' said Szostak, who is now working on his son's case... 'It was like he was acting as our (the victims' families) pimp,' said Szostak, who believes his son was drugged, abducted and slain by unknown assailants after he left a bar in Albany in 2007. 'I told (Gannon) that this was not about money and that we don't need to get his blessings' to talk to the news media, Szostak said. 'He's a big cloak-and-dagger guy.'" (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) NATIONWIDE ONLY LOOKING FOR FAME? "Gannon and Duarte claimed to have a secret informant, but won’t name him, nor disclose the specific locations of all the smiley faces. They won’t return calls from Kruziki anymore or from some police working the cases. Are they just publicity hounds?" (SOURCE: Milwaukee Magazine October 27, 2008) “'They’ve created publicity for themselves at the expense of people’s emotions. It’s absolutely disgusting and irresponsible,' he snaps of Gannon and Duarte." (SOURCE: Milwaukee Magazine October 27, 2008) "New Brighton, Minn., Detective Gary Sykes, who investigated the murder committed by Alford, says the trio contacted him and asked about the Dealers of Death. 'In my opinion, they are trying to write a book,' Sykes says". (SOURCE: Milwaukee Magazine October 27, 2008) NATIONWIDE DISAPPOINTS MANY WITH EMPTY PROMISES "Gannon promised he would reveal more in January. Well, January came and went. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Last month, he went on "Geraldo Live," and the promo before his appearance promised an "exclusive" break in the case. But there was no mention of an organization this time. There were no names. Just vague talk about six of eight drowning victims in the La Crosse area leaving the same two bars. That was it. Geraldo Rivera seemed to have the same disappointed look he had when he opened Al Capone's long-lost Chicago vault before a national audience years ago and found a bunch of empty bottles." (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) "The phone rings and clean-cut, silver-haired, retired New York cop Kevin “Spider” Gannon, the lead purveyor of the smiley face theory, finally picks up. He hasn’t returned previous calls from Milwaukee Magazine. He’s in a rush. “I have to go,” Gannon keeps saying, a fast-talking, Type A, Noo Yawk-accented personality. His answers are evasive." (SOURCE: Milwaukee Magazine October 27, 2008) "And now a growing number of family members who once considered Gannon "a knight in shining armor," as the father of one victim described the ex-cop to me, believe it's time for him to put up or shut up." (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) "'I still believe my son was murdered, but I also think it's time that (Gannon) stop going on TV and come out and show some proof,' said Kathy Geib, mother of a Michigan drowning victim. 'I have not heard from him (Gannon) in a year and a half...I don't know what to think (of Gannon) anymore,' she said." (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) "'But now, frankly, I don't buy Kevin's story...He was partially right, but I think he has gone down the wrong path.'" (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATION AGAINST KEVIN GANNON "Kevin Gannon...was investigated in the sexual assault of a 19-year-old University of St. Thomas student last spring during the search for a missing St. Thomas freshman." (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) "One of the challenges in the investigation was the lack of cooperation by Mr. Gannon," (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) "Gannon abruptly hung up on me Thursday after I called and asked him about the sex-assault investigation." (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) "According to one search organizer, Gannon had not done much to help, 'with the exception of hanging around downstairs, talking with female volunteers and eating,' the police file states. The student 'said Gannon would just sit around eating and talking to the females — telling them 'war stories.' Other students told investigators that Gannon called the alleged victim 'pretty' and complimented her on 'her beautiful legs'." (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) "The assault allegedly took place April 19 in the parking lot of the U.S. Bank office park at 2751 Shepard Road in St. Paul. Surveillance cameras recorded a Lincoln matching Gannon's rental vehicle's description in the parking lot for 73 minutes that evening. The student, described by police as 'very distraught,' was first interviewed by St. Paul police April 23." (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) "The student said Gannon asked to see her April 19 because he was leaving the next day, and he made it sound as if he would be accompanied by Duarte. But Gannon came alone and drove her to the bank parking lot, according to the police report. After some chitchat about cases, Gannon grabbed her foot, which she had injured days earlier, and 'started kissing and licking my toes, telling me that if I was with a guy who wouldn't kiss or lick my toes, he wasn't good enough,' according to the report. She said Gannon eventually put his hands inside her underpants and penetrated her before he drove her back to the St. Thomas campus. 'She was frozen with fear,' said a police investigator, describing the student after the incident." (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010) "Gannon told Dale Zamlen, who learned of the allegation, that 'nothing happened.' He then left the Twin Cities before police had a chance to talk with him. Gannon left a voice mail with a police investigator April 27, saying he had heard 'disturbing news' that someone had made a complaint against him. That was the last time sex-crime investigators heard from him, despite repeated calls." (SOURCE: St. Paul Pioneer Press March 7, 2010)