Deathbed tip in 50 year old cold case leaves Sharon Township farmer with property damage and a mess
The damaged pool after the execution of the search warrant. Photo courtesy of Mathew Albert.
by Sara Swanson
Late last week Matthew Albert and his family’s 20-acre Sharon Township farm became the location of a search warrant execution related to the unsolved 1976 murder of Sharon Township resident Peter Kensler who was shot and killed on his front lawn. Now that the FBI and Washtenaw County Sherif’s Office have left, Albert is left with clean up and a large dangerous hole in his barn to deal with.
Albert, who moved in two years ago reports that what he understands is that Neil Baggett, the former owner of the property, on his deathbed, told someone that although he wasn’t the murderer, he buried the murder weapon under a horse rehabilitation/exercise pool in one of the barns.
The farm at one time was a horse farm but the Alberts grow hay and raise small breed meat cattle, dairy goats and a few pigs. The barn in question is used primarily for hay storage and shelter for their 14 dairy goats.
When Albert and his wife, Merritt were contacted, they agreed to the search before a warrant was even acquired, legitimately wanting to help. What they did not understand at the time was how much damage would be done during the search and that in Michigan, innocent 3rd parties have no recourse to seek compensation for property damage done during the lawful execution of a search warrant. Albert was also under the impression they were going to use ground penetrating radar before digging. They did not.
Albert stated, “They did not show up with proper equipment and had armed FBI agents running what heavy equipment they did have. Because they had no idea how thick the concrete was, they arrived with a single electric jackhammer.”
There was another unforeseen issue, the dust.
He continued, “They had to borrow concrete saws from the local fire department. Surprisingly they ran them without the usual cooling and dust control water. At one point the dust was so thick you could barely see. I don’t think anyone had any professional experience cutting concrete or evaluating a site of this scale. Certainly they weren’t aware of the hazards of silicate dust. Or perhaps they didn’t care … We had a crew of armed amateurs.”
The Alberts asked that as an alternative to what would be a costly repair, the agencies fill the pool in. They were told no and to be thankful that debris was going in a dumpster and not just being thrown on the ground.
Albert added that he feels like things would have been handled differently if they had more visible wealth, stating, “They have left us significantly worse off than we were. We want to cooperate and be good neighbors but we don’t want to be taken advantage of. It’s very hard for me to picture this happening at a well-manicured horse farm, for instance.”
He also reasons that the cost of filling in the pool would be trivial compared when the expense of this operation involving police on site with a staffed mobile command center, 24/7 for 3 days, at one point involving 18 vehicles.
Albert stated, “We fear at the end of the day we are going to be left with a swimming pool that is incapable of holding water and is a hazard to our livestock and our daughter. A child or an animal could easily become trapped under the overhanging concrete. Not to mention the silicate concrete dust that now covers every inch of the building. We have livestock in the barn and fear for their exposure to it.”
He added, “I don’t know the details of the evidence that led them here, but this feels like a bad joke at our expense. At very least it seems a joke at the taxpayer’s expense. We want them to find the weapon because at least it would maybe bring some closure to the surviving family and make our nightmare mean something.”
While the experience has been upsetting and surreal overall, Albert explained that they have felt tremendously supported by the community and their neighbors. He stated, “We have had numerous people ask how they can help and I believe we have several leads on large quantities of free fill dirt. Perhaps even some volunteered heavy equipment.”
Did they find the weapon? As far as Albert knows they did not.
Washtenaw County Sherif’s Office has not responded to our request for a comment.
Front page of the Manchester Enterprise Feb. 12, 1976.
Multiple holes dug at different spots in the bottom of the horse pool. Photo courtesy of Mathew Albert.
WCSO on the Albert’s farm. Photo courtesy of Mathew Albert.
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