About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 2019)
Page 10, March 11,2019, The Islander GBNET Continued from Page 1 Public Defender Stephen Tillman asked Haney if Cassada’s wife had called him and said she was concerned that Cassada did not come home one night. Haney said Cassada told him al cohol was affecting his marriage and asked Haney if alcohol treatment would be detrimental to his career. Haney said he became aware of Cassada’s alleged improper conduct regarding informants a few weeks ago. Haney said his conversations with Cassada were after he, Haney, had left GBNET. “Our conversation was limited to marital problems and al cohol affecting his marriage,” Haney said. When pressed by Tillman about al legations made by Cassada’s wife that he, Cassada, had spent the night in a motel room with a confidential infor mant, Haney said he could not recall the specifics of any conversation with Mrs. Cassada only that she was con cerned he had not come home and that he had an alcohol problem. Haney also testified that he did not mention Cassada’s alcohol problem to anyone. “There is no GCPD policy re quiring me to notify anyone of some one’s alcohol problem,” Haney said. Haney also said that he knew the GBI had been called to investigate Cassada. Haney also said that he re fused to talk to the GBI and would ad vise others to refuse to talk to the GBI as well. GCPD Capt. David Hessler testi fied next. Hessler was in charge of GBNET and left in March of this year. Hessler said no GBNET officer had informed him about Cassada’s ac tions. He did say Cassada’s wife called him ranting and raving at 1 a.m. one morning and said he, Cassada, “is messing around, cheating on me and has an alcohol problem.” Hassler said Ms. Cassada texted an apology to him the next day. Because she did this Hessler said he assumed they had worked things out and he did not report the incident. “I never saw alcohol affect his job performance,” Hassler continued. Hassler was also asked if he called Mrs. Cassada a ‘crazy lady 5 to which he responded that he didn’t recall. Hassler also testified that GCPD Investigator Dustin Davis did not re port to him (Hassler) that Cassada had a problem. Hassler did say he did speak with the GBI during their investigation of Cassada. At this point District Attorney Jackie Johnson commented, “You heard two officers at the last hear ing (in February) say they told both Hassler and Haney. The information seems to have stopped with them. Af ter rehab Cassada came back to the GCPD and worked for another year on GBNET.” Brunswick Police Officer Meredith Tolley told the court how she connect ed information in one of the cases she was transcribing to the rumors she had heard about Cassada. Tolley, an investigator for the Brunswick Police Dept. (BPD), said she had arrested Misty McDaniels in February 2018. She interviewed and videoed McDaniels. After Tolley left the room, McDaniels continued to talk and be recorded. She made state ments about sexual interaction and drugs and police officers but never mentioned the officers names. McDaniels also said she would re lease the video to the Brunswick News. Tolley said since no names were mentioned she did not report the information. Tolley said in January 2019 she was listening to the video and writing up the incident when she heard the part about sex, drugs and officers. At that point she remembered In vestigator Dustin Davis’ comment about Cassada’s wife telling his (Da vis) wife that she saw Cassada at a ho tel with a confidential informant. Tolley said she then reported this to BPD Sgt. Michael Davis who along with Tolley and Dustin Davis took the information to the D.A.’s office. Tolley said Assistant D.A. Lib erty Stewart told them to take their report to GCPD Investigator Jeremi ah Bergquist which they did. Bergquist testified that he spoke with Dustin Davis who said that his wife had spoked with Hope Cassada about her husband’s infidelity, and that he had reported it to Hassler who was head of GBNET at the time. GCPD Capt. Eugene Smith also tes tified that he was division commander of GBNET under Hassler. He said he knew Cassada had gone to rehab for 30 days and returned to duty with no restrictions. Smith said he overheard that Cas sada’s wife had called other GBNET wives telling them her husband was sleeping with a confidential informant and that he reported it to Hassler in January 2018. Smith said he did not know if Has sler had reported the information. “I heard no more about it until February of this year,” Smith said. The hearing was recessed and will reconvene at the request of the D.A. and Public Defender. Neptune Park Continued from Page 1 said the landscape architect had sub mitted a couple of proposed plans for the park. He said he would be review ing them with Commissioners Mur phy, O’Quinn and county staff this week. While a date for a public meeting to discuss the changes to Neptune Park has not been set, both Murphy and Austin said one will be held. It could be a town hall type meeting or it could be a drop-in meeting where they have displays available and the public stops in during a period of sev eral hours to meet and speak with the architects, staff and commissioners. We will provide notice of the meet ing once the date is set. Linda Ganas Honda and Quality Pre-Owned Vehicles 912-223-7361 linda.ganas@gmail.com Nalley 178 Altama Connector Brunswick Dave Jordan’s Coastal Sports Connection Talk Radio 93.7 FM Weekdays at 7 p.m. and Every Day at WBQ0937.com/sports You can now read Dave's column in the Islander! From festiuLtles for a fern to merriments for many, the Georgia Sea GriLL team is ready to e Leu ate your next ceiebration from an euent to an experience. The Georgia Sea GriLL Experience. Learn more about horn our perfection-driuen, budget-minded team can host your next gathering by caLLLng 912.638.1197 or emaii euents@georgiaseagriLL.com. EVENTS ALSO AVAILABLE AT VILLAGE CREEK LANDING! AND WINE BAR 407 Mallery Street, St. Simons Island 912.638.1197 GeorgiaSeaGrill.com f m *
