Report: Death of Attorney Who Went After Bad Cops Points to Murder

Katie Kim
KRQE
Sep. 24, 2012

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Friends and family of Mary Han, a high-profile Albuquerque attorney found dead inside her home in November 2010, have always maintained she was murdered, even though medical investigators and police ruled her death a suicide. But News 13 has obtained a document, filed by an APD officer who was at the scene two years ago, that alleges it was a staged murder.

Han, 53, was a civil rights attorney who often went after bad cops.

She was found in her North Valley home dead inside her BMW in a closed garage. Her feet were up on the dash and investigators said the house smelled of carbon monoxide. But detectives also noted her car was not running.

Han's family said she was not suicidal and her jewelry was missing. They said police may have been biased and did not follow up on possible signs of foul play.

APD was criticized because of its response at the scene. An inordinate number of officers and brass flocked to the scene and there are accusations that officers were making jokes. One officer was punished for posting on the Internet that there's "a special place in hell for her."