We might never learn how much was allegedly embezzled from Blessings in a Backpack and MC United Soccer

The Wausonian obtained the final police report.

The Wausonian requested and recently received a copy of the investigation Wausau Police conducted into Blessings in a Backpack’s finances.

In fact, the Wausonian learned, two organizations were stolen from by the same person, police concluded: Blessings, and MC United Soccer.

To recap, The Wausonian in December received a press release in late December from the BA and Esther Greenheck Foundation mentioning “some financial discrepancies” around the Blessings in a Backpack organization.

Upon asking (apparently The Wausonian was the only news org to ask more questions, somehow?), Jackson said she couldn’t say more because of an ongoing police investigation. Wausau Police Chief Matt Barnes confirmed the investigation to The Wausonian, but assured readers that they could be confident any future donations would make their way to the organization to serve children in need.

There won’t be any arrests in the case. Why? Because the person who allegedly stole the money is no longer alive.

As The Wausonian publisher, I’ve been in a pickle on how to handle this ever since. Most news organizations have rules around reporting on suicide - we usually don’t release names except in special circumstances.

After consultation with other media professionals outside the area who I respect, I decided not to release the name of the person who allegedly stole the money. One, because of a general policy of not naming those involved in suicide; two, because the person involved won’t ever have the chance to defend themselves in court. While the evidence seems staggering, they’ll never go through the criminal court process to be fully sure; and three, because the family, who police determined were unaware of what was going on, have already gone through a lot.

But a lot of money appears to have been stolen from two local non-profits, so that needs to be written about. It’s a violation of trust of those who donated to those organizations.

The circumstances bring up more questions: how do police handle investigations in this case? What about the money stolen? How is that recovered?

I asked Wausau Police Chief Matt Barnes about it during a closed session some time ago (before The Wausonian had obtained the police report, which at the time wasn’t yet complete). The chief told me then that the police investigate the crime, ascertain what happens, file a report, and… well, that’s kind of it.

Which is where things get interesting…