The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has finished its probe of the death of a Haitian woman held briefly by ICE and released in late February, the bureau told Pittsburgh’s Public Source today.
“Homicide detectives have explored all of the available evidence in this case and have concluded their investigation,” a bureau spokesperson wrote in response to an inquiry from Public Source. “This case has now been sent to the District Attorney’s Office for review.”
The bureau did not detail its findings.
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala’s office did not immediately respond to an inquiry. The DA can decide whether to charge, who to charge and what the charges should be, and then conducts any relevant prosecution.
Michel, 31, who lived in Charleroi, died March 2 of hypothermia, the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner said in June. She was found in a South Shore bus station, where she spent at least 24 hours, largely in sub-freezing temperatures, according to a Public Source investigation.
The medical examiner characterized the death as a homicide, but did not implicate any specific person or agency.
Michel had spent six months in the Washington County Correctional Facility on misdemeanor charges. When they were withdrawn, she was handed over to ICE. The agency has said she was an “illegal alien,” and was fitted with an ankle bracelet and released in the South Side on Feb. 28.
Joseph Murphy, an attorney for Michel’s family, said three Pittsburgh homicide detectives interviewed Michel’s brother in his presence. He said the interview gave the brother new information and insights, but declined to detail them. He also said the bureau received Daphy Michel’s phone for forensic purposes, apparently examined it, and returned it.
ICE has said the phone was charged prior to Michel’s release. Murphy said it had no active service plan and was therefore useless.
Murphy said a Pittsburgh detective told him last week that the bureau does not know whether charges will be filed, and that a detective wants to speak with the family when that decision is made, rather than having them learn of it from the media.
“Ms. Michel’s passing was not suicide, and it was not natural causes,” Murphy said Wednesday. “That leaves a ruling that this death was caused in whole or in part by the acts or omissions of some person,” he added, and the legal question before the DA is whether that was “sufficiently outrageous or grave as to constitute a crime, as opposed to a matter for civil law.”
He said the family will cooperate with the DA if asked.
He reiterated that the family intends to sue in relation to Michel’s death.
“I think the civil case is fairly obvious. They left this disadvantaged woman in serious psychological distress in a bus shelter, where she froze to death.”
An ICE spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The case has garnered national and international attention amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Rich Lord is the managing editor at Pittsburgh’s Public Source and can be reached at rich@publicsource.org.
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