Response-time dispute unresolved, Mullins says

Originally published Jan. 16, 1993

Police and the father of murder victim Michael Castro finally met face-to-face Friday to discuss discrepancies concerning the department's response the night of the slayings.

But the meeting, said Palatine Village President Rita Mullins, failed to explain the differences between accounts of what took place before the mass murders were discovered.

Police officials have said they polled officers and reviewed audio tapes of incoming calls and found nothing that supports Emmanuel Castro's claim that he called police and met an officer at Brown's Chicken & Pasta restaurant almost three hours before the slayings were discovered at 2:30 a.m. Jan 9.

Mullins said she, Castro and a police official met Friday. Although the discrepancies were not resolved, the two sides came closer to "an understanding," she said Castro could not be reached for comment.

"It is not resolved to my satisfaction, but I feel confident we're closer to an understanding," said Mullins, who also has offered to meet with the family of Guadalupe Maldonado.