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Did The Daytona Beach Police Department Cover-Up A Murder? The Tragic Death Of College Student Alexander Bello-Ortiz |
January 9, 2025 |
Steven Magee
AS A JOURNALISTIC EDITORIAL,
NO LEGAL OPINION, OR AUTHORITY, SHOULD BE INFERRED
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The Suspicious Death Of Alexander Bello-Ortiz On September 7, 2020 - Alexander Bello-Ortiz (Alex) , a twenty-two (22) year-old Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student would die in his hospital room from a gun shot wound to his head, inflicted within his home the day before. (see below linked related media article) RELATED ARTICLE Univision.Com January 23, 2023 Death of a Latino cadet: the police say he committed suicide but the family believes he was murdered |
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Immediately after Alex's death - the only questions for investigating Daytona Beach police detectives (DBPD), and the county medical examiner (ME) were - who pulled the trigger, and was his death a homicide, a suicide, or an accidental discharge?
Both investigative agencies (DBPD & ME), would quickly make the same investigative determination - that Alex committed suicide. Alex's family alleges that his death was a homicide - committed by his housemate. The Ortiz family would file a federal wrongful death lawsuit under this belief - and successfully win a four (4) million dollar wrongful death verdict in late 2024. (see below linked related media article) RELATED ARTICLE Yahoo.Com December 9, 2024 Family of dead ERAU student wins $4M lawsuit against ex-roommate, wants DBPD investigated Within a post verdict statement (see DBPD media release - below right of page) the Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD) openly admitted that they failed to properly secure the crime scene. Because of this police failure, we may never honestly know the manner of Alex's death (suicide, murder, or an accident). The DBPD alleges that the medical examiner was solely responsible in determining the manner of Alex's death (an alleged suicide - again see below media release). In making this declaration, DBPD assigns "scapegoat" status to the medical examiner's office - making the M.E. the "heavy" of why the "investigation" will not be re-opened (post civil wrongful death verdict). |
Mama Told Me Not To Come ~ Three Dog Night  Alexander Bello-Ortiz |
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Given that Bello-Ortiz's house-mate (John Burlein) and his father (Joe Burlein) were allegedly allowed to clean up the crime scene within three (3) hours of the shooting (see below linked lawsuit narrative - particular attention to #113 & #121 - page 12), introduces the appearance, that responding law enforcement personnel had already preordained, prior to even his death or autopsy - that Alex's death would be ruled a suicide.
Click Here To Read Entire Twenty (20) Page Lawsuit  Really, the only question that remains is whether the DBPD by incompetence, allowed the crime scene to be cleaned, OR was there a sinister plot afoot within the DBPD, to assist an influential family in covering up a murder? Sadly, this publication tends to support the latter (more on this shortly). FLORIDA JUSTICE: A TWO TIERED SYSTEM OF JUSTICE "I pledge allegiance to the Flag, ........... with liberty and justice for all (that can afford it)". |
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Two months ago (November 2024) this publication released an article (see below linked article) that questioned whether the East Central Florida justice system operates under a two-tiered scheme - one golden tier for the social elites, and another much harsher tier for everyone else.
We invite, and encourage, our readers to review this below linked earlier article - doing so, will provide a better understanding of this instant article, and of the corruption that is transpiring within our justice system. RELATED ARTICLE VolusiaExposed.Com November 26, 2024 Can Affluential Defendants Secure A Special Tier Of Justice? |
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& That Special Tier Of Justice? In a re-cap - we shall now present for your consideration, whether local authorities, including the Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD) AND the Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office (VCME) with nefarious intentions, ruled the September 2020 violent death of a Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) student (Alex Bello-Ortiz) as a "suicide" - in order to provide legal cover for the "fortunate son" (John Burlein) of a retired U.S. Air Force Captain (Joseph Burlein). The Bello-Ortiz family's 2022 civil lawsuit (click here to read) - clearly memorializes their suspicions that their son Alexander was murdered by his house-mate John Burlein - with Burlein's father, Joseph, facilitating a police cover-up of the crime (see below excerpt from lawsuit). Click Here To Read Entire Twenty (20) Page Lawsuit  |
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According to recent media reports (click here to read) - the Bello-Ortiz family won a four (4) million dollar federal wrongful death suit regarding Alex's death. Even give this - DBPD and the VCME are refusing to further investigate the circumstances surrounding Alex's death. (see below right of page - DBPD published statement, as well as an email from the medical examiner)
While several mainstream media outlets have echoed the same empirical evidence argued within Alex's family's lawsuit - that Joseph Burlein's status as a retired Air Force captain was some how leveraged to interfere with, and / or circumvent the law enforcement investigation into Alex's death, this publication expands this premise - opining that Joseph's spouse's (Tammy Burlein) long standing employment status with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) may have also been used to iniquitously side-track the investigation. (see right of page, AND more on this shortly ==>) On-line records indicate that Tammy Ohm and Joseph Burlein were married in 1995, and that John Burlein was born in 2000. Records also indicate that all three are connected to the same Titusville, Florida residence. (see right of page ==>) Therefore, we submit for your review - our belief that John Burlein is the son of Joseph and Tammy Burlein. |
Creedence Clearwater Revival ~ Fortunate Son |
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So given the civil verdict - why are the authorities, so un-willing to re-open their investigations into Alex's death? The answer may actually be an easy one - having already been identified by the Bello-Ortiz family. “Let’s be clear, not a third investigation (requested U.S. DOJ investigation), a first true investigation into the case. The other two (investigations) were just opening the case and shutting it down with no investigation,” said Maria Lourdes Ortiz, Alex's mother. We opine in agreement with Maria (Alex's mother), that authorities never did conduct an honest investigation into Alex's death - so therefore, how can something be re-investigated - when it has never really been to begin with? According to the below linked media article, the Bello-Ortiz family has requested the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to open an investigation into the DBPD - regarding their mishandling of Alex's death investigation. RELATED ARTICLE Yahoo.Com December 9, 2024 Family of dead ERAU student wins $4M lawsuit against ex-roommate, wants DBPD investigated It is not unheard of - that a law enforcement agency will present falsehoods regarding homicide investigations. Recently, the Florida state attorney's office for Osceola County placed County Sheriff Marco Lopez on their "Brady List" for his lack of veracity and transparency regarding the homicide of a thirteen (13) year-old school girl. (see below related media article) RELATED ARTICLE WESH.Com January 6, 2025 State attorney adds Osceola County Sheriff Marco Lopez to Brady System Better A Suicide Determination, Than A Police Assisted Murder Cover-up While the DBPD states within their news release (see below right of page ==>>) that they will cooperate fully with any state or federal review of Alex's death - given the fact that the U.S. DOJ will soon be headed by former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi - we predict that any DOJ "review" will become just another necrotic layer within the DBPD's cover-up onion. However, - in fairness to both the U.S. DOJ, and in-coming U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi - what is there really to "investigate" - given that the only probable criminal suspect was allowed to tamper with, and clean-up the crime scene? |
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Allow us to be clear, we suspect that DBPD actions were not driven by ignorance, or by mistake - rather, we opine, that the DBPD with purposeful intentions allowed an influential potential suspect, and his associates, to destroy evidence - for the purpose of providing coverage from a possible prosecution.
In a recent police media release (December 2024 - see right of page), the DBPD alleges that Alex's death investigation did suffer from some DBPD "procedural shortcomings" (see right of page ==>). Per DBPD's own admission, they failed to secure the crime scene - and per allegations lodged by the Bello-Ortiz family (see below lawsuit excerpts) - Joseph and John Burlein, along with their associates were allowed to "clean-up" the crime scene long before the medical examiner was able to make an independent "manner of death" determination. |
 DBPD Media Release |
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Imagine the horror it would have been for the DBPD's administration, if the medical examiner would have ruled Alex's death either as a undetermined death, OR a homicide - and because of the police sanctioned actions of the "Burlein clean up crew", there was not enough evidence to criminally prosecute. Click Here To Read Entire Twenty (20) Page Lawsuit  Such a media "horror story" would have been both legally and professionally untenable, therefore in order to protect the credibility of the DBPD - Alex's death had to be ruled a suicide. |
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In support of our belief that the mishandling of Alex's death investigation was NOT police incompetence, but rather a purposeful nefarious act, we offer the following. In preparations for this article, we reached out to both DBPD Chief J. Young AND Volusia County Medical Examiner Dr. James Fulcher via email (click here, or see to right of page) , requesting that both men address our concerns, questions, and requests for public records, regarding Alex's death investigations.
While Dr. Fulcher did respond to our inquiry - his answers and explanations (click here to read) did not dissuade our concerns (more on this shortly). What is of greater significance to us - is DBPD Chief Jarkari Young's silence to our inquiry, and request for public records (click here to read). Surely, if the DBPD had failed by incompetence to secure the shooting scene, they would have taken some type of documented corrective / disciplinary actions. Chief Young has opted not to respond to our request for records, that would provided evidence that his agency took corrective / disciplinary action regarding their failure to immediately secure the shooting scene (see right of page ==>). Without any provided evidence that corrective actions were taken - it is Chief Young himself, that has summoned the specter of police corruption, to challenge his agency's integrity. |
The Sound Of Silence ~ Disturbed 
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THE EXTREME WAYS OF THE VOLUSIA COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE Most medical examiner's offices within the State of Florida are state offices. However, in Volusia County, under the County's Home Rule Charter - the medical examiner is a county office. For years, this publication has voiced our concerns regarding Volusia County Government running the M.E.'s office. These concerns run the gambit from being unable to stay within accreditation standards, to having a conflict of interest in certain law enforcement involved deaths - to manner of death determinations in alleged jail "suicides", or suspected excessive use of force incidents, AND finally Volusia County's rather high turn-over rate of medical examiners. (see below linked article for additional details). |
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Extreme Ways ~ Moby |
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We submit for your consideration our opinion that the medical examiner's office has been ethically compromised for decades. Regarding Alex's death determination - that the ME just rode the coat-tails of DBPD's self-serving "investigative" conclusion - that Alex committed suicide.
This publication "opines" that given the fact that the crime scene had been left unsecured, and then "cleaned" - that at best any self-respecting and competent medical examiner would have been able to conclude was an "undetermined" manner of death. For those fans of the fictional television series Yellowstone - Governor John Dutton's murder was initially ruled a "suicide" by the local medical examiner - in cooperation with the police's initial determination. HOWEVER, upon the insistence of the Dutton family, and a closer examination of the forensic evidence - the medical examiner changed her manner of death to "undetermined" - which re-opened the death investigation. |
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Maybe the Bello-Ortiz family should think about going "Full Dutton (Kayce Dutton, not Beth Dutton)" - and convince the Volusia County medical examiner - that because of DBPD's admitted failure to immediately secure the crime scene, causing the scene to be cleansed of forensic evidence - that the best that the M.E.'s Office can provide is an "undetermined" manner of death. Short of that, maybe they should seek a second opinion from a different M.E..
Media accounts (see right of page ==>>), and public records memorialize some symbiotic relationships between NASA and ERAU, as well as between ERAU and the DBPD. |
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This publication "opines" that these symbiotic relationships possibly hampered any chance of an honest investigation into Alex's death.
As published on ERAU's own webpage, in August 2017 - ERAU and the DBPD collaborated in the development of an aviation drone program within the DBPD. A quick Google search will reveal several contractual collaborations between NASA and ERAU - AND as earlier stated, the significance of Tammy Burlein's position as a contracting officer within NASA did not escape our attention. Recently, it has been announced that 2011 ERAU graduate and billionaire Jared Isaacman has been slated by the in-coming Trump administration to become NASA's next administrator (see right of page ==>>). IN FULL DISCLOSURE - is this publication alleging that the senior managements of NASA, ERAU, or the U.S Air Force knowingly had anything direct knowledge, or participation in the covering up of Alex's death? That answer is simply a "NO". We DO forward our suspicions that these agencies' reputations were misappropriated by certain individuals, in order to insure, that law enforcement officials would hastily determine Alex's death to be a "suicide" - thereby granting John Burlein access to that special golden tier of justice. |
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In addition to DBPD's admitted failure to properly secure the crime scene, the family's lawsuit alleges that the Daytona Beach PD initially failed to swab Bello-Ortiz OR any potential suspects for gun shot residue (GSR). Eventually, per the Bello-Ortiz family's insistence - Alex would be swabbed with negative indications for GSR. However, per the family's lawsuit, no potential suspects were ever swabbed for GSR. (see below excerpt from page 11 of lawsuit)
Click Here To Read Entire Twenty (20) Page Lawsuit  In closing - we are left to ponder, why there were no apparent reviews or investigations by either the State Attorney's Office (SAO) or the Volusia Sheriff's Office (VSO)? Maybe, it's just as well, that neither the SAO or the VSO investigated Alex's death. The SAO has a habit of hiring into their ranks - retiring detectives from local law enforcement agencies. We know of at least one SAO investigator that is a retired DBPD investigator. Further, the SAO's recent criminal prosecution of a young man (Devin Perkins) is being called into question by several media outlets. This publication suspects that Devin was overly prosecuted as a political favor to an influential attorney. We invite you to watch the below Youtube video where Devin's mother argues her case against the SAO. RELATED ARTICLE Daytona Beach News-Journal October 1, 2024 Devin Perkins deserved a speeding ticket; instead he was convicted of vehicular homicide In as far as the VSO - they have a rather long history of lies and cover-ups - two that come to immediate mind are - the traffic homicide cover-up in the tragic death of retired elementary school teacher Eileen Flaherty by a retired New York City police officer - AND false allegations by Sheriff Chitwood against a fourteen (14) year-old school girl (regardless of Chitwood's media statements - the child never fired military gun fire from a AK-47 rifle at Volusia sheriff deputies). If you are wondering whether our local SAO would consider placing Sheriff Chitwood on their "Brady Cop List" as did the Osceola SAO did with their sheriff - the answer would be NO. In our opinion - our local SAO is at least as corrupt as Sheriff Chitwood - maybe more so. RELATED ARTICLE VolusiaExposed.Com September 14, 2024 The Killing Of Ms. Eileen Flaherty Did The Sheriff's Office Cover-Up The Traffic Homicide Of A Retired School Teacher? Are Thin Blue Line Favors Being Discussed? Watch and listen to former NYPD Officer Michael Aguilar advised the investigating VSO deputy that he and his brother Ralph Aguilar are retired NYPD police officers. Ralph Aguilar had just ran over and killed retired school teacher Eileen Flaherty. Were special "blue favors" given - read the above linked article and decide for yourself? RELATED ARTICLE VolusiaExposed.Com December 22, 2023 IN THE DEFENSE OF A CHILD The Disparate Prosecutions Of A Man, A Woman, And A Child Sheriff Chitwood Lying About Children Firing Military Rounds At His Deputies. Shortly after his deputies had shot and nearly killed a fourteen year-old school girl - Sheriff Chitwood ran a false narrative that two children had fired numerous (approx 60) rounds of military gun fire at his deputies. In truth, evidence supported that the children fired six rounds - two shotgun rounds - and four rounds from a .25 caliber handgun. An FDLE Investigative report would conclude that deputies fired approximately sixty (60) high powered rounds at these children. The false military gun fire narrative dubbed the children as "Bonnie and Clyde" within the worldwide press. Sheriff Chitwood would do several nationally televised media interviews based on this false narrative - never correcting the fact that the military rifle was not fired. We Opine - The Judicial Coercion Of A Child We further submit for your review that this middle school girl was coerced by the Court - within a closed court hearing - into accepting a twenty year prison sentence (without trial) - while being forced to be represented by defense counsel that had obvious conflicts of interest. Shortly after the Court had completed it's "railroading" of this child's constitutional rights - the Court quickly sealed the transcripts of this closed court hearing (click here to read Court Order). |
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Obviously, since the January 27, 2023 court hearing was closed to the public - AND the transcript of the hearing was sealed - we are unable to present any video, audio or documentation of the highly suspected Court coercion that was forced upon this child - to keep her biased counsel - waive her right to trial - and to accept the State's plea deal. HOWEVER, we do have courtroom video of a September 15, 2022 hearing (see right of page ==>) whereas this same child (Nicole Jackson) is receiving judicial legal advice - a case evaluation - and a judicial recommendation that she take a plea deal. Judges step over their ethical line - when they provide such legal advice to criminal defendants. If Judge Zambrano felt comfortable enough to cross this ethical line within a public hearing - it can only be imagined what Judge Blackburn did within the closed and sealed hearing.
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Nicole Jackson's September 15, 2022 Hearing Judge Raul Zambrano Presiding |
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In final preparation for this article - we again contacted several of the principles via email (click here to read email) and provided them with an opportunity to respond with corrections, clarifications, comments, and criticisms. As of the publication of this article, we have not received any further statements from the principles. Shakedown ~ Bob Seger "No matter who you think you know, you won't get through - breakdown, takedown, you're busted ! |
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