Parents say police stifled investigation--claim daughter's alleged abuser received preferential

Parents say police stifled investigation
Claim daughter's alleged abuser received preferential treatment


Weeks after a detective's son was arrested on charges of sexually abusing their 14-year-old daughter, her parents say the Springfield Police Department made it difficult to learn details of what happened or to file complaints against officers perceived to have acted wrongly.

On Oct. 26, Illinois State Police arrested Zane Merreighn, the 22-year-old son of Detective Jennifer Oglesby Mack, on three counts of aggravated sexual abuse. He remains in custody at the Sangamon County Jail with his bond set at $250,000. Oglesby Mack is a sex crimes investigator for the Springfield Police Department.

The parents of the girl contend Merreighn has received preferential treatment from law enforcement because he is related to a police officer.

"He bragged that he could get away with things because his mom was a detective," the 14-year-old girl told Illinois Times in October. Oglesby Mack did not respond to emails from Illinois Times. The newspaper is not identifying the family in order to protect the privacy of the underage female.

Read more: https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/parents-say-police-stifled-investigation/Content?oid=14508306