Dad of Oakland County Child Killer victim makes appearance in political ad

BIRMINGHAM (WXYZ) - In a new political ad, the father of the Oakland County Child Killer's fourth victim scolds prosecutor Jessica Cooper over her handling of county's most high-profile unsolved murder case.   

"If it were your child, we believe you would join us in opposing Jessica Cooper's re-election as prosecutor," King says in the ad, which endorses Cooper's challenger Republican Mike Bishop.

It's not the first time King has picked a fight with Cooper, but it is the first time he's picked a side for prosecutor.

"When Jessica Cooper took office, she refused to talk to my family," he says in the commercial, paid for by Bishop's campaign.

King says he was asked by Bishop to appear in the campaign commercial after the two met recently.  The ad highlights old clashes between King and Cooper, but the most recent revolves around Christopher Busch. 

King’s family has long suspected that Busch played a role in the murders, but Cooper and law enforcement officials have ruled him out as a suspect.  King wants to know why.

"Ms. Cooper has not discussed the Busch involvement with me on any occasion," he told 7 Action News Investigator Ross Jones.

"When she goes on TV and says she’s conferred with me many times …we apparently have a little different computation of time," he said.

Cooper disagreed.

"We’ve been talking to Mr. King for years," she said, adding that her office has met with King about ten times. 

She says her staff has shown him the records that they can, and understands his need for closure.  But like with Busch and scores of others ruled out as suspects, she says her office needs to follow the evidence, and move on when it’s not there. 

"I would love to be able to give him the answer he wants," Cooper said.

"My job is to give him the truth."

Cooper stresses that, under her watch, the case has made incredible strides. She credits law enforcement officials and the special task force convened several years ago. Right now, two grand juries are hearing evidence in the decades-old case, and a person of interest was named over the Summer.

King shakes his head at  the suggestion that he's become a pawn in a messy political fight.  He’s less concerned with who wins, he says.  After 34 years, he just wants an answer. 

"If I’m being used as a pawn and I still get access to the information," King said, "I’ll volunteer."