Jackson County Jury Hearing In Lawsuit Against Phoenix Police for Death of Former “Mouseketeer” Starts

UPDATE: All claims in the civil lawsuit were dismissed by the judge.

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — The hearing of a civil lawsuit by the family of the original Disney Mouseketeer, Dennis Day, was in Jackson County Court yesterday. Police are accused of botching the investigation, which was solved after the Oregon State Police (OSP) took over the case.

Lawsuit From Family Of Phoenix Victim Accuses Police Of Careless Investigation

The family of Day launched a civil lawsuit civil lawsuit against the Phoenix Police Department and Lieutenant Jeff Price yesterday. Day went missing six years ago but his badly decomposed body was only found nine months later after OSP was called in to assist.

With the help of a cadaver dog, Day was found in his own home under a pile of clothes. Police indicated that Daniel Burda, who was living in the house, pushed Day to the ground and left him to die by not taking action to prevent the death.

In the criminal case, Burda pleaded no contest on two counts of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of a corpse in the second degree in July and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Day’s extended family claims that Phoenix Police led a careless investigation and are seeking $2.2 million. The family alleges the Phoenix Police Department caused them emotional distress, both intentionally and through negligence.  The civil trial continues today.