May 25, 2000
Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson says he plans to ask the city's police chief to look into the mysterious death of an employee of the Olympic Organizing Committee.
News Specialist John Daley is following this story.
Jim Christiansen was found dead in the back seat of a Suburban in Salt Lake in the fall of 1998.
He'd been missing for 11 days.
At the time police ruled his death a drug overdose and closed the case.
But many questions remain, not the least of which is: Did his death involve foul play?
In September of 1998 a Suburban--a vehicle belonging to the Salt Lake Organizing Committee--was found with the body of SLOC employee Jim Christiansen in the back seat.
Christiansen, 39, managed SLOC's retail store, where Olympic pins and other merchandise are sold.
He was last seen at the Utah State Fair Park 11 days earlier.
Police initially treated the case as a "suspicious death."
But the case was closed after the medical examiner found Christiansen died from "drug intoxication--an overdose of cocaine and morphine."
Christiansen's mother says she's still haunted by her son's death and baffled at why police closed the case.
Carole Christiansen/Jim's Mother: "
But according to the police report, another man told police he and Christiansen were shooting up drugs the night Christiansen was last seen.
The report also makes note of Jim's brother telling police, "Jim had a long-time problem with drug use."
Police investigator Jerry Mendez tells Eyewitness News they found no signs of foul play.
But plenty of questions remain.
The Suburban was parked in a well-monitored parking zone for several days, but never ticketed--something neighbors found unusual.
Lorene Rains/Sept. 25, 1998: "WE'VE ALL BEEN TOWED FOR PARKING HERE MORE THAN TWO HOURS. IT WAS A LITTLE STRANGE AS TO WHY IT DIDN'T HAVE A TICKET ON IT."
Christiansen's body was badly decomposed, suggesting he'd been dead long before the car was found.
The body was wedged on its side in the well between the front and back seats.
No drug paraphenalia was found in the car, and Christiansen's wedding ring, watch, briefcase and shoes were missing.
