Husband is only suspect in wife's slaying; polygraph results not released

Grosse Pointe Park— Police have still not released the polygraph test results Saturday for the husband of a marketing executive whose body was found strangled in a Detroit alley.

Bob Bashara, the husband of Jane Bashara, has emerged as the only suspect in the murder, police said Friday.

Bashara underwent a polygraph test Friday in connection with the slaying, Grosse Pointe Park Police Chief David Hiller said, adding that Bashara is "the only person of interest."

"Bob voluntarily came in, and he continues to cooperate with our investigation," Hiller said.

Gaylord Creedon, who has known the Basharas for 15 years through the Grosse Pointe Rotary Club, said Saturday he had no idea Bob Bashara was a person of interest.

"My personal reaction is why he would he be?" Creedon said. "They were so close."

Creedon said the Basharas were active in the community and Jane took part in a variety of projects.

"It is a loss to the community and the family foremost," he said. "We wish them our best."

As Bashara, 54, was being questioned at the Grosse Pointe Park police station Friday night, Detroit Police evidence technicians searched his home in the 500 block of Middlesex. Dogs were led into the spacious brick colonial, while investigators could be seen searching the home through the windows. They spent a lot of time in a front room sifting through papers.

After more than three hours, about 9 p.m., police took at least two computer hard drives and other items from the house, though Hiller wouldn't disclose what was taken. Bashara returned home from the police station a few minutes later, accompanied by three women. They declined to comment.

Hiller said Bob Bashara has retained an attorney, but the lawyer's name wasn't released Friday night.

Jane Bashara, 56 — who worked as a senior marketing manager at Kema Services, an energy consulting, testing and certification company — was last seen leaving a client meeting at DTE Energy's offices in downtown Detroit about 4 p.m. Tuesday.

A tow truck operator trolling for stolen cars found her 2004 Mercedes-Benz ML350 in an alley in the area of Seven Mile and Hoover roads around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, about six miles from the couple's Grosse Pointe Park home. Bob Bashara had reported her missing to Grosse Pointe Park police about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Bashara reported that the last time he spoke to his wife was while he was working at a rental property, telling her he would see her about 8 p.m.

When he returned to their home, he found she was gone, but the TV was on and her company identification card was in the home.

On Thursday, the Wayne County medical examiner ruled her death a homicide by strangulation.

Hiller declined to disclose Friday where investigators think Bashara was killed, saying he wasn't "at liberty" to disclose it.

Bob Bashara has said he had "no clue" what happened to his wife. "I lost my girlfriend and my partner, and it's just absolutely unthinkable," said Bashara, speaking to WDIV-TV on Thursday.

The couple, who were married for 26 years, had two children: Jessica, a student at the University of Michigan, and Rob, an engineer for GE in Iowa.

"She was very cheerful, very compassionate," said Rosie Triano, a longtime friend of Jane Bashara.

"She made you feel good when you talked to her."

Bob Bashara is well-known in the Pointes. Known as "Big Bob" — a license plate on his SUV reads "Big Bobb" — he served as president of the Grosse Pointe Rotary Club and was involved in various charities.

This is the first murder of a Grosse Pointe Park resident since the shooting death of Phyllis Ann Lenart on Jan. 16, 1992.

Lenart was waiting for a bus on Jefferson Avenue, near Wayburn Road, when she was approached by robbers who shot her and stole her purse.

Raynell Hampton — who was on parole at the time of the murder — was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

A funeral visitation for Jane Bashara will be from 3-9 p.m. Monday at A.H. Peters Funeral Home, 20705 Mack Ave. in Grosse Pointe Woods.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 Tuesday at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, 16 Lakeshore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms.