AG closes 38 Studios criminal investigation, blames police

The 38 Studios investigation is officially closed

Attorney General Peter Kilmartin made the announcement Friday saying that he is deciding to close the case because of State Police.

"Colonel Assumpico informed me that she considered the investigation closed, that she would commit no further resources to it, and that her decision was final," said Kilmartin in a written statement.

Because of that, Kilmartin says it would be fruitless to pursue the investigation alone.

This summer, Kilmartin and then State Police Col. Steven O’Donnell announced that their years long investigation yielded no criminal charges.

Friday. Col. Assumpico said she believes nothing has changed. She issued a statement in response to the blame Kilmartin is placing her way.

"When I met with the Attorney General yesterday, I told him I would be willing to reopen the investigation if we had new, solid, credible leads. The information the Attorney General’s Office has provided us is not persuasive enough to reopen the case at this time," said Col. Assumpico.

This week, the last defendant in the civil suit reached a settlement, all but ending that case. Kilmartin said in his statement that it is his belief that an additional investigation should be done to review all of the remaining documents resulting from the civil litigation.

Col. Assumpico writes that she agrees Rhode Islanders have a right to know what happened, but says she whole-heartedly disagrees with assertions from Kilmartin that her refusal to re-open the case would create the public perception of a cover-up.

As to the recent push to release all documents in the 38 Studios case, Kilmartin writes, “With the investigation closed, I remain greatly concerned about setting the precedent of releasing investigative records regarding a criminal investigation that thus far resulted in no criminal charges and for which the Statute of Limitations has not tolled…"

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