Jay Z’s Team ROC vows to continue fight despite death of Roger Golubski
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A disgraced former detective accused of horrific crimes and abuse of power was found dead, with a single fatal gunshot wound, just as the first of two federal trials was set to begin Monday morning. The women he allegedly victimized were robbed of the ability to see him face them in court, but the fight for justice is not over, because it’s an effort that extends beyond just his actions.
The federal charges for which Roger Golubski was to face trial on Monday included allegations of rape and kidnapping. Dania Diaz, the managing director of Team ROC called his nearly 40 years with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department a “reign of terror.”
Golubski’s trial was set to begin at the federal courthouse in Topeka 9 a.m. Monday. An arrest warrant was issued when he didn’t appear. Shortly after, police got a 911 call from someone inside his Edwardsville home and arrived to find him dead on his back porch according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI). The agency said he “sustained a fatal gunshot wound” and that “there are no indications of foul play.”
“It was quite shocking,” said Diaz. “Sadly, I’m not surprised that something was going to evade the possibility of women being able to finally feel a moment of relief that justice would be served in the courtroom.”
READ MORE: ‘It was either he died, or I died’: Alleged sexual assault survivor reacts to Golubski’s death
Team ROC, the justice arm Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, has been working with local and regional organizations attempting to investigate how many people in the department, if any, were complicit in Golubski’s alleged crimes.
Two federal indictments and numerous lawsuits combined accused him of raping or sexually assaulting mostly Black women and girls, assisting a sex trafficking operation of runaway girls, and using threats of jail to coerce sex and fabricated testimony, among other things.
Golubski first came under scrutiny in relation to the conviction of Lamonte McIntyre based on coerced testimony. He spent 23 years in prison for a 1994 double murder and was exonerated in 2017. His mother said Golubski had been sexually abusing her and that Lamonte was arrested after she refused to submit.
“There’s no way he could have operated independently for 30 years,” said Diaz.
READ MORE: Innocent man moves on with life but questions lack of accountability in his wrongful conviction
Team ROC and the Midwest Innocence Project have been trying to get records from the KCKPD since 2021 and just last month filed a lawsuit claiming the police department and the Unified Government have quote “stonewalled” their efforts to get records that could point to a deeper issue.
They want to get to the bottom of how the agency handles complaints and discipline.
To the women and families impacted by the actions Golubski was set to face trial for, crimes Diaz called “abhorrent and vile,” she had a message of support and conviction.
“I want them to know that the fight isn’t over, that we are here with them,” said Diaz. “We are not going to stop. We know there is a bigger issue here. We are here to support them in their efforts to seek justice and in telling their truths.”
The KBI has not yet called Golubski’s death a suicide.
“An autopsy is scheduled,” a statement from the KBI indicated. “A thorough investigation will be conducted. The investigation is ongoing.”
READ MORE: Disgraced KCK detective found dead in his home, alleged accusers are now demanding answers
Prosecutors wanted him detained pending trial but a judge instead put him on house arrest citing medical issues, including that he requires frequent dialysis. One of his bond conditions was that he not possess a gun.
Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.
