For more than a decade, Nassau County police have avoided public accountability for the murder of Jo’Anna Bird. USA TODAY partnered with Newsday to tell the truth about an internal affairs investigation that showed officers displayed a callous indifference to the danger Bird faced before she was murdered. Bird’s relatives had been denied access to the records, which were required to be turned over to their attorney as part of their 2010 federal lawsuit against Nassau County and its police department. A federal magistrate ordered the lawyer to keep the documents confidential.  In 2011, a group of Nassau County legislators insisted they be allowed to review the report before they would approve paying a settlement to Bird’s family. The group was also ordered to keep the documents confidential. By keeping the information secret, police officials have been able to construct their own public narrative of what happened to Bird. To learn more about what happened to Jo’Anna Bird and her story, visit the link in our bio.