Police Officer Michael Buczek Born August 19, 1964; died October 18, 1988.

Ted Buczek wouldn’t take no for an answer. And because of his persistence, the men who killed his son, 24-year-old police officer Michael Buczek, in 1988 were tried and convicted by a Manhattan jury nearly 15 years after the crime.

Justice delayed is still justice.

And Ted Buczek and his family gets the lion’s share of the credit for this.

The story began on October 18, 1988, when three low-lifes — Pablo Almonte, Jose Fernandez and Daniel Mirambeaux — robbed a drug dealer at 580 West 161st St. in Washington Heights. Officer Buczek and his partner Joseph Barbato, now a detective in the Manhattan drug task force, had just attended to an aided case in the area and stopped the men, who were acting suspiciously. When the officers attempted to restrain them, Mirambeaux produced a gun and shot and killed officer Buczek. The murderous trio evaded capture and fled to the Dominican Republic, their homeland.

For years, the Buczek family fought to have the three extradited to the U.S. to stand trial for the murder but the Dominican Republic would not cooperate. To further complicate matters, Pablo Almonte’s brother was a member of the Dominican army who successfully helped his brother elude authorities for years.

But Ted Buczek refused to let the matter lie and campaigned relentlessly to win justice for his slain son. Finally, the elder Buczek contacted U.S. Congressman Benjamin Gilman (R-Orange County), who took the matter all of the way to the White House. It wasn’t until former President George Bush threatened to withhold aid to the country that Dominican officials produced the three fugitives.

Mirambeaux, the shooter, died in a suspicious fall in a Dominican prison after it was agreed he would be returned to the U.S. to face murder charges. Almonte, by this time a successful businessman in his country, was extradited in March, 2001, followed by Fernandez in May, 2002.

The six-week trial was attended daily by the 76-year-old Buczek, his son Walter, daughter Mary Jo and Det. Barbato, who also testified.

On May 28, after six hours of deliberation, the jury found each man guilty of one count of second-degree murder. The defense attorney told reporters that an appeal was likely. If there are any more judicial proceedings in this case, you can be sure that Ted Buczek and his family and Det. Barbato will be there to see that justice is served — no matter how long it takes.