Investigative Series...... Read Part 1: Here
Police Corruption: Drug gangs, steroids and fighting gyms. Who really had a motive to kill the Waltham 3? by B Blake
November 20th 2013
Part 2: Dirty Cops and Drug Gangs
The first part of this article set out the immediate background to the Waltham murders and explored the accusation that Ibragim Todashev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev were the murderers, in a joint enterprise. Tsarnaev's alleged motive in 2013 was anti-Semitism, but in 2011, when Tsarnaev had been eliminated from enquiries without ever having status as a suspect, the motive was markedly different: internecine vengeance and exemplary punishment in the drugs trade in the greater Boston area. This part of the article examines that possibility and the evidence for it, asking who else could have committed the murders, why did they act, and how did they reach that stage? Moreover, why were the murders not investigated thoroughly and who stood to lose if they were?
With the victims' known connections to the criminal world, it is reasonable to ask if they were police informants, either individually, or collectively. All three men certainly fit this profile, and the evidence strongly suggests that they could have been approached with such a proposition on numerous occasions. Court records indicate that all three were known to police and had been previously charged with criminal offences ranging from drug possession to violence. Weissman, in particular, was facing serious charges: a search conducted at his home in January 2011 resulted in a seizure of more than $21,000 in cash, drug paraphernalia and a wide assortment of drugs including marijuana, hashish, cocaine, and Oxycontin. Weissman had also expressed an interest in advancing himself further in the drug trade.
The Waltham 3 were operating in a dangerous world, but in addition to that, the very people who had vowed to 'protect and serve' were doing quite the opposite.
With the victims' known connections to the criminal world, it is reasonable to ask if they were police informants, either individually, or collectively. All three men certainly fit this profile, and the evidence strongly suggests that they could have been approached with such a proposition on numerous occasions. Court records indicate that all three were known to police and had been previously charged with criminal offences ranging from drug possession to violence. Weissman, in particular, was facing serious charges: a search conducted at his home in January 2011 resulted in a seizure of more than $21,000 in cash, drug paraphernalia and a wide assortment of drugs including marijuana, hashish, cocaine, and Oxycontin. Weissman had also expressed an interest in advancing himself further in the drug trade.
The Waltham 3 were operating in a dangerous world, but in addition to that, the very people who had vowed to 'protect and serve' were doing quite the opposite.
Corruption in Boston and its links to fighting gyms
A string of corruption scandals in recent years reportedly left Boston Police Department with the unenviable title of 'America's most corrupt police department'. The corruption manifested itself in all manner of ways, with numerous recorded incidences of officer involvement in:
- prostitution and protection rings
- taking bribes from known criminals in exchange for not arresting them
- money laundering
- extortion rackets
- fraud
- drug thefts
- class A drug dealing
- armed robbery
- falsifying evidence and lying to Federal court
- planting evidence at the scenes of crimes in order to implicate innocent parties
- plots to kill other officers or individuals perceived as threats
- regularly informing criminals of any investigations that were being conducted into them, including:
- endangering informants by imparting their personal information - in particular any informants that may have 'snitched' on the criminals
It is also evident that Boston Police department had been rife with another problem: the misuse and distribution of illegal steroids. In fact, the problem was so widespread that the US Attorney's Office ordered an urgent investigation into the matter. The connection between illegal steroids and fighting/training gyms is a well-known and proven one, and it would appear that the connection followed the same familiar pattern in Boston also.
Considering the three Waltham victims and their two alleged killers had all frequented Boston gyms regularly, and had done so for several years, it is highly likely they came into contact with individuals using and selling illegal steroids. In this incidence, the implication is that those individuals may well have been BPD corrupt police officers, and their known associates. Again, the opportunity to become a police informant would have presented itself on a high number of occasions.
A small sample through the years...
Considering the three Waltham victims and their two alleged killers had all frequented Boston gyms regularly, and had done so for several years, it is highly likely they came into contact with individuals using and selling illegal steroids. In this incidence, the implication is that those individuals may well have been BPD corrupt police officers, and their known associates. Again, the opportunity to become a police informant would have presented itself on a high number of occasions.
A small sample through the years...
Feb 2006: America’s largest underground steroid lab is discovered in Canton, Massachusetts. The yield:
July 2006: Three serving Boston police officers arrested in an FBI sting operation in Miami, Florida (Roberto Pulido, 41, Carlos Pizarro, 36, and Nelson Carrasquillo, 35). The charges:
- 10 guns
- 100,000 pills
- huge quantities of syringes, liquids, powders used in the making of illegal steroids, and the drug oxycodone
July 2006: Three serving Boston police officers arrested in an FBI sting operation in Miami, Florida (Roberto Pulido, 41, Carlos Pizarro, 36, and Nelson Carrasquillo, 35). The charges:
- exchanging $35,000 dollars for a shipment of cocaine
- drug trafficking cocaine and heroin and oxcodone
- identity theft, smuggling illegal immigrants
- money laundering
- planning to plant a gun at the scene of a crime in order to falsely implicate a rival in a murder
- providing hired 'muscle' at illicit prostitution parties, and
- running a large operation in the sale and distribution of illegal anabolic steroids, believed to be facilitated through fighting gyms
At this point the U.S. Attorney's Office initiated an investigation into allegations of widespread steroid abuse in the BPD. Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis was also brought in to rid all departments of corruption and reinstall public confidence in the service. He vowed to clean up the force, and readily conceded that the problems ran much deeper than 'just a few bad cops and steroids'.
Yet he failed miserably in his mission, as no sooner had he dealt with the backlash on the 2006 corruption scandal, Boston Officers were appearing in the news again.
Yet he failed miserably in his mission, as no sooner had he dealt with the backlash on the 2006 corruption scandal, Boston Officers were appearing in the news again.
The calendar of corruption continued...
August 2007: Known steroid user and Boston police Officer Jose Ortiz was caught in an FBI sting operation involving cocaine trafficking and extortion rackets. Ortiz had been working for local Boston drug dealers and at one point showed up in uniform at the workplace of a drug dealer (who was also a police informant), openly threatening to kill him and his family if he did not repay more than $260,000 he owed in previous drug debts. At the time of his arrest Ortiz screamed 'I'm a cop! I'm a Boston cop!' and depressingly, it transpired that Ortiz, like Pulido, had been suspended from the department on six previous occasions. Ed Davis readily conceded he should have lost his badge long before that day, and revealed Ortiz had committed various acts of gross misconduct such as consistently lying on police reports, and stealing sheets from a fellow officer’s citation book to write up illegal tickets for people he personally disliked.
November 2007: Edgardo Rodriguez, a twelve-year veteran narcotics detective and Boston police officer pleaded guilty in front of a federal grand jury to a six-count indictment that charged him with conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids, the distribution of anabolic steroids, three counts of perjury before a federal grand jury, and obstruction of justice. Once again, he had been distributing the steroids to other officers through local gyms and had been linked to the 2006 steroid scandal involving Roberto Pulido.
January 2008: A 164-page internal audit revealed that members of Boston police had stolen hundreds of bags of drugs seized in over 1000 separate criminal cases. The drugs included heroin, cocaine, marijuana, oxycodone and steroids, all of which had been housed in a police evidence warehouse in Hyde Park, Greater Boston. Disturbingly, even as the review was actively and openly underway the thefts continued. After a three-year investigation that at one point included 25 to 30 investigators, including several FBI agents under Richard Deslaurier, not one single officer was ever disciplined over the matter or even arrested - let alone charged. Shockingly, of the ten officers identified as having the means and opportunity to commit the thefts, some have since retired whilst others are still employed by the department. However, Ed Davis has always refused to say how many remain in work or whether any were reassigned, and instead opted to comment on the case in this manner:
"It’s always unsettling when a thing like this takes place. When you recruit from the human race, you do have issues that pop up once in a while.
Right now I’m satisfied that we’ve done the right thing and the Boston Police Department is moving forward appropriately"
Police Commissioner Ed Davis, 2011
Davis may have been satisfied, but the department was not moving forward.
July 2009: 11 Boston police officers including 3 detectives and 8 patrolmen were disciplined for illegal steroid use. Two of the 11 were reprimanded for attending an underground prostitution club whilst in uniform and on duty. The club sat above an auto body shop: prostitutes and dancers regularly mingled with police, and alcohol and drugs were readily available. Unbelievably, none of the officers involved were fired or faced any criminal charges. All received minor punishments ranging from written warnings to a 45 day suspension. And Davis? He was content to express his 'disappointment', yet refused to comment on 'individual cases'.
December 2010: Officer William D. Riley, a 15-year veteran was arrested following a domestic incident and a police chase, and was charged with domestic assault with a firearm, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, possession of a firearm while intoxicated, and possession of drugs: steroids.
By the end of 2010, people using gyms in Boston were predicting more busts - the steroid problem was endemic and everyone using gyms was aware of it
"Earlier this year I predicted a huge steroid bust in the Boston area, and I stand by my claim that there has been increased activity by law enforcement in that area, and I’m expecting some big busts to come out of that state"
Anthony Roberts, Dec 2010
Anthony Roberts, Dec 2010
Another more recent comment:
"This is probably the best gym in Boston. I used to go to BSC in Waltham, and all of the trainers are using steroids"
Local Boston gym user, Dec 2012
Local Boston gym user, Dec 2012
Several large steroids busts have also occurred in the years since 2010, and although officers from Boston Police Department have been heavily implicated, none have been charged.
So Despite Ed Davis' claims of :
So Despite Ed Davis' claims of :
"remaining steadfast in our dedication to preserving the integrity of our department by taking every measure to prevent and when necessary uncover officer misconduct"
the appalling record really speaks for itself. What is worse, this activity could merely be the tip of the iceberg. How many other incidences of corruption and drug abuse among members of Boston Police Department have gone on undetected or simply unreported? Ed Davis will not be telling us: in the wake of the marathon bombings he has since left the department and has been tipped for a top position as Head of Homeland Security.
Given the lifestyle and working environment of Mess, Weissman and Teken (Todashev and Tsarnaev too) it is almost inconceivable that they did not cross paths with corrupt members of BPD and all manner of other individuals from very dubious backgrounds. Someone they were very likely to have known was ethnic Armenian, Safwan 'Sammy' Madarati. Why? Not only did he deal drugs, he spent a considerable amount of time in Boston's gyms. And he also spent time with corrupt Boston Police Officers.
The Armenian Connection and Watertown Police Corruption
Just three months before the brutal killings, notorious Watertown gang leader Safwan “Sammy" Madarati, 36, was arrested and charged with an array of offences including conspiracy to distribute and traffic over 1,000 kilograms marijuana, cocaine, oxycodone and ecstasy in an extensive operation that extended its reaches all the way to New York and Canada.
Nine others were arrested at the same time, three from Watertown, and two from Waltham. The remaining gang members all resided in other areas of Greater Boston, aside from one who was a Los Angeles resident. All in all, 20 members of the gang were eventually apprehended and charged. Over $3 million was eventually seized, along with bars of gold bullion and 10 vehicles.
Nine others were arrested at the same time, three from Watertown, and two from Waltham. The remaining gang members all resided in other areas of Greater Boston, aside from one who was a Los Angeles resident. All in all, 20 members of the gang were eventually apprehended and charged. Over $3 million was eventually seized, along with bars of gold bullion and 10 vehicles.
Court documents reveal that Safwan Madarati, an ethnic Armenian also known as Sammy:
'used his personal connections with members of the Watertown Police Department to obtain information about law enforcement activity in order to impede and obstruct investigations into his drug trafficking activities in Watertown'
One of those arrested in the operation was indeed a former Watertown police officer, 45 year old Roberto Velasquez-Johnson (pictured right). In June of this year, Velasquez-Johnson plead guilty to all the charges he faced in connection with the gang's activities, including:
- Conspiring to obstruct a federal investigation
- Several counts of making false statements during the course of a Federal investigation
He had been regularly tipping off the gang about the investigation that was being conducted into their activities and when arrested for doing so, lied to Federal authorities about his involvement.
How do Madarati's gang and Velasquez-Johnson fit into the brutal murders of the Waltham 3? Eric Weissman was known to source his drugs from Madarati, and what is more, there is a strong possibility that Velasquez-Johnson told Madarati something he should not: the name of the person who informed on him.
The Wiretaps and Court Documents
The investigation into the gang took place over a preceding nine month period and involved the extensive use of undercover surveillance and wiretaps. We obtained court documents relating to the case, and were also able to obtain transcripts from some of the various wiretaps: and they made for extremely disturbing reading. Not only were corrupt officers informing Madarati of any investigations that were underway into his gang, they were also telling him who may have informed on him. What is worse, Madarati was prepared to act on that information and he regularly did so. He demonstrated a willingness to violently attack people who owed money in drug debts or were perceived to be 'rivalling' his own ambitions, inflict savage punishment beatings, invade homes to get revenge for thefts, and 'send a message' to any individual he believed was interfering with his operations. He was also prepared to kill.
In June 2010, Velasquez-Johnson warned Madarati that agents from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement were also part of the investigation. In another phone call, three months later, Velasquez-Johnson told Madarati that someone was talking:
In June 2010, Velasquez-Johnson warned Madarati that agents from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement were also part of the investigation. In another phone call, three months later, Velasquez-Johnson told Madarati that someone was talking:
'You need to lie low.'
'Someone is making you out to be the biggest mule in Massachusetts.'
'The rats are talking.'
'Someone is making you out to be the biggest mule in Massachusetts.'
'The rats are talking.'
Then, in April 2011, Velasquez-Johnson gave Madarati the home addresses of two Watertown and Waltham police officers so that he could intimidate them and protect his drug distribution activities. Both officers were under suspension of duties at the time and were being investigated for separate misconduct issues, unrelated to the case. Madarati had received information that the two officers had violently attacked another member of his criminal organization, and was seeking revenge. Pretending to be from the Water Department to gain access to the man's Cambridge home, the armed officers allegedly zip cuffed the victim before viciously beating him and repeatedly kicking him in the face. Madarati had planned an armed and masked invasion of the two officers' homes and commented that they 'needed to be dealt with' and that 'a fucking message has to be sent'.
Also in April 2011, Victor Loukas, 43, of Watertown, an individual working for Madarati's organisation, was entrusted with $84,000 to purchase a shipment of 10,000 oxycodone tablets from another dealer in California. After flying from Boston to Los Angeles, Loukas decided to steal the money and called Madarati with a concocted story, explaining that the police had pulled him over and confiscated it. Unconvinced, Madarati set about planning to get his money back, warning Loukas he would be harmed severely. The wiretaps reveal that Madarati once again decided 'a message need to be sent', this time 'by any means necessary'. He said:
Also in April 2011, Victor Loukas, 43, of Watertown, an individual working for Madarati's organisation, was entrusted with $84,000 to purchase a shipment of 10,000 oxycodone tablets from another dealer in California. After flying from Boston to Los Angeles, Loukas decided to steal the money and called Madarati with a concocted story, explaining that the police had pulled him over and confiscated it. Unconvinced, Madarati set about planning to get his money back, warning Loukas he would be harmed severely. The wiretaps reveal that Madarati once again decided 'a message need to be sent', this time 'by any means necessary'. He said:
'Even if they find the money, I still gotta give him a fucking lesson'
Federal agents then informed Loukas that his life was in danger. At this point, Madarati became aware that Loukas had spoken to the police and appeared to up the ante. He mistakenly believed that Federal agents who were surveilling him were actually the same two police officers Velasquez-Johnson had given him addresses for previously, and that they were working with Loukas who he now considered a 'snitch'. Madarati stated he wanted Loukas 'dead for this' and 'brushed out'.
'If they're going to send me a message, I'm going to fucking send them a message back'
Shortly afterwards, whilst conducting surveillance on Loukas' property, the officers observed two masked men on the roof of the home attempting to gain access. They contacted the local police and reported it as a 'robbery in progress' so as not to break their cover. A third man was also observed in the grounds of the property but escaped and was never traced. The men were apprehended and found to be in possession of flexi cuffs, guns and chillingly, large hunting knives.
The wire intercepts also reveal conversations between Madarati and other gang members that implicated them in two shooting incidents, one as part of a drug rip off and extortion racket, the other: cold blooded murder.
A month previously (March 2011), Madarati was heard planning the intimidation of an individual who owed him money for an unpaid drug debt. Madarati appointed another man, Jack Sarkissian, to collect the money on his behalf, instructing him to offer the debtor a seven-day window for repayment whilst telling him 'do not be nice - I want him fucking scared - send him a message'. A week later, Marc Cristofori, a Newton man working at a local jewelry store, became the victim of what appeared to be an attempted murder. Another gang member, Ronald Martinez, walked into the store and asked a clerk if another man was present. The clerk replied 'no' at which point Martinez abruptly turned and exited the store. Shortly afterwards an unknown individual walked up to the entrance of the store and immediately began firing a semi-automatic handgun inside. Thankfully, the people present in the store escaped injury although Marc Cristofori's daughter was grazed by a stray bullet.
The other incident had occurred 6 months previously, during October 2010. Sanusie Mo Kabba was a rival of Madarati, who believed Kabba had intentions of usurping him in the local drugs trade. A shooting occurred at the Quick Mart store owned by Kabba in Roxbury, in which an unidentified shooter armed with an AK-47 assault rifle shot and killed a woman inside the store, believed to be an innocent bystander. Days after the shooting, a call was intercepted between Madarati and another gang member, during which Madarati said:
The wire intercepts also reveal conversations between Madarati and other gang members that implicated them in two shooting incidents, one as part of a drug rip off and extortion racket, the other: cold blooded murder.
A month previously (March 2011), Madarati was heard planning the intimidation of an individual who owed him money for an unpaid drug debt. Madarati appointed another man, Jack Sarkissian, to collect the money on his behalf, instructing him to offer the debtor a seven-day window for repayment whilst telling him 'do not be nice - I want him fucking scared - send him a message'. A week later, Marc Cristofori, a Newton man working at a local jewelry store, became the victim of what appeared to be an attempted murder. Another gang member, Ronald Martinez, walked into the store and asked a clerk if another man was present. The clerk replied 'no' at which point Martinez abruptly turned and exited the store. Shortly afterwards an unknown individual walked up to the entrance of the store and immediately began firing a semi-automatic handgun inside. Thankfully, the people present in the store escaped injury although Marc Cristofori's daughter was grazed by a stray bullet.
The other incident had occurred 6 months previously, during October 2010. Sanusie Mo Kabba was a rival of Madarati, who believed Kabba had intentions of usurping him in the local drugs trade. A shooting occurred at the Quick Mart store owned by Kabba in Roxbury, in which an unidentified shooter armed with an AK-47 assault rifle shot and killed a woman inside the store, believed to be an innocent bystander. Days after the shooting, a call was intercepted between Madarati and another gang member, during which Madarati said:
'Yes, yes, yes, yes, he’s [Kabba] shot four times and his stomach, he’s ah, the woman was, she’s, she’s the one who took the hit, because they walked in to kill him, and they shot him, and the bullets went through the woman because he was on the window, they went through the woman, leave the woman’s body went to his body so he didn’t die, it just hit his stomach, but the other woman died. And seven people got killed that night'
The wiretaps also recorded numerous incidences of Madarati discussing his dislike of police informants in general, saying if he ever discovered someone in Boston who did such a thing, they would surely pay the price. The 'message' was unequivocal: do not inform on Safwan Madarati.
So the question is, did Madarati follow up on that threat? He certainly had the means, and now facing a possible life sentence, he was likely to have had the motive. Moreover, there is evidence to suggest that the three were threatened and in fear of something, or somebody, just three weeks before their deaths. A local café owner who described Mess as 'like a son to me,' noted there was something 'very wrong' when Mess and Weissman visited his café (Brookline Lunch Café) one evening in mid August 2011. Jamal Abu Rubieh remarked that the twosome were quiet and very tense and gone was the 'typical banter' he usually had with the two who visited the café on a regular basis. Abu Rubieh says things became even more tense when a bald, blue-eyed man twice their age arrived. The two looked visibly scared. All three talked for about an hour, after which, the bald man left.
Of Mess and Weissman, Rubieh noted:
So the question is, did Madarati follow up on that threat? He certainly had the means, and now facing a possible life sentence, he was likely to have had the motive. Moreover, there is evidence to suggest that the three were threatened and in fear of something, or somebody, just three weeks before their deaths. A local café owner who described Mess as 'like a son to me,' noted there was something 'very wrong' when Mess and Weissman visited his café (Brookline Lunch Café) one evening in mid August 2011. Jamal Abu Rubieh remarked that the twosome were quiet and very tense and gone was the 'typical banter' he usually had with the two who visited the café on a regular basis. Abu Rubieh says things became even more tense when a bald, blue-eyed man twice their age arrived. The two looked visibly scared. All three talked for about an hour, after which, the bald man left.
Of Mess and Weissman, Rubieh noted:
'He sounded different and he acted different, the guy with them, and they all were, like, nervous. And that time, [Mess] was really serious and he wasn't himself'
'I have never seen them like that before. They looked frightened'
'I have never seen them like that before. They looked frightened'
The man, who Abu Rubieh had never seen before and has not seen since, had a thick Boston accent. We have been unable to discover if Rubieh was ever interviewed by police following the deaths of the three.
The Bigger Picture
Brendan Mess, Eric Weissman and Raphael Tenken were murdered in truly horrific circumstances: they were ambushed and trapped in Mess' apartment, their throats slashed with such extreme violence that they were almost decapitated, and their bodies were dragged into three separate rooms and posed. Their mutilated corpses were then sprinkled with huge amounts of marijuana and money.
The context and the motive in 2011 could not have been clearer, and was all too readily demonstrable – all three men were part of the drug-dealing underworld, an environment notorious for internecine vengeance and exemplary punishment for any perceived 'threat' or 'injustice'. The ritualistic character of the murders is a stark illustration of a ruthless depravity with which drugs criminals operate. Indeed in the criminal world there are very few reasons why such extremes are ever reached.
Safwan Madarati was arrested just three months before the Waltham murders, and was known to have supplied drugs to Eric Weissman, who himself was facing a very serious drugs charge. Tellingly, Weissman's attorney remarked after his death:
The context and the motive in 2011 could not have been clearer, and was all too readily demonstrable – all three men were part of the drug-dealing underworld, an environment notorious for internecine vengeance and exemplary punishment for any perceived 'threat' or 'injustice'. The ritualistic character of the murders is a stark illustration of a ruthless depravity with which drugs criminals operate. Indeed in the criminal world there are very few reasons why such extremes are ever reached.
Safwan Madarati was arrested just three months before the Waltham murders, and was known to have supplied drugs to Eric Weissman, who himself was facing a very serious drugs charge. Tellingly, Weissman's attorney remarked after his death:
'Eric was not worried about the charges he was facing'
Madarati and his gang members, all three murder victims and their alleged killers (Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Ibragim Todashev), were known to have extensive contacts in the very same Boston gyms that were playing host to corrupt police officers. As such, this was rich ground for the recruitment of informants. Under the circumstances, it is reasonable to suggest that the Waltham 3 were killed because Safwan Madarati either received information from a corrupt officer that Weissman (or the other two victims) had informed on him, or Madarati simply suspected as much.
Madarati's gang demonstrated a clear propensity for extreme violence and ruthlessness when faced with perceived 'injustices' or 'threats'. Yet, they did not operate in such a terrifying manner alone, as they were aided and abetted by the very people sworn to act against such criminality: members of Boston Police Department.
Is this the real reason the murders were not investigated thoroughly? In the five years prior to the murders, the department had been beset with a host of sordid corruption and drug related scandals, which unfortunately continue to this day. Could they really afford to expose more with an open investigation into the case, particularly in view of the brutality of the killings, and the very real probability of them occurring after an informant was named by a corrupt police officer? It seems unlikely.
Yet the price for failure or downright refusal to conduct an open and throrough investigation is far higher: it facilitates the operations of drug gangs and all varieties of criminal activity, endangers the wider community, and is a betrayal of the many honest police officers who strive to fulfil the responsibilities that go with a badge.
True leadership inevitably involves dealing honestly with unpalatable truths, and an absolute refusal to voice soothing but ultimately meaningless reassurances. Maintaining or restoring public confidence in any service is not a task in its own right, rather a consequence of honest and decisive action against the problem. Just making the right noises is not enough – there has to be action, not just the reassurance that action is being taken. It must also be transparent. The families of the Waltham 3 have been confronted with some extremely difficult truths, from which there is no escape or relief. They are entitled to a thorough investigation of the murder of their family members, but have nothing.
The investigation was left on the shelf for a reason: who stood to benefit from that?
It certainly was not Tamerlan Tsarnaev or Ibragim Todashev. Despite all of what is known about the murders, the victims, and the world in which they operated, the families of the Waltham 3 are now expected to believe that, out of nowhere, Tsarnaev and Todashev suddenly felt the need to enter Mess' apartment, outnumbered, and slaughter their friends. The purported motive? Simply because they were Jewish.
Such a proposition would have seemed ludicrous in 2011 and given what we now know about the lifestyle choices of the three in 2013, seems even more ludicrous because of it.
To reiterate:
Madarati's gang demonstrated a clear propensity for extreme violence and ruthlessness when faced with perceived 'injustices' or 'threats'. Yet, they did not operate in such a terrifying manner alone, as they were aided and abetted by the very people sworn to act against such criminality: members of Boston Police Department.
Is this the real reason the murders were not investigated thoroughly? In the five years prior to the murders, the department had been beset with a host of sordid corruption and drug related scandals, which unfortunately continue to this day. Could they really afford to expose more with an open investigation into the case, particularly in view of the brutality of the killings, and the very real probability of them occurring after an informant was named by a corrupt police officer? It seems unlikely.
Yet the price for failure or downright refusal to conduct an open and throrough investigation is far higher: it facilitates the operations of drug gangs and all varieties of criminal activity, endangers the wider community, and is a betrayal of the many honest police officers who strive to fulfil the responsibilities that go with a badge.
True leadership inevitably involves dealing honestly with unpalatable truths, and an absolute refusal to voice soothing but ultimately meaningless reassurances. Maintaining or restoring public confidence in any service is not a task in its own right, rather a consequence of honest and decisive action against the problem. Just making the right noises is not enough – there has to be action, not just the reassurance that action is being taken. It must also be transparent. The families of the Waltham 3 have been confronted with some extremely difficult truths, from which there is no escape or relief. They are entitled to a thorough investigation of the murder of their family members, but have nothing.
The investigation was left on the shelf for a reason: who stood to benefit from that?
It certainly was not Tamerlan Tsarnaev or Ibragim Todashev. Despite all of what is known about the murders, the victims, and the world in which they operated, the families of the Waltham 3 are now expected to believe that, out of nowhere, Tsarnaev and Todashev suddenly felt the need to enter Mess' apartment, outnumbered, and slaughter their friends. The purported motive? Simply because they were Jewish.
Such a proposition would have seemed ludicrous in 2011 and given what we now know about the lifestyle choices of the three in 2013, seems even more ludicrous because of it.
To reiterate:
"It’s always unsettling when a thing like this takes place. When you recruit from the human race, you do have issues that pop up once in a while.
Right now I’m satisfied that we’ve done the right thing and the Boston Police Department is moving forward appropriately"
Police Commissioner Ed Davis, 2011
Right now I’m satisfied that we’ve done the right thing and the Boston Police Department is moving forward appropriately"
Police Commissioner Ed Davis, 2011
'Issues' ? - like an un-investigated triple murder, perhaps.
'Moving forward' - towards what, exactly?
'Moving forward' - towards what, exactly?
Coming up In Part 3: Carmen Ortiz: A Conflict of Interest?
Related Posts:
PART 1: Police corruption: Drug gangs, steroids and fighting gyms. Who really had a motive to kill the Waltham three?
Co-owner of Wai Kru arrested on Federal drugs charges: Links to Florida
Officer Sean Gannon: More evidence that the FBI knew the identities of the suspected marathon bombers prior to April 19th?
PART 1: Police corruption: Drug gangs, steroids and fighting gyms. Who really had a motive to kill the Waltham three?
Co-owner of Wai Kru arrested on Federal drugs charges: Links to Florida
Officer Sean Gannon: More evidence that the FBI knew the identities of the suspected marathon bombers prior to April 19th?
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We actively encourage comments, discussion and debate on this site! Please remember to keep it relevant and be respectful at all times.