ex-FBI Agent Connolly Guilty of Murder

I loved this complicated case when we discussed it before, but in today's report on CNN I learned that the movie The Departed was based upon it. I shouldn't be surprised because that was one complex screenplay.

The story that unfolded over the past two months in a Miami courtroom spanned more than two decades of Boston's underworld, a tale that has already spawned several books and was the basis for the 2006 Martin Scorcese film "The Departed." Matt Damon played a crooked Connolly-like law enforcement officer and Jack Nicholson was the Bulger-esque Irish-American mobster.

John Connolly has already been serving a 10-year sentence for racketeering because of his relationship with Bulger, including a 1995 tip that enabled Bulger to escape arrest and begin a life on the run that continues to this day. Bulger is one of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" fugitives.

Today's conviction is for Second-degree murder because Connolly supplied confidential information to the Boston mob that led to the assassination of World Jai-Alai owner John Callahan in 1982. The trigger man in that incident John Martorano testified against Connolly.

"John Connolly swore an oath to the FBI and the United States of America," said prosecutor Michael Von Zamft. "He gave up that public trust because he decided he would rather be a gangster than an FBI agent."

Martorano cut a deal with prosecutors by agreeing to testify against Connolly, and spent 12 years in prison after admitting to 20 murders, including the killings of Wheeler and Callahan. Martorano is now a free man.

In my opinion, these men are the worst of the worst. Cold blooded killers who do their murders for profit should be considered far worse than the violent deranged men who so often make the headlines.

What do you think? Isn't there something wrong with giving Skyler Deleon and Joseph Edward Duncan III the death penalty and letting Martorano out after 12 years?

Nevertheless, these gangsters sure do make for some good movies.

"When you decide to be something you can be it. That's what they don't tell you in the Church. When I was your age they would say we could become cops or criminals. Today what I'm saying to you is this, when you're facing a loaded gun, what difference does it make?"

Death for Duncan

CNN reports on the sentencing to death of Joseph Edward Duncan III.

I wrote about this before, expressing my sincere condolences to the family of the victims.

Duncan showed no reaction other than smiling as the verdict was passed to the judge.

He took Dylan and the boy's then-8-year-old sister, Shasta, to a remote western Montana campsite where he raped, tortured and threatened them before shooting Dylan in the head and burning his body. Jurors viewed horrifying video Duncan made of him sexually abusing, torturing and hanging Dylan until the boy lost consciousness.


I guess everybody is so outraged at what he did that open-minded discussion about capital punishment is out of the question. I can only repeat what I said before: what I can't accept is the government doing it and dressing it up as something justified and wholesome and legal.

Joseph Edward Duncan III

My heart goes out the the victims and the surviving family members. The picture of Dylan Groene and the description of what was done to him is enough to make the staunchest anti-death penalty person think twice. As one of them, I wish to express my deepest condolences to all those affected by this terrible crime. In commenting on the merits of the death penalty for Mr. Duncan, I intend no disrespect to anyone involved, also to those not directly involved who are passionate about this issue.

CNN reports the story today because the Idaho federal jury in Boise found Joseph Edward Duncan III eligible for the death penalty. His crimes are as bad or worse than other cases we've discussed recently, here and here. Nevertheless, my position remains unchanged. I cannot condone capital punishment, period. It is state sanctioned murder, completely premeditated and exactly what is proscribed in every set of laws from the Ten Commandments of Moses to the Magna Carta to the United States Constitution. The USA in the 21st century should not need to resort to barbaric practices like this to protect its citizens.

So why are we still doing it then? I believe the answer can be seen in this.

The slain boy's father, Steven Groene, and other family supporters embraced after the verdict but seemed to keep their emotions in check.

It's revenge, payback, whatever you want to call it, but I don't believe it's about justice. These "emotions" they held in check are completely understandable to me, at least as understandable as is possible for an outsider who, than God, has never had to face anything like this. I can understand the desire for revenge; I could even imagine committing murder myself in that situation. But what I can't accept is the government doing it and dressing it up as something justified and wholesome and legal.