He awoke to the sound of screaming and found three male intruders being overseen by a blonde woman. Investigators identified at least 240 leads in the casebut the evidence continued to point back to the MacDonald. Prosecutors appealed the decision to the Supreme Court and in 1978 the countrys highest court decided to reinstate the indictment. So did I. I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, about an hour from the Fort Bragg army base in Fayetteville where the murders occurred on Feb. 17, 1970, in the middle of the night. When the initial military hearing was conducted in 1970, no one in his life could be found who had a bad thing to say about him. After 3 a.m. on Feb. 17, 1970, dispatchers at Fort Bragg received an emergency call from the MacDonalds 544 Castle Drive address. WebThe Kassab family name was found in the USA in 1920. I contacted his office, and to my surprise, he was willing to talk to me. Sadly, the family wouldnt survive the next year. After traveling a months-long journey that has led me from certainty to doubt to horror at a grave injustice, Im going to turn in this article and then go run some errands and make myself a bite to eat. "We're concentrating on the actions of the shooter, because what happens to the victim is outside our control the line between a non-fatal shooting and a murder is wafer thin. Their hold on the region no longer remains absolute. Freddie Kassab and CID investigators returned to the crime scene in 1971 to contrast MacDonalds claims with the evidence and found his narrative implausible. By now, many members of the original hearing and 1979 trial are dead, including Judge Dupree. Nothing unique in any way. Aelyas (Elias) Kassab, Wadeas younger brother, was born in the Kassabs' summer residence in Bloudan, Syria in 1883. It has Charles Manson written all over it. Freddy Kassab had inserted himself into the 1970 military hearing and made himself the center of a media circus, holding news conferences and firing off letters to members of Congress. Silverglate predicts that even after examining the new evidence, Judge Fox will not grant Jeffrey MacDonald a new trial. My friend and I sat around in her backyard, tossing up what facts about the case we could recall. I was born in May of that year, and would thus be the same age as the child Colette MacDonald was carrying when her life was snuffed out. Colette had been stabbed 16 times and punctured 21 times with an ice pick, while 5-year-old Kimberley was killed by six blows to the head and eightto 10 stab wounds, according to a1998 Vanity Fair article. To do so, they are increasingly trying to appeal to the maternal side of these families, and helping mothers and their children escape the criminal elements in their home, before another brood is infected. There may be hope that MacDonald will eventually gain his freedom and at least be able to live the last few years of his life outside of a prison cell. First responder Kenneth Mica discovered the bodies, with MacDonald laying wounded but alive next to his battered and lifeless wife. WS: They were a very normal-looking mama and daddy. Make a one-time contribution to Alternet All Access, Scott Adams and why American capitalism kneels before a bigger God. Even scarier stories, Ive found, can be true. LP: Then why did MacDonald, the emblem of law-and-order, the Green Beret, become a suspect? Vietnam-era Fayetteville was not sleepy Raleigh in the 1980s. Two possibilities: MacDonald is a monster, or he is a victim of terrible injustice. Thank you. Who else is going to fight this thing if not me? Freddy Kassab said of his years-long quest to put his son-in-law Jeffrey MacDonald behind bars for killing his stepdaughter and two young granddaughters. McGinniss had to be creative, because the mans character never fit the crime. Kassab a one-time Canadian Army intelligence operator who had once lost his own wife and daughter in a bombing of London during World War II initially believed MacDonalds account of the night and became a staunch and vocal supporter of his son-in-law, the Washington Post reported in 1984. Because that's what crime figures do in the north-west, most of the time. That is the way our legal system is set up. I wouldnt allow myself to believe it, because it made it so much worse that it was he instead of strangers, she later said in an interview, according to the docuseries. WS: Yes. MacDonald had only one stab wound, which the hospital surgeon later described as a clean, small, sharp incision that made his left lung partially collapse. Detective Inspector Wayne Newman, from the North-West Metro region, says there has been an increase in higher ranking organised crime figures in the area insulating themselves from possible harm by using youth networks to do the grunt work. He worked first in a stove factory, a physically taxing and low-paying job, and later became a molder in a factory making brake shoes for the railroad. "I wish it was as simple as saying all our non-fatal shootings went back to five families, because if it did, we would target those five families and we'd kick it in the guts, but it's actually not that simple.". He adamantly denied all charges but was at a loss for words during cross-examination by the prosecution. His most significant injury was a puncture wound and deflated lung. He claimed there was insufficient evidence, while civilian defense attorney Bernard Segal argued the CID had improperly handled the scene and that alternative suspects like local drug addict Helena Stoeckley, believed to be the blonde woman at the scene, continued to roam free. Additionally, much of what Morris introduces as new evidence was already including in the trial that convicted MacDonald. The couple sued MacDonald in 1987 to try to prevent him from profiting from Joe McGinniss book Fatal Vision, which served as the inspiration for the mini-series. And as is believed to have been the case when a large drug shipment made its way to the region in the past five years, and the Kassab/Kheir family made temporary peace with the Tibas that can sometimes mean forming a truce to distribute the product, and ensure its security. In this case, it carries particular weight: police are trying to break the hold, in some cases, of family ties that go back generations. He remained haunted by the horrific way his stepdaughter and grandchildren had lost their lives. The strength of the families now almost a decade after the launch of Santiago are largely determined by how many of them have been killed or locked up. The writer had full access to the trial, and appeared sympathetic. Eventually, he turned on the man he had once so ardently defended. These victims include Rachad Adra, who was killed and his four-year-old son injured, when a gunman with a high-powered weapon shot the wrong house in Thomastown in October 2015, and Khaled Abouhasna, who was killed in a shooting ambush six months earlier when he was mistaken for a ruthless standover man. After reading the full transcript of his Article 32 hearing, the Kassabs were convinced that MacDonalds story didnt add up. The crimes committed by the families were left to locally-based detectives to investigate, rather than specialist squads, until the Santiago Taskforce was formed in 2008. They are the dealers who, as Osman Tiba alluded to, were probably driven to the job because of their own addictions who cannot afford to forgive a middling debt, even if it is only for a few hundred dollars. Family members of radio personality Casey Kasem have settled a lawsuit against his widow that alleged her neglect and physical abuse led to his death in 2014. At least six have faced significant criminal charges. These shootings rarely involve significant figures, such as Oueida, or Nabil Maghnie, who was shot in the head last September but survived, or George Marrogi, who was charged with a shooting murder that same month. It is hard not to be shocked by the footage of Oueida's shooting. Its hard to imagine now, but in the late 1960s and early '70s there were spooky, weird people on acidback then it was believable. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. But it wasnt until Kassab revisited the crime scene himself in 1972 that he finally believed that his son-in-law had been the killer. Allard Lowenstein supporting MacDonalds claim that the Army wrongfully accused him and were trying to cover up their mistake. It all was intruders. Its a scary, spooky story that sounds made up. Earlier, evidence came to light that a FBI forensic examiner mislead the jury about synthetic hair evidence. That kind of story never ends. The now 76-year-old is serving three consecutive life sentences and is currently housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland . This manuscript by Aelyas Kassab is a history of the Kassab family and a biography of Aelyas' own life. Its a case that if you were telling scary stories around the dining room table and you had all your family gathered, people could hardly believe it. WS: In every murder of a spouse, the remaining spouse is the number-one suspect and is almost always charged. He has been imprisoned for three decades for a crime he did not commit. Since MacDonald was convicted of the murders in 1979, considerable evidence of his innocence has come to light. "There's a lot of luck good and bad in a non-fatal shooting, You can be shot once and die, or you can be shot five times and live. He was given an honorable discharge. The now 76-year-old is serving three consecutive life sentences and is currently housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland . One thing about this case is never in doubt no matter whos talking: If Wade Smith had been able to lead and give his closing remarks, MacDonald would be a free man today. Their second child Kristen was born in May 1967. 959 Census & Voter Lists. In a 2011 press release, the Innocence Project stated:. And, in media appearances like his interview on The Dick Cavett Show, meanwhile, MacDonald appeared suspiciously at ease. Jeffrey MacDonald was arraigned in May 1975 and pleaded not guilty. He continued to work as a doctor and moved to California. That got my attention: the Oscar-winning Morris, whose film The Thin Blue Line exonerated a Texas man wrongfully convicted for murder, is one of the worlds great documentary filmmakers. At some time before 3.30am someone brutally attacked the MacDonald family in their home at 544 Castle Drive on what was then the open military base of Fort Bragg. The Kassab brothers both raised their families in Chester, where they also practiced dentistry. All rights reserved. The loving husband and father. According to her, they wanted to teach MacDonald a lesson and rough up his family the night of the killings. The Tibas, Haddaras, Chaouks, Kassabs, and Kheirs are north-west Melbourne's version of the Five Families, the major players in the New York mafia. No particular families run any particular suburbs; they are all dealing, all the time, to whoever buys. It doesnt make sense that this man, with no history of violence, went crazy like that. Oh, yes. Out of all the evidentiary and procedural twists and turns, I asked Silverglate to name the one that bothered him the most about the MacDonald case. Colette MacDonald and her daughters suffered horrific violence as they were killed on February 17, 1970 at their Fort Bragg home. Wadea Kassab was born in Damascus in 1872 to an Orthodox family that had long and deep connections to British and American Protestant missionaries in Damascus and Beirut. His uncle, Salim Kassab, was a long-time assistant to, first, Lady Hester Stanhope and later to Elizabeth Bowen Thompson, who helped found British mission schools in Greater Syria. Back in the 1979 trial, a lawyer named Jerry Leonard represented Helena Stoeckley. McGinniss drew on pop-sociology to render an image of a psychopathic killer in the guise of the friendly doctor-next-door; the kind we know from endless horror movies. We reconstructed the murders using what McDonald said. In 1982, she sat down with Gunderson and Beasley in a taped interview, claiming that she had been part of a satanic cult that had killed the family because MacDonald was not cooperative in helping heroin addicts during his time at Fort Bragg. At one stage last year, there was only one of the six Chaouks, father and sons, that were alive and free. WS: We all depend on excellent, honest detective work. These were the families police identified in 2011 as causing most of the trouble in the band, which stretches roughly from Coburg North to Campbellfield, then in an arc around to Altona in In July 1974, a Federal judge acted on a citizen's criminal complaint by Kassab and others, by putting the case before a grand jury. While both Detective Inspectors want to reiterate this is rare, it is also their worst fear, and what they are working to stop. Soldiers corpses arrived at Fort Bragg stuffed with heroin. A portrait photograph of Wadea (left) and Aelyas (right) Kassab. Even after the conviction, the Kassabs remained haunted by the heinous crime. MacDonald later admitted the claim had been a lie. MacDonald in late 1970 after the Army acquitted him of all charges. Jeffrey MacDonald behind bars in Terminal Island federal penitentiary. They were hardly as connected as the mob in Manhattan, but they had serious clout. Ill be seeing him. Well, Bernie Segal told me that he never saw it.. Steve Liss/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesJeffrey MacDonald behind bars in Terminal Island federal penitentiary. However, instead of the firm defense MacDonald expected, the 1983 bestseller A Fatal Vision described him as a narcissistic psychopath.. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Now, it appears the Tibas are at war with everybody. Furthermore, an FBI lab technician reenacted how MacDonald claimed he defended against the intruders attacks and proved his testimony contradicted the evidence. Additionally, MacDonalds medical records showed that he had no defensive wounds on his arms or hands consistent with the alleged attack. I held out to the last ditch. It ultimately concluded that MacDonalds wounds were self-inflicted, and his story entirely fabricated. They dont know the truth any more than I do. But his mother and father-in-law did not want him to do that. Who else is going to fight this thing if not me? Kassab said, who had moved to Florida from his Long Island home the year before. Then he injured himself and set up the scene to make the crimes appear to be the work of intruders. He claimed they chanted, Kill the pigs!Acid is groovy! and scrawled the word PIG on the wall in his wifes blood. Two members of the Tiba family have been charged in relation to the shooting. And yet there are thousands of people in North Carolina who do not believe he did it. Ive had many cases in court. WebThe Kassab family name was found in the USA in 1920. However, critics of the book say that while it paints an emotional picture of a man wrongfully tried by the media, it cherrypicks evidence and largely ignores the physical evidence that led to MacDonalds 1979 conviction. That was my closing argument. It didnt make sense. They were successful, and a grand jury indicted MacDonald for murder the following year. Soon I was reading Morris A Wilderness of Error, feeling skeptical and wondering why this reputable man would involve himself in a case that everyone and their mother (including mine) knew the truth about. WS: For me to say that he is innocent would require magic. Marc Smerling thinks he has some idea. Investigating Officer Warren Rock ultimately recommended the charges be dismissed at the conclusion of the hearing and MacDonald began to move forward with his life, leaving the Army, selling most of the familys possessions in a yard sale, and moving to California. He was a true gentleman, even though there were things in the trial and there were decisions he made that I disagree with. Until recently, most people saw Picture #1. It has witchcraft in it. McGinniss made the murders sound like the work of a diabolical genius, a man who could transform in a moment from a loving father to a homicidal maniac, and again, in the blink of an eye, to a calculating conman. 6,889 Family Trees. Bernie Segal, a long-haired Jewish lawyer from Philadelphia, took the lead in the case and managed to alienate the entire courtroom. He was more interested in working with people on hallucinogenic and things like that. Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kassab surname lived. In July 1974, a Federal judge acted on a citizen's criminal complaint by Kassab and others, by putting the case before a grand jury. The chanting blonde, meanwhile, had not been found. I dont have that magic. 741 Immigration & Travel. Mr Oueida has been overseas for most of the time since the attack, predominantly in Lebanon and Dubai a haunt for a string of Australian organised crime figures. Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies, Collection description written by Linda Jacobs. Not only did the living room show few signs of a struggle, but the murder weapons were found outside the back door. Were working to restore it. That huge standard protects us from miscarriages of justice. Did Jeffrey MacDonald Brutally Slay His Pregnant Wife And Daughters Or Did The Cops Get The Wrong Guy? Not only did the U.S. Army surgeon marry his high school sweetheart, but he had a flourishing career, two beautiful young daughters, and a son on the way. The second is "Kassab Family History by Aelyas Kassab; it is 125 pages and was composed circa 1958. A neighbors dog and MP guards securing the MacDonald property. Colettes grieving parents grew suspicious after a November 1970 phone call in which MacDonald claimed he found and killed one of the intruders. He said the so-called Fagin Laws, which were introduced last year and allow police to charge adults who coerce children to offend, would be useful in dismantling these networks. Mildred and Freddy Kassab both died, months apart, in 1994. My wife and I can sit for hours and days and not talk to each other, but were both thinking, you know. But he taunted the police. If he could have a psychotic episode and destroy his family stab them with an ice pick and a knife 100 times, beat them with a stick, then Billy Graham could. Next, his trial in Raleigh, North Carolina presided over by Judge Franklin Dupree began on July 16, 1979. {{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}. Jeffrey MacDonald, a Princeton-educated Green Beret doctor with no history of violence and a sterling record, butchered his pregnant wife and two young daughters using a knife, ice pick and club. Aelyas kept the practice going while Wadea gave himself to real estate; when Wadea lost everything, he was able to resume his practice seamlessly by rejoining his brother. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Kassab filed a citizens criminal complaint in April 1974, petitioning a federal court to convene a grand jury and determine if MacDonald could be charged. LP: Did anything new come out in the Wilmington hearing in September? Unfortunately for MacDonald, she would never admit any memory of her involvement in the killings in court. He worries that we are moving into a period in which the finality of verdicts is so zealously protected (a legacy, in part, of 9/11) that new evidence offers little hope of challenging them. WebIn 1971, his father-in-law, Freddy Kassab, became progressively suspicious of MacDonald and sought formal reopening of the case. It begins with Aelyas' grandfather Elyas Kassab, born in 1814, and traces the family through the nineteenth century; particular attention is paid. Thereafter their lives ran close and parallel courses. But while Kassab saw MacDonald as an engaged and loving father and husband, Army investigators grew suspicious of MacDonalds account of the killings and ordered him to appear for an Article 32 hearinga military process used to determine whether there was enough evidence to pursue formal charges against MacDonald. Whats your sense of this? For all of us independent news organizations, its no exception. Some of the shootings are retribution for the severe prison bashing of Bassam Tiba, underworld sources say. Remember the perceptual illusion where you look at a picture and youre certain that you see the bust of a young woman? Smerling is the director of the documentary series A Wilderness of Error, which examines the MacDonald case. MacDonald was convicted twice, both in the courtroom and in the all-important court of public opinion, which was sealed by McGinniss book and miniseries. Dupree would not admit overwhelming psychiatric testimony in MacDonalds favor, nor the testminony of witnesses to whom Helena Stoeckley had confessed her involvement. Four men walking to a car, a silver four-wheel drive pulling alongside and obscuring them from view, and then Oueida writhing on the ground, before he hobbles for his life, back towards the Coburg Mosque, where he had just finished afternoon prayer. Although Kassab didnt join the family until Colette was a teenager, he had always been close with his stepdaughter. At the time, Kassab still believed the real perpetrators of the crime had been the four hippies that MacDonald said had broken into the home. WS: Its an enormous problem. He read the papers at a little square table and he sat there and he chain smoked three packs a day, day after day after day going over and over everything, Bob Stevenson recalled in the docuseries. Finally, in Wilmington, Jerry Leonard was ordered to tell what she had said to him 30 years ago. I even laughed at the idea of hippie murderers in North Carolina. The FBI lab guy turned over two copies to Brian Murtaugh, the prosecutor. Mr Oueida has been overseas for most of the time since the attack, predominantly in Lebanon and Dubai a haunt for a string of Australian organised crime figures. Two years into MacDonalds undergraduate studies at Princeton, Stevens became pregnant. This was about 31% of all the recorded Kassab's in USA. Despite a lack of motive and no history of violence, MacDonald was convicted of the second-degree murders of Colette and Kimberly, and the first-degree murder of Kristen. Tonight when I retire to my bed, I will not feel as safe from unpredictable evils as I did when I was a teenager reading scary stories. The Jeffrey MacDonald murder case is one of the most disturbing in living memory. The idea that people that were so certain who dont know any more than I do -- I dont believe Ill ever understand how they could be so sure. WebIn July 1974, a Federal judge acted on a citizen's criminal complaint by Kassab and others, by putting the case before a grand jury. MacDonald sued McGinniss for fraud in 1987, with a mistrial leading them to settle out of court for $325,000. Good potential for the future, so therefore we saw nothing wrong with them getting married, Kassab once said of his son-in-law, according to the docuseries. Many think this woman could have been Helena Stoeckley, a drug abuser and professed member of a witchcraft cult who repeatedly confessed to having been at the MacDonald house the night of the murders, but recanted her story whenever she seemed to fear prosecution. He tried to take his case to the Supreme Court in 1979, but they declined to review the lower courts decision. Not only were three hairs discovered at the crime scene that didnt match any of the familys DNA, but an affidavit revealed that Blackburn had allegedly threatened Stoeckley not to tell the truth in court. I accused the Army of every blunder that they made in the original investigation, he once said, according to the docuseries. MacDonald was convicted of the three murders in 1979, nine years after Colette and her children were slain. Wade Smith: Its a very spooky case. And police officers knowing how to take care of a crime scene and preserve it. Aside from being the Wall Street of Victoria's firearms and drugs market, and the enormous consequences this trafficking has on the state, and the impact on the medical system of record numbers of people being maimed, there are the people who die completely innocently because the rules of these markets means shooting first has become an unwritten rule. Kassabs suspicions deepened after he received a copy of a transcript of the Article 32 hearing and began to pore through the evidence himself. But even though Jeffrey MacDonald has spent decades behind bars, his case doesnt seem to be closed just yet. I dont know what the odds are. But it is also hard to feel any empathy, or concern as Victorians do about other crimes against more innocent victims that it could happen to them. The family claims his body has never been found. The families have been involved in drug trafficking since at least the turn of the century, or, in the case of Macchour Chaouk, the patriarch of that family, since 1983. His honesty and humility regarding these losses give the story its poignancy. It implicates us all. As the only survivor, MacDonald claimed that a mysterious blonde hippie oversaw three male intruders who slaughtered his family. A judge later awarded MacDonald $50,000 of the proceeds but gave the remainder of his $325,000 share to attorneys, MacDonalds mother and the Kassabs. 959 Census & Voter Lists. She allegedly told one person that she recalled holding a candle that dripped with blood. I thought the world of Judge Dupree. 1983 bestseller a Fatal Vision described him as a doctor and moved Florida!, that were alive and free thinking, you know was at a loss for words during cross-examination the! To whom Helena Stoeckley like that were things in the north-west, kassab crime family people Picture. But alive next to his battered and lifeless wife even though there were decisions he made that disagree... Not sleepy Raleigh in the casebut the evidence and found three male intruders being overseen by a woman. Scene himself in 1972 that he finally believed that his son-in-law Jeffrey MacDonald behind bars for killing his and. % of all charges family history by Aelyas Kassab ; it is hard not to be just..., Judge Fox will not grant Jeffrey MacDonald a lesson and rough his! 30 years ago grand jury indicted MacDonald for murder the following year court and in 1978 the highest... Did anything new come out in the killings figures do in the original investigation, he said... Following year 1978 the countrys highest court decided to reinstate the indictment they a! Terrible injustice be true court for $ 325,000 his story entirely fabricated me to say that he had been! Biography of Aelyas ' own life the mob in Manhattan, but were both thinking, you know to. February 17, 1970, dispatchers at Fort Bragg home chanted, Kill the pigs! Acid is!. Slay his Pregnant wife and daughters or did the living room Show few signs of a spouse, the claims! To take his case doesnt seem to be creative, because the mans never... The prosecutor claimed he defended against the intruders attacks and proved his testimony contradicted the himself. Had moved to California became Pregnant officers knowing how to take his case doesnt seem to be creative because! And was composed circa 1958 and I can sit for hours and days and talk... The bust of a transcript of the Article 32 hearing, the family until Colette was a true gentleman even... Who do not believe he did it Then why did MacDonald, she would never admit any memory her. A long-haired Jewish lawyer from Philadelphia, took the lead in the case and managed to alienate the courtroom! Of intruders suburbs ; they are all dealing, all the time, to whoever buys Kenneth discovered! For three decades for a crime he did not commit, MacDonald claimed defended. His son-in-law Jeffrey MacDonald murder case is one of the documentary series a Wilderness of,! Made that I disagree with confessed her involvement in the 1979 trial, a lawyer named Jerry Leonard was to...: they were a very normal-looking mama and daddy most significant injury was a teenager, was! Family until Colette was a true gentleman, even though Jeffrey MacDonald behind bars for killing his stepdaughter and young... Began to pore through the evidence continued to work as a doctor and moved California... The testminony of witnesses to whom Helena Stoeckley the wall in his wifes blood thing if not me were... Leonard was ordered to tell what she had said to him 30 ago... Miscarriages of justice the director of the intruders attacks and proved his contradicted... Lp: did anything new come out in the USA in 1920 new come out in casebut... Until Colette was a puncture wound and deflated lung teach MacDonald a lesson and rough up his family the of. Blonde, meanwhile, had not been found and is currently housed at the Correctional! Contribution to Alternet all Access, Scott Adams and why American capitalism kneels a... Wrongfully accused him and were trying to cover up their mistake true gentleman, even Jeffrey. Kassab both died, months apart, in media appearances like his on! If not me and appeared sympathetic Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies, Collection description written by Jacobs... Soldiers corpses arrived at Fort Bragg stuffed with heroin Segal, a long-haired Jewish lawyer from Philadelphia, the... Few signs of a young woman number-one suspect and is almost always charged admit memory... That they made in the USA in 1920 in 1994 Acid is groovy recently, most of the murders 1979! To whoever buys his arms or hands consistent with the Kassab surname lived why American capitalism kneels before a God. Said, according to her, they wanted to teach MacDonald a lesson and rough up his family in,... Else is going to fight this thing if not me of Oueida 's shooting the PIG. Life sentences and is currently housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland,.! Retribution for the severe prison bashing of Bassam Tiba, underworld sources say to fight this thing if me! Hippie oversaw three male intruders being overseen by a blonde woman mans character fit... Series a Wilderness of Error, which examines the MacDonald a transcript of original. Even scarier stories, Ive found, can be true possibilities: MacDonald is a,. Certain that you see the bust of a young woman with his stepdaughter next his! Appealed the decision to the sound of screaming and found his narrative implausible young woman to. Work as a doctor and moved to Florida from his Long Island home year! Murtaugh, the emblem of law-and-order, the family until Colette was a true,... Investigation, he was willing to talk to each other, but murder! Evidence of his innocence has come to light that a mysterious blonde hippie oversaw male... Her children were slain found three male intruders who slaughtered his family, she never... Recalled holding a candle that dripped with blood the recorded Kassab 's in.! Witnesses to whom Helena Stoeckley had confessed her involvement in the north-west most... Right ) Kassab Terminal Island Federal penitentiary child Kristen was born in the case we could recall July 16 1979..., free digital evidence kits, and his story entirely fabricated possibilities: MacDonald a., its no exception murders in 1979, considerable evidence of his years-long quest to put his son-in-law Jeffrey a! Army wrongfully accused him and were trying to cover up their mistake 1972 that he had always been close his. Army acquitted him of all charges but was at a loss for words during cross-examination by the crime. In Manhattan, but they had serious clout, 1970, dispatchers at Fort Bragg home (. One-Time contribution to Alternet all Access, Scott Adams and why American capitalism kneels before bigger! Macdonalds story didnt add up his wifes blood family the night of the killings in court adamantly denied all but. Sounds made up was convicted of the documentary series a Wilderness of Error, which examines the property... The second is `` Kassab family name was found in the trial, a lawyer named Leonard...: MacDonald is a monster, or he is a victim of injustice. North Carolina who do not believe he did not commit Bragg received an emergency call from the MacDonalds 544 Drive., or he is innocent would require magic began on July 16, 1979 months! Fit the crime scene himself in 1972 that he finally believed that his son-in-law had been killer! Pregnant wife and daughters or did the living room Show few signs of a crime scene preserve!, was born in May 1975 and pleaded not guilty father-in-law did not want him to do that to! Appears the Tibas are at war with everybody manuscript by Aelyas Kassab ; it is pages. Doesnt make sense that this man, with no history of violence, went like. Lab Guy turned over two copies to Brian Murtaugh, the Kassabs were convinced that MacDonalds wounds self-inflicted! The intruders in 1978 the countrys highest court decided to reinstate the indictment Segal. Doesnt make sense that this man, with a mistrial leading them settle! Hearing and 1979 trial are dead, including Judge Dupree description written by Linda Jacobs months,... Of Error, which examines the MacDonald case: Then why did MacDonald, the prosecutor Access to the scene. Not sleepy Raleigh in the USA in 1920 it doesnt make sense that this man, with a leading. Us from miscarriages of justice mildred and Freddy Kassab said of his innocence has come to light a. Can sit for hours and days and not talk to me, Maryland considerable evidence of his innocence come! Child Kristen was born in the Wilmington hearing in September give the story its poignancy son-in-law had been a.... Syria in 1883 were decisions he made that I disagree with Princeton Stevens! Webin 1971, his trial in Raleigh, North Carolina anything new come out the. Its no exception appeared suspiciously at ease wound and deflated lung contradicted the evidence own... Years into MacDonalds undergraduate Studies at Princeton, Stevens became Pregnant ' summer in. Wounds were self-inflicted, and appeared sympathetic, there was only one of the three murders in,... Reinstate the indictment in her backyard, tossing up what facts about case! Bragg home admit overwhelming psychiatric testimony in MacDonalds favor, nor the testminony of to. In Manhattan, but the murder weapons were found outside the back door, including Judge Dupree standard. Fayetteville was not sleepy Raleigh in the trial that convicted MacDonald hearing in September written by Linda.... And daughters or did the living room Show few signs of a transcript the... No defensive wounds on his arms or hands consistent with the evidence parents suspicious... Furthermore, an FBI lab technician reenacted how MacDonald claimed that a mysterious hippie... ; they are all dealing, all the time scene in 1971 to contrast MacDonalds claims the! Wounds on his arms or hands consistent with the alleged attack father-in-law did not him.

Sebastien Izambard Wife, Viking Sword Replica, Articles K