Justice Watch Discussion Board "John Douglas strikes (out) again!" [ Main ] [ Post New Thread ] [ Help ] [ Search ] Table of Contents ................................................................... John Douglas strikes (out) again!, A.K., 02:22:03, 7/20/2000 Heh, heh, Holly, 04:08:27, 7/20/2000, (#1) AK, Ruthee, 06:41:39, 7/20/2000, (#2) Good catch, Ruthee, A.K., 06:56:33, 7/20/2000, (#3) LKL had the Kines last night, Cassandra, 07:36:18, 7/20/2000, (#4) 48 hours contamination, mary99, 15:18:51, 7/20/2000, (#5) Mary99..., A.K., 14:32:07, 7/21/2000, (#6) AK...all I remember, Cassandra, 14:39:19, 7/21/2000, (#7) A.K., Chris, 14:51:23, 7/21/2000, (#8) Chris..., A.K., 16:37:04, 7/21/2000, (#9) Update, A.K., 13:43:23, 7/24/2000, (#10) Hi, AK! Longtime no cryptic messaging, Edie Pratt, 13:53:08, 7/24/2000, (#11) A.K., Gemini, 13:57:20, 7/24/2000, (#13) Yo, Edie!, A.K., 13:56:03, 7/24/2000, (#12) A.K., Edie Pratt, 13:57:34, 7/24/2000, (#14) I'm feeling generous today..., A.K., 14:03:23, 7/24/2000, (#15) Gemini, A.K., 14:14:37, 7/24/2000, (#16) Ah but A.K., Gemini, 14:34:21, 7/24/2000, (#17) And your point is..., A.K., 20:12:01, 7/24/2000, (#18) uh uh A.K., Gemini, 20:43:46, 7/24/2000, (#19) Say what?, A.K., 23:33:14, 7/24/2000, (#20) AK..., rose, 23:03:17, 8/04/2000, (#21) Rose..., A.K., 23:14:35, 8/04/2000, (#22) ................................................................... "John Douglas strikes (out) again!" Posted by A.K. on 13:20:53 7/24/2000 NOTE: This message was last edited 13:20:53, 7/24/2000 It's not mentioned in this article, but ex-FBI profiler John Douglas suggested the idea of a "serial killer" in this case. The judge, quite wisely, refused to let the jury hear the info. http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/temp/mare20.html Retired colonel convicted in wife's murder Thursday, July 20, 2000 By Amy E. Turnbull and Cory Reiss Wilmington Morning Star Retired Army Col. George Marecek could spend less than 10 years in prison for the second-degree murder of his wife, Viparet, who was found beaten and drowned in the Cape Fear River in 1991. Jurors bused in from Bladen County deliberated for about an hour and a half before pronouncing Mr. Marecek guilty Wednesday afternoon. In the only words he would speak in his defense during the trial, Mr. Marecek asked for the court's mercy before he was sentenced. "I have never done anything wrong," he said with a shaky voice. Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Ernest Fullwood imposed a 30-year term on the 68-year-old military hero. He assessed that same sentence in 1997 when another jury found Mr. Marecek guilty of second-degree murder. That conviction was overturned on appeal, leading to this trial. Special prosecutor Tommy Hicks estimated that Mr. Marecek would serve a total of just under 10 years. Minus the 18 months he already served while appealing the 1997 conviction, Mr. Marecek could be freed in just over eight years. Mr. Marecek's family was silent when the clerk announced the guilty verdict, but the lengthy sentence seemed to strike a nerve. Tears overflowed his children's eyes. "I think the verdict is just," said daughter Susan Kirk, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "It's hard to accept, but it's just." Mrs. Kirk had testified against her father, saying that after Viparet was killed, Mr. Marecek said he finally had control over his "little girl," his pet name for his wife. Michael and Linda Marecek, the defendant's son and daughter-in-law, were obviously upset by the sentence, and with tears clouding their eyes, held each other closely as they had during much of the trial. "I hope you're happy," a weeping Michael Marecek said to Mrs. Kirk, his sister, after court adjourned. The defendant did not have an overt emotional reaction to his fate. As deputies led him from the courtroom, he simply thanked his attorneys and shook their hands without looking toward the gallery. "He's in shock right now," said John Howes of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., one of Mr. Marecek's lead defense attorneys. "He doesn't understand what's going on." "The man's guilty," Mr. Hicks said after court. "He was found guilty twice. I think that we had a case that, although circumstantial, was compelling and pointed to his guilt." Mr. Hicks, now a private defense attorney in Wilmington, said he doesn't think this conviction will be sent back on appeal, and if it is, he isn't likely to step in to prosecute Mr. Marecek again. He prosecuted the case in 1995 when a jury deadlocked, in 1997 when the conviction was overturned, and again over the last two weeks. Mr. Howes was disappointed with the jury's decision but congratulated the prosecutors on the verdict, complimenting their work. The sentence stretches beyond the defense attorney's estimation of how many years Mr. Marecek has left to live. "His life expectancy is another 10 years at most," he said. Mr. Howes said the defense will appeal the case. He also said the verdict may have been different had the jury been able to hear about a serial killer living in New Bern at the time of Viparet's death at Fort Fisher. Meanwhile, two blocks away from the courthouse, Mr. Marecek's supporters held a news conference in which they claimed confessed serial killer John Eric Armstrong admitted that his first murder was of a woman on the North Carolina coast in 1991. Members of the Committee to Free Marecek and others working to prove the decorated colonel innocent said they believe authorities should investigate Mr. Armstrong, who was arrested in Detroit in April and confessed to more than a dozen killings. Detroit Detective Don Johnson said Wednesday the claim that Mr. Armstrong had made such a confession is "not true. .¦.¦. He has nothing to do with that." Mr. Armstrong has confessed to numerous deaths, but authorities have questioned whether he has exaggerated his body count. Mr. Marecek's supporters made their announcement after dangling the prospect for days that they would reveal "the real killer." The Free Marecek campaign was meant to entice media coverage and promote alternate theories about the case, including that a Communist spy was a key prosecution witness - a charge the witness flatly denies. Supporters blamed a television news magazine show when asked why their information, including the purported confession by Mr. Armstrong, never made it into the trial. Keith Idema and Gary Scurka, two ardent supporters who worked as consultants for CBS' 48 Hours until last week, said a confidentiality agreement with the show prevented them from turning over information they had "uncovered." When they were fired from the show a week ago, they told defense lawyers about the confession, Mr. Idema said, but it was too late to present that evidence. After Mr. Marecek was convicted, Mr. Idema called the case one of "staggering injustice." "Had CBS's evidence been given to these guys 90 days ago, this case would have been very different," Mr. Idema said outside the courtroom. Sandy Genelius, a spokesman for CBS, said 48 Hours accepts no responsibility for the conviction. "We had a standard consulting agreement with them, the terms of which they were fully aware," she said. "Our job is to be journalists and do reporting, not to act in any way to facilitate what any of the lawyers may be doing. It's not our job." Prosecutor Hicks said the serial killer theory is nothing more than a red herring. When Viparet was killed, he said, Mr. Armstrong was a 17-year-old high school student in New Bern without a driver's license or access to a car. Investigators checked his attendance records and found that he was in school that day. "We were very quickly able to determine that there was nothing to it," Mr. Hicks said. [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 1. "Heh, heh" Posted by Holly on 04:08:27 7/20/2000 heh. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 2. "AK" Posted by Ruthee on 06:41:39 7/20/2000 What's up with 48 Hours? Is that the next Ramsey stop. Susan Bennett bombed out, this guy gets convicted, but no one has the Ramsey charm. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 3. "Good catch, Ruthee" Posted by A.K. on 06:56:33 7/20/2000 48 Hours is going through changes, hopefully for the better. It's doing a weekly one hour true crime case, a la Dateline, and invested much time and energy on this NC case, until realizing they were played for fools. But then, news has never been CBS' strong suit. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 4. "LKL had the Kines last night" Posted by Cassandra on 07:36:18 7/20/2000 Mother and son....Apparently, they are VERY close... Both doing time now for murder, but appealing their sentences. They left a string of missing people behind them, and at least one body. They are quite the pair. 'Vanity Fair' had a fascinating article about them sometime ago. One of their really good articles. It's a good thing they didn't commit their crimes in Boulder or they'd be strolling around in Birks and hiding behind the granola curtain! The timid DA would have been too terrified to confront them! She is quite a case study, as is her son. Mindboggling. Cassie Cassie [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 5. "48 hours contamination" Posted by mary99 on 15:18:51 7/20/2000 Supporters blamed a television news magazine show when asked why their information, including the purported confession by Mr. Armstrong, never made it into the trial. Keith Idema and Gary Scurka, two ardent supporters who worked as consultants for CBS' 48 Hours until last week, said a confidentiality agreement with the show prevented them from turning over information they had "uncovered." >>An excellent reason for MW to stay away from the mainstream media and avoid 48 hours, especially! When they were fired from the show a week ago, they told defense lawyers about the confession, Mr. Idema said, but it was too late to present that evidence. After Mr. Marecek was convicted, Mr. Idema called the case one of "staggering injustice." >>Even though this guy, Marecek, is probably guilty as sin, think of the harm this would do if he WASN'T. "Had CBS's evidence been given to these guys 90 days ago, this case would have been very different," Mr. Idema said outside the courtroom. >>Notice that the vulture-like media is interested in preserving their ratings above all else, and justice can take a back seat. Sandy Genelius, a spokesman for CBS, said 48 Hours accepts no responsibility for the conviction. >>Would you hand MW over to fools like these? "We had a standard consulting agreement with them, the terms of which they were fully aware," she said. "Our job is to be journalists and do reporting, not to act in any way to facilitate what any of the lawyers may be doing. It's not our job." >>The blame game again; no journalistic conscience whatsoever. If there was any question about whether it would be beneficial for MW to go public with her story before, after reading this article it looks like a very wise move on her part to wait for the FBI to complete their investigation before speaking out. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 6. "Mary99..." Posted by A.K. on 14:32:07 7/21/2000 ...I agree with you: Nancy shouldn't do a TV news show now. Better she save her "story" for when she's on the stand, hopefully as a defendant. Please save your spin for someone less discerning. Cassie, re Sante Kimes. "I'm so glad you asked that question..." Larry did fairly well, but could have been better briefed. There's so much evidence against those two, with more trials to come. Btw, Sante wants Liz Taylor to play her in the movie. LOL I need some forum help, kids. Can someone please provide me with a source that indicates whether John Douglas received money from the Ramseys? I don't trust my memory on this. Many thanks! [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 7. "AK...all I remember" Posted by Cassandra on 14:39:19 7/21/2000 is that they got him to come be their lap dog. I don't think he did it for nothing. I wonder how much he sold out for? The Kimes family, the loving couple... Did you read that article in 'Vanity Fair'? Have you heard anything from Bob? He seems to have dropped out of sight, and does not answer emails. Cassie [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 8. "A.K." Posted by Chris on 14:53:20 7/21/2000 NOTE: This message was last edited 14:53:20, 7/21/2000 Here you go, from John Douglas via a Salon interview... http://www.salon.com/books/feature/1999/07/08/profiler/index2.html Has anyone investigated them? I don't know. When I went out there in the first week of January '97, people thought, "Here's the hired gun." Believe me -- moneywise, I got hardly next to nothing. And the hours I put in all these years ... I stopped taking any money once I saw the Ramseys were not responsible. They were victims... [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 9. "Chris..." Posted by A.K. on 16:39:57 7/21/2000 NOTE: This message was last edited 16:39:57, 7/21/2000 ...you're a marvel! I had forgotten about that SALON article but it will come in handy now. As for the money, I seem to recall thirty grand bandied about, but could I be mixing details? I think it's also possible he's told different stories in the press. Re the NC case, the trouble began early this year, when the trial date was set and a so-called group of "internet sleuths" endeavored to protect their now-convicted leader by trying to hoodwink the media. Douglas patently ignored evidence and helped promote a death scenario that did not fit the forensics. Period. What he did on that case alone was unconscionable. People within the forensic and investigative communities are not pleased as his sloppy (and that's the kindest attribute I can ascribe) work reflects badly on the profession. Cassie, BobC hasn't returned my emails either and it's troubling. He had excellent sources, was a kind and concerned poster, and --in my opinion-- was run off the forums by jealous or misguided individuals. I hope he's just regrouping. The case needs someone like him who knows the score and doesn't get confused with BS. I didn't read the Vanity Fair piece on the Kimes, darn it!, but am fairly well-versed on their histories. What a pair. Even her older son has denounced them. What's shocking is how long they were able to operate, and how many close calls at being busted they had along the way. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 10. "Update" Posted by A.K. on 13:43:23 7/24/2000 I edited the first post to clarify that the judge did not allow Douglas' info into the case, so the jury never had a chance to let his charm and intellect (cough, cough) sway them. The judge had presided over the two previous Marecek trials, so he knew the facts down cold. When Douglas produced the name of an alleged confessed serial killer (now on trial in Michigan) out of his butt, the judge looked closely at the info. Here's what he found: Eric Armstrong's supposed victims were all strangled after sexual assault, and were also raped postmortem. Mrs. Marecek was drowned, not strangled, and there was no evidence of sexual assault. Armstrong's alleged victims were all prostitutes he picked up on the street. Mrs. Marecek was a housewife on vacation with her husband. John Douglas claimed Armstrong admitted his first killing occurred in the Cape Fear area when he was 17, a time concurrent with Mrs. Marecek's death. However, the police leading the Armstrong case deny that he made any such confession regarding a North Carolina killing. It's very likely that John Douglas worked for the Marecek team without payment, hoping for a "Perry Mason moment" in the trial where he would have his "evidence" presented. Then he'd go on TV, try to repair his lost credibility from the Ramsey case, and promote his latest book. Guess what? He just dug a deeper hole for himself. I'm posting this on JB's forum, and not the other true crime one, because it's worth noting that John Douglas is still up to his fuzzy tricks. When you get deeply involved with homicides and trials, this kind of perfidy is common. It should give us all hope that some people are capable of exposing frauds... and John Douglas has been exposed once again. The Marecek defense was largely promoted by an Internet forum which fought for him "because he was an ex-Green Beret." The facts of the case were ignored or altered. News people got involved, hoodwinked, and fired. To their credit, other news people investigated and found the Douglas link had no merit. The cockroaches are out there. Gotta squish 'em when you see 'em. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 11. "Hi, AK! Longtime no cryptic messaging" Posted by Edie Pratt on 13:53:08 7/24/2000 with you:-) (still wondering about the "bear" and if her/his cave is in Los Oso?) But, now I wonder this, did JD ever "profile for hire" on any other case before the Ramseys? Since he was nolonger FBI, was his income fading, did he need $ that bad? [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 13. "A.K." Posted by Gemini on 13:57:20 7/24/2000 Speaking of cockroaches and such, what's going on with the Craig Lewis situation? [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 12. "Yo, Edie!" Posted by A.K. on 13:56:03 7/24/2000 The "bear's" cave is in Boulder and he's happily hibernating. It really is a nonissue. Good question about JD's profiling for bucks prior to Ramsey. I'll make some inquiries. :-) [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 14. "A.K." Posted by Edie Pratt on 13:57:34 7/24/2000 thanks:-) [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 15. "I'm feeling generous today..." Posted by A.K. on 20:13:57 7/24/2000 NOTE: This message was last edited 20:13:57, 7/24/2000 ...so I'll add this little bombshell... A while back I attended a gathering where current and ex-FBI employees were present. Frederic Whitehurst, the fellow who exposed sloppy practices in the FBI lab and won a million bucks in a lawsuit against the agency was there. He was welcomed warmly. John Douglas did not show up. He knew better. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 16. "Gemini" Posted by A.K. on 14:15:24 7/24/2000 NOTE: This message was last edited 14:15:24, 7/24/2000 Good question! The cockroaches leading the charges against Craig Lewis have until the end of the month to explain their actions to the Colorado Supreme Court. If they don't the case will be dropped immediately. No more hearings, no trial. You'd think with all the bored journos in the world who have space to fill and should be concerned with first amendment issues there'd be a great hue and cry against what the JeffCo D.A. is trying to do. Lewis' attorney Tom Kelley has called the behavior of the JeffCo crew "chilling." I don't think he goes far enough. When a journalist is denied the opportunity to secure confidential information, whether that be from buying someone a cup of coffee or making any other offer (in Lewis' case, one that was not even accepted!), it is a constitutional issue that should rankle anyone who cares about news and the law. This horrid little case is about the ego of prosecutors who want to set a precedent that will restrict the activities of a free press. There are REAL stories on the Ramsey case that should be reported. It's odd and sad that this one isn't being pursued because some folks would rather read spicier nonsense. Go figure. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 17. "Ah but A.K." Posted by Gemini on 14:34:21 7/24/2000 where would Craig Lewis and the other tabloid ferrets be without the people who demand the spicy nonsense? Those folk make up the creme de la creme of their regular readers (the bread and butter, the meat and potatoes ... the whole smorgasbord). Sort of puts things in a realistic context, eh? [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 18. "And your point is..." Posted by A.K. on 20:12:01 7/24/2000 ...you're above it all? You wish to dictate what people read, watch and listen to? If there's a market, and aggressive people do the job they're paid to do, why should you or anyone be so snobbish about it? I work in ALL facets of the media. I only talk about tabloid connections here because they're the only outlet doing heavy lifting on the Ramsey case. They have from the beginning and will continue to do so. I only wish I could fire up all my other media contacts to go where the tabs go. Of course, they're all willing to report stuff after it's been made public by the tab guys. Sigh... If you care to be righteously indignant about anything, that's a good area! :-) [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 19. "uh uh A.K." Posted by Gemini on 20:44:34 7/24/2000 NOTE: This message was last edited 20:44:34, 7/24/2000 You can't ride that old, tired, ad hominem pony out of Dodge on this one. Quoting A.K. There are REAL stories on the Ramsey case that should be reported. It's odd and sad that this one isn't being pursued because some folks would rather read spicier nonsense. Go figure. *I* am not the one dissin' "some folks" ... just pointing out they are your meal ticket. I've long suspected 'alternative journalism' looked down the collective nose at their readers. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 20. "Say what?" Posted by A.K. on 23:33:14 7/24/2000 I wasn't attacking you, if that's what you gathered from my post about what the media should be covering. Let me try to clarify... Brill's Content, and its new weird stepchild Contentville, is meant to herald reporters who do good work and spank those who don't. So when they cover the Ramsey case, they focus on the tabs' part in the investigation. However, the writer neglected to call people she mentioned in the story and got a great many of the facts wrong, only some of which are cleared up with her shallow responses to letters from readers. This is Steven Brill's baby -- the so-called arbiter of "all that's ethical" in journalism! (I could make other serious charges about him and his publications, but I prefer to let these things play out on their own.) So here's a story, the Craig Lewis persecution, that potentially involves every working reporter on the air, in print or elsewhere... and where is Steve Brill now? Hope that clears things up. My main point, as always, is whatever gets people reading, discussing the news and not killing their children and blaming it on others is a good thing. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 21. "AK..." Posted by rose on 23:03:17 8/04/2000 Could you give us a report on the Craig Lewis case? Did the prosecuters file their report the Colo. Spreme Court at the end of Aug.???? [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] 22. "Rose..." Posted by A.K. on 23:14:35 8/04/2000 ...it's about time for that to happen, isn't it? I will try to find out. [ REMOVE ] [ ALERT ] [ EDIT ] [ REPLY ] [ REPLY WITH QUOTE ] [ TOP ] [ MAIN ] ARCHIVE REMOVE