View this page "Burke Allegations Scorecard"

[dib'struth]

Analyzing Burke allegations does not show a foundation for the Marie
Iannuzzi conviction or the Joan Webster murder that have been
influenced based on Burke's claims about the informant Robert Bond.

Click on http://groups.google.com/group/joan-webster-murder/web/burke-allegations-scorecard
- or copy & paste it into your browser's address bar if that doesn't
work.

[The Great One]

I am curious to know why you are so hardpressed to prove Paradiso
didn't do it?

[Brenda Griffing]

It's certainly not my place to answer for "Joan," but one line of thought does suggest itself in answer to the question of why [she is] "so hardpressed to prove Paradiso didn't do it."

 

Almost the only investigatory acts with respect to Joan Webster's murder that have been made public were those instigated by Tim Burke when he was an ADA. He focused on one suspect, Lenny Paradiso. Whether there were any other suspects is a matter that for over a quarter-century has been concealed from the public. In Burke's zeal to nail Lenny, he sanctioned some extraordinary investigative excesses, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of the Commonwealth's money on one venture he knew to be a blind alley and going to absurd lengths to link to Joan Webster items of Lenny's obtained via search warrant, all the while feeding his theory that Lenny was guilty to the Boston media.

 

Even people who had their doubts about the Iannuzzi case are unanimous in agreement that Lenny had nothing to do with Jioan

Webster, alive or dead. When remains that her parents have said were hers were discovered very far from saltwater and bearing injuries unlike those described by the witness whose credibility Burke has always vouched for, even law enforcement personnel  stated for the record that they didn't think Lenny was guilty.

 

Yet Tim Burke continues to promote his implausible theory of Lenny's guilt and has committed these views to paper in a book, which he vigorously promotes.

 

So suppose you want to find out who killed Joan Webster. Her parents are standing pat on the Burke theory and are not about to call for a reinvestigation. Casting doubt on Burke in this matter won't get you very far, however, because Lenny (a) was never indicted for the crime and (b) is no longer with us. Thus no matter how far off the wall Burke's approach was, he can't be fired from the DA's office because he no longer works there, and his cockamamie tale wasn't laughed out of court because it never got that far. It is noted for completeness that no grand jury ever bought it, and Burke went that route repeatedly.

 

Yet there is a connection between the unorthodox investigation of Joan Webster's disappearance in which Burke was very active and another case in which sketchy investigative techniques and flat-out prosecutorial misconduct are matters of public record. That case, of course, is Commonwealth v. Paradiso, which ended in Lenny's unjust conviction for the murder of Marie Iannuzzi.

 

Does it not make sense to you, Great One, that when direct attempts to get to the bottom of Joan's disappearance and presumed murder meet stone walls, other avenues will be explored?

 

skydove

[dib'struth]

Added section of what Burke and investigation established as
"corroborating" information. This is the basis to implicate Mr.
Paradiso for Joan Webster's murder. Other assertions are not
supportable in documents.

[The Great One]

If you have the documentation why is not posted on this site?

[dib'struth]

That is a fair question. In the file section of this forum, there are
some assorted things posted. It is merely a small sampling. It is
there to begin to reveal information that Burke defined for everyone
without anyone else priviledged to see actual documents to support his
assertions.

This site is not large enough to post the quanitiy of documents that
have been recovered. Information and documents are coming from
multiple sources and there are multiple considerations about what is
revealed. The forum wants the positive input as well as things that
raise questions. There has been meticulous scrutiny of what has been
acquired so far. There are continued efforts for additional
information. The goal of this forum is the truth and that is taking
some peeling back of layers. Those are ongoing efforts through
appropriate channels. There is an investigation in progress.

There are some extremely explosive documents. There is a serious
effort to avoid things that are painful to anyone other than those who
have abused the system like Burke has. It is unavoidable entirely
because this case is such a nightmare, but there is a sincere effort
to represent things properly. The more knowledge and input, the
better chance of doing that. As much as I have distaste for Burke and
what he continues to do, he was probably used as well.

There are investigators in possession of all of the documents that
have been acquired thus far and from a variety of sources. Some
information is withheld with their advice. There is more than enough
to challenge Burke, but there are some key pieces sought that would
define things that much more. Because this case has impacted so many
lives, a challenge needs to have a broad a base as possible.

That also highlights another reason why there is not more on the site
from the actual documents. Basic prinicples that apply in an official
police investgation, need to apply here as well. Burke has controlled
the information for years defining things as he chose to and fit what
he wanted everyone to believe. He doesn't have that luxury anymore
because of what has been learned. In the past, when things were
learned, Burke made up a new twist in the story to fit whatever he
needed. A couple of simple examples. He says on page 132 that the
informant told him a couple of days after (not defined when) that
Paradiso told Bond he had buried Joan Webster. How convenient when
the body was found buried. He also makes the claim that Paradiso
shared the contents of Joan Webster's bag and then neatly put it in
the Boston bus locker between 10:30 the night she disappeared and 9:30
the next morning. Someone phrased it as Burke moving the bulls eye to
fit the bullet hole so to speak. Burke will not have that chance with
these documents and neither will the authorities who are running
interference for him.

An aside comment regarding your perception that I think everyone is
corrupt. I don't judge a whole group by the actions of individuals.
I also recognize good people are sometimes used by others that have
malice intent. That needs to be sorted out.

A collective group has gotten very far over this last year and have
penetrated this case very deeply. We throw a lot of things out to
each other and disagree on things. We all agree Paradiso was not
guilty of the Marie Iannuzzi or Joan Webster murder. This is a matter
of peeling back layers and eliminating those who do not belong on the
list. Of the questions that remain, Joan Webster's files most likely
holds the key.