Serious questions remain after Bulger murder indictments

SOUTH BOSTON — Nearly four years after South Boston mob boss Whitey Bulger was killed in his prison cell, there are still disturbing questions about the events leading up to his murder.

Three men are now charged in the case.

The 89-year-old gangster was found beaten to death in his cell on Oct. 30, 2018.

Bulger was murdered only hours after his arrival in general population at Hazelton federal prison in West Virginia, from another federal prison in Florida.

Two Hazelton inmates, Springfield mobster Freddy Geas and Paul DeCologero, are now charged with murder. A third man, Sean McKinnon, is also charged in the case.

“This to me, was a death by proxy. And the question is, who set it in motion? Now we’ll never know,” said Hank Brennan, one of Whitey Bulger’s lawyers.

Brennan filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the government on behalf of Bulger’s family. It was recently thrown out.

Brennan believes the indictments came after the lawsuit was dismissed, to prevent the truth of Bulger’s murder from ever being revealed.

“Bulger was sent to one of the most violent facilities in the entire country, when he was incapacitated severely ill, unable to defend himself and it couldn’t have been an accident,” Brennan said.

Former U.S. prosecutor Zach Hafer prosecuted Bulger in 2013.

“Mr. Brennan and Mr. Carney promised a lot of conspiracies at trial that never came to bear, but I do think there are legitimate questions here. And I hope the Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Attorney’s office in West Virginia provide the answers to those questions.”

Hafer might not agree with Brennan about why it took so long to bring charges for Bulger’s murder, but he does agree the full truth needs to come out.

“I think the public needs to have confidence that the Bureau of Prisons can protect the people in its care, no matter how reprehensible they may be,” Hafer said.

Hank Brennan tells me he last spoke to Bulger shortly before the murder.

At the time, Bulger told Brennan prison officials told him he was being transferred to Devens in Massachusetts.

Brennan says Bulger predicted his violent death.

“From his perspective, he thought that this was a death march and he, predicably, was right,” Brennan said.

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