Thirty-seven years ago today, June 13, 1976, Arizona Republic investigative reporter extraordinaire Don Bolles died, 11 days after a bomb exploded beneath his car.
From the Republic today:
In 1962, Don Bolles landed a job as a reporter at The Arizona Republic and immediately began making a name for himself. He probed the influence of the mafia on Arizona dog and horse racing, uncovered bribery and kickbacks on the state tax and corporation commissions, investigated a conflict-of-interest scandal involving two state legislators and exposed swindles involving the sale of Arizona land to people across the country. In 1974, he was named Arizona Press Club Newsman of the Year.
Bolles is one of only a handful of American journalists who have been attacked and killed in this country in retaliation for their work. His death prompted the first and only investigation by journalists coming together from all over the country in a single show of support and unity.
This article appears in Jun 13-19, 2013.
The only names anyone needs to know concerning this case: Raul Castro and Kemper Marley. Mr. Bolles stepped on some very powerful toes and was blown up for his trouble.
They don’t make them like that anymore. He was a hero. There’s a building at UA named after Marley. Disgrace.
Who needs the mob these days when ruling bureaucracies help the wealthy get their way by gaming the system instead of setting off car bombs:
Arizona Election Fraud: Extreme Measures Taken by Pima County Suggest the RTA Election Was Rigged
http://sweetremedy.tv/theintercept/?p=5971
Read Don Bolles: an Investigation Into His Murder by Martin Tailberg. It’s a fascinating account of the corruption that Mr. Bolles was looking into. There’s also the Investigative Reporters and Editors book that was published about corruption ion AZ after his death. Sadly, nothing much permanent resulted from the shit storm over Don Bolles’ death. the governor’s office and state legislature are still full of right-wing hacks eager to line their pockets and accumulate power for themselves and their cronies.
I was told 20 years ago that AZ wouldn’t ban c*ckfighting until Kemper Marley was in hell. Marley was the man that the bomber said hired him to do the job. His name was also attached to the largest c*ckfighting event in Arizona.
I live in Surprise, Arizona, which used to be known for c*ckfighting and one of the newer and nicer housing developments is called Marley Park. Coincidence?
Surprisingly there’s a link to this some 38 years later in a unincorporated town in Pinal County! Yet, many just hide their heads, and once it is revealed, many will doubt. This case is NOT over, and until the “good ‘ol boys” that have run this state since those days are gone, it might actually have the truth come out! The authorities somehow ignored the impact of 4 years earlier, and what had been revealed nationally! Yep, this is Arizona’s version of 9/11, and yes, some got away with murder!