Newly discovered Whitey Bulger writings show former FBI agent was framed, lawyer allege
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lawyers are using a handwritten draft of former mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger in a bid to overturn the murder conviction of a former FBI agent, saying the mob boss’s own words show the agent was framed.
Lawyers for former FBI agent John Connolly filed a motion to vacate his conviction Monday in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, citing what they describe as newly discovered evidence that prosecutors have failed to disclose for years.
The material includes FBI reports documenting Bulger’s statements and an incomplete handwritten manuscript that the FBI seized during a search of Bulger’s apartment after his 2011 arrest.
Connolly’s lawyers say in their filing that Bulger is leading the case. Boston’s Winter Hill GangThe documents contradicted the prosecution’s case against Connolly, arguing that Connolly did not leak to him information used in the 1982 murder of Miami businessman John Callahan. Instead, Bulger identified another FBI agent, John Morris, as his mole and described Connolly as a “sacrificial lamb,” according to the dossier.
Connolly, now 85, was convicted of second-degree murder and racketeering in Florida.
What is the new evidence?
In the sketch, Bulger wrote that he had been a “criminal for almost my entire life” and described using insider tips to stay ahead of the law.
“I never thought the day would come when I would write a story about my criminal activities,” Bulger wrote.
Lawyers claim Bulger wrote the draft to clear Connolly’s name.
They also say Bulger’s writings and FBI statements made after the mobster’s arrest were not previously disclosed to the defense.
The documents came to light when a prosecutor long involved in the Connolly case resigned from the Miami-Dade state attorney’s office following reports of misconduct, including granting privilege to witnesses and coordinating witness testimony.
In 2024, Connolly’s attorneys received a letter from Miami-Dade Deputy Attorney General Jose Arrojo informing them that Bulger’s manuscript and his statements to the FBI were found in a sealed envelope labeled “confidential.”
Connolly’s lawyers accuse prosecutors in the filing of a general pattern of misconduct and argue that they withheld evidence favoring the defense in violation of constitutional requirements. Courts had previously found that some evidence in the case had been improperly preserved, but ruled that it was not significant enough to overturn the conviction.
Connolly’s lawyers say the newly revealed material goes further and creates reasonable doubt about Connolly’s guilt.
Connolly, who was serving a 40-year prison sentence, was granted compassionate release in 2021 after a judge cited his terminal illness and the risks of COVID-19.
Why was Connolly involved?
Connolly was a special agent with the FBI in Boston in July 1982 when mob hitman John Martorano shot Callahan in the back of the head and left his body in the trunk of a car at Miami International Airport.
Connolly was indicted on a first-degree murder charge 21 years later. Prosecutors at the time alleged that Bulger and Stephen Flemmi ordered Callahan’s killing after Connolly said the FBI was investigating Callahan’s ties to Bulger and his gang in the 1981 murder of World Jai Alai owner Roger Wheeler.
But in the draft and post-arrest FBI statements, Connolly’s attorneys allege that Bulger told Connolly that the plot was hatched by Morris, Connolly’s FBI superior.
Bulger wrote: “I’m sure everyone close to me thought all the information coming to me was coming from (Connolly). “I couldn’t dissuade that thought – unfortunately Connolly was enraged by his warning me to take off and other things from (Morris).”
Bulger accused Morris of becoming a “star witness” against Connolly in order to save himself. Morris testified against Connolly as part of a cooperation agreement that gave him immunity from prosecution.
Bulger, who inspired Jack Nicholson’s character in the 2006 Martin Scorsese film “The Departed” and was portrayed by Johnny Depp in the 2015 gangster drama “Black Mass”, led his gang and also served as an FBI informant against the mafia. Bulger denied this claim.
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Willingham reported from Boston. Associated Press reporter Michael Casey in Boston contributed to this report.
