Yes, Reg, it was Richard Dawkins's memes which are to blame! :) Funny how he pisses off everyone at times, and that's usually a good sign to me. My wife and I watched The Friends of Eddie Coyle a few years ago, Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle, and loads of Boston accents from those Boston criminals. And speaking of Boston criminals, I'm going to share something here that I don't believe I've ever even alluded to, but it all came rushing back to me last week, having receded into my memory these past 40 years, so here goes... During my high school years, I made friends with two brothers, twins actually. They were a bit wilder than me but we loved English punk, and the Ramones, and that was enough for guys in their mid teens. The brothers, like all teenage guys, had overactive libidos, but theirs took them down some truly dangerous paths, into Boston's Combat Zone, where everything could be purchased. They were regular guests there, leaving the safety of the suburbs for the ladies of the evening. It all went well, until it didn't. No real names/places here, so it was Bob who on that night made his typical drive in. For some reason, he made it to an apartment building in South Boston, but I'll expound upon that later. Initially, no one knew anything was wrong until he didn't make it home that night, or the next day so... phone calls were made by the distraught parents to our various friends. Have you seen Bob? Did anyone know where he might have gone? Hank did, because that evening, Bob had invited Hank to accompany him to Boston, and wisely, Hank declined. 24 hours went by, no word, and the Boston Police had been notified. Another 12 hours or so, and then word comes that a body was found in South Boston, seems the young man had fallen off of a 3 story apartment building, massive head and pelvis damage, and he died on the way to the hospital. There was no identification on him so he was in the morgue, just waiting for his family to discover him, and eventually the dots were connected and the immensity of the stupid tragedy came to light. Bob's death weighed heavily on our friendship group, and no doubt, most of all on his parents and twin brother. But unbeknownst to me, it had also never left Hank, he couldn't shake it that he was the last friend to see Bob, and that he had been invited to go along. About 5 years or so ago, Hank, via a Freedom of Information Act request, obtained the police files. They are fascinating as they include reports of other crimes committed at the same location, as well as a report made two years after the death, from a prisoner who claims to have witnessed what went on that evening. Lots of redacted information but enough to get a sense for what transpired. A man and woman team were robbing "johns" at that address. For some reason, Bob raced to the top of the building and was seen in a struggle with a large man, pushing each other, until Bob was pushed off. Hank has shared his distress with me over the years and last week, he and I drove to the location, walked the outskirts of the building, taking photographs/video, all to make concrete what had been surreal for so long. It all seemed so normal on that hot day, people going about their business, not a hint of the tragedy that occurred four decades earlier. Stupid, naive suburban kids venturing to places they shouldn't, and the devastation that can result. There's more that I could share from the police report including hints as to the perpetrator, but I think I'll stop here. Hank thanked me repeatedly for doing the driving. I think he may have received some closure, though who knows. Peter T.
True Crime
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Yes, Reg, it was Richard Dawkins's memes which are to blame! :) Funny how he pisses off everyone at times, and that's usually a good sign to me. My wife and I watched The Friends of Eddie Coyle a few years ago, Robert Mitchum and Peter Boyle, and loads of Boston accents from those Boston criminals. And speaking of Boston criminals, I'm going to share something here that I don't believe I've ever even alluded to, but it all came rushing back to me last week, having receded into my memory these past 40 years, so here goes... During my high school years, I made friends with two brothers, twins actually. They were a bit wilder than me but we loved English punk, and the Ramones, and that was enough for guys in their mid teens. The brothers, like all teenage guys, had overactive libidos, but theirs took them down some truly dangerous paths, into Boston's Combat Zone, where everything could be purchased. They were regular guests there, leaving the safety of the suburbs for the ladies of the evening. It all went well, until it didn't. No real names/places here, so it was Bob who on that night made his typical drive in. For some reason, he made it to an apartment building in South Boston, but I'll expound upon that later. Initially, no one knew anything was wrong until he didn't make it home that night, or the next day so... phone calls were made by the distraught parents to our various friends. Have you seen Bob? Did anyone know where he might have gone? Hank did, because that evening, Bob had invited Hank to accompany him to Boston, and wisely, Hank declined. 24 hours went by, no word, and the Boston Police had been notified. Another 12 hours or so, and then word comes that a body was found in South Boston, seems the young man had fallen off of a 3 story apartment building, massive head and pelvis damage, and he died on the way to the hospital. There was no identification on him so he was in the morgue, just waiting for his family to discover him, and eventually the dots were connected and the immensity of the stupid tragedy came to light. Bob's death weighed heavily on our friendship group, and no doubt, most of all on his parents and twin brother. But unbeknownst to me, it had also never left Hank, he couldn't shake it that he was the last friend to see Bob, and that he had been invited to go along. About 5 years or so ago, Hank, via a Freedom of Information Act request, obtained the police files. They are fascinating as they include reports of other crimes committed at the same location, as well as a report made two years after the death, from a prisoner who claims to have witnessed what went on that evening. Lots of redacted information but enough to get a sense for what transpired. A man and woman team were robbing "johns" at that address. For some reason, Bob raced to the top of the building and was seen in a struggle with a large man, pushing each other, until Bob was pushed off. Hank has shared his distress with me over the years and last week, he and I drove to the location, walked the outskirts of the building, taking photographs/video, all to make concrete what had been surreal for so long. It all seemed so normal on that hot day, people going about their business, not a hint of the tragedy that occurred four decades earlier. Stupid, naive suburban kids venturing to places they shouldn't, and the devastation that can result. There's more that I could share from the police report including hints as to the perpetrator, but I think I'll stop here. Hank thanked me repeatedly for doing the driving. I think he may have received some closure, though who knows. Peter T.
