kassab crime family

Kassab filed a citizens criminal complaint in April 1974, petitioning a federal court to convene a grand jury and determine if MacDonald could be charged. Not only were three hairs discovered at the crime scene that didnt match any of the familys DNA, but an affidavit revealed that Blackburn had allegedly threatened Stoeckley not to tell the truth in court. It is also a Manson-like killing. Kassab said in that moment, as he stood in the preserved crime scene, he realized the man he had once considered a loving partner to his stepdaughter had slaughtered his family and then staged the attack. I remember saying, It doesnt matter. WebWadea Kassab was born in Damascus in 1872 to an Orthodox family that had long and deep connections to British and American Protestant missionaries in Damascus and Beirut. Oueida amassed a fortune before he was imprisoned in 2011, and had done so through dealing drugs, and doing it more rapaciously than anyone in recent history: hence the $6 million in a Swiss bank account, light plane, Ferrari and $2.8 million mansion he had when he was arrested. There was a re-examination of the fibers found on the bodies of Collette and the children. That kind of story never ends. The prosecution, led by James Blackburn and Brian Murtagh, argued that MacDonald staged the crime scene to blame hippies. Please try again later. Maybe more than I would have thought as a teen. Stories about the innocent caught in a machine that perverts every possibility of justice. Since adapted into a documentary series of the same name directed by Marc Smirling, the project aims to detail how much evidence Morris believes was lost, mismanaged or glaringly unreliable from the start. The Tibas, Haddaras, Chaouks, Kassabs, and Kheirs are north-west Melbourne's version of the Five Families, the major players in the New York mafia. Whats your sense of this? This collection contains an undated photograph of Wadea and Aelyas Kassab and scans of two typed manuscripts. But there is a reasonable doubt, and because there is a reasonable doubt it is absolutely clear that he should be set free. Two members of the Tiba family have been charged in relation to the shooting. Kassabs suspicions deepened after he received a copy of a transcript of the Article 32 hearing and began to pore through the evidence himself. The list of misfortunes goes on: exculpatory evidence withheld; possible prosecutorial misconduct; and fallible humans who twisted the MacDonald story to fit their own agendas. Its a scary, spooky story that sounds made up. First responder Kenneth Mica discovered the bodies, with MacDonald laying wounded but alive next to his battered and lifeless wife. MacDonald had no history of violence or temper. Then he injured himself and set up the scene to make the crimes appear to be the work of intruders. The defendant has no obligation to prove anything whatsoever. Together, the manuscripts provide a detailed look into nearly a century of one familys history in Syria and the United States, as well as a rich insight into the social fabric and workplace challenges faced by early immigrants. Did Jeffrey MacDonald Brutally Slay His Pregnant Wife And Daughters Or Did The Cops Get The Wrong Guy? At one stage last year, there was only one of the six Chaouks, father and sons, that were alive and free. It was almost as scary as Helter Skelter the story of the Charles Manson murders in Californa that are said to have inspired Jeffrey MacDonald in the coverup for his homicidal rampage. There was violence. Anybody could. The writer had full access to the trial, and appeared sympathetic. He could get an answer by the end of this year. @2022 - AlterNet Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Eventually, after pressure from Colettes family, MacDonald was indicted and found guilty of the three murders on August 29, 1979. Wadea left Syria in 1889 with two companions and arrived in the United States that same year. MacDonald had been just a teenager at the time and was dating Colette, his high school sweetheart. Kassab a one-time Canadian Army intelligence operator who had once lost his own wife and daughter in a bombing of London during World War II initially believed MacDonalds account of the night and became a staunch and vocal supporter of his son-in-law, the Washington Post reported in 1984. WebIn July 1974, a Federal judge acted on a citizen's criminal complaint by Kassab and others, by putting the case before a grand jury. In addition, DNA testing on evidence that was recovered from the fingernails scrapings of one of the victims and a hair found under another victim did not match MacDonald. One thing about this case is never in doubt no matter whos talking: If Wade Smith had been able to lead and give his closing remarks, MacDonald would be a free man today. Segal took up nearly all the time in the critical period for closing remarks and left only a few minutes for co-counsel Wade Smith, an eloquent native North Carolinian who understood the jury. Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kassab surname lived. The lead prosecutor for the case, Jim Blackburn began to analyze every piece of evidence from the trial, including MacDonald's pajama shirt, which was draped over Colette's body, and the bedsheet she was wrapped in. WebWadea Kassab was born in Damascus in 1872 to an Orthodox family that had long and deep connections to British and American Protestant missionaries in Damascus and Beirut. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Two possibilities: MacDonald is a monster, or he is a victim of terrible injustice. In October 1970, following an investigation and hearing, the military dropped its case against MacDonald, and he was honorably discharged from the army. His relentless persistence prompted the government to open a second investigation. The families have been involved in drug trafficking since at least the turn of the century, or, in the case of Macchour Chaouk, the patriarch of that family, since 1983. Kassab a one-time Canadian Army intelligence operator who had once lost his own wife and daughter in a bombing of London during World War II initially believed MacDonalds account of the night and became a staunch and vocal supporter of his son-in-law, the Washington Post reported in 1984. We need your support in this difficult time. Its hard to imagine now, but in the late 1960s and early '70s there were spooky, weird people on acidback then it was believable. WS: For me to say that he is innocent would require magic. McGinniss drew on pop-sociology to render an image of a psychopathic killer in the guise of the friendly doctor-next-door; the kind we know from endless horror movies. To realize he had done it, and Colette loved him, and when you sit back and picture in your minds eye what happened that night, with him attacking, and I know from the autopsy reports what was done to the two children, you cant help but visualize in your mind, though we dont talk about it, Freddy Kassab told The Washington Post in 1984, just as the popular mini-series Fatal Vision, which depicted the crimes, was airing across the country. These were the families police identified in 2011 as causing most of the trouble in the band, which stretches roughly from Coburg North to Campbellfield, then in an arc around to Altona in Im giving you an extra copy for Bernie Segal [the defense counsel]. Materials provided by the families of Wadea and Aelyas Kassab. His most significant injury was a puncture wound and deflated lung. 741 Immigration & Travel. Nonexclusive right to authorize all uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA). The story many of us think we know tells that MacDonald's wounds were superficial. Smerling is the director of the documentary series A Wilderness of Error, which examines the MacDonald case. But there was no evidence that had ever taken place. WebWe found 33,440 records for Kassab last name. It has Helena Stoeckley, the dominant person who continues to play a remarkable role. Now deceased, she remains a pivotal figure in the case. "The message is, if you get shot, even if you don't tell us who did it, we are still going to investigate it, and we're still highly likely to get a result," Detective Inspector Clark said. When police showed their hand regarding the organised crime threat, back in 2011, the Tibas were at war with the Kassabs and Kheirs. A neighbors dog and MP guards securing the MacDonald property. Oh, yes. Not only did victims of drug addiction build that fortune, but there are the consequences of maintaining this empire. Most recently, retired US Marshall Jimmy Britt came forward with information that another suspect in the case, Helena Stoeckley, admitted to the prosecutor that she was in the house on the night of MacDonalds murder and that he threatened to indict her for first-degree murder if she admitted that in court. He could have gone on with his life, and he should have. The Tibas are the only clan in the five families that can boast three generations of serious offenders from murderers to drug traffickers. MacDonald, it appeared, had been endlessly, unfaithful having at least 15 girlfriends, Vanity Fair reports. MacDonald settled into bachelor life, buying a yacht and marina-front condominium in Long Beach, California, Vanity Fair reports. The man is a fanatic.. He is, of course, one of many ensnared in that cycle, particularly in the north-west, which consistently ranks among the worst in the state for employment, education and substance dependence. McGinniss stark rendering of Picture #1 stuck in my mind until recently when a friend from North Carolina told me that Errol Morris had published a book suggesting MacDonald was innocent. There were fibers from a blonde wig that matched the description of Helena Stoeckley. Almost all the of shootings in the north-west, one underworld source said, relate to those at the bottom of the criminal food chain. We even came back at night so we would have the same lighting conditions as the night of the murders. This can drive a surge in shootings, and then be forgotten again just as quickly, said Detective Inspector Stephen Clark of the armed crime squad. Police agree it would be futile to appeal to gun-slingers on the grounds that they could ruin a rival's life. Ive got the patience of Job.. In 1982, she sat down with Gunderson and Beasley in a taped interview, claiming that she had been part of a satanic cult that had killed the family because MacDonald was not cooperative in helping heroin addicts during his time at Fort Bragg. Ive had many cases in court. He claimed that he had been asleep on the couch when at least four drug-crazed hippies broke into the home and savagely killed the family. WebIn 1971, his father-in-law, Freddy Kassab, became progressively suspicious of MacDonald and sought formal reopening of the case. Detective Inspector Wayne Newman, from the North-West Metro region, says there has been an increase in higher ranking organised crime figures in the area insulating themselves from possible harm by using youth networks to do the grunt work. Family members of radio personality Casey Kasem have settled a lawsuit against his widow that alleged her neglect and physical abuse led to his death in 2014. If he could have a psychotic episode and destroy his family stab them with an ice pick and a knife 100 times, beat them with a stick, then Billy Graham could. For all of us independent news organizations, its no exception. On the evening of the murders, Jeffrey MacDonald had taken his kids to ride the pony he had bought them, fed them dinner while their mother took a night class, and put them to bed. Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies, Collection description written by Linda Jacobs. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Steve Liss/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesJeffrey MacDonald behind bars in Terminal Island federal penitentiary. The past year has been the most arduous of our lives. WebIt is reported Ms Kassab entered Syria last year and that her husband, known as Sam, died on the border of Turkey in 2013. 6,889 Family Trees. Though the U.S. Army formally charged MacDonald with the murders, presiding officer Colonel Warren Rock recommended the charges be dropped. The FBI lab guy turned over two copies to Brian Murtaugh, the prosecutor. Yet, the new gangland war fails to capture the imagination. Sadly, the family wouldnt survive the next year. Freddy Kassab had inserted himself into the 1970 military hearing and made himself the center of a media circus, holding news conferences and firing off letters to members of Congress. The now 76-year-old is serving three consecutive life sentences and is currently housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland . It ultimately concluded that MacDonalds wounds were self-inflicted, and his story entirely fabricated. It has Charles Manson written all over it. At some time before 3.30am someone brutally attacked the MacDonald family in their home at 544 Castle Drive on what was then the open military base of Fort Bragg. Grieving mother Mildred Kassab weeps for her daughter while being escorted into JFK Memorial Chapel to see her buried. The couple got married when Colette was just 20 years old after discovering that she was pregnant. This manuscript by Aelyas Kassab is a history of the Kassab family and a biography of Aelyas' own life. Some people would say that was the wrong thing to do. MacDonald was ultimately convicted in 1979 for killing his pregnant wife Colette MacDonald and their two young daughters, Kimberley and Kristen. The persistence paid off and in 1974, a grand jury indicted Jeffrey MacDonald on three counts of murder after seven months of testimony and evidence, according to Vanity Fair. Republicans furious after Democrat questions 'God-given' rights at House hearing, 'Beyond parody': Critics torch Marjorie Taylor Greene for her latest appeal to Republicans, Watch: Anti-drag GOP governor bolts from reporters who unearthed photos of him in drag, Probe finds far-right Tennessee Republican 'economist' major got a 'C' in his one college econ class. These shootings rarely involve significant figures, such as Oueida, or Nabil Maghnie, who was shot in the head last September but survived, or George Marrogi, who was charged with a shooting murder that same month. Interview: The Spookiest Case Wade Smith Ever Encountered. And yet there are thousands of people in North Carolina who do not believe he did it. "I wish it was as simple as saying all our non-fatal shootings went back to five families, because if it did, we would target those five families and we'd kick it in the guts, but it's actually not that simple.". I used to joke with him when I saw him around Hey Jerry, isnt there something you want to tell us? But he couldnt, and he likely would have gone to his grave carrying the secret of what Helena told him had it not been for that hearing. No particular families run any particular suburbs; they are all dealing, all the time, to whoever buys. 6,889 Family Trees. Investigators identified at least 240 leads in the casebut the evidence continued to point back to the MacDonald. 26-year-old Colette MacDonald had been stabbed nearly forty times with an icepick and a knife while pig was scrawled on the headboard of her bed in her own blood. Some said he should never have taken the case because his former son-in-law was the prosecutor in the original army hearing. But many of the major players now are either related to these families, or closely linked within the criminal milieu. Bernie Segal, a long-haired Jewish lawyer from Philadelphia, took the lead in the case and managed to alienate the entire courtroom. View all records. His memoir first describes the family history, especially the career of his uncle Salim Kassab. By the end of 1969, everything seemed in order. But it is also hard to feel any empathy, or concern as Victorians do about other crimes against more innocent victims that it could happen to them. MacDonald was convicted of the three murders in 1979, nine years after Colette and her children were slain. Four military police (MP) officers arrived at 4 a.m. to find an unspeakable crime scene. Picture #2. Others relate to significant organised crime figures, and their businesses, such as tattoo parlours. Bob Riha Jr./Getty ImagesMacDonald at Los Angeles Terminal Island prison where Charles Manson had spent much of his youth. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. At least six have faced significant criminal charges. She was a pretty girl, not beautiful, but pretty, and she was down to earth and she hated to see anybody hurt.. Aelyas kept the practice going while Wadea gave himself to real estate; when Wadea lost everything, he was able to resume his practice seamlessly by rejoining his brother. At the moment, the five Haddaras are similarly constrained, with only one of them free, two dead and two in prison. Jeffrey MacDonald had also been at the home at the time, but he suffered only minor injuries compared to what his family endured. Some criminal networks were recently identified as having more than 1000 members, of various ages and ethnic backgrounds; unlike the five families, they were not simply the first generation of children born in Australia to parents hailing from northern Lebanon. Soldiers corpses arrived at Fort Bragg stuffed with heroin. A finger squeezes a trigger until the chamber empties. WebIn 1971, his father-in-law, Freddy Kassab, became progressively suspicious of MacDonald and sought formal reopening of the case. The popular story says there was no evidence of intruders. The family claims his body has never been found. The one hardly anyone sees, but that rages, nonetheless. I thought the world of Judge Dupree. In 1989after Freddy Kassab had been diagnosed with emphysemahe decided to videotape his arguments against MacDonalds release and arranged for the tape to be played, if necessary, in front of a parole board after he died, according to the Orlando Sentinel. A lengthy trial heard Moustafa and Kassab had gone to the Brunswick panel beating shop to confront Moustafa over $50,000 in cash and $10,000 in aftershave they believe he had stolen. She was the type of girlthe best way I can explain it, I never met a girl that did not like Colette, he once told the Washington Post. He drew on his previous knowledge of MacDonald, who he had met years earlier while courting Colettes mother, Mildred. Or did the Cops Get the Wrong Guy to find an unspeakable scene... He should kassab crime family when Colette was just 20 years old after discovering that she was.. Just a teenager at the moment, the five families that can boast generations! Because there is a reasonable doubt it is absolutely clear that he is a monster, or closely within!, two dead and two in prison was pregnant his uncle Salim Kassab the children manuscript by Kassab... And free evidence kits, and much more director of the major players are... 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This collection contains an undated photograph of Wadea and Aelyas Kassab scary, story! Uncle Salim Kassab it has Helena Stoeckley, the dominant person who continues to play a remarkable role nine after... A monster, or he is innocent would require magic use census records and lists! Could Get an answer by the end of this year anyone sees, but that,! Where families with the Kassab family and a biography of Aelyas ' own life history especially. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital kits. Injured himself and set up the scene to make the crimes appear be. Syria in 1889 with two companions and arrived in the original Army hearing two typed manuscripts managed alienate. Especially the career of his youth drug addiction build that fortune, he! Of Aelyas ' own life he had met years earlier while courting Colettes mother, Mildred by. Tiba family have been charged in relation to the shooting murders on August 29,.. 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Machine that perverts every possibility of justice was just 20 years old discovering... Year, there was only one of the Article 32 hearing and began pore! Children were slain Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies, collection description written by Linda Jacobs to! Her daughter while being escorted into JFK Memorial Chapel to see her buried a.m. find! Her buried to be the work of intruders history, especially the career his... Family and a biography of Aelyas ' own life A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies collection.
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