DEATH THREATS

Mark's Death Threats

The below account of the death threats my brother, our webmaster, got on July 26,1998 consists of two updates, links to the 3 emails threats routed through Thailand, Mark’s letter reporting the threats to the FBI, and the reply from the FBI telling Mark that he’ll get no help from them.

July 30, 1998
ID Files Update

Death Threats

By Jean Duffey

This past Sunday morning [July 26], Mark called at 7:00 to catch me before my family and I left town for two weeks. His voice was so calm, there was a momentary delay in my reaction to his words. After a cordial greeting, he said, “I was emailed a death-threat this morning. I believe it originated in Thailand.” The threat actually consisted of three emails, which Mark forwarded to me.

Emails 1-3

Mark, Linda, and I have all received various “threats” and “warnings” before, but there is something very chilling in the phrasing of this message. Worse still, the sender is apparently not concerned that the email can be traced; perhaps even counting on it, which sounds to me like a drug-mob-type warning.  It also made me a little anxious because the emails were dated two years from now. Was that another kind of message or warning?

Mark refused to let me push the panic button. He insisted that we wait for his internet provider to verify the message origin. While we waited I did a lot of thinking.

Although Linda and I are the public voices for our website, we would be absolutely nowhere without Mark. His efforts are tireless, and he is relentless in his search for the truth. His command of information and his ability to make logical connections are amazing. It is Mark who keeps our message alive. He often carries the ball alone, and he has never faltered or fumbled.

If this death-threat is serious, and I do want to treat it seriously, I vow that if any harm comes to my brother, I will forge ahead with great vengeance.  

After waiting two days, Mark received the following message from his provider:

“Unfortunately, I have very little information to add beyond what you have already discovered: the messages originated from hatyai.inet.co.th, a domain in Thailand. I looked at the domain’s web page, and it seems that the domain is a regional ISP serving southern Thailand. The corporate entity behind the domain was identified as follows:

“TAKSIN CYBERNET CORPORATION LIMITED

“72/20 Niphatsongkraw 3 Rd., Hatyai Songkhla 90110 Telephone : 66-(074) 367456-7 Fax : 66-(074) 367457

“The APNIC registry lists the following contacts for that domain: Passakon Prathombutr mailto:passakon@nectec.or.th Wasan Pattara-atikom mailto:wasan@inet.co.th

“In any event, Southwestern Bell Internet does not have any information on users at the domain in Thailand.”

I convinced Mark to report the threat to the authorities but had a sinking feeling when I realized who he would have to contact. We are going to have to rely on the FBI to investigate the threat and to provide Mark protection. The best way I know to assure Mark gets competent service from the FBI is to keep you, our readers, informed of every move they make – or don’t make.

I feel extremely fortunate to have the encouragement, support and prayers of friends I have made through our website. Now, more than ever, I need all of the above. I will not be on-line again until I return home next month, so it will take me awhile to catch up on replying to my emails, but I will cherish every one I receive.

September 22, 1998
ID Files Update

The FBI Stays True-To-Form

 

By Jean Duffey

Please forgive the tardiness of this update, but our kids needed attention this summer. Our daughter moved to Colorado and bought a run-down house, on which we spent the summer performing a miracle. When we got home, we had to get our sons off to college. We have just now caught our breaths.

As to the business at hand, a lot and, at the same time, nothing has happened since Mark received his death threat. Thank God, there has been no sign of the threat being carried out. The reasons may be:

1) The threat was a hoax;
2) The threat was only intended to frighten us (which it did), and to intimidate Mark to abandon our website (which it did not);
3) Plans to carry out the threat were withdrawn because of the immediate and vast exposure it received on the internet;*
4) The power of your prayers protected Mark.**

One thing is certain, asking the Little Rock FBI to help was a waste of time. They have declined to even investigate, much less offer Mark protection. But, why? Mark received an unequivocal death threat via an e-mail from Thailand – clearly a crime under FBI jurisdiction, and having the e-mail traced would take little more than a phone call to the FBI field office in Bangkok. Yet, in a letter to Mark, FBI Agent Brenton L. Mosher says the FBI will do nothing to investigate or seek prosecution of the threat.

The reason, of course, is that ANY CRIME CONNECTED IN ANY MANNER, TO THE MURDERS OF KEVIN AND DON WILL BE IGNORED BY OUR GOVERNMENT IN ARKANSAS. Although Linda and I are careful not to make statements that could discredit us, there is no other reasonable explanation for the continued cover-up of the murders and protection of the killers – an assumption we have made based on circumstances. Now, however, we have confirmation, in writing, from the FBI.

Agent Mosher wrote to Mark: “The threats you received, from Thailand via the Internet e-mail, based upon your theory that the Kevin Ives and Don Henry murders were connected to a major drug smuggling operation was presented to the United States Attorney’s Office. The United States Attorney has declined prosecution in this matter. As a consequence, the FBI will not be conducting an investigation in this matter.”

There it is – in black and white – from the FBI – the mere theory that Mark’s death threat is connected to the murders of Kevin and Don prevents an investigation by the FBI and prosecution by U.S. Attorney Paula Casey. The written communications between Mark and the FBI can be read in their entirety at the below links.

After receiving Mosher’s letter, Mark called the FBI office in Houston and spoke with an investigative analyst who said it is not normal procedure to go to the U.S. Attorney before a case has been investigated.

An FBI agent in Sacramento agreed. Both offices concurred that an investigation is normally conducted before a case is presented to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

After acquiring this information, Mark called Mosher and requested an explanation for the statements in his letter. Mosher could not come up with an explanation, got irritated, acted unprofessional, and hung up on Mark.

Our victories may be small, but the least we can accomplish through our website is to expose the injustices we continually receive from those who are sworn to protect and serve.

* I was astonished by the speed and volume of posts throughout the internet of my July 30, update about Mark’s death threat. It exhibited an overwhelming united front that would cause anyone pause before carrying out the threat.

** Mark and I were both deluged with e-mails of support and prayers. It will be impossible to reply to them all, but we want every single person who took the time to write to know that we felt the depth of your concern and derived strength from your encouragement.