02/01/96
To : I. C. Smith
Special Agent in Charge Arkansas FBI
From : Jean Duffey
(xxx)xxx-xxxx
Re : Attached: Benton Courier article
Dear Mr. Smith:
It is certainly not my intention to make an enemy of the FBI, but I cannot
let yesterday's Benton Courier article go unchallenged. I understand that
you were not in the Little Rock office during the time I communicated with
your agent, Phyllis Cournan, for over a year, so I will give you some
background information about my involvement with "the train deaths" case.
When I was administrator of the Seventh Judicial District Drug Task Force
in 1990, one of my agents and I visited at length with then U.S. Attorney
Chuck Banks about "the train deaths" and the information we had linking
the case to drugs and public officials. My agent and I expressed our
strong belief that drugs were being dropped in the area from small,
low-flying planes in the middle of the night, and that the boys were
killed because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The
plane-drop theory, which has now been confirmed, apparently sent up a red
flag to Banks. Although he promised he would get my agent and I before a
grand jury, that never happened, and it was from that point Banks began
dismantling the Saline County investigation all together. There are many
incidents which support my believe that I will not detail in this writing.
After Banks closed the Saline County investigation and held a press
conference in June of 1991 to clear all public officials of any
wrong-doing, I was not involved again until March of 1994, when Phyllis
Cournan contacted my brother. I had refused to respond to many such calls
through the years and did not respond to Phyllis until a couple of weeks
later when she called my brother again. This time she said to let me know
the FBI had recommended that Chuck Banks be charged with obstructing
justice. Hearing that, I made the assumption there was going to be a
serious investigation into "the train deaths" and into Banks' actions, and
I began communicating with Phyllis on a very frequent basis.
Over the course of the next year, Linda Ives and I were regularly involved
in exchanging information from many different sources. Because the sharing
of information is crucial when developing a complex case, Phyllis confided
when information we generated was verified, sometimes through polygraphs.
I have no doubt that Linda and I both know more about Phyllis's
investigation than you would like, but it is for that reason we do not
accept that there is "no evidence." What other explanation is there, but
here is another cover-up?
The statements I made on the Pat Lynch Show were based on Linda's account
of the meeting she and her husband, Larry, had with Bill Temple, John
Kelly, and Phyllis Cournan. Although Linda's word is enough for me, I
realize it may not be enough for everybody, so I made certain I had
independent verification of what was said at that meeting. You are quoted
in the Benton Courier saying Temple "has been very concerned, because he
has been so badly misquoted." However, Phyllis verified in a taped
telephone conversation that Temple said, "verbatim," that Larry and Linda
should consider the fact that a crime was never committed.
Again, it is not my intention to cause us to become adversaries, but you
must understand that after surviving a massive smear campaign, I am not
going to make false statements or loose allegations. There is open season
on anything I say publicly, so I am not about to say anything that will
cause me to lose my newly regained credibility. Because of this, I cannot
allow the Benton Courier article to go unanswered.
If you wish to speak with me, I am at the above number which is for phone
and fax. I feel certain Linda will also be contacting you.
Sincerely,
Jean Duffey
cc : Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Malvern Daily Record
Arkansas Times
Benton Courier
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