In 2004, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb was found dead from an apparent suicide, as Democracy Now! He was previously married to Sue Bell. Gary Webb | Obituary | The Daily Item When Webb's body was discovered last December, Bell says, this last item had been dumped in the trash. It's . Gary Webb was a journalist of outsized talent. When removal men arrived, on the morning of 10 December 2004, they found a sign on his front door, which read: ''Please do not enter. A secret deal allowed drugs to go unreported by the DCI. "[77], Webb's reporting in "Dark Alliance" remains controversial. Webb's reports prompted three official investigations, including one by the CIA itself which - astonishingly for an organisation rarely praised for its transparency - confirmed the substance of his findings (published at length in Webb's 1998 book, also entitled Dark Alliance). Webb's then-wife Sue remembers coming home from the shops and finding her. He concluded, "How did these shortcomings occur? The Tragic 2004 Death Of Investigative Journalist, Gary Webb Gary Webb Obituary (2011) - Saginaw, MI - Saginaw News on MLive.com Gary Webb Was Right | HuffPost Latest News He really did believe that," she says. [39] Carey's critique appeared in mid-October and went through several of the Post's criticisms of the series, including the importance of Blandn's drug ring in spreading crack, questions about Blandn's testimony in court, and how specific series allegations about CIA involvement had been, giving Webb's responses. After the publication of "Dark Alliance," The Mercury News continued to pursue the story, publishing follow-ups to the original series for the next three months. Ross was a major drug dealer in Los Angeles. Sheriff: Fatal Blue Grass house fire rule 'undetermined, but accidental' In August of 1996, investigative journalist Gary Webb broke the biggest story of his life. Webb had become, as somebody put it, "radioactive". Unable to get work from any major US newspaper, he spent the four months before his death writing for * a free-sheet covering the Sacramento area. Webb's ex-wife, Stokes, now remarried and still living in Sacramento, had heard it all before, too. He was born Sept.10, 1957 in Willcox, Ariz. to RG Webb and Winnie Mae Shelton. And "we really didn't do anything to advance his work or illuminate much to the story, and it was a really kind of tawdry exercise. Cooper and Mariah were engaged before they finally tied the knot. When Attorney General Janet Reno determined that a delay was no longer necessary, the report was released unaltered. It was written by Jesse Katz, the same reporter who, less than two years earlier, had described Ross's conglomerate as "the Wal-Mart of crack dealing". Can these things possibly be? While police were preparing the case against her boyfriend, Baca alleged, officers had disclosed documents which revealed that one of her lover's associates had been working for the Contras. ", "After Gary died," she says, "a reporter from the LA Times came here. Even 10 years after his tragic death, the media refuse to let him rest. The reports rejected the series's main claims but were critical of some CIA and law enforcement actions. Regarding issues raised in the series's shorter sidebar stories, it found that some in the government were "not eager" to have DEA agent Celerino Castillo "openly probe" activities at Ilopango Airport in El Salvador, where covert operations in support of the Contras were undertaken, and that the CIA had indeed intervened in a case involving smuggler Julio Zavala. The Warning in Gary Webb's Death - Consortium News The series revolves around the first crack epidemic and its impact on the culture of the city. [32], The New York Times published two articles on the series in mid-October, both written by reporter Tim Golden. The drugs went to South Central LA. At that time, Webb (pictured) was best known for the controversial three-part CIA 1996 expose he wrote the San Jose Mercury News called "Dark Alliance: The Story Behind the . Every year since investigative journalist Gary Webb took his own life in 2004, I have marked the anniversary of that sad event by recalling the debt that American history owes to Webb for his. [57], The report covered actions by Department of Justice employees in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the DEA, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and U.S. Webb, Gary Gary T. Webb, age 67, of Hamilton, Michigan, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family Thursday, November 11, 2021. Gary Webb - Spartacus Educational There was no coffin, casket or tombstone. Gary Webb's "Dark Alliance" Returns to the Internet - Narco News My wife has kept me grounded for . On one road trip, in 2001, he came off the motorcycle and split his helmet open. Gary Webb's "Approach Split" in the atrium of 20 Triton Street London. This emotive last phrase refers to Webb's experience in the immediate aftermath of publication of his three lengthy articles, in the summer of 1996. [60], The House Intelligence Committee issued its report in February 2000. He began his career working for newspapers in Kentucky and Ohio, winning numerous awards, and building a strong reputation for investigative writing. Evidence Begins To Indicate Gary Webb Was Murdered - BSNEWS Call 911 for assistance. Gary is survived by his wife of 48 years, Beverly Webb; children Margaret . ", She pauses: "That said, he did sleep with a gun under his bed.". GARY WEBB OBITUARY Gary Frank Webb Sept. 27, 1944 - Oct. 23, 2022 Gary passed away peacefully of complications following cardiovascular surgery. [56] He resigned from the paper in November 1997. [81], Peter Kornbluh, a researcher at George Washington University's National Security Archives, also does not agree that the report vindicated the series. But the biggest loss he had was the writing. Five years ago, a tragedy occurred in American journalism: Investigative reporter Gary Webb - who had been ostracized by his own colleagues for forcing a spotlight back onto an ugly government scandal they wanted to ignore - was driven to commit suicide. Views on Webb's journalism have been polarized. The series provoked outrage, particularly in the Los Angeles African-American community, and led to four major investigations of its charges. "The cause of death was determined to be self . Dr. Gary A. Webb, MD | Marco Island, FL | Geriatrician | US News Doctors He was laid off in February 2004 when Assembly Member Fabian Nez was elected Speaker. "Everyone got out and left the person who had made the noise - issued the report - alone. Gary Webb's Ex-Wife Set to Attend New York Premiere - Adweek Calling the Post's overall focus "misplaced", Overholser expressed regret that the paper had not taken the opportunity to re-examine whether the CIA had overlooked Contra involvement in drug smuggling, "a subject The Post and the public had given short shrift. . But as Krim told Webb's biographer Nick Schou, "The zeal that helped make Gary a relentless reporter was coupled with an inability to question himself, to entertain the notion that he might have erred. The room is decorated with his trophies: a Pulitzer prize hangs next to his HL Mencken award; also on the wall is a framed advertisement for The Kentucky Post. "Like enjoy it.". Walter Bogdanich, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who worked with Webb on The Plain Dealer, told American Journalism Review editor Susan Paterno "He was brilliant; he knew more about public records than anybody I've ever known. Some might consider it an inappropriate assignment for a man with responsibilities. In 1996, the award-winning journalist Gary Webb uncovered CIA links to Los Angeles drug dealers. Both sides were left angry and disappointed. He had also lost his house the week before his suicide. ", "Reporter's suicide confirmed by coroner", "Repercussions From Flawed News Articles", "Herhold: Thinking back on journalist Gary Webb and the CIA", Ex-L.A. Times Writer Apologizes for "Tawdry" Attacks, "Gary Webb was no journalism hero, despite what 'Kill the Messenger' says", "Jeremy Renner's 'Kill the Messenger' Gets Fall Release Date", The CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy: A Review of the Justice Department's Investigations and Prosecutions, United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Report of Investigation Concerning Allegations of Connections Between CIA and The Contras in Cocaine Trafficking to the United States, Central Intelligence Agency Office of the Inspector General, United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, "Secrecy, Conspiracy, and the Media During the CIA-Contra Affair", Freeway Rick Ross: The Untold Autobiography, "Inside the Dark Alliance: Gary Webb on the CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion", 'A NATURAL STORY': Tribute to 'Dark Alliance' and Journalist Gary Webb, San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center, Archive of Gary Webb stories at Sacramento News and Review, "Frontline: Cocaine, Conspiracy Theories & the C.I.A. Cuts and amendments were made at the request of Ceppos, executive editor of the Mercury News, and Webb's immediate editor Dawn Garcia, among others. And this is not a happy story - or," she adds, "a little one.". It found that Blandn received permanent resident status "in a wholly improper manner" and that for some time the Department "was not certain whether to prosecute Meneses, or use him as a cooperating witness." border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd; n 1996, journalist Gary Webb wrote a series of articles under the title "Dark Alliance" for the suggesting a CIA connection between anti-government contras in Nicaragua and monies raised from. Webb, unlike Blum or Kerry, had to face his difficulties alone. Webb 'Suicide' Looking More Like Murder - rense.com I first heard about Webb eight years ago, I tell Bell, from the Paris-based journalist Paul Moreira. He was born August 27, 1968 in Saginaw, Michigan to Taylor Jr. and Loretta Webb. But you say - dear God. In 1996, investigative journalist Gary Webb wrote a series of stories exposing the connection between the CIA and the crack cocaine that was being sold in So. "[80], Not all writers agree that the Inspector-General's report supported the series's claims. When he was engaged, he worked hard. So, this is not something you really make a career out of, nor would you want to. Ceppos failed to reply to one phone message and six emails. Few reporters I've known could match his nose for an investigative story. ", In contrast, the series received support from Steve Weinberg, a former executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors. We had this huge team of people at the L.A. Times and kind of piled on to one lone muckraker up in Northern California." margin: 0 45px; Gary Stephen Webb (August 31, 1955 December 10, 2004) was an American investigative journalist. The "Dark Alliance" series remains controversial. [59], The first volume of the report found no evidence that "any past or present employee of CIA, or anyone acting on behalf of CIA, had any direct or indirect dealing" with Ross, Blandn, or Meneses or that any of the other figures mentioned in "Dark Alliance" were ever employed by or associated with or contacted by the agency. And he finallyyou know, they finally left the country. She kept crying about how terrible it all was - by which I mean that she was, physically, crying. She was a homemaker and a member of Hunters Chapel Baptist Church. Gary Webb: Vindicated - Narco News We are in the living room of Bell's house just outside Sacramento, California. For two years, Blum and Kerry supervised the interrogation of dozens of witnesses who described CIA-related drug deals in central America. It was good that his story forced those reports to come out, but part of what made that happen was based on misleading information. [7] After transferring to Northern Kentucky, he entered its journalism program and wrote for the school paper, The Northerner. The series ran from October 2022, 1996, and was researched by a team of 17 reporters. Unfortunately, the railroading of Gary Webb had begun and he was run over. By the late spring of 1996, Webb was ready to publish. Watkins and Debbie (John) Foutch; grandchildren, Makenzie and Ashlynn Fogg. Join iconic brands and world-class marketing leaders at Brandweek to unlock powerful insights and impact-driven strategies. His former wife, her voice lowered to a whisper, explains that Webb missed with the first shot (which exited through his left cheek). It was just more than he could take.". He died by suicide on December 10, 2004. How Kill the Messenger Will Vindicate Investigative Journalist Gary Webb Kill the Messenger True Story vs. Movie - Real Gary Webb He received his medical degree from American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than. The CIA, the drug dealers, and the tragedy of Gary Webb - The Telegraph His erstwhile editors on the Mercury News, meanwhile, saw their careers thrive. Noting that most of the activities discussed in the report had nothing to do with the people Webb reported on, Kornbluh told Schou, "I can't say it's a vindication. "He definitely was depressed. But as his ex-wife told the . Talking about his wife, Mariah Webb is a nurse who also educates about essential products . [51] After discussions with Webb, the column was published on May 11, 1997.[53]. The claim that the drug ring of Meneses-Blandn-Ross sparked the "crack explosion" has been perhaps the most criticized part of the series. LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12 - Gary Webb, a reporter who won national attention with a series of articles, later discredited, linking the Central Intelligence Agency to the spread of crack . [16] As part of The Mercury News team that covered the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, Webb and his colleague Pete Carey wrote a story examining the causes of the collapse of the Cypress Street Viaduct. I felt weak and distressed; the whole thing was so fresh. And yet, for all his Easy Rider tendencies, he was also a dedicated family man with an extraordinary appetite for researching minutiae. [36] McManus wrote that Blandn's and Meneses's contributions to Contra organizations were significantly less than the "millions" claimed in the series, and stated there was no evidence that the CIA had tried to protect them. E&P Staff. 2) The series's estimate of the money involved was presented as fact instead of as an estimate. Look at the way the US press reports on Iraq. reports. Should these editors subsequently deem the story to have been fatally flawed, they take the consequences. "[64] Webb's longest response to the controversy was in "The Mighty Wurlitzer Plays On," a chapter he contributed to an anthology of press criticism: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, If we had met five years ago, you wouldn't have found a more staunch defender of the newspaper industry than me And then I wrote some stories that made me realize how sadly misplaced my bliss had been. [69], Webb was found dead in his Carmichael home on December 10, 2004, with two gunshot wounds to the head. According to the report, the Inspector-General's office (OIG) examined all information the agency had "relating to CIA knowledge of drug trafficking allegations in regard to any person directly or indirectly involved in Contra activities." [28] Maxine Waters, the representative for California's 35th district, which includes South-Central Los Angeles, was also outraged by the articles and became one of Webb's strongest supporters. I realise now he was thinking about suicide.". His death was ruled a suicide by the Sacramento County coroner's office. The attack on Gary Webb and his series in the San Jose Mercury News remains one of the most venomous and factually inane assaults on a professional journalist's competence in living memory . It was published in 1998 as Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion. Do not quote me on anything.". Webb was born in Corona, California. Gary Webb, MD, FRCPC, FACC - The Donohue Funeral Homes Inc. When he was engaged, he worked hard. This is why Webb's "Dark Alliance" series is an essential source, a primary text that every journalism student should study. He also defended the series in interviews with all three papers. Gary's documentation is awesome and his work ethic is unbelievable. There is a CIA connection and I can demonstrate it.'". "[82], Kill the Messenger (2014) is based on Webb's book Dark Alliance and Nick Schou's biography of Webb. "That's right," says Blum. [40] Ceppos also asked reporter Pete Carey to write a critique of the series for publication in The Mercury News, and had the controversial website artwork changed. . An investigative journalist, Webb became interested in the covert activities of the Central Intelligence Agency. Webb, a Pullitzer prize winning journalist, exposed CIA drug trafficking operations in a series of books and reports for the San Jose Mercury News. Gary Webb - Wikispooks Dr. Gary A. Webb is a geriatrician in Marco Island, Florida. [5], After high school, Webb attended an Indianapolis community college on a scholarship until his family moved to Cincinnati. He was assigned to its Sacramento bureau, where he was allowed to choose most of his own stories. line-height:1.5; OR was he like Epstein? A January 1997 article in American Journalism Review noted that a 1994 series Webb wrote had also been the subject of a Mercury News internal review that criticized Webb's reporting. In February, Gary Webb gave his ex-wife. Gary Webb's wife, Sue Webb (now Sue Stokes), said that he had been depressed for years due to his inability to get hired at a daily newspaper. In a three-part series published in the San Jose Mercury News, "Dark Alliance," Webb alleges that not only was the CIA aware cocaine sold in the U.S. during the 1980s was funding the Nicaraguan Contras, they were complicit in its distribution. "Gary Webb was left to fend for himself. Much of the article highlighted the failure of law enforcement agencies to successfully prosecute them and stated that this was largely due to their Contra and CIA connections. Gary Webb, friends say, was a far more combative character than either the Mercury News's executive editor Ceppos or page editor Garcia. margin-top: 10px; The film broadened the debate which led to the decriminalisation of . But the report was correct. Webb's experience came as no surprise to Jack Blum, senior prosecutor for the Kerry Committee. [61] According to the report, it used Webb's reporting and writing as "key resources in focusing and refining the investigation." [17] The Mercury News's coverage of the earthquake won its staff the Pulitzer Prize for General News Reporting in 1990. With hindsight, Bell says, "the signs were there. News coverage noted that there were widespread rumors on the Internet at the time that Webb had been killed as retribution for his "Dark Alliance" series, published eight years before. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department began its own investigation into the "Dark Alliance" claims.[30]. On Dec. 9, 2004, the 49-year-old Gary Stephen Webb, Pulitzer prize-winning US investigative journalist, typed out suicide notes to his ex-wife and his three children; he laid out a certificate for his cremation; he taped a note on the door telling movers - who were coming the next morning to move him out of his rental house near Sacramento - to And it was ignored by the US media, for all of those reasons. [42] The extent of the criticism, however, convinced Ceppos that The Mercury News had to acknowledge to its readers that the series had been subjected to strong criticism. Begun 1996, the divorce and battle over cash of Grammy winner Jimmy Webb age 75, father of six, wed 22 years to Patsy, 64, daughter of late actor Barry Sullivan is getting longer.