Wow. From Murder In Oregon we know about Spiers' connection to the DA's office through a girlfriend, while he's also furnishing drugs to prison inmates. But it's news that it was the same person/woman (likely) who prosecuted Gable. I wouldn't be surprised to find she had a hand in helping choose and then frame Gable as a patsy - she had to have known a lot - Spiers liked to brag about stuff he did by all accounts. She should be deposed for her possible involvement in the crime as an officer of the court (the government!) - see what that turns up. I'm looking forward to learning more about the OSP role. Thank you Phil - excellent reporting as always!
It just keeps getting deeper and deeper. I've told you about being stonewalled by Penn, and now your reporting sheds light on why. I worked with Michael on the Governor's Task Force, in the Legislature, and he was a straight shooter, too much so for this coke-sniffing crowd. Let's hope they reopen the investigation into his death.
Hello Mike - I've been trying to access records from legislative committees of both the House and Senate, regarding the vote that was to have taken place the day after the night Francke was murdered. Since you mentioned as a legislator working on the Governor's Task Force, I thought you might be able to suggest a way to get to any of those records efficiently/directly having worked there. Or if you have anything from your records from being on the Task Force that you wouldn't mind sharing with me, that would help a great deal too!
Great stuff, Phil! I dimly recall the story about the massage parlor (on Portland Rd.?) and judges being busted but don’t recall whether that ever made the papers.
Hmmmmm.....the plot thickens.....adding to the usual suspects. I remember Van Dyke leaving.....trying to be pretty quiet about it. If one person would talk, the rest would fall like dominoes. Thanks for keeping us informed.
Thank you for your continuing excellent research and coverage of this travesty. I'm curious why there isn't much, much more interest and exposure. If not on TV certainly you'd expect it on the web.
Actually Abel might as well have been on prosecution team, he was just that bad. Other than that, though, it was Sarah and Tom who did all the dirty work.
Good point. Maybe Sarah is the one who recruited Rob Abel. He's about her speed if she was really Spier's girl. What a collection of yardbird's on both sides. Yikes.
Ugh. I meant to type yardbirds, not yardbird's. Anyway, now that you mention it, I recall hearing or reading that Judge West recommended Abel. My understanding is that prosecutors are trained to watch out for obviously incompetent defense counsel so they don't lose on that issue on appeal. Judges too. Isn't that basically what happened and why Gable finally won? I can see why Sarah hadn't responded to your inquiry yet! Maybe that's a good sign?
Plus the DAs, judges, and cops are thick as theives by nature aren't they? So Sarah is still suspect in my book. I read over your Nov 2023 post here about Judge West also not allowing any testimony about Natividad. No explanation. But for that Liz could have testified about "running into" Scott McAlister with Tim at Fred Meyer shortly before the murder. That would have brought McAlister into the picture and maybe the prosecution case falls apart. Judge West's admonition to not get into "corruption stuff" is consistent with that. I wonder why he said that.
Jennifer, I doubt that electronic committee records are available (this was in the 80s). They were taken down by committee administrators by hand and transferred to print. Those should be available in the Legislative Archives in the Capitol.
I do have a copy of the Task Force report. It is large, and I'm unsure how I could get it to you.
Wow. From Murder In Oregon we know about Spiers' connection to the DA's office through a girlfriend, while he's also furnishing drugs to prison inmates. But it's news that it was the same person/woman (likely) who prosecuted Gable. I wouldn't be surprised to find she had a hand in helping choose and then frame Gable as a patsy - she had to have known a lot - Spiers liked to brag about stuff he did by all accounts. She should be deposed for her possible involvement in the crime as an officer of the court (the government!) - see what that turns up. I'm looking forward to learning more about the OSP role. Thank you Phil - excellent reporting as always!
It just keeps getting deeper and deeper. I've told you about being stonewalled by Penn, and now your reporting sheds light on why. I worked with Michael on the Governor's Task Force, in the Legislature, and he was a straight shooter, too much so for this coke-sniffing crowd. Let's hope they reopen the investigation into his death.
Thanks Phil.
Hello Mike - I've been trying to access records from legislative committees of both the House and Senate, regarding the vote that was to have taken place the day after the night Francke was murdered. Since you mentioned as a legislator working on the Governor's Task Force, I thought you might be able to suggest a way to get to any of those records efficiently/directly having worked there. Or if you have anything from your records from being on the Task Force that you wouldn't mind sharing with me, that would help a great deal too!
Thanks so much!!
Wow, just wow!
Great stuff, Phil! I dimly recall the story about the massage parlor (on Portland Rd.?) and judges being busted but don’t recall whether that ever made the papers.
Hmmmmm.....the plot thickens.....adding to the usual suspects. I remember Van Dyke leaving.....trying to be pretty quiet about it. If one person would talk, the rest would fall like dominoes. Thanks for keeping us informed.
Thank you for your continuing excellent research and coverage of this travesty. I'm curious why there isn't much, much more interest and exposure. If not on TV certainly you'd expect it on the web.
Excellent work on a story that just doesn’t quit, thanks to your investigative drive and skills!
Phil, who were the people on the prosecution team aside from Sarah Moore Bostwick? Bob Abel, Tom Bostwick, but that’s all I know.
Wait, I think Bob Abel was on the defense team.
Actually Abel might as well have been on prosecution team, he was just that bad. Other than that, though, it was Sarah and Tom who did all the dirty work.
Good point. Maybe Sarah is the one who recruited Rob Abel. He's about her speed if she was really Spier's girl. What a collection of yardbird's on both sides. Yikes.
Pretty sure that it was Judge Gregory West who picked Abel. They used to share an office and he had to how desperate and weak minded Abel was.
Ugh. I meant to type yardbirds, not yardbird's. Anyway, now that you mention it, I recall hearing or reading that Judge West recommended Abel. My understanding is that prosecutors are trained to watch out for obviously incompetent defense counsel so they don't lose on that issue on appeal. Judges too. Isn't that basically what happened and why Gable finally won? I can see why Sarah hadn't responded to your inquiry yet! Maybe that's a good sign?
Plus the DAs, judges, and cops are thick as theives by nature aren't they? So Sarah is still suspect in my book. I read over your Nov 2023 post here about Judge West also not allowing any testimony about Natividad. No explanation. But for that Liz could have testified about "running into" Scott McAlister with Tim at Fred Meyer shortly before the murder. That would have brought McAlister into the picture and maybe the prosecution case falls apart. Judge West's admonition to not get into "corruption stuff" is consistent with that. I wonder why he said that.
Because that's what the cover-up was all about.
Jennifer, I doubt that electronic committee records are available (this was in the 80s). They were taken down by committee administrators by hand and transferred to print. Those should be available in the Legislative Archives in the Capitol.
I do have a copy of the Task Force report. It is large, and I'm unsure how I could get it to you.