Reilly under fire for cover-up: Romney blasts AG as details of crash emerge

Boston Herald ^ | 1/6/2006 | Casey Ross

[saveliberty]

Reilly under fire for cover-up: Romney blasts AG as details of crash emerge
By Casey Ross
Friday, January 6, 2006 - Updated: 01:24 AM EST

Attorney General Tom Reilly scrambled yesterday to explain why he tried to cover up the role of alcohol in a fatal accident that killed two teens, but the secrecy crumbled within hours when new details involving vodka and drinking games were revealed by police.
      The probe into Shauna and Meghan Murphy’s deaths concluded without criminal charges yesterday as Reilly — a friend of the girls’ father — was accused of intervening with Worcester District Attorney John Conte in an effort to keep details of the girls’ drinking secret.
      The Southboro girls, ages 17 and 15, were killed in October when the Land Rover Shauna was driving struck a utility pole after they left the house party of a male acquaintance in Northboro. Police had probed whether to charge Nathaniel Berberian, 20, for allowing a minor to consume alcohol.
      Northboro police Chief Mark Leahy, who had accused Reilly of thwarting his efforts to get blood-alcohol results on the girls, released a report yesterday detailing the alleged pre-crash drinking at Berberian’s home.
      But an emotional Reilly, a Democratic candidate for governor, said, “The only role that I had in this at all is to take steps to make sure the (medical) information is not released to the media. To the best of my knowledge — I know I didn’t — no one interfered with any investigation, tried to impede any investigation, tried to withhold any information from law enforcement officials.”
      Gov. Mitt Romney accused Reilly of trying to “hush up” the investigation. The AG read a statement from the Murphy family pleading against “politicizing” the case.
      Leahy had urged Conte to pursue charges against Berberian, but the DA yesterday declined.
      “We’re done and nobody’s being charged,” Leahy said yesterday after he failed to get Conte to reconsider. “So that’s the end of it.”
      The Northboro police report released yesterday stated the Murphy sisters were drinking vodka at Berberian’s house before Shauna Murphy attempted to drive home about midnight.
      The report included interviews with several witnesses at the party who said the sisters and their friend, Melissa Smith, 15, who was injured in the accident, were seen drinking and playing games involving alcohol at the party.
      One witness told police Shauna left the house “wasted.”
      Berberian told police the girls brought their own vodka to the party in plastic water bottles and that he only gave them orange juice to mix it with. The report concluded, however, that there was enough evidence to charge Berberian in connection with the sisters’ deaths.
      “It appears that Berberian was in control of the house, in the absen(ce) of the owner, and allowed underage persons to drink,” the report states.
      Reilly confirmed that he advised Conte not to make the blood-alcohol report public, but insisted he never attempted to block the police from obtaining that information.
      Attempts to contact the Murphy sisters’ father, Christopher, who donated $300 to Reilly’s campaign last June, were unsuccessful last night. Berberian also could not be reached. Conte did not return calls.
 

[goldstategop]

Massachusetts drunks have friends in high places. Just ask Uncle Ted how you can beat a DUI charge in the Bay State.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[saveliberty]

While having an expired drivers license, which was conveniently issued before the stuff hit the fan

[misterrob]

Seems to me all he did was to try and save the dignity of a family who lost 2 children to a tragic and foolish accident. O'Reilly asked someone not to bring booze into the story. While that might be overstepping his bounds a bit, it's not as big a deal as the paper and Romney are spinning it.

[saveliberty]

Out of context it may appear so. In the context of never ending local jack@ssery, I will point out that it cannot be illustrated that this information was kept from police, however the AG's credibility in other matters is not stellar.

[Andy'smom]

Uh, what do you want to bet that his campaign for governor is going to be based on what a great attorney general he is. The fact is that he very selectively enforces the law. He won't touch illegal aliens and in fact wants to give them in-state tuition. If it was another set of kids that this accident happened to he would rail about drunk drivers and how we need more laws.

[saveliberty]

Also, why is it that a contributor's concerns are spared when it's not standard practice to withhold that information?

[misterrob]

Well, the illegals issue is something you could point to the Bush administration on so no ammo there. (Lack of enforcement anyway)

This was something he had no business doing but I don't see it as anything else but a political figure helping out someone that they know. Not exactly the first time or the last that it will happen.

[misterrob]

It's something called politics.....

[MassPole]

Let's not forget the third child in the back seat, who was injured. As a parent, I would want to know who was responsible for providing alcohol to minors and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Reilly as far I'm concerned is toast.

[saveliberty]

Excellent, I will send him over to you!

Cheers!

saveliberty

[saveliberty]

Actually on illegals, we can thank M. Stanley Dukakis for ordering social security numbers issued to illegal aliens.

[csvset]

The deceased

[saveliberty]

I agree with you.

[saveliberty]

thanks for posting the photo

[mewzilla]

The probe into Shauna and Meghan Murphy’s deaths concluded without criminal charges yesterday...

Does this mean that no charges will be placed against whomever provided the alcohol?

[saveliberty]

This is Boston. Nothing happens the way that they say it will.

[johnny7]

How many times has this POS gotten away with murder?

[Maceman]

Just ask Uncle Ted how you can beat a DUI charge in the Bay State.

In fairness to Ted, not that he deserves it, I don't believe there was such a thing as a DUI charge in 1969.

But they definitely should have nailed him for vehicular hom icide, involuntary manslaughter, depraved indifference, and/or reckless endangerment. And I should know. I watch Law & Order.

[Saundra Duffy]

"Reilly confirmed that he advised Conte not to make the blood-alcohol report public, but insisted he never attempted to block the police from obtaining that information."

Ha!