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.
 

[saveliberty]

:-) No worries, I loved your post.

[Jack Hammer]

De nada, senor. And muchas gracias from the heart of our banana republic by the sea.

[saveliberty]

Senora, please!

Non soy un senor!

LOL! Oh I am going to go off and have a cry!

[sgtbono2002]

Cute girls, either could pass for being more than 17. Too many things missing here, How big was the houseparty? The kid who gave them the Orange Juice was only 20 just a kid himself. They article says they showed up with Vodka in a plastic bottle. Probably some of Dads private stock. Its easy to imagine these girls dumping some of Dads booze into a bottle to take with them.

I see the problem as kids with a lack of enough supervision.

[Andy'smom]

"I wonder if this is really more about any pull the Berberians may have."


It could be about helping out the Berberians. Reilly claims that the Murphys didn't ask him to become involved and that's probably true. Yesterday, A woman who claims to know the Murphys called the Michael Graham show and said that they are NOT friends of Tom Reilly. She said that the only reason they donated money to him was because the Murphys have a good friend who hosted a fundraiser for Reilly. I wonder if it is this mutual friend who made the call?

[HEY4QDEMS]

To the best of my knowledge

This is what's known in legal circles as "purgery insurance"

[saveliberty]

that's a fact

[Preachin']

"But an emotional Reilly, a Democratic candidate for governor.."

In Massachusetts, working to conceal traffic fatalities makes one electable.

He must have took advice from Ted.

[Jack Hammer]

Oh, dear... is my face red! Please forgive my breach of etiquette, senora...

[saveliberty]

Sadly, he's slightly better than the failed Shannon O'Brien who in the last gubernatorial election (during a debate) offered to show Mitt Romney her tattoo.

[HEY4QDEMS]

This story makes a minor mention of Melissa Smith. From what I'm hearing around here, this poor girl is still recovering from her injuries and will never be 100%.

This is where Reilly really screwed up IMO, he should have told his friends that he will do all he can to cover this up but that they should make sure that Melissa Smith was taken care of properly.

Reilly underestimated their arrogance and is now paying the price for it.

[Aquinasfan]

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.

This should be public knowledge. The family also made campaign contributions to O'Reilly. But overall, the media seems to be making too much of this.

[Mannaggia l'America]

Er-ah, no chah-ges filed here eith-ah.

[massgopguy]

Reilly promoted In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens on his A.G. official documents. This is the impetus for my civil suit against him which will be filed soon under the expanded RICO statutes. It is my intention to grind his sorry ass into the ground.

[massgopguy]

Whats' with Reilly crying at the drop of a hat these days anyway?
He needs Don Corleone to slap him and tell him to be a man.

[saveliberty]

I hope that he gets the full treatment

[Andy'smom]

"I don't think most voters are going to hold this against the guy. He is trying to preserve whatever dignity is left for this family."


I don't think they'd blame him for trying to shield the parents from the media but you can't mess with the police investigation. The public has a right to know where the girls got the vodka. A local liquor store? An older friend? Did they take it from parents? Supposedly the girl had a fake ID. Where did that come from?

[massgopguy]

When a drunk killed two people after barhopping in my town, they charged the bartender at the last stop with two counts of manslaughter.

[Andy'smom]

You wouldn't want to make him cry, would you?

[Preachin']

"Whats' with Reilly crying at the drop of a hat these days anyway?"

The democrat gals seem to like it when the guys show their softer sides.

It's a great political tool that is used to trick the uninformed.

I'll never forget Clintoon crying at Ron Borown's funeral.

http://www.gargaro.com/Autotear.avi