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.
 

[Andy'smom]

CNN has this story now.

[Preachin']

"CNN has this story now."

CNN... where have I heard about them? Didn't they used to have a cable news network?

[Andy'smom]

Back in the day.

[surrey]

My neighbor spent years in court after a boy left his son's graduation party and crashed into a tree. The young man's Father is the guy responsible for the MA. Host Responsibility Law.
The kid, who was an uninvited guest with a history of drinking,arrived at the party with his own alcohol. The host took away the car keys of all the young guests and they were told to spend the night. This kid got up during the night, found his keys, left and hit a tree.
My neighbor was eventually absolved of any guilt.

[ladyjane]

It would be interesting to know who Conte and Leahy were supporting in the gubernatorial race.

[saveliberty]

Interesting indeed

[Hemingway's Ghost]

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.

!!!!!!!

[mowowie]

I remember that one. Glad your neighbor got off.

[ladyjane]

Does anyone remember the website that lists names of donors to politicians?

The police chief might be a supporter of another potential candidate for governor.

[pabianice]

The loathsome Reilly has no shame. He runs MA like a gang boss. He deserves to be tossed from office and disbarred.

[saveliberty]

And to have to ride in Ted Kennedy's car

[grania]

THE KIDS AND FAMILIES OF THE TOWN NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH.

I sincerely hope kids in town weren't told to with-hold the facts (lie, in some people's books). It is hard to believe they wouldn't have known if drinking was involved. Kids that age don't miss much.

The reason I accepted the story is the memory of that horrible one in 1997, when three girls were in a SUV, going to school, hydroplaned, and they all died.

At that point, there was a clamor for more laws. Wasn't one passed that teenagers under a certain age were restricted as to number of passengers, and how late they could be driving?

This latest, Southboro, accident was late at night....the girls were at a friend's house watching some sports event. I had wondered about that aspect...how late and how many passengers.

What a horrible tragedy. I really think some honesty about what happened will give their death at least some meaning that others learn the consequences of bad behavior at the wheel. (unfortunately, that's how every generation has learned, since the '50s.)