Posted on 06/09/2021 5:20:20 PM PDT by a fool in paradise
A former Tennessee governor's administration helped fund a contract murder of a key federal witness decades ago while embroiled in the state's largest political scandal, law enforcement officials announced Wednesday.
The new details revealed for the first time Wednesday have elements that ring of a movie: a trusted ally of union boss Jimmy Hoffa gunned down after testifying about a corrupt governor selling prison pardons and a gunman who donned a wig and blackface to throw authorities off the scent.
Investigators in Hamilton County, which encompasses Chattanooga, have been chipping away at the 42-year-old cold case of Samuel Pettyjohn since they renewed their investigation in 2015. No new charges will be filed because all of the major players involved are now dead, but authorities say closing the case provides closure to one aspect of a complicated piece of Tennessee history.
Pettyjohn, a Chattanooga businessman and close friend of Hoffa, was fatally shot in 1979 in downtown Chattanooga after testifying before a federal grand jury during the early phases of Tennessee's notorious “cash-for-clemency” scandal.
“Essentially, Mr. Pettyjohn cooperated with authorities and knew too much about what was going on locally, as well as the state level, and individuals didn’t like that and so individuals hired someone to murder him,” Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston said. “Here we are some 42 years later.”
The scandal ultimately led to the ousting of Democratic Gov. Ray Blanton, who was never indicted in the investigation — but three of his aides were. However, questions have lingered about the extent to which the governor's administration actively worked to thwart the investigation. Officials say at least five witnesses in the case were murdered or killed themselves...
...The grand jury concluded that if Alley were alive today, he would be charged with first-degree premeditated murder of Pettyjohn....
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Pardon me, Ray, are you the guy who signs the pardons ...
In the style of Chattanooga Choo Choo.
“Officials say at least five witnesses in the case were murdered or killed themselves...”
Wow, they weren’t taking any chances. “Killed themselves” — yeah, right.
More robberies gone wrong where the crooks didn’t bother taking $100,000 cash.
Still hear this in other cases but it’s called a conspiracy to discuss it.
42 years? We need more bounty hunters.
It took an honest Democrat AG, Bill Leech, from Columbia, Tn, to take down Blanton.
How do you say Arkancide in Tennessee?
A boat less ride down the river!
I hate to see that phrase “tied to” in a headline. It usually means they are trying to smear someone with Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
Ray Blanton and Bill Clinton .....two peas in a pod.
“I lost all faith in the FBI with their handling of crime in the area.”
Wow, and they did quite poorly in the Boston area also, I guess around that same time.
I think the FBI needs to be dismantled.
Blanton, his administration members, and the Dixie Mafia were for real. Unfortunately much of their crimes were covered up by the corrupt LE. The movie, “Marie”, was based upon Blanton’s activities and Fred Thompson gained his notoriety for uncovering some of the crime and corruption.
Deliverance.
My Family is from McNairy County, Tennessee,
Forgive me if I’m wrong but is that the Bufford Pusser McNairy County, Tennessee?
Yes. Pusser was a Republican and was assassinated before he was able to run for higher office (likely Governor in 1978 instead of Lamar! Alexander).
Yes. Pusser was a Republican and was assassinated before he was able to run for higher office (likely Governor in 1978 instead of Lamar! Alexander).
Did they ever find out who killed him or his wife?
The song “Pardon me, Ray” was based on Blanton pardoning a staffer convicted of a double-murder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U79j8Ck7O0
On Monday night and early yesterday, Mr. Blanton signed 52 such executive clemency documents, including the pardons or commutations for 23 convicted murderers. The most controversial of these was for Roger Humphreys, the son of Mr. Blanton’s former patronage chief for eastern Tennessee. Mr. Humphreys was convicted of shooting his former wife and her male companion 18 times with a two‐shot pistol, reloading at least eight times to lace their bodies with bullets at point‐blank range.
That commutation by Mr. Blanton, which was denounced by virtually every major public official in Tennessee, spurred the public outcry that preceded today’s action.
"is that the Bufford Pusser McNairy County"
Do they play dueling banjos while doing it? 😀
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