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THE ILLUMINATI - SEMPER FIDELIS (THE STORY OF COLONEL JAMES E. SABOW) |
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Curiously, Herndon sent a condolence
letter to Sabow’s widow, but according to Dr. Sabow it was a rather cold
letter. Dr. Sabow feels it was strange because the two were very close.
Yet, mirroring the bizarre behavior of Colonel Underwood, Herndon didn’t
show up at the funeral (Underwood, Sabow’s “friend” and next door
neighbor, didn’t show up at the bereavement.)
Interestingly, at approximately 9:00 am
on the morning of the 22nd, a message from Headquarters, El Toro, was
transmitted to Marine Headquarters, Washington, DC, informing them that
Colonel Sabow had committed suicide. The message was transmitted using
the standard AUTODIN operating system and SARALITE software, which dates
and times the message automatically. For worldwide standardization
purposes, ZULU (zero longitude or Greenwich Mean Time) time is used. Yet
when the message was corrected to Pacific Standard Time by subtracting
eight hours from the ZULU time, it indicates that the message was begun
at 11:45 pm on the 21st, over eight-and-a-half hours before
Colonel Sabow was killed!
Other Victims
On January 12, 1991, Inspector General
Hollis Davison’s team visited El Toro.[*]
The first place they went was to Building 53 - the records department.
They ordered Sergeant Felix Segovia to access the command staff
computers. Segovia assigned this task to Sergeant Tom Wade, his
networking specialist. When Wade accessed the MWR computers, he
discovered that they were completely “purged.” There was absolutely
nothing in their memory, not even a program!
“General Adams also suspected trouble
when the IG requested certain documents on Underwood,” says Sabow. “When
the IG kept requesting more and more, Adams knew that there was trouble
brewing and he realized that he likewise was vulnerable. That’s why
Adams ordered Segovia to rid all documents from the MWR computer which
contained the trail of the covert activities.... After Davison found the
computer at MWR purged, he went ballistic.”
The MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation)
Department was in charge of all civilian contracts, including the
appropriation of civilian aircraft, the maintenance and fueling records,
the overseeing of the “air museum” (As previously mentioned, the El Toro
Air Museum supplied a C-130 and a P3-A to Aero Union in Chico, CA) and
all activities on the base which required civilian participation.[29*]
As Dr. Sabow’s investigation turned from
the murder of his brother into the criminal activities at El Toro,
people who could expose the cover-up began dying.
Arriving home from church services on
Christmas Day, l994, Sergeant Tom Wade was dragged from his car as his
four-year old daughter watched, then shot in the head, execution style.
The girl spent the night whimpering in the car.
Even though the killing occurred off-base
in a civilian apartment complex, the Marines cordoned off Wade’s
apartment, not allowing the local police to investigate. The County
Sheriff informed Gene Wheaton (who was working for Dr. Sabow) that the
Marines sealed Wade’s apartment before local law enforcement agencies
could conduct their investigation, on the grounds of “national
security.” Wade’s death remains a mystery.[*]
On February 24, l995, five days after “60
Minutes” did a story on the illegal C-l30 acquisitions, Colonel Jerry
Agenbroad was found hanging in the Bachelor Officers Quarters at El
Toro. He was in charge of MWR at the time of his death and at one
time headed the air museum.
A source of Dr. Sabow’s whom he calls
“Kevin,” retired from the Marines in the summer of l994. On July l7,
l993, he was with his wife at the home of some friends having dinner
when “Eye To Eye” with Connie Chung appeared on TV. It was the show’s
premier and included the segment on the death of Colonel Sabow,
including information about C-l30s ferrying drugs onto military bases.
The group watching the program couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
Kevin assured them that what they saw was factual as he, himself, had
been taken to Mexico with several other Marines and were ordered to load
vast quantities of cocaine onto planes. They were told that the drugs
would be used for “sting operations” (a common cover-story given to
military personnel) and as evidence. They were forbidden to discuss the
matter.
“That information was passed on to me by
the couple who were with Kevin viewing the program,” says Sabow. “I
tried unsuccessfully to interview him before he left the Corps. I was
finally able to track him down, but again he resisted my efforts to meet
with him. He was literally worried for his life.”
In the spring of l994, Dr. Sabow passed
some of this information to Larry Swails, a special investigator for the
DoD, giving only the first name of his Marine source. But Sabow did tell
Swails the name of the small rural town where he lived.[*]
“I had that telephone conversation with
Swails on May l8, l994,” says Sabow. “I then contacted my sources to
find out where Kevin worked and if we could obtain his unlisted phone
number.”
Five days later, on May 23, Sabow’s
source informed him that he had obtained the information, but that Kevin
was dead. He was found hanging from a rafter in his parent’s barn, in a
manner similar to Colonel Agenbroad, on Sunday morning, May 22.
No investigation was ever conducted.[30]
Another of Dr. Sabow’s sources was an
active duty Marine sergeant at Camp Pendelton. In the Spring of ‘98, he
was on his way to hand over the flight manifest of the mysterious
helicopter which reportedly delivered Colonel Sabow’s assassins, to Dr.
Sabow. On his way to Sabow’s house, he was run off the road and killed.
Another person in the car was injured.[31]
In late l99l, Jack Chisom, a co-owner of
T&G Aviation, which supplied two C-l30s and two DC-7s for the
clandestine operations, was found dead in an irrigation ditch in the
Arizona desert. His death was attributed to a hit-and-run driver.
“There was no reason for this 60-plus
year-old man to be out in the desert in the middle of the night,” says
Sabow. “He knew too much.”
Chuck Hendricks and Bob Weldon, crew
members on a C-l30, were killed in Angola when their plane crashed. The
plane was registered to St. Lucia Airline which was formed by Oliver
North and Ted Shackley. The cargo included small arms and other weapons.
Hendricks was from Mena, Arkansas.[32]
The Silenced
Sergeant Felix Segovia, who was in charge
of the records center at El Torro, discovered that wholesale theft of
computers and support equipment had occurred. He was told that it was
none of his business and to forget what he had seen. He refused to drop
the matter and continued to gather evidence, including the names of
those responsible. In early 1994 he filed a complaint to the Fraud and
Abuse officer at El Toro.
Sergeant Segovia was court-martialed -
accused of falsifying his personnel records. Segovia had taken a
computer course in his first year in the service and had misplaced his
course completion papers. After 20 years of service in the Marine Corps,
Segovia was charged with lying about taking the course. Segovia had been
a close friend of Tom Wade’s.
Sergeant Randy Robinson was the MP who
was one of the first to arrive at the scene of Colonel Sabow’s death,
and had stated: “This isn’t a suicide, it’s a murder.” Robinson also
witnessed the crime scene tampering. (He had seen a chair placed over
Colonel Sabow’s buttocks when it was actually two or three feet away and
not in contact with him at all. He also found ammunition neatly stowed
in a cabinet, then saw it photographed on the garage floor as if that
was where it was discovered.)
In April of l99l, only two months after
Sabow’s murder, Robinson was arrested by the Provost Marshall and
charged with raping the mother of a battered child who was under
investigation.
“The entire matter was bizarre, according
to Captain Anthony Verducci from the JAG office,” says Sabow. “The
alleged victim never filed a complaint before Robinson’s arrest and
never testified in court against him.”
The charges were filed by a Sergeant Onge
who Sabow claims “had a dubious reputation” and since has left
the Corps. Robinson, an investigator with 16 years of experience who has
investigated over 50 shootings, was found guilty of the lesser charge of
“adultery” and served a six month sentence in the Camp Pendelton brig.
Colonel Archibald Scott (U.S. Army, ret.)
was in Colonel Underwood’s house on the afternoon of January 2l, just 18
hours before Colonel Sabow was killed. The two had just finished a game
of golf, and retired to Underwood’s house for a drink, when Jimmy Sabow
arrived. As the OIG report states:
“During the conversation in Col.
Underwood’s house, Col. Sabow had informed Col. Underwood that he was
going to demand a court martial. Col. Underwood replied that Col. Sabow
would be making a mistake.... Mr. Scott said he and Col. Sabow left
after about an hour, and during the walk from Col. Underwood’s house,
Col. Sabow told Mr. Scott that he was concerned about something that was
“frightening and irritating,” but would not say what it was....”[33]
(See Appendix)
According the version provided by David
Sabow, Scott heard Sabow state, “Quitters never win, and winners never
quit.” He also allegedly told Gene Wheaton: “Jimmy never killed himself,
and I think Underwood did it.”
A highly decorated officer, Scott was
charged with “impersonating an officer” less then two months after
Sabow’s death. Colonel Lucas, the Staff Judge Advocate who participated
in the cover-up, ordered his department to file the charges. Rather than
being forced out of the Army, Scott chose to finish his 20 years of
service at the reduced rank of sergeant, denying him the privileges
afforded by his rank. His case was tried in federal court where he lost,
but the decision was reversed on appeal in l994.
Both the Provost Marshall, Major Goodrow
and his deputy, Captain Forquer, the first ones at the crime scene, were
“short-termed” - given new assignments far away.
“This is a most unusual occurrence,” says
Sabow, “especially when it involved the two Marine police officers who
were the first at the crime scene.”
Captain Leslie Williams, who had worked
for and admired Colonel Sabow, was extremely critical of the accusations
against him, and made her feelings known. In spite of high ratings given
her performance, she was “passed over” for promotion and forced to
resign.
Another who had cast a suspicious eye on
the circumstances of Colonel Sabow’s death was Pete Barbee. A courageous
ex-Marine, Barbee knew that his idol did not commit suicide, and devoted
much of his time to apprehending the killers. Believing the murder to be
related to drug trafficking, his search proceeded in that direction. In
the process, he was attacked by a known vicious drug dealer, Rudy Garza,
and in self-defense killed him. He was charged with 2nd degree
manslaughter for using “excessive force,” and received a one-and-a-half
year prison sentence.
Pete Barbee and the Drug Connection
by Gary Null (edited for length)
During this time, Colonel Sabow became
aware of drugs on the base. He and his staff decided to use undercover
methods to find out how the drugs were getting there. Somebody
recommended [Marine Captain Pete] Barbee, who, as a Mustang, had rapport
with the troops. In the latter part of 1987, Colonel Sabow contacted
Barbee and discussed his concern about drug trafficking within the El
Toro and Tustin bases....
After much research, Barbee discovered
chemicals used to make methamphetamine were being sold.... Barbee
learned that the chemicals red phosphorus and P2, a bluish liquid used
for cleaning ships and aircraft for quality control, were being removed
from the military stockpile and transferred through DRMO, the Defense
Regional Management Office, and several NIS agents....
In 1993, Barbee moved to Fontana, close
to Waters’ Country store, the center of massive and open drug dealing.
Twelve to twenty drug dealers worked there seven days-a-week, and he
could not understand why they were dealing so openly, and why nothing
was being done to stop them. There were no drug busts made, and no
police monitoring them. Yet everything from heroin to cocaine, speed,
and pot were being sold and bringing in easily $50,000 to $70,000 a
week.
Barbee became too visible. On the night
of November 10, 1993, he was kidnapped, drugged, and left for dead in
Ventura County. Several underlings who worked for drug lords Carlos
Segura, Rudy Garza, and Augustine were responsible. They were major
dealers and providers at Waters’ Country Store.
Barbee was discovered by the police, and
after a short stay in the emergency room was taken to jail on drug
charges. After getting out of jail, he obtained a gun, and continued his
search. He slowly gathered more knowledge on why and how these dealers
were allowed to operate with such impunity. He discovered a great deal
of corruption....
Barbee worked with the [Ventura]
Sheriff’s Office for approximately three months, during which time he
denied the drug dealers access, moved things around so that they weren’t
familiar with their territory, and gave the Sheriff’s Department
information about types of drugs and drug deals being made.
At the end of three months, a big raid
took place, and the drug dealers were gone. Once they found out that
Barbee had a lot of information, and that he was passing it along, Garza
and Augustine saw to it that Barbee was badly beaten. This happened more
than once. Guns were pulled on him, his head was cracked, and his nose
was crushed.
After recovering, Barbee continued
working.... On August 29, 1994, Garza attacked Barbee with a knife at
his place of business... Barbee shot him four times in the head.
Several witnesses saw what Garza had
done. Others heard Garza’s threats to kill Barbee. Unfortunately, the
Sheriff chose to ignore witnesses. They also ignored reports by
emergency medical technicians who found Garza lying on the pavement,
knife in hand. Barbee was arrested that night for first-degree murder,
which shocked several police officers who had been working with him.
Barbee subsequently identified the
District Attorney in the Fontana Court as someone he frequently saw with
Garza at Waters’ Country Store. He told the Sheriff’s investigator, and
co-defender investigator this information. They informed Barbee that
they were doing an investigation into the prosecuting DA. They said that
the situation would be worked out and that it would not be a problem -
this was strictly a case of self-defense....
While in jail, Barbee was threatened and
beaten. He was told he would be killed in jail. At one point, Barbee was
moved from his cell block to another one, right next to Rudy Garza’s
cousin, Eddie. Like his cousin, Eddie Garza was involved in a great deal
of violence and drug trafficking....
Dr. Sabow informed Jim Willworth, an
investigative reporter for Time magazine, about Barbee, and he
subsequently interviewed him in depth several times. Willworth later
told Dr. Sabow, “I’ve done this business for 28 years. This man is
legitimate.” After Jim Willworth’s interview, the prosecution changed
the charge against Barbee from first-degree murder to manslaughter....
Barbee... actually gave the information
to the Sheriff’s Department, and they were supposed to have turned it
over to other authorities, including the DEA. But nothing has been
passed along. Also of interest is the fact that Barbee was interviewed
by the FBI months ago, and has heard nothing from them since that time.
Some say that Barbee was arrested because
of his insight into Colonel Sabow’s death and his knowledge of covert
government operations. Not surprisingly, Barbee fears for his life.
“There is a lot of corruption here in Fontana,” he says. “I am going up
against a DA who has prostituted his position, and a judge who has
prostituted his. The judge has eliminated evidence, and has lied about
it. I am scared. I fear for my life, and my wife fears for hers. She has
had to move. I need help, and I just pray that I can get it.”[34]
Epilogue
Colonel Underwood was forced to retire,
with a full pension.
“You know what he’s doing now?” says
Sabow, he’s working for Ted Shackley! We know this because we’ve had a
tail on him for a long time. He’s highly guarded, and he travels to
Europe an awful lot, mostly to Germany.
“He’s presently working for a subsidiary
of Continental Shelf Corporation, run by Shackley, in Jupiter, Florida.
Continental Shelf is the “maritime” arm of the CIA. It’s headed by
Shackley and that whole group from the CIA - old, ex-CIA people.[*]
“This man (Underwood), who was broke when
he left the Marine Corps, is fairly well-to-do now. He’s had several
houses, several Volvos... he went from literally nothing financially to
something fairly solid.
Interestingly, Underwood had been
stationed in Panama at the time he was accused of smuggling somewhere
between $300,000 and $400,000 worth of contraband into this country. The
NCIS conducted a 10-month investigation of Underwood and then suddenly
dropped it for unknown reasons.
General Adams was sent to Quantico and
ultimately allowed to retire with less than a slap on the wrist. This
infuriated General Davison, who confronted General Cook, the commander
of Quantico.
“It got nasty and Cook had to get his
Provost Marshall and MPs,” says Sabow. “Davison was physically escorted
off the base. I feel that Davison knew even back then that Adams was in
on the death. He became unglued when he learned that Adams was literally
‘getting away with murder.’”[35]
Dr. Sabow continues to seek justice for
the murder of his brother through a civil lawsuit. He believes he is not
alone in wanting justice to be served. “There’s a certain group in the
Marine Corps that wants me to pull this off,” concludes Sabow, “very
high people.”
As Sabow adds, “This whole outfit, the
Criminal Division of the Justice Department, still worries that I am
going to pull this whole thing off - the investigation of the murder of
my brother. If I do that, then the finger gets pointed right back at the
Department of Agriculture. And it will also be pointed right back at the
Justice Department that was supposed to follow through with Fuchs and
Regan (the two Agriculture Department patsies who took the fall for the
C-130 scam) and others in the stealing of the C-130s.”[*]
In spite of his brother’s murder, and his
own relentless investigation, Sabow feels that he is in no immediate
danger.
“Now it’s too late for them to do it to
me.... In fact - and they know I have it - I have the video of the
entire investigation. They are scared shitless.”[*]
Postscript
Judge Alice Marie Stotler, a Reagan/Bush
appointee who Dr. Sabow called a “heartless” woman and a “pawn,” would
not allow critical evidence and witnesses to be entered at the Sabows’
civil trial. Yet Stotler summarily dismissed the case in the middle of
the trial, as soon as General Adams was called to the witness stand!
Although Sabow testified that his brother was murdered, Stotler ruled
that he had not proved that the defendants acted outrageously.
Senator Tom Daschle is currently working
with Sabow. His plan is to request a special Senate inquiry and a
meeting with Janet Reno and Louis Free in the hopes of obtaining a
federal grand jury investigation.[36]
[*]
Another military pilot and CIA operative, Gunther Russbacher, would be
charged with a similar offense in an effort to silence him. Russbacher
was involved in many CIA covert operations, including “October Surprise”
(See Chapter XX)
[*] In
fact, no investigation of Colonel Sabow would ever be conducted.
[1]. Eric
Lichtblau, “Marine’s Vindication is his Family’s Crusade,” Los
Angeles Times, 12/11/91.
[*] As
McBride writes: “I offer this observation within the context of having
represented one high-ranking officer, a lieutenant colonel, who did
display an extreme reaction to being accused of misconduct. This
lieutenant colonel would shout and weep uncontrollably, bang his head on
the wall, and scream, ‘I can’t take this much longer. Can’t they see
that they’re killing me!’ I am not a psychologist. I can only offer that
I considered the lieutenant colonel a serious threat to kill himself (he
didn’t). I did not consider Colonel Sabow in that category.... No
comments were made... which indicated to me that his frame of mind was
desperate.” (Letter from Cpt. Paul T. McBride to NCIS, 1/28/91, copy in
author’s possession.)
[2].
Autopsy of James Emery Sabow, Orange County Sheriff-Coroner, Dr. Aruna
Singhania, Case No: 91-00474-SU, 1/23/91, copy in author’s possession.
[*] The
NCIS case officer, Cheryl Baldwin, also observed the swelling and
testified to this in an interview with the Judge Advocate General. Mrs.
Sabow also described this same swelling when she was interviewed by the
NCIS. Furthermore, the crime scene and coroner’s photographs clearly
show an orange-size bulge on the occiput lobe. Yet Dr. Sabow was told by
NCIS forensic specialist Burt Nakasone and Mike Barrett, that there was
no sign whatsoever, of external trauma.
[3].
Letter from Dr. David Rubinstein to Dr. David Sabow, 3/21/96, copy in
author’s possession
[4].
Letter from Dr. Martin L. Fackler to Dr. David Sabow, 6/16/94, copy in
author’s possession; Rubinstein, Op. Cit., Letter from Dr. Kent
B. Remley to Dr. David Sabow, 4/2/96. Dr. Jack Feldman, widely
recognized as the world’s leading authority on the brain control of
respiration, states in greater detail, “Colonel Sabow must have received
a severe blow to the head, rendering him unconscious but still breathing
for several minutes, and then he was shot.”
[5].
Fackler, Op. Cit.
[6].
Matthew Brelis and Mary Kurkjian, Boston Globe, 6/10/97. X-rays
of Sabow’s skull showed “an external blunt force trauma that caved in
his skull and there are no pellets anywhere in the area,” said Dr. Sabow.
[*]
“Because of litigation, we are not in a position to comment,” said Cole
Hanner, spokesman for the NCIS. Asked about the lack of fingerprints on
the gun or shell casings, an NCIS official familiar with the case said:
“I can’t explain that.” (Boston Globe, 6/10/97)
[7].
Fackler, Op. Cit.
[*] See
Appendix.
[*]
Colonel Lucas ordered Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Verducci to write a
JAGMAN report - a non-criminal investigation, concurrent with the NCIS
report. As Verducci writes in a letter to Dr. Sabow: “He (Lucas) made it
clear that I was not to investigate the matters that the IG had
investigated. He told me that the family had endured enough pain and
that they should be spared any additional allegations and
investigations. Colonel Lucas reminded me that NCIS was conducting the
criminal investigation, and told me I should be able to satisfy the
requirements of the JAGMAN without bothering the family or waiting for a
complete NCIS investigation.” Verducci added that he thought “that
Colonel Sabow did not die of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.” (letter of
Lt. Col. Anthony J. Verducci, USMC, 3/25/99, copy in author’s
possession.)
[8].
James Beissner was the Orange County Coroner. Dr. Arvna Singhania
conducted the autopsy.
[*] The
Orange County Coroner’s Office is under the supervision of the County
Sheriff, which prohibited the Deputy Coroner Jim Beisner from reopening
the investigation. “Just this past spring, I was told by the Assistant
DA in charge of violent crimes for Orange County that my evidence proved
that Colonel Sabow’s was ‘highly suspicious,’” said Dr. Sabow. “His
detective pointed to the grand jury chambers in my presence and told me
that I would be spending a great deal of time in that room.” But several
days later, Assistant DA Mike Jacobs told Sabow that Sheriff
Gates said, “Under no circumstances, whatsoever, will there be any
further investigation of the death of Colonel Sabow.”
[*]
According to Dr. Sabow, a Navy Pathologist was available at Balboa Naval
hospital in San Diego, only one hour away by car or a few minutes by
helicopter. Not that it would have made a difference. The AFIP played
its own role in covering up the murder of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown.
[9].
“The Orange County Coroner’s office supposedly has an arrangement with
El Toro,” says Sabow. “However, this does not allow them to perform an
autopsy on an active duty serviceman who died on government property.”
[10].
Dr. John David Sabow, interview with author. All quotes, interview with
author.
[*] FBI
Agents Bill Grode and Fred Collins of the north central FBI district in
Minneapolis sent a report on the case to Washington. Sabow subsequently
learned that from Washington it had been referred to the Los Angeles FBI
bureau but that “it was too hot to handle” and sent back to
Washington.... Dr. Sabow wrote a letter to the director of the FBI after
not hearing anything for several months. The letter was detailed, and
filled with hard evidence. A week or two later, Dr. Sabow received a
letter from the Congressional liaison and public affairs officer for the
FBI, a man by the name of Collingwood, stating, in essence, that the FBI
had already conducted investigations into the matter in 1993, and had
found absolutely no evidence of foul play. They were sorry that his
brother was dead, but it was over. The FBI didn’t want any part of it.
(Gary Null, “The Strange Death of Colonel Sabow,” Pacifica Radio
Network, no date provided.)
[11].
Sara Sabow, et. al. v. United States of America, case no. 94-56634, D.C.
No. CV-93-00991-AHS.
[*]
Unable by law to sue for wrongful death, the Sabows tried to sue the
U.S. Government for emotional distress resulting from mis-handling of
the investigation and the family’s subsequent treatment. The case was
dismissed. On appeal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
found the investigation had “alarming instances of poor judgment and a
general disregard for sound investigative procedures.” Although the
court ruled that officials did not violate any regulations regarding
death investigations, the court did say the meeting with General Adams
and the attempt to investigate Dr. Sabow resulted in “intentional
infliction of emotional distress” and ruled that part of the suit could
proceed.
[12].
Dr. David Sabow, interview with author; Notes from Colonel Wayne Rich,
copy in author’s possession.
[*]
According to Dr. Sabow, Colonel Rich admitted, under oath, in the
presence of the U.S. Attorney, to writing the notes.
[13].
Memo from General Ben W. T. Adams to Lt. Poague, 5/17/91, copy in
author’s possession.
[*]
Colonel Verducci, a JAG officer at the time of the murder, has said on
record that Colonel Sabow was murdered. He was assigned by Colonel Lucas
to do the first JAGMAN (Judge Advocate General Manual) investigation in
the death. Verducci stated that after he was assigned to conduct the
re-investigation by the Commanding General, Drax Williams, Colonel
Walker in the JAG office gave him a yellow-pad that was compiled by
Colonel Lange containing a list of items which were to be the official
findings of the re-investigation. Verducci refused to be a part of this
scheme. Consequently, he was relieved of the responsibility of
conducting the investigation. As Verducci states, “This was nothing more
than me reviewing the death certificate stating the name, age and
address of Colonel Sabow, much like you would quote in a newspaper
obituary.” He was told not to wait for any of the criminal material from
NCIS.
[*] Dr.
Sabow never did find out from Baldwin the identity of the three men.
Said Sabow: “Baldwin won’t talk. She is scared out of her mind.”
[*] They
also put a chair underneath Colonel Sabow to say that he was sitting in
the chair when he supposedly shot himself. Yet Robinson has testified
that chair was nowhere near there. Robinson also stated that he had
witnessed the ammunition neatly packaged and stored in a cabinet in the
garage, yet it was subsequently photographed on the floor, loosely, to
make it appear that the ammunition was found in the middle of the floor
for all to see.
[*]
“Mysteriously, the one who placed this final call to Colonel Sabow has
never acknowledged making that call,” said Sabow. “That call was made
just minutes before Colonel Sabow died and consequently identification
of the caller was of the utmost importance. All other calls made to
Sabow earlier that morning have been identified.”
[*] This
is a hypothetical version of events according to Dr. Sabow. In addition,
the blow was so violent that it caused a massive depressed occipital
bone fracture that penetrated into the back of Sabow’s brain. This
evidence is seen on the x-rays taken at the Orange County Coroner’s
office but which have been denied by all involved in the cover-up. The
NCIS case officer, Cheryl Baldwin, also observed this swelling at the
back of the head and testified to this in an interview with JAG officer
Colonel Pearcy. Yet, the official reports of the NCIS, the JAGMAN
investigation, and the autopsy, state that there was no sign of external
trauma.
[*]
Underwood was the only one except for family who knew where the guns
were kept. Underwood told Dr. Sabow that he helped his brother carry
them from the garage where they previously were stored to Colonel
Sabow’s son’s bedroom for safe-keeping. Underwood helped Sabow carry
several guns from the garage to the bedroom after suggesting that the
guns could easily be stolen from the garage. Shortly before the funeral,
Underwood told both of Colonel Sabow’s brothers about helping Sabow put
the guns in the bedroom. In spite of this conversation, when he was
interviewed at the crime scene by an NCIS agent, Underwood stated that
he had no knowledge that Sabow even owned a shotgun!
[14].
Underwood never went to Sabow’s house other than through the gate in the
backyard. This would have been especially true when Underwood stated
that he was carrying a cup of coffee to have with Sabow, for Underwood’s
kitchen is in the back of his house, only a short distance from the
backyard gate.
[*]
After Sally burst into the Underwood house announcing Sabow’s death,
Jean, Underwood’s wife, screamed, “Joe, this has gone too far!”
[15].
Underwood stated this under oath.
[16]. A
sworn statement of General Adams states that Underwood announced to him
that Sabow killed himself by “shooting himself in the mouth.” However,
Underwood testified to the NCIS that he never got closer to the body
than approximately 30 to 40 feet before he returned to his house to call
General Adams.
[*]
Underwood told Dr. Sabow that his wife was having epileptic seizures
throughout the morning of Colonel Sabow’s death. Yet, he told the NCIS
that he was watching television with her when sally burst into his
house.
[17].
The official tower records show that there were no plane take-offs from
8:32 a.m. until 9:03 a.m. Several landings occurred but all on the north
runway several miles distant. Therefore, plane noise could not have
muffled the shotgun blast.
[*]
Immediately following the funeral, Underwood disappeared and did not
attend the gathering of the family and close friends, a rather odd
occurrence for a “close friend” and next door neighbor.
[18].
“Review of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Investigation into
the Death of Colonel James Emery Sabow, United States Marine Corps,”
Office of the Inspector General, Department of Defense, 6/5/96, p. 23,
copy in author’s possession. According to the OIG report, Craycraft
denied making this statement.
[*]
According to Dr. Sabow’s sources, C-130 simulators were being used at El
Torro to train civilian pilots.
[19].
Ibid., p. 24.
[20].
Brian Downing Quig, e-mail to author.
[*]
Former DEA agent Celerino Castillo, along with Dave Harmon, gave the
following account in their 1994 book, Powder Burns: Cocaine, Contras
and the Drug War: “... every pilot had his own preferred technique
for getting his illegal payload to U.S. soil. Some liked the John Wayne
approach, flashing their CIA credentials at Florida airfields and
unloading the drugs in plain view. Those who wanted to maintain a lower
profile shipped the kilos out in innocuous cargoes like towels, seafood,
frozen vegetables or auto parts. Many landed at military bases around
the United States, knowing no one would inspect a Contra plane....” As
former Contra pilot Michael Tolliver states, in March 1986 he flew
28,000 pounds of weapons to Honduras and returned to Florida with 25,360
pounds of marihuana, which were flown directly to Homestead Air Force
Base, where they were unloaded and he was paid $75,000 cash.
[21].
OIG report, p. 24.
[*]
According to the OIG report, Harries would later deny this, and control
tower personal, and emergency fire and rescue personnel would deny any
knowledge of the landings.
[22].
Israeli agents are the ones who broke the story of the Iran-Contra
scandal in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Shiraa, as a retaliation
against Bush for betraying Israel to Iraq. It is also the Israelis who
witnessed arms deals, including the transfer of INSLAW’s PROMIS
software, in a Chilean meeting.
[23].
“FBI Muzzling Witnesses to Aid Clinton and Bush Family - The Big Purge
in Chicago,” Sherman Skolnick’s Report, 1999.
[*]
Interestingly, when this author and his attorney, Mike Johnson, began
investigating allegations of drug smuggling, fraud and murder by
E-Systems, Johnston’s office was broken into - twice. The perpetrators
left him a tape recording with his voice dubbed into a conversation with
two unidentified men. Johnston feels the message was: “Hey, we’ve got
you on a wire statute violation, and if you don’t back off, we’ll take
you down.” Two weeks later, as I was about to drive to Dallas to meet
with an E-Systems whistle blower - Winfred Richardson, a former employee
- all four of my tires were slashed. Richardson told me that two other
persons connected with the case had their tires slashed in a similar
way. E-Systems, possibly in conjunction with the NSA, has also been
intercepting and rerouting my e-mail.
[24]. J.
Orlin Grabbe, “Allegations Regarding Vince Foster, the NSA, and Banking
Transactions Spying, Part XXX,” posted on Internet, no date provided; Al
Martin, interviews with author.
[25].
Underwood was a Lt. Colonel at the time.
[*]
Underwood’s office was subsequently broken into by the Inspector
General’s staff in an attempt to secure documents outlining the extent
of the unauthorized clandestine criminal activity.
[*]
According to Sabow, Davis admitted that the conversation took place.
[26].
Underwood informed Sabow of some of these activities on Sunday, January
13, 1991.
[27].
OIG report, p. 27.
[28].
Statement of Sally Sabow.
[*]
According to Griggs, Steiner, Linda Tripp’s boss, was the head of the
JFK assassin school (a nickname). Joy was with the Delta Force, and
according to Griggs, trained the operatives that went into Waco and were
involved in abducting Panamanian President Manuel Noriega.
[*]
Grigg’s may be confusing the Phoenix Program with the assassinations run
by the military and CIA in Vietnam, that was responsible for almost
40,000 murders of non-combatants. Most likely, the Phoenix Program she
describes is an off-shoot of that program.
[*] “We
learned only relatively recently that [Davison] wore two hats,” says
Sabow. “One hat was in the role of the IG for the Corps. The other was
in ‘intelligence.’ Davison suspected that Colonel Sabow was murdered and
returned to El Toro in February, a few weeks after the assassination. We
don’t know the results of that visit. After I gave information to the
LA Times regarding Adams which hit the front pages, Davison returned
a third time. This was in May.
[29].
Ace Hayes, “Colonel Sabow Murder and Cover-Up,” Portland Free Press,
July-October, 1996; David Sabow, interview with author. According to Lt.
Col. Craig Roberts, retired Army officer, former Marine and noted
investigative journalist: “The Navy and Marines have a section on each
base that deals with the morale, welfare and recreation of the personnel
and families. It used to be called “Special Services,” where you could
check out sports equipment or play games, pool, etc. It has expanded and
now personnel are assigned to maintain a facility, organize events,
meetings, and handle all recreational or civilian related activities.
The Morale Officer is a regular officer with other duties that has this
as an additional duty assignment.”
[*]
Colonel Ron Fix was in charge of this department and, among other
duties, was in charge of letting all civilian contracts, including those
for proprietary airlines. He also was capable of making the arrangements
for acquisitions and dispersal of planes through the base air museum.
[*]
Wheaton claims he was approached by CIA Deputy Director of Operations
Carl Jenkins to help set up dummy airlines which would later be used for
drug and weapons smuggling. Rep. Bill McCollum (FL), a long-time friend
of CIA DCI William Casey, was also implicated in this operation.
[*] On
October 22, 1994, Swails and his assistant, Nancy Sundervan, came to
Sabow’s home. The investigators immediately started questioning Sabow
about his knowledge of covert activities and his sources of
documentation. Their questions were direct: Who are your sources? Who
supplied you with information from headquarters? Sabow insisted on going
over the evidence point by point, and the two so-called investigators
continued to resist. They were not open to any evidence that did not
support their point of view. The two were particularly disturbed by
statements and autopsy photos regarding a large lump on the back of
Colonel Sabow’s head, and by the idea that it was not likely that a
person would hit himself over the head before shooting himself.
According to David, whenever such an inconsistency arose, the two would
ignore it, change the topic, or offer to show it to the FBI. At one
point during the interview the investigators actually said that they
were not going to consider any evidence that was not pointing toward
suicide. After Swails and Sundervan left, Judge [Marshall] Young (who
sat in on the meeting) told David that “I have never seen anything in my
life like this, and I’ve been on the bench for over 30 years. I have
never seen a capital crime proved so conclusively. You have proved
murder in spades.” He went on to say, “But I want you to know, you’re
dealing with evil people. And you make one grave mistake. You have faith
in the judicial system. I don’t.” Three or four days after the meeting,
Gene Wheaton called Larry Swails to find out how the Rapid City
investigation went. Gene had known Larry years before when he was a
criminal investigator for the army. Swails answered that the meeting was
“an absolute waste of time. All Dr. Sabow wanted to talk about was the
investigation of his brother’s murder. He didn’t want to say anything
about covert activities.” (Gary Null, “The Strange Death of Colonel
Sabow,” Pacifica Radio Network, no date provided.)
[30].
Ace Hayes, “Colonel Sabow Murder and Cover-Up,” Portland Free Press,
July-October, 1996; David Sabow, interview with author.
[31].
Dr. David Sabow, interview with author.
[32].
Weldon is the nephew of Congressman Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania.
[33].
OIG report, p. 28.
[34].
Gary Null, “The Strange Death of Colonel Sabow,” Pacifica Radio Network,
no date provided.
[*]
Shackley is the retired CIA Miami Station Chief and a past Deputy
director of Operations for the CIA.
[35].
Davison’s statement according to a witness at the scene.
[*] In
U.S. v. Roy Regan, Tucson (1998) former CIA pilot and special
independent counsel Gary Eitel testified that CIA was flying drugs into
Mena, AR as far back as 1972.
[*] The
NCIS video of the crime scene investigation. “The video obviously did
not capture the THREE but it showed the NCIS Forensic ‘expert’
contaminating the hands of Colonel Sabow,” says Sabow. “After extracting
the spent shell from the shotgun He grabbed Colonel Sabow's hand without
changing his gloves, then he swabbed the hand for residue.”
[36].
Gary Null, “The Strange Death of Colonel Sabow,” Pacifica Radio Network,
no date provided.
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