Catherine Greig, Whitey Bulger, the search continues

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   theirishobserver.posted 13 years ago

   Whitey Bulger
   
   Investigators hope a new media campaign announced today will bring them closer to capturing the notorious mobster and Top Ten fugitive James “Whitey” Bulger by focusing public attention on his longtime companion Catherine Greig.
   
   Bulger, who once ran South Boston’s violent Winter Hill Gang and is wanted for his role in 19 murders, has been pursued around the world by the FBI-led Bulger Fugitive Task Force for the past 16 years.
   
   “In terms of publicity, the FBI knows that combining the reach and power of the media with alert citizens is a successful formula for catching fugitives,” said Richard Teahan, a special agent in our Boston office who leads the Bulger task force. “So we are taking the next logical step and continuing our focus on Greig, who has been on the run with Bulger since 1995.”
   
   Catherine Greig, as seen (from left) in 1982, 1990, and in an artist's sketch. | View Wanted Poster
   
   The task force has produced a public service announcement (PSA) that will begin airing tomorrow on TV stations in 14 selected markets to make the public—and specifically women—aware of Greig’s physical characteristics, habits, and personality traits.
   
   Where's 'Whitey'?
   
   Here is what we know about Top Ten fugitive James “Whitey” Bulger:
   
   - The 81-year-old is known to disguise himself by dying his hair, wearing a moustache, and donning different types of glasses.
   - He is an animal lover, an avid reader who frequents libraries, and a fitness enthusiast who takes long walks.
   - He is a history buff who collects books and videos about World War II and Adolf Hitler.
   - He loves to travel and may frequently visit historic landmarks and museums. He is believed to have travelled widely in France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Canada.
   - He has a violent temper and is said to always
   carry a knife.
   
   “We are trying to reach a different audience that will produce new leads in the case,” said Teahan, who has been tracking Bulger since 2006. “Greig has certain habits, characteristics, and idiosyncrasies that are recognizable, and we think the public might naturally notice these things. By running the PSA in markets where we believe Bulger has resided or may still have contacts,” he added, “we increase our chances of getting a tip that will lead to Greig’s whereabouts—and Bulger’s capture.”
   
   One of the things the public may notice, for example, is the more than 20-year age difference between Greig, 60, and Bulger, 81. Some of Greig’s other distinguishing characteristics include:
   
   ■She loves dogs and all kinds of animals.
   ■She is likely to have well-kept teeth because she previously worked as a dental hygienist.
   ■She likes to frequent beauty salons.
   ■Prior to her fleeing with Bulger, she had multiple plastic surgeries.
   Greig has blue eyes, is 5 feet 6 inches tall, and had a thin build when she fled with Bulger. She is known to go by the aliases Helen Marshal and Carol Shapeton. She was last seen with Bulger in London in 2002. The 30-second PSA includes pictures of Greig after her pre-fugitive plastic surgeries.
   
   Although she is not implicated in the crimes Bulger is wanted for, Greig was federally charged in 1997 for harboring a fugitive. There is a reward of up to $100,000 for her capture. The reward for Bulger is up to $2 million, the largest the FBI has ever offered for a Top Ten domestic fugitive.
   
   “Whitey Bulger was the leader of a violent organized crime group in Boston,” Teahan said. “He is charged with murder, extortion, racketeering, money laundering, and other crimes. We believe Greig fled with Bulger because she wanted to be with him, no matter what it took. It is important for the FBI to bring Bulger to justice,” he added, “and Catherine Greig can lead us to him.”
   
   We need your help. If you have any information on Catherine Greig or Bulger’s whereabouts, contact your local FBI office or the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate.

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   theirishobserver.posted 13 years ago

   I posted this only a day before Whitey Bulger was caught, can hubbers play a role in law enforcement?

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   Aficionadaposted 13 years ago

   I sure wish you could collect something of the reward for his capture!

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   theirishobserver.posted 13 years ago

   I wish

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5. 86

   I am DB Cooperposted 13 years ago

   Very interesting that he was finally caught after the FBI targeted his girlfriend. The Los Angeles man accused of severely beating a San Francisco Giants fan after a Dodgers game was also caught after police started to intensify the search for a girl who was rumored to be seeing him. Perhaps the best way to find men who are on the run is to go after the women in their life.

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   theirishobserver.posted 13 years ago

   Interesting thought, I suppose the partners in these matters are bond more by 'love' than criminality and may not be as versed in the code of silence
   
   James 'Whitey' Bulger Captured
   Media Campaign Leads to Top Ten Arrest
   
   
   06/23/11
   
   
   Top Ten fugitive James “Whitey” Bulger was arrested thanks to a tip from the public—just days after a new media campaign was announced to help locate the gangster who had been on the run for 16 years.
   
   Bulger, who once ran South Boston’s violent Winter Hill Gang and was wanted for his role in 19 murders, was arrested with his longtime companion Catherine Greig Wednesday night in Santa Monica, California, by agents on our Violent Crimes Task Force.
   
   
   Statement by Boston Special Agent in Charge Rick DesLauriers:
   
   
   Good Morning.  I am Rick DesLauriers, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division.   Thank you for attending this morning’s press conference.
   
   I would like to thank the U.S. Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police, United States Attorney, and Massachusetts Department of Corrections for their tireless efforts in support of the FBI’s fugitive investigation.
   
   As importantly, the FBI wants to thank each person who had the courage to call the FBI to assist in the 16 year search for Mr. Bulger.  For 100 years the FBI has known that combining the reach and power of the media with alert citizens is a successful formula for catching fugitives.
   
   Read more
   
   
   
   “Although there are those who doubted our resolve, it never wavered," said Boston Special Agent in Charge Richard DesLauriers. "We followed every lead, we explored every possibility, and when those leads ran out we did not sit back and wait for the phone to ring. The result is we have captured one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, a man notorious in Boston and around the world for the very serious crimes he is alleged to have committed."
   The FBI has always relied on cooperation from the public to help capture fugitives and solve crimes. The new media campaign regarding Bulger was designed to draw attention to Greig, who fled with Bulger in 1995. A 30-second public service announcement (PSA) produced by the Bureau began airing Tuesday in 10 states where it was believed Bulger had resided or still had contacts. California was one of those states.
   
   The PSA focused on the 60-year-old Greig’s physical appearance, habits, and personality traits and was directed specifically at women who might come in contact with her at places such as the beauty parlor or doctor’s office. After the PSA began to air, hundreds of tips flowed into the FBI, and one of them led to the arrest Wednesday night in a residence near Los Angeles.
   
   “We were trying to reach a different audience to produce new leads in the case,” said Richard Teahan, a special agent in our Boston office who leads a task force that has searched for Bulger around the world. “We believed that locating Greig would lead us to Bulger. And that’s exactly what happened.”
   
   The PSA included pictures of Greig after her pre-fugitive plastic surgeries and other details including her love of animals and the reward of up to $100,000 for her capture. Although she was not implicated in Bulger’s crimes, Greig was federally charged in 1997 for harboring a fugitive. The reward for Bulger is up to $2 million—the largest the FBI has ever offered for a Top Ten domestic fugitive.
   
   Bulger, 81, who is known for his violent temper, was arrested without incident and was scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles court later today.

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   theirishobserver.posted 13 years ago

   It is important that gangsters realise that the FBI search never ends until they are caught or dead

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