at-Largely
by Larisa Alexandrovna: For journalists and others who like examining the landscape of investigative reporting.
August 03, 2008
Jean C. Duley... tell us again...
Okay, well the more research I do into the now infamous Ms. Jean C. Duley - the "therapist" who filed a restraining order against the alleged anthrax attacks suspect Bruce E. Ivins - the more her story sounds like a whole load of crap.
Let's rehash Ms. Duley's role in the whole saga.
According to The Smoking Gun, documents they obtained and posted show that Ms. Duley filed a restraining order request against Bruce Ivins on July 24th. In that complaint, she wrote the following (the errors are hers):
client has a history dating to his graduate days of homicidal threats, actions, plans, threats & actions toward theripist. Dr. David Irwin his psychiatrist called him homicidal, sociopathic with clear intentions will testify with other details FBI involved, currently under investigation & will be charged with 5 capital murders. I have been subpoena to testify before a federal grand jury August 1, 2008 in Washington, D.C.
It is hard to know where to begin with this piece of work, but let us start with the obvious:
1. FBI Investigation into Domestic Bioterrorism Attacks Is Open to Duley?
How does Duley know that Ivins "will be charged with 5 capital murders?" She has yet to testify to the grand jury, which means the grand jury has yet to indict him. And why on earth would the FBI investigators read Duley into the case details?
2. Death Threats, Terra Threats, and "theripist" threats, oh my?
The complaint alleges that on July 9th Duley got threats of a homicidal nature, see here. Now, I don't know about you, but I would not wait roughly three weeks to report homicidal threats from a bio-weapons expert, nor would I wait that long to report threats that were made only against me. I have had some personal experience with stalkers. You don't wait when you are frightened like she claims to be. If you are that frightened, you go straight away to the police. She says that on July 10, Ivins is committed to Shepard Pratt psychiatric facility. I have yet to read any account of anyone validating this. But let us assume that he was, Duley alleges that he signed himself out on July 16th, after Ivins went to have a commitment hearing.
Again, if a bio-weapons expert is making homicidal threats and is committed, he does not get to check himself out and if he actually attended a commitment hearing and was granted release, then clearly someone at Shepard Pratt that that Ivins was stable. But in any case, he is out on July 16th, so why is she still not filing a restraining order against him? Why does she wait until July 24th?
In addition to this series of strange claims by Duley, the most obvious issue here is if Ivins had a history "dating back to his graduate days" - so some 30 years ago - of homicidal threats and plans (whatever the hell that means), how was he able to gain access and security clearences to work with Anthrax?
And just what kind of therapist cannot spell the term of her own profession, spelling it "theripist?" She got subpoena right, which is far more difficult to spell (although the tense is wrong) and yet a term that is used on a daily basis in the field that she actually works in she could not get right?
3. Dr. David S. Irwin, come on down...
According to Duley, Ivins was described by a psychiatrist as "homicidal, socipathic with clear intentions" although she does not specify what the intentions are. Again, I have to ask what kind of psychiatrist a). makes these statements to some twit fresh out of school in violation of HIPPA laws, but b). does not file a police report given who the patient is, and c). does nothing to notify Ft. Detrick?
Okay, now with these basics in hand, let's examine Ms. Duley;
1. According to her boyfriend of 7 years, she is in an undisclosed location because she wants privacy. Okay, then why is her boyfriend Mike giving statements to the press?
Mike McFadden, spoke to The Frederick News-Post on Saturday from their home in Williamsport and provided a statement on her behalf.
"Jean is currently at an undisclosed location," McFadden said.
2. Duley's boyfriend says she was "reluctant to become involved in the FBI investigation" and then turns around and says "Jean is the kind of person who believes her life is insignificant in comparison with the kind of damage Dr. Ivins is capable of...She sacrificed all this stuff because she wanted to do the right thing. She'll soon reveal what many wouldn't because they didn't want to be involved with it." Which is it, was she reluctant or willing to sacrifice everything because she felt her life was insignificant?
And what is with this cryptic statement: "she'll soon reveal what many wouldn't because they didn't want to be involved with it."
She will soon reveal? Um, this is a terrorism case, it is not for her to reveal anything, rather, it is for the FBI/DOJ to reveal information. And if she had something to reveal, why does she simply not reveal it? She wants privacy, but dangles this little morsel over the heads of hungry journos?
3. What kind of therapist was Ms. Duley? Well, as of 07/08 she had made the Dean's list of a small and extremely expensive liberal arts college called Hood College, which costs $24k p/y to attend. So I am not entirely clear what degree she was going for or how she was able to pay for it on a social worker's salary. Also interesting is that in 1999 she had gotten a Chapter 7 Discharge, which again makes one wonder how she was able to pay for tuition.
Record 1:
Civil Record Verification: Confirm Case # 9920549 at the Court House
Defendant: DULEY, JEAN
Case Number: 9920549
Filing Type: CHAPTER 7 DISCHARGED
Entity Type: INDIVIDUAL RECORD
Filing Date: 19990907
Address: 343C
FIELDPOINTE BV
103
City: FREDERICK
State: MD
Zip: 21701
Schedule 341 Date: 19991008
Attorney: STEVEN COHEN
Attorney Phone: 3019899000
Attorney Address: 15316
SPENCERVILLE CT
Attorney City: BURTONSVILLE
Attorney State: MD
Attorney Zip: 20866
Assets Available: N
Court Code: MD002
Court Name: GREENBELT
Judge Initials: DWK
Unlawful Detainer: N
4. If you go back to the statement by her boyfriend above and read the full article, he also says of Duley "She had to quit her job and is now unable to work, and we have spent our savings on attorneys."
Okay, I give up. Why did this woman have to spend all her money on attorneys? She clearly filed the restraining order herself. So how is it that she incurred any attorney fees? Unless, of course, her boyfriend means that she incurred attorney fees for her DUI jury trial in 06 and ongoing fees relating to her probation? Why did Ms. Duley lose her job? Is it because as a "therapist" working with drug addiction cases, she was found driving under the influence?
I don't know what to make out of all of this. Is this woman jumping on the bandwagon hoping to pen a book deal or something? Is she simply lying? Is she telling the truth about Ivins? Is she as nutty as she claims him to be? I don't know. What I think, however, is that if this witness was dragged into a court in which I was the defense attorney, her credibility would quickly be shot down. Somehow, I think, we will soon see a Fox Noise exclusive interview with this woman and her boyfriend who will "reveal" what it is that they know. At this point, I am not buying this story and I am not sure why the media has jumped on her claims as though they were gospel.
Thoughts?
Posted by Larisa Alexandrovna on August 03, 2008 at 11:45 PM
