- Helena Stoeckley, in 1970, frequently wore a blond wig and boots and used candles for many reasons including so-called “cult” ceremonies. Her group was involved in stabbings and animal sacrifices. She was seen to be in black mourning clothes on the day of the MacDonald funerals, and she had a wreath on her house at the time.
There is ample corroboration of her association with Dwight Smith, Shelby Don Harris, Greg Mitchell, Cathy Perry and others in their group.
- Helena Stoeckley made admissions of guilt in this case as early as 24 hours after the murders to Fayetteville, North Carolina police detective Prince Beasley, who was aware of her association with a black male who wore an Army fatigue jacket with sergeant stripes. Beasley was also aware she had a blond wig and often wore boots. This information was transmitted to the C.I.D. on several occasions, yet no one from the C.I.D. investigated Helena Stoeckley for complicity in the crimes.
- Importantly, Ted Gunderson began the F.O.I.A. request in late 1979 and early 1980. He was stonewalled and rebuffed until 1983, at which point increasing congressional pressure finally opened the F.O.I.A. “gates” and long-suppressed documents began to be released. To this date, perhaps 10,000 pages of an admitted 90,000 have been released to the defense, but heavily censored.
In these pages, multiple crucial items of evidence favorable to Dr. MacDonald were discovered. These include:
- Hiding from the defense the discovery of writing on the wall of Helena Stoeckley’s apartment in which the “G” matched, according to one of the government investigators, the “G” in the word “PIG” written in blood on the headboard in the MacDonald master bedroom.
- The intentional discarding of seven fingerprints of unknown persons at the crime scene, the reason being, “they kept getting mixed up with the known prints.”
- The loss of a piece of skin from under Colette’s fingernail. This loss was hidden for 13 years.
- The loss of a bloody, half-filled syringe from the crime scene, important because it corroborated an assailant confession.
- The fact that a witness in the case was given bloody clothing and boots from Helena Stoeckley shortly after the crimes and told to hide them from the police. These were turned over to the Army C.I.D. and later returned to the witness. Today, the prosecution claims they were “negative” for blood, but has refused to produce any lab tests or reports to corroborate this statement.
- It was discovered that the federal agents knew Helena Stoeckley was a reliable informant including involvement in internal affairs investigations for the Nashville Police Department after the murders. This is important because the prosecution successfully kept evidence regarding Helena Stoeckley from the jury by arguing she was unreliable while simultaneously hiding the evidence of her reliability from the defense. (The ruling judge, of course, was Judge Dupree, whose son-in-law had “dismissed” Helena Stoeckley in 1970-71.)
- The C.I.D. never had Dr. MacDonald review any suspects by line-up, nor did they construct police artist sketches of the assailants. Importantly, the FBI did voice-record several suspects, but the C.I.D. refused to allow Dr. MacDonald to listen to these recordings.
The defense, finally, during the initial 1970 investigation, had police artist sketches drawn. These were done in the summer of 1970 by a police artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are labeled #1, #2, #3, and #4 (attached). In 1979, while under forensic hypnosis performed by a medical doctor, and while being questioned by a former FBI man who worked with hypnosis, another police artist from Los Angeles, California resketched the assailants. These drawings are labeled #5, #6, #7 and #8 (attached). The prosecution claims that Dr. MacDonald described different persons can be compared to the two groups of drawings, and you may draw your own conclusions.
- The descriptions given by Dr. MacDonald in 1970 minutes after being resuscitated by an MP and later memorialized in the two sets of police sketches fit the group of persons around Helena Stoeckley.
Dr. Thomas Noguchi, world-renowned forensic pathologist, has studied the evidence extensively and has determined that multiple assailants were involved, and that one of them was most likely left-handed. Greg Mitchell, was left-handed; Dr. MacDonald is right-handed.
- Jeffrey MacDonald has passed, conclusively, a polygraph administered to him by Dr. David Raskin, one of the world’s foremost polygraphers. (An “indeterminate” polygraph was performed on Dr. MacDonald by Joseph Reid in 1970. Upon review of the test, polygraphers and forensic psychiatrists feel the “indeterminate” status was due to the confusion in Dr. MacDonald’s mind over the guilt he felt at not having been able to save the lives of his family.)
- All legitimate forensic psychiatrists who have examined Dr. MacDonald (five) have argued that he is sane, normal, shows no psychopathology, and appears to be truthful.
- The FBI questioned Greg Mitchell in 1982. Shortly after that, Mitchell requested money and help from friends to leave the country because he had been involved in “serious crimes.” Mitchell confessed involvement in the MacDonald killings both at a drug detoxification center in 1971-72 and also to friends ten years later after being interviewed by the FBI.
- During the autopsy in 1970, hairs were found in Colette’s hand. The C.I.D. forcibly assaulted Dr. MacDonald’s attorneys and forcibly removed 12 hair samples (head, chest, groin, arms, legs) from Dr. MacDonald in June 1970 while he was in custody.
However, the hair report from the C.I.D. lab was inexplicably “delayed,” then “misplaced” by the C.I.D. agent Grabner in the evidence safe. Investigation during the Article 32 hearing revealed the delay was to enable the prosecutors to try to pressure the C.I.D. lab at Fort Gordon to change the report. It turned out the original report said the hair in Colette’s hand was “dissimilar” to Dr. MacDonald’s hair. The second, changed, hair report implied not enough samples had been taken from Dr. MacDonald to be sure of the results. The C.I.D. “resolved” this series of astonishing events by exhuming the bodies of the family four years later and having FBI agent Paul Stombaugh swear under oath to the federal grand jury that the hair in Colette’s hand was her own. Of course, all forensic hair experts know it is scientifically impossible to match hair in an individual — all that can be said is “similar” or “dissimilar.”
- In 1970, Dr. MacDonald described the female assailant as carrying lights, possibly a candle, since the light was flickering on her face. Later it was determined that the C.I.D. “held up,” again, wax dripping reports from the crime scene. These crucial wax reports state unequivocally that no candle in the MacDonald house matched the wax drippings — some of which were in the bedding of Kimberly, the five year old child.
- Dr. MacDonald suffered multiple wounds in the assault. Observers, including many physicians, confirm he suffered multiple ice pick and knife stab wounds and blunt trauma to his head and left shoulder/arm. One stab wound penetrated his right chest, collapsing his lung and narrowly missing his liver. Other stab wounds and lacerations were in his abdomen, arm, hand and left chest. Examining physicians and experts testified at least one wound was life threatening; and no one, including a physician, could know the consequences of the wounds.
A document released in F.O.I.A. documents in 1983, an important letter from a C.I.D. colonel to J. Edgar Hoover, documents at least 17 stab wounds, plus other injuries to Dr. MacDonald. This information was later denied by prosecutors and writers in an attempt to strengthen their case in court and against appeals.
When Dr. MacDonald, lying next to his wife, was initially revived by MP Mica, his first words were about his children, his wife, and descriptions of his assailants.
No road blocks were initially established. No patrol was sent to approach the woman in the floppy hat seen only blocks away, despite numerous requests by MP Mica to do so.
Dr. MacDonald was treated with two separate chest tubes being surgically inserted into his chest to re-expand the lung. He was admitted to the intensive care unit and remained in the hospital 10 days, leaving only once, to attend the funerals of his family.
A psychiatric note in his chart at that time states “normal grief process continues.”
- Information was uncovered by investigators Ted Gunderson, Ray Shedleck and one of columnist Jack Anderson’s investigators, Don Goldberg, that finally uncovered the person who made a phone call to the MacDonald house that night. Jimmy Friar made the call to locate “another Dr. MacDonald,” actually Dr. Richard McDonald, and post telephone operators in the early morning hours past 2:00 A.M. put him through to Dr. MacDonald’s house. Friar recalls a woman answered, that he could hear a commotion in the background, and a male said, “Hang up the God-darmmed phone.” In her confession, Helena Stoeckley used almost identical words to say what one of her male co-assailants said to her when she answered the ringing telephone.
- Jan Snyder, a former neighbor of the MacDonalds now living in Ohio, furnished a statement advising that during the early morning hours of February 17, 1970, she looked out her window at 308 Castle Drive and saw a cream-colored automobile parked directly in front of 310 Castle Drive. She also saw a blue Mustang and a “military vehicle” (jeep). The last time she saw the vehicles they made a U-turn and were beading in the direction of Dr. MacDonald’s home. This confirms information furnished by Helena Stoeckley. Snyder was interviewed by the C.I.D. for approximately five minutes the morning of February 17, 1970. She relayed this same information to the C.I.D. The C.I.D. agent said they would return to obtain a formal statement but never did.
- Cathy Perry gave a confession to the FBI in 1984, prior to an upcoming movie on the case (in contrast to prosecutor statements that the confession was made after the movie). In her confession she said she participated in the murders of a mother and two young boys in North Carolina in 1970. The government belittled her confession due to the discrepancies in the sex of the children, and because she said there was a flight of stairs in the home. In fact, there were two steps between the living room and hallway in the MacDonald home, and other portions of Perry’s confession contained astonishing facts related to the crime scene, including trying to “inject” victims (missing bloody syringe), and that one of the children hid in a closet (hair torn out by the root was found in that location).
- C.I.D. investigators on the case have admitted the direction of their investigation towards Dr. MacDonald was determined in the early morning hours of February 17, 1970, prior to any investigation of any leads. This direction was based on a theory that the living room scene was “staged” i.e., that the over-turned furniture, an over turned flowerpot, an over and other lack of general disarray appeared to be “staged.” It wasn’t until six months later, during the Article 32 proceedings, that it was conclusively proved the elements of the “staged scene” theory were all incorrect, and much of the confusion was directly a result of crime scene changes made by on-the-scene personnel such as military police and ambulance attendants. Unfortunately, although the genesis of the theory that Dr. MacDonald was guilty was not disproved, C.I.D. investigators would never again truly investigate the case in any neutral fashion.
- There was a clearly documented “turf’ war between the United States C.I.D. and the FBI for control of the crime scene and processing of forensic material. In effect, the Army C.I.D. froze out the FBI, and the FBI withdrew (formally on February 26, 1970, nine days after the murders, but in fact with-drawing by February 21, 1970, only four days after the crimes). This fiasco insured no civilians would ever truly be investigated, since the C.I.D. had jurisdiction only over United States Army personnel, i.e., Dr. (then Captain) MacDonald.
Additionally, this insured the less competent C.I.D. lab a chance to handle the forensic material, a move which turned out to be catastrophic, witness the lost, changed and ignored evidence of many types at the crime scene.
The list of destroyed or lost evidence handled, by the C.I.D. is astonishing. It includes, among others:
- Fingerprints “inadvertently” destroyed, such as at least two on the door of entry to the master bedroom used by the assailants
- Fingerprints, at least seven, intentionally destroyed
- Bloody syringe — now “lost”
- Piece of skin — now “lost”
- Bloody clothing and boots — now “lost”
- Pajama bottoms of Dr. MacDonald — now “lost”
- Wet leaves and grass from inside the crime scene — never collected
- Blood evidence from the exact spot where MacDonald struggled with assailants — hidden by prosecution (not recorded on crime scene chart at time of trial)
- Fibers, crucial evidence from the exact spot where MacDonald struggled with assailants — never collected
- Bloody footprints in child’s bedroom destroyed as C.I.D. agents tried to saw floor to transport to crime lab.
In addition, the C.I.D. was responsible for almost innumerable failures to follow up on legitimate leads, including leads of real value given to the C.I.D., each on several occasions. Clearly, their focus was Dr. MacDonald, and any evidence not consistent with their theory was discarded, ignored or changed.
Unfortunately, the small amount of investigation they did do was woefully lacking in completeness and in expertise. For instance, to this day large areas of the crime scene have never been processed for fingerprints. Crucial items, such as the flower pot and a baby bottle found near one child, were not processed for fingerprints.
And absurd events occurred in the crime scene, such as the theft of a wallet after the arrival of C.I.D. investigators; and VIP tours of the crime scene for high ranking “brass” prior to crime scene forensic investigations being performed.
The absurdity of the crime scene work is evidenced by an Esquire magazine, alleged by the prosecution to be important since it mentioned the Manson killings in California, and since it allegedly had blood on it. What the C.I.D. didn’t make clear until years later was that the Esquire magazine had been picked up and looked at by multiple investigators at the crime scene, for a total of three days prior to the alleged discovery of blood on the magazine. It was only then (over a lab person’s objecting statement that the magazine couldn’t possibly be considered evidence) that the Esquire magazine was collected as “evidence” against Dr. MacDonald. The majority of the fingerprints eventually found on the magazine were, indeed, investigator prints, yet to this day an unidentified print remains from this “exhibit.”
- The government contends “fabric impressions” and blood stains on a sheet imply Dr. MacDonald, for whatever bizarre and unsupported reason, carried Colette to the master bedroom from one of the children’s rooms.
Evidence uncovered by Raymond Shedlick, Jr. conclusively proves a witness in the house at the crime scene saw the sheet on Colette prior to crime scene photographs. Other witnesses saw Colette not under the sheet before and after those events. This evidence destroys any validity n the fabric impressions, since a crime scene person was the individual who placed the sheet in contact with Colette, not Dr. MacDonald.
- It is known from sworn testimony that the telephones were used by not only Dr. MacDonald but also by the MPs in calling for help. Therefore, someone at the crime scene wiped the phones clean while the investigators were there, contrary to the C.I.D. theory that Dr. MacDonald wiped the phones.
- Similarly, witnesses at the crime scene have stated under oath they saw a knife with a bloody blade in the master bedroom. The C.I.D., however, states the blade was clean and says Dr. MacDonald was lying about removing a knife from Colette’s chest. Obviously, with witnesses seeing a bloody knife at the scene after Dr. MacDonald was removed to the hospital, someone other than Dr. MacDonald wiped the blade. In fact, C.I.D. reports now released indicate blood smears on a towel that are consistent with a wiped blade.
- No inventory was ever taken of the contents of the MacDonald house, and the C.I.D. admitted that it never thought to ascertain whether any jewelry was missing. Possible blood and an unidentified fingerprint were found on the jewelry box in the master bedroom. Two family heirloom rings are still missing. Dr. MacDonald learned about this loss later, in the five-month Army Article 32 hearing.
- In 1982, Ted Gunderson submitted to the FBI a four-volume report containing his investigations to date. The response of the FBI was, unfortunately, not to consider Gunderson’s work, but to attack the motives of Gunderson and retired police detective Prince Beasley, who cooperated in obtaining the initial Stoeckley confessions. Since that time, information has been developed from F.O.I.A requests that the FBI conducted four separate investigations into of Gunderson after he entered the case as opposed to any real investigation into the evidence uncovered in the MacDonald case.
- The “pivotal” piece of evidence, according to the prosecution, in the entire case is the pajama top of Dr. MacDonald. Brian Murtaugh, a prosecution lawyer, asked Paul Stombaugh of the FBI laboratory, in 1974 to see if he could “match up 48 holes in the pajama top from ice pick thrusts with the 21 ice pick wounds in Colette’s chest.” The government theory, as bizarre as it sounds, is that for some reason Dr. MacDonald put his pajama top on Colette and stabbed her through the garment.
Not surprisingly, two weeks later, Stombaugh said, yes, he could match up 48 holes in the pajama top with 21 holes in Colette’s chest. This became the infamous “pajama top experiment” that was so convincing to the jury.
The pajama experiment is a fraud. There are approximately 12 reasons why the pajama top experiment is false information, but perhaps the clearest is the government’s own evidence. Stombaugh had determined with a microscope the “directionality,” i.e., the exit and entrance, of 13 of the holes in the pajama top (by fibers broken one way). However, in order to comply with layer Murtaugh’s request for “evidence,” he had to ignore this proven directionality fact, he reversed six of the 13 directions in order to “match up” the 48 in pajama top holes with 21 wounds on Colette.
There are additional important reasons why the pajama top experiment is fraudulent, including Stombaugh ignoring Colette’s pink pajama top; other wounds on Colette; and the massive discrepancy between the depth of wounds necessary in Stombaugh’s experiment as opposed to the depth of wounds as determined by autopsy. Yet the pajama top experiment was seen by the jury and believed, and was admitted by Judge Dupree despite overwhelming evidence it was totally false. In essence, a man today sits in federal prison convicted by knowingly false and misleading “evidence” manufactured in response to a lawyer’s plea for “new evidence.”
- An unexplained doll head and feathers were found in the house, Gunderson, who is considered a satanic cult expert, advises that when satanists commit a murder they leave signs at the scene. Gunderson believes that the doll head and feathers and stab wounds on one of the children’s chest were satanic signs.
- Stoeckley stated her cult was active in a drug operation that was bringing drugs in plastic bags in the body cavities of the dead GIs from southeast Asia to the U.S. in military planes. Her cult murdered the MacDonald family without the permission of the leaders of this operation. The leaders, some of whom were in the military, were afraid. that if the cult was identified as involved in the murders, it might expose the drug operation, so they framed Dr. MacDonald.
Today there are roughly 40 witnesses who strongly corroborate Dr. MacDonald’s version of events. This is in addition to the seven witnesses excluded at trial in 1979. Shockingly, the group he described existed, was drug and violence-oriented, was seen going to and coming from the house, was seen in bloody clothing, and fits his descriptions. Insider information and independently arrived at forensic information ties the group of assailants to the crime scene. And, most incredibly, three of the group of assailants have confessed and other admissions of guilt were overheard by third parties. Dr. MacDonald has passed a polygraph and five legitimate forensic psychiatric examinations. He suffered multiple wounds in the assault, at least one of which could have been fatal.
The “evidence” convicting him in 1979 was simply “forensic” evidence of a confusing nature that did no more than place him in his own home on the night of the murders. There is no evidence that says he committed murder — and there is voluminous evidence that points to the guilt of Helena Stoeckley, Greg Mitchell and their co-assailants. Yet, as of this date, Dr. MacDonald remains in federal prison, a victim of injustice of the worst sort.
Additional evidence was recently developed that further corroborates Dr. MacDonald’s innocence. This evidence was presented in the U.S. District Court. Judge Dupree ruled in favor of the government. The decision was then appealed to the Fourth Circuit. They also ruled in favor of the government. An effort will be made to appeal this decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
From <http://www.thejeffreymacdonaldcase.com/html/gunderson_summary.html>
http://themacdonaldcase.org/Case_Facts.html
