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The American Way - On the death of Odin Lloyd
By Charles P. Pierce
Up here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts this summer, the circus truly has come to town. At their luxurious new courthouse on the Boston Waterfront, the feds have brought to trial one James "Whitey" Bulger, an octogenarian sociopath allegedly responsible for 19 murders and countless other acts of mayhem, many of which he performed under the protection of a Boston FBI office that was as twisted as a pig's dick, and who was finally run to earth in California a couple of years ago after existing for years as either a legend or the basis for a Martin Scorsese film. (Robert Duvall has been in rapt attendance at the trial.) The parade of former hit men, gunsels, and other middle-management officials from Whitey's criminal enterprises that the government has brought forth as witnesses against their old supervisor truly has been an awesome spectacle, and we're only just getting started. Whitey was a celebrity. He was armed. He's in the middle of a televised freak show. He's the damn American dream, walking.
Meanwhile, at a luxurious new mansion down in North Attleborough, the local and state police have spent the weekend investigating Aaron Hernandez, a 23-year-old tight end responsible for 175 receptions and 18 touchdowns, all of which he accomplished in the employ of the New England Patriots, in full view of the nation, and occasionally on national television, who now is more than suspected of being involved in the death of a man named Odin Lloyd, whose body was found in an industrial park not far from Hernandez's home. Hernandez has yet to be charged with anything, but the parade of local cops, state patrolmen, law-enforcement technicians, forensic dweebs, police technicians, and highly paid television haircuts in and around the Hernandez driveway truly has been an awesome spectacle, and, god knows, we're only getting started.
It's going to be a big summer for Going to our own Todd Tonsorial live at the scene, and Todd, tell us what the mood is there right now. Television news directors have the ol' Orgasmatron set at 11 and it isn't coming down anytime soon.
Celebrity murder is always showbiz and it always has been. The first completely human interaction in the Bible is Cain braining his brother in a field. (Another early one is Jacob trading his brother a bowl of pottage for his inheritance. So, it can be said that, according to Scripture, the dealings of human beings with each other began with a murder and a swindle. Whitey Bulger has nothing on Jehovah, at least in his literary persona.) We have had a couple dozen Crimes of the Century every century. The only difference has been technology. The kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby was the Crime of the 20th Century, then it was the O.J. Simpson case, and the only difference was that Bruno Hauptmann got covered by the Daily News and Simpson's white Bronco got tailed by television helicopters. They were both Crimes of the Century.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9416013/aaron-hernandez-death-odin-lloyd
Meanwhile, at a luxurious new mansion down in North Attleborough, the local and state police have spent the weekend investigating Aaron Hernandez, a 23-year-old tight end responsible for 175 receptions and 18 touchdowns, all of which he accomplished in the employ of the New England Patriots, in full view of the nation, and occasionally on national television, who now is more than suspected of being involved in the death of a man named Odin Lloyd, whose body was found in an industrial park not far from Hernandez's home. Hernandez has yet to be charged with anything, but the parade of local cops, state patrolmen, law-enforcement technicians, forensic dweebs, police technicians, and highly paid television haircuts in and around the Hernandez driveway truly has been an awesome spectacle, and, god knows, we're only getting started.
It's going to be a big summer for Going to our own Todd Tonsorial live at the scene, and Todd, tell us what the mood is there right now. Television news directors have the ol' Orgasmatron set at 11 and it isn't coming down anytime soon.
Celebrity murder is always showbiz and it always has been. The first completely human interaction in the Bible is Cain braining his brother in a field. (Another early one is Jacob trading his brother a bowl of pottage for his inheritance. So, it can be said that, according to Scripture, the dealings of human beings with each other began with a murder and a swindle. Whitey Bulger has nothing on Jehovah, at least in his literary persona.) We have had a couple dozen Crimes of the Century every century. The only difference has been technology. The kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby was the Crime of the 20th Century, then it was the O.J. Simpson case, and the only difference was that Bruno Hauptmann got covered by the Daily News and Simpson's white Bronco got tailed by television helicopters. They were both Crimes of the Century.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9416013/aaron-hernandez-death-odin-lloyd
A powerful indictment of the FBI, media, Sport, and gun culture.
