Posted by So-called Fingerprint ‘bombshell’ a Smoking Dud? – MJEOL Bullet #230 A recent National Enquirer story about fingerprints was swiped by various media outlets and furthered by prosecution leaks. The so-called “bombshell” promised to be “devastating” for Jackson’s “case” and was supposed to be “damning evidence.” What most of these chicken-little reports fail to do is provide an argument that stands up to the slightest bit of scrutiny. That Enquirer report says fingerprints of the accuser were allegedly found on the same adult heterosexual porn magazine taken from Jackson’s house. Besides not knowing whether or not the story is true, no one seems to know when Jackson’s fingerprints were put on the magazine and when the accuser’s fingerprints were put on the magazine. Reports and comments from pundits, who already thought Jackson was guilty before hearing this story, were overly dramatic as expected; proclaiming this as a “smoking gun”. Others however were not impressed with this wannabe “bombshell”. What some of the broadcast news snatchers failed to include in their reporters were questions about the validity of the claims. Other non-prosecution/law enforcement sources have another story to tell. These sources say the accuser and his brother were very “disruptive” at Jackson’s home. Many times they–other children and adults too–were at Jackson’s ranch when Jackson was away, reportedly say sources who were there observing these children. They also report that the accuser, his brother and possibly other children were given free run of Neverland. Geraldo Rivera reported that his sources say these kids were going through Jacksons belongings, and were even caught and chastised for breaking into the place where Jackson allegedly kept his adult material. Rivera says during a December 12 2004 show:
Now obviously Ive spoken to people deep inside the Michael Jackson camp. They alleged that the accuser and his brother and other young boys spent a lot of time at Neverland alone. That they discovered where he kept his stash of porn. And they in some way got their hands on it. I dont know if it was locked or not. They talked about it. Its impossible to prove that the fingerprints were put on the magazine simultaneously. They said the kids were caught breaking into the magazines, drinking his booze, wrecking his golf carts. They were rough and tumble. (see Rivera: NE Garbage + Sources Say Kids were disruptive Dec 12 2004)
Cynthia McFaddens short conversation on Good Morning America (ABC) Dec 13 2004 mentioned a slightly broader sense of the importance of this info. She told Diane Sawyer that fingerprints cant be dated nor can one tell if they were made at the same time:
“But you can’t date them and you can’t say if they came at the same time. You can’t age them at all. So the fingerprints, same page, Michael Jackson and the accuser, doesn’t mean that they looked at them together. There are sources who tell ABC that the accuser, the young man, was at Neverland at times Michael Jackson wasn’t. (see GMA: Fingerprint Story Dec 13 2004)
__Im absolutely certain!…I think maybe__ The repeated source of this story, the National Enquirers Mike Walker, was on Riveras Dec 12 2004 show in a failed attempt to play up the meaning of the story that is, if its even true. Walker spoke of devastation and damning evidence. He, however, couldnt offer a credible response to the new details of these childrens behavior as revealed by Riveras sources. Rivera first asked Walker: How sure are you of this story? Walker, in his double-speak, at first claims he was very sure of this story. But then he offers words seemingly unsure of it. He told Rivera: And if this story absolutely pans out exactly the way we believe it to be true, this is bombshell evidence. Well yeah, it would be bombshell evidence if every little detail was as the National Enquirer wanted it to be. By that same speculative token, one could say it would/could be bombshell evidence if Walker was caught on tape molesting a little girl that he knows. Or bombshell evidence of bias if an authentic Fox memo surfaced saying Bash all liberals and Michael Jackson too. Or bombshell evidence if video surveillance caught Diane Dimond on tape breaking into court files and copying the grand jury transcripts. Or bombshell evidence if the investigation into CBS found that Dan Rather typed up the Bush memos himself on his own computer. But NONE of this is true! People, including us, love to speculate. But it certainly isnt something one could hang their hat on as proof of guilt. Some of those who watched Riveras show also pointed out that Walkers defense of the fingerprints story included an almost unsure undertone. No kidding. Of course, this is the same National Enquirer that recently claimed Jackson had procured quadruplets and the world is still waiting on those mythical quads. But I digress sort of. After Rivera revealed that there are sources/people who witnessed these kids snooping into Jacksons belongings when he wasnt there and generally being disruptive, the only thing Walker could do was offer his own opinion. He claims that Jackson wouldnt use heterosexual porn for his own pleasure. Walker didnt explain just how in hell he would know what Jackson uses or doesnt use for his own pleasure. Rivera didnt ask him to explain. Walker seemed to view this latest allegation with the premise that Jackson cant be attracted to pornography or heterosexual pornography or whatever. Thus, everything involving it must be sinister! Right?? Ridiculous. For decades the collective media have been pushing a tabloid version of who Jackson is; right down to the non-existent hyperbaric chamber and the mythical bleaching of his skin. So, they are loathed to stop whoring Jacksons imagined image for their wacko jacko industry, which has made them millions of dollars over the years. Almost everything the media doesnt understand about Jackson is automatically given a monstrous tone to it solely because some people cant wrap their minds around the fact that Jackson is get this: a red-blooded male human being. Shock! Amazement! It cant be! Say it aint so, Joe! Good grief. These non-prosecution sources also say the accuser and brother were caught by Neverland staff breaking into Jacksons wine cellar. This was reported months ago by Fox news before this current round of stories surfaced. __Toldcha so, toldcha so, toldcha so__ As dubious as Roger Friedmans sources are on just about anything Jackson, and anything unrelated to this actual case, the sources are more right than most solely concerning the issue of this case. In a report dated July 01 2004, Friedman wrote that his source said the accuser and his brother were caught by a Neverland employee doing what they werent supposed to be doing:
Now a source says that the boy and his brother were found by a Jackson employee in the Neverland wine cellar. They were pouring Harbor Mist into cups, says my source, who says the inexpensive liqueur, which comes with twist off caps, was used as a mixer. I am told that once this was discovered, the kids were lectured and cut off from entering the room again. The wine cellar, I am told, is just down a few steps from the Neverland game room, and net to a jukebox. Even though it had a lock, my source claimed that one of Jacksons cooks broke it, making the liquor easy to get at. After the wine cellar was re-locked and the boys were cut off, they are said to have approached the Neverland chef for drinks. Wisely, he refused. (see Sources: Cops Took Porn, Pills From MJ’s Bedroom (July 1 2004) – Fox)
What could also be more enlightening, as some observers have speculated, are possible surveillance video around Neverland taken at the time the accusing family claimed all these things were happening. By all accounts, Neverland has a surveillance system. Case observers who have been inside the courtroom during a previous hearing say it was revealed that Jacksons personal living quarters (bedroom) has video surveillance. They also say one of the prosecutors asked the ranch manager Joseph Marcus about this subject. As mentioned in MJEOL Bullet #186, Marcus was asked if Jackson had security cameras in his bedroom and if they were working on November 18th, the day Neverland was raided by police. Marcus confirmed the cameras were up and rolling the day of the police raid, say courtroom observers. Now, if the defense has tape of the accuser and/or brother snooping around Jacksons bedroom, or sneaking into Jacksons wine cellar, or getting caught and chastised by Neverland employees, it will be yet another story told by the accusing family which doesnt pan out. In a CNN article written about this subject dated December 11 2004, their sources also say the family had free run of Neverland when Jackson was away:
They were also there when Jackson was away, and allegedly had free run of the property in the entertainers absence, a source told CNN. They were into everything, crashing golf carts and being generally disruptive, the source said. (see Source: Fingerprints of Jackson, boy on magazines – Family had free reign of ranch – CNN)
So has this promised bombshell turned out to be a dud? Some case observers say if this is what prosecutors are hanging their hats on, they are in a world of trouble. __Desperate Prosecutor Tip #66: When in deep $@#!, distract from the main issue__ Speaking of this story, some are asking why was this story leaked and pushed at the time. If this alleged magazine was found at Jacksons Neverland ranch back during the November 2003 raid, why did this story just so happen to be leaked after prosecutors came under heavy fire for waiting so late to collect a DNA sample from Jackson. The leaker(s) probably hoped to push questions about the validity of their case to the backburner. However, the question still remains, if true, how could the recently leaked info make a difference, if any, in this case; especially given eye witness and possibly video surveillance to the contrary? Could these types of stories hurt prosecutors more than help? Some observers do say that once a possible trial does start, people are going to be actively looking for all of this leaked info to come out in full detail. If the prosecutors dont deliver, what then? Will the National Enquirer print a retraction? Dont hold your breath. -MJEOL