MARY McGRORY Fe I Summer Of the Octopus

NE THING in the sad murk is clear: Before he died, Danny O Casolaro saw an octopus. He told his friend Bill Hamilton about it. The tentacles reached into all the scandals we are grappling with in this summer of conspiracies unlimited. The body of free-lance writer Joseph Daniel Casolaro was found in the bathtub of a West Virginia motel on a week ago Saturday. His arms were slashed. Martinsburg police pronounced it a suicide and proceeded to embalm the body with extraordinary haste—before they got around to notifying Casolaro's family, which finally heard the news last Monday. His brother Anthony, an Arlington physician, doesn't believe it was suicide. Nor does anyone who knew him—or talked to him in his last days. One reason for the skepticism was the intial report that some wounds were jagged and supposedly self-inflicted with a broken beer bottle found next See McGRORY, C5, Col. 4 Maly McGrory is a Washington Post columnist ••• .3,.ztea:ope=r,TyRaNn.. ..Q4417 3e.L. ,at■p,tfratillt

MARY McGRORY

Summer of the Octopus

McGRORY, From CI mother in Fairfax. He told her he it to his bosom. Bill Hamilton,.a was on Interstate 81 in perfectly nice midwesterner who to the tub. A crime Pennsylvania. He would be late, but owned a Washington firm called reporter—Casolaro was a he was headed home. A Inslaw, had invented Promis, a correspondent for Washington manic-depressive might then kill software especially adapted to crime Crime News Service—would have himself. Nobody ever suggested that statistics, which he sold to Justice. known better. Danny Casolaro was one. The second year. Justice stopped But it was Casolaro's All the circumstances beg for making payments. Hamilton and his temperament and prospects that disbelief, none more than a supposed wife, Nancy, believe that cronies of argue even more strongly. He was a suicide note. "I'm sorry, especially Meese were given the franchise to happy, outgoing, gregarious person, to my son"—from.a man who lived sell around the world. Promis has the kind who cracks wise with by words—just doesn't ring true. turned up in Canada and Pakistan. secretaries and waitresses and Casolaro wrote a novel, a children's The link with the "October surprise" endears himself to children. The day book. His prase style—at least as is Earl Brian, a former Reagan before he died, according to the displayed in an outline he submitted political associate who allegedly paid Martinsburg Morning journal, he to Little, Brown of a book he off the Iranians to keep the hostages told a Pizza Hut waitress that he proposed to write about the octopus, until after the 1980 election—and liked her brown eyes, that he was a called "Behold, a Pale Horse"—is on allegedly was paid off himself with member of the Edgar Allan Poe the florid side. Such a terse farewell, huge profits from Promis. unless composed or dictated at Society. He quoted "The Great Thornburgh refused to discuss gunpoint, is entirely unconvincing. Gatsby" to her. the Inslaw case with the Hamiltons Subsequent reports about a He told his brother, his girlfriend. or their counsel, Elliot Richardson. second note, a razor blade in the tub Hamilton and others that he was on He did not answer Richardson's and Casolaro's financial problems the point of cracking the case that letters. He did not return his phone don't end the mystery. had absorbed him for a year. He had calls. He refused to receive his begun investigating the Inslaw case, he man who could have distinguished predecessor. The a tangled affair of government resolved the Inslaw case, Dick Hamiltons have been to court many perfidy and international intrigue T Thornburgh, resigned as times. Judges have recused that has been in litigation since attorney general to run for the themselves. Witnesses have 1983. In his explorations, he found Senate in Pennsylvania on the day disappeared or recanted. The man out about possibly related the West Virginia police came who knows the most, Michael scandals—BCCI, S&Ls. Iran-contra, forward with their autopsy. Excess Riconosciuto, was picked up in the "October surprise"—but until was the hallmark of Thornburgh's Washington State on drug charges two weeks ago, he had found farewell ceremony: an honor guard, and is in jail. What was merely nothing about Inslaw. Then, he a trooping of the colors, superlatives sinister has now turned deadly. joyfully told friends, he hit bingo. from subordinates. William P. Barr, Thornburgh calls Inslaw "a little One more interview and the case his deputy and possible successor, contract dispute" and refused to was cracked. spoke of Thornburgh's 'leadership, testify about it to the House Suicides do not tell their intimates integrity, professionalism and Judiciary Committee. Richardson within days of taking the hemlock fairness"—none of which thinks it could be "dirtier than that they are "ecstatic" or Thornburgh displayed in his Watergate" and, as a victim of that "euphoric." Casolaro did. Nor do handling of Inslaw. scandal, he should know. they attend family birthday parties, Although the case involves the Thornbugh's conduct is the most as Danny Casolaro was planning to alleged theft of computer software powerful argument for believing that do hours before he died. The last by the Justice Department in the Danny Casolaro really saw an known call he made was to his time of Ed Meese, Thornburgh took octopus before he died.