Mark Shaw Author 1336 El Camino Real Unit #1 Burlingame, CA 94010 [email protected] 415.940.0827 November 13, 2018 Mr. Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. District Attorney New York County District Attorney’s Office One Hogan Place New York, NY 10013 November 20, 2018 Re - Convening of Grand Jury to Re-Investigate Dorothy Kilgallen Murder Based on Evidence in the new book, Denial of Justice: Dorothy Kilgallen, Abuse of Power, and the Most Compelling JFK Assassination Investigation in History (enclosed) Dear Mr. Vance, Jr. In August 2017, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary including forensics pointing to barbiturate poisoning as the cause of death, an obvious staged death scene, multiple witnesses and documents indicating motive, and a prime suspect who knew facts about famed journalist Dorothy’s Kilgallen’s murder only the killer could know, your office issued the following statement to the New York Post: Following a thorough, eight-month-long investigation into the death of Dorothy Kilgallen, the [NY County] District Attorney’s Office has found no evidence from which it could be concluded that Ms. Kilgallen’s death was caused by another person. We would like to thank those who advocated on behalf of Ms. Kilgallen, because information provided by her supporters is one of the reasons why an investigation commenced 51 years after her death. This Office remains dedicated to the investigation of cold cases and, if new evidence comes to light, we will review it appropriately. We will decline further comment on this matter. Portions of the press release were included in this story on September 2, 2017: DA: ‘No evidence’ reporter investigating JFK assassination was murdered By Susan Edelman, NY Post The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office says it has “found no evidence” that newspaper reporter and TV star Dorothy Kilgallen was murdered as she dug deep into the JFK assassination. After announcing last January it would take a new look at Kilgallen’s Nov. 8, 1965, death, a “thorough, eight-month-long investigation” could not conclude that it was a homicide, the DA said in a statement. It thanked her supporters, and promised to review any new evidence that emerges. The office refused to discuss its findings. Mark Shaw, author of a book on Kilgallen, “The Reporter Who Knew Too Much,” slammed the decision as a “miscarriage of justice” and a “cover-up,” citing at least eight witnesses not contacted by the DA. Kilgallen, 52, was found dead in her Manhattan apartment the morning after she appeared as a regular on the hit TV game show “What’s My Line?” The city’s then-medical examiner ruled it accidental, caused by a combination of sleeping pills and liquor. Shaw argues she was drugged, possibly by Mafia associates, and that her JFK files were stolen. “The American public should know what happened to one of its heroes, a reporter with unqualified integrity who sought the truth about the JFK assassination and was killed for doing so,” Shaw said. This puzzling “verdict” by your office came some eight months after a story appeared in the Post under the byline, “Manhattan DA’s Office Probing Death of Reporter with Possible JFK Ties” written by Edelman after my initial book about Kilgallen, The Reporter Who Knew Too Much: The Mysterious Death of What’s My Line TV Star and Media Icon Dorothy Kilgallen, was released in mid-December 2016. Part of the article read: Joan Vollero, a spokeswoman for DA Cyrus Vance Jr., confirmed that a staffer has read the book, and reviewed a letter from author Mark Shaw citing new leads, medical 2 evidence, and witnesses overlooked when Kilgallen, 52, died suddenly on Nov. 8, 1965, at the peak of her career. “I’m hopeful DA investigators will probe any records available and interview witnesses still alive today who can shed light on what happened to this remarkable woman,” Shaw told The Post, which featured his findings last month. “Victims have rights whether their name is Dorothy Kilgallen or Dorothy Doe, and Kilgallen was denied justice in 1965. That’s why I’m fighting for her.” In your office’s press release, the important words to note are: “This Office remains dedicated to the investigation of cold cases and, if new evidence comes to light, we will review it appropriately.” This statement was summarized in paragraph two of the August 17 Post article, noting that your office “promised to review any new evidence that emerges.” Based on the strong statement in the press release and your assertions in the media of being a man of your word with the responsibility to uphold justice wherever injustice rears its ugly head, I respectfully request that the investigation be re-opened and a grand jury be convened to re-investigate Ms. Kilgallen’s tragic death since the conclusion that your office’s probe “found no evidence from which it could be concluded that Ms. Kilgallen’s death was caused by another person” is completely without merit. This request is backed up by a vast amount of new evidence including the most important release of documents about the JFK assassination in history (the Jack Ruby trial transcripts proving Kilgallen was in danger regarding her JFK death probe) that has “come to light” in my new book, Denial of Justice, just released (copy enclosed). The baffling, in-explainable termination of the Kilgallen death probe which your office undertook with great media fanfare occurred following my full cooperation with former homicide detective Richard Ramos, assigned as the chief investigator to probe Kilgallen’s death apparently by Assistant District Attorney Eugene Hurley (Note: both men resigned from your 3 office for reasons unknown in 2018). As noted in Denial of Justice, this cooperation included a multitude of emails between us from January 2018 until late August (see below). As noted in Denial of Justice, my 27th published book following successful careers as criminal defense lawyer and network TV legal analyst for the Mike Tyson, O. J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant cases (markshawbooks.com), the communication between Detective Ramos and I was a result of a June 1, 2017 meeting between us at Hogan Place in New York City. A small conference room had been chosen for the discussion with Ramos, an impressive, medium height man with both a serious and easy going demeanor. He said he was excited about being involved in the investigation since “normally all I handle are embezzlement cases, ones like that.” Ramos said the other detectives in his office were jealous that he was working with the “cold case unit.” He added that his dad was “excited” as well with Ramos being involved in the Kilgallen case to the extent that his father had begun watching her in What’s My Line? re-runs on the internet. At the start of the meeting, this author presented Ramos with a 20+ page “Evidence Report [Full report attached]. It included: A chart listing of the principles involved with Kilgallen’s life and times and her death; A section entitled “Reluctant” (Scared) Witness List (Withholding Evidence); A section entitled, “Credible Evidence/Information Regarding Kilgallen Case” outlining the salient facts regarding a potential prosecution of those responsible for her death; A seven page “New Evidence Summary as of June 1, 2017” listing 25 witnesses along with their statements; A six page “Relevant Factors/Evidence Proving Dorothy Kilgallen Victim of Homicide” listing 33 “relevant factors.”; An incriminating poem written by Ron Pataky, the chief suspect in Kilgallen’s death entitled, “Vodka Roulette Seen as Relief Possibility.” 4 During the meeting, Detective Ramos confirmed that he had read The Reporter Who Knew Too Much and “very much enjoyed it.” He said he had watched the more than 50 interview videos about Kilgallen life and times, and her death posted on www.thedorothykilgallenstory.org. When asked why he was heading up an investigation, he said it “came from his superior.” Throughout the conversation Detective Ramos referred to Kilgallen as a “victim.” When I mentioned that she should be treated like any other person who died mysteriously whether it was five days, five years or fifty years while discussing other victims he had dealt with who were scared to come forward, Ramos nodded in agreement. He mentioned his frustration with cases involving a “beautiful woman who was found sitting up in bed after taking 60 pills,” and the “murder of a guy found in a trunk by a dope dealer who led police to the body but no witnesses would come forward to help solve the murder. When I noted Kilgallen’s family members, including Jill, “Dickie” and Kerry, being uncooperative, he said “this happens a lot when the family may feel they are in jeopardy.” When I explained that Kilgallen’s butler’s daughter Brenda DeJourdan, living in New York City, was reluctant to cooperate (she finally did so), he agreed that he might be successful with her and other witnesses since the DA’s office was now involved. Toward the end of the meeting, he said, “I’ve already sent out some subpoenas,” meaning that his investigation was certainly ongoing. While many of Detective Ramos’ statements offered insight into his focus on a fresh investigation of Kilgallen’s death, one stood out when he said, “I wonder if Ron Pataky [the main suspect in Kilgallen’s death – still alive today] sold [Dorothy] Kilgallen’s information about the JFK assassination to some people. I also wonder why he didn’t go to his “best friend’s 5 funeral,” another reference to Pataky. These statements certainly indicated Detective Ramos’ suspicion of foul play on the part of Pataky, Kilgallen’s close friend/lover and confidant.