12. Prison Vent

I gave you an important task. Help me figure out the identity of a tipster who forwarded mysterious letters to the FBI. In these letters apparently contained important information about the alleged bombing of the missing plane. I learned about them via Freedom of Information Act request I filed with the FBI, but I got back from the f I was minimal and heavily redacted. The names of everyone involved.

The two people who exchanged the letters and the tipster who forwarded their correspondence were blacked out for some reason, though the FBI did not blackout the tipsters work, address, phone number, or facts. So I gave that information to you, and I asked you to help me identify the tipster. One astute listener quickly realized that I made a small mistake. I gave you the wrong number. My bad. I was off by a single digit. The FBI gave me a poor quality copy of the facts, and I mistook an

eight for a six. Anyway, the listener, who doesn't want to be named, dug up CD rom phone directories from the nineties. She booted up an old computer, black screen, green letters and numbers, the type my parents had when I was a kid. She punched in the number and Wola. She figured out where the tipster worked, the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. Several other listen nurs later figured this out too, but she was the first with that clue.

I made an educated guest about the tipster's identity. I guess that the tipster was, in fact John segin Thaller, a journalist and political activist who founded the First Amendment Center. Unfortunately, segen Faller died. I tried to reach his son and his secretary, but no luck, no response. So I turned once more to my favorite research tool archives. Segen Thaller was important, so I figured, hey, maybe his papers are preserved and they are lucky for me. A Vanderbilt archivist

named Zack Johnson had just finished processing them. Zach told me he would dig around to see what he could find. Two weeks later he emailed me. Amazingly, Zack found the letter, the blacked out letter the FBI gave me, except he found the original, confirming that John segin Thaller was the tipster, the person I asked you to help me find. Zach sent me a PDF of the letter. Here. It is January. Mr Tommy Boggs, fifty North Street, Northwest, Washington, d C.

To zero zero three seven. Dear Tommy, I apologize for the delay in getting this information to you. Dolores fell and injured her shoulder, and I've been out of the office since we talked. Enclosed is the correspondence. The two people involved are William Scott Day, the author of the letters. He is a serial killer who, as I mentioned to you, murdered my brother's mother in law several years ago. Lyle Jackson, the recipient of the letters, a photojournalist who until recently

worked for our center. While did a television story on day after he was captured, and since then they have exchanged occasional letters. Lyle, knowing of my interest in Day, shared these letters on the day before I phoned you. The Hoover angle sounds far fetched to me. A convict conning a convict. On the other hand, however, the insurance motive obviously could have some basis in fact. At any rate, I will keep you informed if there are any subsequent letters.

Best regards, John Seagan Thaller. So Segan Thaller first sent the letters to Tommy Boggs hail Son, not the FBI. Then either Segan Thaller, Boggs, or both. But I think Segan Thaller gave the FBI copies of the letters exchanged between William Scott Day, the serial killer and Lyle Jackson, the journalist. Yes, this new account of the alleged assassination comes from newly uncovered letters written by a serial killer. Here's the deal. Day was in prison for multiple murders.

He stabbed, strangled, smashed in heads and slit throats. Violent guy. He escaped prison multiple times and killed people in Tennessee, Texas, and Arizona. Because of the Arizona mur Day ended up for a while in a cell next to Jerry Paisley, of all people. And that brings me to the second PDF that Zach the Vanderbilt archivists. Sent Zach also found

copies of the letters Day sent Jackson. I'm about to read them to you, but first let me note that while I am reading most of the contents of the letters, I'm not sharing them in their entirety. There are personal details, mainly about Jackson the journalist, that are not pertinent to this story, so I'm leaving them out. Otherwise, here you go, September, dear lyle it's good to hear from you. Reset your calendar to November seven. That's when my sentence sing will

take place. My lawyer wants more time to prepare for my sentence saying November God, I'm never going to get out of here. My sentencing hearing will take place on September. My family will be here and friends too, but actual sentence saying won't be till November seven. Your life sounds exciting New Mexico one day, l A the next, I have a fantastic story for you. My neighbor is a small time mafia dude. He killed a big time Arian brotherhood dude and there's a contract out on him by

the A B. Guido. My neighbor is fifty four years old. And looking for a way out. He's talking to the FEDS about the plane that was carrying US Congressman Hail bogs that went down in nineteen seventy two. Cokey Roberts his Hail Boggs, his daughter. Boggs was chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and wanted to cut the budget of the FBI. Guido claims he placed the bomb on the plane on the orders of his boss, who was doing a favor for Hoover. That's the sticky part

for the FEDS. They believe a bomb was on the plane, but don't want to believe Hoover had it done. If and when this breaks, it will be national news. Guido and the FEDS are dickering this thing out. It's pretty wild. Guido told me the EDS would accept the story and him if he'll drop the Hoover part. He's thinking it over. He wants to go to federal prison instead of state prison. It's a pretty incredible story, and I don't know how much to believe, but I don't put anything past Hoover.

Remember you heard it here first, smile. I've been listening to how the West was Lost by Ken Burns on the local PBS station. It's outstanding. Well, my friend, I'll go. I'll keep you posted, Take care, peace, be a good human right when you can as always. Scott, October two, dear Lyle, thanks for writing. It's always good to hear from you. Before getting into the Guido story, let me catch you up on my never ending saga. My sentencing hearing has been reset for November six and seven, and

actual sentencing for the November. I won't see my family till then. I was very bummed out over the last second delay, but I'm over it now. I'll keep you pos stood. Now onto Guido. He is a walking and talking story. My problem is I don't know how much is truth and how much is macho. We have to talk through our air events, all very prison like. He told me last night that he wasn't at liberty to say, but the ship was going to hit the fans soon. Here's what I know. Guido took the making of a

bomb to Alaska in nineteen seventy two. He and Danny Zivinich put it together and placed aboard the plane Hail Boggs was in. There was also a state congressman on the plane. Guido says he got two birds with one stone. Guido married the widow of the state congressman within a year of the crash. The insurance policy paid off about the time they married. He says she knew nothing about the hit. I asked how he met her, and he

refuses to say. When the pipeline started. In seventy three, he and some friends started a coke pipeline from Tucson to Alaska. Guido bought a bar and sold coke along with booze. He also bought a house in Alaska and Tusson. This is where the motive gets murky. There was a big insurance policy on the state congressman. Plus he was very law in order, and some people wanted to run their own man against him, or to fill his seat

in case of his demise. Guido is tight lipped when it comes to his marriage or the motive for killing the state congressman. He is very emphatic about Hoover wanting Bog's taken out. He said the order came from Pete Lacavoli, who was the head mafia guy in Tucson at the time. Didn't Hoover die in nineteen seventy two, I can't remember Guido has no reason to bullshit me. I'm an old head and stories don't impress me. He is consistent in telling me the story. He doesn't get his facts screwed up,

so I believe him. On the hill Bogg's part, his marriage to the widow and the big insurance policy leaves me wondering. The people who wanted to run their candidate did and one. Guido stayed in Alaska till the pipeline was almost finished. He got into a shooting war with the Cross Brothers out of Vegas over territory for coke sales. That's when it got too hot for him and his

marriage was over. By then, he came back to Hussan and began blowing up businesses who wouldn't take their vending machines. I know that is true because my investigator in the Public Defender's office was a cop back then and says he remembers the places being hit. A bar called Pj's, a place called Paulo's Prime Rib and several beauty shops. It was called the Dynamite Wars. The Banano family was running Tucson by then. Guido is at court this morning,

so I can't ask him about Dateline NBC. Yet wouldn't it be a scoop on ABC and Coke Roberts if NBC broke the story? After all, Cokey was hail boss daughter smile. Guido and me talk very clandestinely through the air vents. We're not supposed to do that. We're neighbors, so if we talk quietly we can get away with it. By the way, Guido is being tried for a seventeen year old murder. The guy he killed lost eighteen hundred pounds of coke in an airplane crash, so Guido shot

him three times in the head. Nice guy, huh. Guido is back and I told him about Dateline NBC and he wants to talk it over with his investigator, who has his own agenda, like writing a book. I'll let you know what he decides as soon as possible. Until then, take care, peace, be a good human, Be cool as always. Scott, October three, dear lyle Guido passes on the Dateline NBC project. He has so many irons in the fire it's mind boggling. He is being investigated for murder in Alaska and elsewhere.

He says the FEDS want him to be low profile and quiet about the bombing of Hail Boggs's plane in exchange for letting him serve his time in another state where the Arian Brotherhood doesn't want to kill him. Lyle, the guy is involved up to his ass in crime, but he also bullshits too. He says the FEDS want to keep the Hoover connection quiet. Personally, I think he's making deals with them on more stuff than just the Bog's situation. He is fifty four, in bad health and

looking for a safe place to serve his time. He has a hundred and sixteen years to serve right now, so no big scoop here. I believe the Box situation can't be kept quiet. Have your friend from Dateline NBC called the U S attorney in Tucson and confront him on the plane bombing. Who knows it might work. I'll go now, take care, be a good human, Scott. Maybe your friend can break the story. Guido's real name is Jerome Max Paisley. October Dear Lyle, how goes the war?

Hope You're winning? Guido is pressing me about when someone from NBC will contact him or his investigator. He is one of those immediate gratification kind of people. He's collecting newspaper articles from here in Alaska to show the producer. He's biting at the bit to tell his story, and even his lawyer and investigator are behind him. He's hoping if he goes national it will help him out of this state's prison system, where his life is worth about

two cents. He already has a hundred and sixteen years to do and the state is trying to give him another twenty five to life. He's fifty four, so he's never getting out. It's a matter of where he does the time. I'll keep this brief. I've been writing you a lot lately. Right if you get the chance, take care peace. I get sentenced November. My lawyer is cautiously optimistic. I'm scared to hope, so I'm looking for the worst. Be a good human later, Scott October, Dear Lyle, it's

good to hear from you. Guido is no longer my neighbor. Damn it. They moved him to the pod next door. Nevertheless, I can still get the facts to him. Your friend at Dateline acts like a bomb would be right in front of his face. The balls in Guido's court now, so we'll see what happens. Guido showed me news clippings of some of his exploits, so he's not just telling jail house stories. He's for real. We'll see if this pans out or not. I turned forty four on Saturday

and feel damn lucky. My heart feels twenty one, but my body cracks, pops and creeks every time I move. I've given up on pop music. I only listened to the oldiest station now, much like Al Bundy. Well, that covers my end. I'll keep you posted on Guido. I don't think he's lying. Take care, peace, be a good human Zen is my motto now as always. Scott, October thirty one, dear lyle, Happy Halloween. I heard from Guido today, so I thought i'd update you. His investigator, Bob Annenberg,

is in touch with Chris. Chris asked for more info and Guido complied. It occurred to me that Chris depends on Nexus too much. If it was already news old news, it wouldn't be new news, duh. Guido wouldn't have a story if it was common knowledge. This has been a secret for a long time. Guido is now using it to get out of the Arizona prison system. After all, he is snitching on other people. We'll see where it goes. I'll keep you posted. My aggravation slash mitigation hearing begins

next Monday. That's where the prosecutor presents to the judge reasons why I should be killed, and my side presents reasons why I shouldn't. My family is going to be here from the fourth through the eight and I'm really excited about seeing them. My sister has a sixteen week old newborn I'll get to see. I'm a sucker for babies. I'll keep you posted on Guido and my legal woes. I already know my November sentencing day is going to be postponed. Man, living with this type of uncertainty is

killing me. Literally, Take care, peace, Be a good human as always, Scott, and that's it. I don't have any more letters. Neither does Lyle Jackson, the journalist who confirmed to me that he did correspond with Day for about a year. After that, he said he stopped. The letters got too creepy and manipulative. He tossed them in the trash. Jackson said he has no memory of discussing the bombing

allegations with Day. Day died in two thousand and six. Okay, so a ton to digest here first and foremost, via William Scott Day, a serial killer, we now have the third known recorded account of Paisley's bombing claim. The other two are the transcript of the jail house interview Paisley did with investigators in November and the report prepared by

private investigator Robert Annenberg in August. All three accounts share similarities, but there are also major discrepancies between what Paisley told investigators and what he told Day, a fellow prisoner. In every account, Paisley said that he transported a suitcase to Alaska and that the missing congressman's plane was bombed. He also repeatedly cited the large life insurance payout Peggy Beggett's received after Nick Beggett disappeared. But like I said, there

are major discrepancies. First, it's important to state the obvious. Two accounts were recorded by professional investigators. The third was recorded by a fellow prisoner, William Scott Day, who spoke to Paisley through an air vent. While Day's letters contain details he couldn't possibly have known without speaking to Paisley. They also contain minor errors that seemed to be his fault, not Paisley's. For example, Dave repeatedly refers to Nick Beggett

as quote a state congressman. Obviously Beggatte was a US congressman. My best guess is that Paisley used the phrase Alaska congressman and Dave misinterpreted it. Now that said, onto the discrepancies, we have A the suitcase. B Paisley's role see Peggy Beggatt's role and d which mob boss was behind the bombing A the suitcase. In the first two accounts, Paisley claimed that he did not know what was in the suitcase he transported to Anchorage in nineteen seventy two until later.

In the third account, he obviously knew early on that it contained explosives. B. Paisley's role. In the first two accounts, Paisley said that all he did was fly the suitcase to Anchorage. In the third account, he stated that he helped piece together a bomb and that he and Danny z Ivanitch put it on the congressman's plane See Peggy Beggatt's role. In the first two accounts, Paisley said Peggy visited Tucson around August nineteen seventy two and knew about

the plot. In the third, he said she had no knowledge of the plot and d which mob boss was behind the bombing. In the first two accounts, Paisley implicated Joe Bonano. In the third, he said Pete Lacavoli ordered the hit. So why the discrepancies? Which version is true? Or again, is the entire story falls? Was everything? Paisley said,

a lie. My best guess is that the truth lies somewhere in the middle, but that the third account, the unfiltered account shared with a fellow prisoner, not law enforcement, is closer to the truth. In the third account, Paisley knew the suitcase contained explosives. That makes more sense to me than his previous oh shucks, guys, I didn't know

what was in it statements and notice. In the third account, Paisley was very specific, more nuanced, and saying he transported the making of a bomb to Alaska, not already to go bomb. That makes more sense to me. In the third account, William Scott Day wrote that Paisley and Danny Zivinich put the bomb together and quote placed aboard the plane. Hail Boggs was in Paisley helping to finalize the bomb. I can see Paisley helping to put it on the missing plane. No, to my knowledge, he was in Arizona,

not Alaska when the plane disappeared. My best guess is that Day misheard part of what Paisley said, but it's just as likely that Day heard Paisley correctly and Paisley lied. Most importantly, in the third account, Paisley claimed that mob boss Pete Lacavoli senor not Joe Bonano, ordered the hit.

That lines up with what I speculated in episode eleven tail end, And let me be clear, we finalized the script for episode eleven, which was supposed to be our last episode, before we got copies of the third account Day's letters. In episode eleven, I cited several pieces of information to support my speculation that Paisley subbed in Joe

Bonano for Pete laka Oli. In the first two accounts, one all of the mob connected men in the Peggy Paisley wedding photos the red Dot photos were primarily tied to the lick of OLiS, not the bananas, and Paisley and Peggy honeymoons in Mexico with two of Pete look of Oli seniors kids, Pete Jr. And Cathy. Two. The Conti KI, where Paisley claimed Peggy met with mob boss Joe Bonano, was actually owned in part at least by

the lick of OLiS, not the Bananas. And three at least one FBI informant witnessed Paisley with Pete lick of Oli Sr. Only twenty seven days before the congressman disappeared, around the same time Paisley said he flew the suitcase to Anchorage. Now there's one final discrepancy to examine, and that's Peggy Beggett's alleged role in the plot. In this case, I tend to believe the first two accounts, and I know that seems extremely unfair. But here's why. Something in

the third account Day's letters strikes me as odd. Here two quotes. Quote Guido is tight lipped when it comes to his marriage or the motive for killing the state congressman end quote, and quote I asked how he met her, and he refuses to say end quote. The official story is that Paisley and Peggy met at the holiday in an Anchorage in late nineteen If true, Why wouldn't Paisley just tell that today? Why would he refuse to say

how he met Peggy? Why would he be quote tight lipped about their marriage because usually there's nothing to hide about meeting someone at a holiday inn, and he was spilling all the other details. On the other hand, if Paisley made up the entire thing, well still, why would he refuse to say how he met Peggy? If everything was a lie? If he wanted to tell Day the most colorful story flip it around, wouldn't he just tell Day what he told investigators that Peggy met with a

mob boss at the Contiki. I think Paisley regretted dragging Peggy into the story at all, because after the first two accounts, he never again claimed that she had any role in the alleged bomb plot. It is possible that Peggy had no knowledge of or incomplete knowledge of the alleged plot. It is possible she was manipulated and used. I don't know. Next, I need to address Paisley's allegations

about j Edgar Hoover. Paisley told Day that Hoover wanted hail Bog's dead, but Hoover died in May nineteen seventy two, five months before Boggs disappeared, something even William Scott Day noted in his letters to me and John Seagan Dollar this part sounds off. What makes sense to me is that Paisley was entirely sure why the congressman's plane was bombed.

If his story is true, either version of it. His role was at the least to transport a suitcase to anchorage and at the most to help build a bomb. But I doubt mob leaders would have looped him in on their inner thinking their exact motives. Paisley wasn't omnipotent if the story is true, It's not like he would know every single detail. He wasn't the mastermind. He didn't

claim to be the mastermind. But obviously if he transported a suitcase to anchorage, if he knew the missing plane was bombed, of course he would have wondered why, which could explain the Hoover angle speculation. Or again, maybe it's all bs. Despite flaws, I still think the third account via William Scott Day is closer to the truth than the first two accounts. And doesn't that make sense to you?

Tube This was Jerry Paisley speaking with a fellow prisoner through an air vent, not to investigators with a tape recorder rolling. We don't even know whether or not Paisley was aware that Day wrote everything down. Now that said, the fact that there are discrepancies between the three accounts that can't be explained away as transcription errors immediately and understandably calls into question Paisley's integrity. But no surprise here. It's not shocking at all to learn that Paisley was

a liar. The question, obviously, is how much of what Paisley said in this particular case is true, how much is false? Is it all false? Is it all true or at least one version of it? Does the answer lie somewhere in the middle. Something else we get from the third account a reason why, whether or not he told the truth, Paisley spoke at all, a motive. Day wrote that Paisley wanted to transfer to a federal prison, that he wanted to get out of the Arizona prison system,

but that never happened. Paisley remained incarcerated in Arizona until he died in Nevertheless, we have, for the first time a reason why Paisley either snitched or told a fairy tale. Finally, we know Paisley spoke with three Arizona and Alaska investigators plus one journalist. But did Paisley speak directly with the FBI. Did the FBI interview Paisley? The answer here is still unclear.

Tom Davis, the Arizona investigator who knew Paisley for decades, observed his wedding to Peggy Baggage and helped interview him in is certain Paisley did speak with the FBI, and Paisley himself said he was speaking with quote, the Feds. But in the FBI documents I obtained, there's no proof that the bureau interviewed Paisley directly. That said, the FBI also excluded copies of William Scott Day's letters, which I

only obtained thanks to a diligent archivists. If the FBI did interview Paisley, then the bureau has yet another account of the alleged assassination, a fourth account. Now, obviously I don't have the power to compel the FBI to reveal anything, but Congress does. So if you're a lawmaker, or you work on Capitol Hill or in national media, do something. If you work in Alaska media and a shout out again to the Anchorage Daily News, which still hasn't reported

this story. Do something. If you want us to search port edges again with better equipment, do something. We need your help this week. Your task is to listen to all three accounts of the alleged bombing and compare them. Go back and re listen to episode five the transcript and to one of our bonuses, the p I Report. Then re listen to this episode. Take notes, compare the accounts,

tell us what you think. You can reach us by phone at one eight three three m I A tips that's one eight three three six four two eight four seven seven again one eight three three six four two eight four seven seven, or you can reach us via email at tips at iHeart media dot com. That's tips t I P S at I heeart media dot com.

An important note, none of the people Jerry Paisley claimed took part in or had knowledge of the alleged bombing, Joe Binano, Pete Lakavoli, Joey A. Tarola, Danny Zivanich, Geene Fowler, Larry Fowler, or Peggy Baggage were ever charged with or convicted of any crimes tied to any of Paisley's allegations. Peggy Baggat and Danny Zavinich declined multiple requests for an on the record interview. Gene Fowler was unavailable for an interview.

Joe Binano, Pete Lakavoli, Joe Iya Tarrola, and Larry Fowler are dead. Finally, I want to clarify something about which there has been a good deal of confusion. In one of our bonus episodes, The Last Ham, I interviewed Joe Tatum, the only person alive who heard the mysterious radio transmission the day the Congressman disappeared, the transmission in which a man claimed to be the missing planes pilot. Twice during the course of this show, I stated that the Air

Force believed the transmission to be a hoax. But still we've heard from a flood of people who want to know what I think. To be clear, I agree with the Air Force. I think the transmission was a hoax. Like the Air Force, I do believe that the HAM operators heard a transmission, but the transmission itself was likely fake. Ben Bowen is our executive producer. Paul Decan is our supervising producer. Chris Brown is our assistant producer. Seth Nicholas

Johnson is our producer. Sam T. Garden is our research assistant, and I'm your host and executive producer, John Wallzac. You can find me on Twitter at at John Wallzac j O n W A L e z A K special thanks to Zach Johnson, the archivists who processed John Seagan Thaler's papers, and to the special Collections and University Archives

at Vanderbilt University. Archives are amazing, y'all. This show would be a hollow shell without them, and like nearly everything else, they're facing huge financial shortfalls as a result of pandemic budget cuts. So when possible, please support archives, either directly through donations or vocally to your elected officials and university leaders.

Archives preserve history. They're important. I'm not sure when we will be back, but trust me, we are still pursuing this story so again, and I know you'll probably hate me for saying this. Stay tuned. Missing in Alaska is a co production of I Heart Media and Greenfork Media.