It's nice eyes.
I'm going Boston's news radio, so.
I'm not the expert on suicide. I got to be honest with you. I have known people who committed suicide, oftentimes that people who you don't suspect of committing suicide. I don't want to identify the person, but I was stunned that young a teenager who I had coached in little league, who's the nicest kid, most well adjusted kid. I'm not going to identify him by name, reportedly committed suicide.
He was about eighteen, and I remember, you know, watching the kid, always smiling, and whatever happened, you have no idea. I mean they some some leave a note, some don't. So I will be willing to continue to have a conversation. Here. A couple of callers are hanging on. I will get
to them if you want. This is one of those not an easy subject, okay, but I chose to have my guest on last hour, and I'm just looking for people who may want to share stories because I think it's important for all of us to realize that there are people out there within our circle of friends who are crying out for help and even just a kind word or a phone call might get them through that moment of crisis. And again, I'm not a mental health professional, nor do I want to play one on the radio.
But I do think that if we look around within our own community, we'll recognize that. So in the meantime, I have other topics I can go to. I'd like to give you a chance to talk about this. Let me start off with Frank in South Boston. Frank, welcome, thanks for calling in. You are next on Nightside, our first this hour at night Side.
Frank, Hi, Dan, thank you for taking my call. Let me just preface this a little bit. I'm sixty six years old and I spent twenty one years in prison and was released in two thousand and one after the Supreme Judicial Court deemed I've been wrong for the convicted.
About I know about some of those cases.
So I know you do because I know the people that you helped get out. I knew all of them.
I'm glad that. So you spent twenty one years in a state or a federal facility state.
I was all in Massachusetts. I hit them all.
Now in Massachusetts. Has Massachusetts will they be forced to compensate you? I know the compensation in Massachusetts.
I did. I got limited yep, yep, I got some money. I got some money. I wasn't as much as like I had anticipated, but.
Not much. Not kneeling you said, twenty one years.
Yeah, yeah, I went in at twenty one and when at twenty one, came out at forty two.
So like is her case is like this. So first of all, I want to say congratulations on surviving and having the backbone of the courage to to get through it. I hope you've had a good post prison life, and I want to hear what you have to say. But I just recommend you for having to survived that.
Okay, thank you, you know, like, and it was no small feat. But you know, right after COVID, right after right after COVID hit on Saint Patti's Day in twenty twenty, I was diagnosed with stage three prostate cancer and I was treated at Boston Medical. I'm cancer free right now, thank goodness. But it was after forty four radiation treatments and like everything that can go wrong with radiation went wrong with me. And this had nothing to do, you know,
forty four radiation treatments. I was at BMC like Monday through Friday every day at two fifty pm, taking my clothes off, getting it in a room, getting in a machine, you know, having my you know, getting my treatment, and leave. It only took ten minutes. Ten minutes a day, you know, like getting dressed and undressed are longer than the treatment. So this had nothing to do with holiday depression.
You know.
I'd lost my mother in twenty nineteen, and it was like sitting on my mind. But honestly, I had nothing to do with holiday depression. But it was Christmas Eve twenty twenty two, and I was sitting in my I just like I was done. I was done. I was in so much pain. Everything that could have gone wrong with my treatment did go wrong. I had a Catholic for one hundred and eleven days, which was miserable, off
on for one hundred and eleven days. And on Christmas Eve twenty twenty two, I went down to dry Dock and uh, I was just like I was done. I was done. I was ready to drive my truck off the end of dry Dock Ave here in South Boston. And again, I'm sixty six years old, and I'd never in my twenty one years in prison, I'd never had any suicidal thoughts until that night. I was just like I just like kind of assessed everything in the thing, the checklist that the twisted checklists that we go through.
You know, if we're thinking that kind of stuff, I'm so bizarre. So what things I did do?
From what saved you? What what prevented you.
From I'm getting to that problem.
No, rush, I want to hear the story. Go ahead. I didn't mean to interrupt.
No, no, no, no, no no. I and I just don't like to interrupt you because I I you know, I smoke weed, and like weed helped me get through the cancer, all the crap that I was going through. It kept me off in narcotics. Marijuana, cannabis kept me off in narcotics. But anyway, I smoked a joint at the end of dry dock, and I'm like, I was just like building up the courage. I'm just going to drive this truck miles to four thousand. It's like it's
basically a Ford Ranger. It's a fancy Ford Ranger, and I was going to drive it off the end of the dock. And I got done smoking a giant as much as I was going to smoke my grandson called me. He says, Pops, can you give me a ride home? That was it. That was the epiphany.
And I was just like, you know, pose purpose.
You know, my kid, he's like we you know, he was born on my birthday in nineteen eighty four, Like he just celebrated his thirtieth birthday. We both He celebrated his thirtieth. I celebrated my sixty six a big party. It was fun and and I'm just like, you know, I again, in my entire twenty one years in prison, I never ever ever felt suicidal, even though I was doing a life bid and I knew I was never getting out unless something happened. I knew I was never
getting out. And the s JC ruled in my favorite tamed I've been wrongfully convicted. I got out and I just never looked back, you know, And I raised like three years after I got out, I got a custody of my six year old and my eight year old grandson, got one through Boston Latin Academy, got the other through high school. And you know, they're both doing well, and you know, but that that night, you know, it just I don't know where I went. I don't know where I went.
It's kind of interesting, very interesting, Frank, that it just so happened that if you had decided you didn't want to smoke joint, and you just decided to weigh it and drive off the end of the pier, your grandson would have called, and I guess you would have heard it busy sag no or just wast wrong. He never would have heard it. So it's interesting. You wonder if there's someone up upstairs there looking up over, you know,
looking out for it. And I'm serious when I ask you that I'm not being I'm not being faticious.
Somebody had their foot on the brake, you know, somebody had their foot on the controls, you know, like they had the wheel, and I just wasn't going on.
Had your mom just died before.
That or No, she died in twenty nineteen, you know, but she died at ninety four years old, you know, like she got around my six.
So she died in twenty nineteen. When were you thinking about doing this?
What year twenty twenty two, twenty two?
You know, I would like to think that your mom was your guardian angel that night.
You know, my mom, like she worked for the Department of My story is crazy. My you know, my mom and my father both worked for the Department of Correction, and they'd work for the Department of Correction. My father was working at Walpole when I was my father was. I didn't know who my father was, and my father was working booking at Walpole. The day that I came in, my mother called my father and said, you know, Frank Peter was just convicted and he's on his way to Walpole.
And I went to Walpole. I had no idea who this guy was, but whatever, you know, like yeah, yeah, I was like, you.
Know, irony, something that is just an amazing element in our lives.
And wow, Frank, I'm the DNA DNA like DNA. I'm like, Mom, like I did you know? I did twenty three and me and it just shows that, like my father, the guy that you said was my father is not my father. This is my father. Like what's going on? She told me, like, you know, like eight months before she died, she told me, this is your father. And you've got a sister and you've got a brother. I'm like, oh, my god, you know, but yeah, I got a my brother. Thirty thirty one
year retired Marine helicopter pilot, Lieutenant colonel. My sister was a nation nurse in the Army. She lives in Minnesota. My brother lives in Tennessee. So like, but yeah, you know, and all that I did, I did, I've met them both. It's like, it's crazy. My my brother is a freaking monster. He's like he's like six. I'm like five eight. My brother is like six ' four. You know. My sister's My sister's a tall gal too. You know, I'm she's she's about my height, but a little bit maybe tall
or whatever. We both you know, we all shrunk. But thank you for taking my call. Dan. I just like, unless you, you know, you want to ask me something that's well.
No, I think the call stands on its own. It's it's an amazing story. Has has Did they do any stories about you? When you when.
You so like, uh, what's your name? Kristen Party from the Phoenix, she did a story on me. Uh, Jesus a couple of Boston Phoenix. There was a Boston Phoenix. Uh No, the Globe and the Heraldic Let me ask.
You us what did you get convicted for? What? What? What did you take?
The second second, second, degree murder, right.
Okay, second agree murder. Uh that's a that's a heavy hit. Where were you when the murder went down? Okay? So you well you were you present or were you not even there?
Oh? I was there. I was there, but I walked in after it happened, and I'm like, you know, I was just like, okay, you know, I showed up, and but my DNA was not all over the place and that technology didn't come out until later.
Okay, okay, so so wrong wrong place, wrong time.
Yeah, my apartment, my own, my own apartment, Okay, drug deal, No, But I was like, you know, I wasn't. I wasn't a terribly nice guy. You know, I've I've got a record, you know, I did. I did some stuff, but you know I didn't do that.
So the person, the person who killed, who killed the victim? Did he ever go to trial?
Uh? He did. There were two people there was a guy and a woman. They both went. She ended up doing eight years and framing him, and he did like three years. He ended up in an offock pre release said.
Were you all tried? Was this some sort of a joint venture? Were you you got?
No? No, no, no, no, no, We were we weren't co defendants were all tried separately.
No, I understand that, That's what I'm saying. So so probably your your trials are severed. So yeah, you took the big fall for murder too. How did they hit you? How did they connect you? How if you truly.
Had you know, I was married, I was. I honestly believe there was an animus. I was married to a cops daughter, a local, a very very very well respected cops daughter. And at the time I never laid a hand on her. I never laid a hand And I got two kids too. I got two kids that you know, that were born back then. But you know, I just stated they hated me. The cops hated me. You know, I stole a Kyle when I was fifteen.
I did so basically, you got framed, you, you was. Everybody was charged and you took the big fall.
Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah? When the when? The when? When the when? The female like she took the she took the hit that should have been taken, you know, and like she should have had the main charge.
Was she the shooter?
I'm sorry?
Was she the shooter?
No shooter? No shooter? Was a beating?
Oh?
It was a beating. Yeah, it was a beating. You a bludgeoned yep.
Okay, well.
You've seen you know, you're a lawyer, you know. And I came out when I so like when I came out, I worked and I worked at Mass Correctional Legal Services, I did, you know, prison work for six years. I spoke all They sent me all over the country, The Innocence Project sent me all over the country.
I know.
Barry, Yeah, Barry, you know, I got Barriy on speed dial, you know, and he like sent me all over the country speaking to lawyers, conferences and lobbies.
Selfy do you know my friend fred Weichel.
Of course I do. Of course I do. Freddie. Yeah, you know, like you know, and he's getting royally screwed.
You know, well eventually, hopefully hopefully he will get But know, I mean I did a little bit of work for Freddy.
Uh and oh I know, yeah, I know you you promoted him like Freddie, like Freddy. We've we've spoken about you, you know.
The the big thing that I was involved in was the FBIK Silvati p ammonium.
Yep, Frank, yeah, let me let me just let me just the quick thing about about Louis Greco. Oh my god, I love Louie Greco. I got out, I got out of I was released into Shirley Minimum in nineteen ninety and I didn't take I'd evigate to a minimum because Willie Horton screwed that up, Bob Lilli Horton and Bobby Stewart. Bobby Stewart messed it up for life, as for second of your life, as he messed it up for everybody
when he escaped. But Louis Greco and I, like, I first got the Shirley Minimum and I was like living in Cottage eight. Louis lived in Cottage ten. And I say, am like, somebody said, that's Louis Greco, and like I've heard about this because I worked in the infirmary in Norfolk in nineteen nineteen eighty one. I took care of Henry Timelio. So I knew, I knew all of those guys,
you know, but I never met Louis. And then so I saw I saw Louis and like, hey kid, hey kid, will you go to the canteen and get me a pint of Ben and Jerry's chocolate chip? Thank you? So Louie was Louis was great and.
He died before he get out.
Man, you know like, oh, I know, no, he has a state want some money. He got about he got about eighteen and I think Tom Mellie, we've got fifteen and Lamoney uh and Svati Bolt survived, came out. Joe is still alive today. Hey, I hate to do this to you, Frank. All right, all right, thank you call do me your favorite. Rob will leave you my give you my my my personal number, give me a call sometime. I'd love to talk to you off air. But it's you. A great caller, a great caller.
Thank you.
Okay, don't hang up. Rob will give you my direct line. Rob will take a quick break. We got to get to the newscast. Let's take a quick break. Okay.
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World, Nice Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Well, that call went pretty long with but I think it was well worth it. Let me go to Daryl up in New Brunswick, Canada. Darryl's a that's a tough call to follow. How are you, Darryl?
Hey, Dan, I can listen to Frank. You can keep me on hold and I'll wait till the next call.
Right, no, no, no, you go right ahead, You're you're on, go ahead.
My situation was with my twin brother, just to put the forefront out there, he shot himself out on the farm and it was a Saturday morning and I had actually driven out to the farm out in Alberta, just outside Abington, and I would just dropping by to see how he was because he just got to town and he was sleeping on the couch. So I said, wow, I'll tee up with him later, right, And back in those days, we had the old cassette tapes for the
answering machines. So I swung by my apartment because I had to go work on a Saturday morning to make up some hours, and I put the casette just as I was tolling in to work and said I always love you, dude, and the gab was gone. So what I'm saying is to let people know that, you know,
the indicators might not be there. Yeah, but this topic is, this topic is so important because his letter to me was he respected me so much, super being in the military, all that stuff, right, So what I'm getting at is, if people want to actually make a difference, you know, the indicators might not be there, but just pay attention because back then it wasn't the we're talking back in eighty six, right, so we didn't have all the cracket and stuff and all the addictions.
Right.
The big thing back then was just a place to stay. And if I would have known that, he could have stayed at my apartment. Right, it was just a bachelor. We could have thrown a bedroom, bed in the closet and the walk in closet done. But the kicker was the kicker was going back to Frank. I believe his grandson or his son was born on his birthday. My son was born there. I buried my brother, and I.
Had no clue.
I had no clue that my son was even on the way. So what you can't do is you can't blame other people for things that might have happened. And like I said, it's you carry great topics and if this helps other people, even in the military, because you
reach out to a lot of military people. I've done suicide wise quite a bit in the military, and they didn't even know I was doing suicide wise as I talked to my chief and say, hey, you know you're doing daily inspections if you're recalling the military in the morning and you got guys going saying, hey, your humor sucks this early in the morning. Okay, but they forget all about what they were thinking.
Yeah. So, but.
No, you keep you keep great topics going.
And I'm so sorry about your brother. How old when he when he passed.
Three months from twenty wow?
So but still a teenager? Wow wow?
And but to kick their being there was no indicators? Yeah right. And what I'm saying is for all those people out there, you got family. But as long as there's no addictions, if the guy that needs or yall just needs places day, just getting them back on their feet, because economic times are harder today, right, And that's why people listen to your programs to hopefully assist other people,
knowing that there's other things out there. As my brother would probably not have done what he did if he would have known he was going to be an uncle.
Yeah.
So again it goes back to you can't blame anybody for anything, right.
It's.
Your call, and Frank's call leave me speechless. So I just want to say thanks for calling and sharing this.
No, but that's why at the end of the hour, I said I'll give it a call and see if adult still talking about it. Rob asked you, you said yes, and again goes back to Frank.
Kudos as to both.
Thanks you, Secular, you.
Too, You too, my friend. Thanks much. I'm going to get one more in here before the break, Rob. I'm going to go a little longer here. Clara in Florida. Clara, don't want you have to wait through the news.
Welcome back, Okay, Thank you.
Dan. I have hit rock bottom where I've experienced hell, and I've I came very close to suicide about a year ago. I was going to cut myself with a box cutter. I already had a suicide note written in my mind, and my whole world came crashing down. It's it's a horrible situation to be in and a family member is a doctor and he just told me to snap out of it and I couldn't. And the only way that I was able to climb out of that
hell was too down And think about my cats. What would happen to my cats if I were to kill myself? And it's a horrible thing. I suffer from PTSD and major depression and it's very difficult to talk about I've called the nine e eight number several times in the middle of the night and they've been helpful.
That is the national suicide number, if I'm not mistaken correct, Yes, that from anywhere. So anybody who's listening tonight, if you need someone to talk to it, it's simply just dial night.
Yes, they're very helpful and they're there, and I do speak to it therapist. I have phone appointments every two weeks and a psychiatrist. But let me tell you, Dan that that incident was hard. That I went through my hopeful world just came classing down.
Yeah. No, I'm a little familiar with the conversations that we've had off air, Clara, so I know that you've gone through a rough what we would call a rough spot. It's more than a rough spot, but I'll just leave it at that as a rough spot. But hopefully you're coming out the other end, and a show like tonight shows you that there are other people who are You know, people feel so alone with suicide and they think they're the only one who's dealing with this overwhelming set of circumstances.
But there's more help out dealing. People realize you found nine eight eight I'll bet you there's some people tonight who are going to call nine eight eight because you called my program. So yes, help, You've helped other people tonight, Clara by one not not succumbing to the so called
easy way out. And I know it's not an easy way out, but you know you you have stood strong and you have offered a suggestion tonight there may be someone somewhere in America who's going to dial nine eighty eight because Clara called night Side tonight.
I thank you for that, and I highly recommend it. And they they are very sympathetic. They listen to you, they'll stay on the phone with you as long as you need to. So it's it's it's been very it's a very useful tool, and it's free.
Okay, all right, Well that's that is a great recommendation. And Clara, again, I took you before the newscast here and I'm glad I did.
I appreciate it.
Thank you well, Thank you, Clara, and you hang in there. Okay, It's okay.
Dan.
You know they say sometimes it's darkest before the dawn, but I think you've got through the worst, so just keep on being strong on Okay.
Okay, thank you, damn, thank you, Clara.
Good night.
I'd love you.
You know that.
Okay, thanks, good night, Okay, we got a newscast. If you want to talk about suicide, I don't know how you can beat those three calls Frank, Daryl and Clara. That's not what you're what I'm asking you to do. If you want to talk and add anything here, I'm open to it. I got wide open lines six, one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty, six one seven, nine, three, one, ten thirty. If you don't think there aren't people out there who are dealing with issues, you just heard three of them
who nonetheless are still with us. Thank god. I thank them for calling. And if you'd like to join the conversation, great, If not, I'm going to change topics. That's that's the choice. Here comes the news. You have the numbers back on Night Side.