A juror in the federal racketeering trial of James “Whitey” Bulger says jury deliberations over the Boston mobster’s fate were marked by anger and dissent.
Following a seven-week trial and nearly five days of deliberations, Bulger was convicted Monday of participating or causing 11 murders under a sweeping racketeering indictment. He was also convicted of extortion, firearms violations and money laundering. The 83-year-old former leader of south Boston’s Winter Hill gang faces life imprisonment when he’s sentenced Nov. 13.
But juror Scott Hotyckey told Boston TV station WBZ Tuesday that deliberations were marked by jurors slamming doors, walking away from discussing the case and fears that a conviction would result in retaliation from Bulger’s associates.
“It was insane. There was all kinds of dissension,” Hotyckey told WBZ-TV.
“It was heated,” the laid-off biotech worker told the TV station. “People slamming doors. People leaving. People wanting to get off the jury.”
The jury deliberated for more than 32 hours over five days before finding Bulger guilty Monday of all but one of the 33 counts he faced, including multiple murders.
But the case was marked by testimony from former Bulger associates, including those convicted of murder and other crimes, who cut plea deals before testifying against Bulger. Moreover, jurors were also told that Bulger had been a long-time FBI informant and had paid some agents for tips to avoid prosecutions.
“There was a lot of controversy in the courtroom,’’ Hotyckey said. “That’s why (deliberations) took five days.”
Hotyckey said that he thought the case was clear-cut and that there was enough testimony to find Bulger guilty on all counts, including all 19 of the murder charges he faced under the racketeering charges.
Hotyckey said he thought Bulger was also responsible for the murder of Debra Davis, the girlfriend of former Bulger associate Steven “The Rifleman” Flemmi, who had confessed to several murders but was a key federal witness during the trial.
Flemmi testified that he watched as Bulger strangled Davis. But jurors did not find enough evidence against Bulger in Davis’ 1981 death. They did not find Flemmi’s testimony that Bulger strangled Davis credible, Hotyckey said.
Ultimately, the jury found Bulger guilty in 11 murders.
Hotyckey, 47, said some fellow jurors questioned the credibility of witnesses, especially former Bulger associate and admitted hit man John Martarano. Some thought the federal government was just as responsible for the murders for using Bulger as an FBI informant.
At least two jurors feared retaliation from Bulger associates, including some of the witnesses that had testified at the trial, Hotyckey said.
Still, at the end of the trial, all but one of the four-man, eight-woman jury decided to have dinner together after their verdict, Hotyckey said.
Separately, Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris says he hasn’t decided whether to try Bulger in Oklahoma to stand trial on a Tulsa murder charge for the 1981 shooting death of Tulsa businessman Roger Wheeler.
Bulger was charged with Wheeler’s death in 2001, but he had been on the lam for nearly 16 years until his 2011 arrest in California.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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