[CQ-Contest] Palmyra - More -Reply

Mon Apr 20 13:57:50 EDT 1998

Yes, and the killer had a long mainland police record, and had was
under indictment on drug charges in Hawaii with a pending court
date.  He and his girlfriend half-way resurrected an old wrecked
sailboat and took off to Palmyra to escape the law.  They had a
get-rich scheme to plant, what they thought was a deserted island,
with hundreds of marijuana plants with no interference.  When they
got there, they found it was not deserted, and there was even had a
semi-representative of the owners on hand (Wheeler).  The victim and
his wife were not hams, but did have capable radio equipment, and
did keep schedules with a ham named Curt Shoemaker, now
KH6IHG in Kamuela, I believe.  The Kingman Reef DXpedition crew
had been on Palmyra preparing for the final leg, but had left just
before the ill-fated "Sea Wind" craft of the victims arrived.  The book
was ghost-written, with Bugliosi's name used to sell it.  Even though
the girl was eventually not prosecuted, there is little doubt, given the
events and the couple's history, that she was fully involved.

Jim   W4LC

>>> jreid at aloha.net 04/18/98 03:31am >>>
At 12:32 PM 4/17/98 +0100, Alastair Beaton wrote:
>Can someone please put me out of my misery and explain the
terrible
>secret/mystery about Palmyra?

>From prior posts:

"A couple was killed for their well provisioned boat!  The killers were
another
couple in a lesser boat and low on supplies.  They were eventually
found
here in Hawaii and tried; however,  the woman was let off claiming it
was all his idea.

Radio amateurs had a hand in collecting evidence on Palmyra after
the
event;  which of course went unknown for a time.

This just came in  from K5NA:

"If anyone wants more information about what Jim is alluding to, go
to your
local library to check out and read "And The Sea Will Tell" by Vincent
Bugliosi. I think the events that happened on the island were about
the
time of the first-ever Kingman operation that used Palmyra as a
jump-off
point.

The Jack Wheeler mentioned early in the book is now KH6CC. Jack
used to
sail to Palmyra regularly to operate from there back when he was
KH6CHC. I
think he may have used KP6AL as his Palmyra callsign, but my
memory is
clouding with time."

More:

Last afternoon I had an amazing QSO with Ed Pollock,  NH6OO;  Ed
and
his wife were on Palmyra at the time both boats of the incident were
there!!  Ed had befriended Graham,  the one killed while there;  Ed
says
he was a great guy,  a ham,  at least he had an amateur transceiver,
and
was keeping a daily sked with another whom he had met in Hilo
before
sailing on down to Palmyra.

However the other couple seemed odd,  per Ed's wife,  and after a
couple
of days following their arrival on Palmyra,  she insisted that she and
Ed
sail on back to Honolulu.

A few days later,  Ed learned that the skeds with the guy in Hilo had
suddenly stopped,  without explanation by Graham.  Ed and his wife,
being suspicious,  called the Coast Guard,  who went down to
Palmyra,
and found nothing.

Some time later,  Ed spotted Graham's boat in Honolulu!!!  Ed called
the
police,  and the couple were arrested;  eventually tried for theft,  etc.
But Bugliosi,  who's name is on as the author of the book,  is an
attorney,
and he defended the woman,  and got her off.  The guy who she
claims
did the deed of stealing the boat went to prison on the mainland,
but escaped!!

In 1980 or so,  a skull was found on Palmyra,  the escaped killer was
caught,
in South Africa I think Ed said.  The couple was tried for murder.
Bugliosi
again got her off,  but the guy is now still in prison somewhere for the
killing.

Ed has no respect,  just disdain for Buliosi who has his name on a
string of
sensational killings "true stories"; the Manson Gang being another.
However,
Ed says he had/has ghost writers,  and Ed knows the one who
actually
wrote "And the Sea Will Tell".

Jack Wheeler,  now KH6CC,  sailed down often to Palmyra on behalf
of
the present owners who now have the island listed for sale.  He went
down also immediately after the stolen boat was found in Honolulu,
and
gathered incriminating evidence for the theft,  etc,  but found no
bodies; remains,  as above were not found for a few years.

Ed said he could go on for hours about the people,  all four of whom
of course he and his wife know/knew,  and the events which followed
for several years;  he of course was a witness at the trials since he
"turned them in".

Thought you might be interested in some of the "rest of the story",
and probably some that is not in the book!  Ed wound up with a
heart attack resulting from the stress of the long investigation leading
to the first trial in the later '70's.  He is now living over here on Kauai,
and was at my QTH on Saturday,  April 4th.  I know he is credible.

73,  Jim,  KH7M

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