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Ed Massey says he
has new evidence that can solve the firefighter explosion case and
possibly free five innocent Kansas Citians from life in prison.
But Massey knows
he has a credibility problem. He's an ex-convict facing felony
charges. He's been diagnosed with a mental disorder. And he's made a
few enemies over the years.
But his father, a
retired Raytown assistant fire chief, maintains that his son is
telling the truth about the explosion case.
"He's not
lying; I can tell you that now," Howard Massey said.
A polygraph
examination administered Feb. 3 on behalf of The Kansas City Star
shows Ed Massey has credible information about the crime. And experts
said that, despite all his problems, Massey's allegations should not
be dismissed.
U.S. Attorney Paul
S. Becker, who tried the case, disagrees. He puts no stock in
Massey's allegations, though some of Becker's own witnesses at trial
were ex-cons, drug users and admitted liars.
Massey, 47, is
outwardly friendly, even charming at times. He's clearly intelligent
but can have a quick temper and says he has a conviction for assault.
He sometimes tells
hard-to-believe stories about celebrities and his past as a truck
driver, bounty hunter, Hells Angel and Marine veteran. Some of his
former business partners said they lost money because of him.
He claims a
business degree, which the college says isn't legitimate. But Massey
says the college is wrong and has simply lost his records.
Massey did not
seek publicity and was reluctant for months to tell The Star
everything he said he knew. He asked the newspaper for money, a free
subscription, legal counsel and even tickets to the Kansas City Zoo
in exchange for his story. All were refused.
Despite that,
Massey has remained cooperative since the newspaper first approached
him last summer. He even agreed to release records from a
psychiatrist treating him for bipolar disorder.
Always
unpredictable, late last week Massey backtracked, saying he had legal
problems that could be complicated by publication of any story. He
asked the newspaper not to print his claims.
When told it was
too late, Massey said he would deny his earlier statements and claim
he is delusional. Experts, however, say anyone who says he's
delusional probably is not.
Later, Massey
dropped his objections.
Massey said he's
feeling pressure from federal authorities over a drug charge in
Caldwell County, Mo., involving marijuana. He said he could be facing
a lengthy prison sentence. Notes from a January interview that Massey
had with ATF agents indicated that he acknowledged "no promises
have been made to him including his present charges."
Regardless of what
Massey did or did not see the night of the explosion, he spent a lot
of time as a woodcutter on the construction site where the blasts
occurred in 1988.
In fact, records
show that Massey and his then-girlfriend, Sharon Wylie, were among
the first people questioned in the case. Kansas City police pulled
Massey's vehicle over about 11 a.m. the day of the explosion. They
searched him, and he passed a polygraph test.
Police considered
Massey a suspect because Shawn Roma, another ex-convict and one of
Massey's woodcutting partners, told police that Massey had threatened
to set a woodpile on fire - statements he doesn't deny.
What police didn't
know when they pulled Massey over was that his girlfriend recently
had been released from prison after serving time for arson, something
they apparently did not check. They released her, though there was a
warrant for her arrest on a probation violation.
Massey married
Wylie about a month after the explosion, but they separated, and
Massey said her family told him she was dead. She is alive, however,
and has declined an interview with The Star.
Roma told the
newspaper recently that he had seen Massey's pickup with a can of
gasoline in the truck bed heading toward the construction site the
night of the explosion. Roma denies setting any fires and suspects
Massey was involved. Massey denies the claim.
The Star consulted
several mental health experts about Massey's statements. While they
did not evaluate him personally, they said that people who lie
usually do so for some kind of gain.
However, Steven
Mandracchia, director of forensic services at Western Missouri Mental
Health Center, said it was difficult to determine what Massey could
gain by lying in this case.
He added that
witnesses such as Massey could be selectively lying about any number
of things, but that even pathological liars would be likely to tell
the truth to federal investigators who could punish them for wasting
their time.
"If there is
an obvious and impending penalty to lying, that leans toward
truth," Mandracchia said.
He added that
there is good reason not to dismiss Massey, noting that just because
people lie about some things doesn't mean they lie about everything,
"It's like
the old joke," Mandracchia said. "Just because I'm paranoid
doesn't mean somebody isn't after me." |
