Among the most significant and far-reaching findings of the investigation is the revelation that numerous crimes and deaths were interconnected in previously unknown ways. The extent of crime and corruption proves to be more organized and deeply entrenched than ever before exposed. The volunteer team initially embarked on their quest to answer two primary questions: 1) what happened to Danny Goldman, and 2) why the case has persisted as an unsolved enigma for half a century.
Danny Goldman was kidnapped during a crescendo of crime and corruption that was dominating all official aspects of Dade County. This film from 1966 has Ralph Renick interviewing Roy O’Nan about his participation and ties to corruption, illegal gambling, and several major law enforcement agencies in Dade County.
Members of the Department's "upper echelon" engaged in various forms of corruption, managing crimes and criminals out of the Sheriff's "intelligence office." Those who didn't share the proceeds of crime or threatened to expose the conspiracy were eliminated through set-up shootings. High-ranking officers involved in the Goldman kidnapping investigation were controlled by organized crime figures who also dominated other branches of government and official offices, enabling them to manipulate the entire system.
By 1966, the collaboration between law enforcement, burglars, and organized crime evolved into a crime wave. However, the partnership became unstable due to pressures and threats. High-ranking police officials, who shared the proceeds from specific targets, worried about losing their cash flow. The risk of exposure by burglars testifying before grand juries and the perceived increase of criminals withholding their share of loot contributed to a dangerous situation filled with retribution and consequences.
Shootings were carried out to protect this significant source of income. In several strikingly similar cases, burglars were killed by county Sheriff's deputies or municipal police officers. Burglars were assigned specific thefts or invited to a "meeting," where deputies or officers waited inside. Often, neither party knew they were being directed by the same people. As burglars crossed the threshold, they were killed in a hail of gunfire.
Witness statements and physical evidence were collected but ignored by investigating authorities from the same sheriff's department. Records and statements made at the scenes indicated that as burglars entered, they were instantly killed without warning. Evidence suggests at least six burglars were killed as part of this manipulation and murder scheme led by high-ranking law enforcement officials.
Tommy Griffin in 1963 was seemingly the first of this series of murders. In 1966, as the pressure on the system intensified, at least five more of these planned events took place, claiming the lives of Arthur Dyas, John LaMedica, Alfred McCurdy, Christopher McCary, and Bobby Williams.
The period surrounding Danny Goldman's kidnapping and murder was fraught with danger, leaving numerous victims in its wake. This was part of activities stretching back to the 1950s, as conspiracies led by Santo Trafficante and Meyer Lansky sought control over gambling and other criminal ventures throughout Florida. Five decades later, the murders of innocent victims and criminals remain unsolved and officially ignored. At least four young people have been missing without adequate explanations or answers for decades. The civilian investigation has filled the void, bringing these cases to public awareness and moving them towards an honorable resolution.
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