Lethal Guardian
Page 41
The evidence in this case, when taken in context as a whole, is stunning. For Beth Ann Carpenter not to have had something to do with Buzz Clinton’s murder, it would mean that not one or two people committed perjury, but just about every witness the state of Connecticut presented would have had to perjure himself or herself on the stand at some point during his or her testimony. What’s important to think about is, there is no way that people who do not know each other, people who have never spoken to each other, can tell similar stories about the same events and be able to lie about them with the accuracy displayed in this case. It just doesn’t happen that way. If, for example, a man in California and a man in New Jersey who don’t know each other make a report about an object in the sky and describe it the exact same way, we can be certain that we’ve uncovered the truth about what those two people saw.
It’s called objective evidence.
In my opinion, based on the interviews I have done, all I have observed and my tedious study of the public record, Beth Ann Carpenter is, if nothing else, a liar who, perhaps, believes her own lies—nor does she have any intention of ever giving the Clinton family what they so much deserve: the truth.
Murder for hire is a complex crime. People who plan to kill other people will justify the crime any way they can to allow themselves to be able to live with what they have done. Because they often are so far removed from actually committing the crime, as in this case, they tend to feel as if they had nothing to do with it. Or perhaps it is just easier for them to believe they weren’t part of it at all. Who knows?
Beth Ann will continue to believe that she hasn’t done anything wrong—that, during pillow talk, she merely mentioned one day to Haiman Clein that the entire Carpenter family would be better off if Buzz were out of the picture. With that, she and her attorneys have repeatedly claimed, Clein took it upon himself to have Buzz killed as his “gift” to her.
What’s more, Beth Ann has seemingly managed to convince her entire family of her lies. This is clearly implicit in the few press appearances members of the Carpenter family have done, namely Court TV’s Mugshots and A&E’s City Confidential. But the truth and, more important, the documentation, not to mention the absolutely misconstrued notion that so many people would perjure themselves in a court of law, are a different matter. The facts in this case speak for themselves. And it’s not a matter of he said/she said; it’s a matter of scores of people telling the same stories over and over and the irrefutable documentation supporting those stories.
Period.
Finally, if some readers cannot see Beth Ann’s guilt after going on this journey with me throughout this book, I feel they are blinded by denial and incapable of accepting the truth and facts—and I encourage them to contact me with documentation that supports proof of their opinions.
Beth Ann’s mother, Cynthia Carpenter, received a letter from me regarding an interview I was hoping to set up with the entire Carpenter family. I called their home several times. Nobody answered my letter or returned my calls.
A nonfiction author of true crime books has to be objective, certainly. But also selective. Family members and friends of the family of those convicted are suspect sources to begin with. Many don’t see the truth, or refuse to believe it. I was careful to conduct background checks on every person in this story I felt deserved to be interviewed, and I made decisions based on the many conversations I had with law enforcement, attorneys and people close to this case. If a long-lost cousin, brother, neighbor or spouse wasn’t contacted by me for an interview, there was a good reason behind that decision: they were insignificant to the story and could add nothing in the form of truth. In addition, the Carpenter and Clein families had nearly a year to talk to me; neither chose to answer my letters or phone calls.
—M. William Phelps
November 2003
Acknowledgments
Every book has a few people attached to it that without whom the book would not be possible. For this, my second crime book, I am indebted to Jim Cypher.
Martha Jenssen, court officer at the New London Superior Court, was, to me, a person who always went out of her way to make sure I had whatever I needed in a timely fashion. Ms. Jenssen was extremely considerate, kind, resourceful and eager to help. Without her, this book would have undoubtedly suffered greatly. Her kindness, friendship and help was something I will never forget. I am forever grateful. Thank you, ma’am.
Court reporters Patricia Smith and Elaine Wiltsie were always considerate of my time constraints. I thank them for providing me—sometimes at a moment’s notice—with all the court transcripts connected to this case.
In no particular order, I also would like to thank Detective John Turner, who is today the sergeant in charge of the Eastern District Major Crime Squad, Detectives Marty Graham and Reggie Wardell, Peter McShane, Kevin Kane, Tara Knight, Cameron MacKenzie and anyone from the New London Superior Court I’ve overlooked. Most were very kind. Most trusted me. I appreciate that. It makes all the difference to a writer in my position.
A special thanks to Dee Clinton, Suzanne Clinton, Buck and Billy Clinton. Some of you helped more than others, but I am grateful to you all. You are some of the strongest people I have ever met in my life. You have been routinely treated unfairly. Talked about by most everyone involved in this case. Castigated. Shunned. At times, made a mockery of. Yet you continue to fight for what you believe. I can only hope this book reflects a part of Buzz that you were all once witness to more than any of us.
To those of you I interviewed but changed your names in the book, thank you for taking the time to let me into your homes and tell me in candid detail about your role in this case. It takes courage and strength on your part—which you greatly showed—to trust someone like me. Thank you for your stories. I hope I haven’t disappointed any of you.
A special thanks to Charlie Snyder. Your honesty and integrity should be commended. You talked about things others would not have.
Those who helped with obtaining photos, thank you. I want to also say thanks to those of you at the Hartford Public Library, New London Public Library and Ledyard Public Library for helping me locate photos, documents, newspaper articles and archives associated with the Carpenter family and Buzz Clinton. Special thanks to Marty Hubbard at the Ledyard Public Library. I need to also thank John Brand, who really put the entire photo section together for me and ended up fixing my vehicle one day when we got stranded in New London. (You’re the best, John!)
Thank you Gregg Olsen and Harvey Rachlin. Also: R.K., J.G., B.W.
I cannot write a book without thanking William Acosta, a man whose gifts to this world are endless.
Kensington editor-in-chief, Michaela Hamilton, and senior editor Johnny Crime have shown me nothing but respect, guidance and support. Whether they are making my words work on the page or explaining parts of the business I am still trying to comprehend, I feel like I am working with the two most prolific editors in the business. Thanks both of you for always taking the time to answer my questions. A very special thanks to copyeditor S. Finnegan.
This book is dedicated to Tommy Louis (“he ain’t heavy…”). Without his persistence, I would have never pursued this story, which was his idea from the get-go. Thanks, Tommy. I hope it lives up to what you had hoped from the beginning.
The entire Phelps family has been very supportive: thanks! Doug Leonard, a friend for years: thank you for the help during those tough times. Garry Rice, a former cop and gun expert, thanks for helping me understand the ballistics involved in this case and helping me put together the likely sequence in which Buzz Clinton might have been shot.
All my readers: Thank you for the kind letters and encouraging e-mails.
My wife: You are not only the best friend I have ever had, but my guide through life. You allow me the space and time to do my work without questioning why. You are there when things go bad, when they get worse and when everything seems to be going our way. Thank you for believing in me and not once ever a
sking me why I continue to do this in spite of all the negative aspects of it.
Lastly, my children. I see life in your happiness, your sadness, your stubbornness, your dreams, goals and, yes, your failures. When I look at the three of you together, the joy comes in understanding why I am alive.
If I have forgotten anyone, I sincerely apologize; it wasn’t on purpose.
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Twenty-six-year-old Anson “Buzz” Clinton, in 1992, two years before he was gunned down.
Buzz Clinton and his younger brother, Billy.
Easter Sunday, 1986. From left: Buzz Clinton; his sister, Suzanne; his father, Buck; and his brother, Billy.
The inside of Buzz Clinton’s 1981 Pontiac Firebird as the Connecticut State Police Major Crime Squad found it on March 10, 1994. (Courtesy of Clerk’s Office, New London Superior Court)
An aerial view of Exit 72 off Interstate 95 in East Lyme, Connecticut, where Buzz Clinton was found shot to death on March 10, 1994. (Courtesy of Clerk’s Office, New London Superior Court)
This copper-covered .38 caliber bullet was taken from Buzz Clinton’s chest cavity. (Courtesy of John Brand)
The Eastern District Major Crime Squad of the Connecticut State Police in Norwich, Connecticut, was the hub of the Buzz Clinton murder investigation. (Author’s photo)
John Turner, a 20-year veteran of the Connecticut State Police, was one of the detectives leading the investigation into Clinton’s death. (Author’s photo)
Detective Richard “Reggie” Wardell was instrumental in getting hired hitman Mark Despres to expose the conspiracy behind Buzz Clinton’s murder. (Author’s photo)
Detective Marty Graham worked for years to bring those responsible for Buzz Cliton’s death to justice. (Author photo)
Kim Carpenter-Clinton, Buzz’s wife, in her 1984 high school yearbook photo. (Courtesy of Ledyard High School yearbook)
In 1992, Buzz Clinton converted this tool shed on his parents’ property into a fully functional “detached bedroom.” (Author’s photo)
The Clinton residence in Old Lyme, Connecticut, where Buzz Clinton grew up. (Author’s photo)
Kim Carpenter and Anson “Buzz” Cliton on their wedding day, January 17, 1993.
Cynthia Carpenter, Kim’s mother (in middle, leaning, over, talking to Rebecca), lost custody of Rebecca only weeks before this photo was taken.
Beth Ann Carpenter with her niece, Rebecca, during her sister Kim’s wedding ceremony.
Cynthia and Dick Carpenter were photographed by detectives. (Courtesy of Connecticut State Police Crime Lab)
Beth Ann Carpenter’s senior class photo, 1981. (Courtesy of Ledyard High School yearbook)
Beth Ann Carpenter lived in this lavish condominium at the Norwich Inn & Spa resort, in Norwich, Connecticut. (Author’s photo)
In the late eighties, attorney Haiman Long Clein built a lucrative practice catering to Connecticut’s powerful and rich. (Courtesy of Connecticut State Police Crime Lab)
Haiman Clein lived with his wife and children in this Twin Lakes mansion on Pond Edge Drive in Waterford, Connecticut. (Author’s photo)
Acting on a tip, investigators of Buzz Clinton’s death first searched for evidence at the Fremut Texaco in Essex, Connecticut. (Author’s photo)
Buzz Clinton thought he was going to sell this tow truck on the night he was murdered.
The area in back of the Fremut Texaco, where Mark Despres and Joe Fremut rehearsed how they were going to kill Buzz Clinton. (Courtesy of Clerk’s Office, New London Superior Court)
Mark Despres was arrested on October 29, 1995, after arming himself with an AK-47 and leading Connecticut State Police on a 12-hour manhunt. (Courtesy of Connecticut State Police Crime Lab)
Joe Fremut exposed Mark Despres’s involvement in the murder shortly after detectives arrested him. (Courtesy of Connecticut State Police Crime Lab)
After spending months on the run, Haiman Clein was arrested by the FBI in Long Beach, California, in early 1996. (Courtesy of Connecticut State Police Crime Lab)
Dee and Buck Clinton had this house built on their property for Kim and her kids shortly after Buzz was murdered. (Author’s photo)
Eight weeks after Buzz was murdered, Kim Clinton gave birth to his son, Anson Clinton IV.
After authorities in Ireland tracked her down and extradited her back to the United States, Beth Ann Carpenter posed for a mug shot on June 19, 1999. (Courtesy of Connecticut State Police Crime Lab)
Beth Ann Carpenter at her parents’ Ledyard home in November 2000, after her bond was reduced from $1 million to $150,000. (Courtesy of Connecticut State Police Crime Lab)
Chris Despres (20 years old here) was only 15 when he watched in horror as his father murdered Buzz Clinton.
In June 2002, convicted murderer Mark Despres was photographed at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution, in Suffield, Connecticut. (Courtesy of Connecticut Bureau of Prisons)
Haiman Long Clein, at 56, on September 23, 1997, two years before he took a plea bargain for his role in Buzz Clinton’s murder. (Courtesy of Connecticut Bureau of Prisons)
After she was found guilty of capital felony, murder and conspiracy to commit murder, Beth Ann Carpenter was photographed at the York Correctional Facility for Women in Niantic, Connecticut, on April 24, 2002. (Courtesy of Connecticut Bureau of Prisons)
Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals connected to this story.
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Copyright © 2004 by M. William Phelps
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* Italics on first use represents pseudonym.