Lawyers for former FBI agent John Connolly are using newly public manuscripts from mobster James “Whitey” Bulger to challenge his 2008 conviction for a 1982 murder.
Manuscripts’ Claims
In writings from 2007, Bulger expressed rage over lies from ex-associates’ books and aimed to set the record straight. He denied Connolly leaked info leading to John Callahan’s Miami killing, instead fingering Connolly’s FBI supervisor, John Morris, as the true source—who became a key witness against Connolly to avoid charges. Bulger called Connolly a “sacrificial lamb.”
Case Background
Connolly, then Boston FBI, was convicted of second-degree murder and racketeering for allegedly tipping Bulger’s Winter Hill Gang about Callahan’s FBI scrutiny in a prior murder probe, prompting hitman John Martorano’s execution. Indicted 21 years later, Connolly served time until 2021 compassionate release due to terminal illness and COVID risks.
Legal Push
The manuscripts surfaced via a 2024 letter after a prosecutor’s misconduct resignation; Connolly’s team accuses Miami-Dade prosecutors of withholding exculpatory evidence, creating reasonable doubt. Filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, the motion seeks to overturn the conviction. Bulger, who inspired “The Departed,” died in prison in 2018.
