book cover
Meet Gary L. Stuart, author of the recently published “Innocent Until Interrogated, The True Story of the Buddhist Temple Massacre and the Tucson Four” on:
–Friday Nov 19, 7 p.m.
U A Poetry Center, Dorothy Rubel room
1508 E. Helen St. (SE corner of N. Vine Ave., north of Speedway)
–Saturday Nov. 20, 2 p.m.
Border’s Books & Music at Park Place Mall
5870 E Broadway Blvd.
This “riveting exploration” of one of the most heinous crimes in Arizona’s history took place near Phoenix in 1991, the mass murder of 9 residents (6 monks) of a Thai Buddhist temple. In February, 2010 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voided Johnathan Doody’s confession and conviction, which was overturned last month by the U.S. Supreme Court which directed the 9th Circuit to revisit its decision. So this case is still ongoing.
From the publisher University of Arizona Press:
On a sweltering August morning, a woman walked into a Buddhist temple near Phoenix and discovered the most horrific crime in Arizona history. Nine Buddhist temple members—six of them monks committed to lives of non-violence—lay dead in a pool of blood, shot execution style. The massive manhunt that followed turned up no leads until a tip from a psychiatric patient led to the arrest of five suspects. Each initially denied their involvement in the crime, yet one by one, under intense interrogation, they confessed.
Soon after, all five men recanted, saying their confessions had been coerced. One was freed after providing an alibi, but the remaining suspects—dubbed “The Tucson Four” by the media—remained in custody even though no physical evidence linked them to the crime.
Seven weeks later, investigators discovered—almost by chance—physical evidence that implicated two entirely new suspects. The Tucson Four were finally freed on November 22 after two teenage boys confessed to the crime, yet troubling questions remained. Why were confessions forced out of innocent suspects? Why and how did legal authorities build a case without evidence? And, ultimately, how did so much go so wrong?
In this first book-length treatment of the Buddhist Temple Massacre, Gary L. Stuart explores the unspeakable crime, the inexplicable confessions, and the troubling behavior of police officials. Stuart’s impeccable research for the book included a review of the complete legal records of the case, an examination of all the physical evidence, a survey of three years of print and broadcast news, and more than fifty personal interviews related to the case. Like “In Cold Blood”, and “The Executioner’s Song”, “Innocent Until Interrogated” is a riveting read that provides not only a striking account of the crime and the investigation but also a disturbing look at the American justice system at its very worst.
I haven’t read this book…yet, but I intend to. A few years ago I did re-read Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” which was chilling.
Anyone remember this Buddhist temple murder case & “The Tucson Four”? If not, go to Gary Stuart’s talk to find out.
Update: my notes on 11/23:
Perused this book last night and learned more about co-defendant Alex Garcia, who testified against Doody and is also serving several life sentences in prison. This seemed to have been a burglary/robbery that went way too far with the executions of the 6 monks and 3 members of the Wat Promkunaram temple in Waddell, Arizona. This first mass murder case in Arizona led to the election of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the Republican primary of September 1992, after his predecessor Sheriff Tom Agnos had to endure the publicity of the botched forced confessions, done by his officers.
UPDATE: 5/5/11:
Johnathan Doody’s conviction overturned today by 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (8-3 decision) based on defective Miranda warnings at time of arrest. Miranda vs. Arizona was decided in 1966 and this case was tried in 1991 in Maricopa County. Defendant Doody has to be retired or released. He was 17 at the time of the arrest/confession.
Read AZ Daily Star article:
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_ba386be5-ff60-5286-9e9b-30ce25b114d6.html
carolynclassen 
I remember the killings and I remember the forced confessions even more. I’m glad that the issue of forced confessions, something that happens not uncommonly, is being brought to light through this book. Sadly, confessions, like eyewitnesses and informants, are not reliable evidence to prove guilt, yet they are very convincing to judges and juries.
Thanks leftfield. Somehow I missed this horrible event or maybe because it was so horrible with 9 Buddhist people being killed en masse, that I blocked it out from my news reading in 1991 and 1992.
Hey Leftfield!
Guess what? I got banned from the Three Sonorans blogsite by the Three Sonorans!! Figure that. Guess he doesnt like me. lol Heck …I if I had a blogsite site I would even let you comment. Go figure.
Correction: I am back, Freedom
Well I wouldn’t ban you – of course I wouldn’t ban myself either and I’ve been banned by two “conservative” TC.com blogs.
It’s a bad practice, but it’s nice to see a little “balance”.
I would not ban you too if I had a blog.
Fraser007, now my filter is blocking your comments for me to moderate, which it did to your 11:01 a.m.comment above. It may be because it blocked you once a few weeks ago. I hope I don’t have to “moderate” all your comments in my blogsite.
LOL …Not on your blogsite. I like you and your blogsite. You try to inform the community and present ideas that are worthy.
About 25 people listened intently tonight to this griping story about the complicated & terrifying mass execution of 9 innocent Buddhist members of this temple. Johnathan Doody, one of the convicted murderers is Thai-American, and the author answered my question that these murders were not racially motivated or due to any religious targeting, but were done for robbery (about $2100 was taken). “The Tucson Four” had all given coerced confessions and were eventually freed. Stuart stated that his book showed that “even you could confess to a crime you didn’t commit under the right circumstances” of coercion.
This happens not infrequently. The police may tell young or naive people that their friend who was falsely arrested along with them has confessed and implicated them or that they will surely get the death penalty or a very long sentence unless they confess. It’s also true that after two or three days of being grilled and constantly told that you have commited a crime, people can begin to doubt their own memory and actually believe they commited the crime.
Always remember that the police have a job to do and that job is not to help you. That job is to make an arrest. The police and prosecutors are more often interested in arrests and successful prosecutions rather than the truth.
Always refuse to talk to the police without a lawyer present. Don’t believe them when they say they can help you if you help them.
Right, Stuart said tonight that Doody’s case with his confession has been remanded for a new trial based on a new Florida case regarding Miranda rights. It’s amazing to me that people still don’t know enough of their Miranda rights not to say anything to the police without an attorney present. Especially here in Arizona where the Miranda case originated (Miranda vs Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966).
Reminder: 2nd talk today at Border’s at Park Place, 2 p.m.
Perused this book last night and learned more about co-defendant Alex Garcia, who testified against Doody and is also serving several life sentences in prison. This seemed to have been a burglary/robbery that went way too far with the executions of the 6 monks and 3 members of the Wat Promkunaram temple in Waddell, Arizona. This first mass murder case in Arizona led to the election of Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the Republican primary of September 1992, after his predecessor Sheriff Tom Agnos had to endure the publicity of the botched forced confessions.
wish somebody ask me questions about the case before they write books.
Johnathan Doody’s conviction overturned by 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (8-3 decision) based on defective Miranda warnings at time of arrest. Miranda vs. Arizona was decided in 1966 and this case was tried in 1991 in Maricopa County. Defendant Doody has to be retired or released. He was 17 at the time of the arrest/confession.
Read AZ Daily Star article:
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_ba386be5-ff60-5286-9e9b-30ce25b114d6.html
Hello Carolyn, I am a American Theravada Buddhist monk living at Wat Promkunaram. I wasn’t there in 1991, actually, there’s no one there now since all were killed, but have a few opinions on this terrible crime if you would care to hear them.
Phra Ajahn Bill, yes I would like to hear your opinion about those 1991 mass murders. Thanks for the informtion about the temple. Does anyone at Wat Promkunaram know Doody’s Thai family?
we have began a fresh Buddhist discussion board with the hope that it could humbly change your gone down e-sangha, check into Buddhist discussion board previously mentioned.
we’ve got started a whole new Buddhist community forum in the hope that it may humbly replace the actual dropped e-sangha, check up on Buddhist discussion board above.