BOSTON, Aug. 5, 2008
Calif. Authorities To Question Kidnap Dad
Mystery Father Possibly Linked To Calif. Homicide; No Record Of Him Before 1993
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Law enforcement officials escort Clark Rockefeller, center in handcuffs, to a waiting vehicle on the tarmac at Logan International Airport, Aug. 5, 2008, in Boston. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)
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Photo Essay Daughter Abducted Father accused of snatching his 7-year-old daughter from a Boston street.
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Interactive Out Of Sight: Missing Kids Get the facts on kidnappings, learn predator profiles and check out resources for locating missing children.
The man known as Clark Rockefeller - and by several other aliases - was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on Tuesday on charges related to the July 27 disappearance of his daughter, Reigh Boss.
Authorities say they have been stymied in their efforts to figure out exactly who Rockefeller is. Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley said they have no record of him before 1993, and said Rockefeller has claimed he doesn't remember details ranging from where he is from, where his parents are and even whether he is from the United States.
"At this point he provided essentially no biographical data about himself before 1993," assistant district attorney David Deakin said in court. Deakin said that after thousands of hours of collaboration - by the FBI, local and state officials and even Homeland Security - authorities are still unsure of the details of Rockefeller's real identity.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said Tuesday that two homicide detectives were en route to Boston to interview Rockefeller "in connection with a missing person report back in the early 1990s."
Rockefeller's attorney Stephen Hrones denied his client had any link to the California case, and said Clark Rockefeller was his legal name.
The Boston Herald reported that Los Angeles authorities were investigating human remains discovered in 1994 in San Marino, Calif. The newspaper said three plastic bags containing human bones were found by workers digging a swimming pool. Investigators said at the time that the bones may have belonged to Jonathan Sohus, a man who disappeared along with his wife in 1985.
The Boston Globe, citing two unnamed sources, reported Thursday that Rockefeller's fingerprints were linked to an out-of-state license application under a different name. The Globe said that name is on a list of people wanted in a homicide case in California.
Whitmore refused to release details of the case.
Police have said Rockefeller, 48, snatched his daughter from a Boston street on July 27 in an elaborately planned kidnapping in which he hired two people to drive them to New York. He was caught Saturday in Baltimore, where he had bought a home and boat. Deakin said 300 one-ounce gold coins and $12,000 in cash also were found in Rockefeller's apartment following his arrest.
In court Tuesday, an unkempt-looking Rockefeller - wearing the same wrinkled Lacoste shirt and dark-framed glasses he was arrested in - stood still and looked down as the charges against him were read: felony parental kidnapping, assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
He didn't speak to the judge during the hearing, though a court microphone caught him muttering, "That's not me," when a prosecutor mentioned an alias attributed to him.
Rockefeller was flown to Logan International Airport earlier Tuesday, accompanied by law enforcement. Passengers said he smiled, drank coffee and read The New York Times on the short flight.
"Our experience tells us he's more of a schemer than someone who has lost his memory," Conley said.
Hrones said Rockefeller did not "kidnap" his daughter.
"How could you kidnap your own daughter?" Hrones asked. "He loves his daughter. Kidnapping doesn't apply, it was his own kid."
But Conley noted Massachusetts has a law against parental kidnapping.
"Just because he's Reigh's natural father, it doesn't absolve him," he said.
Hrones said he knew Rockefeller socially before Rockefeller hired him Tuesday, but he wouldn't say how they knew each other.
Hrones complained that police have been leaking information to the news media that have already painted Rockefeller as guilty.
Rockefeller served as a director of Boston's exclusive Algonquin Club, but resigned about three months ago.
There is no indication Rockefeller is related to the famous family descended from Standard Oil billionaire John D. Rockefeller Sr., family members said.
Reigh, known to family and friends as "Snooks," was found in good condition in Baltimore and has been reunited with her mother, Sandra Boss. The two live together in London, where Boss is a senior partner in the London office of the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co.
When Sandra Boss was told that her little girl was found safe and sound, "she collapsed into my arms. She was overjoyed," a Boston Police deputy superintendent said Monday.
Thomas Lee, speaking to CBS' The Early Show, called it "one of the most rewarding moments in my police career."
Boston police told the Boston Globe that it appears Rockefeller was setting up a new life in Baltimore at the time of arrest.
The seller of a home Rockefeller bought for $450,000 cash a month ago says he called himself Chip Smith and mentioned his daughter was coming to live with him.
"We understand his boat has been down there at least two years and he had been traveling in the area for some time over the last year," Lee told The Early Show.
Conley said that he would not comment on whether Boss and her daughter were back in England or still in Boston. He said that Boss is in contact with authorities and has been cooperative.
A pre-trial hearing for Rockefeller is set for Sept. 3.
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See all 31 CommentsIf the man supposedly can''t remember events or anything about himself before 1993 then he can''t say or establish that Clark Rockefeller is his legal name. If it IS his legal name, then when did he acquire it, and what was his name before that?
I want to correct that. My dad was verbally abusive, but not physically abusive, other than the slaps to the face.
Goodnight!
I''m 54. I have a brother who is 8 years older than me. My dad or mom never beat us. My dad used to run around waving a razor strap, but he never hit us with it.
"My brother-in-law used to beat my nieces until they could not walk..."
"My mother used to beat us (six boys) with a belt."
That is too bad. I guess I am lucky that my parents weren''t abusive.
No I guess it wasn''t. Did you do something to make her mad?
Did you boot their a-s-s-e-s out when they physically assaulted you?
This was my dad too, but he was a real jerk.
"I don''''t recall them ever arguing over anything other than his drinking..."
Mine didn''t argue either. She was a doormat and did everything he said. What''s to argue about?:) My dad didn''t drink, except on holidys and then it would just be a couple.
You couldn''t have your own opinion on anything and nothing you ever said was right. It was like he was always looking for a fight and you had to watch everything you said. He wasn''t physically abusive. Well, he did slap me across the face twice.
"I do not blame women for wanting to get out of abusive relationships, the question is why do they enter into them in the first place?"
That''s a very good question. If a woman can see that a man is abusive before she marries him, she has to know that he will be abusive afterwards. And only a very stupid person would not see it. I guess if they got married in a very short time, then maybe she may not notice.
I don''t believe in "coincidence".
My dad was a control freak. I will NEVER allow a man to run over me.
"I like toldyouso other than her obsession with abnormal sex_."
Please do not mention "toldyouso''s" name to me. She makes me ill.:)
"I like feisty ("strong") women, up to a point.
The point being when they beat me up."
Haha.
"And I''''m not in the marriage market so any comment that relates to marrying anyone is definitely intended as sarcasm."
There was no doubt in my mind about that!
My comments were being deleted sometimes, but then I think someone in particular was reporting me and then I started getting booted off. So much for free speech.:)
81= ate one
Ahh, I get it now.
The number used to be 88. 8 is my favorite number.
The last time I told you I was Irish, you flipped out on me and you were ranting and raving about your ex-wife. I''m NOT your ex-wife. You told me that I should marry you, so you could divorce me. And I told you that I would, just so I could get the chance to cut of your you-know-what, when you were sleeping!
erasmus is an Irish name. It was a name of a cat. I couldn''t get the name I wanted so I picked this one. It used to be erasmus6, but I got booted off, so had to change it. Actually I have been booted off a number of times, so the number has been change more than once.:)
"What did you eat?"
What do you mean?
I don''t hate men. Why would you think that?
"I''''m still alive because I routinely checked my car & office for bombs"
You''re in bad shape.
"And, I seriously disagree with their claim that ALL men are child molesters, sexual deviants, etc."
I can''t believe they think that ALL men are like that.
Explain to me what a "radical" feminist is.
Ha ha.
"I''''ve encountered that same venom in real life."
Tucker, Tucker, Tucker, don''t you know why?
HELLO! It''s because you are VICIOUS towards women!!
How do you expect them to react? I can''t believe one of them hasn''t hunted you down and killed you yet. It''s amazing you are still alive!
Really? We have stores here that sell s-e-x toys and they have adult movies in our video stores.
"Don''''t ask how I ended up here, it''''s a long story that involves hiding from violent feminists. . .
(and I''''m not kidding)"
Okay, now you''re REALLY scaring me. You must have been a very, very, BAD BOY.
What''s the matter, Tucker, afraid I might want to plan a surprise ATTACK?
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