DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION INVESTIGATES PIRATED

Milford (August 30, 2005) - Yesterday, Department of Correction Commissioner Kathleen M. Dennehy ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the release of an unauthorized video taped recording of inmate Joseph Druce to the media. Inmate Druce has been charged with the 2003 murder of defrocked priest John Geoghan.

Still photographs, allegedly taken from a video recording obtained by the Boston Herald, depicts inmate Druce in a cell at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center (SBCC) in Shirley, MA. The newspaper article claims that the video shows inmate Druce pantomiming the killing of John Geoghan on August 23, 2003.

DOC investigators have reviewed all documented and secured videotapes involving inmate Druce at SBCC. None of the tapes contain any of the material allegedly contained in the video recording obtained by the Boston Herald. As such, investigators have concluded that an unauthorized, pirated recording of live video footage of inmate Druce was made while he was at SBCC and that this unauthorized recording was not shared with DOC investigators, the Massachusetts State Police investigators or the District Attorney's Office.

"It is unconscionable that a fellow public safety professional would obtain evidence in a criminal homicide investigation and not share it with those conducting the investigation" said Commissioner Dennehy. "We will continue to investigate this matter with the hopes of identifying this person and holding him or her accountable to the fullest extent allowable" she said.

This is the second incident of an unauthorized release of information regarding the Geoghan homicide. Shortly after the murder, a Massachusetts Correction Officer's Federate Union Executive Board member was suspended for 10 days for releasing information contained in incident reports to the news media that described the manner and means by which John Geoghan was killed. This unauthorized release of information came during the very early stages of the investigation by the District Attorney.

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