tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11999615.post4898703308371695138..comments2023-10-02T03:17:59.953-07:00Comments on Moviepie Musings: SIFF #9 - I'm just feeling so sreepy...Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738949094361039874noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11999615.post-31890099368653660522008-06-20T09:53:00.000-07:002008-06-20T09:53:00.000-07:00Very interesting comments, steve98052, thanks for ...Very interesting comments, steve98052, thanks for posting! I was living abroad for a year when the murders happened, but otherwise have live in the Seattle area my whole life. I remember the Pang case very well, but I did not know the specifics of the extradition from Brazil.<BR/><BR/>The film <I>Mr. Big</I> was wobbly... the interviews with other men that had been cajoled into confessing for other crimes was very interesting, but director Burns just glossed over any evidence for her own brother's case. I remember the scene where the judge said that there were "mountains of circumstantial evidence" (I believe), but she never mentioned ANY of that. I was left wholly unconvinced of the things she found obvious.<BR/><BR/>At the screening, however, there were several audience members that were all riled up about the case (on Burns' side), so I wonder if this film will have any of the effect that she hopes it will, perhaps opening the case again with a new investigation.Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06738949094361039874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11999615.post-27394179752003143542008-06-19T20:47:00.000-07:002008-06-19T20:47:00.000-07:00That kitten picture is adorable.As for Mr Big, my ...That kitten picture is adorable.<BR/><BR/>As for <I>Mr Big</I>, my understanding from reading heavily about the case when it was present-day news on the Eastside is that the physical evidence at the scene left no doubt who did the crime.<BR/><BR/>The only problem for the prosecution was getting Canada to extradite the killers. That's because Canadian law forbids extraditing suspects who might face the death penalty, and the prosecution wanted to seek the death penalty.<BR/><BR/>A big complication for the prosecution was the Martin Pang case. Pang had set fire to his parents' warehouse for the insurance money, and four Seattle firefighters had died in the fire. He fled to South America (Brazil, I think), where the law only allowed him to be prosecuted for the arson; the law there didn't consider unintentional deaths resulting from a felony to be murder, and allowed extradition only for crimes that were crimes under their law. Prosecutors here extradited Pang on the arson charges, then prosecuted him for the firefighters' deaths too.<BR/><BR/>So, when the same prosecutors asked Canada to extradite Burns and Rafay for the murders of Rafay's family, after a public declaration that they'd seek the death penalty, they had a problem. Not only did they have to agree <I>not</I> to seek the death penalty, they also had to convince Canada that they wouldn't reneg on the agreement and seek the death penalty anyway.<BR/><BR/>A factor that helped US prosecutors was the fact that although Canada couldn't extradite Burns and Rafay if they would face execution, their prosecutors also didn't want a couple of pre-meditated murderers running free. They coudln't hold them forever without charges, so they needed new charges. Someone in the RCMP concocted the "Mr Big" sting -- probably entrapment under US law -- to build a case to haul them in again, after the US had convinced Canada that they wouldn't face execution.<BR/><BR/>By US law, they were arrested on the largely bogus "Mr Big" charge, then prosecuted for the murder case where they were clearly guilty.<BR/><BR/>The film <I>Mr Big</I> emphasizes how the entrapment scheme was bogus, but apparently ignores the fact that the murder charges were never in any doubt. One can sympathize with Tiffany Burns for wanting to see her brother in a context other than a prison visiting room, but she doesn't have a real case.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11999615.post-59954404668903012292008-06-07T16:31:00.000-07:002008-06-07T16:31:00.000-07:00But just think, Linda, if you hadn't fallen asleep...But just think, Linda, if you hadn't fallen asleep, you wouldn't have been able to include the picture of the cutest kitty EVER. <BR/><BR/>I love it!<BR/><BR/>P.S. This one time my friend slept through <I>Dodgeball</I>. It happens.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07694250660765026665noreply@blogger.com