One year on from the harrowing series of killings executed by Christopher Wilder, the same judge from Palm Beach County circuit who had enabled his freedom was now dealing with a separate criminal incident involving another affluent individual. This case was related to the drug overdose incident that resulted in the death of David Kennedy in Palm Beach. The perpetrator involved in this death was of substantial means, similar to the scenario Judge John Born encountered in February 1983 with Wilder.
Back in 1983, Born had released Wilder, a wealthy man himself, on an unexpectedly low bail of $1,000. This followed charges that Wilder had breached his probation due to being arrested in Australia for sex offenses involving minors. Once freed, Wilder resumed his criminal activities with the horrifying abduction and sexual assault of a young girl and her younger sister from Boynton Beach.
Not long after this heartbreaking incident, eight months later to be precise, Wilder commenced a nationwide killing rampage. The aftermath of Born’s judgement led to the loss of nine innocent lives. Now, facing another affluent family in the Kennedy case, Born had to decide whether to uphold justice or bow to the wealthy and influential.
David Kennedy, sibling to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who held the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services, passed away from an overdose involving a mixture of cocaine, a painkiller, and a tranquilizer. The incident happened on April 25, 1984, at the Brazilian Court hotel located in Palm Beach. The Kennedys come from a notable lineage, their patriarch being the assassinated U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Following David Kennedy’s tragic death, charges were brought against two hotel employees who allegedly supplied David with cocaine. In addition to these circumstances, a member of the same illustrious family, Caroline Kennedy, who is the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy and cousin to David, was spotted near David’s hotel room the morning of the grim discovery.
The discovery of residues of cocaine and Demerol, a type of painkiller, in the toilet bowl located within the hotel room sparked conjectures. This evidence was considered a hint that an unspecified individual might have gained access to the room and subsequently removed illicit substances prior to the finding of Kennedy’s body.
In response to the incident and the following speculations, Caroline Kennedy issued an official statement in Washington, D.C. describing her activities that morning. However, the then-Palm Beach County State Attorney, David Bludworth, intended to maintain the confidentiality of her statement.
The defense attorney of one of the implicated bellhops, a man named Michael Salnick, voiced his opinion to Judge Born. He made the argument that the defense had the right to access the sworn statement provided by Caroline Kennedy. Judge Born, realizing the implication of Salnick’s claim, concurred.
Displaying his extensive frustration, Judge Born vocalized to Bludworth, ‘We’ve been dealing with this for months’. With a hint of accusation in his tone, he continued, ‘It seems as if you are letting the Kennedys influence your actions within the Office’.
Judge Born, who later passed away in 1989 at the age of 68, made the decision to relinquish Caroline’s statement. In this statement, Caroline clarified that she had not encountered her cousin David in the days preceding his unfortunate demise.
Further elaborating in her released statement, Caroline mentioned she, along with another cousin, Sydney Lawford, visited the hotel with the intention of checking on David. This purportedly occurred on the same day of David’s overdose, at least an hour before his lifeless body was discovered. However, neither Caroline nor Sydney had actually entered his room.
The post Unveiling Palm Beach’s Infamous Legal Cases Involving Rich & Famous appeared first on Real News Now.
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