[Ppnews] Omaha Two story: (Part 21) Policeman's killer testifies against Black Panthers at Omaha Two trial

Tue Apr 5 13:34:49 EDT 2011

<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/policeman-s-killer-testified-against-black-panthers-at-omaha-two-trial>http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/policeman-s-killer-testified-against-black-panthers-at-omaha-two-trial

Policeman's killer testified against Black Panthers at Omaha Two trial

    * By <http://www.examiner.com/user-richardsonreports>Michael 
Richardson, COINTELPRO Examiner
    * April 5th, 2011 1:08 pm ET
Omaha Two story: April 5, 1971

<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/prison-interview-with-ed-poindexter-on-cointelpro-and-the-omaha-police>Edward 
Poindexter and 
<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/prison-interview-with-mondo-we-langa-on-cointelpro-and-omaha-two-case>Mondo 
we Langa (formerly David Rice) are known as the Omaha Two, and both 
men are serving life sentences for the August 17, 1970 murder of 
Omaha Patrolman 
<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/omaha-patrolman-larry-minard-killed-ambush-bombing-after-911-call>Larry 
Minard, Sr.  The pair were leaders of Nebraska's Black Panthers and 
targets of the infamous COINTELPRO operation.

<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/crimes-of-cointelpro-heard-at-northeastern-law-school-seminar>COINTELPRO 
was an illegal, clandestine program of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation under 
<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/j-edgar-hoover-gave-order-to-let-policeman-s-killer-get-away-with-murder>J. 
Edgar Hoover that targeted political activists disliked by Hoover for 
dirty tricks that included false prosecutions.  The Black Panthers 
attracted Hoover's most immediate attention with a lethal ferocity.

Officer Minard's confessed killer, 
<http://www.examiner.com/cointelpro-in-national/confessed-omaha-bomber-changes-story-during-preliminary-hearing>Duane 
Peak, gained a reduced sentence in juvenile detention in exchange for 
his testimony implicating the two Panther leaders.  Peak served 33 
months and was released despite his admission of planting the bomb 
that killed the patrolman while responding to a 911 call of a woman screaming.

Forty years ago, on April 5, 1971, the second week of the Minard 
bombing trial opened with all the melodrama of the first.  Elaborate 
security precautions were still being taken including the searching 
of court room visitors.  However, on Monday a new security device was 
in operation.  Closed-circuit TV cameras scanned the trial 
proceedings seeking out potential disruptors.

Duane Peak entered the Douglas County courtroom and took the witness 
stand. The Omaha World-Herald described the killer,  "Peak, modishly 
dressed in gray charcoal pinstripe suit with a tapered jacket 
and  matching pink tie and handkerchief, spoke in a soft voice, at 
times almost seeming to whisper."

The day was spent in Arthur O'Leary's examination of his 
witness.  The nine women, three man jury listened in stoic silence 
and seemed at times almost disinterested with the proceedings.  As 
the day wore on the jury did betray what appeared to be a mild 
irritation at defense attorneys for their repeated and continued 
objections with long looks.

Between objections and conferences at the bench the state elicited 
from young Peak his part in the death of Minard.  Under O'Leary's 
questioning Peak described his role in the alleged conspiracy.

Duane Peak testified he didn't learn his bomb worked for ten hours 
when he heard about it on a newscast, having gone to sleep after 
placing the suitcase bomb in a vacant house and allegedly calling 
police to the trap.
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Prior to confessing to placing the bomb, Peak testified it was 
constructed at 2816 Parker, the home of David Rice, and that Ed 
Poindexter gave detailed instructions on how to place and locate the 
bomb.  Poindexter allegedly told Peak that he had "a beautiful plan 
to blow up a pig."

Peak described the simple triggering device of his bomb which used 
thumbtacks, a small wood wedge, a clothespin, and a battery.  During 
a recess, Poindexter approached the suitcase used by Peak as a model 
during his testimony and examined it curiously.

Duane Peak claimed to have had two meetings at Mondo's house, one to 
build the bomb and then later to pick it up for delivery to the 
ambush site.  Peak claimed he also had a walk-by 2867 Ohio Street 
with Poindexter as they scouted out vacant houses.

About 10:30 p.m. on Sunday night, August 16, 1970, Peak was at his 
sister Delia's apartment with the suitcase bomb.  Peak said he had 
his sister give him a ride to the vacant house dropping him off in 
the alley behind the house.

Duane Peak testified to the hushed courtroom: "I looked around the 
house.  There were some people around and I decided to wait."

After waiting "about an hour" Peak entered the house and placed the 
suitcase on the threshold of the front door setting the triggering 
device to explode if the suitcase was lifted.

Duane Peak testified he then "sat and thought" for about a half-hour 
on the porch railing before leaving the bomb-rigged house.

Peak said he walked back to Delia's house arriving there at 1:00 a.m. 
About 40 minutes later Peak left, he said, to make the fatal phone 
call.  Peak said he borrowed a dime from a stranger to place the call.

Peak testified, "I raised my voice and put it in a lower tone.  I 
told the man I saw a man dragging a screaming woman into the house."

Four police cruisers responded.  Eight patrolmen searched the house and yard.

At 2:11 a.m. a terrific explosion rocked the neighborhood, breaking 
windows  and half-demolishing the death house where 29 year-old Larry 
Minard, Sr. was killed instantly while examining the suitcase.

Peak's testimony would resume on Tuesday with cross examination by 
defense attorneys for Ed Poindexter and Mondo we Langa.  Both men 
were held in the Douglas County Jail where they had been confined 
since being arrested shortly after Minard's death the summer before.

The jury hearing the case was never informed about COINTELPRO and the 
counter-intelligence measures used against the Omaha Two in the 
months before the bombing.  Nor was the jury informed about J. Edgar 
Hoover's personal order to withhold a FBI lab report on the identity 
of the 911 caller whose voice did not resemble that of Duane Peak.

To view all of the Omaha Two story articles click 
<http://www.examiner.com/omaha-two-story-in-national>HERE

Permission granted to reprint

Michael Richardson
COINTELPRO Examiner
Examiner.com

Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
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