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The Powerhouse of the Upper Cumberland
since 1996
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The Ballad of Byron
Looper, by David Wyper
can be heard as a RealAudio
file by clicking here
For more, email David Wyper <wyper@soltec.net>
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Jury finds Looper guilty
of 1st degree murder;
sentences him to life in
prison without parole
Justice denied
By GEOFF
DAVIDIAN
Putnam Pit editor
CROSSVILLE, Tenn.(Aug. 23, 2000) – A
jury took fewer than three hours to find former Putnam County Assessor
of Property Byron (Low Tax) Looper guilty of murder in the first degree
in the Oct. 19, 1998 killing of Sen. Tommy Burks.
The verdict came on the eighth
day of the trial, in which defense lawyers argued that the unpopular Looper’s
prosecution was a snowball built of dislike for the defendant, incompetence
of the state investigators, lying state witnesses and altered or fabricated
evidence.
The state never linked the
murder weapon to the defendant, could not prove his car was used to drive
to Burks’ farm, and testimony suggested that Burks saw his killer drive
by moments before his death but did not recognize his opponent for Senate
in the state election to be held two weeks later.
Furthermore, the jury reached
its verdict without the benefit of knowing an informant swore District Attorney General Bill Gibson was taped asking him to set
up Byron Looper, even if the informant had to lie to do it; Gibson fought
giving a sample of his voice to see if it matched he voice on the tape;
Gibson singled out Looper for misconduct in office but called off investigations
of other officials who stole money, altered documents or committed other
felonies; Gibson fought to keep witnesses who saw Looper in Georgia around
the time of Burks' murder from testifying.
At a session with reporters
after the sentencing, Gibson said he would not comment on whether
there would be an investigation into Monterey Police Officer Tim Murphy’s
assertion that he purchased guns for local politicians, one of which was
the murder weapon.
The Putnam Pit has
asked the FBI whether a federal law would be broken by a police officer
lying on a federal ATF form to purchase for a politician a weapon or equipment
restricted to law enforcement use.
The Putnam Pit has
asked Cookeville police for access to documents showing which local residents
have taken a course required before a permit to carry a concealed weapon
can be obtained, but police said because the forms include Social Security
numbers they would charge to copy the forms and scratch out the numbers. |
DA
Gibson won't comment on whether cop who lied to illegally procure Burks
murder weapon for Monterey Mayor John Bowden will be prosecuted
"This is a political trial"
Lawyer argues DA
Gibson jumped on Looper as a suspect when Sen. Burks was killed because
it was a convenient way to stop the political attacks against the good
ol' boys
| What the Looper jury did
not know:
Sworn
affidavit says Gibson was taped asking informant to set up Byron Looper,
even if the informant had to lie to do it. File
Gibson
fought giving a sample of his voice to see if it matched the voice on the
tape.
Gibson
singled out Looper for misconduct in office but called off investigations
of other officials who stole money, altered documents or committed other
felonies. Recent example
Gibson
fought to keep witnesses who saw Looper in Georgia around the time of Burks'
murder from testifying. Link |
District
Attorney General
Bill
Gibson
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Lawyer
says state's case fails
to
link Looper to Burks’ death
CROSSVILLE,
Tenn. (AP) Friday, Aug. 18, 2000 --
Former
Monterey mayor John Bowden testified that in March 1997, he purchased two
9mm pistols from a Georgia dealer. One of those pistols was found last
year in the brush along Interstate 40 near Cookeville and determined to
be the gun used to kill Burks in October 1998, police said. Story
Woman who says Looper spoke
of shooting opponent in 1988 Georgia election can't tell story to jury,
judge rules
Putnam Pit staff
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 17,
2000) -- Suzanne Allen, a former high school classmate, testified Thursday
that Byron  (Low
tax) Looper had made gestures like shooting a gun while discussing how
he might win a 1988 Georgia legislature seat.
The revelation came with
the jury out of the court room during the fourth day of Looper's trial
on charges of first degree murder in the Oct. 19, 1998 shooting death of
Sen. Tommy Burks.
Judge Steve Daniel ruled
the jury should not hear the testimony.
Meanwhile, Looper's lawyer,
Ron Cordova, told jurors that Looper could not have won the election by
default by killing Burks, against whom he was running for senate, because
state law at that time stated that when a candidate dies or is disqualified,
the election goes to the write in candidate with the most votes.
Because Looper's name was
on the ballot it was unlikely he would have garnered any write-in votes,
he said.
| Sen. Charlotte Burks, who
won her husband's seat in a write-in campaign, testified the law was changed
in 1999 to prevent a dead candidate's name from being removed from the
ballot. Instead, if the winner is not living, a successor will be appointed. |
Sen. Charlotte Burks
testified Thursday
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Byron (Low Tax) Looper, right,
in court Thursday with his attorneys, Ron Cordova, left, and McCracken
Poston, center. (Pool photo)
You can control some
of the people
some of the time . .
. but not out-of-state lawyers
From automobile
repair evidence to identifying the murder weapon, Bill Gibson's prosecution
of Byron Looper is being built on altered documents and hostile witnesses.
Pushy, abusive investigators, rude prosecutors and unprepared direct examination
in court have put Bill Gibson's poor performance and incompetence in the
national spotlight, thanks to a pair of out of state lawyers who came not
to deal away Byron Looper, but to make the state prove its case -- something
Gibson may not be able to do without intimidation and favors or payoffs.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the states own witnesses did more harm than good,
from a cop who illegally bought weapons for politicians but is not being
investigated, to a Marine who's whole background has yet to be explored.
So far, Gibson has been able to keep his attempt to pay an informant to
set Looper up from the jury, but how long can this balancing act continue
before Judge Steve Daniel sees the wanton disregard for propriety that
defines the case? Looper may have killed Tommy Burks, but Gibson's prosecution
of the case is working against a conviction. If Looper is acquitted, Gibson,
Abston, Coomer and the rest of the power abusers will have faced opposition
that may destroy their racketeering efforts to steal, cheat and lie to
further their criminal acts. |
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Monterey cop buys guns for politicians
Effort to link Byron Looper
to Tommy Burks murder weapon blows up in DA Gibson's face
Cop says he lied to
state investigators about buying guns for politicians because he was afraid
and ashamed; says mayor gave him $700 cash to buy restricted equipment
used to kill senator
By GEOFF DAVIDIAN
Putnam Pit editor
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. [Aug. 15, 2000] - The
government's attempt to link defendant Byron (Low Tax) Looper to the gun
that killed Sen. Tommy Burks blew up in its face Tuesday.
Monterey Police Officer Tim Murphy said
the 9 mm murder weapon was one of two he bought for local politicians in
March 1997 by lying on a federal form required before he could make the
purchase from a Georgia distributor.
Murphy said then-Monterey Mayor John Bowden
gave him $700 cash to buy two 9 mm guns, and that Murphy knew he lied on
a federal form when he stated they were for his own professional use. Murphy
confessed under cross examination that he had lied frequently to state
investigators and crafted his statements to make his actions appear legal.
"Is it that you lied about all things,"
defense lawyer Ron Cordova asked, "or certain things?"
After a pause, Murphy answered, "Certain
things."
Murphy said he stopped lying on March 3,
1999, after he broke down during an interview with state investigators.
But some of what he testified to on Tuesday
was inconsistent with other facts in the case.
For example, the general manager of GT
Distributors testified each of the Smith and Wesson guns was sold with
two magazines, one in the weapon and one spare. The magazines are restricted
to law enforcement use. But Murphy only accounted for three magazines.
Later, a former employee of Looper's testified
she found a gun a month before the murder under the former tax assessor's
couch when she was cleaning. Prosecutors produced a signed statement and
a page from a weapons catalog on which her initials were adjacent to a
picture of the model weapon the state says Looper killed Burks with.
But on cross examination, Sheila Johnson
identified a different gun as the one she saw at Looper's house, and she
said she told prosecutors weeks ago that she was pressured to sign the
earlier statement by state investigators.
She said she had nothing against District
Attorney General William Gibson, who attends her church and who personally
bought her a lawn mower when hers was stolen.
Prosecutors tried to link Johnson romantically
to Looper, but she said that while he did "come on" to her "as any man
would," he did not pursue her and there was never any improper contact.
Earlier, former Looper friend Joe Bond,
a marine recruiter and gun enthusiast, testified Looper admitted killing
Burks on Oct. 19, 1998. But Judge Steve Daniel refused to allow the defense
to tell the jury he was disciplined repeatedly by the military and had
been involved in a gun incident himself.
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From The Tennessean:
Grisly video opens case against Looper
 |
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| Byron Looper,
left, listens to prosecutors' opening statements in his murder trial with
his attorneys McCracken Poston, background, and Ron Cordova. |
By Leon Alligood / Tennessean
Staff Writer
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. -- The videotape in the hushed courtroom played without narration.
For state Sen. Charlotte
Burks, who hid her eyes during most of it, there was no need for words
to explain. On the jerky screen was her husband of more than 30 years,
state Sen. Tommy Burks, whom she replaced in the Senate. Story
From the Associated Press
Witness certain it was
Looper
Farmhand later found body of Burks
August
15, 2000
 By
Jason Strait, Associated Press
CROSSVILLE -- The
farmhand who found the body of state Sen. Tommy Burks testified Monday
he was "100 percent" certain it was Byron (Low Tax) Looper he saw drive
down the same road moments earlier.
Wesley Rex said during the
first day of testimony at Looper's murder trial that he was on the gravel
farm road on the morning of Oct. 19, 1998, when a black car passed him
with Looper driving.
"I took off about 100 yards,
and then I heard a 'pop,'" Rex said, adding he thought the sound was gravel
hitting his car. Story
Looper
discussion
Other
Looper stories
Looper
polls revisited
Readers
have more faith in murder suspect Looper than in Bible-thumping DA, polls
find
DA's expenses in
Looper trial go online
 The
Putnam Pit is gathering documents detailing expenses submitted by DA
Bill Gibson in the prosecution of Byron (Low Tax) Looper for the alleged
murder of Sen. Tommy Burks, and other information regarding the government's
activities in the case. Click
here for the first installment in .PDF format.
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