Copyright 1996 The Denver Post Corporation
The Denver Post
April 10, 1996 Wednesday 1ST EDITION
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A-05
LENGTH: 327 words
HEADLINE: Unabomber defense lawyer demands evidence list
BYLINE: Howard Pankratz, Denver Post Legal Affairs Writer
BODY:
HELENA, Mont. - The lawyer for suspected Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski demanded late yesterday that the federal government turn over an inventory of property seized from Kaczynski's mountain cabin, saying the week-long search has ended.
The U.S. attorney's office and the FBI in Helena would not confirm the claim by defense lawyer Michael Donahoe that the intense search ended yesterday.
However, the FBI had withdrawn a roadblock on one of the U.S. Forest Service roads that leads to Kaczynski's cabin. And various members of the Unabomber investigative squad checked out of a Helena hotel at noon yesterday.
However, one of the roads to Kaczynski's cabin still was blocked by three men in an unmarked car who declined to identify themselves. The Forest Service road was blocked by a large barricade with a posted warning that the road was closed and anyone trespassing would be arrested.
A federal law enforcement official in Washington, insisting on anonymity, said he the search was ongoing despite Donahoe's claim.
Also yesterday, The Denver Post asked U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell, who signed the warrants for Kaczynski's arrest and search of his property, to unseal affidavits filed in support of the search and arrest.
The Post was joined in the motion by The New York Times and NBC.
John Morrison, the attorney for all three media organizations, said it was important that the documents be released so there would be a better understanding of what had transpired.
"The American public has a right to know why the FBI believes Theodore Kaczynski is the Unabomber," said Morrison. "This is not a case with a large number of suspects at large who might tamper with evidence, witnesses or grand jurors or flee the jurisdiction.
"As far as we know, there is one suspect who is in custody and the premises (where he lived) have been secured."
Lovell late yesterday granted The Post's request for a quick hearing and set one for today.