Thomas C. Wales
Thomas Wales
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Thomas Crane Wales.
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| Born | June 23, 1952
Boston, Massachusetts.
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| Died | October 11, 2001 (aged 49)
Seattle, Washington
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| Cause of death | Murder |
| Occupation | US federal prosecutor |
Thomas Crane Wales (June 23, 1952 – October 11, 2001) was an American federal prosecutor and gun control advocate from Seattle, Washington, who was the victim of an unsolved murder that has been characterized as an assassination. In 2018, FBI officials announced they strongly suspected the killing to have been carried out by a paid hit man.
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Life and work[edit]
Wales was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Wales was a graduate of Milton Academy, where he roomed with Joseph Patrick Kennedy II, the son of Robert F. Kennedy. Wales graduated from Harvard University. He attended Hofstra Law School, where he graduated with distinction in 1979 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of the school's Law Review.[1][2]
In 1995, a student at the high school that Wales' son attended brought a gun to school and shot and injured two classmates. Soon after, Wales became involved in Washington CeaseFire, most visibly as a vocal supporter of an unsuccessful 1997 state referendum that would have required gun owners to use trigger locks. Wales later became president of CeaseFire. As a community volunteer, he was active in civic organizations and served as a trustee of the Federal Bar Association.[1][2]
Wales worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney in Seattle specializing in the investigation and prosecution of fraud in banking and business.[2][1]
Death[edit]
On the evening of October 11, 2001, Wales was sitting at his computer in his home office in his basement. A gunman avoided the security lights in Wales' backyard and shot him in the neck, through a window, with a handgun. The killer left shell casings behind. The shots were heard by a neighbor who called 9-1-1.[3]
Wales is believed to be the only U.S. federal prosecutor in history to have been victim of an assassination.[4]
Legacy[edit]
In his memory, the Thomas C. Wales Foundation was set up to support civic engagement, and Thomas C. Wales Park in Seattle was dedicated in 2011.[5][6]
Murder investigation[edit]
Following the murder, the U.S. Government offered a $1 million reward for information "leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible" for Wales' murder.[1] As of 2018, however, the case remained unsolved and no evidence has been found to establish a motive.[7][8][9] An airplane pilot that Wales had prosecuted was investigated and his home searched, but he was not charged. The Bellevue airline pilot, once prosecuted by Wales, was also a firearms enthusiast. Agents believed he resented Wales' off-duty activism as a leading gun-control advocate.[10] The pilot later filed a malicious prosecution claim, but the suit was dismissed.[11]
It has been suggested by the media that U.S Attorney John McKay was dismissed in part due to his request that resource allocation for the Wales investigation remain high. In June 2007, the FBI cut the staff assigned to the case down to two.[12]
In February 2018, an FBI official reported the investigation had found "evidence strongly suggesting" Wales was murdered by a professional killer and, for the first time, indicated that his death was likely a conspiracy involving a small group of people.[9] The U.S. Department of Justice, meanwhile, announced that United States Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would arrive in Seattle on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, to brief media on the progress of the 16-year-old investigation.[9]
