Bald Truth Exclusive: Team Virgie Loses Florida! Prosecutor Asks Don Clark, “Where’s The Beef?”
By Art Harris, ©www.artharris.com, all rights reserved
In a last ditch effort to turn suspicion spun in Texas into prison stripes for Howard K. Stern, The Bald Truth has learned Team Virgie suffered a major defeat when Florida prosecutors slammed the door on Don Clark’s desperate plea for a meeting to lay out a theory “supporting our claim of possible foul play” in the death of Anna Nicole Smith.
According to letters obtained exclusively by The Bald Truth, Clark invoked the full weight of his FBI career and status as a television “news analyst”— to pressure prosecutors to crank up a brand new “independent criminal investigation into the death of Anna Nicole Smith.”
That’s what Clark wrote July 23, billing himself as “investigative strategist and jury consultant” for legendary Texas litigator John 0’Quinn.
“By way of a brief introduction, I am Don. K. Clark, a retired FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of FBI’s Criminal Division in New York City, San Antonio and the Houston, Texas FBI divisions,” he writes. “I retired from the FBI in 2000 and joined The O’Quinn Law Firm. I am also a contract news analyst covering law enforcement, counterterrorism and security issues.”
Now that he’d “become heavily involved in the Anna Nicole Smith case,” Clark was volunteering to personally fly in with “members of our team…” and make a presentation supporting our claim of possible foul play in her death,” and basically prove how locals had blown the babe murder of the century.
Sorry, Don.
As politely as he could put it, veteran assistant state attorney and Broward’s chief homicide prosecutor Brian Cavanaugh, tried to let him down easy. He’d overseen the exhaustive probe by the county medical examiner, Seminole Police and other detectives who determined the ex-Playboy centerfold died of an accidental overdose at the Hollywood, Fla. Hardrock Hotel.
Along the way, he’d scratched his head over how to delve into Anna Nicole’s computer for clues after retrieving the purloined laptop from Ford Shelley’s county sheriff in South Carolina, where the son of a legendary used car salesman and so called Anna Nicole friend had dumped his booty after taking it from her Horizons home the day after she died, but not before copying the hard drive.
Now Cavanaugh was staring at a possible treasure trove of evidence…according to sources who described his dilemma, but how could he rule foul play in our out without probable cause to convince a judge to issue a search warrant and dive in…unless the estate executor, Howard K. Stern, gave the okay? But would a killer do that? Stern did.
Meanwhile, as he heard screaming from talk shows hosted by the likes of Rita Cosby and others, Cavanaugh saw no overtones or evidence of foul play; he was finding no smoking guns, video or live witness to say someone held Anna’s head and forced her to chug-a-lug deadly chloral hydrate…The only thing he smelled, according to those who know him, was a foul aroma wafting from Clark’s letter, that also applauded an investigation into “allegations of impropriety against Judge Larry Seidlin.”
Seidlin, of course, had ruled against Virgie Arthur’s request that Anna’s body be buried in Texas, against her daughter’s wishes, and Virgie had not forgotten.
Only, Cavanaugh hadn’t fallen off the turnip truck yesterday. He’d spent years dissecting and prosecuting murders in South Florida, a land as bloody, bizarre and political as it comes…the prosecutor chosen to nail the killers of the cruise ship owner connected to a White House lobbyist named Jack Abramoff. A native New Yorker, his father was the legendary NYPD homocide detective who inspired the television series, “Kojak.”
Cavanaugh loved coaching kids, and everyone called him “coach.”
To hear locals tell it, he’s as smart and fair as they come, but never invested a penny in the Brooklyn Bridge. Politely, he told the FBI veteran to put up or shut up.
“We asked, ‘Where’s the beef?’” Cavanaugh told sources privy to the negotiations. “Like the old Wendy’s commercial, we looked between the bun and couldn’t find any.”
In his August 2 letter in reply, also obtained by The Bald Truth under an open records request, Cavanaugh invited Clark to turn over any “legitimate evidence of probative value” to his office and Dr. Joshua Perper, the highly regarded Broward Medical Examiner who had announced their accidental overdose findings months earlier.
He waited, and waited. No legitimate evidence was offered, sources tell me.
Dr. Perper patiently laid it out again; shrugging off talk show barbs, even telling me he’d met with Bahamian police and told them he saw no evidence tying Smith’s death to that of her son, Daniel, except a broken heart that was on the mend. He’d taken plenty of hair and tissue samples and saw no reason for any exhumation request. Barely able to contain his irritation, but ever the good sport, he bantered with Geraldo, then he was off to give a speech to the country’s top medical examiners in Savannah, Georgia. He was their star.
Now, Clark was on the phone asking Cavanaugh for a face to face meeting, between his team and the prosecutor’s.
Only Cavanaugh, sources tell me, had been watching the full court hype from Texas, attacking every aspect of the Florida investigation after the fact with talk show disinformation and bogus bloggers.
He figured, no good would come of such a meeting, that it might, in fact, be used to declare a Texas victory where there was not one yet, or even close, in Florida.
In fact, Cavanaugh’s task force figured they’d not only nailed the cause of death, but the manner of hype. Don Clark’s boss, John O’Quinn, of course, had been calling Stern a murderer on national TV, a man they believed to be innocent, or at least had no evidence to come close to cuffing.
A defamation suit against the Texas lawyer was brewing, but there was one thing that would surely make it go away, legal experts tell me: if Stern were charged with something, anything criminal.
And even though he may be just a state prosecutor with the 17th Judicial Circuit, perhaps looked down on by mighty FBI types as backwoods boys, Cavanaugh did know one thing. He would not be laid, relayed or parlayed into gator bait for the sake of Team Virgie, when his investigation concluded justice had been done.
Unless, of course, Clark did uncover down the road real evidence of value that dictated another look, at which time, he wrote, “the merits of your presentation might be explored.”
Here are the letters:
December 8th, 2007 at 3:07 am
Another DESPERATE attempt by O’Quinn’s team caught in the act.
THANK YOU FLORIDA PROSECUTORS FOR STICKING WITH THE EVIDENCE and FACTS v. O’QUINN’S QUEST FOR MARSHALL $$$.
December 8th, 2007 at 4:16 am
OH my goodness, Will it ever stop???
So Don Clark didn’t get the meeting, which I’m sure would have involved the media to cast more skepticism on Howard K. Stern. That’s all they could do was to try and set up a meeting and brag about it to the media with their lies an d rumors to once again try to show suspicion of a crime, but only thing was …. they have no solid PROOF of wrong doing.
They keep digging the hole deeper and deeper. They are really looking starting to fumble all over themselves.
What a joke this O’Quinn cast of characters are!!! LOL
December 8th, 2007 at 5:40 am
I am now.getting good and angry,monday i will find out the FBI ADDRESS IN WASHINGTON,AND IT IS TIME FOR A LETTER TO MR MULLER,HEAD OF THE FBI.I am pleased to see,the Cavanaugh Task Force has what Don Clark does not have (INTEGRITY).By the way,that in my opinion,is what VIRGIE is trying to do with her pen and CLARK SITTING AT THE INQUEST,Looking for aa opening.
December 8th, 2007 at 7:56 am
You would think that Team Stupid would throw in the towel and save money by stopping some of these senseless court filings.
All these loses surely makes J O’Q reputation bad.
As always Art thanks for keeping us readers in the loop.
December 8th, 2007 at 8:47 am
Hey Art,
Thanks for the latest scoop.
butterfly Says:
December 8th, 2007 at 3:07 am
Another DESPERATE attempt by O’Quinn’s team caught in the act.
THANK YOU FLORIDA PROSECUTORS FOR STICKING WITH THE EVIDENCE and FACTS v. O’QUINN’S QUEST FOR MARSHALL $$$.
DITTO!!!
December 8th, 2007 at 9:59 am
__________________Attention Old News_______________________
Is Howard unavailable for another scoop?:
You Suck at this Art. Really Bad!
Nothing new to twist around today?
WOW, Your career has sunk to the bottom of the toilet!
Nobody is going to read the book you want to write except
for butterfly and she will have borrow it from the Library.
You big dummy!
December 8th, 2007 at 10:04 am
Cavanaugh has got to be reeling from these characters calling him a liar, because that IS what they’re doing. Next we’ll hear that Howard paid him off, or has dirty pictures of him and a mistress! Come on you fools! Let it go already. How much humiliation is it gonna take? Cavanaugh could solve circles around these freaks…and obviously has. Clark, JO and his cronies, and Virgie are all money grubbing worms who care nothing about the stuff they’re leaving behind and one day a little girl’s gonna look at it all and ask “Why?”
December 8th, 2007 at 10:45 am
One by one the cards are falling—Yeah Florida!!
Next will be Bahamas and Calif.!!
December 8th, 2007 at 10:53 am
The rats are getting desperate!! And this is suppose to be a “respected former FBI agent” Oh PLEASE!!!! He makes everyone really suspicious of ALL FBI people, but I’m sure there are some good, honest and just ones out there as there seems to be in Florida. THANK YOU FLORIDA for seeing these people for what they are and what they are trying to do.
December 8th, 2007 at 11:38 am
It is what it is, a tragic death of a beautiful young lady that had her life to look forward to, when will ppl get it?
You can see with this type of upbringing the confusion it caused in poor Anna’s life but the mother will never get it, look at how desperate she is and the lengths she will go to without any regard for her daughter….very sad. Without VA O’Quinn would not even be in the picture.
VA wants a piece of her granddaughters money and she is showing the world the lengths she will go to, giving us a better understanding and compassion towards Anna. Really when you look at VA, you think did Anna ever have a chance? Look at the way VA acted right after Daniel died. This is a very tragic tale.
December 8th, 2007 at 11:53 am
I remember long ago when this all started, people were saying Howard had ties, Howard is paying people off.
After reading this there is NO WAY NO ONE has that much power!
I think level headed, honest people are looking at the facts and coming up with truth.
December 8th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
HAAAHAA pompASS Clark got shut down .So who are these DELUSIONAL people who say the case is getting reopened?Paid bloggers aka losers…guess ‘look at me,mr big FBI agent’,Clark thoughthe would throw his weight around and his request was in the bag.Like the people in FL have nothing better to do then sit around with Team dufus and listen to “theories” they all cooked up while smoking bongs and drinking lsd laced koolaid. Don knows you can’t re-open anything without new evidence ,so what was he trying to pull here? He needs to re-read his FBI agents training manual again to refresh his memory.He has turned into an O’GIN bobblehead doll and it aint looking pretty.Respected FBI…LOL….Federal Bureau of Instigation is more like it.
December 8th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Art, thanks for this great article. And thanks to Cavanaugh. He sounds like he should be a role model for every one else in law.
Clark is the one who should be wearing prison stripes, along with O’Quinn, Shelley, and Rita for starters.
We have been made fun of on another site for being Howard lovers and always saying GO HOWARD, lol. So I have this to say:
GO HOWARD! GO HOWARD! GO HOWARD! LMAO
December 8th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
[...] Art Harris wrote an interesting post today on Bald Truth Exclusive: Team Virgie Loses Florida! Prosecutor Asks …Here’s a quick excerpt… learned Team Virgie suffered a major defeat when Florida prosecutors slammed the door on Don Clark’s desperate plea for a meeting to lay out a theory “supporting our claim of possible foul play” in the death of Anna Nicole Smith. … [...]
December 8th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
“assiduous” – Derived from the Latin ad sedere,
meaning “to sit.”
Short Definition: constant; perservering; diligent.
I believe Mr. Cavanagh meant ‘perservering’…
I think the Texas team is constant, perservering, and very diligent in telling lies to get O’Quinn out of the defamation suit, and Virgie into some control of any possible Marshall monies. Which ultimately O’Quinn, Clark, Wilma, ect…would have ‘control’ of; as Virgie has NO IDEA how this TX bunch would TURN on her if she actually had a percentage of control! They would charge her for every minuet (plus twice over) and take Dannielynn’s inheritance & put it in their greedy little pockets.
WAKE UP VIRGIE!! THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS!!!
You lost the love of your daughter, your grandson over the years by your own doing. You had a chance to see Anna’s daughter a few times a year, holidays, birthdays, ect… And you throw it away for the hope of getting control over a ‘possible’ inheritance! Dannielynn is better off without ever knowing someone like you.
December 8th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Hi Art
How friggin arrogant of these people, they just won’t give up. There are like spoiled little babies that didn’t get their way and now they will do antyhing to try to stir up more garbage for Howard.
They are all making fools of them selves and I imagine most of them won’t have a career left when this is over. How does one go from a respected FBI to screaming on Geraldo??
It’s all about the money for all of them, they don’t care about DL all they want is that Marshall money.
It sounds like most of them are used to pushing their weight around and getting away with it, only this time it hasn’t worked for them and they can’t handle the rejection. Desperate people do desperate things and I think these people are getting really desperate so whatever comes next should be interesting, as I don’t think they are going to go away yet.
Don’t ever give up Howard and show these texans not everyone is as dumb as they think.
December 8th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
SOMETHING smells rotten with this Wilma situation!
Don did not get very high priced lawyers to try & get him out of being deposed…
O’Quinn had to KNOW HER…he had to have purposely acted like he didn’t – for a good reason.
So, I think if I was an investigator; I would start by seeing if Wilma knows the Marshall’s…was she the go-between-person for O’Q/VA??? [for possible kick-backs or similar to any future settlement…]
Does the company that Wilma works for or any oil companies in the past she dealt with – have anything to do with Marshall oil stocks?? (& other questions like that…)
December 8th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
The Letter from Clark about his team being ready to go down to Florida was really funny considering we all know he changed his story on two different fox news stories ,first he was not Cosby’s source than he was.And now we know the infamous Wilma Vice was part of his team and she sure doesn’t want to be deposed for what ever reason.I am glad someone in an official capacity can see what the o’quinn machine is up to and stops them in their tracks.Hopefully others in high places see the same thing.Trial by public opinion is in no ones best interest.
December 8th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
It would be very interesting if the PI’s would give up the names of the persons they sold their info to…
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5359401.html
Houston PIs charged with illegal dirt-digging
December 8th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Thanks again Art! Your updates on this fiasco is appreciated.
Isn’t it nice to see how things evolve…when they’re not in the jurisdiction of Texas?
December 8th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Very interesting. I am a huge believer in TRUTH and I doubt if Virgie, O’Quinn, or Clark would know it if hit them in the head. If Mr. Clark is the best the FBI has to offer it is no wonder they are not held in high regard. I am no special fan of Larry Birkhead or HKS but truth should always rise above dishonesty. Congratulations to Mr. Cavanaugh for taking a position and sticking to it until HE has reason to change his mind.
December 8th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
NURSE.. PLEASE SEEK HELP, ANNA WOULD WANT THAT FOR YOU. I FIND IT FUNNY YOU COME TO THIS SITE, LIKE WE CARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, FOR ME YOU JUST TAKE UP SPACE.
December 8th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Won’t surprise me if DC and Wilma suddenly appear
dressed in nurses uniforms!!
December 8th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Wow. This is like watching all the pieces of a major puzzles fall into place. To think about that crap in CA. last month after reading this, everything really starting to become clear.
I do think that its entirely possible that not only will AG Brown and/or the state of CA. end up looking embarrassed, it think its entirely possible that they’ll be getting a lawsuit from Dr. Kris.
–They raided her house over pure B.S.! I can’t imagine that’s too constitutional.
I truly think that Howard K. Stern is truly an amazing person. The crap he has gone through and had to put up with after losing the two people he loved the most. And then to put up with all the media garbage simply to make sure the little girl he loved was safe. He didn’t/wouldn’t bend to FS when FS was essentially trying to blackmail him, knowing how Anna felt about it, he has refused to exploit or take advantage of the death of his beloved Anna Nicole by doing paid interviews, he has rejected money that was rightfully his–money that would have been taken away from DL, simply so he could make sure that his beloved Anna’s wishes where carried out the way she wanted them to be.
Howard K. Stern’s courage and strength of character is truly stunning.
After everything is finally all said and done, I pray that people/talking heads fell ashamed for what they have put that man through.
Howard, you are doing exactly everything right. You are staying out of/ avoiding the lime light, you are letting this sick game play its self out. You are the only one who has not taken advantage of Anna’s death is some way .And you are staying strong. Theirs no doubt in my mind why Anna loved you and trusted you so much
If after everything is all said and done, this man doesn’t get a MAJOR apology from the media for the extra garbage he had to go though, something is seriously wrong.
December 8th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Truth sucks. Doesn’t it Nurse.
December 8th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
I respectfully ask Mr. Harris’ posters to please ‘ignore’ #6 poster’s remarks. Acknowledging that poster’s name and thier comments is just what they want.
Those comments are just mean defamatory comments directed at our gracious host, it makes me so angry! But, I will stand strong and IGNORE so they will eventually go away…
December 8th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
#17 beth
I’m with you, I think Wilma is the connection to the Marshall link,,,,,also, possibly mistress to either, Jo or DC. Why the name change for her and her posing as a p.i.?
VA will be so pissed when they have the Anna Show Wednesday,,,,Virgie thinks she’s the new Anna,,,crazy ole woman! I have the movie, but would love to be there for the showing. Virgie has made Anna more famous than she would have ever been, I’m certainly an admirer of Anna’s now, after seeing how terrible her family are. Before, I had no opinion of Anna,,,sure wish I could have known her.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:02 am
Hi everyone! I so called this early on! I see the web they wove being pulled apart string by string…Just a matter of time before they are all exposed! Stay strong Howard…there are alot of people that see what the media allowed these people to do and NO ONE should be treated the way you have been treated! I feel that these people must be held accountable for their actions and I have a feeling that they will be!
You should see the stuff being said at “Topix Anna Nicole”…They are not very kind. I have commented there just to being some balance…Anyone care to join me there?
Have a great day!
December 9th, 2007 at 1:24 am
When this mess is finally over, Virgie will have to face reality and look in the mirror at the person who stirred that stinking pot looking for gold.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:51 am
This is such a good site to come to to learn the latest in this never ending saga. All I can say is Thanks for allowing us to come and read the latest.
December 9th, 2007 at 2:06 am
Nurse Says:
December 8th, 2007 at 9:59 am
__________________Attention Old News_______________________
Is Howard unavailable ….
—————————————–
Nurse, you may have been exposed to a high concentration of laughing gas during your nursing stint.
December 9th, 2007 at 2:15 am
Beth Says:
December 8th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
….They would charge her for every minuet (plus twice over)….
How true!
I am aware of an attorney (now deceased from natural causes (age 85+) who used to host parties in his home on special occasions and invite a select group of clients whom he later billed for those expenses. I was aghast!
December 9th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Art want to say thanks for letting Nurse continue to post here, nothing like reading them and sitting back with a good ole belly laugh she provides us for entertainment.
Like the song goes, “What was she thinking” changed the I to she. LOL
December 9th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Hi Art! Great reporting. Keep up the nice work. I am confident that the real truth will prevail, as it should.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
————-ATTENTION———————
I just got word from my camp that we will be selling TINFOIL HATS ,the same ones we have all been wearing!If you’re interested contact the O’Quinn Law Firm.A special number has been set up to take your requests.call 1-666-tin-foil.Cost is $66.06 and that includes shipping.We are all buying them to give as Christmas gifts to our friends and family,so hurry and order before they run out!!
December 9th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
“#26 flowerz Says:
December 8th, 2007 at 11:33 pm”
FLOWERZ! YOU ARE BRILLIANT!!
I had not once thought that Wilma might be ‘personally’ connected with John O’Quinn!
Could be, Could be…
Calling Mr. Nazarian……………(pics would be great!)
December 9th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Art – terrific essay – really enjoying your artices and the truth. We have been so inodated with lies from MSM. Dr Perper is a class guy. I am a Registered Nurse – posters need to remember all kinds of Nursing assistants, CNA, orderlies call themselves Nurses but are not licensed. I think this nurse poster is a fake.
December 9th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I could be wrong,but I THINK NURSE IS A MAN,AND NOT A NURSE,
December 9th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Dear Nurse. Since you are in the medical profession? you may be aware of a ruling made by the Federal Courts involving the prescribing of drugs that may be addicting to a patient for 90 days? Please use your expertise in the medical field to give us an update on something useful that might, in some way, be of help to Dr. E and her prescribing practices for Anna?
December 9th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Do you buy it? NOT AT ALL !! NEVER HAVE AND NEVER WILL
Did Anna consider FS a friend when she died? NO!!!
Should investigators trust him? NO! FS and GBT are both thief and liar!!
Do YOU believe him? NOPE..NEVER HAVE !!!
Do you think Ford and father in law, G. Ben Thompson, will actually show up for the inquest they have been so vocal about?
LOL….ARE YOU KIDDING???? NOPE !!
December 9th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Isabel Says:
December 9th, 2007 at 2:06 am
Nurse Says:
December 8th, 2007 at 9:59 am
__________________Attention Old News_______________________
Is Howard unavailable ….
—————————————–
Nurse, you may have been exposed to a high concentration of laughing gas during your nursing stint.
Isabel, Go wash your hair in the kool-aid fountain over Rosespeaks.Mr. Cavanuagh or whom ever leaked to Mr. Harris is the one that should be shamed!
December 9th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Mrs. Seder: Very good post, except I wouldn’t count on the media apologizing to Howard. It takes a big person to admit he is wrong and these people in the media have proven to all of us they are very small indeed. They don’t have the class it would take to apologize.
December 9th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
Howard yoy are a fantastic man,friend,protector,human,lawyer, would of been husband.i wish you the very best .wishing you if possible a merry christmas .i hope that you can spend it with danilynn.god bless you Howard.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:47 am
This is bullshit at it’s finest. It’a almost laughable. The depths that these worms will go and have gone is totally mind boggling. They had better start praying and stop this hatred that they have toward Howard. I still say that Howard will be ok and that’s my main concern. O’Quinn and the likes should understand that they one day will have to face their maker. I don’t care how much money one has, that’s a date that will be. I know it for a fact! Money can’t do everything. Salvation should be more important.
December 10th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Don Clark needs to freshen up his grammar before trying to write a letter to anyone. He’s a joke!
December 10th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
EJ #46
That is so true! I also think, even though he did spend that many years in the FBI…HE SHOULD NOT USE THAT AS WHO HE IS NOW! He is no longer with them. I truly believe he thinks that even ‘former’ has some ‘pull’ with people respecting him or doing what he wants.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Lets all pray that the courts in Florida see thru o’quinn also and do the right thing and keep things in florida where they belong.o’quinn did not like it one little bit when he was told to sit down texas.The look on his face is priceless.when told to dropit. and go on.Guess he is not used to judges that overrule him.
December 10th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
EJ Says:
December 10th, 2007 at 9:47 am
… one day will have to face their maker.
——————————————–
Who knows? It may be that O’Quinn expects to take his harem with him so they can carry baskets filled with gold for bribery. They will be carried with fervor while being chauffered in a flying stretch limo freshly dusted by worshipping clients with $$$ in their sight.
December 12th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
At this point it is hard for me to understand what Clark and O’Quinn are in this for, it seems like everytime they pop up in this saga they are on the totally defeated end. Clark has never presented anything but smoke, mirrors, hearsay and flat-out lies. While O’Quinn continues to represent Virgie who has ZERO claim in any of these matters. Larry Birkhead should observe this as what NOT to do in order to gain anything through the legal system. Though as far as I have seen he seems to be just as destined for defeat in his inevitable battle for a piece of the Marshall estate.