Brawley: November 87-February 88

The struggle for justice for Glenda and Tawana Brawley could have easily been short-lived. But it had all the ingredients of a who-done-it? Six white men, mostly law enforcement agents, had kidnapped and raped fifteen year-old Tawana Brawley. Harry Crist, Jr., a police officer and an accomplice, had been murdered.
New York closed ranks behind these white culprits. A local grand jury in Dutchess County had been assembled in January 1988 to suppress the investigation. Meanwhile, Crist’s murder had been widely-publicized as a suicide. The autopsy report would later show a “homicide.” An undisclosed conflict-of-interest had disbanded the first grand jury.
Steven Pagones’ arson investigator had seized control of the rape kit at the hospital. It would never be seen again. Pagones, an accomplice, was an assistant district attorney in Dutchess County. His stealth girlfriend, FBI agent Hilda Kogut, interviewed Tawana on November 30, 1987. Pagones asked Edwin Garcia, a state trooper, to keep the Brawley family under surveillance in December 1987.
Sonny Carson was one of the earliest persons to have made contact with the Brawley family. He insisted that Alton Maddox represent the family. The NAACP had already agreed to represent the family. Later, the NAACP refused to work with Maddox. Dutchess County would grease the NAACP’s palms in December 1987.
The NAACP had sat in on the interview between Tawana and law enforcement officials on November 30 but it had refused to dispute Attorney General Robert Abrams’ claim that Tawana had refused to talk with the police. The NAACP lawyer knew not to dispute a white public official. New York is still a plantation.
The Brawley case started with a bang. Tawana was found on November 28, 1987. Carson et. al organized a major march in Newburgh on December 12. Min. Louis Farrakhan was the featured speaker and Rev. Sol Williams of Newburgh was the host. Min. Louis Farrakhan promised to lead the fight for justice for Tawana. Hundreds of activists appeared in Orange County.
The “Day of Outrage” would follow in New York City. There were massive arrests. One group of approximately 70 people included Dr. Adlaide Sanford. Racism was running rampant in New York. Terrorism was a tactic employed by white supremacists to keep Blacks in check.
The fractured leadership, including Dr. Ben Chavis, Rev. Herbert Daughtry, Assemb. Roger Green and others, chose to plead guilty. Another group of leaders, including Councilman Charles Barron, Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Timothy Mitchell, went to trial. This caused a philosophical split as to whether these arrests constituted civil disobedience or criminal activity.
This day of protest wreaked havoc on New York City. The subway system was shut down. The defendants in the Howard Beach trial were convicted amid the protest. The jury had engaged in protracted jury deliberations but quickly ended its deliberations during the protest. Judge Albert Koch, during the “Day of Outrage” trial, ordered the city to disclose its snitch list.
In January, 1988, the District Attorney of Dutchess County announced that he would be unable to conduct a criminal investigation into the charges lodged by Tawana Brawley because of an undisclosed conflict-of-interest. Ten years later, Judge Judith Hillery identified ADA Steven Pagones as a suspect.
In addition, a white mailman, in January 1988, gave vital information to the district attorney’s office about a vehicle and its occupants who he believed were linked to the kidnapping and rape of Tawana Brawley. The occupants included Pagones, Crist, Scott Patterson and Eugene Branson.
Gov. Mario Cuomo would appoint New York Attorney General Robert Abrams to supplant District Attorney William Grady after County Court Judge Judith Hillery petitioned the governor. Tawana’s advisors had little confidence in Abrams. Among other things, Abrams had no experience in criminal law. Their instincts also suggested that Abrams harbored a pernicious agenda.
Their instincts were correct. Abrams was orchestrating one of the biggest cover-ups in U.S. history. New York had to insulate its law enforcement personnel. It also had to eradicate an emerging, seemingly independent Black leadership.
Abrams had to ignore the medial treatment by white emergency medical technicians that was administered to Tawana Brawley. They found a young girl in dire need of medical treatment. They have never recanted their medical findings. Yet, Abrams would later describe Tawana’s claims as a “hoax.”
Several days later, Tawana would be admitted to Westchester County Medical Center. The hospital records denoted that Tawana had been raped. This was an independent finding. Abrams was unable to get any actual medical personnel to alter the medical findings. He would dismiss them.
A special Dutchess County grand jury was assembled on February 29 , 1988 to investigate claims that Tawana Brawley had been kidnapped and raped in November 1987. Abrams would manufacture new witnesses. He stayed away from the original witnesses. They harbored the truth. This was the beginning of a cover-up.