June 7, 2005
Man With Bloody Chain Saw Let in to U.S.
A killer openly carried a bloody chain saw and various other weapons into the U.S. across the Canadian border.
Man With Bloody Chain Saw Let in to U.S. (AP)
On April 25, Gregory Despres arrived at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing at Calais, Maine, carrying a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with what appeared to be blood. U.S. customs agents confiscated the weapons and fingerprinted Despres. Then they let him into the United States.
The following day, a gruesome scene was discovered in Despres' hometown of Minto, New Brunswick: The decapitated body of a 74-year-old country musician named Frederick Fulton was found on Fulton's kitchen floor. His head was in a pillowcase under a kitchen table. His common-law wife was discovered stabbed to death in a bedroom.
Despres, 22, immediately became a suspect because of a history of violence between him and his neighbors, and he was arrested April 27 after police in Massachusetts saw him wandering down a highway in a sweat shirt with red and brown stains. He is now in jail in Massachusetts on murder charges, awaiting an extradition hearing next month.
At a time when the United States is tightening its borders, how could a man toting what appeared to be a bloody chain saw be allowed into the country? Bill Anthony, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said the Canada-born Despres could not be detained because he is a naturalized U.S. citizen and was not wanted on any criminal charges on the day in question.
Anthony said Despres was questioned for two hours before he was released. During that time, he said, customs agents employed "every conceivable method" to check for warrants or see if Despres had broken any laws in trying to re-enter the country. "Nobody asked us to detain him," Anthony said. "Being bizarre is not a reason to keep somebody out of this country or lock them up. ... We are governed by laws and regulations, and he did not violate any regulations."
Anthony conceded it "sounds stupid" that a man wielding what appeared to be a bloody chain saw could not be detained. But he added: "Our people don't have a crime lab up there. They can't look at a chain saw and decide if it's blood or rust or red paint."
One doesn't have to be Quincy, M.E. to spot blood on a chain saw, especially when the guy is also carrying a sword, a hatchet, a knife, and brass knuckles. And looks like the guy in the photo.
via OTB
Update (2219): Making a horrific tale even worse, Michael Demmons passes on word that Mr. Fulton, whom Despres murdered, was related to him.
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Man With Bloody Chain Saw Let in to U.S. from Outside The Beltway
A killer openly carried a bloody chain saw and various other weapons into the U.S. across the Canadian border.
Man With Bloody Chain Saw Let in to U.S. (AP)
On April 25, Gregory Despres arrived at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing at Calais, Mai... [Read More]
Tracked on June 7, 2005 9:24 PM
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There was a sale at the hardware store, and it was to good a deal to pass up..... never know, it might work.
Posted by: rob at June 7, 2005 9:37 PMHe had no violations in the Gun Registry so he was cleared for take off, eh?
Posted by: The Great Gadfly at June 7, 2005 9:59 PMNo problemo. Jean Chretien snuck in through the back door with an unmounted RCMP escirt on his trek to Philly for the otherly love award. Jeane returned savely to his wifey.
Da Poof is da poof is da poofff poofabllaas is poofen, oui?
Posted by: maz2 at June 7, 2005 10:25 PMUmmm...the guy is a resident alien of the US and thus would have the right to enter. With no warrant for his arrest, what do you people expect the US to hold him on?
Last time I checked, you at least had to have a reason to detained someone at the border. Seeing as they could not refuse entry, they took restricted goods from his person.
A day later and they would have held him in the CDN warrant. On the day he crossed, there was no reason to hold him. Cut some slack here, both CDN and the US have laws they have to live by, in the odd case like this, someone gets through that has us shaking ouor heads, but at the end of the day, there was nothing in any database that would legally allow US CBP hold the person.
Posted by: eastern at June 7, 2005 11:09 PMeastern must be a border guard and/or a Liberal or Democrat or New Democrat. They couldn't distinguish between blood and red paint?
Good grief. No wonder the mishandling of Korans is considered more serious than the mishandling of heads.
Posted by: Terry Gain at June 7, 2005 11:23 PMJeezz.. the lefties are a little sensitive these days... must be under a lot of pressure... have a another drink of Kool Aid and re-read the comments.
Posted by: rob at June 7, 2005 11:39 PMIs that picture you have posted actually the guy in question??? Or is that some generic picture of some freak you posted for shock value??? If that is actually the guy, and he was found carrying a bloodied chainsaw, they should have tossed him in the drunk tank.
Posted by: Pro-Alberta at June 8, 2005 1:21 AMsomething on security screening here, since were kinda on the topic
http://habamusrodentum.blogspot.com/2005/06/public-works-and-security-clearances.html
Posted by: habamusrodentum at June 8, 2005 2:02 AMWhy couldn't the border guards have called the police for a quick "sniff check," or given a heads up to the local cops to watch for his car & pull him over?
Judging from the story, cops CAN detain someone wandering around and/or driving (I'm assuming he drove, but then why would he be walking down the highway? with a chainsaw, a sword, a hatchet, a knife & some brass knuckles, I find it hard to believe he was just ... walking down the highway).
Pretty strange story, all around.
His picture reminds me of the "Dorothy Detonator" attempted-terrorist with a bomb in his shoe. The kinda guy you look at and just KNOW there's a problem.
Posted by: Candace at June 8, 2005 2:05 AMOoooohhhhh kaaaaaaaaaayyyyy, now I know I've been stopped at the montana border, for saying I'm going down to a medieval war near Helena. And hey, I didn't have a head in a pillowcase under the kitchen table back home. I presume the murder scene had not yet been discovered or that the arrest warrent had not gone through all of the beurocratic channels for this to have happened. Good thing he wasn't caught crossing the border with those tim horton sandwiches though.
BTW mostly I think the Border guards were just interested to see my kit, nosy buggers.
Daryl
The murders took place an hour down the road from where I live. When they occurred I remembered reading in the local paper something that really had me shaking my head:
"A Canadian man attempting to enter the U.S. at the same time as Mr. Despres questioned the handling of Mr. Despres' weaponry by customs officials.
I watched the Customs guys fling the swords around in the back room," said Eddie Young of Pennfield, who was denied entry to the U.S. that day because of a 20-year-old drug possession charge."
Yet another victory in the war on drugs.......
Much ado about ,....?
Did not Canadada allow Michael Moore through no problemo with him, except they confiscated his Twinkies. Mikey was pissed and threatened to take over the National Film Board in exchange for a docu on "It's George Bush's Fault, or how I ggot my Twinkies back."
Carla Parrish, star of MS Issauga, was to play a cameo as a black doll, bustier extra large. Graham was to play a wrestler, tag-team. Pettigrew some more hair, coifed even, for his walk-on as FA Min.
Martin as Captain Kidd, gold doubloons and all.
Posted by: maz2 at June 8, 2005 9:26 AMHey, chill about the bloody chainsaw, people.
Any decent chainsaw will automatically pump this chainsaw bar oil onto the bar of the saw as it is being operated. And this stuff is dyed to look just like blood, for some unknown reason.
Ummm... bar and chain oil looks like oil, and doesn't resemble blood in any way. Oil is bluish and traslucent, and very thick. Blood is opaque, red, and while thick, dries quickly. I have used a chainsaw for over 20 years, and there is no way that anyone could ever, EVER, confuse chain oil with blood.
Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at June 8, 2005 1:18 PMDiscrimination! People who look wierd and carry blood-stained chainsaws, swords, and axes, should not be treated any differenct from anybody else!
Bwaaaaaaaahaha!
Let me see if I understand this correctly: a man commits murder in Canada, the murder scene isn't found for at least a day or two, and the story is ... that the American border guards didn't detain the suspect long before he became a suspect.
Yeah, I guess commenting on the Canadian authorities would mean we should live in Canada or something.
Posted by: Paul at June 8, 2005 7:59 PMCrime scenes are often not found for weeks especially in places where individuals live in secluded areas... the Canadian Authorities DID NOT do anything wrong...
see, here in canada, cops don't knock on residents doors to see if their still alive...
And it WAS the us that let him in, but in thier defense they did all that they could to detain him...what makes the story fucked up is that they couldnt do more.
Also no, he didnt drive, he stole their car than abandon it and hitch hiked to the border...
Posted by: Ila at June 9, 2005 1:41 AMFirst of all, I'd like to admit that I am, in fact, a Democrat...But let me get this straight...A sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles, and a chainsaw ("apparantly" bloody no less!)...WHAT DOES THIS GUY NEED TO BE CARRYING TO GET ARRESTED? You can't get on a plane with nail clippers or a cigarette lighter, but we're OK with you coming into our country with all of that crap? I wonder how many of you Canadians would be so laissez faire about this whole thing if this guy were travelling North instead of South? Gimme a break! And, by the way, my daughter asked a great question: Is that thing on his neck a tatoo, or a HOLE? If it looks like dogshit, and smells like dogshit, do we need to taste it for confirmation, or should we just throw it away?!
Posted by: Jim at June 9, 2005 8:52 AMOk......i hate to break up all the fun here, but i have lived on this this border for over 28 years, and I can assure you all the U.S and Canadian athorities CAN and WILL hold you as long as they need to to determine if you are a threat to the country in which you are travelling. I know this because they denied me because they found OLD rings in our car at the time, and thought we were running off to get married. And just so you know..he DID break a law...a FEDERAL LAW. He was posing as a Leautenent in the MARINES!!!! When he told them this...did they check his ID tag from the marines??? must have some id there????? He even said to the officers that he was an assassin....now common...border security????? I would rather have my trunk searched and my id run CONSTANTLY and feel safe then take "our" chances and let this guy in...Sorry but there is blame to be laid and someone should be held responsible. that border is less than 1 mile from me..i bet if this guy was in YOUR back yard you would be so quick to say "give them some slack" .
Posted by: Jeff at June 10, 2005 11:27 PMYes Jeff you got it right. If you are a citizen, any crazy white guy can get into the US. One look at this guy's arrest photo tells you if he had walked down Broad St. with the described "bloody chainsaw, a sword, some brass knuckles and pepper spray", He would have been detained until someone shone a UV light on his chainsaw. The thing your piece dances around, is he wasn't Middle Eastern looking. If you are, it is possible to land in an American airport have your name appear on some list, be (not arrested that would provide a paper trail for your (disappearance) hooded, placed on a CIA rental plane and flown to a country that doesn't torture people (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) thrown into a pit and beaten for months. I commend you for trying to use humor where the past Attorney General has banned it.
How many innocent people is it OK to torture to save one American white guy?