Full Transcript for THE ORGANIZED CRIME TASK FORCE FILES PART 4 - Silencing a Snitch

00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:08.360 back the calendar year to 1974 and focus on the 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:11.620 investigation of Robert Talbert's homicide. There 00:02:11.620 --> 00:02:14.060 were no major mob wars happening in Youngstown 00:02:14.060 --> 00:02:16.919 at that time, but the mafia was still a present 00:02:16.919 --> 00:02:20.340 force, albeit one which lurked in the shadows. 00:02:22.199 --> 00:02:26.020 What we know is the mob. That's what runs our 00:02:26.020 --> 00:02:32.479 total valley. Narcotics, gambling, stolen cars, 00:02:34.259 --> 00:02:39.159 prostitution, pornography. They're preying on 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:42.620 our citizens, and it's killing our community. 00:02:43.080 --> 00:02:46.139 Former 6th Ward Councilman Robert Spencer, who 00:02:46.139 --> 00:02:49.590 first took office in 1974, would later sign an 00:02:49.590 --> 00:02:51.930 affidavit submitted to the U .S. Senate Permanent 00:02:51.930 --> 00:02:54.849 Subcommittee on Investigations stating, quote, 00:02:55.349 --> 00:02:58.370 In Youngstown, I believe the influence of mafia 00:02:58.370 --> 00:03:02.050 money in politics has at times compromised the 00:03:02.050 --> 00:03:04.069 integrity of the Youngstown Police Department, 00:03:04.669 --> 00:03:08.229 some courts, and many aspects of local government. 00:03:08.789 --> 00:03:11.250 The very year Spencer took his seat on the city 00:03:11.250 --> 00:03:14.930 council, a police burglary ring rocked the department. 00:03:15.550 --> 00:03:19.259 Yes, you heard that right. a burglary ring made 00:03:19.259 --> 00:03:22.159 up of Youngstown policemen. Tired of watching 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:24.699 Youngstown's crooks have all the fun, over a 00:03:24.699 --> 00:03:27.340 dozen of the city's officers partook in their 00:03:27.340 --> 00:03:30.599 own break -ins and burglary operations, brazenly 00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:32.840 stealing from city business owners whom they 00:03:32.840 --> 00:03:35.979 swore an oath to protect and serve. On October 00:03:35.979 --> 00:03:39.919 5, 1974, two members of the Youngstown Police 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:42.599 Department were sentenced to one to five years 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:46.039 in state prison, while ten others received county 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:50.110 jail sentences of 30 days to a year. More still 00:03:50.110 --> 00:03:54.250 were either suspended and or demoted. The Youngstown 00:03:54.250 --> 00:03:57.849 police burglary scandal is a basic primer for 00:03:57.849 --> 00:04:01.830 the Robert Talbert homicide. Who was Robert Talbert? 00:04:02.069 --> 00:04:05.110 Simply put, he was a fence for various burglars 00:04:05.110 --> 00:04:07.969 in Youngstown. A fence, if you're unfamiliar 00:04:07.969 --> 00:04:10.689 with the term, is a person who buys and then 00:04:10.689 --> 00:04:14.129 resells stolen goods. Talbert owned the Clark 00:04:14.129 --> 00:04:17.910 Super 100 gas station on Market Street. and often 00:04:17.910 --> 00:04:21.470 sold hot merchandise from this location. He also 00:04:21.470 --> 00:04:24.449 owned a nearby used car lot. Talbert was just 00:04:24.449 --> 00:04:29.509 29 years old on Labor Day 1974 when he was abducted, 00:04:29.709 --> 00:04:33.350 brutally beaten, and executed in an open field 00:04:33.350 --> 00:04:36.970 near South Avenue and McClurg Road in Boardman. 00:04:37.449 --> 00:04:40.170 Talbert's body was discovered by two small game 00:04:40.170 --> 00:04:43.250 hunters days later. His hands were tied and his 00:04:43.250 --> 00:04:46.709 kneecaps broken, and he'd been shot six times. 00:04:46.949 --> 00:04:51.889 Five in the head, and one in the chest. Who killed 00:04:51.889 --> 00:04:54.550 Robert Talbert? This was a question his sons, 00:04:54.970 --> 00:04:57.990 Rob Jr. and Dave, have been asking ever since. 00:04:58.290 --> 00:05:01.250 Many years ago, the brothers unofficially launched 00:05:01.250 --> 00:05:04.389 their own investigation, interviewing their father's 00:05:04.389 --> 00:05:07.910 associates, key suspects, and various law enforcement 00:05:07.910 --> 00:05:10.449 members who either came into contact with their 00:05:10.449 --> 00:05:13.730 father or investigated the case. Part of that 00:05:13.730 --> 00:05:16.860 searching, subconsciously, inspired Dave Talbert 00:05:16.860 --> 00:05:19.860 to later pursue a career as a policeman himself. 00:05:20.379 --> 00:05:22.959 Dave ended up becoming a member of the Salem 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:25.620 Police Department, where he eventually rose to 00:05:25.620 --> 00:05:28.379 the rank of detective, investigating murders 00:05:28.379 --> 00:05:32.339 and other crimes. But when he retired in 2023, 00:05:33.160 --> 00:05:36.100 there was at least one cold case he wished was 00:05:36.100 --> 00:05:40.139 solved, his father's. As he'd come to learn over 00:05:40.139 --> 00:05:43.740 the years, his father's murder was never truly 00:05:43.740 --> 00:05:47.120 investigated to begin with. Not at the start, 00:05:47.180 --> 00:05:50.040 at least. When Dave Talbert first reached out 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:52.019 to the Boardman Police Department in the early 00:05:52.019 --> 00:05:55.639 1990s, he says he was told by a Boardman Police 00:05:55.639 --> 00:05:58.800 captain that his father's case was short -changed 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:01.899 because he was an informant for the ATF, the 00:06:01.899 --> 00:06:04.560 Bureau of Alcohol and Firearms, and was also 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:08.189 snitching on local cops. Furthermore, He was 00:06:08.189 --> 00:06:10.649 told that Boardman Police didn't really handle 00:06:10.649 --> 00:06:13.089 the case and that the department handed over 00:06:13.089 --> 00:06:16.449 everything they had on it to the ATF. The evidence 00:06:16.449 --> 00:06:20.569 that I had was submitted to an agent at the police 00:06:20.569 --> 00:06:26.529 department from the ATF and as far as I know 00:06:26.529 --> 00:06:29.250 that the investigation was taken over from that

00:06:29.250 --> 00:06:32.750 point by that agency. Dave was then directed 00:06:32.750 --> 00:06:36.089 to the local ATF office where he was told that 00:06:36.089 --> 00:06:38.959 the ATF doesn't handle murder investigations. 00:06:39.699 --> 00:06:42.600 In fact, they explained to Dave that they weren't 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:45.779 even trained to handle homicides. Ordinarily, 00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:49.220 they would assist an agency in a murder investigation, 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:52.139 but that was the extent of it. Unable to get 00:06:52.139 --> 00:06:54.620 the answers he was looking for from either Boardman 00:06:54.620 --> 00:06:58.319 PD or the ATF, Dave and his brother would eventually 00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:02.459 submit Freedom of Information requests. The National 00:07:02.459 --> 00:07:05.360 Director of the ATF at the time, John McGaw, 00:07:05.819 --> 00:07:08.920 formally responded, Saying he had no knowledge 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:11.939 of Robert Talbert senior nor was Talbert ever 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:15.180 a government witness for the agency The only 00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:17.540 thing clear to the Talbert family at that point 00:07:17.540 --> 00:07:21.420 was someone was lying to them Eventually with 00:07:21.420 --> 00:07:24.279 the help of then Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum 00:07:24.279 --> 00:07:27.819 the Talbert's got another response from the ATF 00:07:27.819 --> 00:07:31.939 This time the letter said that yes Robert Talbert 00:07:31.939 --> 00:07:34.699 senior was indeed a subject of an investigation 00:07:34.699 --> 00:07:38.060 and that he did eventually become a source of 00:07:38.060 --> 00:07:41.540 information for the agency. In all of these responses 00:07:41.540 --> 00:07:44.699 they received, there was still nothing that showed 00:07:44.699 --> 00:07:48.060 an official murder investigation was ever undertaken. 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:52.759 Finally, 25 years after his body was found, a 00:07:52.759 --> 00:07:55.139 real investigation into Robert Talbert's murder 00:07:55.139 --> 00:07:57.920 would begin when the Ohio Attorney General's 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:00.120 Organized Crime Task Force took up the case. 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:03.660 The task force detectives put in countless hours. 00:08:03.800 --> 00:08:06.079 traveling to several states and interviewing 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:08.779 a variety of witnesses and suspects. When it 00:08:08.779 --> 00:08:11.379 was all said and done, they felt they cracked 00:08:11.379 --> 00:08:14.579 the case. But, as was the result in the John 00:08:14.579 --> 00:08:16.699 Magda investigation that we detailed in part 00:08:16.699 --> 00:08:20.279 three of the series, justice was never served. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:23.160 Through their exhaustive research and dogged 00:08:23.160 --> 00:08:26.279 determination, they were able to show that Robert 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:29.639 Talbert was a known fence for multiple burglars 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:32.620 linked to mob associates in Youngstown. They 00:08:32.620 --> 00:08:34.720 also confirmed that Talbert was an informant 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:39.120 for the ATF and that he testified on August 15th, 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:43.000 1974 at a federal grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio. 00:08:43.299 --> 00:08:46.879 His testimony centered around a gun running operation 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:50.460 detailing how local mob associate Anthony Tony 00:08:50.460 --> 00:08:54.220 Bruno approached Talbert to try and sell 78 stolen 00:08:54.220 --> 00:08:57.679 guns. Bruno was the owner of Bruno's restaurant 00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:00.659 located on Market Street directly next door and 00:09:00.659 --> 00:09:03.480 in the same building. as the tropics nightclub. 00:09:03.820 --> 00:09:06.659 Both businesses were frequented by organized 00:09:06.659 --> 00:09:10.240 crime figures and burglary ring associates. After 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:13.019 he was approached by Bruno to offload the stolen 00:09:13.019 --> 00:09:16.100 guns, Talbert attempted to sell them to a local 00:09:16.100 --> 00:09:19.299 car salesman who, in turn, told an undercover 00:09:19.299 --> 00:09:23.299 Youngstown cop. That officer notified the ATF. 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:27.120 Not long thereafter, Talbert began supplying 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:29.659 information which helped authorities seize a 00:09:29.659 --> 00:09:32.840 variety of stolen goods. His cooperation with 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:36.059 the ATF eventually caused the arrest of Bruno 00:09:36.059 --> 00:09:38.919 and other organized crime associates, Robert 00:09:38.919 --> 00:09:42.960 McGraw, Joseph Sedita, John Marinelli, Danny 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:46.860 Mylar, and Ted Landers, as well as several Youngstown 00:09:46.860 --> 00:09:50.179 police officers. Once it became apparent to this 00:09:50.179 --> 00:09:53.240 group that Talbert was the leak, discussions 00:09:53.240 --> 00:09:57.220 were had about, quote, taking care of him. Marinelli 00:09:57.220 --> 00:09:59.580 would later admit these conversations to the 00:09:59.580 --> 00:10:02.429 Organized Crime Task Force. Talbert had to know 00:10:02.429 --> 00:10:04.690 that being an informant with his associations 00:10:04.690 --> 00:10:08.350 was extremely dangerous. The men he betrayed 00:10:08.350 --> 00:10:11.850 wanted them dead. Before his abduction and murder, 00:10:12.409 --> 00:10:15.029 two failed attempts were made on Talbert's life. 00:10:15.669 --> 00:10:19.029 He was shot at twice, once outside his home on 00:10:19.029 --> 00:10:21.950 Chalmers Avenue on Youngstown South Side, and 00:10:21.950 --> 00:10:25.470 then again at his car lot. At that point, the 00:10:25.470 --> 00:10:28.029 ATF offered to place Talbert into the Federal 00:10:28.029 --> 00:10:30.799 Witness Protection Program, but the young husband 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:34.659 and father declined. What he didn't realize was 00:10:34.659 --> 00:10:37.059 that even more dangerous than the mob associates

00:10:37.059 --> 00:10:40.139 and crooked cops he was entangled with was a 00:10:40.139 --> 00:10:42.460 man who worked for Talbert at his gas station. 00:10:43.179 --> 00:10:47.159 Robert Bobby Parks was suspected by the FBI in 00:10:47.159 --> 00:10:50.080 several murders. He had previously served time 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:52.620 for shooting and killing a Youngstown man in 00:10:52.620 --> 00:10:56.379 1967 but was back on the street within two years. 00:10:57.700 --> 00:11:00.720 Upon his release from prison for manslaughter, 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:03.799 Talbert hired Parks as an attendant at the Clark 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:07.000 station on Market Street. The gas station job 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:10.940 was only a cover, as FBI files say Parks was 00:11:10.940 --> 00:11:13.899 a contract killer who worked not only in Ohio 00:11:13.899 --> 00:11:17.320 but across the country with known cases in states 00:11:17.320 --> 00:11:20.629 like Michigan and California. In a future murder 00:11:20.629 --> 00:11:23.529 trial, prosecutors would show that Bobby Parks 00:11:23.529 --> 00:11:26.970 even carried a business card inspired by an old 00:11:26.970 --> 00:11:30.730 western television series that read, Have Gun, 00:11:31.289 --> 00:11:54.440 Will Travel. ("Have Gun Will Travel" theme song sung in the movie "Stand By Me.") Parks had been friends with Talbert 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:58.320 and often visited him at his home. Less than 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:00.740 three weeks after testifying before the federal 00:12:00.740 --> 00:12:03.600 grand jury in Cleveland, Talbert went back to 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:06.440 work at his Clark station in Youngstown and was 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:09.899 never seen alive again. Bobby Parks was working 00:12:09.899 --> 00:12:14.340 at the gas station that same day. When the Organized 00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:16.679 Crime Task Force began investigating this case 00:12:16.679 --> 00:12:20.149 in 1999, Bobby Parks was already serving two 00:12:20.149 --> 00:12:22.789 life sentences in prison for a separate contract 00:12:22.789 --> 00:12:25.509 killing. They began interviewing former Parks 00:12:25.509 --> 00:12:28.309 associates, including several in witness protection. 00:12:28.830 --> 00:12:30.970 With the information gleaned from these interviews, 00:12:31.470 --> 00:12:33.490 the investigators started building their case. 00:12:34.129 --> 00:12:36.490 Several key witnesses, including the following 00:12:36.490 --> 00:12:40.049 four individuals, helped provide damning statements 00:12:40.049 --> 00:12:42.210 that pointed to Bobby Parks and his brother, 00:12:42.250 --> 00:12:45.789 Paul Parks, as the chief suspects in Talbert's 00:12:45.789 --> 00:12:50.289 killing. Rico Span, a former associate of the 00:12:50.289 --> 00:12:53.129 Parks Brothers, told detectives that shortly 00:12:53.129 --> 00:12:55.850 after Talbert was murdered, he had a conversation 00:12:55.850 --> 00:12:58.690 with Bobby and Paul Parks, during which the topic 00:12:58.690 --> 00:13:02.509 of Talbert came up. Spann says Bobby openly stated, 00:13:03.009 --> 00:13:05.710 quote, I got rid of that problem, end quote. 00:13:06.169 --> 00:13:08.950 Spann further stated that Bobby Parks told him 00:13:08.950 --> 00:13:10.970 Talbert was an informant for law enforcement. 00:13:11.450 --> 00:13:14.289 Span submitted a polygraph test and was found 00:13:14.289 --> 00:13:18.330 to be truthful on the matter. A former love interest 00:13:18.330 --> 00:13:22.090 of Bobby Parks in the 1970s told detectives that 00:13:22.090 --> 00:13:24.889 she had a direct conversation with Parks in which 00:13:24.889 --> 00:13:27.789 he blamed Robert Talbert for shorting him money. 00:13:28.389 --> 00:13:30.750 Parks told the woman, who we've chosen not to 00:13:30.750 --> 00:13:33.830 name here, that Talbert would, quote, end up 00:13:33.830 --> 00:13:38.149 being missing, end quote. Three, Robert McGraw, 00:13:38.529 --> 00:13:40.950 who was arrested and prosecuted as a result of 00:13:40.950 --> 00:13:43.730 Talbert's testimony, participated in meetings 00:13:43.730 --> 00:13:46.129 with his co -defendants about taking care of 00:13:46.129 --> 00:13:49.490 Talbert. According to a 1999 proffer agreement 00:13:49.490 --> 00:13:52.350 with the state McGraw said he met with Bobby 00:13:52.350 --> 00:13:55.889 Parks after Talbert was murdered at which time 00:13:55.889 --> 00:13:59.850 Parks told him quote. I got your boy. I shot 00:13:59.850 --> 00:14:04.549 him end quote Parks told McGraw he had also stolen 00:14:04.549 --> 00:14:07.409 the cash deposits and Talbert was going to take 00:14:07.409 --> 00:14:10.009 from his gas station to the bank on the day he 00:14:10.009 --> 00:14:14.879 was killed for Eddie Farris, a former Mahoning 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:17.480 County Sheriff's Deputy and co -conspirator in 00:14:17.480 --> 00:14:20.059 the Joe DeRose Jr. murder, which we covered in 00:14:20.059 --> 00:14:23.059 part one of this series, entered into multiple 00:14:23.059 --> 00:14:26.720 proffer agreements in 1997 with the U .S. District 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:29.480 Attorney as well as the Mahoning County Prosecutor's 00:14:29.480 --> 00:14:33.120 Office. Farris said that on September 3rd, 1974, 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:35.899 Paul Parks called him and told him to pick him 00:14:35.899 --> 00:14:38.600 up. After picking up Paul Parks, they waited 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:40.759 at the corner of Princeton Avenue and Market 00:14:40.759 --> 00:14:43.480 Street in Youngstown. watching Talbert's gas 00:14:43.480 --> 00:14:46.940 station. Farris says Bob Parks gave a signal 00:14:46.940 --> 00:14:49.299 from the gas station and they pulled the car 00:14:49.299 --> 00:14:52.139 in front of the building. Paul Parks went inside 00:14:52.139 --> 00:14:55.679 and quote about 30 seconds later they come out 00:14:55.679 --> 00:14:59.080 with Talbert with his hands already tied. Talbert 00:14:59.080 --> 00:15:01.919 and

Paul Parks got in the back and Ferris drove 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:05.559 off leaving Bobby Parks at the gas station. Farris 00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:08.120 who had earlier had surgery on his throat and 00:15:08.120 --> 00:15:12.750 spoke through a voice box proceeded to say Quote, 00:15:12.750 --> 00:15:15.549 he, meaning Paul Parks, pulled Talbert out of 00:15:15.549 --> 00:15:18.429 the driver's side door, back door, and threw 00:15:18.429 --> 00:15:20.870 him on the ground. And he's hollering at him. 00:15:21.370 --> 00:15:23.149 I'm not paying attention to what he's saying. 00:15:23.690 --> 00:15:26.690 And he straddled him. He sat on him. And he had 00:15:26.690 --> 00:15:29.409 the gun in his hand, nine milli. No, I found 00:15:29.409 --> 00:15:32.090 out later on that that was Talbert's gun. That 00:15:32.090 --> 00:15:34.649 was Talbert's own nine millimeter. He took it 00:15:34.649 --> 00:15:37.129 off of him and beat him with it. He kept beating 00:15:37.129 --> 00:15:40.110 him with the, with the gun. Then all of a sudden 00:15:40.110 --> 00:15:45.309 I heard pop. Pop pop. He shot him. He said, let's 00:15:45.309 --> 00:15:47.669 get out of here. Jumped in the car and we took 00:15:47.669 --> 00:15:51.309 off. According to Farris, he was told by Paul 00:15:51.309 --> 00:15:54.169 Parks that Talbert was snitching and needed to 00:15:54.169 --> 00:15:56.929 be taught a lesson. Farris also said he helped 00:15:56.929 --> 00:15:59.549 Paul Parks dispose of the murder weapon by throwing 00:15:59.549 --> 00:16:02.710 it into McKelvey Lake on Youngstown's east side. 00:16:02.889 --> 00:16:05.850 Ferris later led task force detectives to McKelvey 00:16:05.850 --> 00:16:08.009 Lake and pointed out the location where the gun 00:16:08.009 --> 00:16:11.200 was tossed. The task force followed up with the 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:13.700 Mahoning County dive team, which advised them 00:16:13.700 --> 00:16:15.879 of a search previously conducted of the lake 00:16:15.879 --> 00:16:20.539 in 1983, during which a Browning 9mm high -powered 00:16:20.539 --> 00:16:23.360 semi -automatic handgun was recovered, the same 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:26.620 gun that Talbert owned. The dive team also confirmed 00:16:26.620 --> 00:16:28.860 that the weapon was found close to the area that 00:16:28.860 --> 00:16:31.960 Farris described. Farris also submitted himself 00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:34.539 to an extensive polygraph regarding the above 00:16:34.539 --> 00:16:37.870 information and passed the examination. After 00:16:37.870 --> 00:16:40.070 nearly five years of digging and approaching 00:16:40.070 --> 00:16:42.789 the then 30th anniversary of Talbert's murder 00:16:42.789 --> 00:16:47.090 the task force felt they had enough in 2004 to 00:16:47.090 --> 00:16:50.210 indict and convict Bobby and Paul Parks for the 00:16:50.210 --> 00:16:53.190 Robert Talbert homicide. They had recreated the 00:16:53.190 --> 00:16:56.950 crime scene, studied the autopsy report, identified

00:16:56.950 --> 00:16:59.730 and interviewed witnesses, performed and examined 00:16:59.730 --> 00:17:03.029 polygraph tests, submitted evidence for lab testing, 00:17:03.610 --> 00:17:06.160 prepared courtroom presentations and even had 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:09.000 a co -conspirator willing to cooperate and testify. 00:17:09.660 --> 00:17:12.500 The task force felt they were ready to present 00:17:12.500 --> 00:17:14.799 their case to the Mahoning County grand jury. 00:17:16.180 --> 00:17:19.240 Unfortunately, no grand jury date was ever scheduled. 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:23.559 But why not? According to a letter written March 00:17:23.559 --> 00:17:28.019 17th, 2005 to Rob Talbert Jr. from Ken Marshall, 00:17:28.539 --> 00:17:30.960 then executive director of Ohio's Organized Crime 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:33.420 Investigations Commission, The Mahoning County 00:17:33.420 --> 00:17:35.779 Prosecutor's Office declined to take the case. 00:17:36.539 --> 00:17:39.759 Marshall says he specifically spoke with Assistant 00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:42.539 Prosecutor Nick Modarelli, who told him that 00:17:42.539 --> 00:17:44.920 based on the evidence available and the credibility 00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:47.940 of the primary witness, they could, quote, never 00:17:47.940 --> 00:17:51.980 attain a conviction. According to Marshall, Modarelli, 00:17:52.140 --> 00:17:55.019 quote, is doubtful that we could even obtain 00:17:55.019 --> 00:17:58.500 an indictment in the matter, end quote. It should 00:17:58.500 --> 00:18:01.299 be noted that the 9mm Browning handgun recovered 00:18:01.299 --> 00:18:04.759 from McKelvey Lake by the dive team in 1983 was 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:08.539 unable to be located by the year 2004. It should 00:18:08.539 --> 00:18:11.180 also be noted that the task force's primary witness, 00:18:11.339 --> 00:18:14.059 Eddie Farris, was also a cooperating witness 00:18:14.059 --> 00:18:16.920 in the Joe DeRose murder case, meaning the Mahoning 00:18:16.920 --> 00:18:19.160 County Prosecutor's Office felt comfortable with 00:18:19.160 --> 00:18:21.700 Farris's credibility when it came to prosecuting 00:18:21.700 --> 00:18:24.359 Sam Fossesca, but not with the Parks Brothers. 00:18:24.859 --> 00:18:29.460 In 2025, we contacted Nick Modarelli, now retired 00:18:29.460 --> 00:18:31.559 from the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office, 00:18:31.819 --> 00:18:34.680 and asked him about the Talbert case. Modarelli, 00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:37.980 along with his former boss, prosecutor Paul Gains, 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:40.680 coincidentally had both been Youngstown police 00:18:40.680 --> 00:18:45.279 officers in 1974. Modarelli told us he could 00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:48.160 not recall the details of the Talbert case, nor 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:50.980 could he recall any conversations had with Ken 00:18:50.980 --> 00:18:53.660 Marshall of the Organized Crime Investigations 00:18:53.660 --> 00:18:56.730 Commission. Regarding the non -prosecution of 00:18:56.730 --> 00:18:59.750 his father's case, Dave Talbert says it was explained 00:18:59.750 --> 00:19:02.630 to him that there were small inconsistencies 00:19:02.630 --> 00:19:05.230 in Ed Farris' statement when it came to the actual 00:19:05.230 --> 00:19:07.769 murder, and that's what prevented the prosecutor's 00:19:07.769 --> 00:19:10.309 office from moving forward. Then there was the 00:19:10.309 --> 00:19:13.529 confusion over who actually shot Talbert. More 00:19:13.529 --> 00:19:15.930 than one witness said Bobby Parks admitted to 00:19:15.930 --> 00:19:18.809 shooting him, but Eddie Farris says it was Paul 00:19:18.809 --> 00:19:22.210 Parks who pulled the trigger. Dave Talbert believes 00:19:22.210 --> 00:19:25.250 the truth lies somewhere in the middle. He says 00:19:25.250 --> 00:19:28.210 the evidence shows his father was tortured first 00:19:28.210 --> 00:19:31.509 and killed later. Perhaps both men took a turn 00:19:31.509 --> 00:19:35.950 firing some of the six shots. As noted earlier, 00:19:36.230 --> 00:19:40.670 Rob Talbert's sons Rob Jr. and Dave previously 00:19:40.670 --> 00:19:43.089 made attempts to investigate their father's killing 00:19:43.089 --> 00:19:46.390 themselves. Rob Jr. was able to reach one of 00:19:46.390 --> 00:19:49.710 the burglars associated with Talbert in the 1970s, 00:19:49.910 --> 00:19:52.700 Danny Mylar. who had cooperated with law enforcement 00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:54.940 in the same criminal investigation that Talbert 00:19:54.940 --> 00:19:58.019 had was placed in witness protection and moved 00:19:58.019 --> 00:20:00.880 to Florida. He was later convicted of a murder 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:03.779 in Alabama. The following is an excerpt from 00:20:03.779 --> 00:20:06.960 the actual phone call that Rob Talbert Jr. had 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:10.240 with Danny Mylar while he was incarcerated in 00:20:10.240 --> 00:22:53.710 Alabama's Limestone Correctional Facility. Later 00:22:53.710 --> 00:22:57.170 in that conversation, Mylar tells Rob that his 00:22:57.170 --> 00:23:00.369 father was an informant while speculating what 00:23:00.369 --> 00:23:03.869 Talbert may have known. (Recorded phone conversation between Rob Talbert Jr and Danny Mylar.) He also explains how 00:23:03.869 --> 00:23:06.089 a word of Talbert's testimony before a federal 00:23:06.089 --> 00:23:09.829 grand jury in Cleveland on August 15th, 1974 00:23:09.829 --> 00:27:23.099 quickly got back to Youngstown. (Recorded phone conversation between Rob Talbert Jr and Danny Mylar.) Years after that 00:27:23.099 --> 00:27:25.559 conversation, Danny Mylar was eventually granted 00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:28.759 parole. Also making calls as part of the Brothers 00:27:28.759 --> 00:27:31.900 investigation, Dave Talbert reached out to Bobby 00:27:31.900 --> 00:27:35.920 Parks directly. Again, Parks was also incarcerated 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:40.180 for murder at the time. In 1977, a vengeful ex 00:27:40.180 --> 00:27:43.779 -wife hired

Bobby Parks to terminate Dr. Leo 00:27:43.779 --> 00:27:47.640 DiBlasio and his new bride. Parks ended up wounding 00:27:47.640 --> 00:27:50.380 the happily remarried doctor. However, he killed 00:27:50.380 --> 00:27:54.640 Patricia DiBlasio and nurse Mary Muffley. Bobby 00:27:54.640 --> 00:27:57.619 Parks was arrested and a murder -for -hire scheme 00:27:57.619 --> 00:28:01.920 unfolded in court. Parks was convicted and sentenced 00:28:01.920 --> 00:28:05.140 to two life terms in the Ohio State Penitentiary. 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:09.160 By the 1990s, Bobby Parks was serving his time 00:28:09.160 --> 00:28:12.119 at Marion Correctional. As you'll hear, Parks 00:28:12.119 --> 00:28:15.140 plays it very cool with Dave, letting him believe 00:28:15.140 --> 00:28:18.519 that he and Rob Talbert Sr. were great friends. (Recorded phone conversation between Dave Talbert and Bobby Parks.) 00:28:19.079 --> 00:28:21.480 It's like a puzzle with a lot of pieces, but 00:28:21.480 --> 00:28:24.900 there's a lot of pieces missing. My dad was an 00:28:24.900 --> 00:28:27.920 informant, right? My dad was an informant then? 00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:34.880 I'm not sure. You know what I'm saying? I personally 00:28:34.880 --> 00:28:37.940 don't believe he was. But, you know, that's just 00:28:37.940 --> 00:28:41.059 my opinion. Out there, there's other people that 00:28:41.059 --> 00:28:46.700 say he was. I don't know. Only your dad knows 00:28:46.700 --> 00:28:55.720 for sure. Alright. Yeah He wouldn't You mentioned 00:28:55.720 --> 00:28:58.900 the FBI before like when you were a suspect and 00:28:58.900 --> 00:29:02.599 stuff I know they're involved when it comes to 00:29:02.599 --> 00:29:05.279 a murder and stuff like that, but See, I was 00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:07.079 wondering if I could they would tell me if he 00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:33.460 was an informant for them. (call disconnected - phone rings) 00:29:33.460 --> 00:29:37.839 Can someone go down there? Thanks. Hi, Mrs. Hill. Hi, I'm 00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:42.440 sorry. Our phones are archaic at best. And every 00:29:42.440 --> 00:29:44.759 now and then, you just get cut off. 00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:54.319 Mr. Parks is still here. Okay, thanks. Hello? 00:29:54.519 --> 00:29:57.079 Hello, hi, Bob. We got cut off. These phones 00:29:57.079 --> 00:29:59.380 are... I thought it was me, cause I was on the 00:29:59.380 --> 00:30:00.819 cordless, cause when you called, I was on the 00:30:00.819 --> 00:30:07.630 pool. I guess they're kind of like an antique 00:30:07.630 --> 00:30:13.569 type of system. But like I say, to the best of 00:30:13.569 --> 00:30:18.650 my knowledge, I don't know firsthand if your 00:30:18.650 --> 00:30:24.809 father did or if he didn't. I tend to believe 00:30:24.809 --> 00:30:30.049 that he didn't. Because I liked your daddy. He 00:30:30.049 --> 00:30:33.950 treated me really good. I thought, you know, 00:30:33.950 --> 00:30:37.150 he was a very good person, good family man, you 00:30:37.150 --> 00:30:40.490 know. He was striving, trying to make a life 00:30:40.490 --> 00:30:44.150 for, you know, your mom and him and your kids 00:30:44.150 --> 00:30:47.569 and stuff. I mean, I felt really bad when all 00:30:47.569 --> 00:30:51.369 that happened. And it really upset me when they 00:30:51.369 --> 00:30:55.690 come and, you know, said that I was a fine suspect 00:30:55.690 --> 00:30:58.710 and they put me through all that, arrested me, 00:30:58.849 --> 00:31:00.990 questioned me and threatened me and all that 00:31:00.990 --> 00:31:22.509 kind of stuff. Neither Bobby nor Paul Parks ever 00:31:22.509 --> 00:31:24.869 admitted any involvement in the murder of Robert 00:31:24.869 --> 00:31:28.450 Talbert and no charges were ever filed. It's 00:31:28.450 --> 00:31:31.450 now been over 50 years since Robert Talbert Sr. 00:31:31.509 --> 00:31:34.430 was murdered. We asked Dave, who was just three 00:31:34.430 --> 00:31:37.190 years old when his dad was killed, how he feels 00:31:37.190 --> 00:31:40.130 about the case all these years later. He says 00:31:40.130 --> 00:31:42.490 the task force investigators did the best they 00:31:42.490 --> 00:31:45.430 could with what they had to work with. There 00:31:45.430 --> 00:31:47.549 was a lot of evidence that went missing from 00:31:47.549 --> 00:31:49.710 the Boardman Police Department that would have 00:31:49.710 --> 00:31:52.990 been crucial as far as DNA testing. The task 00:31:52.990 --> 00:31:56.329 force couldn't go back to 1974. to correct the 00:31:56.329 --> 00:31:58.450 work that should have been done back then. While 00:31:58.450 --> 00:32:00.609 he would have liked to see Bobby and Paul Parks 00:32:00.609 --> 00:32:03.309 prosecuted for the crime, Dave Talbert and his 00:32:03.309 --> 00:32:06.130 family truly appreciate the work that the task 00:32:06.130 --> 00:32:08.910 force investigators did on his father's case. 00:32:09.650 --> 00:32:13.369 Robert Bobby Parks died in prison in 2010 at 00:32:13.369 --> 00:32:17.470 the age of 65. His brother Paul Parks died three 00:32:17.470 --> 00:32:22.369 years later, a free man, at the age of 62. As 00:32:22.369 --> 00:32:24.849 we'll detail in part five, the conclusion of 00:32:24.849 --> 00:32:27.849 this series, the Parks Brothers and Eddie Farris 00:32:27.849 --> 00:32:30.589 were suspects in another murder mystery from 00:32:30.589 --> 00:32:34.809 1974. The slayings of GM Lordstown security guard, 00:32:35.130 --> 00:32:38.049 Benjamin Marsh, his wife, Marilyn, and their 00:32:38.049 --> 00:32:40.630 four -year -old daughter, Heather. The Organized 00:32:40.630 --> 00:32:43.190 Crime Task Force uncovered information about 00:32:43.190 --> 00:32:46.670 this case, which now, decades after their investigation, 00:32:47.009 --> 00:32:49.470 could potentially reverse a triple murder conviction. 00:32:51.049 --> 00:32:54.890 That was an Amazing Podcast from an Amazing Podcast 00:32:54.890 --> 00:32:58.049 Company. To watch with video, check out our YouTube 00:32:58.049 --> 00:33:01.509 channel at youtube.com/amazingpodcastcompany 00:33:01.509 --> 00:33:04.490 If you enjoyed the show, don't forget 00:33:04.490 --> 00:33:07.369 to leave us a review. It goes a long way in helping 00:33:07.369 --> 00:33:10.950 other people find our amazing content. For more, 00:33:11.150 --> 00:33:15.869 visit our website at www .amazingpodco.com.