EXTRA...

Lawyer is unlikely Tribe force; Murder on Halloween? Cape father of slain baby dismayed by ruling

TODAY's quote: "Sarah Palin will doublecross that bridge when she comes to it." - Rafio

In the seat of Wampanoags' power
Lawyer a strong force in tribe's bid for casino

Critics within the tribe say McDermott is doing the bidding of the wealthy international gambling executives who have invested more than $10 million into the tribe's casino plans.

As a founding father of the modern Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, lawyer William A. McDermott Jr. cuts an unlikely figure. He is not a member of the tribe, nor even a Native American. But the heavy-set, glad-handing Dorchester political operative is arguably the single most powerful figure in the fractured Mashpee Wampanoag government.

He wrote the Mashpee Wampanoag constitution. He engineered the defeat of a hostile tribal council candidate. He even helped banish dissenters from the annual powwow.

And above all, he is using political skills honed in the wards of Boston and Chelsea to keep the tribal government functioning during its quest for a $1 billion resort casino in Middleborough.

Even McDermott's old friends are surprised at the role he has developed as the tribe's powerful enforcer.

"Billy's gainfully employed? That's a good thing," joked Daniel F. Pokaski, chairman of the Boston Licensing Board. "I'm not sure how much experience he has with Indian tribes, but I hope they are paying him well." "McDermott is running the show, sent here by the investors - and getting a good piece of the pie, too, I assume," said Amelia Bingham, a critic of the 13-member Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council whose "shunning" from tribal activities was coordinated by McDermott... Globe.
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Somebody will be history
16 Cape Cod Bay Inns host a murder

Classic Inns of Historic Cape Cod Bay is a premier collection of inns that offer experiences rich in New England tradition. Choose from an array of distinctive properties to suit your lifestyle...a retreat steeped in colonial history and Native American folklore; a romantic escape, elegant and pampered; or a relaxed and casual hideaway in one of Cape Cod's picturesque villages along the Bay.

"Till death do us part" could take on a whole new meaning when the 16 Classic Inns of Historic Cape Cod Bay present their second annual Halloween murder mystery Oct. 31-Nov. 2. Titled "Marriage Can Be Murder," this year's audience-participation whodunit centers on the wedding of an aging but prominent Hollywood actress and a country-western star with exactly one hit.
The reception takes place Friday night in Sandwich at the Belfry Bistro, a restaurant inside a renovated church. Guests are asked to dress as friends of the bride or groom, providing an opportunity for outlandish costumes. There will be a three-course dinner and champagne toast in the couple's honor. But there will also be a murder.

Come Saturday, wedding guests will help constables find the dastardly killer by visiting the 16 participating inns and gleaning clues from the innkeepers, who will be dressed in character. On Sunday, the murderer will be revealed during lunch at Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis. And you will learn just how great a detective you are . . . or aren't... Globe.

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Cape Father Of Slain Baby Dismayed By Ruling

The father of a 2-year-old girl killed by her mother says the state's highest court made a terrible decision when it reduced the woman's conviction... The Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday ruled Colleran was wrongly convicted of first degree murder after smothering her daughter, Skyler, in 2001. The court said Colleran was deeply depressed and the killing wasn't premeditated, so she should have been convicted of second degree murder. That comes with a life sentence, with the possibility of parole after 15 years.

Morse said Colleran knew exactly what she was doing. The 31-year-old Morse said he wept when he learned of the ruling. He added you never get over the death of a child... WBZ.