Life imitates art. Althea Bernstein claimed she was set alight by four white men. She had her fifteen minutes of fame. One more victim of racism. The cops and then the FBI investigated. Their investigation concluded the event never happened. She might have been burned but not by four white guys.
Althea Bernstein, 18, told investigators she was stopped at a traffic light in the city at around 1 a.m. Wednesday when she heard someone yell a racial slur through her rolled-down window, according to a police department incident report
“She looked and saw four men, all white. She says one used a spray bottle to deploy a liquid on her face and neck, and then threw a flaming lighter at her, causing the liquid to ignite,” the report states.
Here is the families reaction to the release of the results of the investigation by the United States Attorney.
“Althea Bernstein and her family appreciate the detailed investigative efforts by all involved in this case. Althea’s injuries are healing and the support of our community has been invaluable in that regard. We continue to maintain our family privacy and will not be granting interviews at this time.
Statement from the Family:
The Bernstein family has departed from the model for race baiting established by Twanna Brawley and Al Sharpton. Their response brings a Sherlock Holmes story to mind. “The Silver Blaze” is a story about a stolen race horse and the death of the trainer.
Gregory (Scotland Yard detective): “Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?”
Holmes: “To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”
Gregory: “The dog did nothing in the night-time.”
Holmes: “That was the curious incident.”
The Silver Blaze, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The dog didn’t bark. Because the dog didn’t bark, Holmes concluded that the horse was not stolen by a stranger.
In 1987 Brawley came up with a phony story in order to avoid an ass kicking by her step father. In her version four white men sexually abused her. The Grand Jury concluded the events never happened. The only court hearing to hear evidence in her case was a civil action. Brawley and race pimp Sharpton were sued for defamation. They lost. Brawley still maintains the events happened as she recounted them.
On November 28, 1987, Brawley was found in a trash bag. She had racial slurs written on her body and was covered in feces. Brawley accused four white men of having raped her. The charges received widespread national attention in part because of the appalling condition in which she had been left, her young age (15), and the professional status of the persons she accused of the crime (including police officers and a prosecuting attorney).
In a 1997 appearance, Brawley maintained she did not invent the story; she still had supporters.[42] In November 2007, Brawley’s stepfather and mother, in a 20th-anniversary feature for the New York Daily News, contended the attack happened. “How could we make this up and take down the state of New York? We’re just regular people,” Glenda Brawley said. They said they had asked New York State Attorney GeneralEliot Spitzer and GovernorAndrew Cuomo to reopen the case. They also said that Brawley would speak at any legal proceedings.[43]
I have a theory on how the four white guys got a way. As a police officer in the 70’s I worked my fair share of car wrecks. It was amazing how many one car accidents and hit and run accidents had a common denominator. Invariably the culprit that started the unfortunate chain of events was started either 1. a big yellow dog or 2. a 63 Chevy.
The Madison cops would do well to look for a 63 Chevy get-a-way car, being driven by a big yellow dog. Glad, I could help.
Which one of these things aren’t like the other?