1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: One night I came around the corner of Third Avenue 2 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: and it was snowing. There was Billy outside, shoveling snow 3 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: away from his uh, away from his door, and he 4 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: was wearing a pair of boots, like rubber boots because 5 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: it was freezing, and he was completely buck naked and 6 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 1: in the middle of the street and shoveling away. He 7 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: was very um free. I guess I didn't give a 8 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:49,959 Speaker 1: funk about anybody else or what they thought. He was confrontational, brash, 9 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: and he also had a big, really big heart. This 10 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: is Robbie Bowman, a musician friend of Billy's and the 11 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: guy who went to the morgue with my mom to 12 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: identify Billy's body. I went with Billy's very close friend, 13 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: Robbie Bowman, to the medical examiner. We took a cab 14 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: up to the city Morgue. I've never been there before, 15 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 1: and they brought us down stairs and there was a 16 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: window with curtain and they opened the curtains and he 17 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: was there, and he had a covering. From his hairline up, 18 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: there was some sort of covering and there was a 19 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: blanket from his neck down. We were seeing him in profile, 20 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: and I remember thinking how hard it is to recognize 21 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: somebody without their hair and without seeing them standing up. Yeah, 22 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: your mother recognized him, and so I said what I 23 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 1: did too, what's your experience of his shooting and then 24 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:14,839 Speaker 1: eventual death. It was fishing from the start. But I 25 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: was told was that the police broke in, there's one 26 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: guy right and shoots him. Now why did he shoot him, 27 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: I don't know, but it seemed more like an execution 28 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 1: to me. And you know, I don't think anybody bought 29 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: the idea that this was a legitimate arrest. And then 30 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 1: he was in the hospital and he started to get better, 31 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: which we're all amazed, and uh, you know, the next 32 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:58,639 Speaker 1: thing we heard was that he had died because they 33 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,679 Speaker 1: had taken him to exercise, to the exercise room. He 34 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: needed exercise. Apparently we knew what that meant, you know, 35 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: that he'd been murdered. Robbie thinks that after Billy survived 36 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: the shooting, someone came to the hospital to finish the job. 37 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: So that scared the ship out of everybody, and scared 38 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: the ship out of me at least, and that to me, 39 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: that's what happened. They murdered him. It was like, oh shit, 40 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: you know, we better like not talk about this out 41 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: loud very much. Yeah, it wasn't like, you know, we 42 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: better started investigation with the newspaper or something. This is 43 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: really scary, you know. If they can do that to 44 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: you when you're in the hospital, it's like a clear 45 00:03:55,040 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: message to leave it alone. Today on the show, we 46 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: asked was there a conspiracy to murder Billy in order 47 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: to keep him quiet? And we do our best to 48 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: separate fact from fiction. I'm Io till it right, and 49 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: this is the Ballad of Billy Balls. Something has gone wrong. 50 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: I got the impression that he had possibly killed somebody. 51 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: I don't see him going for a don I'm gonna 52 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,799 Speaker 1: see the cops. There was a revenge thing from the cops. 53 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,359 Speaker 1: Why did they want to kill him? That's what I 54 00:04:55,400 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: don't have any idea. And that's I No, I don't know. 55 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't know. Chapter five, those high 56 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: powered lawyers. Hello. Hi is this Mark? Yeah? I was 57 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,279 Speaker 1: just Hey Mark. My name's Io. I'm Rebecca Wright's kid. 58 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 1: Hey good, how are you actually? I'm a little sick. 59 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: This is Mark Pines, an old friend of my mom's. 60 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,359 Speaker 1: Mark was the first person she called after she found 61 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: out Billy had been shot, so I'm hoping he might 62 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: have some answers. I am trying to figure out what 63 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: the hell happened to Billy. And you are name that 64 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: keeps coming up. Oh yeah, are you around New York 65 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: right now? I am. Yeah. It'd be so great to 66 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: see you and hang out. Definitely, can you you can 67 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: come over. I'll get us some food sent up and 68 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 1: animal sit and we'll talk. And so my producer, Austin 69 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 1: and I go to see Mark at his apartment in 70 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: the village because I've got like forty years worth of 71 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: archives in storage rooms around the city of everything I 72 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: ever shot. In the seventies and eighties, Mark worked as 73 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 1: a video artist. He produced some of the first music 74 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: videos for bands like Hall and Oates and Jefferson Starship, 75 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: and a lot of commercials. My mom modeled for him 76 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: while she was pregnant with me. We used the forward 77 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: face of the eighties models, and I used Rebecca and 78 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: Rebecca was in I think it was about her seventh 79 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: faith and length at the time. Rebecca and I seemed 80 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: I think we had an unspoken bond on a level 81 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: that we've never tried to explain to each other. But 82 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:01,039 Speaker 1: we've just enjoyed. And of course talking about my mom 83 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: leads to talk of Billy and what happened to him 84 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 1: that I want to hear your theories before I tell you. Yeah, 85 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: he was from what I could piece together from I mean, 86 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: Rebecca called me, you know, she called me right after 87 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: it happened. Remember what she said. Primes Show just called 88 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: me Pines Pines and Billy had been shot. What she 89 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: told me that it was sometime a mistaken identity. They 90 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: thought he was a much bigger drug person than he was, 91 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: and he went down. I think they got him into kidneys, 92 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: and he was in the hospital and he was hurt, 93 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: but he was not critically hurt. He was going to 94 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: make it. He was going to make it, and they 95 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: began to realize that they had the wrong guy, and 96 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: somewhere in the hospital one of the attendants turned him 97 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: over when he wasn't supposed to, opened up the wounds 98 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: and caused a massive hemorrhage and he died. He died 99 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: from the secondary situation as I remember, And again this 100 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: is filtered through many years after Billy was shot, and 101 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: while he was in the hospital, Mark says he did 102 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 1: everything he could to help my Mom, I try to 103 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 1: be there for she was going through all this stuff. 104 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: I got them, you know, I pointed them in the 105 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: direction of a lawyer. I got Mark Pines on the phone, 106 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: and he told me two of the heaviest lawyers in 107 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: New York City right off the bath because it was 108 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:04,559 Speaker 1: clear a big civil suit, you know, and some horrible 109 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: crime against Billy Balls. The way my mom tells it, 110 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: the two heavy lawyers started building a case. Yeah, the 111 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: lawyers visited Billy in the hospital, they got a testimony 112 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:28,839 Speaker 1: from him. It was a case was being brewed up. 113 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 1: The lawyers had all the ship on paper, and the 114 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: paper was evidence. We need that. We need that real 115 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: bad right, And I need to know the names of 116 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: the lawyers, right, the fucking lawyers. It's another thing that 117 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: I just can't fucking remember because my mind has just 118 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: put this out, you know. But I am sure that 119 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: I can figure it out if I if I talked 120 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 1: to Mark Cohn's, do you remember the lawyers that you 121 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: got involved from my mom? Because I have been thinking 122 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: about that and be lawyer for people in the village 123 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: was a guy named high Shore Hi shure h y 124 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: s h o or e. Mark believes that one of 125 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,199 Speaker 1: the high powered lawyers my mom was working with was 126 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 1: a guy named high Shore. Thank you, Mark, and thank 127 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,199 Speaker 1: you for all of your time and researching and helping me. 128 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 1: And this name thing. I hope that. Oh that opens 129 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: up something, you know, Hi, sure lawyer. Back in the studio, 130 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: Austin and I searched for any information about high Shore. 131 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: Huh high Shore lawyer, state of New York. What the fuck? 132 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: There's nothing. I can't find anything about a famous lawyer 133 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 1: named high Shore. I found the name high Shore in 134 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: court records as a defendant, as like, you know, not 135 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: as a lawyer, as somebody who's being sued. That's the 136 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: only time I found his name. So then that's wrong. 137 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: I don't know. Yeah, I don't know. Eventually, Austin manages 138 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: to track down someone who worked briefly with high Shore. 139 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 1: Hi is this Robert Steinberg. The conversation doesn't reveal much 140 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,839 Speaker 1: except one curious detail. We just have to share a 141 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: good person. I had a hook on one arm. He 142 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: had a hook? Yeah, you didn't have one arm? Oh wow, 143 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: he had a device. Um, I do you have any 144 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: thoughts about other people who might have worked with him 145 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: or known him? No? Allright, we need a little legal assistance, 146 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: and luckily we know who to call. He just accused 147 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: me of lauger that document. They are the ones that 148 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: do that. Ud not off. He's one of the best 149 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 1: known criminal defense and civil rights attorneys in the country. 150 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: The message that comes out of this is the government 151 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: is saying that it's all right for white people to 152 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: go out and pick up guns and shoot black people. 153 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 1: He's famous for defending victims of police brutality, members of 154 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,959 Speaker 1: the Hell's Angels, and the so called Gambino crime family. 155 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 1: He even got a shout out in the movie The 156 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:41,200 Speaker 1: Big Lebowski. You don't know shit, Lebowski. What a fucking 157 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:53,079 Speaker 1: lawyer man? I want wrong Kuby Hello, Hey, Io run Kubi, Hey, 158 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:57,839 Speaker 1: how are you good? So? Where is Billy Balls buried? Now? 159 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: After the break? Ron Kuby? So how can I help 160 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: the project? Well, I where do I even start? Um? 161 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 1: I'm on the phone with civil rights attorney Ron Kuby 162 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: telling him the story of Billy Balls and they were like, yeah, 163 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:39,199 Speaker 1: William Heightsman shot five times, Get the funk out of here. 164 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: So she then went and called a friend and he 165 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 1: gave her the number of a high powered lawyer but 166 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 1: we haven't been able to locate this lawyer. Um. I 167 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 1: hate it when those high powered lawyers just evaporate. Is 168 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: that a thing that happens? Like, No, it's it's it's 169 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: not a thing that happens. Yeah, it really isn't. Do 170 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: you know his name? Well, the one name we had 171 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: was high Shore. Does that ring a bell for you? 172 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 1: High Shore? I mean I knew a lot of the 173 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: high powered lawyers in that day. It doesn't ring a bell. 174 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: Have you been able to find any reference to him online? Nothing? 175 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 1: With that? Ron gets off the phone, works some magic 176 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: and calls me back, hioh Ron, how are you no good? 177 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 1: High Shore is dead? Long live high Shore? High Shore 178 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: present a. I had a feeling that has transitioned high 179 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 1: Shore across the Rainbow Bridge. High Shore celebrating his blank 180 00:14:55,560 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 1: ear in heaven. Oh good one, thank you. One lawyer 181 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 1: who might hold the key to everything is dead. So 182 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: I keep digging with Ron, who is very much alive. 183 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 1: So why did Gilly Balls get We're assuming he was 184 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 1: killed by the police, right, I mean that's what it 185 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: sounds like. Well, yes, there are a number there are 186 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 1: a number of plausible theories. Um, really, what I'd like 187 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 1: to do is interview you in person. But I think 188 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: before we even get that. That's fine, great, yes, um, 189 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: but we have dogs here. You're good with that. I 190 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 1: am great with that, very excited about that, really really good. 191 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: Hi everybody, Um, this is literally she's an eighteen year 192 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: old Vijan Frise. We show up to Ron's office and 193 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 1: are greeted by three dogs, one of which is in 194 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: a corner staring at the wall. No, she just can't 195 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: see anything. She's just blind. So way to make fun 196 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 1: of her disability. Hey, why don't you make fun of 197 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: fucking Jack? He only has three legs. My office is 198 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: in the corner there. Ron's tall, with a gray goatee 199 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 1: and long hair pulled back in a ponytail. His office 200 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 1: walls are covered with framed photos, one of which catches 201 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: our eyes. This photo is a group of Hell's Angels 202 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: looking very mean and intimidating. They don't look mean. They 203 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: look as one guy said to me when he was 204 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: charged in a federal crime and extortion thing, and his 205 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: role was to look scary and breathe heavily. He said, 206 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: who do I say, I look scary, I breathe heavily. 207 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: I mean, when did that become a chrome. Then we 208 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 1: sit down and start talking about Billy. Thank you for 209 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: making time for us and meeting with us. We're now 210 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: unpacking the history of who this person is and who 211 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: he was and why this would have happened. And there've 212 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: been a lot of different theories and the conclusions are multitudinous, 213 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:13,119 Speaker 1: if that's a word. But both of you are nodding. 214 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 1: So I go into the multitudinous theories, starting with how 215 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:24,440 Speaker 1: Billy may have been involved in some illegal activities. Everybody's 216 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 1: doing drugs, everybody's up to like whatever degree of elicit, 217 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: And how Billy knew some ship was about to go 218 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: down because of Billy saying I want to get in 219 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: the wind, like it's time to move something. It's getting hot. 220 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: And how after he got shot, he was recovering by 221 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: all accounts, was on the mend and was like and 222 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,439 Speaker 1: the city was afraid of the civil suits that she 223 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 1: was connected with, where some big time lawyers really thought 224 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: that there was going to be a civil suit. Maybe 225 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 1: there's some justification for the fact that, like he was killed, 226 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 1: what can I are you done? I mean, the whole 227 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: story is an odd story. So there's there's sort of 228 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: two periods of time. Here, there is the period of 229 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 1: time prior to the shooting and the shooting itself. Then 230 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: there's the aftermath of the shooting and his death. So 231 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: let's take the second part first, because it seems like 232 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 1: that part is fueling a notion that he was murdered 233 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: in the hospital, and so let me just try to 234 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 1: address that. The basis of all of this appears to 235 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: be the lawyer telling your mom what a great case 236 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:48,399 Speaker 1: this is. So every lawyer in the world who wants 237 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 1: a civil case and wants to get retained says it's 238 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:57,360 Speaker 1: a great case. No lawyer who wants a case ever 239 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: says this cases a doc going nowhere, don't waste my time. 240 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 1: He said, yeah, it's a great case. It's fantastic. We'll 241 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 1: make you know, millions or hundreds of thousands. This is outrageous. 242 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: They all say that when they want the case. But 243 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 1: maybe high Shore was different. Yeah, I mean I did 244 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 1: a search history on on Mr Shore, and let's just 245 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 1: say that that that high Shore is not going to 246 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:33,400 Speaker 1: topple Mr Justice Cardozo from his lofty perch as an 247 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 1: Anglo American, famous New York jurist. And what kind of 248 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: things did you find about high shore. That makes you 249 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: think that mostly, uh, he was being sued for not 250 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:47,200 Speaker 1: paying his bills and fighting over legal fees and the 251 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: kind of stuff that tends to afflict not terribly good 252 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:56,640 Speaker 1: lawyers when they're on their way down. That's that This 253 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,439 Speaker 1: is a revelation to me because the way that my 254 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 1: mom paying and it was that the lawyers that she 255 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 1: was connected with were some big time lawyers who really 256 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: thought that there was going to be a civil suit, 257 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: and that's why what happened happened. Bron does say that 258 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 1: it isn't always the lawyer talking up the case to 259 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: try to get it. Sometimes at first glance, a case 260 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 1: does seem great, Wow, the cops shot this guy to 261 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 1: death for actually no reason, uh, And then you start 262 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 1: to do some investigation and it turns out there was 263 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,199 Speaker 1: a reason. I'm not saying this is what happened here. 264 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:33,880 Speaker 1: I'm saying this is what does happen in many cases. 265 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: The reason was this guy had a gun, and this 266 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 1: guy pulled a gun on a cop and they opened 267 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 1: up on it. Um, My mom insists that Billy had 268 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,199 Speaker 1: gotten all of the guns out of the house, so 269 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: there were guns in the house. But your mother insisted 270 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 1: that Billy had already cleaned them all out as preparatory 271 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: to him disappearing because of the heat. Exactly, maybe he 272 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 1: got all him out of the house except the one 273 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,879 Speaker 1: he kind of kept with him to deal with the 274 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 1: problems that he thought he was facing. I mean, if 275 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:11,879 Speaker 1: if somebody thinks they're being hunted and and about to 276 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,720 Speaker 1: be attacked for their activities, legal or illegal, it does 277 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 1: strike me as an odd move that they divest themselves 278 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: of all of their firearms. Ron is just getting started. 279 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: The fact that he was shot multiple times doesn't set 280 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:36,920 Speaker 1: off alarm bells. The cops are trained to shoot at 281 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:44,640 Speaker 1: the center mass to stop the attacker. The fact that 282 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: he was shot in the abdomen um and seemed to 283 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: be on the men and then died doesn't strike me 284 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 1: as all that odd. Gut shots are very very difficult 285 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: to manage even today. The notion that the police murdered 286 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:09,399 Speaker 1: him in the hospital, just I mean, that strikes me 287 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 1: as far fetched and and really really unlikely. But why 288 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,199 Speaker 1: because it's not what the cops did they you know, 289 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: it's what people doing fucking movies. I mean, the cops 290 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: aren't like doing hits in hospitals. To prevent people from talking. 291 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: What was he gonna say? Okay, So Billy wakes up 292 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: and he says, I was in my own apartment, minding 293 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: my own business and the cops came in. Or I 294 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: walked in my apartment and there was some undercover and 295 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:42,959 Speaker 1: a cowboy hat looking around. I con front of him. 296 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: You shot me a bunch of times, okay. Or what 297 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:48,919 Speaker 1: if I've been dealing to this cop or buying from 298 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 1: this cop and he's a dealer. Okay, Yeah, I've been 299 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 1: dealing with this comp I've been selling drugs. He's corrupt. 300 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:57,520 Speaker 1: He came in to rob my stash. I caught him 301 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,639 Speaker 1: and he shot me. Okay. Wakes up and says that 302 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,239 Speaker 1: cops is you're looking crazy. Didn't happen? You know, I 303 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 1: have no prior relationship with this guy, except I knew 304 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: he was a drug dealer. He came in, he pulled 305 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,679 Speaker 1: a gun, and we shot him. And if we were 306 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: trying to kill him, we would have killed him, and 307 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: we didn't. We shot him. We recovered the gun to 308 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: guns in evidence. Just making up a story, but I mean, 309 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 1: it's a much easier way of dealing with the problem 310 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 1: of Billy than organizing a murderer in a hospital. You 311 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: just deny it, You deny everything. And nobody was going 312 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:42,119 Speaker 1: to believe Billy Balls over the n y p D 313 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:45,160 Speaker 1: under those circumstances, especially when they claimed they had a gun. 314 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 1: No cops got prosecuted in the eighties or nineties for 315 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:53,639 Speaker 1: that matter, for bad shootings. I I there there was 316 00:23:53,680 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 1: nothing to fear. Then murder was on the mind of 317 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:05,720 Speaker 1: a lot of people. Along one Harlem Street this afternoon, 318 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 1: there was a shooting, end of death. As a general rule, 319 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 1: though even in the NYPD did not go around killing 320 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: people for no reason on the cops part. And I 321 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 1: just want to clarify this. There were lots of people 322 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: who were killed by the police in New York City. 323 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 1: A Brooklyn man dead shot twenty four times by five 324 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 1: police officers. But it was always so called line of duty. 325 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 1: They say self defense, others say no. And it didn't 326 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: take a lot to get killed by the cops in 327 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 1: the line of duty. Still, doesn't you know he made 328 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: a motion towards his waist. I thought he had a gun. 329 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: He pulled out a shiny object that just moved back 330 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:55,639 Speaker 1: and opened fired on. What you saw a lot of 331 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:59,240 Speaker 1: was cops just not giving much of a ship who 332 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:06,679 Speaker 1: they kill and under what circumstances, how many times, but 333 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: not sort of a premeditated murder or a murder in 334 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:21,320 Speaker 1: the course of the cop committing some other crime. Theoretically, theoretically, yeah, 335 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:28,400 Speaker 1: you could always posit an outlier. You can always posit 336 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:34,640 Speaker 1: crazy cop, rogue, drunk, drug addicted cop who's totally corrupt, 337 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 1: who you know, is riffling through Billy's apartment to steal drugs. 338 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 1: Billy comes in, confronts him, The cops shoots him multiple times. 339 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:52,639 Speaker 1: For whatever reason, the cop can't finish off the final shot. 340 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:57,919 Speaker 1: He gets taken to the hospital. The cop is so 341 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:02,159 Speaker 1: uber paranoid he's gonna tell the story and people are 342 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 1: going to believe him because the cop, after all, it's 343 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:08,439 Speaker 1: crazy and since crazy people do crazy things, we doesn't 344 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 1: have to make any logical sense. And then the cop 345 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:14,960 Speaker 1: engineers things to murder Billy in the hospital when he 346 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:25,200 Speaker 1: seems like I'm men, sure, sure, And our proof of 347 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 1: any of that is, as I understand things, you have 348 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: not a single sheet of paper referencing any of this. 349 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: Is that correct? Okay? I mean, if we're making ship 350 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:49,200 Speaker 1: up based on no evidence, we can make up any 351 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 1: ship we want, and it's all consistent with the no 352 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: evidence that we have, and there are answers that are attainable. 353 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: At least if your claim is this was an unjustified 354 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,360 Speaker 1: police shooting, then one thing you would look to are 355 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: the autopsy reports, that is, was he shot in the 356 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 1: front or the back? Just kind of basic things. After 357 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 1: meeting with Ron, it's clear that we have a lot 358 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:22,440 Speaker 1: of work to do, and it's also clear that there 359 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 1: may not have been a crime committed against Billy. So 360 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 1: before we leave, I asked Ron a bigger question I've 361 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: been wrestling with knowing that the truth is very complicated. 362 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 1: I think about my mom and the story that I've 363 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:43,280 Speaker 1: heard my whole life, and I wonder what your opinion 364 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 1: is on the best way to protect someone like my 365 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: mother in this situation, if you think that the truth 366 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:56,679 Speaker 1: is actually a weapon against someone who has lived thirty 367 00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:00,919 Speaker 1: seven years in grief, in the best way is not 368 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:07,879 Speaker 1: to do this project. Let sleeping dogs lie, let the 369 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:12,160 Speaker 1: dead be dead, Let people continue to live out their 370 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 1: grief in the narrative that they're attached to. UM. I mean, 371 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: there's sometimes the truth is incredibly important, UM, but that 372 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: doesn't mean it's always important, or people always need the truth, 373 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,720 Speaker 1: or people want the truth. And it doesn't sound like 374 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: your mother particularly wants the truth. Um, and so I 375 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: wouldn't have done this, but now we are. I don't 376 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 1: have a better answer. Can we come back to see 377 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: you once we have some more pieces of papor? Sure, 378 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 1: trying some paper and then we'll see what we what 379 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: we can make of the pieces of paper without pieces 380 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 1: of It's very all right, thank you, Ron. Okay, what 381 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:20,840 Speaker 1: are you thinking? Um? I'm thinking that it would be 382 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:28,640 Speaker 1: very easy to be deflated by that, But I feel 383 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 1: like now I feel all the more determined to get 384 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 1: the actual evidence whatever we can get our hands on, 385 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: because as unlikely as it may be, as outlier as 386 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 1: it may be, the fact is that, like sometimes crazy 387 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 1: ship did happen. So I guess I'm a little bit 388 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 1: like I want to think about it like a lawyer, 389 00:29:50,760 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: where I just want to see the evidence. Now, Hi, there, 390 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,239 Speaker 1: I'm trying to find out about so I called the 391 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: Office of Chief Medical Examiner in New York. The more 392 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:16,640 Speaker 1: I'm trying to have some of his records released, and 393 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: I wonder what kind of documentation we would need to 394 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 1: do that. Do you have to the certificate. No, you 395 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:28,960 Speaker 1: don't have nothing. We're trying to find Okay, what is 396 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:34,840 Speaker 1: your your relationship? He was my mother's long term boyfriend, 397 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:39,240 Speaker 1: so it's not related to do you not by blood 398 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 1: to me? No? But she was his partner. No, we're not. 399 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:51,920 Speaker 1: You cannot sorry. On the families. On the close family 400 00:30:52,480 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 1: they can request okay, thank you, you welcompany. Only Billy's 401 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 1: blood relatives can request his records, and as we understand it, 402 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:11,840 Speaker 1: his mother, his father, and his older brother are all dead. 403 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 1: But there's someone else, someone that could change everything. I 404 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: do remember vaguely a kid at one point. Yeah, yeah, 405 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:44,720 Speaker 1: she was a sweet old girl. Whatever happened to her mom? 406 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 1: Was there a daughter around then? She was the daughter 407 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:56,440 Speaker 1: of Linton and Billy's the legal father. The daughter was 408 00:31:56,640 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: two and a half when she was sent to Linta's 409 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 1: mother in Washington State. Did they tell you her name 410 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: when they first told you about it? Amanda? In the 411 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:30,280 Speaker 1: next chapter of the Ballad of Billie Balls, Amanda Crimetown 412 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 1: is Zack Stewart Pontier and Mark Smirling. The Ballad of 413 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,960 Speaker 1: Billie Balls is hosted by me Io till It Right 414 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: and made in partnership with Cadence thirteen. You can find 415 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:43,440 Speaker 1: me on the Internet and Io loves you on Everything 416 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:45,720 Speaker 1: and if you want to know more about my story, 417 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 1: pick up my memoir Darling Days. We also want to 418 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 1: hear from you. We have a voicemail set up for 419 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 1: you to call us Old School. Here's Mia, who had 420 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: something really nice to say. I just wanted to say 421 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:02,360 Speaker 1: that it's the most enthrawling, incredible story I've ever heard, 422 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 1: and it makes me think about my own mom and 423 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 1: how she lost the love of her life, my father, 424 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 1: not because he backed away, but for a mental illness. 425 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:17,480 Speaker 1: And I would do the same thing for my mom. 426 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:19,680 Speaker 1: I would want to help her heal and I would 427 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:22,800 Speaker 1: want to understand what happened in her life before I 428 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:29,280 Speaker 1: came along. If there's somebody Billy reminds you of, or 429 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 1: you have a theory on what could have happened, or 430 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: you just want to tell us your feelings, call us 431 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 1: and leave us a voicemail at five seven oh three 432 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:41,640 Speaker 1: nine to h You can also get into our discussion 433 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 1: forum on our website, The Ballad of Billy Balls dot com. 434 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 1: The show is produced by me, Kevin Shepard, and Ryan Swigert, 435 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: our senior producer is Austin Mitchell, editing by Zach Stewart 436 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 1: Pontier and Mark Smirling. Fact checking by Jennifer Blackman. This 437 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:07,200 Speaker 1: episode was mixed and sound designed by Sam Bear. Music 438 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: by Kenny qcack. Our title track is Dark Allies by 439 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 1: Light Asylum. Thank You, Shannon. Archival research by Brennan Reese. 440 00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:25,839 Speaker 1: Thanks to Daniella Aria, Rachel Lee Wright, Emily Wiedemann, Green 441 00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:31,080 Speaker 1: Card Pictures, Alessandro Sentauro, Bill Clegg, Ben Davis, or In 442 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:35,320 Speaker 1: Rosenbaum and the team at Caden's thirteen, and Slim Slam 443 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:41,400 Speaker 1: for keeping me on my toes, and of course, my mom, 444 00:34:41,440 --> 00:35:01,759 Speaker 1: without whom none of this would be possible, ye, she 445 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:05,919 Speaker 1: La