SilentCoupSal
2004-07-08 02:40:14 UTC
I found some interesting posts regarding Fred Seaman from 1999
(see below), and would like to recap a few points, then ask
some questions.
First, Mr. Seaman was personal assistant to John Lennon from
early 1979 until John's death on Dec. 8, 1980.
Second, Mr. Seaman is a bona fide criminal who once posted on this
newsgroup (big shock). Not only did he break a trust between
John and Yoko, but he stole John's personal effects shortly after
his death. Then he fed writer Albert Goldman a pack of lies about
John in an obvious effort to discredit John posthumously.
Third, Mr. Seaman insinuated that Yoko hired Mark David Chapman to
kill John. (something we know is bullshit) Why would he try to blame
her? It appears he wanted to discredit Yoko too.
Fourth, Mr. Seaman spread rumors that John was gay or bisexual.
(also bullshit) This is more posthumous character assassination.
Fifth, Mr. Seaman has demonstrated that he is a bigger whore than
some of the low-life scoundrels on this newsgroup, willing to do
virtually anything for money.
Sixth, where was Mr. Seaman on Dec. 8, 1980 at 10:50 PM ?
In Chapter 1 of my book, Rethinking John Lennon's Assassination,
I demonstrated that Mark David Chapman in all likelihood did not
shoot John, but the real assassin fired the fatal shots while
standing in the doorway leading to the service elevator.
Several accounts referred to an unidentified person who was also
at the crime scene. This was someone besides Cuban exile doorman
Jose Perdomo and lobby clerk Jay Hastings. Some accounts refer to
this individual as a handyman; others call him a maintenance man;
and others call him an elevator operator. Was this person Fred Seaman?
Patrolman Peter Cullen, one of the officers who arrested Chapman,
believed the shooter was a handyman at the Dakota, not Chapman.
Cullen thought Chapman "looked like a guy who worked in a bank."
But Cuban exile doorman (security guard) Jose Perdomo convinced
Cullen that Chapman was the assailant.
To read the crime scene analysis in my book, click the following URL:
http://www.jfkmontreal.com/john_lennon/Chapter01A.htm
Seventh, has Mr. Seaman had any firearms training?
Eighth, did Fred Seaman shoot and kill John Lennon?
Salvador Astucia
=========================
From: Shobus (***@aol.com)
Subject: Letter/Question to those that believe Fred Seaman
Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
Date: 1999/12/23
I copied the following from one of my posts. I place it in a new thread
becasue I would really like someone to answer a question. Why don't those that
believe what Fred Seaman writes in RMB go to the police with his allegations or
encourage him to go to the police? He has insinuated that Yoko hired MDC to
kill John. He has stated (not implied) that Yoko drugged Julian and seduced
him. A lot of times I say a lot of things that I mean, but I am not terribly
concerned about the people on the other side and their motives, etc. I am in
this case. I really think it strange that someone would accept Fred's words -
that Yoko drugged and seduced Julian. Why would not someone try to stop this?
It disturbs me that people think that this is true and do nothing to try to
stop it. I do not think it is true, so I do not feel the need to protect other
young men from being drugged and seduced by Yoko.
o.k., here is my post...
I do not think of myself as pro-Ono/Mintz. I started writing in defense of
Yoko and in opposition to Fred ONLY after he wrote the rubbish about Yoko
getting her wish that John was dead (and did she hire MDC) and the bit about
drugging and seducing Sean. Perhaps you consider this as "honestly reporting
his experiences" with John and Yoko, but I do not.
Fred's standard response to anyone that does not believe his vile or anyone
that even enjoy's Yoko's music is to imply that they are sheep, blindly
accepting whatever the Ono propaganda machine releases. This may be true for
some, but there are too many on rmb that blindly accept whatever Fred writes.
I find it hard to believe that individuals capable of even a modicum of
critical thinking would believe everything that Fred writes. Yoko drugged and
seduced Julian? Y AND (and is the important word) SH hired MDC? It has been
written many times, with no response from Fred (I believe,) that if these awful
"truths", as he puts it, exist, then WHY DID HE NEVER GO TO THE POLICE? I
would think that an honest man such as Fred, who's pursuit and stewardship of
the truth is legendary would be the first one in line to stop such occurances.
If we assume that the drugging and seducing incident is true, and we assume
that it occured during the time of Fred's employment, then (I could be wrong)
would that not make Julian a child when this happened? Honestly, I am not sure
of the dates involved, when Julian was born, but it seems that Julian would
have still been under 18 years of age. If Yoko did this once to Julian, then
it stands to reason that she did this many times throughout her life.
This type of demented behaviour, usually, manifests itself several times. This
sort of sickness can not be unleashed once and never again, can it? You would
think that Fred would have contacted the authorities so that this could never
happen again. Who knows who else she has drugged and seduced, if one accepts
Fred's accounts?
So, if it makes you feel better to write that I am a coward and pathetic, that
is fine. I would think that a man that claims to have information concerning
the assasination of his former boss and the drugging and seduction/molestation
of his former boss' son and does nothing with the information should be
considered pathetic and cowardly.
If the pro-Fred contingent feels so strongly that Fred is writing the truth,
then perhaps they should encourage Fred to go to the police. Perhaps the
pro-Fred contingent should call the NYC police - tell them that Yoko has
drugged and seduced a young man. Tell them that they should follow up on Fred
Seaman's acusations - for they are truths. They are not "truths" that Yoko
spews forth to her pro-Ono/Mintz contingent, but absolute truths, ones that can
not be refuted or denied. If the pro-Fred contingent does not do this, knowing
that the accusations are true, then what is stopping them? Either they are
pathetic and cowardly or they doubt Fred's word. Take your pick.
========================
From: Jim Richard (***@leland.Stanford.EDU)
Subject: Fred Seaman vs. David Sheff
View: Complete Thread (4 articles)
Original Format
Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
Date: 1999/01/12
be interested in comparing David Sheff's description of the missing Lennon
diaries with Seaman's. Here are summaries of the two accounts. Following
the summaries are a few questions that I hope Fred will answer.
-----
Here is the summary of "The Betrayal of John Lennon", published in the March
1984 Playboy:
Right after Lennon's death, Seaman drew up a contract with Bob Rosen.
For the next year, Fred stole documents from the Dakota apartments and
delivered them to Rosen each Friday. Seaman stole money from Lenono
petty-cash to pay Rosen. In May 1981, Seaman gave Julian Lennon a
copy of the cassette of John's final songs recorded in Bermuda. Seaman's
journal suggests that he intended to try to convince Julian that he, rather
than Yoko, was the rightful guardian of his father's diaries. Sheff words
this as "his aim is to draw Julian into the plan."
In August 1981, Rick Dufay, a guitarist with Aerosmith, joined Seaman and
Rosen. In October, Rosen wrote in his journal that Fred's fantasy was
that "Everybody who was ever associated with the Beatles in any way, shape
or form drops dead. Fred is the only one who remains alive. He corners
the gossip market... We [Seaman, Dufay, Rosen] are all that close. We know
how contemptible the other one is..."
In November 1981, Yoko learned that Julian was planning to record the
songs that she intended to release on the follow-up to "Double Fantasy".
She called Julian and learned that he got the cassette from Fred. Julian
apologized. The same month, Seaman and Dufay stole a large amount of audio
equipment from the Dakota, including an expensive amplifier that John
used to keep by his bed. The next day, someone noticed that equipment was
missing. Elliot Mintz took inventory and found that a lot of things were
missing. No suspicion was cast on Fred, and he wrote in his diary:
"Yesterday's theft doesn't seem to have any consequences, thank God."
The next month Fred showed up at the Christmas Party wearing one of John's
old scarves. Yoko asked him about it. He denied it at first, and then
admitted it may have been one of John's. After getting into a $12,000 car
accident while using a Lenono car for personal business, and then being
caught using Yoko's private bath during work hours, Fred was fired and
given $10,000 severance. From Fred's diary: "My immediate regret is that
I won't have an opportunity to go through the files and avail myself of
'research' material."
The next month, Rosen wrote in his diary that "Possession of the journals
are my best leverage." He also wrote that he was afraid the journals
would be stolen. Seaman's psychotherapist introduced Fred to Norman
Schonfeld, a retired diamond merchant who agreed to finance 'Project
Walrus'. In his diary, Fred wrote that the plan was to discredit Yoko
as much as possible and to set himself up as the real inheritor of
Lennon's artistic and social legacy. Schonfeld and the pschotherapist
soon convinced Fred that Rosen should be cut out of the project. Rosen
was sent to the Carribean and while he was away, Fred wrote: "Norman
[Schonfeld] and I decided to take all the stuff out. . . absconded with
his copy of the journals, the Bermuda tape and anything else we could
carry out." After Rosen returned to his empty apartment, Fred called
and told him what they had done.
In August 1982, Rosen tried to sell his story to magazines, telling them
he had a photographic memory. When no one made an offer, he called Mintz
and offered to return some material for a price. When Mintz threatened to
call the police, Rosen spilled the whole story, claiming to be a dupe of
Seaman's.
A shabbily dressed man showed up at the Dakota with a box full of papers,
including John's diary. He claimed to have gotten them from a junkie in
Harlem. Sam Havadtoy [Yoko's companion] paid him $5,000 to get the rest
of the diaries but he disappeared. They then discovered that the papers
contained only a photocopy of John's 1980 diary and that the rest of the
papers were Fred's journals. When they learned from Rosen that Schonfeld had
put up $33,000 for 'Project Walrus', they figured that he must have the
journals. They approached him and he offered to return the diaries in
return for $60,000 in "expenses". They agreed, and they receive all of the
original diaries back, with the exception of the original 1980 diary which
was never recovered.
In April 1983, Seaman got a $90,000 advance from Simon & Schuster.
Havadtoy called the police and Fred was arrested for grand larceny. The
police found some of the stolen electronic equipment in Fred's home and
storage room. Fred turned over his photocopies of Lennon's diaries. Later,
after he was released, a visitor to his apartment reported that it contained
gold records from 'Double Fantasy' and a piece of Yoko's artwork called
'A Box of Smile' (you open the box and find a mirror on the inside of the
lid).
On May 27, Seaman plead guilty to second-degree grand larceny. He was
sentenced to five years probation. His plea was contingent on his
agreement not to reveal what is in the Lennon diaries. [Simon & Schuster
then cancelled his book deal and withdrew his $90,000 advance.] When Sheff
contacted Dufay for the Playboy story, he wasn't available. Schonfeld said
he didn't know anything about Lennon, Seaman or the diaries. Rosen said,
"I probably knew deep down that the journals were stolen, but I never
admitted it to myself - I didn't want to know."
-----
Here is the summary of Fred Seaman's account, published in the afterword
of his book, "The Last Days of John Lennon":
On December 23, 1980, during the aftermath of John's death, Elliot Mintz
found John's 1980 diary in his bedroom. He told Fred to take it to Yoko.
Fred was surprised by her lack of interest in the diary. She asked him
to file it with his other papers. Fred told Yoko that five months earlier,
in Bermuda, John had mentioned to him that he wanted Julian to get his
journals if anything happened to him. In January 1981 Fred found John's
journals for 1974-1979, also in John's bedroom. Fred decided to deliver
the journals to Julian. Fred met a close friend from college [Bob Rosen,
though the afterword does not mention his name], who offered to copy the
journals overnight while Fred packed for his trip to London to see Julian.
Rosen then called back and said they should collaborate together on a
book based on the diaries. Fred then consulted with his psychotherapist
who recommended that he play along with Rosen. He also put him in touch
with Norman Shoenfeld, a wealthy patient of his, who baited Rosen in order
to retrieve the diaries.
Around Christman 1981, Schoenfeld told Rosen that he would finance a book
and send him on an expenses-paid vacation to the Carribean provided that
Rosen first turn over John's journals. Rosen agreed. Schoenfeld then
insisted on keeping the diaries himself, and promised Fred he would find
a way to return them to Yoko through an intermediary.
Rosen then approached magazines offering to sell them copies of the journals
that he had stashed. Jan Wenner of 'Rolling Stone' tipped off Yoko who
had Mintz track down Rosen. When confronted, Rosen implicated Seaman as
the mastermind behind the diary conspiracy, and he also accused Shoenfeld
and the psychotherapist.
On August 13, the apartment that Fred was staying in was burglarized and
two of his own journals from 1980 were stolen (he had photocopies).
After Rosen confessed, Fred called Yoko in late August to tell her his side
of the story. Yoko's chief of security, Dan Mahoney, a NYC police sergeant,
met Fred and told him that Schoenfeld had returned John's original diaries
to Yoko for a $60,000 finders fee. Mahoney said that the 1980 journal was
missing and that it was thought that Fred had it. When Fred said he didn't,
Mahoney told him, "I like you, Freddie, and I wouldn't like to see you get
hurt."
On September 27, Fred was stopped outside his apartment by two policemen
who worked as bodyguards for Yoko, one of whom was Mahoney's partner. They
told him they had a warrant for his arrest, and drove him to a deserted
alley in the meat-packing district. They demanded Lennon's 1980 diary,
and when Fred said he didn't have it, one of the cops wrapped his first
in a rain coat and started punching Fred, shouting "we'll either have the
journal or you'll be dead." After several minutes of this, they drove
with Fred along the Hudson and quietly discussed shooting Fred and dumping
his body. They stopped, Fred was pulled out of the car, and a gun was
held to the back of his head. "If you don't cooperate, I'll blow your
brains out," the cop threatened, but when Fred insisted he didn't have it,
they drove him to the 20th Precinct and warned him not to tell anybody
what had happened. They also took the keys to his apartment. Fred was
soon taken to his apartment while the police searched it. They collected
anything they thought he might have stolen from the Dakota such as papers
and tapes. Back at the station, Fred was asked to sign a confession that
said he had taken things from the Dakota without Yoko's approval. Fred
said that he had only taken John's diaries. The detectives said they
believed Fred, that the wording of the confession would be changed later,
and that he could go after he signed. Fred signed and was then locked up
overnight.
After being released, Fred hired an attorney to initiate a civil suit
against Yoko, Havadtoy and NYC in connection with his assault. On December
8, the charges against Fred were dropped. However, on February 18, 1983,
Fred learned that Yoko was bringing his case before a grand jury. Since
Fred had given signed and videotaped confessions saying he had taken John's
diaries, his attorneys told him he should plead guilty in return for a
suspended sentence. Fred agreed to plead guilty to criminal possession,
a misdemeanor. On May 27, when Fred went before the judge, he found that
"criminal possession" had been crossed out and replaced with "grand larceny",
a felony. His attorney told him he would have to either sign the
plea-bargain agreement or pay him $10,000 to retain his services. Fred
signed the plea-bargain agreement and was sentenced to five years probation.
Since Fred had spent nearly $30,000 on legal fees at this point, he was
unable to pursue his civil suit against Yoko, Havadtoy and NYC.
-----
Some questions for Fred Seaman:
1. Did Mintz's audio equipment inventory that showed there was missing
equipment become known before or after you were found to have taken
John's diaries?
2. Do Schoenfeld and your psychotherapist back your story?
3. Were either charged with stealing the diaries?
4. Were the entries in Rosen's journal that implicate you fabricated?
(e.g. "He corners the gossip market.").
5. Did you ever have a handwriting expert examine the entries in your
journal that you say were fabricated?
6. Why did you wait nearly a year before taking action to retrieve the
diaries from Rosen?
7. Did your signed confession list the audio equipment you were accused
of stealing or was this thrown in later?
JimR
===
Ordering information for Salvador Astucia's books can be found at
http://www.jfkmontreal.com/raveningwolf/
Also see Astucia's homepage: http://www.jfkmontreal.com
(see below), and would like to recap a few points, then ask
some questions.
First, Mr. Seaman was personal assistant to John Lennon from
early 1979 until John's death on Dec. 8, 1980.
Second, Mr. Seaman is a bona fide criminal who once posted on this
newsgroup (big shock). Not only did he break a trust between
John and Yoko, but he stole John's personal effects shortly after
his death. Then he fed writer Albert Goldman a pack of lies about
John in an obvious effort to discredit John posthumously.
Third, Mr. Seaman insinuated that Yoko hired Mark David Chapman to
kill John. (something we know is bullshit) Why would he try to blame
her? It appears he wanted to discredit Yoko too.
Fourth, Mr. Seaman spread rumors that John was gay or bisexual.
(also bullshit) This is more posthumous character assassination.
Fifth, Mr. Seaman has demonstrated that he is a bigger whore than
some of the low-life scoundrels on this newsgroup, willing to do
virtually anything for money.
Sixth, where was Mr. Seaman on Dec. 8, 1980 at 10:50 PM ?
In Chapter 1 of my book, Rethinking John Lennon's Assassination,
I demonstrated that Mark David Chapman in all likelihood did not
shoot John, but the real assassin fired the fatal shots while
standing in the doorway leading to the service elevator.
Several accounts referred to an unidentified person who was also
at the crime scene. This was someone besides Cuban exile doorman
Jose Perdomo and lobby clerk Jay Hastings. Some accounts refer to
this individual as a handyman; others call him a maintenance man;
and others call him an elevator operator. Was this person Fred Seaman?
Patrolman Peter Cullen, one of the officers who arrested Chapman,
believed the shooter was a handyman at the Dakota, not Chapman.
Cullen thought Chapman "looked like a guy who worked in a bank."
But Cuban exile doorman (security guard) Jose Perdomo convinced
Cullen that Chapman was the assailant.
To read the crime scene analysis in my book, click the following URL:
http://www.jfkmontreal.com/john_lennon/Chapter01A.htm
Seventh, has Mr. Seaman had any firearms training?
Eighth, did Fred Seaman shoot and kill John Lennon?
Salvador Astucia
=========================
From: Shobus (***@aol.com)
Subject: Letter/Question to those that believe Fred Seaman
Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
Date: 1999/12/23
I copied the following from one of my posts. I place it in a new thread
becasue I would really like someone to answer a question. Why don't those that
believe what Fred Seaman writes in RMB go to the police with his allegations or
encourage him to go to the police? He has insinuated that Yoko hired MDC to
kill John. He has stated (not implied) that Yoko drugged Julian and seduced
him. A lot of times I say a lot of things that I mean, but I am not terribly
concerned about the people on the other side and their motives, etc. I am in
this case. I really think it strange that someone would accept Fred's words -
that Yoko drugged and seduced Julian. Why would not someone try to stop this?
It disturbs me that people think that this is true and do nothing to try to
stop it. I do not think it is true, so I do not feel the need to protect other
young men from being drugged and seduced by Yoko.
o.k., here is my post...
I do not think of myself as pro-Ono/Mintz. I started writing in defense of
Yoko and in opposition to Fred ONLY after he wrote the rubbish about Yoko
getting her wish that John was dead (and did she hire MDC) and the bit about
drugging and seducing Sean. Perhaps you consider this as "honestly reporting
his experiences" with John and Yoko, but I do not.
Fred's standard response to anyone that does not believe his vile or anyone
that even enjoy's Yoko's music is to imply that they are sheep, blindly
accepting whatever the Ono propaganda machine releases. This may be true for
some, but there are too many on rmb that blindly accept whatever Fred writes.
I find it hard to believe that individuals capable of even a modicum of
critical thinking would believe everything that Fred writes. Yoko drugged and
seduced Julian? Y AND (and is the important word) SH hired MDC? It has been
written many times, with no response from Fred (I believe,) that if these awful
"truths", as he puts it, exist, then WHY DID HE NEVER GO TO THE POLICE? I
would think that an honest man such as Fred, who's pursuit and stewardship of
the truth is legendary would be the first one in line to stop such occurances.
If we assume that the drugging and seducing incident is true, and we assume
that it occured during the time of Fred's employment, then (I could be wrong)
would that not make Julian a child when this happened? Honestly, I am not sure
of the dates involved, when Julian was born, but it seems that Julian would
have still been under 18 years of age. If Yoko did this once to Julian, then
it stands to reason that she did this many times throughout her life.
This type of demented behaviour, usually, manifests itself several times. This
sort of sickness can not be unleashed once and never again, can it? You would
think that Fred would have contacted the authorities so that this could never
happen again. Who knows who else she has drugged and seduced, if one accepts
Fred's accounts?
So, if it makes you feel better to write that I am a coward and pathetic, that
is fine. I would think that a man that claims to have information concerning
the assasination of his former boss and the drugging and seduction/molestation
of his former boss' son and does nothing with the information should be
considered pathetic and cowardly.
If the pro-Fred contingent feels so strongly that Fred is writing the truth,
then perhaps they should encourage Fred to go to the police. Perhaps the
pro-Fred contingent should call the NYC police - tell them that Yoko has
drugged and seduced a young man. Tell them that they should follow up on Fred
Seaman's acusations - for they are truths. They are not "truths" that Yoko
spews forth to her pro-Ono/Mintz contingent, but absolute truths, ones that can
not be refuted or denied. If the pro-Fred contingent does not do this, knowing
that the accusations are true, then what is stopping them? Either they are
pathetic and cowardly or they doubt Fred's word. Take your pick.
========================
From: Jim Richard (***@leland.Stanford.EDU)
Subject: Fred Seaman vs. David Sheff
View: Complete Thread (4 articles)
Original Format
Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
Date: 1999/01/12
In fact, I did look into suing PLAYBOY. I was advised that Sheff's article
did meet the legal test for libel: It was false, in reckless disregard of the
truth (Sheff knowingly wrote things in the article that he new to be false),
and malicious (as evidenced by Sheff's fabricated quotes; Sheff's aticle was
clearly pro-Yoko & anti-Fred -- I'm sure that even my detractors will concede
this...)
-FS
Since Fred Seaman has started posting to r.m.b., I thought people woulddid meet the legal test for libel: It was false, in reckless disregard of the
truth (Sheff knowingly wrote things in the article that he new to be false),
and malicious (as evidenced by Sheff's fabricated quotes; Sheff's aticle was
clearly pro-Yoko & anti-Fred -- I'm sure that even my detractors will concede
this...)
-FS
be interested in comparing David Sheff's description of the missing Lennon
diaries with Seaman's. Here are summaries of the two accounts. Following
the summaries are a few questions that I hope Fred will answer.
-----
Here is the summary of "The Betrayal of John Lennon", published in the March
1984 Playboy:
Right after Lennon's death, Seaman drew up a contract with Bob Rosen.
For the next year, Fred stole documents from the Dakota apartments and
delivered them to Rosen each Friday. Seaman stole money from Lenono
petty-cash to pay Rosen. In May 1981, Seaman gave Julian Lennon a
copy of the cassette of John's final songs recorded in Bermuda. Seaman's
journal suggests that he intended to try to convince Julian that he, rather
than Yoko, was the rightful guardian of his father's diaries. Sheff words
this as "his aim is to draw Julian into the plan."
In August 1981, Rick Dufay, a guitarist with Aerosmith, joined Seaman and
Rosen. In October, Rosen wrote in his journal that Fred's fantasy was
that "Everybody who was ever associated with the Beatles in any way, shape
or form drops dead. Fred is the only one who remains alive. He corners
the gossip market... We [Seaman, Dufay, Rosen] are all that close. We know
how contemptible the other one is..."
In November 1981, Yoko learned that Julian was planning to record the
songs that she intended to release on the follow-up to "Double Fantasy".
She called Julian and learned that he got the cassette from Fred. Julian
apologized. The same month, Seaman and Dufay stole a large amount of audio
equipment from the Dakota, including an expensive amplifier that John
used to keep by his bed. The next day, someone noticed that equipment was
missing. Elliot Mintz took inventory and found that a lot of things were
missing. No suspicion was cast on Fred, and he wrote in his diary:
"Yesterday's theft doesn't seem to have any consequences, thank God."
The next month Fred showed up at the Christmas Party wearing one of John's
old scarves. Yoko asked him about it. He denied it at first, and then
admitted it may have been one of John's. After getting into a $12,000 car
accident while using a Lenono car for personal business, and then being
caught using Yoko's private bath during work hours, Fred was fired and
given $10,000 severance. From Fred's diary: "My immediate regret is that
I won't have an opportunity to go through the files and avail myself of
'research' material."
The next month, Rosen wrote in his diary that "Possession of the journals
are my best leverage." He also wrote that he was afraid the journals
would be stolen. Seaman's psychotherapist introduced Fred to Norman
Schonfeld, a retired diamond merchant who agreed to finance 'Project
Walrus'. In his diary, Fred wrote that the plan was to discredit Yoko
as much as possible and to set himself up as the real inheritor of
Lennon's artistic and social legacy. Schonfeld and the pschotherapist
soon convinced Fred that Rosen should be cut out of the project. Rosen
was sent to the Carribean and while he was away, Fred wrote: "Norman
[Schonfeld] and I decided to take all the stuff out. . . absconded with
his copy of the journals, the Bermuda tape and anything else we could
carry out." After Rosen returned to his empty apartment, Fred called
and told him what they had done.
In August 1982, Rosen tried to sell his story to magazines, telling them
he had a photographic memory. When no one made an offer, he called Mintz
and offered to return some material for a price. When Mintz threatened to
call the police, Rosen spilled the whole story, claiming to be a dupe of
Seaman's.
A shabbily dressed man showed up at the Dakota with a box full of papers,
including John's diary. He claimed to have gotten them from a junkie in
Harlem. Sam Havadtoy [Yoko's companion] paid him $5,000 to get the rest
of the diaries but he disappeared. They then discovered that the papers
contained only a photocopy of John's 1980 diary and that the rest of the
papers were Fred's journals. When they learned from Rosen that Schonfeld had
put up $33,000 for 'Project Walrus', they figured that he must have the
journals. They approached him and he offered to return the diaries in
return for $60,000 in "expenses". They agreed, and they receive all of the
original diaries back, with the exception of the original 1980 diary which
was never recovered.
In April 1983, Seaman got a $90,000 advance from Simon & Schuster.
Havadtoy called the police and Fred was arrested for grand larceny. The
police found some of the stolen electronic equipment in Fred's home and
storage room. Fred turned over his photocopies of Lennon's diaries. Later,
after he was released, a visitor to his apartment reported that it contained
gold records from 'Double Fantasy' and a piece of Yoko's artwork called
'A Box of Smile' (you open the box and find a mirror on the inside of the
lid).
On May 27, Seaman plead guilty to second-degree grand larceny. He was
sentenced to five years probation. His plea was contingent on his
agreement not to reveal what is in the Lennon diaries. [Simon & Schuster
then cancelled his book deal and withdrew his $90,000 advance.] When Sheff
contacted Dufay for the Playboy story, he wasn't available. Schonfeld said
he didn't know anything about Lennon, Seaman or the diaries. Rosen said,
"I probably knew deep down that the journals were stolen, but I never
admitted it to myself - I didn't want to know."
-----
Here is the summary of Fred Seaman's account, published in the afterword
of his book, "The Last Days of John Lennon":
On December 23, 1980, during the aftermath of John's death, Elliot Mintz
found John's 1980 diary in his bedroom. He told Fred to take it to Yoko.
Fred was surprised by her lack of interest in the diary. She asked him
to file it with his other papers. Fred told Yoko that five months earlier,
in Bermuda, John had mentioned to him that he wanted Julian to get his
journals if anything happened to him. In January 1981 Fred found John's
journals for 1974-1979, also in John's bedroom. Fred decided to deliver
the journals to Julian. Fred met a close friend from college [Bob Rosen,
though the afterword does not mention his name], who offered to copy the
journals overnight while Fred packed for his trip to London to see Julian.
Rosen then called back and said they should collaborate together on a
book based on the diaries. Fred then consulted with his psychotherapist
who recommended that he play along with Rosen. He also put him in touch
with Norman Shoenfeld, a wealthy patient of his, who baited Rosen in order
to retrieve the diaries.
Around Christman 1981, Schoenfeld told Rosen that he would finance a book
and send him on an expenses-paid vacation to the Carribean provided that
Rosen first turn over John's journals. Rosen agreed. Schoenfeld then
insisted on keeping the diaries himself, and promised Fred he would find
a way to return them to Yoko through an intermediary.
Rosen then approached magazines offering to sell them copies of the journals
that he had stashed. Jan Wenner of 'Rolling Stone' tipped off Yoko who
had Mintz track down Rosen. When confronted, Rosen implicated Seaman as
the mastermind behind the diary conspiracy, and he also accused Shoenfeld
and the psychotherapist.
On August 13, the apartment that Fred was staying in was burglarized and
two of his own journals from 1980 were stolen (he had photocopies).
After Rosen confessed, Fred called Yoko in late August to tell her his side
of the story. Yoko's chief of security, Dan Mahoney, a NYC police sergeant,
met Fred and told him that Schoenfeld had returned John's original diaries
to Yoko for a $60,000 finders fee. Mahoney said that the 1980 journal was
missing and that it was thought that Fred had it. When Fred said he didn't,
Mahoney told him, "I like you, Freddie, and I wouldn't like to see you get
hurt."
On September 27, Fred was stopped outside his apartment by two policemen
who worked as bodyguards for Yoko, one of whom was Mahoney's partner. They
told him they had a warrant for his arrest, and drove him to a deserted
alley in the meat-packing district. They demanded Lennon's 1980 diary,
and when Fred said he didn't have it, one of the cops wrapped his first
in a rain coat and started punching Fred, shouting "we'll either have the
journal or you'll be dead." After several minutes of this, they drove
with Fred along the Hudson and quietly discussed shooting Fred and dumping
his body. They stopped, Fred was pulled out of the car, and a gun was
held to the back of his head. "If you don't cooperate, I'll blow your
brains out," the cop threatened, but when Fred insisted he didn't have it,
they drove him to the 20th Precinct and warned him not to tell anybody
what had happened. They also took the keys to his apartment. Fred was
soon taken to his apartment while the police searched it. They collected
anything they thought he might have stolen from the Dakota such as papers
and tapes. Back at the station, Fred was asked to sign a confession that
said he had taken things from the Dakota without Yoko's approval. Fred
said that he had only taken John's diaries. The detectives said they
believed Fred, that the wording of the confession would be changed later,
and that he could go after he signed. Fred signed and was then locked up
overnight.
After being released, Fred hired an attorney to initiate a civil suit
against Yoko, Havadtoy and NYC in connection with his assault. On December
8, the charges against Fred were dropped. However, on February 18, 1983,
Fred learned that Yoko was bringing his case before a grand jury. Since
Fred had given signed and videotaped confessions saying he had taken John's
diaries, his attorneys told him he should plead guilty in return for a
suspended sentence. Fred agreed to plead guilty to criminal possession,
a misdemeanor. On May 27, when Fred went before the judge, he found that
"criminal possession" had been crossed out and replaced with "grand larceny",
a felony. His attorney told him he would have to either sign the
plea-bargain agreement or pay him $10,000 to retain his services. Fred
signed the plea-bargain agreement and was sentenced to five years probation.
Since Fred had spent nearly $30,000 on legal fees at this point, he was
unable to pursue his civil suit against Yoko, Havadtoy and NYC.
-----
Some questions for Fred Seaman:
1. Did Mintz's audio equipment inventory that showed there was missing
equipment become known before or after you were found to have taken
John's diaries?
2. Do Schoenfeld and your psychotherapist back your story?
3. Were either charged with stealing the diaries?
4. Were the entries in Rosen's journal that implicate you fabricated?
(e.g. "He corners the gossip market.").
5. Did you ever have a handwriting expert examine the entries in your
journal that you say were fabricated?
6. Why did you wait nearly a year before taking action to retrieve the
diaries from Rosen?
7. Did your signed confession list the audio equipment you were accused
of stealing or was this thrown in later?
JimR
===
Ordering information for Salvador Astucia's books can be found at
http://www.jfkmontreal.com/raveningwolf/
Also see Astucia's homepage: http://www.jfkmontreal.com