5:27:02 PM FBI agent who led Boston Marathon bombing investigation retiring | |
June 12, 2013
The FBI agent who led the investigation into April's Boston Marathon bombings will retire next month, the bureau announced on Tuesday. Special Agent in Charge Richard DesLauriers, 53, had been with the Boston field office since 2010 and had served in various roles in the FBI, including deputy assistant director in Washing D.C., for over 26 years. FBI agents are required to retire at age 57 and many begin thinking about private-sector jobs once they hit their 50s, said Special Agent Greg Comcowich, an FBI spokesman. Comcowich revealed that DesLauriers was offered a job at the Penske Corporation in March, but delayed stepping down from the FBI on account of the marathon bombings. After the bombings in April, his name became nationally known after his decision to turn to the public for help by releasing photos of the two suspects, who the FBI then called "Suspect 1” and "Suspect 2.” Following a deadly shootout and shootout — which killed an MIT police officer and one of the suspects — Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found and arrested the next day. But turning to the public for help was a tactic DesLauriers had success with before. He used a media campaign, which led to the arrest of alleged gang boss James "Whitney” Bulger, who had been at large for 16 years. Bulger is charged with 19 counts of murder, among other crimes. Jury selection was completed on Tuesday and his trial will start Wednesday. An FBI press release noted that "DesLauriers has overseen many significant investigations” and highlighted his involvement in the convictions and arrests of DiNunzio and Luigi Mannochio, former leaders of the New England mafia and "significant progress made in the theft of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.” But the investigation into the $500 million worth of art stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is still open — something that DesLauriers is leaving behind for his replacement. According to Comcowich, DesLauriers' successor will be announced within two months, and his retirement will go into effect on July 13. By Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News
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