Summary

Attorneys for John Connolly filed a motion in Miami-Dade Circuit Court on Monday seeking to vacate his conviction in Florida for second-degree murder and racketeering, saying newly surfaced materials show the former FBI agent was framed. The filing, according to the motion, is based on handwritten material and FBI reports containing statements attributed to the late mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger.

Connolly’s case is tied to the 1982 killing of businessman John Callahan in Miami International Airport, a crime prosecutors later connected to Bulger’s circle and to Connolly’s conduct as an FBI agent. The motion argues that the prosecution’s theory about Connolly’s role does not match what Bulger wrote and what Bulger allegedly told the FBI after his 2011 arrest.

In the motion, Connolly’s lawyers said Bulger’s writings contradict the government’s case by describing Connolly as a “sacrificial lamb.” They also argued that Bulger identified another FBI agent, John Morris, as his mole, rather than suggesting information came through Connolly.

The attorneys said the material includes FBI reports documenting Bulger’s statements and the unfinished handwritten manuscript the FBI seized from Bulger’s apartment after his arrest in 2011. They said Bulger’s manuscript and post-arrest statements were not previously disclosed to the defense.

Connolly, now 85, was convicted in Florida and served a 40-year sentence. A judge granted compassionate release in 2021 after citing Connolly’s terminal illness and the risks of COVID-19.

Connolly’s attorneys said that in the handwritten manuscript Bulger wrote about his criminal life and about how he used inside tips to stay ahead of the law. The motion quoted Bulger as writing, “I never thought the day would come that I’d be writing a story about my criminal activity,” and also quoted Bulger writing, “I am sure everyone close to me thought all the information I had came from (Connolly).”

The filing said Bulger also addressed why Connolly was implicated, saying, “I didn’t discourage that thought — sadly for Connolly, he took the heat for warning me to take off and other things that had come from (Morris).” Connolly’s lawyers argued that this framing supports their contention that Connolly was targeted rather than responsible for the leak-based case prosecutors brought.

Prosecutors previously alleged that Bulger and Stephen Flemmi ordered Callahan’s killing after Connolly told them the FBI was investigating Callahan’s ties to Bulger and his gang for the 1981 killing of Roger Wheeler, who owned World Jai Alai. The motion recounts that Connolly was indicted on a first-degree murder charge 21 years after the 1982 killing.

According to the motion, Bulger’s writings and statements allege that Morris became a “star witness” against Connolly to save himself, and the motion said Morris testified against Connolly under a cooperation agreement that included immunity from prosecution. The filing also noted Bulger’s other alleged informant activities, including that Bulger served as an FBI informant against the Mafia while denying the claim.

The material came to light after a longtime prosecutor involved in the Connolly case resigned from the Miami-Dade state attorney’s office following reports of misconduct, including granting favors to witnesses and coordinating witness testimony. In 2024, Connolly’s lawyers received a letter from Chief Assistant State Attorney Jose Arrojo informing them that a sealed envelope labeled “confidential” contained the Bulger manuscript and Bulger’s statements to the FBI.

Connolly’s attorneys said courts previously found that some evidence in the case was improperly withheld but ruled it was not material enough to overturn the conviction. The motion argues that the newly surfaced materials go further and create reasonable doubt about Connolly’s guilt.

Willingham reported from Boston. Associated Press reporter Michael Casey in Boston contributed to this report.