Brett Barrouquere Blog

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Wordless Wednesday: Jazz Fest 2018 in NOLA

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

A few thoughts on Mom

The great philosopher Winnie The Pooh once said: “How lucky I am to have someone in my life that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

To the students at school she was “Mrs. Barrouquere,” or “Ms. Musette.” To her friends and my dad, she was “Musette” or “Zetsie.”

To me, she was just “Mom.” It was a simple name and title that disguised a busy and complex life.

No matter what we had going on, Mom always had dinner ready for us. No matter how sweaty, nasty or dirty, Mom washed our uniforms so we were ready for the next practice or game. Then, we could look into the stands and see her and my dad rooting us on.

An only child who had four boys, Mom, a smart woman who under different circumstances could have done any number of things, had a lot on her hands over the years. But, she handled it all. As dad worked double shifts to help pay for Catholic school, Mom worked full-time at home to keep us on the right track.

And, she managed to keep up with everything at the house even after she went to work as a school secretary.

She was strong – mentally, emotionally and, as I discovered by dispensing some teenaged mouth at her, physically (she picked me up off the ground when I was 15).

Later in life, Mom lived in a way she probably never dreamed she would. Mom and dad traveled, she walked the streets of Europe and in Russia and took simple trips to the Gulf Coast to have what she called “mindless fun” playing nickel slots at the casino.

And, after four boys, she finally got girls in her three grandchildren. My two, now aged 14 and 10, would light up at the thought of “Nammy” coming for a visit, no matter where we were living.

And, it was definitely a mutual admiration society filled with games, shopping and lunches out.

The girls could always make her smile. On their last visit with Mom on her final Saturday, she grinned as much as she could as Dad gave her updates on Olivia tending the garden outside. Mom knew the plants were in good hands.

And, shortly before we left the house during that last visit, Lauren took Mom’s hand, told her about school and said “I love you, Nammy.”

Mom smiled. It was the last smile I saw on her face.

Yes, Pooh was right. Saying goodbye is very, very hard. But, once the sadness subsides, I and everyone who knew her will have memories of the special person who allowed us to spend big pieces of her life with her.

Thanks Mom. Until we see each other again.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

FBI and criminal justice stories

James Alex Fields Jr. drove a car into a crowd after the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Va. Fields ended his days as a free man and changed the lives of his surviving victims forever.
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/12/19/violence-unite-right-led-life-lost-and-others-forever-changed

FBI uses death row inmate to search for remains: An exclusive story gotten by corresponding with a federal death row inmate. The FBI and local prosecutors confirmed it once I had the key pieces nailed down.

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2013/10/10/fbi-used-death-row-inmate-in-search-for-remains

Terror suspect got into U.S. despite fingerprints being connected to Iraqi bombing: A scoop I scored by chatting regularly with the U.S. Attorney’s office and FBI and following up a tip on new documents being unsealed.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43243423/ns/us_news-security/t/fingerprints-terror-case-unchecked-months/#.WZyEKih97VU

In the hours after the glitz and glamour of the Kentucky Derby, someone killed one of the migrant workers on the backside of the track. The killer's identity remains a mystery.
https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/police-probing-mysterious-churchill-downs-death/article_ff16a550-de20-5758-8efc-990167c2beb0.html

FBI links killings of woman, children to husband’s drug case: Talking with FBI agents and following leads into documents and evidence hearings produced this story on how a man’s federal drug case was linked to the death of his wife and two children in Louisiana.

http://www.thomasdamico.com/In-the-News/Slavings-gang-could-be-related-FBI-hints-drug-deals-tied-to-victim.shtml

Iraqis linked to attack on U.S. soldiers: This scoop came from following a tip from the FBI and prosecutors, I tracked down documents and former U.S. soldiers who discussed how and when they were attacked by two Iraqis later arrested in Kentucky on terrorism charges.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-iraqis-charged-in-ky-linked-to-ied-attack-zone-2012aug16-story.html

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

A work portfolio for your perusal

Stories on which I was the primary reporter

Inmate Starves to Death

This story developed from a tip from a death row inmate. The initial tip was off by a bit, but the underlying story was valid. The medical staff at the Kentucky State Penitentiary allowed an inmate on hunger strike to starve to death. This piece, which took several months to report out, required coordination with editors, multiple records requests and letters to other inmates to complete. It won The AP’s beat of the Week as the best story by the news service the week it ran.

Link: http://action.news/newstempch.php?article=2014/04/21/kentucky-inmate-starved_n_5186500.html%3futm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Fallen Star: Jason Kessler went from right-wing darling to pariah after 'Unite the Right'
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/07/30/fallen-star-jason-kessler-went-high-unite-right-pariah-among-other-racists-and-his-hometown

The King of Pot

An enterprise piece that took a bit of time to develop. Two years after a prolific pot grower fled central Kentucky, I spent a day talking to his friends and visiting his old haunts. The piece is as much about the place he’s from as it is the fugitive. http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/sltrib/world/50759129-68/boone-marijuana-kentucky-area.html.csp

Terror Case-Fingerprints

This story took on a new life after a presidential adviser earlier this year discussed the fictional “Bowling Green Massacre.” I wrote the initial story of the two Iraqi men arrested and charged with terrorism. This story is a follow up that broke the news that the federal government had one of the men’s fingerprints on file as an unknown terrorist before he got into the country.

Link: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43243423/ns/us_news-security/t/fingerprints-terror-case-unchecked-months/#.Vr0JK7QrLcc

FBI calls on death row inmate to assist search for victim

This story grew out of correspondence with a federal condemned inmate. Chad Fulks responded to my letters by sending along a sealed order pulling him from death row to help the search for a victim who still hasn't been found. The search was fruitless, but the story made a big splash nationally.
Link:
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-fbi-used-death-row-inmate-in-search-for-remains-2013oct10-story.html

Death Row inmate hip surgery:

This was enterprise off solid beat reporting. During an interview with a serial killer on Kenucky’s death row, the inmate passed along a tip about the problems he was having getting hip replacement surgery. After he sued, a few records requests turned up more documents and produced a story of how politics and publicity were playing into the condemned man’s health care.

Link: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-ky-weighed-politics-medicine-in-inmates-surgery-2012may17-story.html

Lawyers-Execution Ethics

A Kentucky inmate sought to be executed for murder. It raised a question explored in this story: What do lawyers do when their client wants to die?

Link: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-11-20-death-penalty_N.htm

Coach Acquitted

The case of Jason Stinson brought national attention to how high school coaches treat their players. His acquittal made national news. Link: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705330888/Kentucky-coach-acquitted-in-rare-player-death-case.html?pg=all

Deaf Fan Wins Suit

College football is huge in the South. When a deaf fan sued the University of Kentucky for accommodations at football games, it became big news. When he settled, I was the first to report the agreement and terms. Link: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/states/kentucky/2012-02-15-1089021597_x.htm

Steven Green Suicide

For multiple years, I pursued interviews with a former U.S. soldier charged (and later convicted) of killing an Iraqi family in 2006. He eventually gave me the interview and we conducted regular correspondence. When he committed suicide in federal prison, his lawyers passed along the tip exclusively to me. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-soldier-convicted-killing-iraqi-family-dies-222833951.html

Escaped inmate seeks treatment

This was a product of solid beat reporting. After following the case of an escaped inmate with Mafia ties, his claims of having health issues and bolting because he needed medical help made national news. Link: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/07/22/inmate-convicted-gangster-related-killing-claims-escaped-custody-seek-medical-care/SI1ePv7xjmGDBz2SNEcewN/story.html

Last Public Execution in America

A western Kentucky city is home to the last public execution. They aren’t proud of that bit of history. Link: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/08/14/after_75_years_last_public_hanging_haunts_city/

Leon Taylor Execution

Amid chaos in Ferguson, Mo., the local AP bureau didn’t have anyone who could cover an execution. The evening before, I received a call from my editor asking if I could get there to staff it. After coordinating with two regional desks and multiple editors, I made it and handled coverage of Leon Taylor’s lethal injection. Link: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-missouri-executes-leon-taylor-for-1994-killing-2014nov18-story.html

Gay Marriage Ruling

This was an early ruling in the legal battle over same-sex marriage. Along with breaking the news months earlier that a Kentucky couple had filed a challenge to the state’s ban, this story broke the news of the judge’s ruling. Link: http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/news/national/judge-strikes-down-kentuckys-gay-marriage-ban/ngXcS/

Inmate Settlement

This was beat work and a little coordination with an editor to report out how the family of an inmate reached a settlement with the federal government over his death.

Link: http://www.pressandguide.com/news/dearborn-heights-late-inmate-s-family-gets-settlement-from-federal/article_b52ef817-ac7b-5181-95a2-ba0d75d0a5c3.html

Paratrooper Cutbacks

Due to sequestration by Congress, the military has been cutting back on the number of paratroopers and other military units. This piece looks at a couple of historic units that were being shrunk or closed down. Link: http://www.theeaglepost.us/fort_campbell/article_764ad878-5c98-11e3-9b74-0019bb2963f4.html

Chemical Companies Investigated

Working from a tip from a lawyer source, this became the first story nationally to expose the investigation into the makers of an odd, but key, part on automobiles.

Link: http://www.molllawgroup.com/chemical-companies-investigated-theadvocate-com-july-01-2003.html

Stories/projects on which I was the primary editor

Gibson Explosion

This was a follow on an explosion in a community in south Louisiana. Getting the story tool working with the reporter on multiple records requests, then sifting through documents and photos to pull together the story.

Link: http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20151211/ARTICLES/151219945/0/search

Suicide by cop

A man named Jean Paul Falgout led police on a chase through Houma, La., ending in a standoff and his fatal shooting. Police determined it was “suicide by cop.” I worked with the reporter on filing multiple records requests for documents, photos and video over a six-month period. Once the items were in hand, we sifted through everything to produce the story of what happened that day, along with photos and a video.

Link: http://www.houmatoday.com/news/20160220/man-killed-by-police-pledged-to-die-rather-than-go-to-prison

A Last Run

A highly-touted running back left the University of Alabama, then UNLV before ending up at what is known in athletic circles as “Las Chance University.” He was dismissed from the team and died while returning home to Arkansas. I co-wrote and edited this profile of him, which involved friends, coaches and the player’s own social media feeds to fill out the picture of who this player was and what happened.

Link: http://www.houmatoday.com/article/DA/20160104/News/608081576/HC/

The Long Goodbye

South Louisiana is sinking into the Gulf of Mexico. On this story, the senior staff writer and I met periodically during his reporting and writing to shape the story of an island that has almost vanished and the people who call it home.

Link: http://www.houmatoday.com/article/DA/20160104/News/608081576/HC/

Comair Flight 5191 crash

The crash of a Comair flight from Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky., on an otherwise quiet Sunday morning made national headlines. I was working the editing desk that day and edited, made phone calls and directed a team of reporters and photographers in covering the initial hours after the fatal crash. In the ensuing days, I also edited copy from reporters, as well as took part in reporting information about those killed.

Link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2006/08/27/kentucky-plane-crash-kills-4-crew-member-is-only-survivor.html