FBI offers $310,000 reward in 1995 Amtrak derailment

[CHamilton]

FBI offers $310,000 reward in 1995 Amtrak derailment

Those responsible for the derailment of the Sunset Limited, an Amtrak passenger train, in the remote desert southwest of Phoenix have eluded the FBI for two decades.
But now, Mark J. Cwynar, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Phoenix office, is asking the public to help the FBI with leads that could help solve the 20-year-old cold case.

The feds are offering a $310,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

Earlier AU thread here.

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

Wow. They waited 20 years to offer that reward?

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

And I believe there is still a reward for the 12 Aug 1939 City of San Francisco derailment in NV.

 

[Navy 118]

Wow. They waited 20 years to offer that reward?

My thoughts exactly. Kinda odd that its been 20 years and is NOW reason to post a reward.

 

[MikefromCrete]

It's strange that they would offer a reward now. It's been 20 years. I'm sure the trail is very cold by now.

 

[Anderson]

Nice to see that the federal government is really on the case with this one...

 

[afigg]

Wow. They waited 20 years to offer that reward?

The announcement of the new 310K award got some national coverage. I happened to come across a segment on this story several days ago on the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC. She interviewed one of MSNBC's goto regulars for law enforcement stories, a retired FBI agent, who speculated (perhaps with some off the record info from his FBI contacts) that there are some recent leads on the investigation. By offering an increased reward on the 20th anniversary of the derailment for increased press coverage, might be enough to get someone who may know something relevant to contact the FBI.

Rewards have been offered since the derailment. Excerpt from the Arizona Republic news story:

An original reward of $120,000 was set shortly after the incident. It was bumped up to more than $300,000 in 1998.
The most recent $310,000 reward is coming from three sources: the FBI ($250,000), Amtrak ($50,000) and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office ($10,000).

So the reward has been $300K since 1998. So all they are doing is bumping it up a bit for publicity/

 

[Anderson]

You know, I have to wonder why this even got coverage...a $10k bump in an award on a 20-year-old cold case getting coverage outside of, say, the Arizona Republic (since that's the local paper) is indicative of a slow news day IMHO.

 

[TrackWalker]

And I believe there is still a reward for the 12 Aug 1939 City of San Francisco derailment in NV.

I have had no doubt over the years that somebody read the book about the "City of San Francisco" derailment and used it as a blueprint.

Tragic Train "The City of San Francisco": The Development and Historic Wreck of a Streamliner Hardcover – August, 1977

 

[WoodyinNYC]

You know, I have to wonder why this even got coverage...a $10k bump in an award on a 20-year-old cold case getting coverage outside of, say, the Arizona Republic (since that's the local paper) is indicative of a slow news day IMHO.

They claim "agents are close to cracking it, yet need some assistance."

Maybe so. And maybe after 20 years the perps and the co-conspirators and the witnesses are near to dying off. Some old-timer maybe promised never to tell, and was worried that if he tried to tell, then is old partner would knock him off. But if you think your life expectancy is a year or two, you might think about grabbing the money to make one last fun run and to hell with the old partner. Or the old partner has terminal cancer. Turn him now while you can. Doubt if rewards are paid for info on dead men. LOL.

 

[FormerOBS]

When a case is this cold, it seems fairly safe to up the reward. Heck, they should raise it to a million or so, since it's unlikely the case is going to be solved at this late date. Why not raise it that high? They probably won't ever have to pay it.

I was disappointed in National Public Radio's coverage. It pretty much turned me off when they said the train was bound for Miami.

Tom

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Wow. They waited 20 years to offer that reward?

&

My thoughts exactly. Kinda odd that its been 20 years and is NOW reason to post a reward.

&

It's strange that they would offer a reward now. It's been 20 years. I'm sure the trail is very cold by now.

&

Nice to see that the federal government is really on the case with this one...

I don't see any reason not to support this. At least they're going after actual terrorism this time. Most of the time the FBI stories I read seem to focus on following non-violent environmentalists and anti-war groups while largely ignoring lethal threats from heavily armed radical militias such as the Cliven Bundy gang. In what world does this make any sense?

You know, I have to wonder why this even got coverage...a $10k bump in an award on a 20-year-old cold case getting coverage outside of, say, the Arizona Republic (since that's the local paper) is indicative of a slow news day IMHO.

OK I'll bite. What was the "big news" we missed that you wish had received more coverage?

I was disappointed in National Public Radio's coverage. It pretty much turned me off when they said the train was bound for Miami.

In my view NPR has been on a downward spiral ever since the departure of Bob Edwards. Over the years NPR has responded to repeated threats of defunding not by standing up for itself but by implementing layer up on layer of self censorship and false equivalency. At this point I cannot listen to NPR anymore. Give me any typical NPR story and I can point out a dozen holes in their useless reporting.

 

[me_little_me]

Wow. They waited 20 years to offer that reward?

&

My thoughts exactly. Kinda odd that its been 20 years and is NOW reason to post a reward.

&

It's strange that they would offer a reward now. It's been 20 years. I'm sure the trail is very cold by now.

&

Nice to see that the federal government is really on the case with this one...

I don't see any reason not to support this. At least they're going after actual terrorism this time. Most of the time the FBI stories I read seem to focus on following non-violent environmentalists and anti-war groups while largely ignoring lethal threats from heavily armed radical militias such as the Cliven Bundy gang. In what world does this make any sense?

You know, I have to wonder why this even got coverage...a $10k bump in an award on a 20-year-old cold case getting coverage outside of, say, the Arizona Republic (since that's the local paper) is indicative of a slow news day IMHO.

OK I'll bite. What was the "big news" we missed that you wish had received more coverage?

I was disappointed in National Public Radio's coverage. It pretty much turned me off when they said the train was bound for Miami.

In my view NPR has been on a downward spiral ever since the departure of Bob Edwards. Over the years NPR has responded to repeated threats of defunding not by standing up for itself but by implementing layer up on layer of self censorship and false equivalency. At this point I cannot listen to NPR anymore. Give me any typical NPR story and I can point out a dozen holes in their useless reporting.

And how much defunding does it take to make a reporter miss basic facts? Sloppy reporting deserves defunding. Like Amtrak, they are helping to dig their own hole by providing ammunition to their critics.

 

[DesertDude]

Someone help me out here because I forget - didn't this event spur the rerouting of the Sunset Limited away from Phoenix to Maricopa?

 

[Caesar La Rock]

I'm moreover amazed that the Sunset Limited even gets any media attention these days, especially it's original route being mentioned. With that said, are they actually any closer to solving the case now then they were 20 years ago?

Kind of bring me up to speed here, because I don't focus on train wrecks too often, especially ones that involve sabotage. They say they're close, but who knows.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

In my view NPR has been on a downward spiral ever since the departure of Bob Edwards. Over the years NPR has responded to repeated threats of defunding not by standing up for itself but by implementing layer up on layer of self censorship and false equivalency. At this point I cannot listen to NPR anymore. Give me any typical NPR story and I can point out a dozen holes in their useless reporting.

And how much defunding does it take to make a reporter miss basic facts? Sloppy reporting deserves defunding. Like Amtrak, they are helping to dig their own hole by providing ammunition to their critics.

Back when NPR was at serious risk of being defunded they were much better about getting basic facts right. Today NPR is careless and sloppy to the point of absurdity, but because they're far more careful about who they dare to antagonize in our government they no longer face any immediate risk. So we fixed what wasn't broken and broke what was previously working.

 

[dlagrua]

As for the reward for the deliberate derailment of the Sunset Limited; offering the reward now may produce something. Notes at the wreck site suggest that this criminal act was done by some type of neo-**** group but that could be a diversion. It could be that the derailment was done by a disgruntled employee of the Union Pacific as the track was lifted in such a way as to cause derailment. I theorize that this crime was committed by someone with a 4 WD vehicle, with the right equipment and a good knowledge of exactly how to derail a train. The FBI should have questioned all of the UP railroad employees but they may have done so. Regardless in 20 years people talk and someone out there knows who the criminals are . An ex wife, jilted girlfriend, angry relative, coworker, friend or someone hungry for the money (and there usually is) might just turn them in. Let's hope that someone is reading the news and responds. With that type of reward money dangling out there, the chance increases that these blood thirsty murderers will finally be apprehended.