The Franklin Files

Shadowman · Senior Member

RE: Paul Bonacci

Shadowman · Senior Member

Q. Okay.

A. If even that. 23 maybe. But it was an interesting ordeal. And I set in Larry's office at the credit union, set in the meetings he'd have with the people who come in private meetings. Seen him make payoffs to people. Very quietly.

Q. Did you, did you function as a photographer for Larry?

A. Oh, yes.

Q. And what did you photograph?

A. Things like the opening of Prince's Palace.

THE COURT: Sorry, the opening of what?

A. Prince's Palace, it was a restaurant, a jazz bar that he started. I went out and took pictures at his mansion on Embassy Row, some of the parties he had out there, things like that. He kept wanting me to do porn, kiddie porn, gay porn. I wanted to part of it. And he went to the extent of insisting on where I wear certain clothes, my hair had to be a certain way. They went as far as to take me out, supposedly it was Nancy Reagan's hair dresser done my hair. Permed it, everything, totally changed my appearance. And I happened to come across a man who was also a photographer for Larry. Whose appearance was almost identical to mine except he was a couple inches shorter, probably three, four inches shorter than I was and about the same build. He was at Prince's Palace, I believe on opening night. And it was just by fluke that I seen him. And what I basically come to gather was I was being run as the front man for the fall and this other person was doing the actual hard core kiddie porn, things like that. It was one of these things I tried and tried to find out who the man was. And --

Q. (By Mr. DeCamp) Who which man was?

A. The photographer. That I had seen. And, you know, I'd heard there was somebody passing themselves off as myself as Rusty Nelson. You know. The other thing was, is when I first went to work for Larry King I had two friends that were very, very strongly advised me against it. They wouldn't tell me what was what. They were shocked that I was even associated with him.

Q. You used a phrase when I went to work for Larry King. So then you were actually --
A. He put me to work as a waiter. And it was at Prince's Palace. So I would have a legitimate job was his idea behind it. And then --

Q. But he provided you the apartment?

A. He provided me apartment, clothes, food.

Q. Did you in fact spend a lot of time inside the Franklin Credit Union with him?

A. Oh yes.

Q. Where?

A. Well, he had a bedroom downstairs. The office. I had pretty much free run of it a lot of times.

Q. Are you aware of the fact that your existence before the legislative committee was effectively denied by various witnesses., investigator for the state and others?

A. Oh yes, I was told to disappear.

Q. Who told you to disappear?

A. Names, I don't know actually. It was FBI agents.

Q. Why would FBI agents tell you to disappear?

A. I believe they were the ones that were also involved with this. I think that-- I haven't kept up on the case. Basically vanished since then. From what I've understood they were found to be part of it. And there were legal repercussions, you know, lost their jobs. I think they may be in prison also because of this. This is what I've heard. I haven't followed it exactly myself, believe that's true.

Q. You said you functioned as a photographer for Larry King. Did you take a lot-of pictures during that time?

A. Oh yes.

Q. What happened to the pictures?

A. Most of the time he would take the film, when we'd get done with it he'd insist on having the film. Occasionally I would slip in a roll of my own film. And get a picture of him here, there, the next place. With certain people. Some of it was just shot from the hip. You know, basically don't look exactly what you're getting but point it in that direction and get a picture of some of the people that were there. Other things I was there to take pictures and told to get specific people. And if these two people got together to make sure to get a picture of them and try not to be noticed in doing it. Basically become a wall flower. Just fade back in the woodwork, just watch who's who and what's what and don't remember anything.

Q. Where were these places where you were doing these pictures?

A. The mansion on Embassy Row. The penthouse at Twin Towers. Larry's home. The Max, there are various places.

Q. Who was at these parties?

A. Politicians, dignitaries, wealthy business people. Young people. Larry, as far as I could gather, I left when I started putting the pieces together, you know, realizing that there were two sets of books. There were very, various discrepancies in the credit union. And the fact that he obviously was into pimping gay prostitutes and children to, basically for influence purposes. Whether it be politicians or whatever. He had extreme pull in the national Republican convention. There was one day where we were on a plane and he had a problem. And he couldn't get Wadman to work it out. Couldn't get anybody here to work it out. He placed a call, directly to Ronald Reagan. And --

Shadowman · Senior Member

Q. Have you ever read a section of an affidavit or an affidavit from Police Chief Wadman -- do you know who Police Chief Wadman is?

A. Oh, yes.

Q. Who is he?

A. He's police chief Omaha, Nebraska, or was.

MR. DECAMP: Your Honor, if I could read a section of an affidavit with your permission, Your Honor.

THE COURT: You may.

Q. (By Mr. DeCamp) Are you aware, Rusty, that a number of the young people involved in the Franklin scandal -- have you heard of the Franklin scandal?

A. Oh, yes.

Q. A number of the young people involved there, including Paul Bonacci, Alisha Owen, Troy Boner, a number of children all identified you or a person named Rusty Nelson who was involved with Larry King and was a photographer, are you aware of that?

A. Yes.

Q. I'm going to read you a statement that Police Chief Wadman made under oath, to the Nebraska senate committee, legislative committee, looking into matters there. Police Chief Wadman said: We had a situation where we were advised that there was a possibility of child pornography involving --no, it came in as child pornography case. What happened is that there was a photographer who was taking photographs of young women, and in the course of that set of circumstances, a mother with her daughter called and filed a complaint with the police department, and the complaint involved a situation where her daughter was approached by the photographer to be photographed, and the photographer extended an invitation to this young woman's mother to come with her. They went to studio, photographs were taken. In the course of that the mother became concerned over the photographs and some of the photographs that she observed at that photo studio and then filed a complaint of concern that this was a possible pornographic situation. We investigated -- we investigated it, found the photographer to be, you know, legitimately involved in the photography business, legitimately involved in conducting the photographs and getting signed releases and having a photography studio and so on. The only involvement is that this individual had subleased his studio or apartment from Larry King, and that was the extent of our investigation into pornography related activities involving Mr. King in any direct way. This was in response the legislature questioning him about whether you were in any way involved with Larry King. Would that be an accurate statement there by Chief Wadman?

A. I believe so.

Q. Did you in fact not function as a private photographer for Larry King?

A. Yes, I did.

Q. Mr. Wadman stated the only contact you had was renting an apartment from him?

A. I didn't rent the apartment, it was given to me.

Q. Who was it given to you by?

A. Larry King. I had free reign for a lot of things for Larry's.

Q. How did you come to know Larry King?

A. I was taking pictures at a bar called Max's on 79th Street after drag shows. It was something to do that wouldn't cost me much if any money to go in to do. It was fun. One of the people there, name was Ron, trying to remember what his last name was, escapes me now. I had gotten to know pretty much everybody who was the regulars and I had said to him that, you know, I was having some financial problems and, you know, I needed to- find a decent job, this and that and the next thing. And he goes, well, I know somebody who probably be able to use a good photographer, III talk to him, see what we can set up for you the next day or two. All of a sudden here's Larry King, I had no idea who he was, this, that and the next thing. And so I went and next thing I know I'm on a private jet to Washington, D. C. And, you know, just being lavishly spent money on, clothes.

Q. How old were you at the time?

A. Oh, probably 24, 25.

Shadowman · Senior Member

MR. DECAMP: Your Honor, the next witness I would like to call is a man named Russell Nelson.

THE COURT: Mr. Nelson.

THE CLERK: Sir, would you state your full name and spell your last name, please?

THE WITNESS: Russell E. or Eric Nelson R-u-s-s-e-l-l, E-r-i-c, N-e-l-s-o-n.

THE CLERK: Russell Eric Nelson, N-e-l-s-o-n.

RUSSELL NELSON
Called as a witness, being duly sworn, testified as follows:

DIRECT EXAMINATION

BY MR. DECAMP:

Q. Russell, may I call you by your nickname?

A. Yes.

Q. What is your nickname?

A. Rusty.

Q. Rusty Nelson. Where were you born?

A. Newman Grove, excuse me, Newman Grove, Nebraska.

Q. Where did you grow up?

A. Newman Grove, Nebraska.

Q. Until what age?

A. Just before my 18th birthday I moved to Kansas City to go to school.

Q. How old are you now?

A. 35.

Q. Where do you live now?

A. Well, right now Portland, Oregon.

Q. And is it true that you came here on a travel pass issued by the parole or probation authorities in Oregon?

A. Yes.

Q. And when did you arrive here?

A. Late yesterday afternoon, yesterday evening.

Q. And did you come back here at my request to testify?

A. Pretty much between that and the fact that I wanted it brought out.

Q. I want to take you back to when you were in Nebraska. Did you ever hear of anything called the Franklin Credit Union?

A. Oh, yes.

Q. Did you know people associated with it?

A. Yes.

Shadowman · Senior Member

A. The only thing that I can add to that is that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. This really did happen. There was a giant cover-up. There's reasons why they did not investigate Johnny's case because it would have led to other bigger things. And the people that would say they don't believe it better hope to hell that no one ever takes their child for the same reason because they will be in the same boat I am. Dedicating better part of two decades trying to find their child.

Q. It's my recollection, though I wasn't physically present, it's my recollection that America's Most Wanted on the day that Paul Bonacci got out of jail took him and went on a trip where he claimed certain things would be if they go and look in different states, four or five state regions.

A. They went on about five state region. One of the states they were in was Colorado and they did in fact find some of the locations where they kept the kids and places where they would put the kids in the basement. And lock them up so they couldn't get out. And so that if they had visitors to the upper level of the house no one would know the kids were down there. There's one other thing I would like to add when we're talking about the America's Most Wanted story, just prior to the America's Most Wanted story going on the air, we're talking within a week or two of air time, the FBI in Quantico, Virginia contacted America's Most Wanted and told them to kill the story. They did not want the Johnny Gosch story broadcast. And John Walsh, the only reason the story went on is because John Walsh is a personal friend and he stood up to them and he said this story goes. This woman does notlie. I've known her for years. We are going with the story. You can fire me afterwards, we're doing the story. And they did the story. But the FBI tried to kill this story.

Q. Do you know why?

A. Well, of course. It would have opened up the biggest scandal to the United States, bigger than the Iran-Contra story. Bigger than President Clinton's infidelities.

Q. Isn't that story going to be aired at two specials very shortly?

A. Yes. I have a one hour special coming up with the national network. We have investigated, we have talked to so far 35 victims of this said organization that took my son and is responsible for what happened to Paul and they can verify everything that has happened. And this story will be broadcast in the next few months. We're still working on some of the details.

Q. ABC News?

A. Yes. And it is our hope following this story that we will be able to get senate hearings, because it goes that high and that deep.

Q. Did you want to tell more about what it involves?

A. What this story --
Q. Under oath?

A. -- involves is an elaborate function, I will say, that was an offshoot of a government program. The MK Ultra program was developed in the 1950s by the CIA. It was used to help spy on other countries during the cold War because they felt that the other countries were spying on us. It was very successful. They could do it very well. Well, then there was a man by the name of Michael Aquino. He was in the military. He had top Pentagon clearance. He was a pedophile. He was a Satanist. He's founded the Temple of Set. And he was also a very close friend of Anton LaVey. The two of them were very active in ritualistic sexual abuse. And they deferred funding from this government program to use this experimentation upon children. Where they deliberately split off the personalities of these children into multiples so that when they're questioned or put under oath or questioned under lie detector, that unless the operator knows how to question a multiple personality disorder they turn up with no evidence. They use these kids to sexually compromise politicians or anyone else they wish to have control of. This sounds so far out and so bizarre I had trouble accepting it in the beginning myself until I was presented with the data. We have the proof. In black and white. And ABC has been working on this story for over a year. They do not pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into a story that is fake. They have a reputation at stake. When I came to them with my story and told them Johnny was alive and they began investigating they had no idea that they were going to step into this whole other realm of why these kids were taken. They were not just taken to be used by some pedophile, they were taken to be used by professional pedophiles. People that have the money to buy what they want, take the kids wherever they want. And by splitting the children's personalities they could then train each one of the personalities to do a different function. And the rest of the personalities within that host personality would not be aware of it or remember it.

Q. You know, don't you, that Colonel Aquino was drummed out of the military?

A. He was. But then there were no charges actually filed against him that stuck. He was drummed out but that was about it.

Q. Well, that's --
A. I know that Michael Aquino has been in Iowa. I know that Michael Aquino has been to Offutt Air Force Base. I know that he has had contact with many of these children.

Q. Noreen --
A. I've had the death threats as I spoke out over the years and up till recently, I've had death threats. I've had many things happen to me. And I've had people call me and say drop this search for your son or you'll be a dead woman.

Q. You realize this is an incredible tale?

A. Yes, it is.

Q. Difficult to believe.

A. Uh-huh.

Q. Some would say impossible.

A. They might.

Q. But you believe it's true?

A. I know it's true.

Q. And you believe Paul is telling the truth?

A. I believe Paul's telling the truth. And I believe my own son was telling me the truth when he came to my home and poured his heart out as to what happened to him and said mom, do something. Help us all. Help us bring this story out. Nobody believes us. The suffering that the families have gone through, I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm one of the fortunate ones that have survived with some degree of physical health intact. Emotional balance. I've seen so many of the parents and the siblings of these missing and abused children take their own life. Disappear into the drug world. Any kind of substance abuse. Broken homes. Sexual and physical abuse of other children in the family. Because of the rage that comes up. The devastation goes on and on and on from what these people have done.

Q. Noreen, I have no further questions. You have any other thing you want to say?

A. I do, I have one other thing to say.

Q. Go ahead.

A. June 13th of 1984 1 was contacted by a man in Des Moines, Iowa by the name of Sam Soda. He was a private investigator. He told me, and I taped the conversation, he told me that there was going to be a second kidnapping in Des Moines. That it would be the second weekend of August, it would be another paperboy, and that it was already in the works. And I asked him why he was telling me and he said, well, you seem like the type that would do something about it. So I took my tape recording and I went to the Des Moines Police Department. They laughed at me. They wouldn't even listen to my tape. So then I went to the TV stations and I played it for them. As a matter of record. So it was on record. The other person I told was Karen Bums with ABC 20-20, because 20-20 came to Des Moines to do our story. The second weekend in August came and, sure enough, Eugene Martin was kidnapped. From the south side of Des Moines just as the informant had said. That man still walks the streets. The Des Moines police were not all that interested in why he was giving me the information. What they did to me instead was put a gag order on me so I couldn't talk about it at that time. They had forewarning that Eugene Martin was going to be taken and they did nothing. It was a planned kidnapping just as my own son's was.

MR. DECAMP: No further questions, Your Honor.

THE COURT: You may stand down. All right, Mr. DeCamp.