Tri-City Herald says: Peace Corps officials were advised to say they had only "limited" information about the circumstances that allowed [Deborah Gardner's] accused killer, Dennis Priven, to go free



Tri-City Herald says: Peace Corps officials were advised to say they had only "limited" information about the circumstances that allowed [Deborah Gardner's] accused killer, Dennis Priven, to go free

New book pushed Peace Corps into control mode

This story was published Sunday, January 23rd, 2005

By Les Blumenthal Herald Washington, D.C., bureau

WASHINGTON -- As word spread within the Peace Corps that a new book would be published about the long-ago slaying of a woman by one of her fellow volunteers, officials prepared for the expected fallout by crafting a public relations strategy to protect the agency's image.

Top officials, including Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez, were briefed and talking points prepared so they could respond to press inquiries about the death of the Lakewood woman.

Peace Corps recruiters were provided guidance about how to handle questions from potential volunteers.

While publicly the Peace Corps mourned the death of Deborah Gardner in the Kingdom of Tonga 29 years ago, officials were advised to say they had only "limited" information about the circumstances that allowed her accused killer, Dennis Priven, to go free, according to documents obtained by The News Tribune in Tacoma.

Even a search of the National Archives had failed to provide details because most of the records were routinely destroyed, according to briefing papers.

At the same time, no public apology was offered to Gardner's family, and Peace Corps officials were to say they could not "pass judgment" on those who allowed Priven to be released, according to a copy of the talking points, marked "for internal use only, not for distribution."

The documents, obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request, offer no insights into how far the agency went in investigating Gardner's death. Parts of the documents were kept secret because they dealt with legal issues involving the Peace Corps' general counsel's office.

The U.S. Attorney in Seattle is trying to determine whether the case can be reopened. But the Peace Corps has shown little interest.

"We are not taking an active role in trying to open up the case," Barbara Daly, a Peace Corps spokeswoman, said last week. "We would cooperate in any way we can."

The documents, many of them internal e-mails, also show Peace Corps representatives in Tonga and officials at the U.S. Embassy in Australia were advised to not to answer press inquiries. Instead, they were to refer reporters to the agency's public information office in Washington, D.C.

Gardner's father, Wayne, and Philip Weiss, the author of the book on the case, have long maintained the Peace Corps has engaged in a cover-up.

"I think not only the Peace Corps, but the State Department and the Justice Department have all been covering it up," said Wayne Gardner, who now lives in northern Idaho. "The Peace Corps only cares about itself and its image."

A Lakes High School graduate who had been teaching high school biology and home economics in Tonga, Deborah Gardner was 23 when she was stabbed to death. Priven, a fellow Peace Corps volunteer, was charged with her murder. But after a nine-day trial, he was found innocent by reason of insanity.

The Peace Corps hired a highly respected lawyer to defend Priven. It also provided a psychiatrist from Hawaii, who testified Priven suffered from latent paranoid schizophrenia. Tongan prosecutors did not have the resources to hire their own psychiatrist.

After a State Department official offered written assurance that Priven would be committed to a mental hospital in the United States, he eventually was released to U.S. custody. But after spending two days in a Washington, D.C., hospital, Priven checked out after a psychiatrist found no evidence of schizophrenia.

The Peace Corps gave Priven a routine discharge. He has been living in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he worked for the Social Security Administration before retiring in 2003.

Now 52, Priven has refused to speak to the press.

When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

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January 15, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Bellamy finishing term - Veneman to head Unicef 15 Jan 230 RPCVs volunteer for Crisis Corps 14 Jan Peace Corps Fund needs silent auction items 12 Jan Matt Gould in one-man Peace Corps show in Hollywood 12 Jan Taylor Hackford's "Ray" Nominated for Golden Globe 12 Jan Ambassador Johnson shares memories of Thailand 11 Jan Senator Dodd suggests PC return to Venezuela 11 Jan Ambassador Hull wants PC to return to Sierra Leone 11 Jan Poiriers unhappy with PC investigation of missing son 10 Jan Emile Hons reflects on the Deborah Gardner murder case 10 Jan Judge Paul A. Bastine criticized for stalling Divorce 6 Jan Volunteer Patricia D. Scatoloni dies in Macedonia 4 Jan more top stories...

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Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

Changing of the Guard With Lloyd Pierson's departure, Marie Wheat has been named acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations responsible for the day-to-day management of the Peace Corps. Although Wheat is not an RPCV and has limited overseas experience, in her two years at the agency she has come to be respected as someone with good political skills who listens and delegates authority and we wish her the best in her new position.

Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."

RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.

Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

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