When
Jason Sweeney first contacted me about writing an article about my
wife Mary, he said he had been inspired
to do a story about her because he had read the tribute I had written
about Mary that was posted on the Center for Innovation in Education’s
website [www.center.edu]. I loved Mary very much and would have been
very willing to help Mr. Sweeney write an article sharing her many
accomplishments. However, it quickly became apparent in my e-mail
exchanges with Mr. Sweeney that he was not at all interested in Mary
as a person.
To him, it seemed, she was an opportunity to gain a front page by-line
for himself writing of some old unsolved murder. At
the point I could see that Mr. Sweeney had little interest in focusing
on Mary’s
accomplishments, I declined to cooperate further in his efforts.
The front page of the Wednesday, November 15, 2006 issue of the
Saratoga News had splashed across its cover a picture of Mary
that Mr. Sweeney
downloaded from my tribute to Mary. However, Mr. Sweeny did not
use this picture as a tribute to anyone. Instead, he used it
as a lead
in to an
article that is a shameful depiction of Mary’s and my loving
relationship.
Ordinarily, I would not respond to Mr. Sweeney’s article, because
his innuendos have no impact on those who know me. However, in the age
of the Internet, there is no such thing as local news. Mr. Sweeney’s
article is now available for anyone in the world who searches either
for my name or Mary’s to see. For the good of Mary’s legacy,
which I have been advancing for the past 28 years, I cannot let Mr. Sweeney’s
article go unanswered.
Mary’s death was very painful for me, for her family and for
everyone who knew her.
The facts of her death were that she was out jogging at night
in San Francisco in the area around 19th Street, someone
followed her into
the home in which she was staying, shot her in the back of
the head and then
robbed her. Although Detective Falzon, who is used as a source
in Mr. Sweeney’s article, was presented evidence of both the robbery
and what was taken, he rejected the information, preferring his own
theories
to the facts of the matter. Detective Falzon told me that in the course
of his investigation, he learned what an incredibly nice person Mary
was, which made him all the more anxious to catch her killer. He also
told me that people said I was a very nice person as well, which he
said lead him to believe I was the leader of a cult and was controlling
the
minds of everyone with whom he spoke.
Since Mr. Falzon was convinced I was the leader of a cult,
he had no qualms about telling everyone he spoke to that
I was,
in fact,
Mary’s
killer. This “everyone” included all my family members. all
of my employees, and any of my friends who lived locally. Mr. Falzon’s
pronouncing to everyone that I was Mary’s killer had no effect
on anyone who really knew Mary and me, because it was simply nonsense.
It did, however, have an effect on Mary’s brother Joseph, who lived
in Boston and had very little knowledge of Mary and me as a couple. Joseph
became obsessed with the idea that I either killed his sister, or knew
who did. Over the years since Mary’s death, Joseph has even written
to me asking me to confess to him, on his promise that he will not
reveal anything I tell him to the authorities.
I do not blame Joseph for his obsession. He loved his sister
Mary nearly as much as did I. I am sure he meant well
by providing the
information
he did for Mr. Sweeney’s article, no mater how factually misleading
his information may have been. I do not wish to rebut each and every
point made in the article about Mary’s and my relationship. It
should suffice to say that Mary’s talk of leaving me had been an
annual event for the three years since we had started the Center in 1975,
but it was not because we were at all upset with one another. Mary frequently
found the stress of writing books and running the Center to be overwhelming.
What she wanted to do at those points in time was move to Oregon, live
in the woods, and make pottery. She knew if she were to go, it would
be without me, regardless of how much I loved her. However, in each year,
Mary’s obsession with making pottery wore off with the passing
of summer, and she knew, occasionally to her frustration, that I never
took her talk of going off to live in the woods very seriously.
Mary’s friend Kathy said to us once that she had never seen a
couple contemplating separation who got along so well. It is too bad
that Joseph
did not get to know Mary and me better as a couple.
I wish Mr. Sweeney had chosen to write about Mary’s life with the
respect her life deserved. I would hope anyone who read Mr. Sweeney’s
article would also read the tribute I wrote for and about Mary at the
time of her death. To do so, please Google Mary Baratta-Lorton, and click
on the “A Tribute to Mary” link.
Bob Baratta-Lorton
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