FBI: Murdered Federal Prosecutor’s Case ‘Far From Cold’

The 2001 murder of federal prosecutor Thomas Wales of Seattle has gone unsolved, but the FBI says the investigation is far from cold. Russ Fox, the FBI supervisory agent in Seattle overseeing the investigation, talked to the Seattle Times about what may be the first case of a federal prosecutor killed in the line of duty. Investigators have not yet proven that Wales was targeted because of his work. In 2001, Wales was shot while he sat at his basement computer. A neighbor reported seeing a man quickly walk away, get into a car, and speed off. The FBI offered a $1 million reward, and began investigating an airline pilot whom Wales had prosecuted, but the pilot has not been charged. “It is seen, and I believe it actually is, an attack on the justice system, an attack on the Constitution by people who don’t believe in the rule of law,” said former U.S. Attorney John McKay. “There’s enormous frustration by those of us who care about justice that Tom Wales’ killer has not been found.”