CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – Federal prosecutors have confirmed they will not pursue the death penalty against two men charged in the 2018 U. S. Penitentiary Hazelton beating death of infamous Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger.
Former mafia hitman Freddy Geas and Massachusetts gangster Paul DeCologero beat Bulger to death shortly after arriving at the facility.
An inmate witness testified that the two men beat Bulger, one of them with a belt that had a lock attached to it. Inmate Sean McKinnon acted as a lookout as the attack unfolded.
Geas, DeCologero, and McKinnon were charged in connection with the murder in August 2022.
All three face a charge of conspiracy to commit murder, which carries a sentence of up to life in prison. McKinnon also faces a charge of making false statements to a federal officer.
Attorneys for the inmates and attorneys for the Bulger family have not commented on the announcement.