As the official investigation into the murder of defrocked priest John J. Geoghan nears completion, state officials are warning that some parts of the long-expected report will probably not be disclosed.
“We want to release as much as possible, but we have to be careful of certain restrictions,” said Christine Cole, deputy chief of staff to Edward A. Flynn, state public safety secretary. “My gut tells me there will be material in there that is not appropriate for release.”
Cole said she was intentionally trying to temper expectations that the full report, a month overdue, would be released. “It is clear to me that people have [that] expectation,” she said, “but I don’t know what the actuality will be, and I don’t want people to have unrealistic expectations.”
She cited concerns for the privacy of the state Department of Correction officials whose roles in supervising Geoghan have been a focus of the four-month investigation. She also said that “witness statements” will be omitted from the report, because publication of those statements could compromise the prosecution of Joseph L. Druce, the prisoner accused of beating and strangling Geoghan on Aug. 23.
Asked whether Flynn’s office was trying to avoid criticizing other state officials, Cole said, “That is not anyone’s intent.”
Leslie Walker — director of Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services, which represents inmates — said that anything short of full release of the report would leave doubt about whether top managers will be held accountable.
