Ex-Cop in Murder Plot Trial: 'Never in a Gazillion Years Would I Have Done That'

Chicago Tribune ^ | February 20, 2014 | Jason Meisner

[nickcarraway]

The alleged plot to kill a man and take over a reputedly mob-connected strip club? Preposterous, Steven Mandell said in a federal courtroom Thursday.

All the talk on undercover recordings about kidnapping and extorting a suburban businessman? It was just an act, according to Mandell. Even the tools authorities alleged were to be used to torture and dismember the victim– the saws, the knives, the meat cleaver – were part of the pageant, he said.

“They were all props for a supposed killing that was never going to happen,” Mandell told a jury in his trial on lurid charges of kidnapping conspiracy and murder-for-hire. “Never in a gazillion years would I have done that."

For Mandell, an ex-Chicago cop and onetime death row inmate, taking the rare and risky step to testify in his own defense was his only chance to try to explain to jurors the macabre plans they heard him making in dozens of secretly recorded conversations -- from excited talk of mutilation as an efficient torture technique to how best to cut a human body to drain it of blood.

It was also his opportunity to paint the prosecution’s star witness in the sensational case – Chicago real estate mogul George Michael – as a liar and unscrupulous businessman willing to pay Mandell thousands of dollars to spy on his enemies. Mandell said he openly discussed the murder plots because it was

[liberalh8ter]

Gazillion......soon to be our National debt.

[loungitude]

“Never in a gazillion years would I have done that.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Now THAT is a convincing argument! He should have capitalized it, however, I think. Yeah.

[bakeneko]

Go visit http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/. This Connected bitch was CPD for a couple of years decades ago, yet the Tribune says ‘ex-cop’. He was also using legal databases in furtherance of his nice activities at the law firm of Loevy and Loevy. They are a Connected bitch law firm that colludes with the City Corporation Counsel to cherry pick police abuse cases on which to sue.

Chicago where the kickbacks have kickbacks and kickbacks etc.

[jocon307]

One-time death row inmate? What does that mean?

[Chode]

sounds like the RAT awhile back that said he was LYING in his own diary... feh

[Mark17]

One-time death row inmate? What does that mean?

He probably got his death sentence thrown out, but I wonder if he was a death row inmate, before or after this incident ?

[jocon307]

Oh right, you’ve made me remember, the Illinois governor commuted all the death row sentences and then I suppose they got rid of the DP.

Thanks for helping me figure that out!

The whole piece was very confusing, I guess it’s a little too much “inside Chicago” for me.

[correctthought]

I believe him dawg, I just do.

(seriously did not read the article, just jabbing at the gazillion years, which is quite a bit of years.)