Stamford, Conn. – Dead witnesses, “Black bag” consultants promoting Islamofacism, CIA cover ups... here's a story that's sure to go down as one of the more bizarre cases in annals of white collar crime. It has been learned that a Fairfield County grand jury has reopened an investigation into the 2002 slaying of Stamford businessmen Pasquel Valentine and Al Tate. Now being referred to as the "Ultimate Severance Case," it is now alleged that this investigation first went cold as part of an elaborate government cover up.

By way of background, in September 2002, Valentine and Tate, principles of the high-level PR strategy consultancy Valentine-Tate, Inc. of Stamford Connecticut, mysteriously disappeared only to be found two weeks later buried in a sand trap near the 6th-hole green at the Pound Ridge Country Club north of New Canaan. According to the coroner's office, the exact cause of death was not known but they "both appeared to have fallen from a high place." After a year and a half without any further leads the case went cold and was subsequently listed as "unsolved."

Fast forward to Spring 2005, former PR executive James Baar releases the popular novel "Ultimate Severance." Baar's novel coincidentally is a fictional exposé of the murder of two global agency executives, Trotter Pugg Mitchell CEO Marvin Runnymede and TPM Executive Vice President Grant Pinky. The two are killed when they fall 46 floors in a private elevator shaft that had been recently “repaired” by mob enforcers. In the novel, the murders are ordered by the mob to cover up details of the agency’s service offering, the "Corporate Governance Program," where large fee assures permanent removal of executives blocking corporate takeovers.

It has been learned that audio tapes, recently delivered to Connecticut police in an unmarked package, disclose that Valentine-Tate had established a cut-off PR consultancy, the Iman Group whose sole purpose was to build a peace-loving image of Islamofacist organizations in America. According to the tapes, Iman (“faith” in Arabic) originally was funded and supported by Fatah with rogue CIA money and protection. Informed sources say that both money and protection dried up with recent victories of Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza.

Reached for comment, Baar insists that “Ultimate Severance” is a “work of fiction but obviously all fiction has to be based on something.” Baar would not comment further on advice of his attorney. However, his attorney said he'd be releasing a statement in the next few days.

Developing...

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Ken Wolfson is a freelance investigative reporter. Wolfson's career spans more than 25 years. He began his career in the late 1980s at the infamous San Francisco alternative paper, People's Gazette; and in 1986, joined the Financial News Network as director of investigative reporting. In 1993 Ken gained national notoriety for his investigation into the pharma industry which was the subject of the Academy-Award-nominated documentary film "Dr. Feel Good." Wolfson, co-founder of the Stamford Center for Investigative Journalism, is also the recipient of numerous Emmys and other honors, including three Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University silver and golden Baton awards, two Peabodys and a Polk Award.