The Cessna Strafer (episode 142)

This week, our show brings you the story of what might be the only example of someone “going postal” in the air. We’re discussing a bizarre 1989 incident involving a North Shore man, a veteran and postal worker. Alfred J Hunter III had always wanted to be a pilot, and thirty years ago this summer, he got the chance. He murdered his ex-wife, stole a plane at gunpoint, and then flew around shooting up the city of Boston with an assault rifle.
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The Cessna Strafer

• NBC News coverage of the strafer ( • Boston Strafer Pilot ) , plus some raw footage

• Hat tip to Craig Fitzgerald for this Bang Shift article (bangshift.com/general-news/25...) where I first learned about the strafer

• Going Postal (books.google.com/books?id=cy_...) , by Don Lasseter

• Background on Hunter’s criminal record, their marriage breakdow (bostonglobe.newspapers.com/im...) n

• Documents from Hunter’s 1998 appeal that describe the crime scene (caselaw.findlaw.com/ma-suprem...)

• Initial coverage of the strafing from the Globe on May 10 (bostonglobe.newspapers.com/im...) and May 11, 1989 (bostonglobe.newspapers.com/im...) and from the New York Times on May 11 (www.nytimes.com/1989/05/11/us...)

• An overview of the flight from the Deseret News (www.deseretnews.com/article/4...) , including the suggestion to send up a helicopter to shoot down the plane

• A wire service story that includes more details of how Hunter stole the plane (www.upi.com/Archives/1989/05/...)

• Hunter found incompetent to stand trial (bostonglobe.newspapers.com/im...) in June 1989, then competent (bostonglobe.newspapers.com/im...) in December

• Hunter is sentenced in 1992 (bostonglobe.newspapers.com/im...) , but then his conviction is overturned (bostonglobe.newspapers.com/im...) in 1994 because of errors committed by the judge (law.justia.com/cases/massachu...)

• Hunter’s retrial (bostonglobe.newspapers.com/im...) took place in 1995, and he was convicted again (bostonglobe.newspapers.com/im...) . His 1998 appeal (caselaw.findlaw.com/ma-suprem...) was unsuccessful

• Hunter’s crime spree and trial played out against the background of a debate over banning assault rifles, including this call from the Boston City Council for a citywide ban and better care in revoking gun permits (archive.org/stream/cityrecord...) after the holder commits a crime

• By 1981, Hunter’s father owed over $40,000 in back taxes

• Our featured image is a fanciful imagination of the strafing from an issue of Yankee Magazine that I’ve never actually gotten my hands on.

Boston Book Club
Since this week’s story of the Cessna Strafer is set in the 80s, it made sense to choose a book club selection from the 80s, as well. Boston Venue: The Channel Story (thechannelstory.com/) is a new podcast about one of Boston’s premier rock venues of the decade, opening in 1980 and finally shutting down in 1993. The Boston Venue podcast is assembled around the memories of Harry Booras, who founded the Channel, built its reputation, and was eventually forced out of the organization in a mob takeover in 1991. As of this writing, the fourth episode was just released, and already there have been stories of corrupt cops, Southie extortionists, and pay-to-play, not to mention some of the biggest names in punk, hip hop, and reggae. Here’s how the team behind Boston Venue describes their show, and how you can contribute to their narrative:
This podcast tells the true and complete story of the Channel nightclub in Boston, bringing the truth to light! Based on a book in progress containing the vivid recollections of club founder Harry Booras, they cover the too-true-to-believe tale from the club’s beginning in 1980 to its inglorious end at the hands of Boston’s most ruthless mobsters. Over the years, there’s been a lot of rewriting of the club’s history. Harry led the operation of the club for eleven and a half of its twelve...