From left to right, Stephen Flemmi, Whitey Bulger and Kevin Weeks take a walk around Castle Island in this undated photo.
Credit: US Attorney’s office
James “Whitey” Bulger’s partner in crime Stephen Flemmi has testified about a handful of murders, but there’s one he said Bulger had no reason to commit.
Flemmi, 79, testified Monday for a third day in the trial of Bulger, the alleged boss of the Winter Hill Gang.
Assistant US Attorney Fred Wyshak asked Flemmi to recount the murder of Arthur “Bucky” Barrett, a thief who before his 1983 murder had recently broken into a Medford bank.
After forcing him at gunpoint to confess where his hidden money was, Bulger led Barrett to the basement stairs and shot him in the back of the head, Flemmi said.
“He didn’t have to kill him. There was no reason to kill him. Bucky Barrett was one of us,” Flemmi said.
Flemmi took the body downstairs and prepared it to be buried – he pulled out the teeth to hinder identification if the body was ever found.
Meanwhile, Flemmi said Bulger went upstairs and laid down – something he would often do after his alleged murders.
“Maybe he was mentally, physically exhausted,” Flemmi said.
Flemmi also testified about the murder of Deborah Hussey, his stepdaughter, who he said Bulger strangled to death.
During cross examination, Bulger’s lawyer Hank Brennan, hammered Flemmi with questions about his sexual relationship with his stepdaughter.
“You watched her as she went through grammar school … middle school,” Brennan asked.
Flemmi said his sexual relationship with Hussey was consensual, that it was a “moment of weakness” that only happened twice and that he regretted it.
Flemmi will be on the stand again Tuesday.
Follow Michael Naughton on Twitter @metrobosmike.
