Marshal: Bissell Kept Tabs on Manhunt Through Newspaper Update Line

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The number of a call-in line at The Courier-News of Bridgewater that had recorded information about the search was found among some papers in Bissell's possession when he killed himself last week in a Nevada hotel room.

"We believe he was monitoring the investigation that the papers were covering," said Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Rotolo. "He had the specific extension that the update line was on."

Rotolo refused to speculate how Bissell learned of the line, which was announced on Nov. 19, the day after he fled home confinement at his Montgomery Township home.

Rotolo also would not say whether any calls to the line were made from the cellular telephone that ultimately helped authorities track him to Laughlin, Nev., or how many times he may have called the newspaper.

"People on the run will want to know what law enforcement is doing," he said. "We can't stop (the media) from doing that. That's why we try to retain a good deal of secrecy in some of our efforts."

Courier-News Editor Carol Hunter said the line was updated every two hours from noon to midnight on Nov. 19-20 and twice a day on Nov. 21-22. A standing message followed after the trail grew cold, Hunter said.

"Anything that we had on the updates was information that we were going to publish the next day so 50,000 people could read it the next day, and most of it was from the marshals," Hunter said.

Authorities meanwhile continued Tuesday to piece together how Bissell spent his eight days. The biggest remaining questions were how he got the .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun and whether he had help escaping.

"There's a few questions we want to answer and make sure that what he did, he did on his own and was not assisted," Rotolo said.

Bissell was to have been sentenced Nov. 20 to as much as 10 years in prison on 30 felony counts. Marshals tracked him to the Colorado Belle hotel casino after he made calls to his wife and co-defendant, Barbara.

Items found in his Jeep and $16-a-night room indicated he planned to stay in the region. Among them were apartment brochures for Laughlin and nearby Bullshead, Ariz.

They also found an Arizona driver's license application in the name of "Richard Pissell."

"We believe he was there since the 21st," Rotolo said. "He only showed up at the Colorado Belle for the last three days. For the first three days, we're not exactly sure where he was staying, if anywhere."

Authorities were still trying to piece together his route, but "obviously he planned the trip; I'm sure out West was his destination."

Among other items recovered was a cooler with food and soft drinks, new luggage, outdoor clothing from L.L. Bean, a travel alarm clock and a 50-round package of hollow-point bullets, two seven-round clips and an ankle holster.

He also still had his prosecutor's identification and badge. The gun was not registered to him and was not reported as stolen, Rotolo said.

"He did have some handwritten notes and directions which looked like he might have been planning his route en route, like he was not exactly sure where he was going," Rotolo said.

"It was probably the Las Vegas area," he said. "I'm not sure if he was familiar with the Laughlin area prior to this trip."

Investigators found receipts that indicated he was on the Oklahoma Turnpike on Nov. 19 and at a service station having his air conditioner repaired the following day in Amarillo, Texas. He again used the "Richard Pissell" name at the service station.

Kentucky license plates were found on his Jeep. Inside, they found a West Virginia plate as well as the New Jersey plates that belonged on the Jeep and those from another vehicle Bissell owned.

"Basically we can determine certain places where he was at," Rotolo said. "We don't know his exact route. It looks like he went to the southwest, possibly going through the state of Kentucky.

"We found some handwritten notes that may indicate he passed through there, but we don't have any evidence to say he was there," Rotolo said.

The plates had not been reported stolen, so it is unknown where Bissell got them, he said.

Rotolo confirmed reports Bissell had been gambling and had less than $2,500 with him when he died. Authorities believe he had as much as $10,000 when he fled.

Bissell, 49, was convicted by a federal jury in May on 30 counts, including abusing his power as prosecutor, cheating his partner in a gasoline station of $146,000, strong-arming a drug suspect and a gasoline supplier, and defrauding the Internal Revenue Service.

Barbara Bissell was convicted on 13 counts, and her attorney, Rita Donnelly, said she would meet Tuesday with federal prosecutors to discuss her client's sentencing on Friday.

Mrs. Bissell could be sentenced to as much as three years in prison, but Donnelly is seeking community service so that Mrs. Bissell can stay home with her two teen-aged daughters.

"I'm not going to discuss anything after the meeting," Donnelly said Tuesday morning. "I'll discuss it in court on Friday."