The best way I can summarize this.
*If the people mentioned didn’t die on the boat, the were likely arrested afterword for unrelated corruption charges*
In June of 1974 Ronald W. Caspers wind re-election for Orange County Supervisor.
He spends nearly 75k on the election.
Caspers’ Campaign Manager is a man named Fred D. Harber. He is a political consultant with some conspicuous ties, but manages to get almost everyone he works for elected.
Fred Harber does all this through funding from a Dr. Louis J. Cella and backer Richard J. O’neil. These two donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to democratic political campaigns in Orange County between 1968-1976. With the money provided from these two and cutting edge computer tech Harber is able to secure several seats for democratic Orange County Supervisors. The majority of this lot funding goes unreported and after the sinking lands many of the supervisors and Dr. Louis Cella in Jail.
After winning re-election, Supervisor Ronald W. Caspers, an accomplished yachtsman, leaves on a victory cruise on Harber's 63ft yacht, the Shooting Star.
After what is reported to be a ‘miserable trip” The SS leaves Cabo San Lucus on June 13th with 10 Members aboard.
The Shooting Star is last seen refueling at Turtle Bay around 1:30pm and is on it’s way to return to the US.
11:35 PM June 13th a distress call is heard y KMI overseas radio “MAYDAY, fifty miles out (or south?) of Turtle bay, Shooting Star” Another radio station hears “Mayday Mayday Shooting Star, 9 on board.
On Board
- Ronald Caspers, 42
- Eric Caspers, 18
- Kirk Caspers, 20
- Fred Harber, 55
- Tom Klein, 28
- John Klein, 26
- Tim Klein, 25
- Leonard Bashor, 50
- Richard Tully. 21
- Robert Bashor, 23
After an exhaustive search of the area, very little debris is found, and there are no signs of bodies near the debris.
As the search continues, the yachts unsinkable lifeboat is found nearly 350 miles away from the other debris. Inside is a great quantity of beach sand, motor empty of fuel, and the lines to it seem to have been pulled by hand. A few months later, while visiting Hawaii, and unnamed politician claims to spot one of the men who died on the boat alive. He called out to him, and the stranger ran away.
A few years after the sinking, informants come forward to newspapers and the FBI about some of the shady dealings going on with the Supervisor and his Campaign manager. Informants in the FBI papers claim that Caspers was killed due to his knowledge of teamster money going to certain politicians through Dr. Cella, and several report hearing him speak of a cover up incoming Caspers and the Shooting Star. Dr. Cella is later convicted of defrauding medicaid, and is later helped out of prison by then Cesar Chavez.
Two years after the sinking, it comes out that Fred Harber, Ronald Caspers, Caspers Assistant Tom Fuentes, and one of Caspers committee appointees Bart Spendlove (killed the next year in single engine plane crash) are accused of an attempt to extort Richard V. Jordan of Shelter industries. Jordan takes this to OC court and subsequently wins $600,000 in damages.
After all of this, none of the newspapers ever mention that there was a passenger who got off the boat right before it left Turtle Bay to head home. Lyle Overby, a California lobbyist, got off in Cabo San Lucas, but his reasons for leaving have changed over time. He told the FBI he wasn’t feeling well, and he told me it was a miserable trip and Fred Harber pulled out a wad of cash to let him fly home early. There isn’t much out there on Mr. Oberby, as he is adept at keeping his business practices secret, but has also been involved in a number of shady dealings over the years.
It is also important to note that before the sinking the DA was building a case against Caspers, Harber, Cella, and the rest of the supervisors. Had they lived, the would have sailed home to indictments.
What fascinates me most about this is how little information there is out there. Everything I’ve found has been from articles and newspapers in the 70s. Once the 70s ends, everything disappears.
There are more people involved, and some odd peripheral deaths. But it’s all too much to put in the summary. If you have any specific questions, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them.
