Folks,
Forgive me for sending a second newsletter only a couple of days after this month's first one, but the update on offer felt too important to wait. The note I sent Monday was about the culmination of a murder investigation that we began in 2014. After 6 years of prodding, Taiwanese law enforcement finally arrested a fishing boat captain who allegedly ordered the murder of four unarmed men in the water — all of it caught on camera. After sending that newsletter, I got word that the court sentenced the captain to 26 years.
It's hard not to feel mixed emotions about this outcome. On the one hand, what makes The Outlaw Ocean truly a distinct realm isn't just the severity and diversity of crimes but their impunity. And yet, here we have an example of an investigation, prosecution and conviction — justice of sorts, I suppose, for the families of those four men in the water were killed even though they were unarmed and no longer a threat (if ever they were). Journalistically that feels like a worthy outcome, the sort of thing you work towards as an investigative reporter. Still, helping to put someone in a cage for the next 26 years never feels great. At least we don't need to worry that possibly they got the wrong guy since the captain in the case did not deny ordering the killings and said he was acting in self defense.
In any case, for those of you who have followed this long and winding case, I present to you a final piece on the matter that you can read here which explains what happened at the trial. If nothing else, I do think this investigation shows how crucial it is to have the ability to follow stories all the way through, even if it takes years. I wrote the first piece on this murder for the front page of The New York Times in 2015. Then three years later, I wrote most of a chapter in the book about the case with new reporting. Then a couple months ago, I wrote a front page piece for The Washington Post on the matter. And now, finally, I'm happy to report to you it's ostensible conclusion.
Thanks for your support, which has allwoed me to stick with stories like this. If you don't already support the journalism of The Outlaw Ocean Project, please consider a small contribution ($5) by hitting this subscribe button below.
Ian