While noting that many claims in a lawsuit filed by children of a former Fort Detrick scientist are supported by public records, a federal judge dismissed the case Wednesday.
Sixty years ago, Frank Olson fell to his death after a CIA drug experiment.
Nils and Eric Olson, who allege that the government killed their father and then embarked on a decadeslong cover-up that continues today, filed the suit too late and waived the allegations as part of a 1976 settlement with their family, the judge wrote.
However, “the public record supports many of the allegations that follow, far-fetched as they may sound,” U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg wrote.
Frank Olson died Nov. 28, 1953, after falling from the 13th floor of the Statler Hotel in Manhattan. The agency told Olson's family he was in New York to receive psychiatric treatment because he might pose a danger to them, according to the 22-page complaint filed by attorney Scott D. Gilbert.
Nine days before his death, Olson was given LSD without his knowledge while at a conference at Deep Creek Lake. The administration of the drug to Olson and others is believed to be part of a series of secret programs conducted in the 1950s and 1960s, according to the complaint.
Olson had a crisis of conscience about continuing his research and had told supervisors that he wanted to leave the job “perhaps in part because he had unwittingly been made a human guinea pig,” Boasberg wrote.
The proper CIA officials never approved the experiment at Deep Creek Lake, according to the opinion.
In the complaint, Olson's children said his death closely resembled techniques put forth in a CIA manual that same year for conducting secret assassinations. The manual suggests that a fall from at least 75 feet after a blow to the temple with a blunt object was “the most effective technique” for carrying out a secret assassination.
The lawsuit alleged that the federal government negligently supervised the CIA employees who carried out the murder and subsequent cover-up.
Many secret drug programs were exposed in 1975 and 1976 by a congressional committee delving into activities by the United States' intelligence services. Olson was part of a program called MK-ULTRA.
While the CIA concluded that Olson's death was directly related to the LSD experiment, the agency has long maintained that Olson jumped to his death.
The family received a $750,000 settlement from the government in 1976, as well as documents pertaining to Olson's death. But the family believes additional documents have remained hidden.
The government argued that the case should be dismissed for a number of reasons including jurisdiction, the 1976 settlement and because the statute of limitations had expired.
Gilbert, the family's attorney, did not return calls for comment Wednesday.
Eric and Nils Olson still live in Frederick. Frank Olson is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery.
Follow Danielle E. Gaines on Twitter: @danielleegaines.
(18) comments
Someone once told me the head of this program as well as many other secret and ultra high profile projects involving the CIA, NASA, USAF, UN, was a brilliant wealthy Doctor from Fredneck and lived in a big mansion off Shookstown Rd.
It's a sad story and I hate that it ended the way that it did, but how many times are they going to bring up the same case with the same evidence and end up with the same result. It's really time to move on.
Stop trying to suck off the federal wel-fare teet. Stop this sue happy crap people pull.
So , the Nazis party was not the only ones experimenting with items to change people.
The bigger question should be, was he murdered or not, because there is no statute of limitations on murder.
um, are ya sure about that? Frankly "rank Olson died Nov. 28, 1953, after falling from the 13th floor of the Statler Hotel in Manhattan. " nope, not murder, that would be suicide.
Maybe you could still volunteer for the LSD trials and we could see if you fall from a 13th floor window.
My dad died at 49 my mother only got 250.00 from social security i'll sue for the rest.No difference he and his employer paid much more, legal???It may work.
Your father was not a government guinea pig. Gee I thought your family didn't take any freebies from the government. Perhaps you should pay back that $250. Your mother probably got widows benefits too or did you support your mother in her old age?
Just the other day President, you said your father died at the ripe old age of 82 in Tennessee though..
MK ULTRA
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i46RI2twVao
Government shouldn't be mapping the brain to find a cure for alzheimers or parkinson. That kind of knowledge is just too dangerous.
I had a great, great, great uncle who was an American Indian in the 1800s. Maybe I can sue for his death! I never knew him, but I'm sure that his pain and suffering caused my family harm in some way. Maybe I should sue the government. Then again, I'm not a money grabbing troll who expects compensation for the suffering of others.
Really? A "great uncle from the 1800's" is comparable to your OWN FATHER? Those are his actual kids fool. Their dad was taken from them and they literally grew up without a father ...... but that's the same as a distant relative you've never met from the 1800's? That's pretty insensitive don't you think? Do a tad bit of research on this particular topic and you might find some interesting stuff. Oh, but you probably don't have time for that because you're too busy trolling around forums being a little keyboard ninja.
Their father was drugged, and died, as the result of a secret chemical experiment on an American citizen. Was your " great, great, great uncle" the victim of a secret laboratory experiment to see what would happen when he was given a drug known to induce psychosis? You idiot![scared]
Much hate in Fullgrin's heart.[ban]
"Then again, I'm not a money grabbing troll who expects compensation for the suffering of others.".....Don't sell yourself short, of course you are....!
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it clean. No vulgar, racist, sexist or sexually-oriented language.
Engage ideas. This forum is for the exchange of ideas, not personal attacks or ad hominem criticisms.
TURN OFF CAPS LOCK.
Be civil. Don't threaten. Don't lie. Don't bait. Don't degrade others.
No trolling. Stay on topic.
No spamming. This is not the place to sell miracle cures.
No deceptive names. Apparently misleading usernames are not allowed.
Say it once. No repetitive posts, please.
Help us. Use the 'Report' link for abusive posts.