Jerry Buckley

Who was Jerry Buckley?

Gerald E. "Jerry" Buckley was a Detroit radio commentator, who successfully campaigned for the recall of Mayor Charles Bowles in the wake of corruption allegations. Prior to his death, Buckley had served as an investigator for Henry Ford, and as a special investigator for the United States government.

On the night of the successful recall, Buckley was approached by three men and shot eleven times in the lobby of the LaSalle Hotel. A crowd of over 100,000 people attended his funeral.

After his murder, Detroit Police Commissioner Wilcox declared that Buckley was a known extortionist and racketeer and had likely been killed because of his underworld connections. Buckley's brother Paul, a former assistant prosecutor, claimed that the murder was orchestrated as revenge for the campaign against the mayor.

Although there were several arrests, there were no convictions obtained for the killing. The gunman were later identified as Russell Syracuse, Joseph English, and John Mirabella.