Arthur Tesler with Mark Winne, 2.26.09

This one was the real deal, a “get” that probably drove reporters and managers in competing newsrooms a little nuts.  Since the day after 92-year old Kathryn Johnston was shot to death during a botched drug raid in her Neal Street home, every reporter in town wanted to talk with the cops who were behind the raid.  WSB’s Mark Winne actually did it.

And he actually got a decent story from it.  If Arthur Tesler had said anything, it would have been a “talks exclusively with channel two” scoop.   But the interview was compelling, fulfilling WSB’s promotion that promised he’d spill the reasoning behind his guilty plea.

Sure, Tesler’s story was self-serving.  Why else would a guy headed to federal prison stop to do a TV interview?  Doesn’t matter.  Winne asked the unanswered questions:   Acquitted on state charges, why did you plead guilty to federal charges?  Tesler’s answer sounded sincere:  He didn’t want to see his wife in the audience at another jury trial.  The other answer was less interesting:  What was the raid like?  “Surreal” came the lame reply.  That’s not Winne’s fault.

Yeah, we busted Winne’s chops on the Terrell Bolton story.  But nobody touched Winne on this one. By rights, this scoop should give Winne some breathing room, a week or three to rest on his laurels.  Sadly for his competitors, he’s doubtless plotting his next ass-kicking. Grade:  A