The Journey Podcast 158. Cheri Seymour, Christian Hansen and Zachary Treitz: THE LAST CIRCLE and AMERICAN CONSPIRACY

Publisher R. A. “Kris” Millegan, here, speaks with Cheri Seymour, author of THE LAST CIRCLE: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into The Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal, and filmmakers Christian Hansen and Zachary Treitz, about their documentary, AMERICAN CONSPIRACY: The Octopus Murders, which launched on NETFLIX on February 28^th.

Summary

People are still talking about the film. We had great fun at the Los Angeles screening on March 29.

Since it debuted on NETFLIX, it has re-opened Pandora’s Box; new leads about Danny’s death and “the Octopus” have emerged that need to be confirmed. Christian and Zachary have been on C-SPAN, DailyMail, Lou Dobbs, Glenn Beck, and many others.

Cheri discusses Operation Angry Eagle, the effort to find FBI tapes of wiretaps which might be missing from the National Archives. If so, many cases will have to be re-opened and it could even lead to a congressional investigation.

END

The following is from operationangryeagle.com/f/why-the-name-oae-operation-angry-eagle

Why the name “OAE” (Operation Angry Eagle)
June 12, 2024|Operation Angry Eagle

EXPLANATION FOR THE NAME OF “Operation Angry Eagle” – As follows:

For the record, the reason we named our project “Operation Angry Eagle” was because, according to Wikipedia, the DOJ’s automation program called “Project Eagle” was part of a scheme by Earl Brian, Edwin Meese and the DOJ to benefit themselves by conspiring to acquire (steal) the PROMIS software by undermining Inslaw’s legal dispute with the DOJ and drive Inslaw into bankruptcy.

Thus, the great American symbol, the Bald Eagle, was used by a criminal enterprise, i.e. “Project Eagle.” So we named our operation “Angry Eagle” because the eagle is angry that its good name was used in a corrupt scheme involving the U.S. Department of Justice!

END

FACEBOOK Report by Cheri Seymour on March 29, 2024, screening in L.A. of Episodes 1 & 2 of AMERICAN CONSPIRACY: The Octopus Murders.

March 30, 2024

It was a FABULOUSLY SUCCESSFUL screening at the VIDIOTS theatre in Los Angeles on Friday, March 29th from 7:30 a.m. to midnight.

      The theatre was PACKED with invited guests of the filmmakers who showed up to see “The Octopus Murders” documentary on the BIG SCREEN. It was awesome to see the visuals on the big screen.  

      Originally, I couldn’t understand why filmmakers Zachary Treitz and Christian Hansen chose the Vitriots theatre for their screening, but once inside, I marveled at their insight. Happens to me a lot with these guys.  

      The Vitriots is a HUGE OLD theatre, like the kind you used to see in Hollywood, with a bar in the lobby, and “sound” unlike anything you can find in today’s modern theatres.

      The high ceilings and excellent ventilation comfortably accommodated the packed theatre.

      Amongst the guests of the filmmakers who attended were numerous personages named in the “credits” of the film such as Mark Duplass, Netflix production people, producers, film crew, music composers, and many more.

       Christian Hansen’s family flew out from Louisville, Kentucky. I had the opportunity to chat with his father, mother, and sisters, all of which gave me insight to his phenomenal success. 

      Zachary Treitz’s girlfriend was beautiful and beaming.

      Retired detective John Powers arrived with his beautiful traveling companion, a defense lawyer.

     At the conclusion of the screening, celebrity John Early hosted a Q & A session.  

     John Powers recounted his experience tracking and arresting the alleged hit-man involved in the execution-style triple murder of Cabazon’s Fred Alvarez and his friends, Patti Castro and Ralph Boger, Rachel Begley’s father.

     Bobby Nichols reminisced about his father, former Cabazon administrator Dr. John Philip Nichols, and his life moving from country to country when his father worked for the CIA. Bobby pointed out that his father ultimately DID do some good for the Indian nations. He facilitated the creation of the FIRST Indian casino (Cabazon) in the United States which benefited Native Americans everywhere.

      Zachary Treitz and Christian Hansen recounted their scary, yet exciting experiences and emotional ups and downs while investigating and filming the Octopus story. Christian jested that he’s still in the process of “de-programming” himself. 

      Cheri Seymour, introduced as the author of “The Last Circle” (TLC), held the book up for the audience to see and announced she would be handing out flyers in the lobby.

      She chronicleized her journey beginning three months after Danny Casolaro’s death in 1991, following Danny’s trail through the labyrinth of the Octopus for 18 years, and culminating with the publication of the TLC book by TrineDay in 2010.  

      Seymour humorously recounted how 11 years later, the filmmakers charmed her into allowing them to film at her home for 3 days in February 2021.

     Three years later, on February 28, 2024, “The Octopus Murders” 4-part documentary debuted on Netflix.

     Seymour concluded by expressing her admiration for “the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the film” and the “ability, honesty and talent” of the filmmakers.

      The Q and A session was a happy love-fest with fans and friends clapping and laughing at the answers.  

      The session was filmed professionally, so I’m going to ask Kris Millegan’s P/R staff to try to get a copy of it from the filmmakers.

      In the lobby, while the drinks flowed at the bar, I had the opportunity to meet face-to-face for the first time with 

some of my FACEBOOK friends, one of whom, Dan Storper (CEO of Putumayo World Music) had traveled from as far away as New Orleans to attend the screening!

      Got some photographs taken with Zachary Treitz and Christian Hansen, with Christian Hansen’s mother and sister, with talented screenwriter Tip McPartland (wearing a Michael Riconosciuto t-shirt), and with attorney Marina Borawick, a long-time pen pal.

       Zachary Treitz and his lovely girlfriend invited me to a private party at a nearby residence, but I declined explaining that I’m “an old lady” and have to get up at 5:00 a.m. to return home to Oceanside.