Arizona Republic Podcast Based On Lost Tapes Of Murdered Journalist Don Bolles

By Steve Goldstein
Published: Tuesday, November 5, 2019 - 12:25pm
Updated: Wednesday, November 6, 2019 - 8:17am

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Don Bolles
Arizona Republic/azcentral.com
Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles was fatally injured on June 2, 1976, when a remote-controlled dynamite bomb exploded under his car. He died 11 days later on June 13, 1976.

The death of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles in 1976 following the bombing of his car in central Phoenix resonates Tuesday in this city and the broader world of journalism.

Recently, an Arizona Republic team led by longtime reporter Richard Ruelas found a relative treasure trove: cassette recordings that Bolles had made, including conversations and thoughts on stories he was working on.

On Tuesday, the Arizona Republic released a podcast using Bolles’ own voice reporting one of his investigative stories, when he looked into mob connections in the dog racing industry.

The cassettes that Ruelas and the team found were not in great condition. This is not a surprise since they’re more than 40 years old. When Ruelas spoke to The Show, he described his reaction to the discovery of the tapes.

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