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SUMMARY EXECUTION: The Seattle Assassinations of Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes
"An incredible true story that reads like an international crime thriller peopled with assassins, political activists, shady FBI informants, murdered witnesses, a tenacious attorney, and a murderous foreign dictator."--Steve Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of NO STONE UNTURNED
On June 1, 1981, two young activists, Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes, were murdered in Seattle in what was made to appear like a gang slaying. But the victims' families and friends suspected they were considered a threat to the dictatorship of Phillippines dicatator Ferdinand Marcos and his regime's relationship to the United States.
But how could they prove it up against such powerful, and ruthless, adversaries?
In SUMMARY EXECUTION attorney and author Michael Withey describes his ten-year battle for justice for Domingo and Viernes that he fought because “They killed my friends.” Follow along as he embarks on a long and dangerous investigation and into the courtroom to obtain convictions of three hitmen, and then prove in U.S. federal court that Marcos was behind the assassinations. If so, it would be the first time in U.S. history that a foreign head of state would be held liable for the murder of American citizens on U.S. soil.
However, to accomplish this Withey and his legal team, working with the victims' families and friends, would have to defeat concerted efforts by the murderers, and those who hired them, to cover-up their crimes and obstruct justice. Then they'd have to overcome numerous obstacles including exposing the perjured eyewitness testimony of an FBI informant, uncovering the brutal murder of an accomplice who was being sought to turn state’s evidence, and working around the failure by local authorities to prosecute the Marcos operative who planned the murders.
"If you have not heard Mike Withey tell the story of the cover-up of the Domingo/Viernes murders, you have not lived. I thank my friend and colleague Mike for writing it."-- Vince Warren, Executive Director, Center for Constitutional Rights
On June 1, 1981, two young activists, Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes, were murdered in Seattle in what was made to appear like a gang slaying. But the victims' families and friends suspected they were considered a threat to the dictatorship of Phillippines dicatator Ferdinand Marcos and his regime's relationship to the United States.
But how could they prove it up against such powerful, and ruthless, adversaries?
In SUMMARY EXECUTION attorney and author Michael Withey describes his ten-year battle for justice for Domingo and Viernes that he fought because “They killed my friends.” Follow along as he embarks on a long and dangerous investigation and into the courtroom to obtain convictions of three hitmen, and then prove in U.S. federal court that Marcos was behind the assassinations. If so, it would be the first time in U.S. history that a foreign head of state would be held liable for the murder of American citizens on U.S. soil.
However, to accomplish this Withey and his legal team, working with the victims' families and friends, would have to defeat concerted efforts by the murderers, and those who hired them, to cover-up their crimes and obstruct justice. Then they'd have to overcome numerous obstacles including exposing the perjured eyewitness testimony of an FBI informant, uncovering the brutal murder of an accomplice who was being sought to turn state’s evidence, and working around the failure by local authorities to prosecute the Marcos operative who planned the murders.
"If you have not heard Mike Withey tell the story of the cover-up of the Domingo/Viernes murders, you have not lived. I thank my friend and colleague Mike for writing it."-- Vince Warren, Executive Director, Center for Constitutional Rights
- GenresTrue CrimePolitics
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 20, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 24, 2018
"Don't let them get away with this!"
Washington State author Michael Withey is a Seattle-based public interest lawyer who has dedicated his life to his quest for justice, making a career representing the "little guy" against powerful interests to protect constitutional rights, civil rights, and human rights for the past 42 years. He was a very close friend of the slain men of this book, and dropped out of law practice for 2 ½ years to pursue justice in their case, while wearing a bullet proof vest recommended by the police. Michael’s biographical data reflects the content of this intense and fascinating book. As a lawyer he has taken on Ferdinand Marcos, Boeing, Exxon, General Motors, the Seattle Police Department (SPD), and a host of other powerful opponents who harmed people that the perpetrators' thought couldn't fight back. He is the former president of the Public Justice Foundation and received numerous prestigious awards.
SUMMARY EXECUTION relates his most important accomplishment to date - his successful trial of Ferdinand Marcos, the former dictator of the Philippines, for his involvement in the murder of two Filipino-American activists, Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes who on June 1, 1981 were murdered in Seattle in what was made to appear like a gang slaying. But the victims' families and friends suspected they were considered a threat to the dictatorship of Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his regime's relationship to the United States.
Michael describes his ten-year battle for justice for Domingo and Viernes that he fought because “They killed my friends.” He embarks on a long and dangerous investigation and works in the courtroom to obtain convictions of three hitmen, and then prove in U.S. federal court that Marcos was behind the assassinations. If so, it would be the first time in U.S. history that a foreign head of state would be held liable for the murder of American citizens on U.S. soil. However, to accomplish this Michael and his legal team, working with the victims' families and friends, would have to defeat concerted efforts by the murderers, and those who hired them, to cover-up their crimes and obstruct justice. They had to overcome numerous obstacles including exposing the perjured eyewitness testimony of an FBI informant, uncovering the brutal murder of an accomplice who was being sought to turn state’s evidence, and working around the failure by local authorities to prosecute the Marcos operative who planned the murders.
Rarely has a recounting of a crime and a trial been so well explained with such fervor and commitment. It is reassuring to know that there are lawyers such as Michael Withey who are committed to the true meaning of justice. Very impressive and moving
Washington State author Michael Withey is a Seattle-based public interest lawyer who has dedicated his life to his quest for justice, making a career representing the "little guy" against powerful interests to protect constitutional rights, civil rights, and human rights for the past 42 years. He was a very close friend of the slain men of this book, and dropped out of law practice for 2 ½ years to pursue justice in their case, while wearing a bullet proof vest recommended by the police. Michael’s biographical data reflects the content of this intense and fascinating book. As a lawyer he has taken on Ferdinand Marcos, Boeing, Exxon, General Motors, the Seattle Police Department (SPD), and a host of other powerful opponents who harmed people that the perpetrators' thought couldn't fight back. He is the former president of the Public Justice Foundation and received numerous prestigious awards.
SUMMARY EXECUTION relates his most important accomplishment to date - his successful trial of Ferdinand Marcos, the former dictator of the Philippines, for his involvement in the murder of two Filipino-American activists, Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes who on June 1, 1981 were murdered in Seattle in what was made to appear like a gang slaying. But the victims' families and friends suspected they were considered a threat to the dictatorship of Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his regime's relationship to the United States.
Michael describes his ten-year battle for justice for Domingo and Viernes that he fought because “They killed my friends.” He embarks on a long and dangerous investigation and works in the courtroom to obtain convictions of three hitmen, and then prove in U.S. federal court that Marcos was behind the assassinations. If so, it would be the first time in U.S. history that a foreign head of state would be held liable for the murder of American citizens on U.S. soil. However, to accomplish this Michael and his legal team, working with the victims' families and friends, would have to defeat concerted efforts by the murderers, and those who hired them, to cover-up their crimes and obstruct justice. They had to overcome numerous obstacles including exposing the perjured eyewitness testimony of an FBI informant, uncovering the brutal murder of an accomplice who was being sought to turn state’s evidence, and working around the failure by local authorities to prosecute the Marcos operative who planned the murders.
Rarely has a recounting of a crime and a trial been so well explained with such fervor and commitment. It is reassuring to know that there are lawyers such as Michael Withey who are committed to the true meaning of justice. Very impressive and moving
February 23, 2018
I found Summary Execution to be an intriguing, exceptionally crafted piece of true-crime non-fiction. Attorney / Author Mike Withey dives deep delivering a powerful account of his decade-long battle in this appalling case, drawing on his intimate knowledge to mold a page-turning narrative. It’s the successful plot pacing and spoon-feeding of details at just the right moments the really engaged me, to the point where I was drawn into his passionate pursuit for justice. This really is one of those rare non-fiction accounts that almost reads like a suspenseful murder mystery, without sacrificing its factual accuracy. Such satisfying storytelling, screams for the full Hollywood treatment I hope it receives. Highly recommended read!
April 26, 2018
This book is a testament to the power of friendship and perseverance. Labor activists Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes were gunned down in broad daylight in far-flung Seattle by forces connected to Ferdinand Marcos' regime in the Philippines. Michael Withey, an attorney and close friend of Domingo and Viernes, networked mightily to get both criminal and civil justice for his friends.
Working in the King County Courthouse, I was able to picture many of the locations as well as one or two of the people involved, always a plus as a reader.
Working in the King County Courthouse, I was able to picture many of the locations as well as one or two of the people involved, always a plus as a reader.
January 22, 2020
What a victory!
I lived in Hawaii in the 70's and 80's. With many Phillipino friends, I was aware of the corruption of the Marcos. This book made me aware of how complicit the U.S., in particular the Reagan administration, was in supporting this murderous regime.
I lived in Hawaii in the 70's and 80's. With many Phillipino friends, I was aware of the corruption of the Marcos. This book made me aware of how complicit the U.S., in particular the Reagan administration, was in supporting this murderous regime.
March 19, 2025
This is a book about an assassination carried out in downtown Seattle ordered by a foreign power and almost certainly countenanced by officials in the Reagan administration. This book bears witness and calls for a moral reckoning. It also includes a disturbing appearance by Paul Manafort.
In 1980, Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes were elected Secretary Treasurer and Dispatcher of the Alaska Cannery Workers Union- Local 37, International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union (ILWU). In April 1981, Viernes visited his family's ancestral home in the Philippines. There he met with labor leaders. He might have given them some money. Not long after, he helped pass an ILWU resolution condemning the conditions faced by workers under the Marcos dictatorship.
On June 1, 1981, Domingo and Viernes were assassinated in their union hall in Pioneer Square. I have passed that building thousands of times in my life. Domingo lived long enough to name Jimmy Ramil and Ben Guloy as his killers. Under the theory that they had killed Domingo and Viernes because their decisions on behalf of the union had damaged the gambling concerns of the Tulisan gang, Ramil and Guloy were convicted later that year. Aside from a strange last minute witness, one LeVane Malvison Forsythe, the trial was unremarkable. I have cited State v. Guloy dozens of times or more. It is a leading case on hearsay and constitutional harmless error.
I remember the first time Justice Tom Chambers brought up "the assassination case." I gave him a blank look. "That's the one about the cannery workers Marcos had assassinated in Seattle," he elaborated. I blinked at him. Nothing in State v. Guloy suggests any such thing, perhaps because it was published four years before a federal jury found that Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos were members of a conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of Domingo and Viernes. (306-07). I used to work across the street from the building that jury sat in.*
Almost immediately after Domingo and Viernes were shot, someone tracked Mike Withey down at a gathering at El Centro de la Raza. He was there to discuss a May Day parade and march that he'd helped organize to protest the Reagan Administration's welfare cutbacks and union bashing. He'd worked with Domingo and Viernes on desegregating the union trades. Withey was dispatched to try to keep information about activists out of the hands of the Seattle Police Department's anti-activist unit, the Red Squad. (21-22).
Not long after, the union president, Tony Baruso, announced in the union hall that President Marcos had nothing to do with the murders. (54). Not long after that, the murder weapon was recovered from a dumpster. That murder weapon was owned by Tony Baruso. Baruso was ultimately charged and died in prison. He also worked for Boeing at the same time as my father and grandmothers.
But back to Forsythe. Forsythe was the "secret courier" who delivered Howard Hughes's "Mormon Will" to one Melvin Dummar in the Nevada desert. (121). He worked with one Robert Maheu, who has some strange fame as the ex-CIA agent who worked for Hughes and was the Kennedy's administration's conduit to the mafia for a possible assassination of Fidel Castro. What on earth was he doing close enough to the murders to definitively see that some other men came out of that union hall?
The book does not definitely answer that question but it certainly lays out a lot of evidence suggesting that the US Government knew that hit was going down and wanted someone on the scene to keep an eye on things. More is available at Withey's website. https://michaelwithey.com/resources/. I know we do that sort of thing. It's still jarring to think we did that sort of thing in my life time on streets I know well.
The book lays out considerable evidence the FBI, which had a parallel Hobbs act investigation related to the case, kept tipping off other suspects who would conveniently slip away as local law enforcement was on their way with an arrest warrant. (187). After being frustrated by someone at the King County Prosecutor's office allegedly tipping off the feds, Withey went directly to the SPD with information about where Boy Piloy was. SPD arrested him. Piloy was not charged and was himself killed shortly after being released from jail. (187-191).
Based on evidence that the murders were not just about some guys mad about gambling proceeds but were instead political, Withey sued the government of the Philippines, the Marcoses, a local bag man, and more for the murders. After initially declining, Schroeter Goldmark joined as counsel. After a lot of defeats, something really important happened -- Paul Manafort suggested Marcos hold a snap election. Marcos lost that election to Corazon Aquino, the widow of another man, Benigno Aquino, Marcos had killed. (224). Aquino's brother in law was there and shot a video of Filipino soldiers taking Aquino from the plain to his death is on the website. https://michaelwithey.com/resources/. We don't see killing but we hear the shots and the panic. We see his body on the tarmac. The video will haunt me.
Not unlike another Manafort client, Marcos insisted he had won, claiming that the Aquino has committed "'the biggest robbery in political history. I am your legitimate president.'" (243). He also released videos of himself showing how manly he was. Hurm.
All this meant that Marcos no longer had sovereign immunity and the US government no longer had quite as much interest in protecting him. Both Ferdinand and Imelda were deposed. There was a cockroach.
The case went to trial and Jeffrey Robinson did the opening. (274). I can almost hear his cadences through the pages of the book. The jury sent out one question: can we award more than the plaintiff asked for? (305). The jury forms, and much more are on the author's website at https://michaelwithey.com/. Well worth looking at.
This book is a triumph. But it's bittersweet. A Marcos is again president of the Philippines and seems intent on continuing to stamp down on dissent and to deny history. There's also the little matter of all the wealth his family looted from the country that was never returned.
A good book. Well worth the time.
*I have some other random connections. I've met the author through Tom Chambers and Len Schroeter. Sharon Sakamoto did research for the lawsuit. (162). I shared a table with her two weeks ago. So did Yvonne Ward. (265). I don't know her well, but our circles have overlapped for more than 20 years and she ran a courageous campaign against a toxic state senator. Bob Boruchowitz connected Withey with a reporter who did important reporting work related to the case. (164). I doubt he remembers, but Boruchowitz and I met through Len Schroeter 25 years ago and I saw him three weeks ago in Olympia. Len Schroeter shows up in this book repeatedly. He was one of my mentors. I miss that guy.
In 1980, Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes were elected Secretary Treasurer and Dispatcher of the Alaska Cannery Workers Union- Local 37, International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union (ILWU). In April 1981, Viernes visited his family's ancestral home in the Philippines. There he met with labor leaders. He might have given them some money. Not long after, he helped pass an ILWU resolution condemning the conditions faced by workers under the Marcos dictatorship.
On June 1, 1981, Domingo and Viernes were assassinated in their union hall in Pioneer Square. I have passed that building thousands of times in my life. Domingo lived long enough to name Jimmy Ramil and Ben Guloy as his killers. Under the theory that they had killed Domingo and Viernes because their decisions on behalf of the union had damaged the gambling concerns of the Tulisan gang, Ramil and Guloy were convicted later that year. Aside from a strange last minute witness, one LeVane Malvison Forsythe, the trial was unremarkable. I have cited State v. Guloy dozens of times or more. It is a leading case on hearsay and constitutional harmless error.
I remember the first time Justice Tom Chambers brought up "the assassination case." I gave him a blank look. "That's the one about the cannery workers Marcos had assassinated in Seattle," he elaborated. I blinked at him. Nothing in State v. Guloy suggests any such thing, perhaps because it was published four years before a federal jury found that Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos were members of a conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of Domingo and Viernes. (306-07). I used to work across the street from the building that jury sat in.*
Almost immediately after Domingo and Viernes were shot, someone tracked Mike Withey down at a gathering at El Centro de la Raza. He was there to discuss a May Day parade and march that he'd helped organize to protest the Reagan Administration's welfare cutbacks and union bashing. He'd worked with Domingo and Viernes on desegregating the union trades. Withey was dispatched to try to keep information about activists out of the hands of the Seattle Police Department's anti-activist unit, the Red Squad. (21-22).
Not long after, the union president, Tony Baruso, announced in the union hall that President Marcos had nothing to do with the murders. (54). Not long after that, the murder weapon was recovered from a dumpster. That murder weapon was owned by Tony Baruso. Baruso was ultimately charged and died in prison. He also worked for Boeing at the same time as my father and grandmothers.
But back to Forsythe. Forsythe was the "secret courier" who delivered Howard Hughes's "Mormon Will" to one Melvin Dummar in the Nevada desert. (121). He worked with one Robert Maheu, who has some strange fame as the ex-CIA agent who worked for Hughes and was the Kennedy's administration's conduit to the mafia for a possible assassination of Fidel Castro. What on earth was he doing close enough to the murders to definitively see that some other men came out of that union hall?
The book does not definitely answer that question but it certainly lays out a lot of evidence suggesting that the US Government knew that hit was going down and wanted someone on the scene to keep an eye on things. More is available at Withey's website. https://michaelwithey.com/resources/. I know we do that sort of thing. It's still jarring to think we did that sort of thing in my life time on streets I know well.
The book lays out considerable evidence the FBI, which had a parallel Hobbs act investigation related to the case, kept tipping off other suspects who would conveniently slip away as local law enforcement was on their way with an arrest warrant. (187). After being frustrated by someone at the King County Prosecutor's office allegedly tipping off the feds, Withey went directly to the SPD with information about where Boy Piloy was. SPD arrested him. Piloy was not charged and was himself killed shortly after being released from jail. (187-191).
Based on evidence that the murders were not just about some guys mad about gambling proceeds but were instead political, Withey sued the government of the Philippines, the Marcoses, a local bag man, and more for the murders. After initially declining, Schroeter Goldmark joined as counsel. After a lot of defeats, something really important happened -- Paul Manafort suggested Marcos hold a snap election. Marcos lost that election to Corazon Aquino, the widow of another man, Benigno Aquino, Marcos had killed. (224). Aquino's brother in law was there and shot a video of Filipino soldiers taking Aquino from the plain to his death is on the website. https://michaelwithey.com/resources/. We don't see killing but we hear the shots and the panic. We see his body on the tarmac. The video will haunt me.
Not unlike another Manafort client, Marcos insisted he had won, claiming that the Aquino has committed "'the biggest robbery in political history. I am your legitimate president.'" (243). He also released videos of himself showing how manly he was. Hurm.
All this meant that Marcos no longer had sovereign immunity and the US government no longer had quite as much interest in protecting him. Both Ferdinand and Imelda were deposed. There was a cockroach.
The case went to trial and Jeffrey Robinson did the opening. (274). I can almost hear his cadences through the pages of the book. The jury sent out one question: can we award more than the plaintiff asked for? (305). The jury forms, and much more are on the author's website at https://michaelwithey.com/. Well worth looking at.
This book is a triumph. But it's bittersweet. A Marcos is again president of the Philippines and seems intent on continuing to stamp down on dissent and to deny history. There's also the little matter of all the wealth his family looted from the country that was never returned.
A good book. Well worth the time.
*I have some other random connections. I've met the author through Tom Chambers and Len Schroeter. Sharon Sakamoto did research for the lawsuit. (162). I shared a table with her two weeks ago. So did Yvonne Ward. (265). I don't know her well, but our circles have overlapped for more than 20 years and she ran a courageous campaign against a toxic state senator. Bob Boruchowitz connected Withey with a reporter who did important reporting work related to the case. (164). I doubt he remembers, but Boruchowitz and I met through Len Schroeter 25 years ago and I saw him three weeks ago in Olympia. Len Schroeter shows up in this book repeatedly. He was one of my mentors. I miss that guy.
September 15, 2019
This book is properly characterized as propaganda or historical fiction. While likely based on actual events, the author provides a one-sided, rarely sourced account with a level of detail concerning dialogue, facial expressions, and minor details that are simply not possible to recall. I was disappointed by the lack of objectivity and only a single point of view. The few major events are verifiable, while the rest reflect the author's interpretation of events. Nearly all of what the author presented as evidence was actually speculation and while I'm happy they were able to win a judgement against a dictator and what appeared to be his co-conspirators, the "evidence" was thin and circumstantial. For a reader seeking an accurate, balanced history of this topic, I suggest they look for another book.
March 14, 2018
Hugely interesting and entertaining
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews