Movie Review: Soderbergh's sleek spy thriller ‘Black Bag' crackles

If you're hosting a dinner for half a dozen British intelligence agents with the aim of ferreting out a mole, what should you cook?
For George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), who's preparing for four colleagues, plus himself and his wife, Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett), who, like him, is a high-level operative, it's chana masala with a few drops of truth serum.
'Will there be any mess to clean up?' Kathryn asks her husband as they're getting ready.
'With any luck,' he responds.
So goes much of the crackling patter of 'Black Bag,' Steven Soderbergh's delicious marital drama cloaked as a sleek spy thriller. Lean and taut, the 93-minute 'Black Bag' is more a sizzling amuse-bouche than full-course meal, but it's simmered to perfection.
George and Kathryn, as fellow agents at London's National Cyber Security Centre, don't seemingly have what you might call a traditional marriage. Each has their own secret ops, leaving large swaths of their lives off limits to the other. When George asks where Kathryn is flying off to on Wednesday, she shrugs with a smile, 'Black bag.'
In the movie's opening scene – a slinky tracking shot that trails George into and out of a nightclub – an agent named Meacham (Gustaf Skarsgard) gives him the assignment to track down the mole, with the added wrinkle that Kathryn can't be dismissed as a possible suspect. A cyber-worm device called Severus that's capable of hacking into nuclear facilities has gone missing. The fate of the world, as it so often is, is said to be at stake.
But, really, the state of George and Kathryn's marriage is what interests us. Extreme though their situation is, their union is one that, like any couple, is built on trust and devotion, even if their professional lives demand the inverse. When George, lying on top of Kathryn tells her he'd do anything for her, she coos, 'Would you kill?' It's a fair-enough test to the bounds of wedded bliss, sure, but her second question matters even more. 'Would you lie?'
Over that dinner – a scintillating set piece around a darkened dinner table inside their London town house – we can quickly gather just how much the truth means to George. He's renown for his powers with a polygraph. As a youngster, he even brought down his own father, uncovering his affair. 'I don't like liars,' George says through clenched teeth.
They're joined by Colonel James Stokes (Regé-Jean Page); the in-house psychologist Dr. Zoe Vaughan (Naomie Harris); the carousing spy Freddie Smalls (Tom Burke); and the newest NCSC recruit, cyber specialist Clarissa (Marisa Abela). Both are paired off in clandestine relationships that quickly emerge, among other secrets. More than state secrets, infidelity dominates the conversation.
Fassbender's spook is an agent of precision. He wears gleaming black-framed glasses. When only a few drops of sauce land on his cuff, he immediately withdraws to change his shirt. Hard as it would seem, Fassbender has found a character almost as dispassionate and monotone as his methodical assassin in David Fincher's 'The Killer.'
This time, though, he's not a loner. Blanchett's Kathryn is kept more at a remove from us. She's mysterious and aloof – a femme fatale, maybe, we're led to wonder. An 'aroma of hostility' accompanies her, Zoe tells her in a psych evaluation. Is she the mole?
This is an insular film, taking place mainly in crisply composed interiors, aside from the lake George occasionally fishes for bass in. There, in a fitting encapsulation of a movie full of smooth surfaces with currents twisting underneath, the camera gently rests on the water's surface.
'Black Bag' follows a run of agilely directed thrillers by Soderbergh made with screenwriter David Koepp ( 'Presence,' 'Kimi'). They are both at the height of their almost-too-easy powers; the script, especially, is peppered with delectable dialogue. Their movie adopts the air of menace and suspicion of a John Le Carré novel, yet hinges on the sturdiness of its married couple, like a super spy version of Nick and Nora from 'The Thin Man' or a more cerebral 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith.'
All of the supporting players – while they make up a fine ensemble – are ultimately playthings in their game of love. In a casting coup, a former James Bond – Pierce Brosnan – drops in late in the film as Arthur Stheiglitz, the head of NCSC. In his handful of scenes, Brosnan is rageful and ferocious, chomping into both Ikizukuri (prepared live fish) and the scenery.
His presence both enlivens a movie already humming with the uber-cool chemistry of Blanchett and Fassbender while transforming 'Black Bag' into a twisty rejoinder to that notoriously skirt-chasing spy. Here, Mr. Bond, is how sexy monogamy can be.
While directing a satellite to peer down upon his wife on some unknown mission in Europe, George explains their mystifying dynamic to Clarissa: 'I watch her, and she watches me. If she gets into trouble, I will do everything in my power to extricate her.'
In her response, Clarissa speaks for everyone: 'That's so hot.'

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Hamilton Spectator

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He beat his stepfather to death — and was found not criminally responsible

George Howson was defenceless. Health issues, including Parkinson's disease, meant the 73-year-old spent most of his time in a chair in the west Hamilton apartment he shared with his wife, Donna Brown. They had lived together for 20 years. In early 2021, Donna's troubled son, Timothy Brown , had moved in to help his mom care for George, but also because family didn't want Tim to live alone, according to court documents. On March 14, the condo, on the fifth floor of 1968 Main St. W., was undergoing renovations. Earlier that week, George had struck up a conversation with a tradesperson about an antique German Luger pistol that George's father had acquired in the Second World War. George Howson, 73, was killed by his stepson Tim Brown, who was found not criminally responsible due to post-seizure psychosis. George was thinking about selling the inoperable gun to the man, court heard. He asked his stepson to help him retrieve it from his bedroom closet before the workers returned. Without warning, Tim turned on George. The 54-year-old beat George repeatedly with his hands, his feet and a lamp. He called George a Nazi. Donna called 911, screaming that her son was 'going crazy' and 'you've killed him,' according to a transcript of the call. Tim picked up the phone and told the dispatcher 'there was a Nazi here' and 'I killed him.' When police arrived, Donna was in the lobby and Tim was in the condo. He refused to open the door, so officers forced their way in and found Tim standing in the living room covered in blood, a phone still in his hands. George lay bleeding on his bedroom floor. His breathing was laboured and he gurgled blood. Officers had to use force to arrest Tim, who they placed in the back of a police cruiser. He demanded an apology and said: 'If I leave this property, the wrath of God is coming after you.' At central police station, he continued to fight with officers including jumping up and wrapping his legs around a sergeant. At one point, officers attempted to Taser him, but it didn't work. Eventually, police got him under control, handcuffed and shackled him, then placed him in a holding cell. The next day, Tim was taken to hospital and diagnosed with a broken left hand and two broken ribs. He was also found to have epilepsy, a diagnosis that would change the trajectory of the case. In hospital, his bizarre behaviour continued, including talking about 'Jews in WW2' and claiming his rib pain was from a 'Russian weapon,' court heard. After about a week, he was released from hospital on March 22, back into police custody. George never recovered from his injuries, including fractures to his nose and orbital bone, and a brain bleed. Ten days after being beaten, he died at Hamilton General Hospital. Tim was charged with second-degree murder. What happened next blindsided George's family, including his four children from his first marriage who had long been concerned about Tim's behaviour. Tim's epilepsy diagnosis led to his admission to St. Joseph's West 5th psychiatric hospital and eventually to court, where he was found not criminally responsible (NCR) for George's murder nearly eight months after the attack. St. Joseph's West 5th Campus is where Tim Brown is detained after being found not criminally responsible for the death of his stepfather. The case sped through the court process despite objections from George's family, led by one of his sons, Michael Howson. They believe the NCR finding was rushed, and that the case should have had a criminal trial. It has been a long and frustrating battle for Michael and his siblings, who say the anger they hold for being let down by the justice system has made it hard for them to grieve. It clouds every thought about their dad. Michael has shared correspondence and documents with The Spectator that show he appealed to the Crown, police and even the judge to consider other options. He filed complaints and asked that other angles, including Tim's history of anger issues, be investigated further. Michael, a nurse who has worked in psychiatric hospitals and is aware of the NCR process, is skeptical of the epilepsy diagnosis and its convenient timing. He and his siblings do not believe Tim was properly assessed and feel the NCR finding was rubber-stamped without due consideration. If Tim had been diagnosed with schizophrenia or another psychiatric condition, Michael said he wouldn't have objected because they're common in NCR verdicts. But in this case, the finding was psychosis not caused by a serious mental disorder, but by a neurological disorder, epilepsy. Postictal (post-seizure) psychosis is a rare and temporary reaction following a seizure that can cause confusion, and in some cases, violence. While there can be some overlaps between mental disorders and neurological ones, they are different. Mental disorders — such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia — affect thoughts, emotions and behaviour. Neurological disorders affect the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. Since the verdict, Michael has continued to push for accountability, seeking to have the case reopened or — at minimum — ensure Tim remains in hospital without access to the public. None of his complaints have led to any action. George Howson, with grandchildren before his death. Mental health, addiction and the justice system overlap frequently. But having mental illness does not automatically lead to a finding of not criminally responsible, with NCR findings representing less than one per cent of criminal cases annually. In almost every case in which someone is found NCR, it is because a serious mental illness rendered the person incapable of appreciating the nature, quality and consequences of their actions. The accused is assessed by a forensic psychiatrist, who then presents expert evidence in court. Ultimately, it is up to a judge to make the determination. While Tim's epilepsy diagnosis came from a neurologist, two separate assessments for criminal responsibility were conducted by forensic psychiatrists who presented the only expert evidence in court. A psychiatrist with expertise in neuropsychiatry, which focuses on mental disorders linked to neurological conditions, was consulted for the St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton assessment. However, a neurologist or expert in epilepsy was never called in court. This is crucial for Michael, because it means the court never asked — or answered — key questions about how someone with this condition is assessed for criminal responsibility. For instance, how does the psychiatrist test for malingering — the faking of an illness — in a case of postictal psychosis? Did the assessing psychiatrists understand the characteristics of postictal psychosis, and how they might differ from psychosis caused by another condition? From left, Michael, Marissa, Jason and Kevin Howson outside St. Joseph's West 5th Campus with a photo of their dad George. To Michael, it appears only he and his family seem concerned about getting answers to these questions. The Ministry of the Attorney General, on behalf of the Crowns office, said it would be 'inappropriate' to comment because the matter remains before the Ontario Review Board (ORB), which has jurisdiction over those found NCR and reviews their cases annually. St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton said it cannot comment on individual cases and that no one was available to speak about the issue generally. Another psychiatric hospital said a doctor who typically has no issue doing expert interviews on the NCR process wasn't comfortable speaking, even generally, about this type of case because it's so unusual. Experts at other psychiatric institutions across Ontario also declined The Spectator's interview requests. Through his lawyer, Tim declined to comment. Donna could not be reached for comment. The ORB does not keep statistics on the mental disorders that lead to NCR findings. But generally, the accused in most cases are found NCR due to psychotic or mood disorders, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, said Gavin MacKenzie, general counsel and spokesperson. The number of people found NCR because of a neurological disorder 'is a relatively small percentage of ORB accused,' he said. The Spectator is aware of one other recent case in which someone was found NCR based on a neurological condition. It also happened to be in Hamilton and involved a patient assessed at the same hospital (St. Joseph's West 5th) and by the same forensic psychiatrist (Dr. Joseph Ferencz). The case was also decided by the same Superior Court judge (Justice Paul Sweeny). In that instance, Devon Ambrose was found to have stabbed his parents, killing his mom, amid psychosis brought on by undiagnosed multiple sclerosis. Again, the court did not hear any expert evidence from a neurologist or an expert in MS. A review of other court cases involving accused persons with epilepsy revealed several cases in which the charged person was found not guilty of committing a crime that happened during a seizure, because they were not in control of their actions. None of those cases involved NCR assessments. To understand how rare postictal — or post-seizure — psychosis is, it is important to understand what epilepsy is and how it's diagnosed. Seizures are electrical discharges in the brain, with symptoms that vary depending on the area of the brain affected, said Dr. Jorge Burneo, a neurology and epidemiology professor and chair of epilepsy research at Western University. If a seizure happens in the temporal lobe — an area of the brain that is the centre of emotions, with impacts on awareness and memory processing — a person can appear as if they're just staring. This is the type of epilepsy Tim was diagnosed with, according to court records. Burneo has no involvement in Tim's care and is not commenting on this case, but rather on epilepsy and the rarity of postictal psychosis in general. He says epilepsy is commonly misdiagnosed, usually when the assessment is made by nonexperts in the field. In Tim's case, court records say the diagnosis was made by a neurologist. He had one abnormal EEG — a test that measures electrical activity in the brain — following his arrest. Since then, no others have shown irregular activity — something that has made Michael and family question the epilepsy diagnosis and whether a neurologist is involved in his treatment. Burneo said there is no reason to suspect misdiagnosis in a case in which epilepsy is diagnosed by a neurologist. He also said it's not uncommon to see normal EEGs in epilepsy patients while they are not having seizures. Epilepsy is not diagnosed based on an EEG alone, rather a 'clinical diagnosis' is also based on symptoms and patient history. In Tim's case, he and his family reported episodes of him staring and memory gaps before the homicide. Sometimes he appeared to have religious delusions, which can occur after a seizure, according to court records. He was admitted to hospital for a mental-health assessment after a Dec. 20, 2020, crash in which he veered into opposing traffic and later had no memory of what happened. The postictal period occurs after someone has a seizure. If the seizure happened in the temporal lobe, symptoms could include speech problems, confusion or erratic behaviour. In a 'very uncommon' number of cases, about five per cent, a person will experience psychosis, Burneo said. Common symptoms include hallucinations of grandiosity or of a religious nature. Occasionally, he said, a patient will become violent. There are 11 beds where patients can be monitored at the epilepsy monitoring unit where Burneo works in London, Ont. Occasionally, a patient becomes violent after a seizure. The episode may last just a couple of minutes, or longer. This reaction is most common in temporal lobe epilepsy. If a person experiences postictal psychosis, they are more likely than others to have that same reaction again in the future. Burneo said it's important to clarify that postictal psychosis can cause erratic or violent behaviour, but that behaviour is 'not complex.' For instance, a person might push or hit someone in their path. However, if they leave and get a weapon and return to assault someone with it, they are likely not experiencing postictal psychosis. This raises some questions related to Tim's case: Was grabbing a lamp and continuing to assault George too complex a behaviour to be classified as postictal psychosis? His erratic behaviour continued after his arrest at the police station. Was that time frame too long to be considered postictal psychosis? And what about the following day, when he made the bizarre comments about Jews and Russian weapons? There are no clear answers, since none of these questions were explored in court. And the ORB won't consider them — it's not the board's role. Instead, an ORB panel looks at how the accused person is doing and decides whether it's safe to release them, usually gradually, back into the community. Unlike a prison sentence, there is also no guaranteed end date for how long a person, regardless of the crime, can remain under the jurisdiction of the ORB. That's because they are not guilty and the amount of time they spend in hospital isn't punitive, but rather has to do with their current condition. Before the NCR verdict, Tim was given two criminal-responsibility assessments — one at St. Joseph's West 5th in summer 2021 and one at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health in Whitby, Ont., that fall. They contained a wealth of information about his life. Tim is the youngest of four siblings. He was born in Burlington and raised in Flamborough. He left school in Grade 10 and later worked as a welder. He eventually married and had two sons, court records show. The couple separated in 2003 and Tim moved into a rental property owned by his stepdad, before finding his own apartment. Tim was injured at some point and stopped working. He moved to Hagersville, where he lived for about six years before moving in with his mom and stepdad shortly before George's death. In the West 5th report, Tim said his marriage was 'great.' It also acknowledges he and his ex-wife argued and ultimately divorced, and she was granted full custody of their children. The information on his marriage appears to be based on Tim's word. By contrast, the Ontario Shores report includes interviews with his ex-wife and one of his sons that raise concerns about his threatening behaviour. Tim's ex-wife described him as angry virtually all his adult life. She believed he had a lengthy history of mood and anger issues and recalled reading about anger concerns on his kindergarten report card. She was told he once pulled a knife on his brother when he was 13. Shortly before they separated in 2003, he got angry and put his head through a wall in their house. When their marriage was ending, Tim mistakenly blamed a client of hers (she works supporting people with terminal illness) and started following the client and threatening him, according to the report. One of his sons slept with a knife under his pillow for fear his dad would hurt his mom. He described Tim as 'always mad about something.' Both reports detail Tim's medical and psychiatric history, and reference four visits to the emergency room, including for mental-health concerns, prior to George's death. Tim reported trouble controlling his anger, bizarre behaviour, memory gaps and the December 2020 crash. He was treated for depression and anxiety. Both reports also include information from interviews, medical and investigative records, and psychiatric assessments. Cannabis-induced psychosis was also considered due to his history of substance use, but he denied using cannabis on the day he attacked his stepdad and his drug screens were negative. Michael and family have asked when the drug testing was done, as they say they were initially told it was not completed. They have never been provided with details. Tim told doctors he had no memory of the assault. He just remembered feeling scared, and has memory fragments of his mother shouting and feeling that his stepfather was a Nazi. Donna told doctors her son and husband had an excellent relationship and nothing that morning was out of the ordinary. She and Tim went on their usual walk. When they returned, Tim had a period of odd behaviour in the kitchen in which he appeared detached and unresponsive for about five minutes before returning to normal, the West 5th assessment says. Later that day, when her husband asked Tim for help, her son suddenly became enraged. The West 5th report notes that Dr. Patricia Rosebush, a professor and head of general psychiatry at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, was consulted because she is an expert in neuropsychiatry, which focuses on mental disorders that are linked to neurological conditions. She 'confirmed the opinion' that Tim was 'likely suffering with temporal lobe epilepsy and recurrent psychotic symptoms directly related to that diagnosis.' This report notes that psychotic symptoms in temporal lobe epilepsy occur following a seizure in roughly five to seven per cent of cases. '(Tim) was clearly in a grossly impaired state of mind such that he was unable to make a rational decision about the wrongfulness of his actions,' Dr. Joseph Ferencz, the forensic psychiatrist, concluded in the West 5th report. Similarly, the Ontario Shores report by Dr. Andrew Wang concluded that Tim should be found not criminally responsible. With both reports reaching the same conclusion, and the Crown and defence in agreement, the judge found Tim not criminally responsible. 'I am … satisfied that he was, at the time, suffering from a mental disorder that rendered him incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of the acts or of knowing that they were wrong,' Justice Paul Sweeny said in court Nov. 12, 2021. George Howson was the kind of man who could talk to anyone. He liked people and always saw the best in them, said his son, Michael. 'He was generous, kind and trusting,' and he was always willing to help. He had a good sense of humour and family was very important to him, he added. Before retiring, George ran a family electrical contracting business. That was where he met Donna, who worked as a secretary. Michael said he and other family members were worried about Tim living with George and Donna, because of how vulnerable George was. He needed a lot of help, and they didn't believe Tim had the patience or ability to properly care for him. Tim was quick to anger and appeared only self-interested, he said. 'I would prefer someone off the street to come in; anyone but him,' Michael said. Michael and his three siblings offered to take turns helping at the condo on weekends, but their offer was rejected. They didn't realize Tim had moved in with George and Donna for about a month. In the months leading up to his death, George required more care because of his health issues and Donna seemed burnt out. There had also been a long-standing issue because George did not allow Donna access to all of his money, Michael said. There was an incident at the bank about a week before his death in which George told family he wasn't being treated nicely, but family didn't learn details until after his death. Michael felt like his dad couldn't even talk privately because he couldn't hold the phone himself. On the day of the attack, they didn't find out what happened until late that night. By the time Michael got to the hospital, his dad was on life support, his face swollen and battered. 'It was like he was dead,' Michael said. 'He was unrecognizable.' George never regained consciousness. Michael Howson says he feels let down by the justice system after his father George was killed. George's stepson Tim Brown was found not criminally responsible based on exceptionally rare finding that he killed his stepdad while in the midst of post-seizure psychosis. Upon meeting with police, Michael says he felt the narrative was already decided. Tim isn't a psychiatric patient — he's angry, Michael said he told them. But he said they didn't even appear to take notes. He filed his first complaint alleging an insufficient police investigation with the former Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD), soon after. Since then, he's complained to the chief of police, head Crown, regulatory bodies for both police and lawyers, and filed Freedom-of-Information requests for more details. 'This is a difficult case and our thoughts are with the Howson family on their loss,' Hamilton police spokesperson Jackie Penman said in response to questions from The Spectator. She noted that police charged Tim Brown with second-degree murder and that it was the court that eventually found he was NCR. Once that happens the matter lies with the ORB. 'We understand the family is frustrated with the NCR determination and have filed complaints,' she said, adding that they were investigated and 'all found to be unsubstantiated.' Throughout court, including in the judgment, it was repeated that Tim has no history of violence. He has never been convicted of any violent offence, but Michael says his family felt like the way the case was framed completely ignored Tim's history of anger and threatening behaviour, including with his ex-wife, that was documented in the second psychiatric assessment. Dean Paquette, a high-profile defence attorney, was hired before George was even removed from life support. Michael believes there was more to investigate and that everyone was too quick to jump to the NCR finding. At every step, he's met a dead end or disinterest, Michael said. Like every person found NCR, Tim appears before the ORB annually and a panel hears from his doctors about how he's doing in the forensic unit at West 5th. The ORB decides what privileges, including any release into the community, he should be granted. Michael and his family go every year. At the last hearing in January, Tim didn't attend, so his lawyer represented him. The ORB heard Tim's diagnosis is considered in remission, with ongoing antiseizure medication prescribed by a neurologist. He has also been diagnosed with a personality disorder, including 'mixed personality features, and prominent paranoid and borderline traits.' Since being admitted to West 5th, Tim has repeatedly threatened staff, according to hospital records included in ORB decisions. This includes threatening to burn staff and their families, and threatening to put his fist though a staff member's throat. In May 2024, he was transferred to a different unit 'due to staff on his previous unit needing respite.' The ORB report noted 43 recorded occurrences between January and October 2024. Most include incidents in which he insulted, threatened or intimidated staff. None of the incidents involved physical violence. '(Tim) continues to exhibit behaviour resulting from underlying frustration,' it says. 'He shows irritability and has anger management issues, as noted in the hospital report.' By 2023, Tim was allowed outside on hospital grounds, without issue. And he used some passes in the community, accompanied by approved family members. The next year, he was allowed on the grounds unsupervised. At the January 2025 hearing, the hospital asked to be allowed to 'very cautiously' introduce indirectly supervised passes into the community. Indirect supervision means a person is allowed to leave the hospital unsupervised, but only for pre-approved purposes. The ORB concluded Tim continues to represent a 'significant threat to the public' and will continue to be detained in hospital. But the board also unanimously agreed to allow him to enter the community indirectly supervised, understanding the hospital would proceed 'extremely cautiously.' A proposal to allow community living, should it become suitable, was rejected by a majority of board members. In his victim impact statement, Michael said victims' rights have been ignored. 'We are aware that our victim impact statements have no impact,' he told the ORB. 'Our voices have been silenced.' From his perspective, authorities have ignored Tim's history of anger, disregarded his family's safety concerns, and rewarded seemingly bad behaviour with more privileges, he said. 'It has been disrespectful and insulting to my father and our family,' Michael said, adding that Tim has shown an unwillingness to follow rules or direction. If he is angry in a controlled environment, Michael wonders how Tim would behave in public on his own. The ORB does not comment on specific cases, but generally, when deciding if someone is a threat to public safety, the board would consider evidence of a person's neurological condition the same way it treats evidence of a psychotic or mood disorder, counsel Gavin MacKenzie said. Broadly speaking, if someone has neurological condition, the forensic hospital can consult experts, such as neurologists, he said. The ORB also has authority to order an assessment if it believes such evidence is required. 'It is not uncommon for victims or members of the public to query the appropriateness of an NCR verdict in a particular case,' said Anita Szigeti, whose firm represents Tim. She spoke generally about the NCR process as a lawyer who specializes in that area of practice and not about Tim's case specifically. NCR verdicts are made based on strict criteria, she said. 'Victims are almost always frustrated with review board hearings and processes,' Szigeti said, adding that the frustration is often legitimate and born from the 'wrong-headed inclusion' of victim impact statements. While victims have rights that allow them to give victim impact statements, she said the statements have almost no direct influence on the review board's decision. 'Permitting their participation leaves victims with the false promise that they can meaningfully influence the result, doing them a massive disservice and almost invariably retraumatizing them with no appreciable benefit,' she said. The ORB has no jurisdiction on the verdict itself. It's the board's role to decide whether an accused is still a significant threat to public safety and then make the 'least restrictive disposition.' That decision is based on the accused's current condition. It's important to remember that someone found not criminally responsible is not serving a sentence that is intended to be punishing, because they are not responsible for their actions, Szigeti said. She argued that victims should have robust supports outside the ORB. And those found NCR who committed serious violent crimes are also often 'extremely traumatized' by the event and should also have access to trauma-informed services. At the January hearing, Tim asked, through his lawyer, to no longer be required to undergo drug or alcohol testing. He also asked for community living. Both were denied. In May, Michael received notice that Tim has appealed the most recent disposition and that he believes a community living clause should have been included. The hearing to determine whether there are grounds for appeal is scheduled for September. When Michael thinks of his father, he cannot unsee the injuries — George's face and head swollen nearly to the width of his shoulders. 'I can imagine the fear he felt with his Parkinson's hindering his ability to shield himself from the attack,' Michael said. 'I can imagine his feelings of betrayal.' Despite all the dead ends he's faced filing complaints and appealing for the case to be reopened, Michael says he won't stop. He believes the next step is to push for a discretionary coroner's inquest. Inquests do not determine liability but explore the circumstances of a death. A jury can make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future. Everything that happened since his father's death has left Michael and his family without trust in the justice system, he said. It is something he and his family will never get over. Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@ Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . 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Chicago Tribune

15 hours ago

• Chicago Tribune

Sunken Bayesian superyacht lifted from waters off Sicily as salvage operation completed

PORTICELLO, Italy — A British-flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, was lifted from the water Saturday as salvage recovery crews completed the complex operation to bring it ashore for further investigation. The white top and blue hull of the 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian, covered with algae and mud, was visibly clear of the sea in a holding area of a yellow floating crane barge off the Sicilian port of Porticello. 'The hull of the superyacht Bayesian has today been successfully and safely recovered from the sea off the coast of northern Sicily,' said TMC Maritime, the company conducting the recovery. 'This follows a delicate lifting procedure that began early today.' TMC added that the hull will continue to be held 'in an elevated position to allow expert salvage personnel to complete checks and preparations' ahead of its transportation into the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese on Sunday. The floating crane platform will move the Bayesian to the port, where a special steel cradle is waiting for it. The vessel will be then made available for investigators to help determine the cause of the sinking. The Bayesian sank Aug. 19 off Porticello, near Palermo, during a violent storm as Lynch was treating friends to a cruise to celebrate his acquittal two months earlier in the U.S. on fraud charges. Lynch, his daughter and five others died. Fifteen people survived, including the captain and all crew members except the chef. Italian authorities are conducting a full criminal investigation. The vessel has been slowly raised from the seabed, 50 meters (165-feet) down, over the past three days to allow the steel lifting straps, slings and harnesses to be secured under the keel. Eight steel lifting straps were used to put the hull upright and to form part of a steel wire lifting system that began raising the vessel out of the water Saturday. As the superyacht was raised, seawater was pumped out of the hull. The Bayesian is missing its 72-meter (236-foot) mast, which was cut off and left on the seabed for future removal. The mast had to be detached to allow the hull to be brought to a nearly upright position that would allow the craft to be raised. British investigators said in an interim report issued last month that the yacht was knocked over by 'extreme wind' and couldn't recover. The report said the crew of the Bayesian had chosen the site where it sank as shelter from forecast thunderstorms. Wind speeds exceeded 70 knots (81 mph) at the time of the sinking and 'violently' knocked the vessel over to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds. Lynch, who sold Autonomy, a software maker he founded in 1996, to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011, had been acquitted of fraud charges in June 2024 by a federal court jury in San Francisco.