MASSIE v. GOVT. OF DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S OF KOREA
Cite as 592 F.Supp.2d 57 (D.D.C. 2008)
captors wanted to extract confessions from
them that they were spying on North Korea in North Korean waters, and not international waters, when the Pueblo was hijacked. See id. at 38.
43. For 40 days, the captives were not
given an opportunity to shower, change
clothes or shave. They were covered in
their own blood and in some cases their
own feces. See Tr. 30, 100, April 21, 2008.
44. The food provided to the captives
was very poor in quantity and quality and
lacked proper vitamin and nutritional content. In caloric content it was marginally
able to sustain life (about 500 calories per
day). Rice, bits of fish, turnip soup, bread
and butter accounted for the bulk of the
diet. Meals were served in buckets in a
most unsanitary manner. See Pls.’ Trial
Ex. 11 (‘‘Ex. 11’’), at 5–6; Ex. 15 at 150,
¶ 453; Tr. 98–99, April 21, 2008; Tr. 70,
April 22, 2008. During the eleven months
they were held hostage, Cdr. Bucher lost
approximately 50 pounds. See Tr. 118,
April 22, 2008. Massie lost 51 pounds.
See Tr. 99, April 21, 2008. Tuck lost 37
pounds. See Tr. 90, April 22, 2008.
45. Immediately after Cdr. Bucher arrived at the Barn on the morning of January 24, he underwent interrogations during which he and his crew were accused of
being spies. He was told that he and his
crew would be treated as civilian espionage
agents, tried under Korean law and shot at
sundown. In almost every interview, his
captors demanded that he sign a typed
confession that he was a spy and a member of the Central Intelligence Agency
(‘‘CIA’’) and was trying to start a war.
Cdr. Bucher refused to sign. See Ex. 15
at 148, ¶¶ 440–41.
46. About noon, Cdr. Bucher had his
first direct interview with the officer who
would be in charge of the captives
throughout their confinement. This officer, nicknamed ‘‘Super C’’ because he was
65
a senior colonel (later renamed ‘‘GG’’ for
‘‘Glorious General’’ after he was promoted), was considered to be highly intelligent, competent, but cruel. At one stage
in the interrogations, Cdr. Bucher was
confronted with classified publications removed from the ship, including his own
narrative log. See id. at ¶ 441.
47. At about 8:00 p.m. of the first day
at the Barn, Cdr. Bucher was again taken
to an interrogation room. Present were
‘‘Super C,’’ another officer with a drawn
pistol, a third officer, two or three enlisted
men with bayonets fixed to their guns, and
several interpreters. Again, Cdr. Bucher
was told to sign the typed confession.
When he refused, he was told to sign or he
would be shot. Id. He was then made to
kneel on the floor, while an officer with a
drawn pistol stood behind him and another
officer stood in front. While kneeling on
the floor, he repeated the phrase ‘‘I love
you, Rose’’ over and over to keep his mind
off of what was to come. Tr. 110, April 22,
2008. At the end of two minutes, the
officer in front of him was ordered to move
aside and ‘‘Super C’’ said ‘‘Kill the son-ofa-bitch.’’ Although the trigger was pulled,
the gun did not discharge. See id.
48. At about 10:30 p.m. on January 24,
Cdr. Bucher, having not eaten or slept for
a day and a half, was returned to the same
interrogation room and told that he would
now see what happened to spies. He was
led to a staff car and driven to a building
about ten minutes away. There he was
shown a man, allegedly a South Korean,
who was strapped to the wall and had
undergone extreme physical torture. The
man’s head was badly swollen, one eye
hung out of its socket and broken bones
were evident. Cdr. Bucher was told ‘‘Now
you know what happens to spies.’’ See Ex.
15 at 148, ¶ 441; Tr. 39, April 22, 2008.