When high school students Brittany Tainsh, Michaela Arguin and Mollykate Rodenbush were asked to study leaders and their legacy for their school's National History Day, they decided to pursue a less common subject. They wrote a letter to James "Whitey" Bulger, who is currently in a federal prison serving two life sentences for multiple counts of murder, as well as other crimes.
The 85-year-old convict wrote them back. In a handwritten letter dated February 24, Whitey Bulger gave the three high school girls some life advice: crime doesn't pay. "My life was wasted and spent foolishly, brought shame and suffering on my parents and siblings and will end soon," he wrote, according to NBC Bay Area.
"Advice is a cheap commodity some seek it from me about crime - I know only one thing for sure - If you want to make crime pay - 'Go to Law School,'" he added.
Bulger worked as an informant for the FBI before his conviction, and his case brought about a significant amount of scrutiny to the agency. He was convicted in 2013 on racketeering charges, as well as for 11 murders. By the time he was caught, he had already been on the nation's most wanted fugitives list for 16 years, according to The Herald News.
Tainsh said that the tone of the letter suggests that Bulger seems to have had a change of heart during his time behind bars. "From strictly just looking at the letter, it does seem like he has had a little bit of a turnaround, sitting in jail for so long," she said.
However, legal analyst Margaret McLean believes that the reply is but a part of Bulger's plan to redeem part of his name and reputation. "I think he's waging his own media campaign in the press for the sake of the Bulger family name and his own reputation," she said. "I think he's been doing this since the time of the trial."
