Earl Krugel, a Jewish Defense League militant convicted of plotting to bomb a Los Angeles mosque and the office of a local politician, was murdered just three days after being transferred to a new prison. The former dental assistant, who received the maximum 20-year sentence by a Los Angeles court in September, was killed by a fellow inmate while exercising at a medium-security prison in Arizona. The FBI has opened an investigation into the killing, but would not comment further. It is believed Krugel had received threats in the past from both white supremacist and Islamist militants.

His wife, Lola, told reporters he had been struck on the head with a cement block, adding: "Earl never saw it happening."

Krugel was convicted of attempting to recruit a young member of the JDL to target the King Fahd Mosque in Culver City, CA, and Rep. Darrell Issa, a Congressman of Lebanese descent. He was also found guilty of purchasing equipment to make the bombs.

Krugel's co-defendant, Irv Rubin, died in an apparent prison-cell suicide hours before the pair were due for a 2002 court date.

Following Rubin's death Krugel made a plea bargain with prosecutors, but was handed a lengthy sentence after he failed five separate lie detector tests during questioning. US District Judge Ronald Lew told Krugel he did not believe his views had changed during his time in custody.

Krugel was arrested with Rubin in October 2001 after another JDL member became an FBI informant. He was caught on tape saying he wanted to attack a "filthy mosque." He also told agents he had played a part in two earlier JDL bombing attempts, of a tattoo parlour and a mosque.

Attorney Mark Werksman said Krugel, who previously had been held in protective custody at federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, should never have been placed in a medium-security prison. "There were death threats against him precisely because he was a militant Jewish activist so he always had to be watched and be guarded in federal custody in LA," Werkman said. (Totally Jewish, Nov. 7)

See also WW4 REPORT #72