Lawyer for man accusing Ed Murray of child sex abuse says mayor is lying

SEATTLE – Thursday marks two weeks since a Kent man accused Seattle Mayor Ed Murray of child sex abuse and child prostitution in the 1980s. Thursday afternoon, we had our first interview with the accuser’s lawyer, Lincoln Beauregard.

Delvonn Heckard, 46, of Kent, has filed a lawsuit accusing Murray of having sex with him when he was 15 and the mayor was in his 30s.  Since then, we’ve heard from the mayor multiple times denying those claims. On Wednesday, the mayor said he doesn’t recognize his accuser or know him at all.



In a very open conversation with Beauregard, we talked about his client, the case, and the denials from Murray. He says the mayor keeps weaving a web of lies he’ll soon find himself trapped inside. He says his client, however, is telling the truth.

“The first thing when I met him he said, ‘I’m drug addict.’ I think that’s the second sentence I heard from him. He’s refreshingly honest sometimes compared to people who have more to hide,” said Beauregard

He says Heckard is ready to share his truth and stop Murray from another term in office.

“Yes, it’s politically motivated, but that’s just because the mayor is in a position of power and that has prompted and caused Delvonn to say, ‘I want the public to know the truth,'” said Beauregard.

The truth about Heckard is now public. He’s an admitted drug addict and a convict. Now his lawyer says he’s fighting back.

“I’ve seen him gain a lot of strength in the past couple of weeks to the point where he says, ‘I’m ready to put my name out there. You tell that man my name,'” said Beauregard.

Heckard’s name was released just before the mayor did a round of television interviews on Wednesday.

“I have a story to tell. I have my integrity and that’s all I have,” said Murray.

Beauregard says the mayor’s interviews will be used against him.

“Now you have three to four to five incarnations of denial yesterday (Wednesday). He’s probably going to say something untrue soon. And you’ve got him starting out with his anti-gay spin and I heard the other day, it's anti-immigration,” said Beauregard.

The mayor’s camp says the co-founder of the firm that represents the accuser, Jack Connelly of Connelly Law Offices, has taken stances against gay and transgender rights issues and that’s why the law firm took on the case. Beauregard calls that offensive.

“It would be a pretty serious violation of our ethical standards if we were to concoct a case to try to take down Ed Murray,” said Beauregard.

He also said a recent move by the mayor’s attorney, Robert Sulkin, to have a doctor dispel claims Heckard made about a mole on the mayor’s private parts doesn’t take away from the claim.

“The accuser provided false information to his own lawyers, who relied on that false information drafted in that complaint,” said Sulkin.

“I was surprised Bob Sulkin didn’t walk out and say, ‘If the mole didn’t fit!’ I sat back and thought, boy, what’s our tag line on that?  I’m surprised he didn’t say it,” said Beauregard.

But it’s what Beauregard believes others did say the he wants out in the open. He’s requested to see the emails exchanged between Murray, his campaign manager, his spokesperson and others before Murray sought outside counsel.

“There’s no way on Earth that those folks didn’t share emails. In fact, they drafted press conference documents, press releases. We want to see the drafts of those releases, that’s something else they have to provide. Wouldn’t the public like to see draft one versus draft 10? Wouldn’t the public like to see if there’s some dialogue about, 'What if we say this and we get backed into some corner?'”

In an upcoming deposition, Beauregard will sit across a table from all of those men. He said it will be vindication for his client, but not something he’ll enjoy.

“It would be an uncomfortable moment to know I would be deposing the mayor of Seattle and he might have to admit his biggest fear in life or he might have to say stuff that’s not true,” said Beauregard.

The deposition is set for May 2.  Beauregard said he is not preparing his client for the deposition. He said they’re not practicing with him or telling him what to say. He said Heckard is real and raw and they don’t want to take that away from him.