Bulger Wants Cash Hidden in Walls Given to 2 Families

In a surprising and unusual move, Whitey Bulger said today that he'll give up the $822,000 in cash found in the walls of his apartment ... so long as it goes to the families of Michael Donahue and Brian Halloran, two of the people he's accused of murdering. His defense attorney floated the idea today, the Boston Globe reports. Donahue's son says he's "overwhelmed" by the offer, adding, "I wasn't expecting that." (Bulger had previously joked that the feds should give him the money back so he could afford a lawyer.)

Bulger allegedly murdered Halloran because he was cooperating with the FBI, and Donahue was simply caught in the crossfire when he gave Halloran a ride home. Both families sued the FBI, which they claim had a corrupt relationship with Bulger, but those cases were thrown out because of the statute of limitations. Bulger also decided today that he will not take the stand as his racketeering and murder trial draws to a close. If he had been allowed to claim he was granted immunity by a now-dead federal prosecutor, he told the judge, he would have testified. But "my defense was choked off," he said. "As far as I’m concerned I didn’t get a fair trial. This is a sham." (More Whitey Bulger stories.)