FBI Michael Cutler Records

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

All records of the Bureau relating to the death of Michael Cutler, who was murdered on 5/15/1998 on the 5900 block of West Erie Street in Chicago, IL. Please see the attached news article regarding his death. Further, if there are any slideshows, audio/visual presentations, voice recordings, handwritten notes, or doc files, please also include these in the responsive documents. The appropriate timeframe for search is 5/15/1998 to the present day.

Please conduct a search of the Central Records System and FBI Data Warehouse System, including but not limited to the ELSUR Records System, the Microphone Surveillance (MISUR) Indices, the Physical Surveillance (FISUR) Indices, the Technical Surveillance (TESUR) Indices, and Counterdrug Information Indices System (CIIS), for both main-file records and cross-reference records for all relevant names, individuals, agencies, and companies.

If any potentially responsive records have been destroyed and/or transferred to NARA, then I request copies of the destruction or transfer slips as well as any other documentation relating to, mentioning or describing said transfer or destruction, to include but not be limited to confirmation that the Bureau has no other copies of said records.

If any responsive records have been previously processed, please provide those on a rolling basis as additional, unprocessed records are searched for.

I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. The Invisible Institute regularly produces award-winning journalism focusing on issues of state violence and social justice. For instance, see the investigations linked from this page: https://invisible.institute/all-investigations. I am personally an award-winning journalist who regularly publishes my own written work and edits the work of others, focusing on issues of state violence and social justice, among others. Investigations I have personally worked on include:

— https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/fraternal-order-of-police-shootings-propaganda-pat-camden/Content?oid=21092544
— https://theintercept.com/2018/11/14/chicago-police-department-superintendent-eddie-johnson/
— https://theintercept.com/podcasts/somebody/
— https://southsideweekly.com/contradictions-progressive-police-chief-david-brown-chicago-police-dallas/
— https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2019/04/24/biggest-collection-police-accountability-records-ever-assembled/2299127002/
— https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/itta-police-training-el-salvador/Content?oid=77893497

These records are being requested for the purposes of an investigative series looking into the beating of Lenard Clark in Chicago, which Cutler was a witness to. It is of high relevance to the investigation, because Cutler's murder was never solved—it remains a cold case. The investigation is being produced by Bill Healy, a noted audio journalist and professor. This request more than meets the requirements to be considered a news media request, and as such I request all fees be waived.

If any information is redacted or withheld, please produce a Vaughn Index and provide legal justification for all records that were withheld or redacted.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Invisible Institute