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BOSTON HERALD

TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1999

'I had no choice'

Mom says DA pushed her to accept Fagan deal

Barbara Kurth, whose two daughters were kidnapped by her ex-husband 20 years ago, said yesterday she felt deceived and manipulated by the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office into agreeing to a plea bargain she did not want.

"I was under the impression that I had no choice...I lost all faith in the prosecution," Kurth said in her first interview since Stephen Fagan, 57, pleaded guilty to kidnapping Friday - and then held a press conference denying any wrongdoing.

Kurth also said she had hoped until the last moment in the courtroom Friday both that the judge might reject Fagan's no jail-time deal and that her two daughters might say they planned at some future time to meet her.

Instead Rachael Martin,25, and Lisa Martin,22, made no mention of their mother, and the judge accepted a guilty plea from Fagan that...

Quotation from BARBARA KURTH

‘The prosecutors started saying, “You know the girls don't deserve this.”... “It doesn't matter what you want, we're going to take plea from him.” ’

Quotation from MARATHA COAKLEY

‘That's inaccurate and I absolutely deny that. I can't comment on plea negotiation, but (Burbura Kurth's account of her dealings with the DA's office) is untrue.’