SAN LEANDRO (KCBS RADIO) – Stuart Alexander was many things – a sausage maker, a San Leandro native and, eventually, a murderer.
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But one thing he tried to be – but couldn't pull off – was mayor of his beloved city. In the fourth episode of KCBS Radio's true crime series "The Sausage King," I delve into Stuart's ill-advised foray into local politics and his reasoning behind the unexpected campaign.
If you haven't listened to the first three episodes, you should now.
You can find them on the Audacy app or wherever you get your podcasts.
For those of you unfamiliar, this series explores the story of how one sausage maker went on to shoot and kill three government workers in his factory over an ongoing battle over new government regulations.
The first couple of episodes established who Stuart was, who his family was, and what his factory meant to the San Leandro community.
The third episode examined his business relationships, and what it was about that sausage that was so special to everyone who tried it.
Now, in the fourth episode, I delve into what seemed to be Stuart's last ditch effort to gain the upper hand over government officials trying to regulate his business. He made the decision to run for mayor of San Leandro in 1998 just as his conflict with the USDA was really heating up.
But his conflicts didn't just center on the USDA.
He also found himself embattled with San Leandro inspectors as well, which foiled his attempt at starting his own restaurant in the city.
Stuart planned to open the restaurant, or soup kitchen as he later claimed, without applying for the proper permits or going through any of the proper channels. When this failed, he threw himself into local politics. According to those who knew him, he believed that if he became mayor, he'd have the authority to do what he wanted. No one would be able to stop him now.
But after evidence of his past violent behavior was revealed during his fateful run, he lost the race.
Now, with this latest failure, Stuart was on the brink.
It just wasn't clear what that meant yet.
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