Potential Witness in Bulger Trial Is Found Dead BOSTON - A former South Boston resident who said he had been extorted by the crime boss James (Whitey) Bulger and has been a near-daily presence at his trial was found dead in Lincoln, Mass., on Wednesday, the authorities said. Brian Snyder/Reuters Stephen Rakes, left, arriving with Stephen Davis, the brother of Debra Davis, an alleged victim, for the first day of James Bulger's trial last month. Marian T. Ryan, the district attorney for Middlesex County, on Thursday confirmed that the body of Stephen (Stippo) Rakes, a 59-year-old who most recently lived in Quincy, Mass., was discovered near a walking trail on Wednesday. In a statement, Ms. Ryan's office said that there were no obvious signs of trauma, and that a medical examiner would conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of Mr. Rakes" death. Mr. Rakes learned this week that he would not be called on by the prosecution to testify at Mr. Bulger's sweeping racketeering trial, despite initially being on the witness list. Mr. Rakes owned a liquor store in South Boston during Mr. Bulger's criminal heyday. Mr. Rakes has said he was extorted in 1984 at gunpoint by Mr. Bulger, who then took control of his liquor store. But another witness for the prosecution, a former sidekick of Mr. Bulger named Kevin Weeks, recently testified at the trial that Mr. Rakes had sought to sell the store to Mr. Weeks and Mr. Bulger. After testimony by Mr. Weeks last week, Mr. Rakes stood outside the Boston courthouse and talked about how eager he was to get his chance to rebut his account on the stand. "Kevin continues to lie as usual," Mr. Rakes said. He suggested that Mr. Weeks continued to lie because he had to do so - to keep consistent with the story that he gave federal prosecutors that allowed him to obtain a plea bargain years ago. It was a plea deal that allowed Mr. Weeks to spend only five years in prison for aiding and abetting the killings of five people, among other crimes. "He has to stick to the same story," Mr. Rakes said of Mr. Weeks. He's got his day up on the stand. Now I'll have my day. Then we'll see what the difference is.