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Ben Bertolucci (ベン・ベルトリッチ Ben Berutoritchi?) was an American freelance investigative journalist who worked in Raccoon City in 1998, looking into the bizarre murders in Arklay County. Though he was not from the city, he visited the region frequently and was familiar with local reporter Alyssa Ashcroft.[note 1] He was arrested when the Chief of Police, Brian Irons, became the target of investigation, and died in the precinct jail after being attacked by a mutant amidst the outbreak that destroyed the city.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Little is known about Ben's life except that he gained a reputation as an investigative reporter of the highest caliber, even risking his life to get a scoop. He was also known for his excessive curiosity, well-suited to his profession. However, despite being ambitious and money-loving, Ben has always sought to expose injustice through his work.[1]

Arklay Incident Investigation[]

In the summer of 1998, Bertolucci began investigating the bizarre murders that took place in the Arklay Mountains.[2][excerpt 1] Believing there was something at work preventing the police investigation, he stayed on the case for another month, staying at the Apple Inn.[3][4] In September, he began to suspect Brian Irons, the Raccoon City Police Department chief, was receiving bribes to botch the investigation from within.[2] Bertolucci gained information from Umbrella employees, often through subterfuge, and became aware of a serious incident taking place in the city.[2]

Be Bertolucci cameo Resident Evil 3 remake

Bertolucci when arrested.

At one point, he confronted Dr. Annette Birkin about this information during a staged interview but failed to extract any more from her.[5] Meanwhile, Irons became aware of Bertolucci's investigation of the RPD funding and ordered his immediate arrest after he tried to tell city officials about the incident.[1][6] He was found entering the South Raccoon Street Station and may have attempted to flee, given his briefcase and rail pass were discarded in different spots. Overall, his escape attempt also made him lose almost all of the findings from his investigation. Unbeknownst to Bertolucci, however, his arrest caught the attention of Jill Valentine, connecting his case to her own investigation against Umbrella.[7]

Raccoon City Incident[]

Ben Bertolucci in jail RE2 remake

Bertolucci imprisoned in his cell.

With the viral outbreak in Raccoon City turning thousands into zombies, Ben began to fear dying without revealing what he had discovered due to his unjust imprisonment.[8] Ironically, his incarceration kept him safe while Raccoon fell into chaos. The accounts differ on whether or not Bertolucci contacted someone while he was in prison when the police station was overtaken by zombies; one account states that on Monday 28 September, during an evacuation, he assisted survivors in exchange for paperwork proving Irons' guilt, which had been confiscated.[9] In another, Ben was isolated at the police station's jail, where everything he knew about the outbreak was transcribed, in the hope that someone could use his information to hold the culprits responsible for the tragedy in the city.[8][10] It is also uncertain whether Bertolucci wanted to escape his imprisonment after the police station was overrun by the infected; one account says he refused to leave his cell, believing it to be safer there than risking himself among the creatures that infested the city, while in another, he was desperate to leave the station, since he knew that there were worse mutants than zombies wandering the station.[11][12][13]

Similarly, accounts differ as to how Bertolucci died during the outbreak, but what is certain is that the Organization agent Ada Wong, who was aware of his investigation, entered the police station to retrieve important information for her mission, joined by surviving police officer Leon S. Kennedy. One account describes him being implanted with a G-embryo by Dr. William Birkin and being torn apart.[14][15] A second describes him being mortally wounded by a slash from Dr. Birkin's talons.[16][17] In a third, Ben is already found dead in his cell after being attacked by mutant Birkin.[10][18] A fourth describes him being killed by T-00 crushing his skull.[12] In all accounts, he died in front of Kennedy and Wong or left evidence on Irons' corruption and Umbrella's culpability for the outbreak in the city before he died.

Bibliography[]

Sources[]

Notes
  1. As shown in ad-libs during Resident Evil Outbreak File #2's "desperate times" scenario.
Excerpts
  1. Excerpt from Official Guide Book, p.10:
    "相当な切れ者として知られるフリーランスのジャーナリスト。 ラクーンシティで発生した猟奇事件が、 少なくない犠牲者を出したにもかかわらず一向に解明されないことに不審を抱き、 その真相をスクープすべく、 ひと月ほど前からこの街に滞在して取材をつづけていた。 アイアンズ署長の身辺を探ったことからラクーン市警察署の留置所に拘置されていたが、 事件の発生後は敏感に危険をかぎ取り、 看所からくすねたカギを手に、 みずから牢に閉じこもっていたようだ。噂にたがわず記者としての技量は一級で、 口を閉ざしがちなラクーン市民からアンブレラに関する情報を収集し、 早くも一連の事件に関する重大な証拠を入手したと見られている。 金銭にうるさく、 功名心が強いところが見え隠れするが、 本質的には不正や悪を白日のもとに暴こうとするジャーナリスト魂の持ち主である。"
References
  1. 1.0 1.1 Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2010), file: "Ben Bertolucci".
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Tahara (ed.), Official Guide Book, p.10.
  3. Resident Evil Outbreak (2003), file: "Ben's datebook".
  4. Resident Evil Outbreak (2003), file: "Ben's passport".
  5. Resident Evil 2 (2019), scene: "Leon gets Ben's card".
  6. Tahara (ed.), Official Guide Book, p.259.
  7. Resident Evil 3 (2020)
  8. 8.0 8.1 Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2010), file: "Ben Bertolucci's Expose"
  9. Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 (2004), level: "Desperate Times".
  10. 10.0 10.1 Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles (2010), level: Memory of a Lost City 3.
  11. Resident Evil 2 (1998), scene: "Leon meets Ben (1)"
  12. 12.0 12.1 Resident Evil 2 (2019), scene: "Leon meets Ben".
  13. Resident Evil 2 (2019), file: "Ben's Memo"
  14. Resident Evil 2 (1998), scene: "Embryo into its cradle".
  15. Resident Evil 2 (1998), scene: "His final scoop".
  16. Resident Evil 2 (1998), scene: "Get Away".
  17. Resident Evil 2 (1998), scene: "His final scoop".
  18. Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles (2010), scene: From the Beginning.
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