CROSS OF DETECTIVE IN CHILD ABUSE CASE

DETECTIVE BUCHIKOS


CHILD ABUSE CASES


ARE YOU REGULARLY ASSIGNED TO INVESTIGATE CASES OF ALLEGED CHILD ABUSE?


THAT HAS TO BE A TOUGH ASSIGNMENT?


I WOULD EXPECT THIS WOULD BE THE TYPE OF CASE MOST DETECTIVES WOULD NOT VOLUNTEER FOR?


HOW DID YOU COME TO BE ASSIGNED TO THIS UNIT?


TRAINING


HAVE YOU HAD TRAINING IN THE INVESTIGATION OF CHILD ABUSE CASES?


TELL US ABOUT THAT?


IN YOUR TRAINING HAVE YOU BEEN TAUGHT TO USE ANY SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES IN QUESTIONING SUSPECTS


TELL US ABOUT THAT?


HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY INSTRUCTION ABOUT SBS?


TELL US ABOUT THAT?


REPORT WRITING


DURING YOUR TRAINING YOU WERE TAUGHT TO METICULOUSLY DOCUMENT YOUR INVESTIGATION IN YOUR REPORT?


A DETECTIVES REPORT MUST HE THOROUGH BECAUSE AT THE TIME OF THE INVESTIGATION IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT MAY LATER TURN OUT TO BE IMPORTANT?


YOU KNOW THAT YOUR REPORT WILL BE USED AND RELIED UPON BY THE PROSECUTORS, CORRECT?


YOU ARE TRAINED TO INCLUDE EVERYTHING?




PERSONAL RECOLLECTION


TODAY, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOLLECTION OF THIS INCIDENT SEPARATE AND APART FROM YOUR REPORT?


IS THERE A CRIME?


I WANT TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS AND OTHER KINDS OF POLICE INVESTIGATIONS.


LET’S TAKE ARMED ROBBERY FOR EXAMPLE. ARMED ROBBERY VS. CHILD ABUSE. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF ANY INVESTIGATION IS HAS THERE BEEN A CRIME?


THAT IS USUALLY QUICKLY ANSWERED IN A ARMED ROBBERY – MONEY IS GONE, PEOPLE ARE SHAKEN UP, AN ALARM MIGHT BE GOING OFF, ETC.


IN A CHILD ABUSE CASE – THE QUESTION OF HAS THERE BEEN A CRIME IS NOT SO QUICKLY ANSWERED, IS IT?


IN FACT, INITIALLY THERE WAS NO CRIME SUSPECTED IN THIS CASE?


DOCTORS HAVE A MANDATORY DUTY TO REPORT ANY SUSPECTED ABUSE?


REPORT TO DSS& LEO


CRIMINAL PUNISHMENTS & CIVIL SANCTIONS IF A DOCTOR DOES NOT REPORT SUSPECTED ABUSE, CORRECT?


NO DOCTORS REPORTED SUSPECTED ABUSE?


WHEN A DOCTOR DOES MAKE A REPORT, YOU DO NOT TAKE ANY ACTION TO DOUBLE CHECK ANYTHING FROM A MEDICAL STANDPOINT?


I MEAN WHAT THE DOCTOR SAYS GOES, RIGHT?


GENERALLY, THE DETECTIVES GET THE REPORT FROM THE DOCTOR AND THEN GO QUESTION AND ARREST THE PERSON WHO WAS LAST WITH THE CHILD, CORRECT?


WITNESSES


ROBBERY: VICTIM, WITNESSES. MOST ARE ADULTS.


CHILD ABUSE: MOST WITNESSES ARE CHILDREN.


ROBBERY: USUALLY WITNESSES ARE NOT RELATED TO SUSPECTS.


CHILD ABUSE: USUALLY WITNESSES ARE RELATED TO SUSPECTS.


THE TWINS WERE TOO YOUNG TO TALK, CORRECT?


YOU KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED AT THE SCENE.


CAPTAIN WIGGINS CALLED YOU.


YOU DID NOT GO TO THE SCENE THEN, CORRECT?


YOU COULD HAVE BUT YOU AND CAPT. WIGGINS DECIDED IT WAS NOT NECESSARY, CORRECT?


ANTWAN TEAGLE WAS ON THE PHONE WITH THE 911-OPERATOR WHEN THE FIRST POLICE OFFICER ARRIVED?


911 OPERATORS KEEP FOLKS ON THE PHONE, DON’T THEY?


HE COOPERATED WITH THE POLICE IN EVERY WAY, DIDN’T HE?


ANTWAN APPEARED WORRIED AND CONCERNED ABOUT DESTINEE?


HE TOLD THE OFFICERS THAT THE CHILDREN HAD BEEN SICK?


HE TOLD THE OFFICERS SHE WAS TAKING MEDICINE: KAOPECTATE & TYLENOL?


DID HE SEIZE THE MEDICINES?


HE TOLD OFFICER KELLER THE BABY HAD A ‘BUNCH OF MUCK’ IN HER MOUTH AND NOSE?


ANTWAN TOLD THEM THAT HE DID CPR ON THE CHILD?


HE CALLED 911?


HE DID EVERYTHING HE KNEW TO DO, TO HELP THE CHILD?


YOU KNOW THAT OFFICER KELLER ASSESSED THE CHILD?


THE CHILD HAD NO BRUISES? NO LACERATIONS? NO PHYSICAL TRAUMA?


THE CHILD WAS WARM TO THE TOUCH?


SHE WAS NOT BREATHING?


SHE DID NOT HAVE A PULSE?


THE CHILD URINATED WHEN KELLER BEGAN CPR?


FIREMAN STEVE YOUNG ARRIVED AND TOOK OVER CPR?


EVERYTHING THAT THE POLICE OFFICERS ON THE SCENE OBSERVED WAS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT ANTWAN TOLD THEM, CORRECT?


THE HOUSE WAS ORDERLY?


THE WATER WAS RUNNING IN THE SINK?


OFFICER KELLER SAW THE SUCTION BULB?


OFFICER KELLER EVEN CHECKED THE BULB AND IT HAD GUNK IN THE NOZZLE?


KELLER SAW A WET WASH CLOTH WITH GUNK ON IT?


KELLER SAW THE DIAPER WITH DIAHREA EXPOSED ON THE FLOOR WHERE HE TOLD ANTWAN SAID IT WAS?


THE OFFICERS COULD HAVE COLLECTED THESE OBJECTS?


THE OFFICERS CHOSE NOT TO COLLECT THESE OBJECTS?


CAPTAIN WIGGINS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE?


OFFICER THOMAS ARRIVED AND BEGAN COLLECTING INFO?


DO YOU KNOW WHAT INFO OFFICER THOMAS COLLECT?


CAPTAIN WIGGINS ALLOWED MR TEAGLE TO SECURE THE HOME AND GO TO THE HOSPITAL?


IF ANYONE HAD EVEN BEEN SUSPICIOUS ABOUT ANTWAN TEAGLE HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO BE WITH SINCERE?


THE OFFICERS AND EMS PERSONNEL AT THE SCENE LET ANTWAN LEAVE WITH SINCERE, DIDN’T THEY?


KELLER CHECKED WITH CAPTAIN WIGGINS BEFORE HE LEFT THE SCENE


KELLER TOLD HIS CAPT THE ER STAFF WAS WORKING ON THE CHILD AND THE CHILD APPEARED STABLE, CORRECT?


ISN’T IT TRUE THAT, NONE OF THE EMS OR ONSLOW MEMORIAL HOSPITAL STAFF MADE ANY REPORT OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE AGAINST THIS CHILD?


YOU DID NOT RESPOND TO THE CALL BUT YOU DID COMMUNICATE WITH CAPTAIN WIGGINS ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS ON 12-5-00, CORRECT?

ISN’T IT TRUE THAT, NO REPORT WAS MADE AT THAT TIME BECAUSE NO CRIME WAS SUSPECTED?


YOU, CAPTAIN WIGGINS, ALL THE EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AND THE HOSPITAL PERSONNEL ALL AGREED THAT THERE WAS NO REASON TO SUSPECT FOUL PLAY, CORRECT?


NO PICTURES


NO CRIME SCENE SEARCH


NO CANVASSING THE APARTMENT BUILDING FOR WITNESSES.


REPORT FROM PITT DOCTOR


STARLETT AND ANTWAN WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE YOU SPOKE WITH AFTER THE DOCTOR MADE THE REPORT, CORRECT?


HAVE TO DEAL WITH WITNESSES IN A CHILD ABUSE CASE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WAY THAN IN OTHER CASES LIKE ARMED ROBBERY, BECAUSE OF RELATIONS, INTEREST AND SUCH?


DID YOU EVER TRY TO GO TALK TO THE BABYSITTER, OR ANY FRIENDS OR THE FAMILY OR NEIGHBORS, OR ANY MEMBERS OF THE EXTENDED FAMILY?


DID THE SOCIAL WORKER TELL YOU ABOUT TALKING TO THE BABYSITTER? THE NEIGHBORS? OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS?


YOU TALKED WITH DSS WORKER?


YOU TALKED WITH THE DOCTOR AT PCMH?


PHYSICAL EVIDENCE


ROBBERY: GUN, MONEY, VIDEOTAPES FROM BANK, ETC


CHILD ABUSE: NOTHING


HERE THE POLICEMAN – WALKED THROUGH THE APARTMENT


WHAT HE SAW CORROBORATED TEAGLE?


NO EVIDENCE WAS SEIZED.


MIGHT HAVE SEIZED DIAPER OR MUCOUS OR TOWELS.


IF CHILD WAS SLAMMED AGAINST AN OBJECT IN THE APARTMENT YOU MIGHT EXPECT BLOOD TO BE ON THE WALL OR FLOOR, THE TOWEL OR SOME OBJECT OR SOMEWHERE?


NO ONE SAW ANY BLOOD?


NO EVIDENCE OR SIGNS OF AN ASSAULT, CORRECT?


FORENSIC LABORATORY TESTING


ROBBERY: FINGERPRINTS, TRACE EVIDENCE,


CHILD ABUSE: OFTEN NONE


SURELY COULD HAVE TAKEN PICTURES


DID NOT TAKE PICTURES?


COULD HAVE BUT CHOSE NOT TO?


BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE – BODILY FLUIDS?


MUCOUS AND FECES?


COLLECT IT?


GET SEARCH WARRANT AND GO BACK?


COULD HAVE?


CHOSE NOT TO?


HERE CHOSE NOT TO COLLECT CERTAIN AVAILABLE EVIDENCE


SINCE NO EVIDENCE WAS SEIZED WILL HAVE NO FORENSIC LAB TESTS


WANT PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, LAB TESTS AND WITNESS STATEMENTS


IN LOTS OF CASES POLICE HAVE ALL THREE


WANT ALL THREE IF YOU CAN GET IT?


DON’T WANT TO BE CAUGHT IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU ONLY HAVE ONE TYPE OF EVIDENCE?


ALL YOU DO HAVE ARE STATEMENTS


DID NOT EVEN CHOSE TO GET STATEMENTS FROM EVERYONE


CLOSED THIS CASE AS FAST AS YOU OPENED IT?


INTERROGATION IN THIS CASE


SO, SINCE THERE WAS NO EYEWITNESS AND THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE COLLECTED AND THERE WAS NO FORENSIC LABORATORY EVIDENCE AND SINCE NO NEIGHBORS OR BABYSITTERS, OR PRIOR DOCTORS OR FAMILY MEMBERS WERE INTERVIEWED, THEN THE WITNESS STATEMENTS BECAME OVERWHELMING IMPORTANT IN THIS CASE?


AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT THESE WITNESS INTERROGATIONS WERE PROPERLY GATHERED AND PRESERVED IS MUCH GREATER IN A CHILD ABUSE CASE?


AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT THESE TWO PARTICULAR WITNESS INTERROGATIONS WERE PROPERLY GATHERED AND PRESERVED WAS MUCH GREATER IN THIS CASE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THIS WOULD COMPRISE YOUR TOTAL INVESTIGATION IN THIS CASE, CORRECT?


AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT THESE TWO WITNESS INTERROGATIONS WERE PROPERLY GATHERED AND PRESERVED WAS MUCH GREATER BECAUSE THERE WERE NO OTHER TYPES OF EVIDENCE?


SPECIAL TRAINING IN CHILD ABUSE


SPECIAL TRAINING IN QUESTIONING CARETAKERS IN CHILD ABUSE


STUDY


OPENED ENDED OR CLOSED ENDED QUESTIONS


WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF USING EACH


IDENTIFYING SUBJECT


DID YOU ASK ANTWAN OR STARLETT HOW LONG THEY HAD BEEN AT UP?


THEY GOT UP AT 4 AM ON 12-5-00 AND YOU WERE SEEING THEM AT 10:00 AM 12-6-00?


IT WAS 30 HOURS LATER AND THEY HAD BEEN AT THE HOSPITAL WITH THE BABY, CORRECT?


HAD YOU EVER MET THE TEAGLE’S BEFORE?


WHERE DID YOU TALK WITH THEM?


TALKED TO THEM FIRST TIME BUT DID NOT ASK EITHER OF THEM TO WRITE ANY STATEMENT THEN, CORRECT?


DID YOU TAKE RECORD THAT PART?


DID YOU TAKE NOTES?


WHO WAS PRESENT?


DOESN’T JPD HAVE A POLICY OF TWO DETECTIVES BEING PRESENT DURING AN INTERROGATIONS?


DID NOT FOLLOW THE JPD POLICY?


WELL, THERE WERE SOCIAL WORKERS PRESENT?


DID NOT CHOOSE TO INVOLVE SOCIAL WORKER


ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING A VERBATIM RECORD OF AN INTERROGATION?


DID YOU MAKE A VIDEOTAPE?


DID YOU MAKE AN AUDIOTAPE?


SO YOUR REPORT IS THE ONLY RECORD


DID YOU TAKE ANY PICTURES OF THE INJURED CHILD?


DID YOU HAVE ANY ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS BEFORE YOU INTERROGATED ANTWAN TEAGLE?


WHAT WAS YOUR ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS?


SO ONE OF YOUR HYPOTHESIS WAS THAT ANOTHER ADULT IN THE HOME MAY HAVE INJURED THE CHILD?


NOT WEARING A UNIFORM


SHOW BADGE.


READ RIGHTS


WEARING WEAPON THAT WAS VISIBLE


INTERROGATED THE SUSPECT TWO TIMES


DID NOT REDUCE FIRST SESSION TO WRITING, DID YOU?


COULD HAVE?


CHOSE NOT TO?


ANTWAN & STARLETT WERE BOTH FULLY COOPERATIVE?


YOUR REPORT CONTAINS THE WRONG DATE ON REPORT?


YOU TALKED TO ANTWAN ON 12-6-00, NOT 12-5-00, CORRECT?


YOU BROUGHT UP SUBJECT OF PLAYING ROUGH WITH THE CHILDREN DIDN’T YOU?


DID ANYONE SUGGEST THAT APPROACH?


ASKED ABOUT BOUNCING ON KNEE?


ANTWAN HAD TOLD DR. FIORDALISIS THAT HE PLAYED WITH THE CHILDREN?


INTERROGATION TECHNIQUE OR TACTIC?


NO TIME REFERENCE IN STATEMENT?


DID NOT HAVE SUSPECT WRITE STATEMENT?


BEST TO HAVE THE SUSPECTS OWN WORDS AND DESCRIPTIONS ISN’T IT?


COULD HAVE?


CHOSE NOT TO


DID NOT RECORD STATEMENT


COULD HAVE?


CHOSE NOT TO?


STATEMENT


YOU ARE TAUGHT TO INCLUDE EVERYTHING IN A SUSPECTS STATEMENT AREN’T YOU?


WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE EVERYTHING?


YOU DID NOT CHOOSE TO INCLUDE ALL THE THINGS THAT ANTWAN TEAGLE TOLD YOU IN THE STATEMENT DID YOU?


YOU WROTE THE STATEMENT, DIDN’T YOU?


YOU COULD HAVE LET HIM WRITE HIS OWN STATEMENT, COULDN’T YOU?


YOU CHOOSE NOT TO LET HIM WRITE HIS OWN STATEMENT, CORRECT?


THE WORDS IN THE STATEMENT WERE CHOSEN BY YOU, WEREN’T THEY?


THE WORDS WERE NOT QUOTED FROM ANTWAN, WERE THEY?


YOU HAVE NO REFERENCE IN THE STATEMENT TO WHEN HE PLAYED WITH THE CHILDREN?


SINCE NO ONE CAN WRITE AS FAST AS SOMEONE CAN TALK, YOU DID NOT GET ANTWAN’S EXACT WORDS?


SOME OF YOUR WORD CHOICES SLIPPED IN?


WAS IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS SAYING OR WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO DESCRIBE AT TIMES?


DID YOU ASK THE MOTHER TO SIGN RELEASES SO YOU COULD GET THE CHILDREN’S MEDICAL RECORD?


OTHER THAN TALKING TO THE PCMH DOCTOR DID YOU TALK WITH ANYONE ELSE?


OMH?


EMTS? FIREMEN?


NAVAL HOSPITAL DOCTORS?


DOCTORS AT NHRMC?


DID YOU SEEK ANY MEDICAL RECORDS OR TESTS RELEASES BY PARENTS, SUBPOENA OR SEARCH WARRANT?


DID YOU KNOW THAT THE SOCIAL WORKER SAID ANTWAN TEAGLE DID NOT INTERPRET HIS STATEMENT AS BEING ANY ADMISSION OF A CRIME?


WHERE IS STARLETT’S STATEMENT?


WHO WAS WITH CHILD IN SEVENTY-TWO HOUR PERIOD BEFORE 6 AM ON 12-5-00?

DSS CRITICISED YOU FOR BEING SLOW TO MAKE THE ARREST?


TEAGLE TURNED HIMSELF IN AFTER BEING CHARGED WITH MURDER?


DR CABINUM-FOELLER TOLD YOU THAT THE TWIN SHOULD ALSO BE EXAMINED DIDN’T SHE?


BUT SHE DID NOT EXAMINE THE TWIN, DID SHE?