Opinion ID: 2639434
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: December k, 198k Taped Interview

Text: On December 4,1984, El Dorado County Sheriffs deputies Sergeant Wilson and Detective Harnage again interviewed Darlene. Darlene's stepfather was present. Sergeant Wilson asked Darlene if she recalled everything that I told you at the house today about what could happen, and, things like that and offered her immunity from prosecution, adding: So, don't be scared about going to jail, because I don't think that you have done anything that you can go to jail for, but we wannawe have to make sure. Sergeant Wilson then asked, Why don't you tell everything that you know about Denise? Darlene informed them that petitioner, at the Exxon station, had indeed admitted that he killed Denise and that he intended to kill Joanna but she ran away. Darlene said this conversation took place [b]efore he got a hold of Debbie but, when prompted, agreed it occurred a day after Debbie disappeared. Darlene said he picked up Denise and Joanna to go to a party but instead took them to the woods. He said he grabbed Denise, stabbed her and strangled her, took off her clothes, and laid her body by a log. Darlene stated that petitioner picked up Lynda, told her he was going to take her to a party, and pretty soon he takes her to North South Road, where Denise is, and he says he did the same thing as to Denise. Took all her clothes off, and everything and threw them away, and they were both in the same places as Debbie and Denise. Petitioner said he left Lynda's body close to Denise. Darlene added that petitioner first said he took off Denise and Lynda's clothes, handcuffed them, tied their feet with his hiking rope, had sex with them while they were alive and then stabbed them. She said petitioner learned to tie weird knots in the Cub Scouts. Petitioner told Darlene he was paid $150 to kill Denise and Debbie, and was paid $120 to kill Lynda. Darlene said petitioner told her he seen [Debbie] at the park and he was waiting for her to get done with the party and he seen her walking, so he pulled up, asked her [if she wanted] a ride up to the house and he took her up to the . .. same place. Petitioner added that he picked up Debbie after he dropped off Darlene, and he put Debbie's body somewhere further away from Lynda and Denise. He told her he threw Debbie's clothes off the bridge. She said petitioner married her so she could not testify against him and he would get [her] if she testified against him. She said she was too scared to have told the deputies this earlier. Sergeant Wilson asked Darlene if it worried her when he said she could be arrested if she withheld information. She replied yes. Sergeant Wilson told Darlene the threat of arrest [m]ade you start thinking about it. He added that she did not do anything wrong, but if she had done something wrong, that would be different, and they would have to talk about immunity. Darlene said petitioner told her he brandished a knife to get Denise and Joanna in his car. She then backtracked and said Denise made Joanna get in the car. She said that petitioner had contracts on many girls, including Joanna. Shirley W. arrived. She confirmed that petitioner had ended his relationship with Darlene on November 7, 1984. Darlene stated that petitioner finally told her about the murders because he already had a contract on me. When asked why he wanted these girls dead, Darlene said that petitioner told her if you have to kill these people ... the devil will not take their soul. She said that petitioner believed in devil worship. Darlene, contrary to her earlier statement, now said petitioner put Lynda's body close to Debbie's and Darlene's bodies, [b]y a log. She said petitioner never mentioned Ferrari Mill Road. She said she found Debbie's unicorn key chain underneath the front seat of petitioner's car while they were cleaning the car after Debbie's murder. Petitioner said, now you know, and that is when he decided to tell her everything. Darlene said petitioner told her to put the key chain back among Debbie's belongings at the foster home and be quiet about it. The sheriffs deputies later found the key chain among Debbie's belongings. It had no keys on it.