Opinion ID: 1249958
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Garcia's Second Statement

Text: On July 9, Garcia went to the police station and the investigating officers confronted him with inconsistencies in his earlier statement and with L.C.'s son's statement that, Daddy did it. Garcia became visibly upset and admitted he had stabbed L.C. He made a second videotaped statement in which he related a substantially different version of the events that took place on the night of L.C.'s stabbing. Garcia said that at approximately 11:35 p.m. he came home upset after playing baseball. Although family members and friends were visiting L.C., Garcia went upstairs, took a bath, and laid down in L.C.'s bedroom. L.C. came upstairs and asked him what was wrong. Garcia told her he was upset because he did not get to start the game. They talked for a while and then had sexual intercourse. Afterwards, L.C. told Garcia she had heard that he was still having sex with his former girlfriend. Garcia told L.C. he loved only her, but she insisted that he was being unfaithful. Garcia became distraught and exclaimed, Babe, if you don't believe me, nobody believes me, it ain't worth livin'. He went downstairs to the kitchen and was followed by L.C. Garcia grabbed a knife and as he raised the knife above his head to stab himself in the chest, L.C. ran towards him crying, Larry, no! She grabbed his arm, but Garcia could not stop the knife and L.C. was stabbed in the chest. When the investigating officers asked Garcia why he had given a different statement on the morning after the stabbing, he told them, I was scared. He said that there had never been an intruder and that he had come up with the story after hearing a neighbor talk about seeing a curly-haired stranger wearing jeans but no shirt behind the apartment. At trial, Garcia's theory of defense was that an intruder stabbed L.C. Garcia testified that the statement he made in the first videotaped interview was the truth and that the second statement was given while he was upset and depressed and was a lie. He claimed the second story was a product of anything that popped into my head. In closing argument, defense counsel endeavored to convince the jury that the first statement was true and that the second statement was the product of Garcia's depression.