Opinion ID: 2359622
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Defendant's Statement to Police

Text: After defendant surrendered to the police, he gave a tape-recorded statement in which he admitted the shootings. Defendant told police that he, his wife, his sister, Beverly Laufenberger, and his brother-in-law, Greg Laufenberger, were playing cards and drinking the night before the shooting. His brother-in-law suggested that they go out into the desert. The following morning they left, taking with them a .22-caliber pump rifle and a case of 500 shells. They started out with two six-packs of beer, then stopped and bought another six-pack. Their car had been giving them trouble. After arriving in the desert, defendant drove down a dirt road and had to slam on the brakes to avoid going into a ditch. After that, the car would not start. Defendant and Laufenberger left the car. They were drinking beers and were pretty high when they came upon the victims making their film. They asked for a ride into town. They walked back to their car, and unsuccessfully tried to start it again. They headed back to the filming location. On the way they saw the two women driving away. Defendant asked them for a ride into town and they said no. Defendant and his brother-in-law went back to where the male victims were filming and sat and watched them. At one point Wyatt came up and spoke to defendant. He drank some of defendant's beer and fired off defendant's rifle before returning to the set. Defendant and Laufenberger left again and went out into the desert where they shot tin cans and drank beer. As it began to get dark, they returned to the film location. The victims were lighting this tree on fire and dancing around it or something and ... this one person I think a girl ... had this pistol and she was shootin[g] off... and this guy was taking pictures. Defendant saw them heading toward their car and he and Laufenberger approached them. About 30 feet from the victims' car, something went bang and it came toward defendant. He started firing in the direction of the victims. Defendant fired all his bullets and was putting some more in when he heard his brother-in-law shout, Throw out your gun. Then he saw someone running toward him and he started firing again. After the shooting stopped, Laufenberger told defendant let's get in their car, but defendant said no because he saw gas or something leaking from it. They started running. Defendant said he was scared and just mixed up. They again tried to start their car but it would not start. Eventually, they hitchhiked back to a gas station where they called their families. Defendant's wife came to pick them up. Later, defendant surrendered to the police. Throughout the interview, defendant referred to his heavy drinking on the day of the shootings, saying, for example, I don't think I've ever drank that much before. He denied having told his brother-in-law that they should shoot the victims and take their car. He said, I remember we were talking about something like that and he was asking me if ... I thought I could kill anybody. I told him I didn't know. He also indicated that his memory was unclear about the events: I can remember when I shot or something [but] I don't even know how many times I shot. My brother-in-law said ... I filled my clip twice or three times but I don't know. He insisted that he had only started shooting in response to hearing shots from the victims because he was afraid that someone was trying to hurt me or something.