Opinion ID: 471405
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 2 In January, 1981, Valerie Endsley was beaten and kidnapped by her sister, her former lover, and various other acquaintances, who feared that Endsley was involved in a murder plot. This case arises from that kidnapping. 3 Endsley flew from New York City to Tampa, Florida, on Friday, January 23, to visit her sister, Elizabeth King. James Thomas traveled from Detroit to Tampa on the same day to deliver some jewelry to Peter Martin, Sr. King picked up Thomas and Endsley at the airport and took them to Martin's house, where she also lived. 4 King and her guests were met at the house by Martin and Gerald White. The entire group sat up talking and using cocaine until sunrise on Saturday morning. Saturday night, Endsley's troubles began when King struck her on the head with a bottle. 5 On Sunday, White, King and Martin began to discuss their suspicion that Endsley had come to Tampa for the purpose of killing Martin and/or King. Throughout the day, White, King and Martin discussed the so-called hit and questioned Endsley about her involvement. She denied knowing anything about any plot to kill Martin. Endsley suffered no violence on this day, but Martin told her, in the presence of White and King, that she could not go back to New York until he had found out more about the hit. White, King and Martin stayed up all night questioning Endsley. 6 While King, White and Martin played central roles as Endsley's interrogation got under way, others appeared to observe or lend support to the investigation. James Thomas was present throughout the day and night. Willie Thomas arrived sometime in the evening and stayed for an unknown length of time. At some point on Sunday, Lanhandrow McCray brought some guns into the house at Martin's request. 7 The interrogation of Endsley continued (although not without interruption) on Monday into the evening and, again, overnight. Willie Thomas and McCray were present Monday morning. 8 At some point, Martin called Jimmy Taylor to come in from Detroit. Taylor arrived on Tuesday bringing three pistols with him. Upon his arrival he immediately began interrogating Endsley in the presence of White, King, Martin and James Thomas. Sometime Tuesday evening, Martin, King, White, Taylor and Willie Thomas began to beat Endsley. Taylor struck her over the head with a pistol. King broke a whiskey bottle over her head. White and Willie Thomas kicked her repeatedly. 9 When they had tired of beating Endsley, Martin, White, Taylor, King and Willie Thomas went into an upstairs bedroom to talk. After a while they brought Endsley into the room and locked the door. She was later removed from the room dressed in different clothing and Martin, White, Taylor, King and Willie Thomas were present as she was taken out to a camper with her head covered by a field jacket. White and Taylor drove away with Endsley early Wednesday morning. 10 In their absence, Martin and King interrogated James Thomas, suspicious that he was connected to the plan to kill Peter Martin. Thomas was held at the Martin residence at gun point by Willie Thomas and McCray. 11 White and Taylor drove to a Holiday Inn outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Because the camper had been giving them trouble, White called Martin in Tampa and a decision was made to return to Tampa. Martin reported to James Thomas, King and Willie Thomas that White and Taylor were near Atlanta and had decided to return. White, Taylor and Endsley arrived back in Tampa at approximately 2:00 a.m. on Friday, January 30. When he walked into the house, White stated that he was tired as he had just driven from Atlanta. Endsley was put to bed and James Thomas continued to be held at gun point. 12 Later that morning, James Thomas escaped and hid in a neighbor's yard. That neighbor called the police to report a prowler, and Tampa Police Sergeant Jimmy Frederick and Corporal Pricher responded to the call at approximately 5:00 a.m. Frederick and Pricher found Thomas in the neighbor's yard, and he told them about the events of the preceding days. 13 Going to the Martin residence, the police encountered McCray and Willie Thomas in the yard. King eventually came out. Having been advised of James Thomas' claim that someone in the house had been severely beaten, King claimed that her sister was ill and sleeping in bed. The officers refused to leave before seeing Endsley, and they waited until King and Thomas helped her walk out of the house. She was obviously severely beaten. 14 An ambulance was called. After Endsley was placed in the ambulance, Corporal Pricher spoke with her for about five minutes. He immediately reported to Frederick that her story pretty well corroborated James Thomas' statements. King, Willie Thomas, Taylor, White and Martin were then arrested at the house. 15 During the state investigation of the kidnapping, Gerald White gave statements to the Tampa police. White's statements revealed that he had participated in the beating and kidnapping and that Endsley had been taken across state lines. Before giving the statements, he was told by assistant state attorney Norman S. Cannella that his cooperation would be reported to a state judge who had just revoked White's probation and sentenced him to fifteen years and that pending state charges arising from the kidnapping would be dismissed if White provided information of sufficient value to warrant such actions. 1 Before admitting anything to the police, however, White signed statements indicating that his statements were given freely and voluntarily and that no promises had been made to induce his consent to the interview. 16 After all state charges against the defendants were dismissed or nolle prossed, King, White, Taylor, Martin and Willie Thomas were indicted on federal charges of kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap and were tried together. At trial, James Thomas testified about events at the Martin house, before and after Endsley was driven to Atlanta. Endsley corroborated much of Thomas' testimony and added testimony about her trip in the van. Inculpatory statements against White and Willie Thomas were introduced against those defendants. Various other witnesses, mostly law enforcement officers, testified against the defendants. 17 All defendants were convicted on both counts, with Martin and Taylor receiving two concurrent fifteen-year sentences, White receiving two concurrent six-year sentences and King receiving a six-month sentence for the conspiracy conviction and a suspended sentence and three years probation for kidnapping. All defendants except Willie Thomas filed notices of appeal. (Additional facts relevant to the particular allegations of error raised by appellants will be set forth as needed.)