Opinion ID: 1571939
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Recorded, Challenged Portion of the Interrogation Rigterink's Fourth Story[14]

Text: Rigterink challenges only the admissibility of the recorded portion of his lengthy October 16, 2003, interrogation. The interrogation continued for approximately 3.5 hours before Rigterink received Miranda warnings. During the recording of Rigterink's confession, which was entered into evidence as State's exhibit 462, Rigterink first claimed that he was suffering from a case of food poisoning during the morning of September 24, 2003. He awoke at around 7 a.m. and called Jarvis at approximately noon. The call was [a]bout hooking up. And [Jarvis] said he had to go to Lakeland, he'd try to get there fast. And [Rigterink] said, why don't you go ahead and go, and I'll come over after. Hooking up, meant purchasing marijuana. Rigterink claimed that he later discovered Jarvis was also involved in the methamphetamine trade. At approximately 2:30 p.m. on September 24th, Jarvis returned Rigterink's call and informed him that the marijuana was available. Rigterink then drove his father's blue 1992 Toyota pickup to the warehouse complex. That day, Rigterink was wearing [b]lack shorts and a gray shirt and tennis shoes and a floppy desert-camouflage hat. When Rigterink traveled to Jarvis's home on the 24th, he carried a black Jansport backpack in which he placed a black hunting knife with a ten- or eleven-inch blade that began straight but curved toward its tip. Rigterink also carried an off-white Nike T-shirt inside this backpack, which he planned to wear later that afternoon. At that point, Rigterink had owned the knife for approximately ten years. When Rigterink arrived at the complex, he parked immediately outside unit 5. Rigterink was unaccompanied and he explained to the detectives that he always carried a bag with him to Jarvis's home to conceal his marijuana purchases. Jarvis's front door was partially open, but Rigterink knocked nonetheless, and Jarvis allowed him to enter. Rigterink and Jarvis did not consume any drugs or alcohol during this visit. However, Rigterink claimed that he was still somewhat ill from his case of food poisoning. Rigterink described the remaining events through a series of five Polaroid snapshots. Once he entered unit 5, he and Jarvis spoke briefly about the new batch of marijuana, and then Jarvis began to reach under his sofa to retrieve something. This is the last thing that Rigterink remembered before being locked up in a struggle with Jarvis near the front door of unit 5. In the midst of the interrogation, Rigterink offered to draw a diagram to accompany his verbal and physical descriptions of these events. This diagram was eventually entered into evidence as State's exhibit 466. As part of the first Polaroid snapshot, Rigterink stated that he saw himself locked up with Jarvis and perceived that he had the hunting knife in his hand and that he was covered in blood. Rigterink claimed that he did not realize that Jarvis had been stabbed until they both exited unit 5, and Jarvis pulled off his T-shirt, thereby exposing his wounds. When they moved outside, Rigterink saw himself standing, while Jarvis was kneeling, which is consistent with the testimony of the male eyewitness presented at trial. Rigterink could not remember if he was attempting to help or harm Jarvis. Rigterink then recalled a second Polaroid snapshot: I remember being there. I can tell you exactly the position we were in.... And I remember I was holding onto him. I don't know if I had the knife in my hand because I thought I had him with two hands, but I know I still had the knife in my hand, holding onto him. And the next thing I remember  I don't  I don't remember at all.... [A]nd in any event, the next thing I remember is running. I think I was right behind him. He then transitioned to a third Polaroid snapshot, this time within unit 1: And the ... next image I have is [Jarvis] swinging a bubble gum dispenser at me. Rigterink claimed that he was not bruised or cut the next day, but he felt as though he had sprained his wrist. He agreed that his sprain might have been from the jarring of the knife. Rigterink then recalled a fourth Polaroid snapshot: He ran down a long hallway in unit 1 and jumped into or ran through the doorway separating the rear-office area from the warehouse area. Rigterink said that he may have injured his wrist by hitting the door. Rigterink then segued into his fifth Polaroid snapshot: And the last thing I remember is looking at the girl [Allison Sousa]. I didn't even see Jeremy [Jarvis] in the back room. And then I hauled ass. Rigterink claimed that he checked Sousa's pulse. He did not know if she had one because he was freaked out. Rigterink was emphatic that he did not remember stabbing either victim. He did not remember seeing Jarvis after the third Polaroid snapshot. When asked about the issue of paying for the marijuana that day, Rigterink claimed that Jarvis was simply going to give him the marijuana free of charge. After these events, Rigterink claimed that he removed his bloody shirt and ran back into unit 1 to retrieve the backpack before leaving. Rigterink then opined to the interrogating detectives that he had self-diagnosed potential psychological problems. He did not remember any type of argument with Jarvis; rather, he claimed that he simply blacked out. He stated that on at least two prior occasions he had blacked out and severely beaten others: once in Miami and once in Tampa. For a time, he consulted a drug-rehabilitation therapist  Julie Dantzler  but he was above her head. He suggested that his conduct was related to his self-diagnosed mental-health problems. Rigterink then described his drive away from the crime scene: I remember being at [a traffic] light and looking down and being covered in blood. When Rigterink looked down and discovered that he was covered in blood, he thought [w]hat the fck happened. At that moment, he determined that it would be best to get rid of the knife and the backpack because they were obviously evidence at that time that something had happened. Rigterink claimed that he threw the knife and the black backpack over a bridge that he crossed on his way home (despite searching, the PCSO never recovered these evidentiary items). The knife and the backpack had been lying on the passenger-side floorboard of the Toyota pickup, which explains the blood that the CSTs later found in that area of the vehicle. Once he returned home, Rigterink took a shower but he did not remember if he cleaned the Toyota pickup. With the exception of his shorts and tennis shoes, all of the clothing that he wore during the attacks was in the black Jansport backpack that he threw over the bridge. Therefore, on the following day, Thursday, September 25, 2003, he washed his shorts and shoes and placed them in a Tupperware bin in his closet. He later placed these shoes and shorts in the garbage, which was picked up on the following day, September 26, 2003 (this later action roughly coincided with the PCSO detectives' first visit to Rigterink's condo). After cleaning up on the 24th, Rigterink took his dog with him to his parents' home. The following exchange between Detective Raczynski is indicative of the type of response Rigterink offered with regard to why he did not render aid or call 911: Raczynski: So after you left and you realize what you had done[,] did you think to maybe call somebody to make sure that [Jarvis and Sousa] were okay or what were you thinking? Rigterink: No thought process at all.... Everything was all ... black. After the fact it was a blur. I don't remember individual actions I took or places I went or people I talked to. Rigterink claimed that by [t]hat Friday[, September 26, 2003,] I knew that I'd done it.... I don't remember the event but I knew what had happened. Rigterink stated that he did not discuss the killings with anyone or tell anyone what he had done. After this information was obtained, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Detective Connolly called an assistant state attorney to ensure that he had probable cause to arrest Rigterink. Once he had the attorney's approval, Detective Connolly arrested Rigterink and placed him in PCSO custody. Rigterink's parents were still waiting in the lobby at this time, and PCSO personnel then told them that they should return home without their son. Rigterink was 32 years old when he provided his confession and, until his arrest, he was not placed in handcuffs or otherwise restrained.