Providing a Voluntary DNA sample
Police detectives and prosecutors have insinuated that I
refused to provide a voluntary DNA sample, and that my failure to do so implied
guilt. This is a terrible misrepresentation of what really occurred.
In July of 2000, Florida detectives travelled to Easton,
Maryland where I was living. A Maryland detective called my home one morning
asking me to come to the police station for questioning concerning an assault.
I agreed to come.
At the police station 2 officers identified themselves as
Maryland detectives and lied to me stating the Police Captains’ son had been assaulted
in my neighborhood and that I fit the description of the assailant. They then
asked me to provide a voluntary DNA sample.
I agreed to give the sample. However because I was
being accused of committing a felony assault which I knew I had not done-and
suspected never happened- I asked the detectives to allow me to call my attorney
to be present for the collection. A detective actually said that they could not
allow calling my lawyer! The officers then began acting strangely and tried
repeatedly to trick me into leaving DNA behind.
First a detective took me to a parking garage to smoke. While
smoking I noticed the officer was staring at my cigarette and acting nervous. I
realized he had hoped to collect the butt so I put the cigarette out and placed
the butt behind my ear. The detective turned visibly red and I started to feel
threatened by their actions.
Next the second detective gave me a bottle of water. I didn’t
realize their intent until I moved to open the bottle and both investigators
zeroed in on it. I did not open the bottle because of how strange the police
were acting. I was very confused as to why they would act like this so I
requested my lawyer again and wasn’t allowed to call him AGAIN!
Finally detectives asked me to sign several forms and seal
them in envelopes. I signed each form but wrote on the bottom of each, “I do
not refuse, just want my lawyer present.” This form can be downloaded below. I
put the form in the envelopes but did not seal them. One of the officers
encouraged me to lick them and I told them that it was the 3rd time
he tried to get my lips on something and he could seal them himself. I then
told them that unless I could call my attorney, I was leaving and I left.
As you can see, I never refused to give a DNA sample. I
wanted to give my DNA. I had nothing to hide. All I wanted was a lawyer! Once
the police began their tricks that were so blatantly obviously through their
facial expressions and their physical demeanor, I had no intention of providing
my DNA without a lawyer.
The detectives actions were so illegal that the trial Judge suppressed
this evidence and the Jury never heard about the bizarre encounter.
Rather than question why I didn’t fall for police trickery;
people should have asked why the police refused to let me have an attorney
present after lying to me about a fictitious crime. Why not just tell me I was
a suspect in Parker's murder? And then request a DNA sample? The only logical explanation
is that Detective Billy Carlyle was up to no good.
It is unfortunate that Dateline failed to thoroughly
investigate this encounter and aired such a distorted perspective of what truly
happened.
***Next post; Detective Billy Carlyle
