'We'll give you the death penalty': How police 'forced innocent boy, 12, to confess to stranglin

'We'll give you the death penalty': How police 'forced innocent boy, 12, to confess to strangling his sister, 11'

www.dai lymail.co.uk

A 12-year-old boy found guilty of murdering his 11-year-old sister said he was forced to confess to the murder after hours of 'terrifying' police interrogation - although he had nothing to do with it.

Police suspected Thomas Cogdell, now 18, had strangled his sister at their Camden, Arkansas home after his shock at her death stunned him into silence. Hours later, he admitted he was to blame.

Although found guilty, Cogdell insists he had no part in her murder and was coerced into a confession.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The article goes on to say :

During questioning following the 2006 crime, the boy - an intelligent bookworm - told police 36 times he had had no part in the killing.

But when he asked for food, officers switched off the tape recorder. Three-and-a-half hours later they switched it on again - and Cogdell confessed to the murder.

They had allegedly used tactics such as threatening him with the death penalty. He was unaware a child cannot be sentenced to such a penalty.

He eventually told police he had snapped because his sister was bossy and he put the bags over her head to teach her a lesson, The Commerical Appeal reported.

But in reality, he had made up the confession, believing that DNA evidence would clear him.

Police had told him they found a fingerprint on the plastic bags. He can be heard at the end of the recording whispering to his mother: 'I didn't do it. It's OK, Mom. They won't find my fingerprints.'

Interview: Cogdell's mother, Melody Jones, is treated more compassionately than her son during interrogation. Cogdell believes his mother, who had a history of mental illness, is guilty of killing Kaylee

Cogdell said when the recorder was off, he was told he could go home if he told investigators he was to blame and he'd go to jail if he didn't, according to The Commerical Appeal.

But in at least 36 recorded denials, he is heard pleading with police.

'I wouldn't kill my sister. I didn't do it, OK?,' he said. 'I didn't. I didn't kill my sister. Is there any way I can prove that to you?'

Crying, he offered to swear on a Bible or take a polygraph test.

One of the detectives asked: 'What are you crying for?'

He responded: 'Because you are accusing me of something I didn't do -- of killing my sister.'

When police left, Thomas let out shrill cries and said to himself: 'Why? ... I didn't do it, but they won't believe me. Help. I'm scared.'

Memphis defense attorney Gray Bartlett told The Commerical Appeal that police are often trained in the type of military tactics used in questioning suspected terrorists.

'It's so contrary to common sense,' he said of false confessions. 'But what happens in these interrogation rooms is that they break down people's will.'

Steve Drizin, a lawyer with the Center on Wrongful Conviction of Youth, said: 'The interrogation is one of the most riveting examples of psychological torture I have ever seen.'

This is a terrible story, the poor kid has spent 2 years in jail and hasnt been cleared. I cant help thinking where was the kids legal representative? Police should not be allowed to interview a child without at least a court appointed lawyer present.

Why would the police zero in on a 12 yr old child described as "an intelligent bookworm" rather than the mental ill mother?

The police mentally tortured that kid with blatant lies. How can the police justify using tactics like this against a child?

www.dai lymail.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Its easier to use fear to get what you want then brains and time. Kids are often lied to and treated with alot less respect because they haven't learnt to stand up for them selves and have been taught that two wrongs don't make it right. This is why the world has become corrupt.

A tragedy in all respects. My thoughts go out to the family as well as the young man. Sadly, that is exactly the way law enforcement operates here in Arkansas. They have a "good 'ole boy" mentality. IMO they would much prefer to look good for their buddies in their new camo's and gun belts than to solve a murder. The fact that they bullied and scared this young man into confessing is a sign that they were "showboating" to close the case. Kinda reminds me of the way that the West Mephis Three case was handled.

this case instantly reminded me of this one:

Micheal Crow.
14 years old.
accused of killing his 12 year old sister.
they got a false confession out of him as well

allmost exactly the same!

sickening interrogation.

i've seen the whole show.

this is just a tidbit.



Micheal Crow History

On the morning of January 21, 1998, the Crowe family of Escondido, California awoke to a horrific nightmare. Family members found 12-year-old Stephanie Crowe lying on her bedroom floor drenched in blood. She had been stabbed approximately nine times at some point in the late evening or early morning hours. The police were immediately called to the scene. As word spread throughout the community, everyone wondered who was responsible for committing such a horrendous act.

It didn’t take the police long to answer that question. The Crowe Family After Stephanie’s body was discovered, the police separately interviewed each member of the entire Crowe family. They specifically focused their attention on Stephanie’s 14-year-old brother Michael, who was questioned for 27 hours over a 3-day period, Patricia Smith reported in a 2003 New York Times Upfront article. They also extensively interviewed two of his closest friends.

revolting

What an incredible abuse and miscarriage of justice that fits in with the Satanists running the US and world. People need to demand they get him out NOW.

reply to post by PhoenixOD


Like its not bad enough to lose your sister. This is pure torture. The police should not be allowed to lie in an interrogation. If a suspect lies they can be held accountable for several crimes such as "impeding an active investigation," "resisting arrest without violence," "lying to a police officer," and even perjury in some cases. Yet, the police can lie to a child and get away with it?

This is so sad. I'm getting more and more sentimental these days, and hearing a child cry and scream and plead just really tears me apart inside, and it makes me want to tear someone else apart!

If he didn't do it, then there are two other possibilities. The Mom did... or there is an unidentified child killer on the lose.

Sweet Dreams!

reply to post by PhoenixOD


Reminds me of the case of the West Memphis Three. One of whom was considered mentally retarded. They basically scared the crap out of the kid and then tricked him into confessing that all three boys were responsible for the deaths of three little kids.

If you haven't read up on the case, you really should. It's remarkable what corruption, incompetence and religious fanaticism did. There are several documentaries about the case.

The three were eventually released last year, but again had to agree that they were guilty to be freed. That shows you how messed up the system is. Even though they were innocent, and released because of it, they still had to remove all accusations of corruption and incompetence from the officers, judge and prosecution at their original trials.

It really is sickening how US Police operate. And while I have no doubt there are some decent cops out there, it seems that every week there's a new story or video of a cop beating people, falsifying evidence, involved in corruption...
We have the same bad apples in the UK too of course.

And then they wonder why people don't trust them!

reply to post by PhoenixOD


Wow is that disturbing... every single one of those police officers should lose their jobs and be charged with false imprisonment of a minor. I hope the guy gets a big ass payoff from the state for totally destroying his life.. The article makes one point very clear: These are military interrogation tactics. I say it over and over again, allowing soldiers to become police officers is exactly the same thing as being policed by the military.

reply to post by anarky1965


Inexcusable.. There is nothing the police can say that would justify their behavior in this. Subjecting a minor to that type of questioniing is BS and law enforcement should know better. If moms mental status is being called into question, then the consent (if it was even asked) given to interview a minor should also be questioned. Even if consent was given it requires a miranda waiver with parental signatures to validate it, and again if mental status is an issue etc....

Its permissible to lie during questioning / interrogations - up to a point. The reason its a bad idea is exactly what occured in this case - coercion. It would be the same as telling a mother of 2 that if she doesnt cooperate and give information her kids will be taken. It places the individual into a position of survival for lack of a better term. The mindset becomes if I dont tell them what they want, then this could happen to me etc.

An investigation should be conducted into the incident at the local / state level, a refresher course for the officers invovled in the finer points of interrogation and minors and the FBI should look into any potential civil rights violations.

Disgusting behavior, I expect better from UK law enforcement.

2nd line

This is despicable.

That boy is probably mentally scarred for life now! I'm horrified that these tactics were employed - it's beyond callous. Are these sick people so target driven to 'close' cases that they don't care about coercing children through fear. This is nothing short of evil!

Originally posted by Kluute
Disgusting behavior, I expect better from UK law enforcement.

2nd line

This was Camden, Arkansas not London. It's US law enforcement we're talking here.

reply to post by Kluute


you do realise this happened in u.s. not u.k.?not saying the u.k. police don't do this,they do.you have to be a certain type to want to be a cop or military,not someone who questions anything,blind follower type(i was only following orders).in general not very nice people.

Originally posted by kundalini

Originally posted by Kluute
Disgusting behavior, I expect better from UK law enforcement.

2nd line

This was Camden, Arkansas not London. It's US law enforcement we're talking here.

the u.k is not london,typical american.(only i thought you all called u.k. engerland!)

Am I the only one who is wondering why there isn't an adult present??? Perhaps it is because the appropriate adult in this case would be his mother. Never, ever, should a child be questioned without an adult supervising on behalf of the child. This poor kid really never had a chance and I place the blame on his mother. He really had no protection in life much less in the interrogation room.

And the cops wonder why they are despised and not trusted? Really!?!?

When I was a teen I was aggressively questioned regarding several home break-ins that had occurred in the neighborhood. They pressured me continually to confess to the crimes despite the following facts: A red Honda Accord was seen parked in the street the same time the crimes were comitted and no one in the neighborhood owned one. 2 black teens were seen in one of the back yards the same day of the break-ins. Some of the stolen items were recovered from a pawn shop clear on the other side of town. I am white, was 14 years old, couldn't even drive less own a car and had a rock-solid alibi - I was in school during the break-ins. Oh, and I had NEVER been in trouble either with the law or sta school - I was a good kid.

Despite all of that the cops continued to state that they had proof that I had done it and that unless I confessed, I would "Spend the rest of [my] life in jail." The only tie to these three homes was that I mowed their lawns for summer money. Our community was very tight-knit and dozens of neighbors stood in my defense but that proved fruitless. It wasn't until my father, an attorney, stepped in and threatened the city with a lawsuit that they stopped harassing me and my family.

The perps were arrested 2 months later breaking into another home in our city when a suspicious neighbor saw two black men walking around in a neighbor's backyard and called police. They were 2 black 19 year old males, driving a red accord and were identified by the pawn shop owner as the two who had pawned stolen goods using a stolen ID.

To this day, I have a complete and total distrust of police. I am not suprised to hear of the above stories as i lived it myself. I am however, sickened!

This kid is a murderer

he should get the death penalty.

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Originally posted by popsmayhem
This kid is a murderer

he should get the death penalty.