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Attention Grand Jury of Travis County
WV Case No. 99-CR-MISC-442
On 9-16-99 I received a phone call from Austin Detective Ron Lara. He asked who my best friend was after some discussion, he mentioned Rob Springsteen. I replied that yes, he was a friend of mine. He asked me to come to the Charleston police station to answer a few questions. I agreed and went there with my wife, Charlene Rose.
When we arrived, he would not allow my wife to accompany me. We went to a room where several detectives were.When I first went in the room they turned off the air conditioner, so that I became sweaty and sick. I think 3 of them were from Charleston and 1 or 2 from Austin. I sat down where they indicated that they wanted me. I can't recall exactly how he asked me, but he wanted to know anything that I knew regarding Rob and any crimes. I told him that Rob had mentioned that someone might want to talk to him about something that happened while he lived in Texas. Mr. Lara refused to believe that I knew nothing else. He was sitting in a chair with rollers and wheeled himself right in front of my face and saying in a loud voice that they knew that I knew more. He said that Rob had already confessed and he told us that he had told you everything about it. I kept telling him that I didn't know anything else about anything.
I told him about my medical condition and that I was heavily sedated under a physicians care for a period of several years. I have chronic hepatitis-C, fibromyalgia, insomnia,and suffer from depression. Over the past 2-3 years I have been on Rebetron chemotherapy twice for the hepatitis. I have have been on antidepressants- Prozac,Valium, Elavil, Serzone, Klonopin, analgesics- Darvocets, Tylox, muscle relaxers- Soma, Skelaxin, and sleeping pills- Ambien, and Restoril. My medical condition at that time or any other time didn't seem to matter to them. One of the other detectives in the room said that my medical condition or any of the medications that I brought up were not mind altering so the interigation continued. Mr. Lara continued to pressure and badger me and I kept saying that I knew nothing. Around this time one of the detectives asked if I had ever been to Texas. I replied yes, I was born there. He said something like, well your'e about to go back at this time for a jail or prison sentence for withholding information. Being subpoenaed to Texas was brought up at that time.
Detective Lara said that if I was under sedation, was it possible that Rob spoke of comitting a robbery. I said that it was possible. Then he said,"C'mon Roy we know you know that Rob told you he was in a robbery, that he told you all about it.". Then he said "Could he have committed a robbery?" I said "Yeah, I guess so." Then it went to "Was he with anybody?" I kept saying that I really don't know about any of this. Lara kept saying "Yeah you do! We know he bragged to you all about it". I started getting scared and staered telling them back information that they were giving me. At times I would tell them that I knew nothing , but they kept shouting at me that I did. About this time I was asked if Rob was carrying a gun. I don't believe so I said, after that I believe Mr. Lara dropped the gun issue for awhile. I kept leaning forward laying my head in my hands,at points almost crying. As I would do something like this,immediately detective Lara would raise his voice or tell me it's ok,we know,Rob has already told us everything. We know it's terrible,but as soon as you tell us, you can leave. Around this time the issue came up, could this robbery have' been botched? I think I remarked it could have. Mr. Lara replied something like " it was going wrong. Rob had to do something,didnt he? I would say that I really don't know anything like that. In a hard tone Mr. Lara would say your best friend is bragging about this in great detail. Now tell us what really happened. At first I said he shot her in the ear. The detectives laughed at that. Then I don't remember how we decided it was a female cashier but I remember saying Rob shot her in the ear. Mr. Lara again said that's not it. Somehow about this time the word rape was brought to my attention. I believe my remark to Mr. Lara at this time was no,I don't know anything like that. Around this time Mr. Lara said something like,Rob bragged so much about this that we could hardly get him to shut up and leave. So just tell us,you're only making this harder on yourself. Detective Lara would continue hammering on the issue, if the cashier was raped,somehow I said yes it could have happened. The issue was brought up did Rob shoot her first or rape her first? I remember saying after he shot her, he raped her. Then somehow that issue was changed to raping her analy and then shooting her in the back of the head. At sometime during this, the idea was brought up by one of the detectives," maybe you could remember things easier if we typed this up and you can fill in some of the blanks." Somehow it happened to that effect I really was shook up. All the detectives would encourage me,and say I was remembering more. Mr. Lara would remind me it's almost over then we can all get back to business and you can get back out to this fine day. On the left of me was a window with sun shining in. Things kept going back and fourth. Mr. Lara would ask what were the other guys doing? I remember saying something like ramsacking the place. The issue of were any other employeees working? I think I said a couple other girls around 20 yrs. old and maybe a guy. I'm not really sure how the statement was worded about how many other employees were involved. The question came up from detective Lara,well what did the other guys do with the other employees at this time? Somehow I came up with the idea that they were tied up,and Mr. lara asked were they gagged? I remember saying with their own clothes.I remember detective Lara saying what did they do next? I said I really didn't know. Mr. Lara said Rob has bragged about this,he was really telling you in great detail. Mr. Lara said something like Rob was really excited about telling you everything.
I remember at some point detective Lara shouting bang,bang,bang. Mr. Lara would suggest isn't that the way Rob bragged about it? Then around this point, about the other employees,I was asked what were they tied up with? I didn't know. Mr. Lara asked what did they do before they left? I remember saying they stole some cigarettes and ran out. Detective Lara said out of an icecrem shop? Somehow icecream shop became the targeted place where this was happening. I remember stating a convienent store at first, then I don't remember how, but the location of this crime became an icecream shop. I remember being asked again,what did they do before they left the scene? After not knowing, detective Lara somehow said didn't Rob say he torched the place? I remember him saying this in a loud voice. I gave in to this idea that yes Rob said he torched the place. I believe I was asked if the other employees that were tied up were still alive? I believe I said yes. Then I was asked again what did they do after they torched the place, and what did Rob tell you he used to do it with? I think at first I said that I think a cigarette lighter. That was wrong,detective Lara kept reminding me, that Rob had told me this. Mr. Lara would keep reminding me Rob couldn't keep this to himself he had to tell his best friend. Getting back to how they torched the place,I think I mentioned a bomb,and finally said gasoline or possibely lighter fluid. Then I said after they torched the place they ran out and down the street. After this, the issue of the gun was brought up again. One of the detectives held up a piece of paper with 6 or 7 caliber guns on it. After picking a few wrong ones the issue was dropped about the caliber gun that was used. I was also asked where they hid the gun. Somehow I came up with under a train bridge or interstate bridge.
The detectives kept coming in and out of the room, getting pages on their pagers, interrupting each other and me, and kept constant movement in the room that confused me.Mr Lara would wheel in to my face talking and shouting each time I said anything he did not like and said that I knew things that I want telling. He said he knew I was lying becuase Rob had already told them that he had told me everything. At one point slammed his hands on the desk near me and it was loud and it scared me. Im not sure what he said that time but it scared me too. Sometimes Mr Lara said if I would just tell hem what they wanted to know, they would let me go home.and if I didn't, I could go to jail or prison in Texas for witholding information. At some point in all this, I began saying anything I thought would get me out of the room.
My memory has been affected by my illnesses and medications. My memory of the events of this day is affected by this. This statement is to the best of my reccollection. I am willing and anxious to prove this by taking a polygraph test in front of the grand jury-as long as the test is given by someone other than the Austin police or anyone else with an interest in manipulating the results.
The statement given on 9-16-99 was coerced, is false, and I can not stand by it.I swear that this statement is true to the best of my ability and was given willingly.
Signed________________________________________
Roy A. Rose III
Date__________________________________________
This document was notorized before me on this 18th day of October, 1999.
Notary stamp
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