STATEMENT FROM AARON HUTCHESON

THIS IS DET. BRYN RIDGE CURRENTLY IN THE WEST, IN THE MARION DEPARTMENT TODAY'S DATE 05-27-93 THE TIME IS 5:17 P. M. CURRENTLY IN THE MARION POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH INSPECTOR GARY GITCHELL, DET. SGT MIKE ALLEN, AND CHIEF DON BRAY. AND WE ARE HERE INTERVIEWING AARON WHAT IS YOUR LAST NAME?

AARON: KYLE HUTCHESON

RIDGE: AARON KYLE HUTCHESON, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR BIRTH DATE IS KYLE OR AARON?

AARON: MAY 4TH

RIDGE: MAY THE 4TH WHAT YEAR?

AARON: 85

RIDGE: MAY THE 4TH OF 85. ALRIGHT AARON I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE SOME CLOSE FRIENDS

AARON: YES SIR

RIDGE: AND THAT THOSE WERE SOME OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS IN THE WORLD? AND THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THEM ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO NOW AND THEY GOT KILLED IS THAT RIGHT?

AARON: YES SIR

RIDGE: OKAY, DID YOU SEE THEM THE DAY BEFORE THEY GOT KILLED ?

AARON: YES SIR

RIDGE: OKAY. WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY WHEN YOU GOT OUT OF SCHOOL WHAT WAS IT THEY WERE GOING TO DO THAT DAY?

AARON: BEFORE THEY DID ANYTHING THEY WENT UP TO MY MAMA'S TRUCK AND THEY ASKED HER IF I COULD GO OVER TO MICHAEL'S HOUSE TO GO UH, GO, GO WITH, GO WITH THEM TO PLAY SOME WHERE THAT WAS WHERE OUR CLUB WAS

RIDGE: ALRIGHT, YOU’VE BEEN TO YOUR CLUB BEFORE WITH THEM?

AARON: (inaudible)

RIDGE: ALRIGHT. CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHERE THE CLUB IS?

AARON: ITS, ITS IN UH, ITS IN THOSE WOODS WHERE UH, WHERE THAT STOP SIGN IS AND ITS

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RIDGE: IS THE WOODS HAVE THEY GOT A NAME THEY CALL THEM ROBIN HOOD IS THAT RIGHT?

AARON: UH-HUH (YES)

RIDGE: IT IS OKAY, YOU'VE BEEN DOWN THERE BEFORE?

AARON: YES SIR

RIDGE: DO YOU GO DOWN THERE A LOT?

AARON: (inaudible)

RIDGE: OKAY, WHEN YOU WENT DOWN THERE WHO ALL WENT WITH YOU MOST THE TIME?

AARON: MICHAEL AND CHRIS

RIDGE: OKAY, AND WHAT DID YOU DO WHEN YOU WENT DOWN THERE?

AARON: WE PLAYED

RIDGE: OKAY, DID YOU EVER

AARON: AND THEN SOMETIMES WE WATCHED THESE MEN

RIDGE: THESE MEN. OKAY WHAT WERE THESE MAN DOING?

AARON: THEY WERE UH, DOING NASTY STUFF

RIDGE: DOING NASTY STUFF, WHERE DID YOU SEE THEM DOING THIS STUFF?

RQRON: IN ROBIN HOOD UH, THE PLACE WHERE THE BOARDS ARE

RIDGE: WAS IT THERE WHERE YOUR CLUB IS OR WAS IT SOME WHERE ELSE IN THOSE WOODS?

AARON: IT WAS RIGHT BESIDE OUR UM, TREE HOUSE

RIDGE: RIGHT BESIDE IT, OKAY, NOW YOU SAY THEY ARE DOING NASTY STUFF, WERE THEY SAYING ANYTHING?

AARON: YES SIR

RIDGE: OKAY, WHAT WERE THEY DOING?

AARON: THEY, THEY DO WHAT MEN AND WOMAN DO

RIDGE: OKAY, HOW WHERE THEY DRESSED?

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AARON: THEY HAD, ALL OF THEM HAD ON UM BLACK T-SHIRTS AND EXCEPT ONE

RIDGE: OKAY, THE ONE WHAT DID HE HAVE ON?

AARON: HE HAD ON A WHITE T-SHIRT

RIDGE: OKAY, HOW OLD WOULD YOU THINK THEY ARE?

AARON: SOME WHERE AROUND TWENTY

RIDGE: AROUND TWENTY, WERE THEY LIKE TEENAGERS OR DO YOU THINK THEY WERE STILL IN SCHOOL OR DO YOU THINK THEY HAD IUST GOT OUT OF SCHOOL ABOUT THAT AGE GROUP?

AARON: UM, LIKE THEY ALL LOOKED UM, LIKE MY MOM

RIDGE: LOOK LIKE YOUR MOM, SORTA OF YOUNG

AARON: YEAH (YES)

RIDGE: OKAY

AARON: EXCEPT MY MOM IS THIRTY

RIDGE: OKAY, BUT YOUR MOM LOOKS YOUNG, DOESN'T SHE YOU LIKE THAT UH?

AARON: YEAH (YES)

RIDGE: OKAY, UH, YOUR SAYING THEIR DOING THINGS LIKE MAN AND WOMEN WOULD BE DOING

AARON: YEAH (YES)

RIDGE: WHEN I SAY HAVING SEX IS THAT WHAT YOUR DESCRIBING?

AARON: YES SIR

RIDGE: OKAY, HOW WOULD THEY HAVE SEX?

AARON: THEY WOULD UM, THEY WOULD WIPE EACH OTHER LIKE UM, LIKE UM, LIKE THEY DID UM TO MICHAEL, CHRIS AND STEVE THEY SAID

GITCHELL: WERE THEY IN FRONT OF EACH OTHER OR BEHIND EACH OTHER?

AARON: IN FRONT OF EACH OTHER

RIDGE: OKAY, WHEN THEY WERE HAVING SEX WAS IT HAVING SEX IN THE FRONT OR HAVING SEX IN THE BACK?

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AARON: IN THE FRONT

RIDGE: WITH THEIR MOUTH, WHERE THEY HAVING SEX WITH THEIR MOUTH?

AARON: YES SIR

RIDGE: THEY WERE OKAY, ALRIGHT, WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU SAW THAT HAPPEN?

AARON: THE DAY BEFORE WE MOVED. WHICH IS UH, WHICH WAS ABOUT A MONTH AGO

RIDGE: OKAY, AND YOU SAW IT HAPPEN THEN?

AARON: (inaudible)

RIDGE: DID THIS HAPPEN REAL OFTEN ?

AARON: YES SIR

RIDGE: HOW OFTEN ?

AARON: IT HAPPENED FIVE TIMES

RIDGE: FIVE TIMES YOU SAW IT HAPPEN FIVE TIMES? WAS IT LIKE EVERY DAY OR ONCE WEEK OR JUST FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES YOU SAW IT HAPPEN?

AARON: IT WAS EVERY DAY BUT, IT WAS EVERY TIME, BUT IT EVERY TIME BUT UM, THE FRIDAY

RIDGE: EVERY TIME BUT FRIDAY? THEY DIDN'T DO IT ON THAT FRIDAY? OKAY, DID YOU KNOW ANY OF THE BOYS?

AARON: YES SIR, I DON'T KNOW NONE OF THE MEN

RIDGE: THE MEN, THE MEN, YOU DIDN'T KNOW ANY OF THEM? HAD NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE?

AARON: UN UH (NO) WE HAVE ONLY SEEN ONE IN FLASH MARKET

RIDGE: YOU SAW ONE OF THOSE FIVE IN THE FLASH MARKET? WAS THERE ALWAYS FIVE PEOPLE THERE?

AARON: UH-HUH (YES)

GITCHELL: DID THIS GUY DID HE JUST WALK IN FLASH MARKET AND BUY SOMETHING OR DID HE WORK THERE?

AARON: HE WALKED IN TO FLASH MARKET BOUGHT, BUY SOMETHING, WE DIDN'T BUY NOTHING WE JUST WENT IN THE STORE AND RAN RIGHT OUT

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GITCHELL: WERE YOU AND ALL THE BOYS TOGETHER ?

AARON: JUST ME MICHAEL AND CHRIS

GITCHELL: HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT?

AARON: UM, A MONTH AND HALF

GITCHELL: BEFORE THEY GOT HURT? HOW LONG BEFORE THEY GOT HURT?

AARON: ABOUT REAL REAL LONG

GITCHELL: OKAY, BUT THE GUY DIDN'T WORK THERE THEY WERE THE GUY WAS JUST BUYING SOMETHING IN THERE?

AARON: HE JUST BUYED SOMETHING IN THERE

GITCHELL: OKAY.

AARON: AND THIS LADY HE SAID, SHE SAID HIS NAME, SO WE THOUGHT SHE KNEW HIM

GITCHELL: DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THE NAME WAS?

AARON: UN UH (NO)

GITCHELL: OH, OKAY

RIDGE: ALRIGHT, WHEN YOU SAW THESE FIVE OUT THERE IN THE WOODS AND THEY WERE DOING THESE THINGS THAT WERE BAD OKAY WAS THIS AT DAYTIME OR WAS IT NIGHTTIME?

AARON: IT WAS BOTH

RIDGE: IT WAS EARLY IN THE MORNING OR LATE AT NIGHT OR LATE IN THE EVENING?

AARON: IT WAS, WHEN EVER WE GOT OUT OF SCHOOL WE WENT THERE ABOUT FOUR

RIDGE: OKAY

AARON: AND THEY NEVER GOT THERE BEFORE WE DID

RIDGE: YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE FIRST. WHAT DID YOU ALL HIDE AND WAIT FOR THEM?

AARON: YEAH (YES) WILL WE ALWAYS. WE ALWAYS GOT A PLACE TO HIDE BEFORE THEY CAN GET THERE

RIDGE: WHERE DID YOU HIDE?

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AARON: WE HIDE ONE TIME WE HIDE BEHIND UM A TREE. SIDEWAYS AND WE GOT IN OUR CLUB HOUSE

RIDGE: OKAY

AARON: OUR CLUB HOUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO IT

RIDGE: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE DOWN AT YOUR CLUB HOUSE AND IT WAS THERE?

AARON: IT WAS THE DAY BEFORE WE WERE GOING TO MOVE

RIDGE: OKAY, AND IT WAS THERE THE DAY BEFORE YOU WERE GOING TO MOVE.

GITCHELL: WAS, ... WAS, WAS THE CLUB HOUSE THERE, YOU KNOW THE DAY YOU WERE TELLING US ABOUT THE UM, YOUR FRIENDS WANTING YOU TO GO SOME WHERE, UM WAS THE CLUB HOUSE THERE THE DAY BEFORE?

AARON: NO SIR

GITCHELL: IT WAS GONE BEFORE THEN?

AARON: WHENEVER WE WENT THERE AFTER WE DIDN'T GO UNTIL AFTER SCHOOL, I DIDN'T

RIDGE: ALRIGHT. AFTER YOU MOVED DID YOU GO DOWN THERE ANYMORE?

AARON: NO SIR

RIDGE: YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GO BACK?

AARON: I HAVEN'T EVER GOT TO SEEN IT, SEEN IT. I DIDN'T EVER SEE IT EXCEPT THE DAY I WENT THERE WHEN EVER THEY SAID THEY FOUND THEM

RIDGE: OKAY. ALRIGHT DID CHRIS AND MICHAEL DID THEY TELL YOU THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD GOT CAUGHT. THAT THE FIVE MAN MAY HAVE CAUGHT THEM? THEY WEREN'T SCARED THAT MAYBE SOMEBODY HAD SEEN THEM IN THERE ONE DAY?

AARON: UH-UH (NO), BECAUSE THEY NEVER SEEN US

RIDGE: THEY NEVER SAW YOU? OKAY, DID THEY HAVE ANY KIND OF JEWELRY ON NECKLACES, WATCHES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT JUST?

AARON: THERE WAS A SKULL COMMANDER HE HAD ON A NECKLACE OF SKULL AND THERE IS A SNAKE IN IT'S EYE

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RIDGE: THE COMMANDER, THE SKULL COMMANDER IS THAT WHAT YOU CALLED HIM, HE HAD ON A NECKLACE. IS THAT RIGHT?

AARON: YEAH (YES) HE HAD ON A NECKLACE

RIDGE: OKAY, AND IT HAD SOME KIND OF A PENDANT ON IT? OR UM, SOME KIND OF AN ANIMAL

AARON: A LITTLE SNAKE ON IT EYE, RIGHT HERE

RIDGE: A SNAKE INSIDE THE EYE?

AARON: AND THE TONGUE WAS STICKING OUT OF THE SNAKES EYE, THE SNAKES TONGUE

RIDGE: OKAY. AND YOU SAW THAT ON THE ONE. WAS THIS THE ONE WEARING THE WHITE SHIRT OR IS THIS JUST ANOTHER ONE? DESCRIBE THAT GUY FOR ME YOU SAW?

AARON: IT WAS THE ONE, IT WAS THE ONE THAT... THAT WASN'T WEARING THE WHITE SHIRT

RIDGE: OH, HE WASN'T WEARING A WHITE SHIRT

AARON: HE WAS THE ONE WEARING THE BLACK ONE

RIDGE: OKAY, WHAT KIND OF HAIR DID THEY HAVE. DID ANY OF THEM HAVE HAIR THAT JUST STUCK OUT, THAT JUST, THEY DIDN'T LOOK FUNNY?

AARON: SOME OF THEM HAD LONG HAIR. AND I THINK MOST OF THEM HAD LONG HAIR

RIDGE: OKAY, YOU SAY LONG HAIR YOU MEAN DOWN ON THEIR SHOULDERS OR JUST

AARON: ON THEIR NECK

RIDGE: RATTY LOOKING LONG HAIR

AARON: ON THE NECK

RIDGE: DOWN ON THEIR NECK, OKAY.

GITCHELL: DID YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS EVER UM, WADE AROUND IN THE WATER AND PLAY AROUND THERE, OR MAYBE GO SWIMMING OR SOMETHING?

AARON: UH-UH (NO)

GITCHELL: YOU ALL NEVER DID THAT? OKAY... OKAY

AARON: WE NEVER GOT CLOSE TO WATER

GITCHELL: OKAY, DID YOU EVER WALK ACROSS THE PIPE?

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AARON: YES SIR

GITCHELL: ALL OF YOU WOULD WALK ACROSS THE PIPE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH YOUR BICYCLES?

AARON: WE WOULD LAY THEM, WE... WE WOULD LAY BY THE UM, BY THE... BY THE UM, IT WAS IN THE UM, PART WHERE WE WHERE WE UM, ON THE END OF THE PIPE

GITCHELL: OKAY,

AARON: NOT ON THE END WHERE THEY DO IT, PUT WHERE YOU WOULD WALK ACROSS IT

GITCHELL: OKAY. SO IT WOULD BE BEHIND WHERE THE STOP SIGN IS AT? WHERE YOU WOULD LAY YOUR BIKES?

RIDGE: YOU WOULDN'T... YOU WOULDN'T TAKE THE BICYCLES ACROSS WITH YOU?

AARON: NO, WE DIDN'T, WE KIND OF LEFT THEM RIGHT BESIDE THE PIPE

RIDGE: SO NOBODY WOULD GET THEM? OKAY, DID YOU EVER GO ACROSS PIPE EVER THERE AND SEE ANYBODY OVER THERE?

AARON: UH-UH (NO)

RIDGE: NEVER DID, DID YOU LIKE TO GO OVER THERE AND WALK AROUND TO? WHERE WOULD YOU GO WHEN YOU WOULD GO OVER THERE?

AARON: WE JUST WENT ALL... ALL KINDS OF PLACES, CAUSE WE WOULD ALWAYS PLAYED, AND SOMETIMES WE LOST EACH OTHER IN THERE

RIDGE: DID YOU GO TO THE BLUE BEACON. THE TRUCK WASH?

AARON: YES SIR

RIDGE: OKAY

AARON: WE SEEN THEM, WE THE TRUCKER COME IN, AND WASH HIS TRUCK

RIDGE: UM HUH (YES) DID YOU ALL LIKE TO PLAY OVER THERE?

AARON: YEAH (YES)

RIDGE: DID YOU ALL EVER SEE ANYBODY OVER THERE ON THAT SIDE THAT MAY HAVE SCARED YOU OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?

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AARON: NO

RIDGE: HOW ABOUT THOSE FIVE BOYS DID YOU EVER SEE THOSE FIVE BOYS ON THAT SIDE? OKAY, WHEN YOU WENT DOWN THERE DID YOU HAVE A BICYCLE? DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BICYCLE? SO HOW ABOUT DO YOU KNOW STEVE, DID HE EVER GO DOWN THERE WITH YOU?

AARON: UM, ONLY ONE TIME

RIDGE: ONE TIME, WERE THEY, WERE YOU ALL WATCHING THE FIVE MEN DOWN THERE THAT TIME WHEN HE WENT WITH YOU?

AARON: NO, HE'S NEVER... WE NEVER TOLD HIM ABOUT IT. HE'S NEVER SEEN THEM

RIDGE: OH, OKAY

AARON: CAUSE IT WAS ON A FRIDAY WHENEVER HE WENT DOWN THERE WITH US

RIDGE: DID YOU EVER TELL ANYDODY AUOUT IT?

AARON: HU-UH (NO)

RIDGE: WHY? YOU JUST THOUGHT IT WAS BAD? OKAY, THIS

AARON: MICHAEL AND CHRIS SAID NOT TO TELL NOBODY

RIDGE: OKAY, WHAT ABOUT THIS NECKLACE THAT YOU SAW AND THAT EMBLEM, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THAT EMBLEM LIKE THAT BEFORE?

AARON: NO SIR

RIDGE: NEVER SAW IT BEFORE

AARON: MY MOM'S GOTS IT,

RIDGE: SHE'S GOT IT,

AARON: AT OUR HOUSE,

RIDGE: THE SAME ONE?

AARON: IT HAS EVERYTHING ON IT

RIDGE: IT HAS EVERYTHING ON IT. THAT'S WHAT SHE FOUND AT HER HOUSE IS THE ... THE SAME ONE YOU SAW OUT IN THE WOODS?

AARON: THAT'S THE SAME ONE I SEEN THE PICTURE, SEEN IT... SEEN IN THE PICTURE AND IN OUT IN THE WOODS

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RIDGE: SEEN IN, I'M CONFUSED A LITTLE BIT, OKAY, BUT YOU SAW THIS NECKLACE ON THIS GUY OUT IN THE WOODS AND HE WAS LIKE THE LEADER IS THAT RIGHT?

AARON: NO

RIDGE: HE WASN'T LIKE A LEADER?

AARON: I DONT THINK THERE WAS A LEADER IN THERE

RIDGE: OKAY, I'VE GOT A PICTURE IN FRONT OF ME, UM IS THIS THE PICTURE YOUR TALKING ABOUT?

AARON: YEA (YES) THAT ONE WITH THE SKULL WITH UM, THE SNAKE WRAPPED AROUND

RIDGE: OKAY, THAT'S THE SAME ONE YOU SAW ON THE GUY OUT IN THE WOODS? IT'S JUST LIKE IT? IS THAT THE NECKLACE?

AARON: YES SIR THAT'S IT

RIDGE: THAT'S IT

GITCHELL: IS THAT THE NECKLACE THAT WAS ATTACHED TO, HANGING FROM?

RIDGE: OKAY

GITCHELL: OKAY, ARE YOU SURE ITS NOT A DIFFERENT KIND OF NECKLACE?

AARON: NO, IT LOOKS, LIKE A DIFFERENT ONE TO ME

GITCHELL: OKAY A DIFFERENT NECKLACE BUT THE SAME KIND UM, UH, THAT'S CALLED A MEDALLION THAT'S THE SAME KIND OF LITTLE THING RIGHT THERE OR CLOSE TO IT

RIDGE: THAT THING WITH .... WITH THE SNAKE GOING THROUGH HIS EYE, YOU KNOW THAT'S WHAT YOU SAW OUT IN THE WOODS?

AARON: YEAH (YES) I WAS GOING TO TELL MY MOM, THAT'S WHAT I SAW OUT IN THE WOODS, THAT'S NOT THE NECKLACE

GITCHELL: OKAY

RIDGE: OKAY, NOW WHEN WE GO TO THE NEXT PICTURE, THAT NECKLACE IS NOT WHAT YOU SAW THAT PENDANT HANGING ON? IS THAT RIGHT?

AARON: (inaudible)

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RIDGE: OKAY... OKAY I UNDERSTAND NOW, ALRIGHT SINCE THIS THING HAPPENED, AND CHRIS AND MICHAEL WERE KILLED, OKAY, HAVE YOU TALKED TO ANY OF YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS, THAT MIGHT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?

AARON: NOBODY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED BUT ME, OUT OF ALL MY FRIENDS

RIDGE: BUT YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?

AARON: (inaudible)

RIDGE: TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK HAPPENED?

AARON: THEY UM, THEY WENT DOWN TO WATCH THOSE MEN AND

GITCHELL: NOW WHAT DAY DID THEY GO BACK TO WATCH THEM?

AARON: IT WAS ON... ON A WEDNESDAY

GITCHELL: ALRIGHT WERE YOU GOING TO GO WITH THEM, DID YOU WANT TO GO WITH THEM?

AARON: YEAH (YES), MY, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE REALLY GOING TO DO

GITCHELL: DID SOMEONE NOT LET YOU GO?

AARON: MY MOM

GITCHELL: OKAY

RIDGE: OKAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED TO THEM?

AARON: I THINK THEY WAS WATCHING THEM MEN LIKE... LIKE WE ALWAYS DID, AND THEY... THEY GOT CAUGHT, AND THEN THEY NEVER TOLD THE MEN, AND THE MEN SORTA KILLED THEM

RIDGE: UM, DO YOU THINK THOSE MEN WERE CRAZY? DO YOU THINK THEY WERE CRAZY

AARON: THEY WERE SMOKING

RIDGE: FOR DOING WHAT THEY WERE DOING?

AARON: THEY WERE ROLLED UP UM, CIGARETTES THERE WAS ALL KIND OF WHITE

RIDGE: KINDA WHITE CIGARETTES?

AARON: ALL WHITE

RIDGE: OH, SO IT WASN'T A CIGARETTE LIKE YOU GET OUT

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OF A PACKAGE THAT'S GOT A FILTER ON IT. IT WAS

AARON: THEY IUST HAD UM, LITTLE WHITE... WHITE UM,

RIDGE: DID YOU SEE THEM ROLL THEM UP

AARON: THEY HAD, THEY PUT SOME... SOME OF THAT TOBACCO STUFF IN THERE AND THEN ROLLED IT UP,

RIDGE: UH-UM (YES)

AARON: THEY... THEY HAD FIRE. BUT THEN THEY MADE A FIRE ONE TIME AND THEY PUT IT ON THERE AND THEY SMOKED IT.///

RIDGE: DID YOU EVER SMELL THE SMOKE? WHAT DID IT SMELL LIKE DID IT STINK?

AARON: YEAH (YES) IT STUNK

RIDGE: WHAT IT SMELL LIKE?

AARON: IT SMELLED LIKE, IT SMELLED LIKE A CIGARETTE JUST GETTING LILT BUT IT WAS A DIFFERENT KIND

RIDGE: DIFFERENT FROM A REGULAR CIGARETTE? DIDN'T SMELL LIKE A REGULAR CIGARETTE?

AARON: UH-UH (NO)

RIDGE: OKAY

ALLEN: HOW CLOSE WHEN YOU, I GUESS YOU ALL WERE HIDING KEEPING REAL QUITE, HOW CLOSE WERE THEY TO YOU?

AARON: FIVE FEET AT LEAST FIVE FEET AWAY

ALLEN: OKAY, WHEN YOUR TALKING... TALKING CLOSENESS UM, WITHIN THE DISTANCE OF THIS ROOM OR FURTHER?

GITCHELL: I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IN... IN A LITTLE BIT WE'LL WE, WOULD YOU WANT TO TAKE US OUT THERE AND SHOW US WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

AARON: YES SIR

GITCHELL: OKAY, WE CAN GET A BETTER... BETTER JUDGE OF DISTANCE THEN

AARON: A BETTER LOOK AT IT

GITCHELL: OKAY... OKAY

RIDGE: WHAT ABOUT ANY ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE. DO YOU REMEMBER ANY THINK ABOUT

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AARON: ALL THERE WAS IS ONE DOG. IT LOOKED KINDA LIKE A CANINE DOG

RIDGE: OKAY

AARON: BECAUSE IT HAD A LONG MOUTH AND IT TAL... A LONG MOUTH STICKING OUT AND UH, KINDA LITTLE NOSE AND IT WAS UM, IT WAS KINDA BIG AND BROWN

RIDGE: OKAY, WHO HAD THAT DOG?

AARON: ALL, I THINK IT WAS ALL MEN, CAUSE THEY WAS MEAN TO HE, THEY JUST UM, PUSHED HIM AROUND ONE BY ONE

RIDGE: PUSHED HIM AROUND? HOW DID THEY PUSH IT?

AARON: THEY, ONE GUY HAD HIM, AND THEY PUSHED IT TO THE OTHER, AND

RIDGE: WHAT WOULD THEY PUSH HIM WITH?

AARON: THEY WOULD PUSH HIM WITH HIS HANDS

RIDGE: OKAY

GITCHELL: HOW WERE THEY PUSHING THE DOG LIKE?

AARON: LIKE THAT

RIDGE: WHAT DID THEY END UP DOING TO THE DOG?

AARON: NOTHING, THEY JUST BEING MEAN TO IT

RIDGE: OKAY

AARON: THEY TEASED IT LIKE THEY WERE GOING TO WHIP IT

RIDGE: OKAY, HOW ABOUT SOME CATS, WERE THERE SOME CATS OUT THERE?

AARON: YEAH (YES) THEY CAUGHT CAT THEY CUT HIS HEAD OFF AND ATE IT

RIDGE: THEY DID WHAT?

AARON: ATE A CAT

RIDGE: GOODNESS, DID THEY EAT HIS HEAD, OR DID THEY EAT THE WHOLE CAT?

AARON: THEY ATE THE WHOLE CAT BUT HIS HEAD

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RIDGE: EVERYTHING BUT HIS HEAD

GITCHELL: DID THEY COOK HIM FIRST?

AARON: THEY COOKED HIM FIRST, CUT OFF HIS HEAD AND THEN COOKED HIM AND THEN ATE HIM

RIDGE: WHAT DID THEY DO WITH HIS HEAD? DID THEY KEEP IT?

AARON: I THINK THEY KEEPED IT

RIDGE: OH

AARON: OR THREW IT AWAY, CAUSE ONE OF THE MEN THREW IT

RIDGE: DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONE ACTUALLY KILLED THE CAT? WAS IT THE ONE THAT HAD THE NECKLACE ON?

AARON: YES, THE ONE THAT HAD THE NECKLACE ON

RIDGE: HE'S THE ONE THAT KILLED THE CAT?

AARON: AND THEY ALL HAD KNIFES

RIDGE: WHAT KIND OF KNIFE?

AARON: BIG KNIFES LIKE THAT

RIDGE: BIG KNIFES, AND YOU DESCRIBE WITH YOUR HAND A BIG KNIFE YOU MEAN ABOUT LIKE 10 INCHES LONG ?

AARON: YEAH (YES)

RIDGE: OKAY

AARON: AND IT, AND THEY UM, HAD A BELT AND THEY HAD A LITTLE CASE THEY STUCK IT IN THERE

RIDGE: ALL OF THEM HAD ONE JUST LIKE THAT?

AARON: (inaudible)

RIDGE: OKAY, DID WAS THERE ANYTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THOSE KNIVES WERE THEY REAL SHINY, OR WERE THEY DARK?

AARON: NO THEY KINDA HAD SOME LITTLE BLOOD ON IT

RIDGE: SOME BLOOD ON THE KNIVES

AARON: YEAH (YES) EVEN BEFORE THEY TOOK IT OUT AND KILLED THE CAT

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RIDGE: OH, SO YOU WERE CLOSE IF YOU SAW THE BLOOD ON THE KNIFE, YOU WERE REAL CLOSE

AARON: YEAH (YES) SCOTT IS ABOUT, MY BROTHER SCOTT IS ABOUT FIVE FEET, AN HE'S NOT TALL

RIDGE: OKAY, WAS IT A CLOSE AS FROM US TO THAT DOOR? RIGHT THERE BEHIND YOU, WHERE YOU THAT CLOSE TO WATCHING WHAT THEY WERE DOING? ARE WAS IT LIKE FROM HERE TO THOSE CABINETS BACK THERE THAT FAR AWAY?

AARON: IT WAS ABOUT TO MR. BRAY TO THE DOOR THAT'S HOW CLOSE WE WERE KINDA

RIDGE: FROM MR. DON BRAY TO THAT DOOR, SO IT'S, YOUR ABOUT FIFTEEN FEET AWAY FROM THEM? YOUR REAL CLOSE IS THAT RIGHT?

AARON: IT WAS FIVE FEET, I COULD, I CAN REALLY TELL HOW BIG FIVE FOOT IS.

RIDGE: OKAY, AND YOU SAW EVERYONE OF THEM HAD KNIVES? AND THEY ALL HAD

AARON: //////

RIDGE: LIKE BELTS AND PLACE THEY KEPT THE KNIVES

AARON: AND THEY HAD A PART TO BUCKLE IT UP

RIDGE: BUCKLE THE KNIFE UP? OKAY, DID YOU EVER SEE ANY GIRLS OUT THERE?

AARON: UH-UH (NO)

RIDGE: YOU NEVER SAW ANY?

AARON: ONE OF THEM LOOKED LIKE ONE?

RIDGE: ONE OF THEM LOOKED LIKE A GIRL?

AARON: HE HAD LONG LONG HAIR

RIDGE: WHAT COLOR WAS HIS HAIR?

AARON: IT WAS BLACK

RIDGE: REAL BLACK

AARON: NO IT HAD A LITTLE BLONDE IN IT

RIDGE: OH, OKAY, I'VE GOT SOME PICTURES RIGHT HERE AND WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THESE PICTURES AND SEE IF YOU RECOGNIZE ANY OF THOSE BOYS MAY HAVE BEEN OUT THERE? THERE

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RIDGE: (con't) IS NUMBERS UNDERNEATH EACH PICTURE AND THEY GO ALL THE WAY TO NUMBER TEN. DO ANY OF THEM LOOK LIKE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN OUT THERE, IN THAT BUNCH YOU SAW?

AARON: NO I SHOWED MR. UM, DONALD BRAY WHICH... WHICH ONE I SEEN OUT THERE YESTERDAY

RIDGE: YOU SAW ONE?

GITCHELL: DID... DID THEY PAINT THEIR FACES UP?

AARON: YEA, ONE OF THEN HAD UM, A SCAR RIGHT HERE IT WAS KINDA OF, IT LOOKED LIKE A UM, A SCRAPE TO ME, YOU KNOW IT WAS WHITE, WHEN EVER THEY ITCH THEMSELVES THEY HAVE WHITE SPOTS

GITCHELL: OKAY, SO... SO THEY,.. THEY PUT SOMETHING ON THEIR FACE TO MAKE THEM LOOK BLACK

AARON: LIKE BLACK PAINT

GITCHELL: UH-HUH (YES) AND WHEN THEY WOULD SCRATCH YOU COULD SEE THE WHITE UNDERNEATH?

AARON: UH-HUH (YES)

GITCHELL: OKAY

AARON: PLUS THEY WOULD HAVE BLACK PAINT ON THEIR FINGERS

GITCHELL: OKAY, DID YOU SEE WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY HAD TO PUT THIS STUFF ON?

AARON: RIGHT, UM, THAT PAINT THAT NEVER COMES OFF

GITCHELL: UM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT SHOE POLISH IS? DO YOU KNOW WHAT SHOE POLISH IS?

AARON: UH-HUH (YES)

GITCHELL: DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE?

AARON: UH-HUH (YES)

RIDGE: DO YOU THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY USED ?

AARON: YEAH (YES) COULD OF, A BIG OLD BOTTLE, BIG OLD THING?

RIDGE: A BIG BOTTLE OKAY.

AARON: CAUSE THEY DID HAVE A BAG WITH THEM

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RIDGE: WHAT KIND OF BAG?

AARON: A BAG THAT UM, CARRIES STUFF

RIDGE: OKAY, WHAT COLOR WAS THE BAG? WAS IT CLOTH, OR WAS IT LIKE A BRIEF CASE OR WAS IT JUST

AARON: IT WAS A BRIEF CASE

RIDGE: IT WAS A BRIEF CASE, OKAY, DID IT

GITCHELL: NOW WHAT A MINUTE DO YOU KNOW WHAT A BRIEF CASE IS?

AARON: IT'S A LITTLE THING THAT UM, HAS A HANDLE THAT YOU HOLD

GITCHELL: OKAY

AARON: WITH THE UM, WITH THE UM, PEOPLE THAT HAS

GITCHELL: OKAY, YOUR PRETTY SHARP

RIDGE: IS IT ONE THEY HAD TO LAY DOWN AND THEN OPEN UP THE TOP OF IT,

AARON: YEAH (YES)

RIDGE: LIKE IT JUST OPEN IN HALF IS THAT RIGHT?

AARON: THEY

RIDGE: OR IS IT ONE THAT WOULD STAND UP AND THEY WOULD OPEN AND THEN THE TOP WOULD SORTA OPEN UP?

AARON: YEAH (YES) THE TOP WOULD KINDA OPEN UP, IT WAS LIKE A LITTLE LOCK ON THERE, THEY HAD UM, A LITTLE SOAP ON ///// THERE AND THEY TWISTED IT AROUND

RIDGE: OKAY

AARON: TWISTED IT AROUND, AND THEY NEVER OPENED IT UP BEFORE

RIDGE: BUT THEY OPEN IT, WHEN DID THEY OPEN IT?

AARON: WE'VE NEVER SEEN THEM OPEN IT

RIDGE: YOU NEVER SAW THEM OPEN IT, OKAY

AARON: THEY JUST CARRY IT AROUND WITH IT,

RIDGE: WHEN THEY CAME INTO THE WOODS, WHEN YOU WOULD SEE THEM COMING IN WHICH WAY WOULD THEY COME FROM?

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AARON: THEY WOULD COME FROM THE PART WHERE UM, THE... THE POLICE WHERE GOING UP IN, WHERE THEY HAVE THAT YELLOW THING AT

RIDGE: WELL THERE'S TWO ROADS OVER THERE, ONE IS OVER THERE HY THE APARTMENTS YOU KNOW WHERE THE DEAD END ROAD WHERE THE STOP SIGN IS, THERE IS ANOTHER ROAD DOWN THERE LIKE BACK TOWARD WHERE YOU USED TO LIVE, WHICH ROAD WOULD THEY COME IN, THE ONE BY THE APARTMENTS OR BACK DOWN THERE CLOSE TO WHERE YOU USE TO LIVE?

AARON: IT LOOKED LIKE THEY CAME CLOSE TO WHERE I USE TO LIVE

RIDGE: OKAY, WOULD ALL FIVE OF THEM COME IN TOGETHER OR WOULD ONE OF THEM COME IN, AND THEN ANOTHER ONE WOULD COME IN OR WOULD THEY JUST MEET OUT THERE?

AARON: ALL FIVE, WE SEEN THEM MEET IN THERE BEFORE

RIDGE: JUST ALL COME AT ONCE? SO

AARON: WELL THEN, WE, ONE TIME SEEN THEM MEET WITH EACH OTHER, ONE GOT THERE AND THEN THE OTHER, AND THEN THE OTHER, AND THEN THE OTHER

RIDGE: OKAY

AARON: AND THEN THEY UM, ALL SIT OUT

RIDGE: OKAY, WHEN YOUR SAYING THEY DID BAD THINGS AND YOU SAW WHAT THEY WERE DOING

AARON: UH-HUH (YES)

RIDGE: OKAY, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW THEY WERE DOING WHAT THEY WERE DOING, WERE STANDING UP, WERE THEY LAYING DOWN

AARON: THEY WERE LAYING DOWN

RIDGE: LAYING DOWN, OKAY, AND WHERE THEY LAYING FACE DOWN AND ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER ONE?

AARON: ONE... ONE OF THEM WAS FACED DOWN AND THEN THE OTHER UM, GOT FACED DOWN TO,

RIDGE: ON TOP OF THE OTHER

AARON: ON TOP OF THE OTHER

RIDGE: OKAY, WAS ONE UP ON HIS KNEES A LITTLE BIT OR WAS HE ALL THE WAY LAYING FLAT DOWN

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AARON: ONE WAS LIKE ON HIS KNEES A LITTLE BIT

RIDGE: AND COULD YOU SEE WHAT THEY WERE DOING, WERE YOU CLOSE ENOUGH TO REALLY SEE WHAT THEY WERE DOING?

AARON: THEY WERE...UM, DOING UM, THEY WE UM DOING, DOING MOUTH STUFF AND STUFF OR STUFF, ALL KINDS OF STUFF I MEANT

RIDGE: OKAY, YOU SAID A WHILE AGO THEY DID SOMETHING WITH THEIR MOUTH, WHAT DID THEY DO WITH THEIR MOUTH?

AARON: THEY UM, KISSED

RIDGE: KISSED EACH OTHER OR DID THEY KISS THEIR BODY SOME WHERE?

AARON: THEY KISSED THEIR BODY SOME WHERE

RIDGE: KISS BETWEEN THEIR LEGS

AARON: (inaudible)

RIDGE: OKAY, AND WHEN THEY KISSED BETWEEN THE LEGS DID THEY DO IT FOR A LONG TIME?

AARON: UH-UH (NO)////

RIDGE: JUST A FEW MINUTES, OKAY

AARON: ABOUT FIVE MINUTES

RIDGE: DID THEY HOLLER ?

AARON: UH-UH (NO)

RIDGE: WERE THEY ALL THE TIME TRYING TO BE QUITE OR WERE THEY, WERE THEY TRYING TO BE QUITE?

AARON: THEY WERE TRYING TO BE QUITE

RIDGE: OKAY, SO WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD HAVE DONE IF THEY THOUGHT THEY GOT CAUGHT,. DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SCARED? THINK THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN? WHEN THEY TOOK THEIR CLOTHES OFF DID THEY TOOK ALL THEIR CLOTHES OFF?

AARON: YES SIR

RIDGE: OKAY. WHAT DID THEY DO WITH THEIR CLOTHES WHEN THEY TOOK THEM OFF?

AARON: THEY UM, THEY PUT THEM , THEY PUT THEM AROUND THE TREE

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RIDGE: AROUND THE TREE, WOULD THEY FOLD THEM UP, OR DID THEY JUST HANG THEM ON THE SIDE OF THE TREE, OR WOULD THEY JUST THROW THEM AROUND WHAT WOULD THEY DO?

AARON: THEY WOULD JUST THROW THEM

RIDGE: THEY THROW THEM, OKAY, THEY ALWAYS JUST THROW THEM OVER THERE OUT OF THE WAY?

AARON:

RIDGE: OKAY

ALLEN: WHEN THEY. WHEN THEY TOOK THEIR CLOTHES UH, DID ANY OF THEM HAVE LIKE PICTURES DRAWN ON THEM OR DO YOU KNOW WHAT A TATTOO IS? DID ANY OF THEM HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT?

AARON: YES SIR

ALLEN: DO YOU REMEMBER

AARON: ONE OF THEM HAD A SPIDER WEB ABOUT RIGHT HERE

ALLEN: ON HIS WHERE?

RIDGE: ON HIS ARM AND SHOULDER

AARON: YEAH (YES) IT WAS ABOUT RIGHT HERE THERE

RIDGE: IS IT ON THIS ARM?

AARON: I THINK IT'S ON THIS ARM

RIDGE: SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ON HIS LEFT ARM? AND IT WAS A SPIDER WEB?

AARON: IT WAS ALL GOING ALL THE WAY ACROSS

RIDGE: ALL THE WAY ACROSS HIS SHOULDER DID IT

AARON: HIS SHOULDER WENT... WENT TO PROBABLY TO THE MIDDLE THEN KINDA CAME BACK AND THE IT WENT UP AND THEN CAME DOWN

RIDGE: OKAY, SO YOUR DESCRIBING IT WENT ACROSS THE SHOULDER DOWN ABOUT HALF WAY OF THE ARM AND CAME BACK ACROSS TO THE CHEST AND WENT BACK UP AND WENT BACK DOWN AGAIN IS THAT THE WAY IT LOOKED?

AARON: NO, IT CAME, IT WENT UP HERE FROM THE CHEST UP THERE AND THEN UP AROUND IT

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RIDGE: OKAY, I SEE WHAT YOUR SAYING, IT'S ON THE SHOULDER IT WENT DOWN THE ARM, COME ACROSS ALMOST TO THE CHEST AND THEN CAME HACK UP THE ARM AND THEN WENT DOWN ON HIS CHEST AND MADE A CIRCLE

AARON: YEAH (YES)

RIDGE: LIKE A BIG CIRCLE SPIDER WEB? DID YOU SEE ANY OTHER TATTOO'S ?

AARON: NO SIR

GITCHELL: DID THAT GUY HAVE ANY MORE, THE ONE THAT HAD THE SPIDER WEB YOUR TALKING ABOUT, DID HE HAVE ANY MORE TATTOO'S ON HIM?

AARON: I COULDN'T SEE ANY MORE

ALLEN: WHAT COLOR HAIR DID HE HAVE?

AARON: HE HAD BLACK

ALLEN: HE HAD BLACK HAIR

RIDGE: IS THAT THE ONE THAT THE ONE THAT HAD THE NECKLACE?

AARON: YEAH (YES)

RIDGE: THAT'S THE ONE THAT HAD THE NECKLACE, OKAY,

GITCHELL: LET'S RUN OUT THERE AND SHOW US WHERE HE'S TALKING ABOUT.

RIDGE: YOU WANT TO GO WITH US NOW AND SHOW US WHERE THE CLUB IS AND WHERE YOU SAW THE BOYS AT AND THE MEN AT? SHOW US WHERE YOU HID AND WATCHED?

AARON: YEAH (YES)

RIDGE: OKAY, WE'VE GOING TO CONCLUDE THIS TAPE THE TIME IS 5:48 P M.

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