DATE: FEBRUARY 1, 1994
DICTATED BY: INV. C.A. BEALL
DATE TYPED: FEBRUARY 4, 1994
COPIES TO: INV. C.A. BEALL
INTERVIEW OF WITNESS
MICHAEL ROY CARSON
W/M, DOB: __-__-77
#12 CHRISTIAN TRAILER PARK
JONESBORO, ARKANSAS
Today's date is February 1, 1994, the time is approximately 5:05 p.m. Present in the room with myself, which is Investigator C.A. BEALL, of the Arkansas State Police, is MICHAEL ROY CARSON, white male, date of birth, [omitted], 1977. This is a live interview.
BEALL: Okay, huh, Michael, you understood that the tape recorder is on right now, is that correct?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: You are here on your own free will? Is that correct?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: Okay, going back to, huh, and by the way, this is being taped at the Arkansas State Police Headquarters in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Today's date is February 1 and it's a little bit after 5:00. Okay, going back to around September, August or September of 93, you were incarcerated at the Craighead County Detention Center, is that right?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: Okay, and did you get there during the day or did you get there at night?
MICHAEL: Night.
BEALL: Okay. Huh, did you have a roommate when you first got into your cell?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: Okay, and who was your roommate?
MICHAEL: Jason
BEALL: Okay. You stayed in your cell, for what, a couple of days before you were allowed to come and out and mix with the other inmates, is that right?
MICHAEL: Yeah. When you first get there, you have a forty eight hour lock in.
BEALL: Okay. So, about forty eight hours later, you get out of your cell and you go down to where? Where do you go to when you get out of your cell?
MICHAEL: It's like a little break room, or day room or something like that.
BEALL: Okay. And you go down there and what are you doing down there at the break room?
MICHAEL: Huh, we sit there and play monopoly, spades and watch TV.
BEALL: When you got down there, was Jason Baldwin already down there or did he come into the room after you were down there awhile?
MICHAEL: He was already in the room.
BEALL: Okay. Tell me what happened next.
MICHAEL: Well, I was sitting there watching TV and, huh, Jason, and I forget, a couple of black people, they started to play spades, and I was sitting there watching TV and they needed another partner cause nobody else wanted to play and they ask me if I wanted to play and I told them that I didn't know how, so they said they would teach.
BEALL: Okay, so, you started, huh, you sat down at the table with them?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: Okay, at the table is yourself, and the other Jason, that you don't know his last name, and Jason Baldwin, and some guy you know by the name of Beddle, is that....
MICHAEL: Beddle or Beetle.
BEALL: Beetle. Okay. Tell me what happened next.
MICHAEL: Well, we was all sitting there, there was teaching me how. I was gettin confused and stuff so we was all laughing last night and then I sat there...we sat there and talked and they was talking about Jason and his trial and everybody's talking about what time they were going to get out, when they were going to go to court, and I turned to Jason and said, did you really do it? Straight out just like that in front of Jason and Beddle and he denied it the very first time I ask him.
BEALL: Okay, so he denied it the first time.
MICHAEL: The first time.
BEALL: Alright. Okay. Huh, when did you, how long was it before you had another conversation with Jason Baldwin after that first day that yall played spades together?
MICHAEL: The next day
BEALL: Okay. The next day, tell me what happened.
MICHAEL: Well, we was sitting there, we just fixing, we's after...
BEALL: That's okay.
MICHAEL: Well, we was sitting there playing spades and then the officer comes over the intercom and tells us to get in our cells, because she's fixing to bring lunch in and so me and Jason was sittin there scraping up some cards and I turned to him and said, "between me and you, did you really do it"? And he said, "yes, I did do it", and he started giving me the gory details.
BEALL: Okay. Are you saying he didn't get into any gory details or he did?
MICHAEL: He did.
BEALL: Okay, and this is the next day?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: Okay. Tell me, what kind of gory details did he get into?
MICHAEL: He was saying like, okay, dismembered them, and sucking the blood out of their scrotums and playing with there balls in his mouth and stuff like that.
BEALL: Okay, did he say how many of the, how many balls, or, scrotums, or huh, whatever, penis's that they played with?
MICHAEL: No.
BEALL: Tell me what else he told you.
MICHAEL: I, it's been awhile, so all I pretty much remember is scrotums, playing with the penis, and putting their, kids balls in his mouth.
BEALL: Okay.
MICHAEL: When he mentioned that, that was pretty much the end of it. I laid my hands on the table and I jumped back and I left him sitting at the table, left him with the cards, and I went to my cell.
BEALL: Okay, did he mention anything about, huh, about the other two, Damien, or Misskelly, or anything along that line?
MICHAEL: No, he said, the thing he said really about Misskelly is that he was going to kick his ass when he got out.
BEALL: Okay.
MICHAEL: When all of this was over. How he messed everything up.
BEALL: Okay, getting back to what Baldwin told you, huh, about the, huh, the penis, and the balls, go over that again with me, exactly what he said to you.
MICHAEL: He said, how he kindly, I don't remember the exact the words he used, but he dismembered them, that he played with their penis's, sucked the blood out of their scrotums, and put the balls in his mouth.
BEALL: Okay. Did he say whether or not anyone else was involved in this same activity that he was involved in?
MICHAEL: I don't remember.
BEALL: Okay, all right. Has, huh, anyone promised you anything to come forward with this statement about what Jason Baldwin told you?
MICHAEL: No and I would refuse.
BEALL: Okay, huh, have I made it clear to you on several occassions that if this story is not true, then you need to back out of this because this is very serious and chances are you will be ask to testify in court and, huh, I have told you that ah, we will not do anything to you, you will not be charged with anything, if you tell me right now that you made up this whole story and you are saying that this is not made up? That he told you while you were in jail, excuse me, that he did take the balls, of at least one of the kids, and put it in his mouth, and what did he do to the penis?
MICHAEL: He played with it.
BEALL: Okay, and what did he do, did he do anything else with the penis?
MICHAEL: He said he sucked the blood out of it.
BEALL: Okay, and he didn't mention anything about what anybody else did?
MICHAEL: Not really.
BEALL: Okay. Did he mention anything about Damien, anything that he might have done? You know, just think hard, and if it comes to you fine, if it doesn't fine.
MICHAEL: Not that I can remember.
BEALL: Okay, and you said earlier that he said he would like to whip Misskelly's ass?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: Okay, for doing what?
MICHAEL: Cause he messed everything up.
BEALL: Okay. Alright. Now, who is the first person, that you told about this conversation that you had with Baldwin?
MICHAEL: My Dad.
BEALL: Okay. How soon after you got out of jail did you tell your Dad about what Baldwin had told you?
MICHAEL: A couple of months.
BEALL: Okay. During that two month period of time, did you tell anyone about this?
MICHAEL: No.
BEALL: Okay. So the first person that you told was your Dad, tell me kind of what the circumstances were that you told your Dad, like where were you, ah, you know what was going on, were you home, were you all out somewhere or what was the situation?
MICHAEL: We were sittin at home and Dad was watching TV and I was in my room listening to the radio and talking on the telephone and when I walked out there was some news on the West Memphis case.
BEALL: Okay.
MICHAEL: And I pointed out Baldwin and I said, "that's the guy that I was in jail with and then told him, I didn't expect all of this to happen".
BEALL: Okay. Right.
MICHAEL: And he said, "well you need to tell somebody about this and I wasn't too sure about doing it because I felt like it was all weird so...
BEALL: Right.
MICHAEL: So like a couple of weeks later, two or three weeks later, he was sitting there, we was watching TV together, and the family of the kids that were murdered came up on there and he said, well if you say something that's who you will be helping out, and I ask him who did we need to call.
BEALL: Okay. That is when you eventually ended up going to Mr. Brent Davis's office, who is the prosecuting attorney and tell him the story too, is that correct?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: Okay. Has, ah, anyone offered yall any money to come forward with this story?
MICHAEL: No.
BEALL: Have we, meaning the State Police, or anyone else, have we offered you anything to come forward with this information?
MICHAEL: No.
BEALL: Okay. I believe that I've told you numerous occassions and one time already on tape that if you are not telling the truth, if you've made up any part of this, back out of it now, because all we want you to do is come in and tell the truth, no more, no less.
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: Okay. Is that right?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: Okay. I believe you told me earlier about someone that may have possibly overheard Baldwin admit that he put the balls in his mouth and sucked the blood out of his penis and who was that Michael?
MICHAEL: Leonard.
BEALL: A guy named Leonard?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: And he was in jail...he was in jail for what?
MICHAEL: Murder.
BEALL: Murder. Okay. And all you know is that his first name is Leonard, you don't know anything else about him?
MICHAEL: No.
BEALL: Okay. He may have heard something, he may not have heard something?
MICHAEL: That's right.
BEALL: Okay. Do you know anybody else at the detention center that would have been at the detention center during the time that you were that may have admitted anything to, or that Jason Baldwin may have admitted anything to in this case?
MICHAEL: Ah, him and Jason and Beddle were pretty good buddies, so he may have said something to them, I'm not sure.
BEALL: Okay. Well, let me ask you this. Now, ah, you're not mad at Jason Baldwin about anything are you?
MICHAEL: No.
BEALL: Other than the fact, you know, that you think he is involved in this. Huh, you're not, you didn't come forward with this story, because you and Jason got into it over anything in jail, or anything like that? Yall didn't have any problems or anything did you?
MICHAEL: No, I pretty much took up for him...
BEALL: Why do you think that he chose to tell you about this?
MICHAEL: I don't know. Maybe he wanted to show out or something like that. A lot of kids do that.
BEALL: Okay, did he act like he was serious or did he act like it was a joke when he was telling you about it?
MICHAEL: When he was telling me about it, he acted pretty serious about it.
BEALL: Okay. Did he ask you not to tell anybody?
MICHAEL: Ah, not that I know.
BEALL: Okay, he just trusted you?
MICHAEL: I guess because we got to be pretty good buddies.
BEALL: Okay.
MICHAEL: Prison buddies.
BEALL: Okay, you said you took up for him a few times?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: Okay. Did any of the inmates ever try to jump on him or anything like that?
MICHAEL: Well, he would be sittin and we'd be playing spades and like they will come up, Leonard, Xavier, and one little black kid, come up and always messing with him. So I always said, if you have a problem with him, you got a problem with me, because there is three of you and only one of him.
BEALL: Right. Okay. So Jason, more or less, felt like he could trust you and that you...
MICHAEL: I guess.
BEALL: That you took up him a few times or anything like that?
MICHAEL: Yeah.
BEALL: Okay. We're going to conclude this statement at 5:20 p.m. Have you got anything else to add Michael?
MICHAEL: Huh, yeah, if I was offered any money or anything, I mean I'm not doing this for money, or anything, I'm just doing it to help the family out.
BEALL: Okay. And you understand, now that there is probably a pretty good chance that you'll have to testify on this. I know that's not something you're looking forward to doing but all anybody wants you to do Michael, is when you get up there and testify, you tell the truth.
BEALL: If it helps the prosecution, fine, if helps the defense, fine, you just get up there and tell the truth. That's all anybody expects from you, okay?
MICHAEL: Okay.
BEALL: Okay, we're going to conclude this interview at 5:20 p.m. The only one present in the room during this interview was myself, Investigator C.A. Beall, and Michael Roy Carson, his father is outside the office, and gave me permission to talk to his son.
