OCEANSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT
FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION REPORT
DATE OF REPORT: 5/18/93
OFFENSE: P.C. 187, Homicide
DATE OF OFFENSE: 5/5/93
VICTIM: MOORE/Byers/Branch
ADDRESS: West Memphis Arkansas
SUSPECT: Unknown
LOCATION: West Memphis, Arkansas
ADDRESS:
ARREST DATE: BOOK NO.
REPORTING EMPLOYEE: Detective C. MCDONOUGH #456
INVESTIGATION:
On 5/15/93 at approximately 1918 hours Sergeant John LAMB of the Oceanside Police Department called me at my residence. Sergeant LAMB briefed me on a possible homicide suspect from West Memphis, Arkansas now in the Oceanside area. Sergeant LAMB requested I respond to the Police Department and interview a Chris MORGAN as West Memphis Police Detectives had requested our assistance.
At 1952 hours I called and spoke with Detective Stan BURCH and Inspector Gary GITCHELL of the West Memphis Police Department (501-732-7531). I was told Christopher MORGAN DOB: [omitted]/73 was now in the Oceanside area at his sister's house and that he was a neighbor of one of the homicide
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victims in Arkansas. Memphis Detectives said they spoke with MORGAN'S family and requested he contact the Oceanside Police Department for an interview and sexual assault exam. Inspector GITCHELL said he would FAX me information relating to this case.
At approximately 2004 hours Mr. Hugh IVEY came into the Police Department with Chris MORGAN. I told MORGAN he was not under arrest asking him if he understood what was going on. MORGAN said he spoke with Detective's from West Memphis, Arkansas and that he wanted to clear things up voluntarily. MORGAN said he would allow a sexual assault exam, photos, prints, blood and an interview.
At 2016 I took complete 35mm photographs of MORGAN. At 2050 hours I received the FAX from West Memphis Police Department relating to this case. (See attached).
At 2129 hours MORGAN called his sister Ladena SMITH, [omitted].
At approximately 2135 hours MORGAN was printed by Public Service Officer Ed STOKES.
At approximately 2140 hours I FAXED copies of MORGAN’s fingerprints and photos to the West Memphis Police Department (Fax #501-732-7538) .
At approximately 2152 hours MORGAN ate some food at his request.
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At approximately 2238 hours Detective Brian WHITBREAD and I drove MORGAN to Pomerado Hospital where a sexual assault exam was performed. (See attached medical report).
At approximately 0036 hours MORGAN was driven back to the Oceanside Police Department where Detective Brian WHITBREAD and I conducted the following interview with him. MORGAN stated essentially as follows.
INTERVIEW OF MORGAN:
MORGAN said he was told about the homicides by his father while being given a ride to work. MORGAN said his father told him his nephew's friend STEVIE was killed.
MORGAN said he also spoke with his friend Bobby DEANGELO who told him about the homicide. MORGAN said he went to STEVIE's house with Bobby DEANGELO because BOBBY was close to the family.
MORGAN said he heard the boy's arms were cut off and that they were molested.
MORGAN said he used to drive an ice cream truck saying he had met all three boys before. MORGAN said he met STEVIE about three years ago.
MORGAN said a friend of his named LISA lives next door to one of the other victims and that the third victim lives across the street from her.
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I requested MORGAN draw a map of the area which he did. (See attached).
MORGAN said he read about the homicides around 5/6/93 in the local newspapers.
MORGAN said he is now living at [omitted] apartment #1 in Memphis, Tennessee having a phone number of [omitted]. MORGAN said he has four roommates named Brian HOLLAND, Frankie HARRIS, David NESTLER and Richard CRISTAFORI.
MORGAN said he and Bobby DEANGELO were talking about the homicide, when he told DEANGELO about what he had heard from his father saying DEANGELO began freaking out. MORGAN said they went to an EXXON gas station and bought a newspaper. MORGAN said that's when DEANGELO decided to go visit STEVIE's family.
MORGAN said he thought it was strange the victim lived right down the street from his parents house saying he was living in Tennessee at the time of the homicides. MORGAN said he did not know the dates of the homicides.
MORGAN said and a friend named Brian HOLLAND were driven to California and dropped off in Newport Beach by two other friends named Beth KLEAVIS and RICK (N.F.I.). MORGAN said they arrived in California on 5/12/93 after leaving West Memphis, Arkansas on 5/10/93. He said they drove a blue
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Cavalier that belongs to BETH. MORGAN said RICK and BETH continued north to San Francisco.
MORGAN said he met BETH at a club in Tennessee called Zot-Euro Club on Front Street.
MORGAN said the club is now closed and has been for approximately three years.
MORGAN said he and HOLLAND came to California to look for a place to live and that they are now staying on Camp pendleton with friends of theirs named BRENT and TIFFANY giving me a phone number of [omitted].
MORGAN let me look at a piece of paper in his wallet having various phone numbers on it. I copied down the following information.
Shen and Jen
PHONE NO. [omitted]
ADDRESS: [omitted] N. 14th WNPS. AR 72301
Ric and Beth (DAVIES)
Bolinas, California, [omitted]. (This possibly could be Salinas, California)
MORGAN said he and HOLLAND were going to return back to West
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Memphis after driving a car belonging to "PJ" who apparently lives in Atlanta. MORGAN gave me a phone number of [omitted] for P.J. MORGAN said the car is broken and that they are waiting to get the keys from a guy named ALLEN. MORGAN said once they get the keys they are going to place the vehicle in a shop and fix it. MORGAN said the car is in the Los Angeles area at this time.
MORGAN said he and HOLLAND are best friends saying HOLLAND has nothing to do with this.
MORGAN again asked if he knew anything about the homicides? MORGAN responded by stating he only knew what he read in the newspapers and word of mouth from Bobby DEANGELO. MORGAN said STEVIE's parents told him the boys were all castrated and that the boy who lived next door to LISA had his arms cut off.
At 0127 hours we took a break from the interview.
At 0139 hours the interview continued with MORGAN stating essentially as follows.
MORGAN said he had met STEVIE's family a few times in the past although described his relationship as being a very casual acquaintance.
MORGAN said the last time he spoked with victim STEVIE was approximately one and one-half years ago when he sold him some ice cream.
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MORGAN said the reason he went over to victim STEVIE'S residence after hearing about the homicides was because BOBBY wanted to visit the family. MORGAN said BOBBY's and STEVIE's parents are friends saying they use to hang out with each other.
MORGAN was asked why he accompanied Bobby DEANGELO over to victim STEVIE's residence taking into account he was only an acquaintance of the family? Morgan said he went over to show "remorse" and to help them in any way. MORGAN said he was "trying to be nice. . . the kid did get killed."
MORGAN said when he and HOLLAND arrived in California he called his sister BETH saying he did not tell her he was coming saying "I wanted to surprise her."
Detective WHITBREAD asked MORGAN if he was a homosexual and he immediately responded "no."
MORGAN was then asked about what he did on the 4th of May, Tuesday 1993?
MORGAN said around 1300 he woke up at his apartment in Memphis, Tennessee.
MORGAN said around 1400 he went to the Mississippi River with BRIAN and WENDY and there they hung out near the old bridge and the Rivermark Apartments.
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MORGAN said from 1430 to 0400 he took a shower and went to Blockbuster Video on Union Avenue to check out a movie. MORGAN said he sat around the apartment all night bored with his friends Wendy and STEWART. MORGAN said after his friends left he went to bed.
MORGAN said on Tuesday the 4th of May he did not go to work because he believed it had rained and "I didn’t feel like it."
MORGAN was asked about his activities on 5/5/93 Wednesday?
MORGAN said he woke up at 7:00 o'clock in the morning. MORGAN said he put a pair of shorts on and his tennis shoes. MORGAN placed his foot up on the interview table and showed me the tennis shoes he was wearing stating he was wearing those shoes on 5/5/93. MORGAN said he had been wearing those shoes for about a month and a-half saying he used to own a pair of Converse tennis shoes but he threw them away in Phoenix, Arizona about two months ago.
MORGAN said around 0715 he went to get his work shirt out of his car describing it as a 1985 Nissan Sentra, red in color two door. MORGAN said he could not find his keys noticing his uniform shirt was in the back seat of the car. He said he called his boss BILL and asked if he had to wear his uniform shirt. BILL told him there would be no problem that he would come to work without the shirt.
MORGAN said he then began to look for his keys saying he
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couldn't find them so he called his father asking him for a ride. MORGAN said his father drove him to work saying he clocked in on the time clock.
I then asked MORGAN if he went to work on the 4th again and he stated no because "I didn’t feel like it." When asked why he didn't feel like it he said he had a lot of friends over the night before saying he has not been getting enough sleep. I asked MORGAN if he went to work on the 3rd and he said no because it was raining.
MORGAN said on the 5th of May he was dropped off at work telling Detective WHITBREAD and I that he did not speak about the homicides through the entire day. I asked him if he and Bobby DEANGELO had talked with each other that day? MORGAN said "no It didn’t cross my mind...I was too busy working."
MORGAN became upset as I found it hard to believe that he and Bobby DEANGELO were so affected later on in the evening and that they would go visit the victim's family, yet throughout the day he doesn't discuss it with Bobby DEANGELO while in a work setting. I asked MORGAN to explain how the car wash was set up? MORGAN pulled the pen out of my hand and drew a diagram explaining why he and Bobby DEANGELO could not communicate.
MORGAN said he got off work at approximately 1800 hours. He said Bobby DEANGELO gave him a ride along with a girl named PJ and a male whom they dropped off.
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MORGAN said he and DEANGELO then began speaking about the homicides with BOBBY brining up the topic. MORGAN said they went and bought a paper saying "BOBBY wanted to find out if in fact it was STEVIE hoping that it wasn't." MORGAN said DEANGELO didn't make the connection at first. MORGAN said at this point they decided to go to Arkansas and visit STEVIE's family.
MORGAN said they arrived at STEVIE's residence around 1900 hours. MORGAN said he talked to STEVIE's mom PAM saying "he ate some food and then helped them move a refrigerator."
MORGAN said he left PAM's house around 1930 hours leaving BOBBY at the residence. MORGAN said he went to his parent's house to take a shower.
MORGAN said at 1945 hours BOBBY came over to his parent's house and began telling both he and his parents about the mutilations to the victims. MORGAN said he did not know how long DEANGELO knew about the victim's possibly being mutilated saying he must have found out by somebody over STEVIE's house. DEANGELO told MORGAN that all three of the victims were castrated and that one of the victims had his arms cut. MORGAN said DEANGELO then went back over to PAM's residence.
MORGAN said around 1750 hours he went back to PAM's house and it was at this time he moved the refrigerator and eat some food. MORGAN said around 2010 hours he and DEANGELO went
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back to MORGAN's parent’s house and from there left going back to Memphis.
MORGAN said DEANGELO drove back to Memphis arriving at MORGAN'S apartment at approximately 2030 hours.
MORGAN said he changed his clothes and at 2130 hours he went to the Red Square Bar located approximately two blocks from his apartment where he stayed until 0400 hours.
Approximately 0250 hours the interview was ended and Chris MORGAN went home.
On 5/17/93 at approximately 1300 I drove to [omitted] in the City of Oceanside. This is the residence of Ladena SMITH the sister of Chris Morgan. I contacted Chris MORGAN and asked him if he would take me to the residence on Camp Pendleton where I could meet Brian Holland.
At 1328 hours Chris Morgan took me to [omitted] on Camp Pendleton. There he introduced me to Brian HOLLAND. I asked HOLLAND if he would come to the Oceanside Police Department to conduct an interview? HOLLAND said there was no problem and that he and MORGAN would accompany me to the Police Department. I told HOLLAND the purpose of our contact asking him for consent relating to photographs, fingerprints, a sexual assault exam and the interview. HOLLAND said he would cooperate in any way giving permission to obtain the evidence needed for this investigation.
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At approximately 1410 hours photographs of HOLLAND were taken.
At approximately 1430 hours fingerprints of HOLLAND were taken.
At approximately 1527 hours an interview with HOLLAND was conducted with him stating essentially as follows.
INTERVIEW WITH HOLLAND:
HOLLAND said he came to California with MORGAN, a girl named BETH and a friend of hers name RICK, arriving on 5/12/93 in Newport Beach. He said he and MORGAN had been planning to come to California for about a month.
HOLLAND said while in Newport Beach, MORGAN called his sister SMITH. SMITH told MORGAN to call a friend of hers named BRENT and TIFFANY saying BRENT would come to Newport and get them. BRENT drove up and brought them back to Oceanside where they are now staying.
HOLLAND said around the 5th or the 6th of May he was told about the three young boys getting killed although he could not remember by whom. He said he saw news stories relating to the homicides. HOLLAND said he believes he heard the boys had been castrated, beat to death and then their bodies left in a ditch.
HOLLAND said he knew one of the victims STEVIE because he was
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related somehow to Bobby DEANGELO saying "I have seen STEVIE around before."
HOLLAND was asked his sexual orientation and he said he was heterosexual. He was then asked if he knew about any sexual tendencies relating to MORGAN? He stated MORGAN had a homosexual experience with a subject named Patrick MILLIKIN about a year and a-half to two years ago. HOLLAND said MORGAN and MILLIKIN had oral sex at the apartment in Memphis, Tennessee.
HOLLAND said he was not involved in any way relating to the homicides of the boys from West Memphis saying the only information he had was through the "news accounts."
At approximately 1658 hours Chris MORGAN was re-interviewed after returning from a polygraph exam. I learned from Marshal GAINES the polygraph examiner that it was his
opinion MORGAN showed deception on questions relating to the homicide case.
The interview went essentially as follows.
While interviewing MORGAN the second time I noticed he appeared extremely nervous and far more sensitive after the polygraph exam. MORGAN appeared to be pacing in the
interview room and at one point placed a tissue over the video monitors so as not to be seen.
MORGAN was asked about his homosexual encounter with Patrick
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MILLIKIN? He stated approximately two and one-half years ago he did have oral sex with Patrick MILLIKIN.
I explained the medical findings related to the redness on the tip of his penis and asked him to explain that? MORGAN said he felt that was normal.
I asked MORGAN to explain his social circle of friends? MORGAN said he still hangs around with gay people although described himself as being a heterosexual.
I asked MORGAN if he recalled any other conversations taken place between Bobby DEANGELO and the victim's family? He said the only thing he could remember was that BOBBY took a photograph of STEVIE from the family.
MORGAN told me again he worked for about a year and a-half driving an ice cream truck for Frosty Treats which is located on Democrat Road in Memphis. He said he did recall serving ice cream to all three of the victims!
MORGAN could not understand why he had failed the polygraph exam denying any involvement whatsoever relating to the homicide of the three victims.
MORGAN said a possible reason for the polygraph coming up deceptive was the fact that he doesn't deal with death very well.
MORGAN became very hostile saying "What do you want me to do
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lie to you... I’m going to lie I’m going to lie." MORGAN said "I killed them and all that other bullshit, I don’t know how he did it." I quickly asked him who did it? He stated "I don’t know, whoever fucking killed them." I then asked him how do you think it happened? He stated... "I don’t know they were just ten feet apart from each other in the swamp... in the ditch I don't know how they killed them!" I then asked him how do you know they were found ten feet apart? MORGAN responded "because it was in the
newspaper." (It should be noted at this point in the interview there was tissue over the video camera. MORGAN was standing on a chair with both of his arms extended wall to wall in a very hostile dominant position).
MORGAN again became very agitated asking me if I was arresting him? I stated no I was not. MORGAN said he was tired of people trying to accuse him of these killings. MORGAN said he was once in Lakeside Mental Hospital for alcohol and drugs.
MORGAN said he was being very honest and would tell me if in fact he had killed those kids. I then questioned him about why he had not told me about his homosexual
encounter approximately two and a-half years ago? He said "It wasn’t asked."
MORGAN said he has been telling the truth and that the polygraph machine was wrong. I told MORGAN I was checking into the information he gave relating to the castration
and the arms of the victim being cut. He reiterated that
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information came from the victim's mother to Bobby DEANGELO who gave it to him.
MORGAN became very angry yelling "this is so fucking screwed up."
I told MORGAN that I had a legal obligation to get the truth or exonerate him if he wasn't involved in this incident. I told him I felt based on the results of the polygraph exam he wasn't being completely honest. MORGAN said spontaneously "well maybe I freaked out... then blacked out and killed the three little boys and then fucked them up the ass or something." I asked "maybe you blacked out"? MORGAN said "maybe I could have, there's no telling what happened". MORGAN then asked "do you have a
hypnotist? I again stated "maybe you did black out" and he responded "well maybe". I asked him if it was possible he could have done it? He immediately responded "no." MORGAN added "I’ve never hurt anyone intentionally." I asked maybe there's two sides to you? MORGAN responded "maybe I’m Chris and hyde."
MORGAN again said he would like to speak with a hypnotist! I said what if the hypnotist did in fact tell him he did have a black out and killed those three kids? MORGAN said "well I would expect you to take appropriate action then." He further added "well if I did kill the kids... and I blacked out or something well I'll go to jail for
it I would expect that."
MORGAN continued to deny any involvement saying he had no other information as to who might have committed the crime.
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At approximately 2110 hours I conducted a second interview with Brian HOLLAND. I told HOLLAND that he was deceptive on the polygraph. Our interview went essentially as follows.
HOLLAND asked me if the questions he came up deceptive on were the same questions MORGAN had been deceptive on? I told him yes and he said "well I just guessed".
HOLLAND denied having information saying he heard about the incidents though friends and accounts in the newspapers. HOLLAND added he rarely goes to West Memphis and that MORGAN's parents can verify his whereabouts on or near the date of the homicides. HOLLAND said his girlfriend WENDY can also vouch for his locations.
HOLLAND said he heard on the news the boys were found in a ditch. He indicated by taking his left hand to his left ankle, then his right hand to his right ankle showing the binding positions and then changed both hands to the center of his legs demonstrating someone being tied.
HOLLAND said he understood the seriousness of this investigation saying this is why he is cooperating.
At approximately 2200 hours the interview were ended and both MORGAN and HOLLAND left.
On 2/20/93 at 1530 hours I Federal Expressed copies of the tapes and evidence collected from HOLLAND and MORGAN to the West Memphis Police Department.
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Placed into the Oceanside Police Department were original copies of the videotape interviews of HOLLAND and MORGAN.
