A young Coral
Springs woman who stabbed her adoptive mother to death in 1997 got
her prison sentence cut by more than 12 years on Wednesday and
could be out in 2019.
Jacquiline
"Nikki" Reynolds, 21, was sentenced in 1999 to 34 years for the
murder of Billie Jean Reynolds at their home. But an appellate
court later ruled in another case that the sentencing guidelines
were unconstitutional and Reynolds was entitled to be
re-sentenced.
Broward
Circuit Judge Sheldon Schapiro re-sentenced Reynolds to 21 years
and eight months, the maximum under the 1994 guidelines that were
reinstated when the 1995 ones were invalidated.
Wearing
prison scrubs, Reynolds smiled at her attorney, Wayne Corry, and
nodded her head when she heard the new sentence.
The judge
rejected a request from prosecutor Deborah Zimet, who had asked
him to consider ruling that the crime was so bad, Reynolds should
still be imprisoned for up to 34 years. Under the valid guidelines
her sentence should be aggravated and hiked back to what it was
originally, Zimet said.
In May 1997
Reynolds, then 17, stabbed her mother 25 times, then called 911
and confessed to the dispatcher. In a detailed confession later to
police, she said she had planned to kill both her adoptive parents
and her boyfriend, Carlos Infante. She said she stopped after
murdering her mother because it was "too hard."
Reynolds was
diagnosed with psychiatric and emotional problems but a jury
rejected her insanity defense in 1999 and found her guilty of
second-degree murder.
Last week,
Zimet told the judge that Reynolds should serve more time because
the murder could be characterized as especially heinous, atrocious
or cruel and the victim suffered extraordinary physical or
emotional trauma.
"The victim
was conscious and aware of her impending death," Zimet said.
According to
Reynolds' confession, her mother begged her to stop and told
Reynolds that she loved her even as Reynolds chased her and
repeatedly plunged a kitchen knife into her.
The
Reynoldses were devoted to their daughter from the moment they
adopted her as an infant. The family was deeply religious and
heavily involved in the Coral Baptist Church in Coral Springs.
Billie Jean
Reynolds must have been devastated that her beloved daughter was
the one who attacked her, Zimet said.
Family
tensions broke out in the year before the murder when Nikki
Reynolds began to lie to her parents. She made a false allegation
of rape and faked pregnancy to try to hold on to Infante when he
broke up with her. She refused her parents' offers of help and
would not go for psychiatric treatment.
Corry asked
the judge to consider Reynolds' youth at the time of the incident
and her psychiatric problems. He said he was pleased with the
sentence reduction.
Reynolds has
already served about four years of her sentence and is likely to
complete about 85 percent of the prison term before she is
considered for release.
Tearful
apologies from a 20-year-old Coral Springs woman who stabbed her
adoptive mother to death failed to sway a Broward judge from
giving her the maximum prison sentence on Friday.
Broward
Circuit Judge Sheldon Schapiro sentenced Jacquiline "Nikki"
Reynolds to 34 years in prison for the May 14, 1997, murder of
Billie Jean Reynolds.
"I didn't
mean to hurt her. I didn't mean to tear the family apart,"
Reynolds told the victim's brothers and sisters. "I know you're
all confused, but I'm even more confused."
Reynolds,
who was 17 at the time, stabbed her mother 25 times at their home,
then called 911 and confessed to the dispatcher. She later told
police she had planned to kill both her adoptive parents and her
boyfriend, Carlos Infante, but stopped after the attack on Billie
Jean Reynolds because it was "too hard."
Reynolds was
charged with first-degree murder, but a jury in November found her
guilty of second-degree murder after rejecting her insanity
defense.
It was the
second time she stood trial last year. Jurors in the first trial,
which ended in May, were unable to reach a verdict.
Speaking
rapidly and sobbing, Reynolds begged the judge to give her a
lesser sentence, saying that if Billie Jean Reynolds had survived,
she believed she would have stood by her. She also asked to serve
time in a psychiatric center, saying she wants to get help for her
problems.
As Reynolds
stabbed Billie Jean, she asked if Billie Jean hated her. "No, I
love you. You just need help," were Billie Jean's last words,
according to Reynolds.
"The sad
part is there is no understanding," Reynolds said Friday.
But family
members told the judge she deserved the maximum penalty.
"Nikki is
strong-willed, and her selfish and evil ways have caused
immeasurable suffering," said Ann Carnicella, one of the victim's
three sisters.
Reynolds was
"hell-bent" on getting back at Infante for breaking up with her
and her tragic actions killed the woman who loved her above
everything in the world, Carnicella said.
"Let us not
allow ourselves to be manipulated as Nikki has done in the past,"
Carnicella said.
The
Reynoldses were devoted to their daughter from the moment they
adopted her shortly after her birth, family members said. The
family was deeply religious and involved in the Coral Baptist
Church in Coral Springs, where Robert J. Reynolds served as a
deacon and where he and Billie Jean Reynolds sang in the choir.
But family
tensions built up in the year before the murder when Reynolds
began to lie and her grades plummeted. She made a false allegation
of rape when she thought she might be pregnant, then faked a
pregnancy to try to hold on to Infante when he broke up with her.
The
Reynoldses asked her to get psychiatric help, but she refused.
"I was
raised in possibly the best family a kid could be raised in,"
Reynolds said. "All of a sudden, one day things fell apart."
Robert J.
Reynolds, who has since remarried, was not in court on Friday. He
wrote to the judge about his love for Billie Jean but made no
sentencing recommendation. He wrote that it would be a tough
decision for the judge to make.
Reynolds
told the judge that her adoptive father stopped visiting her in
jail in June 1997, but he continues to send her a card every week.
Among those
who spoke in support of Reynolds in court on Friday was her
biological mother, Katrina Ramos. The two were reunited 15 months
ago when Reynolds' attorney, Wayne Corry, tracked down Ramos.
Ramos said
her family has a history of depression, suicide attempts and
psychiatric problems. She testified in the second trial that she
tried to abort her daughter and gave her poor pre-natal care.
"When I was
pregnant with her, I was suffering some deep depression and I felt
it had a bad effect on her," Ramos said.
When she was
convicted of minor crimes, Ramos said, a judge forced her to get
help.
"I believe
Nikki can turn her life around, too," she told the judge.
A defense
psychiatrist testified Friday that Reynolds suffers from a major
depression and has a borderline personality disorder that affects
her impulse control and her relationships with people.
"I think she
was 17 going on 13 or 12 [at the time of the murder] in terms of
the way she behaved," said Dr. William Vicary, a psychiatrist who
examined Reynolds.
Corry asked
the judge to consider Reynolds' youth, immaturity and her
psychiatric problems and to grant a lighter sentence.
But
prosecutor Deborah Zimet said Reynolds' psychiatric disorders were
not an excuse. and that her actions were the result of her
self-centered worldview.
Schapiro
rejected the defense's request and gave her the longest sentence
permitted. Although she was sentenced as an adult, Schapiro
ordered the Department of Corrections to place her in a prison for
youthful offenders for the first few years of her sentence.
Her
attorneys plan an appeal.
FORT
LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Court TV) Jurors considering a first-degree
murder conviction against a troubled Florida teen-ager for the
1997 stabbing death of her adoptive mother face a dilemma: does
she deserve life in prison or counseling?
Despite
Jacqueline "Nikki" Reynolds' troubles, prosecutors claim her
slaying of her adopted mother, Billie Jean Reynolds, was
premeditated murder and are seeking a life sentence. According to
prosecutors, Nikki, then 17, was so distraught over the breakup
with her boyfriend that she plotted to kill him. But when her
parents unknowingly got in the way of her plans, Nikki allegedly
plotted their murders. However, Nikki only succeeded in killing
Billie Jean Reynolds in their Coral Springs, Fla. home on May 14,
1997.
A teen-ager
faces first-degree murder in the stabbing death of her adoptive
mother, Billie Jean Reynolds, in their home on May 14, 1997.
Prosecutors say Jacquiline "Nikki" Reynolds, determined to kill
her on-again off-again boyfriend, Carlos Infante, plotted to kill
her parents for getting in the way of her plans. Nikki, say
prosecutors, stabbed her mother 25 times during a chase around
their Coral Springs, Florida home. The events that unfolded the
night of May 14, were the culmination the then 17-year-old's
troubled teens years.
According to
Nikki's adopted father, Robert Reynolds, the defendant's troubles
began when she was in 10th grade and became interested in boys. It
was in the 10th grade when it is believed Nikki's troubles began.
Robert, a commercial truck enforcement officer, and his wife
Billie Jean, an administrative assistant, had adopted Nikki when
she was three months old. Their relationship with their daughter
seemed fine until her high school years. Robert claims Nikki's
relationship with her mother began to deteriorate, and the
teen-ager exhibited mood swings. The concerned parents sought
counseling for Nikki from a church minister.
In late 1996
or early 1997 Nikki began dating fellow student Carlos Infante.
They began having unprotected sex. Fearing she may be pregnant,
Nikki told her parents she had been raped by a stranger. Robert
and Billie Jean Reynolds immediately reported the alleged
incident. But after police determined that the story was
fabricated, Nikki eventually confessed to her mother that she had
made it up.
Nikki
continued a stormy relationship with Infante that included several
break-ups. Each time the two would break up, Nikki would tell
Infante that she was pregnant in hopes of getting him back.
Infante would return, but the cycle of break-ups and false
pregnancy claims would occur repeatedly. Rumors of Nikki's
"pregnancies" spread at school and eventually reached a guidance
counselor.
When the
counselor met with the teen-age couple, Nikki maintained that she
was pregnant. When the counselor attempted to reach Nikki's
parents, Nikki gave her an old disconnected number. After the
guidance counselor eventually contacted Billie Jean Reynolds, the
mother had her daughter take a home pregnancy test, which revealed
that Nikki was not pregnant and was pulling another scam.
Billie Jean
took Nikki to church for counseling. After storming out of her
session, an angry Nikki attempted to call Infante. Prosecutors say
Infante ended his relationship with Nikki, and she began planning
her now ex-boyfriend's murder. It's alleged that Nikki began
making plans to kill Carlos.
After her
phone argument with Infante, Nikki had a chilling conversation
with the church pastor. According to the Reverend, Nikki vaguely
asked if a Christian would be forgiven if he attempted suicide or
did something "really bad." The Reverend, not knowing Nikki was
planning to kill her boyfriend, apparently told her yes on both
counts.
In her
confession to police, Nikki said she planned to kill Infante in
front of their fellow classmates before the first period the next
day. However, prosecutors claim, Nikki realized of a potential
snag in her plan while coming home from church counseling. Her
mother scheduled a meeting with the school counselor at 10 a.m.
and the two would therefore leave together for school the next
morning. Nikki would not be at school at 8 a.m. and be able to
carry out her murder plan before first period. Nikki told police
she decided to eliminate her parents so that she would keep her
scheduled time to kill her boyfriend.
Billie Jean
and Nikki returned home at around 5:30 p.m. Mr. Reynolds was home
and after the three ate dinner, he left for church around 6:30
p.m. Nikki allegedly swallowed an undetermined amount of aspirin
before Billie Jean went into the family room to work on the
computer at 7 p.m. In the kitchen, Nikki found a 14-inch butcher
knife.
Nikki then
proceeded to the family room and approached her mother from
behind. She swiped the blade across her mother's throat, but
failed to deeply wound her mother. Billie Jean, Nikki told police,
jumped up to turn toward her, and the defendant jabbed the blade
at her mother again, inflicting a cut on her mother's right cheek.
Billie Jean
then fled from her daughter, trying and failing to reach the front
door. Nikki said that the two continued to run from room to room
around the house. Soon, Billie Jean collapsed. In her confession
Nikki says she asked her mother if she was dying. "Yes," Billie
Jean replied. Nikki ultimately asked her Billie Jean for
forgiveness, and a wounded Billie Jean forgave her.
Apparently
wanting to end her mother's agony, Nikki thrust the knife into her
mother's chest, killing her. Nikki proceeded to attempt to clean
the house, awaiting her father. She soon realized the blood, which
had splattered throughout the house, could not be concealed
enough. So Nikki called 911 and alleged confessed to her mother's
slaying. She told the 911 dispatcher that she must be crazy and
repeated the statement to arriving police officers. The arresting
officer recorded Nikki's incriminating statements without her
knowledge. In later statements at the police station, she again
confessed to killing her mother.
The state
believes Nikki's confessions prove that the defendant thought
about the crime for several hours before the murder. However,
Nikki's defense claims she was insane at the time and could not
have formed the intent to commit murder. The defense will attempt
to prove that Nikki inherited severe depression and psychological
problems from her biological mother.
Reynolds v. State
Appellant, Jacquiline Nicole Reynolds, was
indicted for first degree murder in the death of her adoptive
mother. The jury rejected appellant's insanity defense and found
her guilty of a lesser included offense, second degree murder with
a weapon.1
She appeals her conviction, contending that the trial court erred
in precluding defense experts from testifying on the ultimate
issue of insanity and in repeatedly criticizing defense counsel
and disparaging appellant's insanity defense. For the reasons
discussed below, we affirm.
On May 14, 1997, seventeen-year-old Jacquiline
Nicole Reynolds called 911 from her home in Coral Springs and told
the operator that she had just stabbed her mother to death. When
the police arrived at her house, they found her mother, Billie
Jean Reynolds, on the floor of the family room. She was dead due
to multiple stab wounds. Reynolds was arrested and taken to
jail. During her interview with police detectives, Reynolds
confessed to stabbing her mother and described the events that led
up to her actions. She told the officers that she was upset
because she had broken up with her boyfriend. She had planned to
kill her boyfriend at school that day, but after finding out that
her parents were not taking her back to school until she attended
counseling sessions, she decided instead to kill her parents
first. Then she could drive herself to school the following day
and kill her boyfriend.
That evening, after her father left home for
church, she approached her mother from behind as she worked at her
computer and tried to slash her throat with a large butcher knife.
She repeatedly stabbed her mother until she fell on the floor.
After trying to wash the knife in the sink, she called the police.
Near the end of her interview with detectives, appellant told
the officers that she had taken four or five handfuls of aspirin
that afternoon. Appellant was taken to the hospital.
At trial, appellant's defense to the charge of
premeditated murder was insanity. In support of that defense,
she called two expert witnesses who gave opinions that appellant
suffered from mental disease and therefore did not know right from
wrong at the time of the killing. However, in a pre-trial
ruling, the trial court prevented her experts from stating their
opinions that appellant was insane. The court similarly
precluded the state's experts from testifying that appellant was
sane at the time of the killing. Relying on Gurganus v. State,
451 So.2d 817 (Fla.1984), the trial judge reasoned that expert
testimony regarding insanity constitutes a legal conclusion and
decided that “an expert's opinion cannot be in the ultimate
statement that the defendant is or is not legally insane at the
time.” In setting parameters on the expert opinion testimony,
the court further stated:
I think they can render an opinion as to the
instruction, what is, in other words, the legal definition of
insanity and in their opinion whether the defendant had a mental
infirmity, disease or defect and because of that she did not know
what she was doing or its consequences or although she knew what
she was doing and its consequences she did not know it was wrong.
In other words, they can render an opinion on that, but they
cannot render an opinion that the defendant was legally insane.
Florida law, however, expressly provides that
an expert witness may render an opinion on the ultimate issue in a
case. Section 90.703, Florida Statutes (1999) states:
Testimony in the form of an opinion or
inference otherwise admissible is not objectionable because it
includes an ultimate issue to be decided by the trier of fact.
Further, Gurganus does not hold that an expert
opinion concerning insanity is inadmissible as a legal conclusion.
In Gurganus, the defendant was charged with
first-degree murder in the shooting death of his ex-wife and a
customer at a convenience store where she worked. The defense
proffered the testimony of two clinical psychologists concerning
the combined effect of defendant's ingestion of twenty-nine
Fiorinal capsules and alcohol prior to the shootings. Upholding
the trial judge's refusal to allow this testimony on relevancy
grounds, the supreme court re-affirmed that evidence of a
defendant's diminished mental capacity which fell short of
rendering him unable to know right from wrong or appreciate the
consequences of his act is not admissible because it is irrelevant
on the issue of insanity. Gurganus, 451 So.2d at 821. The court
further held that an expert's opinion as to whether a defendant's
mental condition was closer to a depraved mind than to
premeditation was not admissible either, because that
determination was not a proper subject of expert testimony:
Both of these terms are legal terms with
specific legal definitions. Essentially, the defense was
attempting to elicit the psychologists' opinion as to whether
Gurganus committed second-degree or first-degree murder. Such a
conclusion was a legal conclusion no better suited to expert
opinion than to lay opinion and, as such, was an issue to be
determined solely within the province of the jury.
Id.
The Gurganus court went on to cite United
States v. Milne, 487 F.2d 1232 (5th Cir.1973), which drew a
distinction between expert opinion regarding insanity and expert
opinion concerning criminal capacity. “Criminal capacity is a
legal conclusion and even an expert, medical or legal, may not
speak so as to employ a legal definition.” Milne, 487 F.2d at
1235. In so distinguishing testimony about a defendant's mental
capacity from testimony regarding the defendant's sanity, Milne
indicated that the latter is admissible. Id. at 1235-36. It
thus appears that the trial court misconstrued Gurganus in
preventing the expert witnesses from testifying that appellant was
sane or insane at the time of the offense.
Florida courts have previously allowed properly
qualified experts to testify as to whether the defendant was or
was not sane at the time of the crime. See Garron v. State, 528
So.2d 353, 355 (Fla.1988)(noting that all three court-appointed
psychiatrists testified “that appellant did not know right from
wrong and was, therefore, insane under the legal definition of
insanity”); see also Slawson v. State, 796 So.2d 491, 498 n. 5
(Fla.2001)(acknowledging that both court appointed experts agreed
that the defendant did not meet Florida's test for insanity at the
time of the crime); cf. Nowitzke v. State, 572 So.2d 1346, 1355
(Fla.1990)(holding testimony to be improper in light of doctor's
lack of knowledge of the legal definition of insanity).
The state asserts that appellant failed to
preserve this issue for appellate review because she did not
object to this limitation on expert testimony. See J.B. v.
State, 705 So.2d 1376, 1378 (Fla.1998)(stating that except in
cases involving fundamental error, “to raise an error on appeal, a
contemporaneous objection must be made at the trial level when the
alleged error occurred”). The record shows, however, that during
the pre-trial discussion regarding preliminary jury instructions
on insanity, the court asked whether there were any objections to
his proposed restrictions and defense counsel responded: “I only
ask we be permitted to have our experts render an opinion that
include that in their expert opinion the defendant was insane.”
The record does not reflect that defense counsel withdrew his
objection or agreed to the ruling after the court clarified that
the limitation on expert testimony would apply equally to both
parties.
We conclude that the trial court erred in
precluding the defense experts from stating their ultimate opinion
that appellant was “insane.” However, we determine that in this
case such error was harmless as the experts were permitted to
fully explore and render opinions on whether appellant met
Florida's test of insanity. In Florida, courts follow the
M'Naughton Rule for determining whether a defendant was insane at
the time of the crime. Gurganus, 451 So.2d at 820. Under
M'Naughton, an accused is not criminally responsible for his
actions if, at the time of the offense, the defendant, by reason
of a mental disease or defect, (1) does not know of the nature or
consequences of his act; or (2) is unable to distinguish right
from wrong. Id.
In this case, one defense expert testified that
appellant was suffering from major depression and borderline
personality disorder, both of which were mental diseases or
defects, at the time of the offense. The expert concluded that
as a result of those diseases or defects, appellant slipped into a
psychotic-like mental state which rendered her mental condition so
impaired that, although she knew what she was doing and its
consequences, she did not appreciate the wrongfulness of her
actions at that time.
Another expert testified that as a result of
appellant's mental disease, she did not know right from wrong at
the time of the crime and may not have understood what she was
doing or its consequences. In light of the expert evidence
presented on the elements comprising Florida's definition of
insanity, coupled with the court's jury instructions tracking this
definition of insanity, and based on our review of the record as a
whole, we find that there is no reasonable possibility that the
error affected appellant's conviction for second-degree murder.
See Goodwin v. State, 751 So.2d 537 (Fla.2000)(re-affirming the
harmless error analysis to be applied in deciding whether an error
requires reversal).
Appellant also complains that the trial court
prevented her from exploring whether a state's expert witness
accurately understood the legal test for insanity. Appellant
sought to challenge the psychologist's testimony which suggested
that appellant did not meet the test for insanity unless she
suffered from a “major” mental disease or defect. The record
shows, however, that, following a side bar conference, defense
counsel was allowed to continue his line of questioning regarding
discrepancies between the M'Naughton insanity test and the test
utilized by the witness. We therefore find no error on that
point.
Finally, appellant asserts that the trial court
continuously interrupted and admonished defense counsel during
trial, thereby disparaging her insanity defense. However, as
appellant concedes, her trial counsel never objected to any of
these comments or alleged improprieties. Thus, to overcome a
procedural bar to appellate review, the errors complained of must
be fundamental. J.B., 705 So.2d at 1378. “For an error to be so
fundamental that it can be raised for the first time on appeal,
the error must be basic to the judicial decision under review and
equivalent to a denial of due process.” Randall v. State, 760
So.2d 892, 901 (Fla.2000). It is error that “ ‘reach[es] down
into the validity of the trial itself to the extent that a verdict
of guilty could not have been obtained without the assistance of
the alleged error.’ ” State v. Delva, 575 So.2d 643, 644-45
(Fla.1991)(quoting Brown v. State, 124 So.2d 481, 484 (Fla.1960)).
Determining the existence of fundamental error
requires an examination of the entire record as a whole. See
Crump v. State, 622 So.2d 963, 972 (Fla.1993). In examining the
record as a whole, we first note that most of the comments
referenced by appellant occurred outside of the presence of the
jury. Second, we find that those comments which were made in
front of the jury were not so prejudicial to appellant or her
defense as to result in a denial of due process. When considered
in the context of the entire trial, the judge's comments and
conduct do not constitute fundamental error.
Accordingly, we affirm appellant's conviction
and sentence.
AFFIRMED.
TAYLOR, J.
HAZOURI and MAY, JJ., concur.
Transcript of police interview with
Jacquiline Nicole Reynolds
May 14, 1997
Key:
CK: Detective Cyndy Klee
JR: Jacquiline Nicole Reynolds
UP: Unidentified Person
CK: N-I-K-K-I?
JR: Um hum, but that's not my legal
name, that's just what people call me.
CK: Okay, what's your legal name?
JR: Jacquiline Nicole Reynolds
J-A-C-Q-U-I-L-I-N-E Nicole ---
CK: N-I-C-0-L-E?
JR: N-I-C-0-L-E Reynolds
CK: R-E
JR: Y-N-0-L-D-S
CK: What's your phone number?
JR: What's my phone number? 753-9034
UP: Here you go
CK: Thank you.
UP: Okay,
UP: Case number 5293
CK: Give me another one of those forms
out there. Okay, thank you. Okay, I'm going to read you your
rights Jacquiline, do you want me to call you Nikki?
JR: Sure
CK: Okay, and what I want you to do is
initial, or I'm sorry write yes or no after the responses, okay?
CK: Okay?
JR: Okay.
CK: I'm going to read it for you and you
can read along with me.
JR: Um hum
CK: Okay, Nikki before I ask you any
questions I want to advise you of your rights under the law. Do
you understand that I am a Police Officer?
JR: Yes.
CK: You have the right to remain silent,
that is you do not have to talk to me or answer any questions if
you do not want to. Do you understand?
JR: Yes.
CK: You have the right to talk to an
attorney and have him here with you before we ask any questions.
Do you understand?
JR: Yes.
CK: If you cannot afford an attorney and
you want an attorney one will be appointed for you before we ask
you any questions. Do you understand?
JR: Yes.
CK: If you decide to answer the
questions now, without an attorney present you still have the
right to stop answering questions at any time until you talk to an
attorney. Do you understand?
JR: Yes.
CK: Knowing and, understanding your
rights as I have explained them are you willing to answer
questions without an attorney present?
JR: Yes
CK: So if you decide to talk to me,
anything you say may be introduced into a court of law either for
you or against you. Do you understand?
JR: Yes.
CK: And now put, insert your name in
there, I
JR: Would it be Jacquiline?
CK: Jacquiline, use your, your full
name.
JR: The whole Nicole Reynolds, all that
in there?
CK: You can just use Reynolds.
Jacquiline Reynolds. Have read this statement of my rights, have
had it read to me and I understand what my rights are. I am
willing to make a statement and answer questions. I do not wish an
attorney at this time. No threats or promises have been made to
me. I understand and know what I am doing.
JR: Yes.
CK: Okay, and then just sign the bottom.
And today's date is the 14th.
JR: Which date, because it says witness,
witness, so which date.
CK: Just put the first date line.
JR: Okay. The 14th did you
say?
CK: Um hum. Okay. I want to ask you
some, some general questions like how old you are and stuff like
that?
JR: Um hum
CK: Alright, I got your name, I'm going
to call you Nikki, okay?
JR: Okay.
CK: What's your birthday?
JR: July 16th 1979.
CK: How old are you?
JR: Seventeen
CK: What school do you go to?
JR: Marjorie Stoneman Douglas
CK: What grade are you in?
JR: Eleventh
CK: And what's your home address?
JR: 3700 Northwest 114th
Avenue
CK: Coral Springs?
JR: Coral Springs, Florida 33065
CK: And your phone number again?
JR: 753-9034
CK: And who do you live at the house
with?
JR: My mother and my father do I have to
state names? Or
CK: Yes
JR: Billy Reynolds is my mom's name and
Robert Reynolds is my father's name.
CK: Okay. Alright, one thing I want to
do is I'm going to read you an authorization statement. What it
is, is it's a consent to search your room. Do you understand?
JR: Yes ma'am.
CK: Would you give us consent to look
through your room?
JR: Yes ma'am
CK: Okay. J-A-
JR: C-Q-U-I-L-I-N-E.
CK: Okay, Coral Springs Police case
number is 97-5293, the time is 9:06 p.m. and today is May 14th
1997. What this states is 1, Jacquiline Reynolds, address 3700
Northwest 114th Avenue, phone number 753-9034, Coral
Springs, Florida do hereby authorize the Coral Springs Police
Department and the duly appointed police officers of that agency
to make a thorough search of the premises at the above address,
which I reside. By my signature below, written by my hand I hereby
authorize these officers and give permission, give my permission
to confiscate any contraband or evidence and any object they
suspect of being contraband or evidence found within the said
premise. I do hereby release the above agency and it's duly
appointed police officers from any and all liabilities and or
claims made by me or my heirs relating to the aforementioned
search and seizure. This authorization I give voluntarily to the
Coral Springs Police Department with no promise of compromise or
favor by said agency. Okay, I want you to look it over, okay?
JR: Um hum.
CK: Read it again and if you have no
problem, just sign it. What I want to do now is give you a
change of clothes, okay?
JR: Um hum
CK: So we're going to go over here and
go into the restroom. Okay? I'm not the best picker outer of
clothes, but ---
JR: That's fine.
CK: --- that's what I grabbed for you.
(Voices in background)
JR: Stand or sit?
JM: Can you just stand sideways there? And I
hope this works right, if you want to close your eyes Cyndy this
make a nasty flash. Okay. I think that should do it. I'm going to
go down stairs and get the property receipt.
CK: Take that to Billy.
JM: Okay. And uh, we'll sign it and then I'll
be out of here.
CK: Okay, thanks Joanie.
(Inaudible)
CK: Well first of all, what I want you
to do, so I know you understand it, is explain what we just did.
JR: Okay,
CK: Where did we go?
JR: We went to the bathroom and cleaned
off all the blood and everything like. And he took my clothes, I'm
sure for evidence also, right?
CK: Yes.
JR: Well I don't, I don't understand
your question? Like?
CK: Okay, so you, you understand what we
did?
JR: Yeah
CK: Okay
JR: Yes
CK: Good. What I'd like to do is, is
talk to you about what, what happened today?
JR: Um hum.
CK: And kinda start from the beginning?
You said in the bathroom that you had a boyfriend?
JR: Okay, well, I started going out with
him and everything for about year.
CK: What's his name?
JR: Carlos Infante C-A-R-L-0-S Infante
I-N-F-A-N-T-E
CK: Infante?
JR: Infante.
CK: Okay.
JR: And um, what happened is, he had
broken up with me this past weekend because he didn't trust me.
And my only way of getting him back, so I decided to fake a
pregnancy. And then when he found out today that it wasn't true,
um we got in a big argument with him, and when he thought I was
pregnant he came back to me and when today he found out I wasn't
pregnant he broke up with me again and I told him everything that
happened, in our whole relationship all this, how untrustworthy
I've been towards him and then my when mom took me to go see a
counselor at the church.
CK: What church is that?
JR: Coral Baptist Church on University
and Riverside.
CK: When was that? Today?
JR: Yes
CK: Do you remember what time?
JR: Um, our appointment? We got there
about four. Our appointment was about four
CK: Okay, who was it with?
JR: Um, I can't, I don't remember her
name, at all, because I've never, I've heard of her, but I don't
even know our church phone number by heart, but they can give you
the name, get in touch with Coral Baptist or if you ask my father
I'm sure ---
CK: Okay, does she work there?
JR: Yeah
CK: Okay.
JR: She's a counselor lady, and uh we
went there and talked her about, because I had a problem with
lying for the past year and a half. And um, what, what I figured
I'd do is for some reason I thought in my mind that I could not
live without him so my plan was to bring a knife to school and
let, I was going to like stab him or something like that, and I
knew that I would get in trouble for it because I'd do it in front
of people but I figured I would be happy for the fact that like
nobody else could have him. So then I figured I'd do that but then
I asked my mom, I go, so, because then we had a meeting with the
counselor, the career counselor at my school at ten something and
they told my mom and dad not to bring, don't let me, go to school
until they bring me with all the meeting together, because they
thought I was still pregnant and they were going to have something
with the social worker to see if I was pregnant or not. And I
turned out negative and my mom still bought a test and I turned
out negative so I figured anyway I'm going to loose Carlos, so I
figured if I go to school tell then what my mom told me that I,
these counselors told me that they didn't want me at school until
my parents brought me, so I figured what can I do then so I can
still kill Carlos. So I thought in my head, I figured well I'll
just wait till my parents are sleeping and then I'll slash their
throats, then cause I didn't (inaudible) tonight, we normally go
to church on Wednesday nights and they have a youth group thing
that we go to and play games and stuff like that and there's a
church service for the adults or for the youth and um, my parents
go to that. And my mom normally has choir. We'll she didn't feel
like going because today was a very upsetting day for her and then
after we ate dinner my dad decided he was going to go to church o
I figured, this even makes it easier for me if I kill my mom and
then clean up the mess and wait till my dad gets home then I'll
kill him and then I'll drive to school tomorrow and then I'll kill
Carlos. Well when my dad left, it took fifteen minutes, I was
acting up like I was cleaning the kitchen. Mom started working at
the computer and then I grabbed a big butcher knife and then I
finally got the nerve to come up behind her and I tried to slash
her throat and it didn't exactly cut her, she started screaming
and she jumped up towards the laundry room, she's like no Nikki,
no. And then I kept stabbing her and everything like that and I
told her everything like I'm so have to kill you because I can't
live without Carlos and everything like that. And then, and then
she was telling me how like, I kept asking her are you dying, and
I was crying cause I felt so bad I couldn't believe what I was
doing. And then um ---
CK: You were asking her what, are you
what?
JR: Are you dying? Are you dying? And
she's like yeah, I can feel my life's fading away. And since she's
very religious I was like well at least your going to heaven and
stuff like that. And I was like mom, please don't hate me for this
she's like no, I don't hate you for this, and I kept stabbing her,
she kept telling me to call my dad and I'm like no because I have
to kill him next and then I have to kill Carlos and she kept
falling and everything like that and finally I kept stabbing her
until she was on the floor. And then I got so frightened that I
called the cops because I'm thinking I was thinking I can't do
this to my father and kill him and then go to school tomorrow
there's no way, so I called the cops. I said I told them I killed
my mom, I killed my mom, and they were like you're killing your
mom? I'm like yes. I go, and then like what's your address and I
gave them my address, my name, and everything and I go you have to
hurry and come and arrest me, I go I'm crazy you have to do
something with me, and um, so they came and then, well I looked
outside and I saw the car, the cop, you know, that was standing
here, the one cop. I saw him like backing up and then I opened my
door, and I kept motioning to come here, it's this house. And I,
there was blood, I tried cleaning up a little bit of the blood. It
was everywhere. So and then I mentioned him to come here he kept
telling put down the phone, I kept telling the lady 9-1-1 like I
have to put down the phone, he's like, she was like alright go. He
kept going put down the phone, but she kept telling me well I have
to put down the phone and then he told me to sit down and I was
crying hysterically he asked me what happened. I explained to him
that I wanted to kill my boyfriend, I wanted to kill my dad and
everything like that and then um, he arrested me and he put me in
the car and everything like that. But the major story is because
that I thought I could not live without my boyfriend. And now I
used to be like really religious and everything and I used to live
a really good Christian life until I got involved with Carlos and
all of a sudden I became so obsessed that I figured I couldn't see
me without anybody else so, not until I did what I did today, my
life is destroyed forever so---
CK: Let me ask you this, do you remember
how many times you stabbed your mom?
JR: A lot.
CK: Do you remember where you stabbed
her?
JR: In the back, in the breast, in the
stomach, I slashed the cheek, this cheek here, um, she was all
bloody right here in the pants, I noticed but I didn't stab her
anywhere there, I stabbed her in the stomach, um, I think in the
arms a couple times. And I mean the operator when the operator
told me, she said I need you to go check your mom her lips were
purple. Her eyes were open, gone, she wasn't moving. And I went to
check I don't know, but I felt her neck I didn't feel a pulse so I
figured, I go she's dead, she's dead, there’s no hope and I,
they’re like well we need you to help your mom and then I said
something like I think I did help her because now she’s in heaven
and everything so she’s real religious and everything like that, I
go but I can’t believe that I did and everything. And then I
wasn’t so worried when I saw I kept praying to God, praying to God
that she wasn’t dead, cause I go I’d give anything to just rewind
this time and realize what a mistake I’d made, even starting going
out with Carlos and everything like that and how things could have
been all settled and then when I saw them bringing her out in the
stretcher I figured okay she's alive they, had a mask over her and
she I figured they'd bring her out covered up. So I figured she
wasn't dead they would have had to have a pulse in order to bring
her out like that, wouldn't they have?
CK: Yeah, that's what I had explained to
you that they were working on her.
JR: So that means that there was a
pulse? Right? Or ---
CK: I believe they felt a pulse, yes.
JR: Wow, wow and the thing is, that
she's such a good person and everything and she still loves me and
if she does live through this I don't know how, I know she's going
to forgive me but I'll never, I don't think I'll ever face her
again. Probably will be able to but I I'm really hoping she's
alive because I know if she is dead then I'm gone.
CK: What did you do with the knife after
you had ---
JR: I put it in the sink and I washed it
off, but it was in the sink and they kept asking me that, and I
go, I told them it was in the sink. I didn't put it away or
anything like that, I washed it off a little bit it was in the
sink. And then um,
CK: Why did you wash it off?
JR: Just I guess a reaction. It was
bloody I just rinsed it off real quick. I didn't scrub it or
anything, just rinsed it off, put down panicked, called the cops.
Um, I remember when I was in the car I wanted them to get a hold
of my father as soon as possible so I explained to them where the
phone directory was for the church. I said my dad's at the church
and you're going to need to call the church and I explained to
them where. I said it's under the blue phone across from the
microwave. I said you need to call them and get a hold of my
father and tell them to hurry up, to, to, get a hold of my mom. I
don't, and um and, I'm I 'm never be able to live a normal life,
thinking what I've done, if she does live, I'll be very grateful
and everything like that and I still deserve, deserve life in
prison but the fact that um, I um, I don't know what's going to
happen to me, I mean ---
CK: What made you do this? What made you
think about this?
JR: Thinking that if he died, and no one
else would have him, that I would be satisfied that no one else
had him, but after I did this to my mom, I realized if I killed my
father and Carlos there's no way, I'd just want to die .I want to
die now but I'm not going to do anything to myself or to my family
anymore but I don't feet I deserve to, well I deserve life in
jail. I don't mean I should plead insanity because no sane person
would do something like this. And I wasn't like this about a year
ago. I wasn't even like this a month ago, I've never thought of
killing mom, or anything like that.
CK: You say that you changed after you
met Carlos?
JR: I used to be like a real good
Christian like no sex before marriage, and stuff like that and
after I met him I got physically involved with him and that's what
draw, drew to me so close to him. And then um, after I lost him he
thought I was crazy because I lied to him, so then I figured I
couldn't live without him because I couldn't picture seeing him
with another girl.
CK: What did you lie to him about?
JR: I lied to him when I lost him a
couple times, and I told him I was pregnant and I wasn't and I
always got him back by that so that's why I lied to him about.
CK: Did you talk to him at all today?
JR: Yeah, today we were together and
today I made him think that he had a baby, like I was pregnant.
Then my counselor thought I was pregnant and I told her my mom was
going to come in and discuss the pregnancy and stuff with her and
they asked me for my mom's work number and I gave them an old
phone number of mine that I used to have my own line and then when
the lady called it, she said that is was busy or off the hook or
something like that and she asked my boyfriend if that was the
correct number, are my phones down or something like that? He said
no, that's her old line. She doesn't have that anymore. Then they
got in contact with my mom that's when my mom coming to school.
And I tried to convince my mom, I go I am pregnant I told her I
took two pregnancy tests and they came positive. She took me in
the drugstore afterwards, came out negative and um, yesterday I
had sexual intercourse with Carlos and so I don't know if I am
pregnant. I doubt it but I remember about a year ago when I
thought I was pregnant, and then we went to the clinic and they
said that you can't really read a pregnancy until like seven or
ten days after the intercourse. So we don't know if I am now but,
I don't think I am.
CK: Okay
JR: We never used protection or
anything.
CK: So you, you went to school this
morning.
JR: Um hum
CK: And you saw Carlos in school.
JR: Um hum and we were fine, and we were
happy I uh ---
CK: And then you saw the counselor at
school?
JR: Saw the counselor at school, she
thought I was pregnant and everything like that and I played along
like oh, we're going to be good parents and stuff like that.
CK: How did she think that you were
pregnant?
JR: Well me and my boyfriend we had a
conflict and um, with a bunch of friends and then I figured well
I'm going to loose him anyway so towards the end of our conflict
mediation I said well I, I'm, I could be pregnant
END OF TAPE
START OF NEW TAPE
JR: And then the counselor dismissed
everybody else and had me him and her. And then she's like okay,
she goes let's discuss this if she is pregnant what are you going
to do? He said if she is pregnant I'm not going to go back out
with her right away but I am going to stand by her side and help
her take care of the baby and everything like that. If she's not
I'm going to go our separate ways. So then I came back, this was
Monday. And I came back Tuesday and I said, it's positive, I am
pregnant and he came back to me. And then so we went through the
whole day, he thought I was pregnant and everything like that and
then today she wanted to get a hold of my mom, and when he
realized that I gave her the wrong number thing he started getting
his doubts, when my mom came in she found that wasn't true that I
saw Carlos coming back to school today. Counselor told him, and
then when I called him, when I got home, he said the counselor
told me you're not pregnant, why did you lie to me? And then all
this started.
CK: What time did you get out of school
today?
JR: 2:40 is our time that we get out.
CK: And do you take a bus? Do you get a
ride?
JR: I take a bus home but today my
mother was there, first in the school so she brought me home.
CK: Does my mom work?
JR: Yes ma'am. At R. J. Reynolds Tobacco
Company.
CK: Any relation?
JR: No
CK: Okay. So your mom didn't go to work
today?
JR: She did go to work. She, the
counselor called her from work, and explained to her she's like
so, your daughter's pregnant and my mom's like no. She's like but
you did take her to the clinic and my mom's like, my mom had no
idea what was going on because I was making up the whole thing. So
and then she only found this out when they called her and then she
came to school.
CK: Okay.
JR: It all go cleared up.
CK: So she took you home?
JR: Yes
CK: And what was the conversation like
on the way home?
JR: She's like, because when I'd played
it as when she was still there I went over in the school, when the
counselors came out, I played it as still like I was pregnant. And
I go, the reason why I lied and made up the story is because my
mom last time she thought I was pregnant she said I had to get an
abortion. And my mom's like no you don't have to do that. She
goes, we just, I just want to be able to support it financially
and she was real worried and the whole time just like and the
whole way to the drug store she was like I just don't know what
we're going to do if your pregnant, financially and everything
like that. We took a test, it came out negative, I was hoping it
would come out positive so I wouldn't lose him and everything like
that and then um, after we got the test and it came out negative
that's when I started to worry. And that's when he got all mad at
me and I told him everything I'd done to him.
CK: That's when you called him at the
phone?
JR: Um hum
CK: So I mean, you're home now, you go
to the drug store, you buy the test, your mom brings you home.
JR: Take the test, negative. After my
mom's still checking to see what the results are, I call him up.
And then she's like well first she told me get off the phone with
him. I'm like well no, I want to see what the results are and then
she said well let me talk to him and she's, she apologized to him
for having me put him through all the stuff I put him through and
she's like I'm sorry she had to do this and I'm sorry that she, I
basically worried him, he was worried for his life. What's he
going to do, now he has a child, and everything like that? And
then my mom apologized to him but she was still upset that, she's
like how can you both have sexual intercourse and not discuss this
with me, no protection, she's upset about that but mostly she's
like I'm sorry and but please don't do this again and everything
like that. But he didn't, he hates me now, but I figured the only
way of getting even was to kill him. But the way we see it in our,
our religion is like the godly things are the righteous thing and
then when you think evil things it's from the devil. Well
apparently then I've let the devil like, just totally get control
of me because I didn't, this never happened before. That's why I
think I need to, I don't know, what do they do when you plead
insanity? What's the ---
CK: Well you got to go through a bunch
of psychologists and stuff and they test you and things like that.
Let me ask you this, when you did the test and you're on the phone
with Carlos and your mom gets on and apologizes to him, where are
you at?
JR: Right there on the couch listening.
CK: Okay, and what are you thinking
about?
JR: I'm thinking well now I've lost him
forever. And um, I'm thinking what am I going to do and I don't
remember exactly when it hit me that I'm thinking I have to kill
my parents, oh I remember sit, when I got home from the church, we
went to my, I, I, wasn't thinking about murdering my parents at
that time. I was ---
CK: That, that you were there with,
doing the tests?
JR: Yeah, I wasn't thinking about
murdering my parents at the time, I was thinking, I don't even
know if I was thinking about murdering him yet. Until after we got
back from the church ---
CK: So then you and your mom left the
house and went to the church?
JR: For the counseling.
CK: Is that something that you
standardly do, or did she call up and make an ---\
JR: She ---
CK: --- appointment that day?
JR: She had continuous, she's had I
think since this September, last September, appointments with this
lady about, she's been upset that I lied to her and haven't told
her the truth and everything like that. But this is the first time
I've, we've ever sat down and actually talked to this lady
together. My mom was real upset and everything like that and then
I walked out today once because I got upset, because I felt like
the lady was just like yelling at me and saying your mom's this
perfect dadudududuh (sic). Though she wasn't saying she was
perfect but she's like your mom's never made a mistake at being a
mom, she's a good mom everything like that, but you and I go I was
like I don't care and then the lady's like, well don't talk to me
like that. I got mad, because, urn, I didn't take ---
CK: You got mad at the way she was
talking to you?
JR: Yeah, because I didn't know her and
I was in a bad mood because of all this was happening and I got
mad and I just got up but then I came back maybe fifteen minutes,
twenty minutes later and apologized and sat down and then my mom
and her made an agreement to have me come every Wednesday for ten
weeks and discuss about the lying and everything like that. And at
the church when we were talking to the lady I was thinking about
I'm thinking well you know tomorrow after school I'm going to kill
Carlos and everything like that. I was thinking about Carlos
killing, but I never thought about killing my parents until when
my mom, the lady wanted to talk to me about myself and my mom went
downstairs to the choir and she's putting music away, or no she
was making numbers for each slot for music and then urn, the
lady's asking me questions and when I went down to my mom I'm like
well you're going to let me go to school and I'll meet you there
and the counselor said no the counselor said that we shouldn't let
you go to school that you should come to school with us and we all
meet together. I'm thinking no, cause I was thinking well my plan
to kill Carlos was to wait till he comes out of his first hour,
come up behind him and slit his throat. But then, she's like no,
we're going to your counselors, I'm like thinking what am I going
to do now, my plans are ruined for that. And tomorrow's a half
day, so we get out of school around 11:55 I think? I think that's
what it is? And I was thinking well I don't know how I'm going to
do this because I don't know after the meeting if they're going to
say well take your daughter home or something it won't work out. I
won't be able to kill him. So I figured if I kill my parents
tonight while they're sleeping then I'll drive to school tomorrow,
slit his throat and it'll be done. Well all this time it was a
thought and the only time it started scaring me was when I
actually thinking about it when I was cleaning up the kitchen to
kill my mom and I had the knife. I was shaking and everything like
that, I didn't know what to do. And um, I, that's what I don't
understand, where I got all this from? All of a sudden because
I've never thought about killing my parents. I've always been
their little baby, their little girl and everything like that.
Been precious to them and everything like that until like this
past month has been really triggering because I've been having a
lot of problems with Carlos.
CK: Do you have any brothers or sisters?
JR: No, I'm adopted. And we don't have
any, they, I don't have any adopted brothers or sisters. So ---
CK: Okay. What made you think about your
mom, just the fact that she was going to take you to school and
that was going to ruin it?
JR: I, when, when she told me that she,
the counselors told them not to take me to school, just alright,
not to let me go to school and just wait till the meeting I
thought well that ruins my plans to kill him. And then I thought
well then I'll do it during fifth hour chorus so I think well it's
a half day, I won't know what time it is then and I don't know if
he let me finish the school off after the meeting, they might make
me go home. So I was worried about that. I figured if I do
something to my parents then I could still do something to him.
CK: So if your dad went to church and
your mom would have went with him then ---
JR: I would, they would not leave me
alone, because they don't trust me anyway with the fact that I
might have, even though they know that Carlos was mad at me, they
still wouldn't trust me by myself because normally they might
think that I would have Carlos come over or something like that.
They still, because it's been, for the last maybe year, I'd say
the last maybe eight months it's been really hard for them to
trust me ever since I lied about Carlos, and sleeping with him and
everything like that. They haven't been able to trust me. And I
don't blame them for not letting me home but they would never
leave me by myself
CK: Okay. You said that they don't trust
you because of something eight months ago. -You lied to them eight
months ago?
JR: Um hum
CK: About what?
JR: Well it first started when I lost my
virginity with Carlos and I faked a rape. I think the lady that
took the photographs of me, I think she was taking pictures of the
crime scene when I faked the rape. And um,
CK: How did you fake a rape?
JR: I told, because I was afraid I was
pregnant, so I told them the whole scene and I told them a
description of a male and I told him that after I got off the bus
this guy dragged me there, because I didn't want to get Carlos in
trouble and I was worried I'd be pregnant. Because this is the
first time I had sex and I didn't know what would happen to him.
Cause I didn't know if he'd get in trouble. So I figured if I
faked rape, this way I'll be innocent and that way I won't get
yelled at or get in trouble and I won't have to deal with the baby
or anything like that and then Carlos won't get in trouble. Well
when I faked it they had the cops come and everything they asked
me questions and everything like that and two lady counselors
came. And this is over, and this is I think in March, a year ago.
About a year in March. And um, they came and towards the end of
the night, we were there for hours, they went through an
examination and everything like that and they didn't find any
sperm because it was I told them it happened on a Thursday and I
think it was a Sunday that I told them it happened on Saturday and
toward the end of the night, after the examination, the ladies
were asking me, they go it's not that we don't believe you, we
asked every young lady this, but did you fake rape, because you're
afraid your boyfriend will get in trouble, she goes because many
young girls have done that and then like we won't tell you parents
this has happened, we'll tell the cops the real story and they'll
just tell you parents like case closed or something. So I told
them that's what happened. I faked rape because I didn't want my
boyfriend to get into trouble. Well a couple of days later the
cops called my house and told my dad the whole story. He
confronted me about it, or I go what's wrong he goes I think you
know. And then I call my mother at work real quick and told her
the whole story. And ever since then it's been hard trusting and
I've just gone on lies and more lies. Like that, I haven't slept
with him any more, or we broke up, and this and stuff like that.
CK: Did you lie about anything else to
him?
JR: I'd lie about sometimes where I'd
go, because it got, I got so used to lying it became that was what
I did. It became a normal thing for me. And instead like some
people are always honest, I was always lying to them and it just
got so bad that it all ended up today. It was like I couldn't
handle what I was doing anymore and I didn't think I'd get better
so I figured, I don't know why, but I figured killing them, even
though I'd get arrested for it, as long as Carlos is dead then no
one else could have him and I'd be okay with that. But, no. I uh,
so I just I uh, and not to be like religious or anything like that
but, now, I guess I can say that God's got a hold on me now and if
I get through this okay and everything turns out, my mom's
alright. I'll get charged for battery, a couple of years in jail
probably whatever, after that straight forward with my life. I
know I had, I picked a hard way to learn, but I learned.
CK: You say that you were very
religious. You go to church all the time? Every week?
JR: Every Sunday. We used to not do
that. And the last two or three years now we've been going to
church. I'd want to say three years January 15th. And,
I became real religious and everything I accepted Jesus Christ as
my Savior and all that and then maybe a year after that I met
Carlos and that's when I fell into the sins, the sexual stuff and
all that. And then I went downhill from then.
CK: Were you baptized?
JR: Um hum
CK: Do they do communion in Baptist
church?
JR: No that's Catholic.
CK: Were you confirmed?
JR: What do you mean, like? I meant I
was like, what they do is like, when you accept Jesus Christ,
baptism is a symbol of you accept him as your personal Savior and
that's just a public way of showing that it was, so I was, yeah I
was, I am.
CK: Were you a baby when you were
baptized?
JR: No, I was um, It was about two years
ago that I was baptized. Two years ago in April.
CK: Have your, your parents always been
Baptist?
JR: Um, I think my dad was, I think they
both were, I think they both were. I'm not sure on that. Because
we didn't, they didn't, when I was brought up I meant I believed
that they had the basics, Jesus Christ was their Savior but we
never were religious or went to church, we never went to church ,
in the last three years we started going and they've been real
faithful Christians and everything like that. And I just went
downhill.
CK: Because of Carlos?
JR: Um hum.
CK: When you say you go downhill, is it
because, I mean, were you doing bad things with Carlos?
JR: Well I meant sexual things, I mean
he never done drugs, never smoked or anything like that we don't
do that but just do bad things is what I meant. I would lie to be
with him or I'd be having sex with him and I would tell my parents
I wasn't. That's the worst it ever got.
CK: Okay.
JR: Because he's not a Christian, he
wasn't brought up that way, so he's not like oh, sex is wrong. He
didn't know that, and I fell into the sin as in, I fell into the
sex and all that stuff.
CK: Is he religious? Carlos?
JR: No, he's not even saved?
CK: So, your mom's at the computer, do
you remember what she's doing?
JR: She um, she had red piece of paper
in her hand I think it was a course like things about the church
and stuff then, I think she was getting ready to type or something
like that. She didn't even get into the area of start to type it.
And I just figured well since she's sitting at the computer I'd
come up behind her. Well when I came up behind her I was thinking
about it, I stood behind her for like a couple seconds and then I
did it. But it didn't hurt she started screaming she jumped up and
everything like that and that's when I started stabbing her and
everything.
CK: When you say you, you which hand
were you using?
JR: My right, because my left, I don't,
I'm a right handed so I wouldn't really do anything.
TAPE FADES
JR: And believe I was sometimes like
this and I know
JR: I'd like or don't touch me or don't
try to call (inaudible). Because I figured since I was stabbing
her, she was still alive at the time. I figured that she'd call
anyway and get me arrested so I figured I might as well just
finish killing her, now I hope I didn't.
CK: While you were doing it though, you
know, what else was going through your mind? While you were
stabbing her?
JR: That it was too late to stop, that I
was already in trouble, I might as well finish.
CK: Why was it ---
JR: That ---
CK: --- too late to stop?
JR: Because I was in trouble anyway, I
was already stabbing her. I figured she was going to die anyway
and I didn't want her to, as unbelievable as this may sound, I
didn't want her to suffer. I wanted to just finish it off so she
would just die already. And not just sit there and suffer or
something like that, and bleed a long death. I just wanted to keep
stabbing her so she's lose blood and just die.
CK: Is she yelling at you while you're
doing this?
JR: No. She was like pleading with me to
please stop Nikki, and I go you hate me, don't you? You hate me?
And she's like no, I don't hate you, I love you, and um, I go, am
I still going to go to heaven, cause I am saved, but I have, I
really went down and then like am I still going to heaven and
she's like yeah, you're still going to heaven and everything like
that but I kept stabbing her. Then I went well just think I go now
you get to see Jesus and I think she's just like yeah I know, but
you father can't live without me, he's not going to be able to
make it without me. Because it's true, she's the basis of our
house. Without her, we'd fall apart. My dad's the kind of dad he
doesn't know how to cook, we go to fast food restaurants. He can't
even do the, he'd always say put some soap in my clothes for the
washing machine, you know. We wouldn't make it without her, it's
true. And I know that he's going to have to move, because of the
house, what happened. I mean, I don't want to be in jail, but I'll
never be able to face them again. I don't think. Have you ever
known anyone to do this?
CK: Do you think your father will
forgive you?
JR: He's a Christian, I think he will.
My mom will forgive me if she makes it through this. If she made
it she'll forgive me, I know she will because that's the way she
is. She might be scared of me, I would be too. But I want to be, I
wouldn't be able to, even if they say well you're released
tonight, no, I don't want to be. I can't.
CK: What were you going to do with your
father, when he came home?
JR: I was going to wait till he came
home, wait by the door, hide behind like a, there's a wall by our
door, a little bit into the living room.
CK: Um hum
JR: I'd open the gate (inaudible) as
much as I could then I'd probably try from behind him and try
something. But I'm thinking when I was doing this to my mom it
took a lot of stab wounds to kill, I don't think my dad is not
going to die, no way. I figured it'd be too hard and I'm thinking,
that's when I was thinking about what I was doing and I got real
scared. I was just was uh, uh, if I could just take it all back.
But I couldn't, I'd been thinking about killing, then I started g
about the fact that Carlos is an unsaved, say if your, if you're
not saved then you go to hell, and I was thinking if I kill him
he's going to go to hell and stuff like that. So I was worried
about that too. But I was thinking it'd be too hard to kill my
father and then I was thinking about all the stuff, while I was
killing her, or trying to kill her I was thinking about all the
stuff she's done for me and everything, I just wanted to stop, but
something kept telling me no, if you stop now it's too late now
anyway. You might as well keep going and get her out of her
misery. I just wanted her out of her misery, I guess.
CK: Your mother, when the officers got
there, was unconscious?
JR: I thought she was dead already,
because the lady on the, the operator on the phone was like well
please can you check you mom for me, I'm like she's dead, you
don't understand I killed her. And I went up to her, her eyes were
open she was out, she was on her back and everything like that um,
I saw, while I was, I saw her eye really started getting dark.
Like if someone punched you in the eye, you know? Or like if you
have, if you have circles under you eyes in the mornings? Started
getting real dark around her eyes and everything like that. And
when I looked at her and all of a sudden it was like her eyes were
glazed, like they had a grey covering over them it almost looked
like. And her lips were white purple, like white purple. She's
wasn't moving and I went to feel her neck and I didn't feel
anything so I figured she was already dead. And I was freaking
out, I'm telling the lady please get the cops here now to arrest
me. I'm like, I was just ---
CK: Do you remember what she said to you
before she went out like that?
JR: She kept telling me to call my dad,
call my dad because he's not going to be able to make it without
her. And she kept telling me to stop and how much she loved me and
I go you hate me and everything like that. You're going to turn me
into the cops, she said no I won't, you just need help and she was
serious, I know she was. But, I didn't think that, I figured I'm
going to jail anyway. Because if my mom, if I were to stop
stabbing her and she were to call a hospital they would still
arrest me, wouldn't they?
CK: More than likely, yes.
JR: Yeah, see so I figured I was going
to be arrested anyway, and I know she's already suffering I just
wanted her, I knew she was religious, I knew she was saved I
guess, not saying I wanted her to, I was doing her a favor,
definitely not because she wants there to help me. Though she's
always like saying to me, you're going to make this house because
you drive me crazy sometimes. She didn't want to leave, she to,
she knew without her that my dad wouldn't be able to make it. I
was thinking, I deserve the electric chair anyway, or I deserve
all the stuff like that. I deserve whatever but, I don't know,
like, if I do happen to, if there is, if she makes it or something
like that if she does make it there's not going to be a bail for
me anyway is there?
CK: Well like I explained to you out
there in the car, the charge right now is aggravated battery.
JR: Um, what um,
CK: That, ---
JR: That's like
CK: I don't know, you know, because you
are under eighteen.
JR: Um hum
CK: So I'm not sure if they're are going
to try you as an adult, or try you as a juvenile. That's up to the
State Attorney's Office and we don't have any control over that,
really. So, if you go down to JIF which is the Juvenile Intake
Facility, there is no bond. Because you're, you're a juvenile but
if you go to BSO, Broward Sheriff s Office, as an adult, then
there is a bond of I think aggravated battery is five thousand
dollars, I'm not sure.
JR: Five thousand? To be honest with
you, I don't even know if they'd want, I don't want them to bail
me out, there's no way I could face them. I mean I don't want to
be stuck in jail the rest of my life, but I don't know.
CK: What makes you not want to face
them?
JR: What I did. It'll always remind me,
oh I'll never for et about it anyway but when I see her she's
going to have a scar here for now if she made it, scar here, scars
all over her body.
CK: So you know what you did was wrong?
JR: Definitely.
CK: And you say that you're religious,
you understand that Jesus doesn't want that kind of stuff.
JR: I understand and I understand he's
still forgives me but even though once saved, always saved, they
say once saved always saved and no matter what you do you're still
forgiven. I understand that even though I don't think I should be
forgiven. I know I am because I still trust him as my Savior. But
I, I'll never forget it, because it's we're only human and what I
did to her. Never ever, and I mean, and then I try to think about
even though they would want to bail me out. I don't, even though
they did have a lot of love for me or anything I don't think
they'd want to get me out of jail. If my kid tried to kill me I'd
be like, you're staying in there. I don't know why they'd want me
out anyway.
CK: Well you say your parents are very
forgiving parents.
JR: But I tried to kill my mom. And I
planned on killing my dad, and forgiven or not, I think even
though in religious wise they say forgiveness, forgive everything,
if you're a real Christian you'll forgive anything because it's
the love of Christ, but I think there has to be some kind of
limit, right? You're not going to forgive right away, my, what
hurts me more is that she was forgiving me while I was stabbing
her. While I was trying to kill her she was telling me she loves
me and she doesn't hate me. I'm like you hate me don't you, no she
said I don't hate you.
CK: So you actually thought about
stabbing your mom, while you were at the counselor at church?
JR: No, I didn't think about stabbing my
mom while I was at the counselor, I didn't think about stabbing my
mom till we got home and when we got home my mom was talking to my
dad on, in the patio and I went in my bed and I was thinking, what
if I killed my parents while they were sleeping and then went to
school tomorrow in my dad's truck and kill Carlos. So, so then, so
then I figured I'd do that. But then, so I have, then I got the
nerve to, when my dad left I was thinking oh, this is going to be
easier, if he leaves then I'll kill my mom and when my dad gets
back I'll come up behind him slit his throat and then tomorrow go
to school. Well because you think about something until, when you
actually doing it, it's like there's no way I could have completed
it. But I didn't want to stop in the middle of her because I
didn't want her to suffer, and I know that sounds stupid, but I
didn't know what else to do. I was scared already.
CK: When do you think you got scared the
first time?
JR: I got scared when I was thinking
about it in my bed. I was scared to death, and I kept thinking oh
my God, I was praying, I praying God, God I need your help. I need
help, I'm, I'm insane, I'm something like that, I was thinking all
this other stuff and then when I was actually when I snuck the
knife out of the drawer, and when I came up behind her I was
shaking, when I actually went up to her neck I thought right then
she was going to turn me in or something like that so I figured I
might as well, I know I keep telling myself I should have just
stopped there. I should have just stopped there because I @ I cut
her a tiny bit, I mean I went across like that, as far as I could,
I could actually feel her skin rip, like against the knife, but it
didn't cut her, because when I looked at her I'm thinking, so then
I started stabbing her.
CK: So when you did this with the knife
you had the knife in your hand?
JR: Um hum
CK: Was the blade pointing up or down?
JR: When, when I came up behind her the
sharp edge was, I was like, I was holding it like that it was
facing her, like that. The tip was over here, I came up behind
here she's facing the computer this way, I came up behind her over
here. I came up behind her like that.
CK: Okay so the sharp part, are you sure
you ---
JR: The edge, it wasn't the, the because
you know this is all part ---
CK: Right
JR: --- top and the bottom, it was the
bottom, the sharp part. And I even felt it when I was pulling it
out of the draw to see if it would be sharp, feeling this is sharp
enough to cut somebody's neck. I just kept stabbing her.
CK: So when you pulled the knife across
her throat she didn't, you know, what was she saying then? You
said she jumped up and screamed?
JR: She was just like Ohhwohh (sic) she
was screaming, and then she jumped over by the comer of by the
laundry room. And then she said please don't she said no, no, no,
just like and she just kept telling me not to and everything like
that. I didn't remember words but I do remember saying do you hate
me she's like no, I don't hate you. I remember saying, I remember
asking her if I was going to go to heaven and she's like yeah,
she's like nodding her head. She's like please stop and she kept,
she goes I'm dying, she kept saying I'm dying, I'm dying and
everything like that. So, ---
CK: You said she stood up in the comer?
JR: Yeah, when she, she hopped up and
she faced me and she's like no, she kept fighting me off like that
and I kept trying to find ways to get around her hands cause
there's one point she was, she's holding on to me and I jerked
away when she was on the floor by the closet in the hallway. She
was trying to grab it from me and everything like that. And I'd be
get away from me and everything like that, I'd still be stabbing
her and everything like that.
CK: When did she fall on to the floor?
JR: I stabbed her a couple times and
stuff like that and um, I went from the computer to the door, and
stabbed her a couple times in the arm. Chased her back towards
around into the hallway almost towards the front door. Stabbed her
down and then she fell down and I kept stabbing her there and then
she got up trying to grab the knife from me and then I kept
stabbing her some more until she kept falling and falling she'd,
she'd be like reaching for the phone, call you dad. And sometimes
I'd be trying to see if I could get a sharper knife so I could
just end it quicker. Then I was afraid she'd get up and call the
cops or something like that. So I just kept trying to find ways of
stabbing her. And then I kept, then when she like turned around
and wasn't like facing me I stabbed in the back, she kept telling
me no and everything like that.
CK: You, okay you said she turned
around, so she's on the ground at this point?
JR: Um hum
CK: And where are you in relationship to
her?
JR: Well here's a couch here, she was
laying down here with her back, she was facing that way on her
side, this way and I was like stabbing her in the back here and
I'[d stab her in the side and then she'd turn around and block me
and I'd stab her in the stomach and everything like that. I just
kept stabbing her.
CK: And you're not sure how many times?
JR: A lot. I don't know how many.
CK: Close your eyes and just visually
re-enact it and see if you can count.
JR: I want to say maybe twelve. I don't
know, I, I may, if she does make it I'd have to see what they say
---
TAPE ENDS
TAPE 3
JR: --- and I'm not ---
CK: I'm just trying to see if you
remember.
JR: I meant, with her cheek I remember
seeing it almost like in the movies when, if you see somebody cut
and they start talking how it's moving and you see the inside. I
don't know if I stabbed her like that, in the cheek or if I cut
her across. I think I cut her across, I don't remember.
CK: Okay, I'm going to take a quick
break for a minute, do you want another soda?
JR: Yeah
CK: Do you want like a hamburger or
something? I can have one of the guys run up to Burger King.
JR: I don't know if I'm really hungry, I
don't know. No.
CK: Okay, not yet?
JR: Um um. Am I, is there any point, I'm
not going to be stuck in that room again, right?
CK: No I don't believe so, no.
JR: And what is, for the rest of the
night can you kind of tell me what's going to happen, or?
CK: Yeah, if I found out anything about
her I'll let you know. Okay? Alright? Sit tight. And I'll be back
in a second, alright?
JR: Um hum. Oh my God. God. (Inaudible)
I don't know. I can't believe (inaudible) Can I go to the
bathroom?
CK: Yeah, we're almost done here, in a
second. What I want you to do is, this is a property receipt.
JR: Um hum
CK: For the clothes that we took from
you. The black long sleeve shirt, the panties and the bra?
JR: Um hum
CK: If you could just sign right there?
It just states that we took it from you.
JR: So I meant, do I go to jail tonight
or do you know?
CK: I'm not sure where we're going to
send you right now. I'm not sure if they're going to try you as an
adult or a juvenile.
JR: So, I meant ---
CK: And they're calling now to see how
you mom's doing. Okay
JR: Will we find out within the hour?
CK: As soon as they find out. Are you on
any, did you drink any kind of alcohol today?
JR: Nope
CK: Are you on any kind of medication?
JR: Um um
CK: No birth control?
JR: Not any birth control but I do
remember before I went to the church, and that's probably why I
feel lighthearted, and I now I really want believe this is a
religious thing because I took, we had a full bottle of aspirin
about that wide I took about that much, constantly just swallowing
it. No symptoms, nothing happened to me.
CK: When did you take the aspirin?
JR: Before I went to the church. Which
was about three thirty maybe, three forty five.
CK: How many did you take?
JR: I don't know a lot, hand, this shove
in my mouth and swallowing it.
CK: One hand full?
JR: Like, to fill up enough like that.
Um four to five ---
CK: Thanks Paul.
JR: --- four to five, four to five
times. About that much, four to five times.
CK: Okay
JR: So
CK: What kind of aspirin was it?
JR: I just know it was aspirin. I know
it's um, the hallway where my room was?
CK: Um hum
JR: You know the bathroom to the right?
Did you see that? Or?
CK: Yeah
JR: It's in the medicine cabinet. The
aspirin bottle is.
CK: Okay. What I'm going to do is I'm
going to have um, Officer Bonasera run you over to the hospital
because sometimes if you take a lot of aspirin you can get sick.
JR: I don't want to get my stomach
pumped though.
CK: I don't think they pump your stomach
anymore.
JR: Oh, okay. Because it's, it was hours
ago, yeah.
CK: Okay, but I just want to make sure,
because I don't want you to get sick, or, or, or you know
something else happen.
JR: Um hum
CK: Okay? So let's go ahead and we'll go
over there and I'll have him take you over there to the hospital
and then they'll bring you back here, okay?
JR: Um hum.
CK: Are you ready?
JR: Can I go to the bathroom?
CK: Yeah, I'm going to let you go, we'll
go right now. Are you done with that coke?
JR: Yeah, pretty much.
CK: Well finish it and just toss it in
there. We'll go to the bathroom now and we'll have him drive you
over there. Okay?
JR: Yeah because I'm like really just.
