How One Gets Wrongly Convicted (part 2), by Dean Giacomo

On December 8, 2006 (in part I I stated I was arrested on Dec. 6, that date is incorrect, and the actual date is Dec. 8), unbeknownst to me, was the last time I would breath free air. I was raised to trust the police and was always told by my parents that the “police are your friend” . I was totally ignorant (maybe naive is a better word) of the police tactics and to what extent the Virginia Beach police would go to to obtain a conviction regardless of your guilt or innocence.
I was held in Norfolk from December 8 until the 12 at which time the VBPD transported me to the Virginia Beach jail. this was the first time I was ever in jail and to say that this was disquieting would be a gross understatement. So at 6:00 AM on the 13th I was awaked by an officer an told a detective wanted to talk to me. Now I thought this was strange because I was held n jail only on a misdemeanor b but this scenerio was all foreign to me I just didn’t know. I was introduced to VB Detectives Janine Hall and Seabold and brought to the VBPD and placed in a small room that had a small hole in the wall opposite from where I was sitting.
At this point I have not have had a drink (alcohol) in five days I was not physically or mentally stable, I do not ever remember having gone so long with out having alcohol, in fact, there was never a day I went with out getting drunk ( I drank for one purpose: to get drunk, and I always succeeded). This is not something I’m proud of, but, unfortunately, its just how it was.
It wasn’t long before the detectives came into the room and started out making small talk with me. I was read my Miranda rights,which I waived –third grave mistake– I figured since I had nothing to hide I didn’t need a lawyer(I could not of been more of a fool) And with the detectives playing tha classic rolls of good cop/bad cop with Det.Janine Hall being the “good cop”
I have never really been in trouble with the police before other than a couple of minor marijuana offenses which were all dropped except for one from the 80s in New York which amounted to a $100 fine.So I have had no felonies or any history of violence. Thus I have had no experience with police procedures and the VB police had themselves the perfect dupe since I had no money, I knew no one in Virginia, I was unable to contact anyone for help (since all my phone numbers an addresses were in my cell phone which the Norfolk police lost ).
On November 24, 2006 the VB police found a body in a retaining pond on 19th street which was actually in the parking lot of the VB Convention Center (and es I have mentioned very near to where I had my tent set up–which I had moved on (October 31).
To get back on track, the det’s asked me about being homeless, have I read anything in the paper about Virginia Beach, and did I know a Blease Pruitt. I told them I quickly read an article about a homeless person who was killed and I didn’t recognize the him or the name (the photograph in the papar was real small). I told them that since I didn’t recognize the pic or name I moved on in the paper They then showed me photographs of a person who was clearly dead and I immediately recognized the person in the photo and stood up and said “that’s Butch, ain’t that Butch!” At this point I became a suspect because I “claimed” I did not know Blease Pruitt but I was not lying I knew the dead person in the picture only as Butch, the det’s of course chose not to believe me.
They proceed to question me about the day I moved and which I told them all that I could remember (I was subject to black outs which at this point in time were quite common). At one point when their questioning started to seem that I was the one who was involved in the murder of Blease Pruitt, I asked if I was a suspect Det. Hall said ” oh hoh were did that come from” which was an absurd thing to say since they were blatantly accusing me of being involved in the death of Blease, and this is where I am openly being interrogated for the murder of Blease Pruitt, and I became alarmed.
I would like to let it be made known that it was not me who killed Pruitt nor was I present when it occurred, nor do I know what happened .
The police were convinced that he was murdered the day Allenbaugh and myself packed up the tent and moved to Norfolk which was October 31,2006 ( I have records from Labor Ready showing that I signed up to work for them that day). They continuously kept telling me I was present, that I knew what happened, and that its not a crime to be present when one I committed. They also insisted I lied about knowing “Blease Pruitt” which was not true I had never heard that name before and only knew him as Butch which the det’s did not what to hear, they just continued to say I was a liar. I told them over and over that I was not.present and do not know what had happened.
Det.Seabold is now playing bad cop and is leaning over and in my face telling me he knows I was there ,people had seen me leaving the scene,that he knows I know what happened.
Now as crazy as this may sound I started to think –in my tormented and terrified head-that could it be possible that I was present but did not remember but on the other hand even if I did have a black out I would surely remember something as horrific as seeing someone being murdered, but then again what if it were true and I was there and had actually witnessed Butch being killed and
that maybe some kind of mechanism in my brain had blocked it out because it was such a traumatic event, but is that possible, no I could never be involved in something like that I have never in my entire life hurt someone, did I black out? could I have been there I know I could never harm anyone.What is happening, why is this happening . All this is running through my head over and over I need to end this agonh and I am in a state of abject panic and in a living hell.

Dean Giacomo
DOC #1207157