by Ieva, Bob
“I would love to Joey.”
“Great, I will call you.” I made sure she got into her house and I got back in my car and drove home. On the way home I was saying to myself, I am so happy nothing happened with the shooter tonight.
I got home and went into the house. My father said, “How did everything go?”
I said, “Great, she said she would love to go out again.”
“That’s fantastic son. Were there any issues?”
“No, that’s what made it great also. I am going to my room Dad, thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome Joey.”
25
Time Moves On
I went out with Joanna for the next few weeks. We went for pizza a lot and to the ice cream parlor. My birthday was during the second week and hers was the third week we were going out. I felt that we were getting to know each other really well. I was falling in love with her.
There were no incidents with the shooter, but I was very skeptical of running into Larry Campoella and his friend Pete about three times in two weeks. I hadn’t seen them since I got out of school. They were being friendly especially when I saw them at the pizza place. They came over and said, “Hi Joey how are you doing?”
I said, “I am doing fine. How about you guys?” “We are great. Who is this young lady?”
I didn’t want to say anything, but that would have been rude so I said, “This is Joanna.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you. Are you guys together, I mean boyfriend and girlfriend?”
I said, “Why do you want to know?”
But just as I got that out Joanna said, “Yes we are.”
I don’t know why, but I felt that there was a reason for that question and I hoped I was wrong. I told them we were in an important discussion and were about to leave. “It was great seeing you guys.”
Larry and Pete said, “Okay see you around.”
Then we saw them again in the ice cream parlor. This time they were talking to each other as they looked over at us and only waved. Maybe I was being paranoid, but I had this bad feeling in my stomach. When I got home I was telling my brother about how I felt and he said, “So far every time you had that type of feeling you were right. Maybe you should tell Dad.”
I said, “I know, I will wait a little before I say anything. Don’t say anything to Dad about this, okay?”
“I won’t.”
“Thanks.”
“Just be very careful, you know how Larry and his friend are.”
“I will Rocco, I am very aware of their antics.”
26
The Real Deal
When I got home from work two days later, our phone rang and my mother answered it. She said, “Hello, oh hi Mr. McDonald, no she isn’t here. I will ask Joey if he knows where she is. Joey, do you know where Joanna is?”
“No. Why?”
“Well she didn’t come home from the library. Her dad and mom are worried.”
“Is that Mr. McDonald on the phone?”
“Yes.”
“Can I talk to him?”
“Yes.”
“Hi, Mr. McDonald, I haven’t seen her but I will go and look for her.”
He said, “I will be calling her friends in the meantime.”
“I will drive down to the library and see if anyone saw her Mr. McDonald. I will call you from the library.”
“Thank you Joey.”
When I got to the library I saw her car and I said to myself great she is here. I went inside and looked around and didn’t see her. I went to Marion the librarian, because she knows Joanna and asked if she had seen her. She told me, “No, I haven’t seen her tonight.”
“She must have been here, her car is outside.”
“I have been here at this desk all night and I watch everyone who comes in and she didn’t come in.”
Now I really started to worry because her car was here. I asked if I could use their phone. She said, “Yes.” I called Mr. McDonald and told him she wasn’t here, but her car was.
“Oh my god, where is she?”
I told him I had spoken to Marion the librarian and she said that Joanna never came in tonight.
Mr. McDonald said he was going to call the police. I told him that I would tell my father what is going on and would be over there to help find her right after that.
I got home and told my father about Joanna and that Mr. McDonald was calling the police.
My father said, “The police won’t do anything before 24 hours are up. They will tell him that she probably ran away or has a boyfriend that she was seeing. Remember she is 19 and that’s what they would say.”
“Okay Dad, how can we help Mr. McDonald?” I told him I would come over as soon as I talked to you.
“I will come with you Joey.”
“Dad, listen, I was telling Rocco about Larry and Pete showing up at most of the places Joanna and I went to. I also told him I had a bad feeling about them. Do you think they could have done something bad?”
“I don’t know Joey, but we will find out real fast when we get home. I will make some calls. On second thought I will make those calls now.”
My dad got on the phone and called Arthur first. He told him what had happened, and said, “Would you call and speak to Luke and see if you could talk to Larry about this? Okay thanks, I will keep you informed Arthur.”
We then left to go to Mr. McDonald’s house. When we arrived the police were there. We knocked on the door and one of the officers answered.
Mr. McDonald saw us and said, “Please come in.” He introduced us to the officer and we said, “Hello.”
The police finished talking to the McDonalds and they were crying. My father said, “Why are they leaving?” Mr. McDonald said almost verbatim what my father said would happen.
I said to my father softly, “Should we tell him about Larry and Peter?”
My father said, “I will tell them, then maybe we should look for those two in the neighborhood. First, I will ask if I could use the phone. “May I use your phone for a minute Mr. McDonald?”
“Yes. You can call me Jeff.”
My father picked up the phone and called Arthur. “Did you talk to Luke? Larry wasn’t there? Did he say where he was? Okay thanks.”
My father told Mr. McDonald the story of Larry and Pete from the beginning and said, “That Joey had a bad feeling when they were showing up where Joanna and he were together.”
My father said, “Joey and I are going to try and find Larry and Peter, would you like to come with us?”
“Yes I would.”
Mrs. McDonald said she wanted to come also, but Mr. McDonald said she should stay home in case Joanna showed up.
She replied, “You’re right.”
27
Looking for Larry & Pete
We got in my father’s car and my father said, “I just need to stop at our house to pick up something.”
We stopped and my father went inside while we waited in the car. He came out about five minutes later with three flashlights and I noticed he had his gun. I don’t think Mr. McDonald noticed because he didn’t say anything.
We drove around to all the places we could think of where the older kids hung out and we didn’t see them. We were going to look at Larry’s house when I saw Pete coming out of a diner. I said, “There’s Pete.” I showed my father and I jumped out of the car and yelled out, “Pete!” He turned around and saw me and started running. I ran as fast as I could after him and tackled him on the next corner. I said, “Why are you running?”
Pete said, “No reason.” I pushed him into an alleyway and said, “You remember Joanna?”
“Yes.”
“Did you and Larry do anything to her tonight?”
“No.”
“I don’t believe you. Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
I hit him with everything I had and split his mouth open. I asked again. “Where is she?”
“I don’t kno
w.”
“What did you and Larry do with her?”
“Nothing.”
My father got to us and said, “That’s enough Joey. Let me handle this.”
“Pete I am only going to ask once and you better tell me the truth.”
While he said this he made sure his gun showed under his jacket. “Did you and Larry do something to Joanna?”
Pete started to cry and said, “It was Larry and one of his father’s friends.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know but they said they were taking her as leverage to get Joey to come for her. That’s when this guy was going to kill Joey.”
My father then took out his gun and Mr. McDonald said, “What are you doing?”
My father said, “Quiet, let me handle this punk.”
My father said, “I will blow your brains out if you don’t tell me where Joanna is!”
“Please don’t kill me! They are at the pier in Sheepshead Bay.”
“Where, be more specific?”
“There is an old abandoned club on the strip you can get in from the back.”
“Who is there?”
“Just Larry, they put a bag over her head so she can’t see them.”
My father said, “Alright get up! You’re coming with us.” My father opened the trunk and put Pete in it. He then told Pete, “If you keep quiet you have enough air for six hours.”
We drove off to Sheepshead Bay. When we got there my father drove to the side of the building. He said, “Stay in the car.”
I said, “No I am coming with you.”
Mr. McDonald said he was coming too since she was his daughter. My father knew he couldn’t stop us so we all started to go around the back.
As we opened the door we heard talking. It was Larry and the shooter Eric Bitterman. As we started to get closer someone stepped on a piece of glass and it made a big sound. The shooter turned around with his gun out and shot my father in the leg. My father’s gun fell and I grabbed it and shot at the shooter and he went down, I shot him again to make sure he stayed down. I saw Joanna in a chair with a hood over her head and took it off. I untied her. She was hysterical, crying.
I put my arm around her and held her real tight and said, “Your dad is here.”
She looked and ran to him. He held her and cried and told her he loved her and was very glad to see her.
I ran over to my father and asked, “How bad is it?”
“Not bad, I’ve had worse.”
In the meantime Larry tried to get away, but I grabbed him and started to beat him to a pulp. Mr. McDonald stopped me and said, “He wasn’t worth it. My daughter is okay.”
At that time the police came running in with their guns out and Mr. McDonald yelled to them to stop. There is a person who needs a hospital.
He then proceeded to tell the police what happened. They asked who shot the person that was dead. I jumped up and said, “I did.” I proceeded to tell them why and they said they would have to arrest me and my father, but it was only until they could tell the district attorney the story. It would be up to him if there were going to be any charges.
The ambulance arrived and took my father to the hospital. Before then Mr. McDonald got my father’s keys for the car to take his daughter home. He also opened the trunk and took Pete out and handed him over to the police.
I was taken to jail by another patrol car.
28
Police Station
When we arrived at the station an officer took me to a room and said, “Detective Callahan will be in shortly.” He took the handcuffs off me. I sat down and waited. I saw this big mirror against the wall and I knew it was a 2-way mirror. I was a little nervous so I got up and started to pace the room. In a few minutes Detective Callahan came in and said, “Sit down please. I know you are nervous, but I just need to go over everything that happened. Okay?”
“Yes sir.”
“Great. First I want you to know that you don’t have to answer any of my questions without your lawyer because anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand?”
I said, “Yes sir.”
“Do you want a lawyer present?”
Again I said, “I didn’t do anything wrong except save the life of my father, Mr. McDonald, and his daughter Joanna. So no I do not need a lawyer at this time.”
“Okay, please sign this waiver so we can continue.” I signed the waiver that I refused to have a lawyer present.
Detective Callahan said, “Do you mind if I tape this interview?”
I said, “No.”
“Now tell me from the beginning what happened in your own words.”
I told him what had happened from the night I witnessed the shooting until today. He asked if I called the police and I told him about Detective Williams. I also told him that Detective Williams said after riding with me that he didn’t believe the shooter really knew who I was after three days driving with me and he didn’t think he would come after me anymore.
When I was finished Detective Callahan said, “Well, I believe that the D.A. will not press charges, but I cannot guarantee it.” I am going to have someone take you home. Please don’t go anywhere until the D.A. makes his decision.
I said, “Thank you and asked if he could take me to the hospital where my father is.”
He said, “Lets’ call them first and see if he is still there.”
“Okay.”
He called the hospital and they said that he was okay, but the police officers took him home after they found out what happened.
Detective Callahan said, “Your father is okay and is home so we will take you home.”
I said, “Thank you very much sir.”
29
Home
I walked in the house and my mother came running to me and hugged me telling me, “I was so worried, are you okay? What did the police say? Are you going to jail? I don’t believe this.”
I said, “Mom everything is fine. The police don’t think the D.A. is going to press charges. So I probably won’t go to jail. They were very nice to me and I am fine. How is Dad?”
“Your father is okay, he needs to use a cane for a little while until his wound heels. He is in the bedroom.”
I went into my parents’ bedroom and said, “How are you Dad?”
“I am fine Joey. What happened at the police station?”
I told him everything that happened and he said, “Why didn’t you wait for an attorney?”
“I felt that if I waited for an attorney things would really get complicated. I don’t believe what I did was wrong. I was protecting everyone from a killer. Dad, you do have a permit for the gun don’t you?
“Yes, Joey everything is legal. By the way how do you feel about killing someone? If you want to talk about it I am a good listener.”
“I don’t know how I feel yet. I haven’t had time to think about it. If I need to talk about it I will definitely tell you. I feel I had to do what I did. I actually had no choice.”
“Okay Joey, I believe that this case will not be prosecuted as the detective said. We will just have to wait and see.”
“Can I call Joanna?”
“It is late, so I think you should wait until tomorrow.”
Just then the phone rang. My mother must have answered it because she yelled out, “Joey it is Joanna.”
I went out and took the phone from her and said, “How are you Joanna?”
“I am much better thank you. Thank you so much for getting me. I was really scared. I thought they were going to kill me. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am fine. I am just glad that you are not hurt and you’re home safe.”
“I heard the shots and didn’t know what was happening. When you took the hood off me I thought it was the person that kidnapped me. Then I saw you and felt good. I saw your father on the floor bleeding and the other person lying on the floor not moving. I knew at that time you saved me from these people. My father told
me that you killed the man that was lying on the floor before he could hurt anyone else.”
“Well I did what I had to do. Everything is going to be okay now, so don’t worry anymore. You should get some rest now it was a very harrowing day. I will talk to you tomorrow.”
“Okay, goodnight Joey.”
“Goodnight Joanna.” The next morning everything was in the newspaper. They portrayed me as a hero who saved his girlfriend and killed a very bad person while doing so.
My father read it and said, “Don’t worry about this. It is a good thing. The D.A. will have to check out everything now faster than he would normally."
I decided to listen to my father and didn’t worry about the story.
30
The District Attorney
About one week later I received a call from Detective Callahan. He said, “Joey can you, your father, and Mr. McDonald meet me at the D.A.’s office tomorrow morning at 9:00?”
“I said, my father and I can, but I will have to see if Mr. McDonald can.”
“Okay, please call me back. The D.A. just has a few questions to ask before he makes a decision.”
I called Joanna and asked if her father could come to D.A.’s office at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow to answer some questions.
She said, “Hold on he is right here.”
He got on the phone and I asked him and he said, “Most definitely.”
I said, “We can all go together, we would pick him up.”
I called Detective Callahan and told him we would all be there. He gave me the address and the room number and said, “See you there.”
I still hadn’t felt any remorse about killing Eric Bitterman. I still felt I had to do it. I felt it was a matter of kill or be killed.
I told my father that Detective Callahan had set up a meeting with the D.A. and we needed to pick up Mr. McDonald and be there at 9 a.m. The D.A. just had some questions before he could make a decision. My father said, “Great, now maybe we can put this all behind us.”
We arrived at the D.A.’s office at 8:45 a.m. and were told to wait in the lobby for Detective Callahan.
When he arrived at 9:00 we were escorted into his office where we met Mr. David Palermo. We all introduced ourselves and he told us to please sit.