He has driven back into Arlington passing by the large white building overlooking the highway, CACI Headquarters. CACI provides information solutions and services in support of national security missions and government transformation for intelligence, defense, and federal civilian customers. CACI is Fortune’s magazine World’s Admired Company in the Information Technology (IT) Services industry. In view of light traffic , he is back downtown where MPD police headquarters is located. He parks his car outside in the reserved spaces in the rear of the building, He get out of his car carrying the large evidence bag containing the Secret Service hat and badge. He drops off the evidence bag with the forensic lab for evaluation.
He takes the elevator back up to his office on the fifth floor. He prepares to wrap up for the day since it is now 4:30 p.m, Cradle is dead tired and plans to go straight home as the clock strikes 5:00 p.m. It had been a quite a productive day and now it was time to unwind from it all. The forensic lab got busy at work on examining the Secret Service hat and badge as Cradle departed for home as his shift ended for the day. The forensic lab will have their report of their findings ready for him on his desk tomorrow morning.
On July 10, Cradle is feeling re- energize, ready to get back to work on the case, as he takes a seat in his chair, back at his desk Then, he notices the forensic lab report lying in front of him on his desk.
Immediately, he begins to read it. The forensic scientist states the Secret Service hat has a name tag in it belong to Agent Bryce. The badge is a standard issued badge used by the Secret Service for their sworn officers. Cradle deduces from this he is “being played like a puppet on a string within the government bureaucracy.” All roads and sources are leads it way back
Cradle places a call to Service Service Agent Spriggs.
Cradle: “Hello Spriggs, This is Cradle”
Spriggs: “Cradle ,what can I do for you?
Cradle: “Can you provide me with copy of your logs from June 21, the day Royster was murdered?”
Spriggs: “Detective, I will be happy to provide you with the logs.”
Cradle: “Spriggs, I will be over to the White House in about fifteen minutes.”
Spriggs: “Cradle, I will see you soon along with the logs.”
Cradle: “Thanks”
Cradle hangs up the phone and rushes out of his office carrying the Secret Service hat and badge, proceeds to catch the elevator downstairs, out of the backdoor of police headquarters to his parked car. He gets into his car, driving down the street making a left turn on fifth street, next making a right turn on Pennsylvania Avenue passing by National Archives, Navy Memorial, Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building, The Old Post Office, John Wilson District Building. Then a sharp right turn by the Treasury Building and left back onto Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House North Portico gate manned by Secret Service Uniformed Division guard. Cradle lower his car window to flash his MPD Detective badge at the guard. who flags his car onto the White House driveway in which he parks his car in the circle. Cradle gets out of his car, carrying the Secret Service hat and badge. He walks up the short steps passed two U.S. Marines posted at the door. Cradle shows his badge to the Marines on post as they open the door for him to enter the premises of the White House. Standing inside near the door is Secret Service Agent Spriggs as Detective Cradle walks in, carrying the Secret Service hat and badge.
Spriggs reached out to shake Cradle hand. Cradle says, “The reason that I am here is to return Secret Service agent Bryce’s hat and badge.” Spriggs: “Where did you find these items at.” Cradle: “ I picked them up at Dulles Airport in a luggage locker after I was tipped off about them being there.” Spriggs: “Great.”
Cradle: “Will you radio Agent Bryce about his hat and badge” Spriggs: “Sure, I will call him right now.” Cradle: “Thank you Spriggs.” Agent Bryce enter the long corridor in ten minutes after being called by Spriggs. Spriggs introduces Detective Cradle. Spriggs says, “This is Homicide Detective Cradle from D.C. Metropolitan Police.” Bryce; “Nice to meet you Detective Cradle.” Cradle reaches out to shake Agent Bryce’s hand. Cradle, “Here is your hat and badge that was found out at Dulles Airport in a luggage locker.” Bryce, “ I did not realize my hat and badge had stolen from my locker here at the White House.”
Cradle: “ I think the killer of Richard Royster stole your hat and badge since he was wearing a Secret Service uniform to commit the murder.” Bryce: “Thanks Detective Cradle for returning my hat and badge to me.” Cradle: “You are welcome Agent Bryce.” Bryce takes his hat and badge and walks away.
Cradle says to Agent Spriggs, “What about the Secret Service logs you promised me.” Agent Spriggs, “Detective Cradle here is the logs you requested.” Spriggs hands over a copy of the logs to Cradle. Cradle reaches to grab the Secret Service folder containing the logs from Spriggs. Cradle says “Thank you Agent Spriggs.”
Spriggs, “You are welcome Detective,” Now, Cradle walks out of the door of the
White House as Agent Spriggs waves good bye to him, he proceeds to drive out of the White House gate on his way back to MPD headquarters. In about five (5) minutes with light traffic, Cradle has parked his car and catches the elevator to his fifth office. He anxiously to begin reading the Secret Service logs.
According to the Secret Service logs, at 7:00 p,m,, the day of Royster’s death, an entry alarm went off in Royster;s office. This has never been explained or even referred to in an official reports on Royster’s death. According to Secret Service logs, at 7:10 p.m. that evening, a group listed as “MIG” logged into the White House. Aide Rhonda Bethune arrived at the same time. April Evans-Williams believes MIG stands for Maintenance and Installation Group, a group of experts who handle such things as sales and surveillance equipment. MIG and Rhonda Bethune left together.
According to Secret Service logs, at about 7:15 p.m. Washington time, White House aide Helen Woods called the governor’s mansion in Nashville, Tennessee, to tell the governor Royster had been murdered at the White House in his office. The call was received by trooper Perry Edge. Hed states that Ms. Woods was crying. Edge saye he promptly called several people to tell them the news. Among them was trooper Nick Peterson and former Tennessee state police commander Lawrence Reynolds. Both men have signed affidavits attesting to these calls. The time estimates vary, but all three men agree the calls took place during rush-hour traffic in Nashville.
No official explanation has been given to a to account for these comings and goings. Rhonda Bethune was one of the White House aide who reportedly searched Richard Royster’s office.
Did MIG assist her by opening Royster’s safe in his White House office?
Did MIG disable the entry alarm system?
Eva von Trappe (ET) was a member of George Hoover Wilson Brad 's Staff during his presidency. She served as a computer surveillance expert. She worked with a team that has been described as Brad’s “plumbers unit.” In this capacity, she often worked with David Getz(DG), an FBI agent. According to von Trappe, Getz sounded drunk and extremely excited when he called her northern California home from Washington, D.C., at 11:00 p.m., June 21, 1993 (the day of Royster’s death). She says she records all phone conversations. This is a partial transcript of her alleged exchange with Getz:
DG: “We did him! We did him!”
ET: “Did who”?”
DG: “Richard Royster.”
ET: “What do you mean?”
DG: “We did him!”
ET: “Well, where did you do him?”
DG: “Well, we did him in his office on the second floor of the West Wing.”
ET: “Okay, I guess his office is a good place to do him as any other place.”
DG: “ Better than dumping him off in a queer park to send Reid and his queer wife a message.”
ET: “Absolutely!”
Cradle finishes his reading exercise of the Secret Service logs. The chronology of the activities was noteworthy. There are now good rea
sons to doubt the White House’s claim it did not learn of Royster’s death until 8: 30 p.m.
The Washington Times filed a Freedom of Information Act request for copies of the White House logs for that particular evening. This FOIA request was vehemently denied without explanation. Also, the relevant phone logs at the governor’s mansion in Nashville have vanished.
As the Washington Post put it in a July 10, 1993, new article, “After originally describing Royster’s death as a shock that mystified the White House and President Reid, the White House over the past several days and weeks--in the light and face of revelations from friends and law enforcement officials--acknowledged a far more depressed and unhappy officials than it first described.
The week ends on a high note for Cradle with the discovery of Secret Service uniform, hat and badge as well as capping it off the reading of Secret Service phone logs.
The distribution of the flyers bearing the likeness of the killer began paying dividends over the weekend with the “Terry stop” of five (5) dark skinned Hispanic looking men by Metropolitan Police patrol officers. In the United States, a “ Terry stop” is a brief detention of a person by police on a reasonable suspicion of involvement in criminal activity but short of probable cause to arrest. The name derives from Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968) , in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that police may briefly detain a person whom they reasonably suspect is involved in criminal activity. Each detained motorist stopped was requested to report in on Monday at or around 12 noon for a police lineup, since each one bears a striking resemblance to the killer of Richard Royster.
The goal of any investigation is to find the truth. Truth is the goal in every criminal investigation. In order to prove it, many types of evidence are used, including eyewitnesses. We have all experienced a time in our life when a person knows something we do not, and as hard as they might to remain neutral, their face often limits at the answer. During criminal investigations we must guard against this tell. Through the use of a double blind lineup, we are one step closer to uncovering the truth. The benefit of a double blind lineup is that it only keeps investigators for them to do so, and thus keeps the process fair.
“Six-pack” is slang for a single sheet of paper with a photo of the suspect and five others who bear a resemblance. The “six pack” is one method that has long been having a role in how law enforcement officers identify suspects recently been called into question; with other alternatives being explored for improved accuracy.
On the morning of July 13, Cradle arrived back in his office at 9 p.m. to handwritten note by the Chief that a phone lineup will take place at 12 noon.
A police lineup is where an eyewitness identifies a suspect out of a group of five or six other people who fits the suspect description. The eyewitness will be instructed to stand behind a one-way mirror and point out the person that they believed committed the crime. Police lineup are derived from English criminal law and procedure.
According to Devlin (1976) lineups were instituted through a Middlesex magistrate’s order in mid 19th century. They were intended as a ‘fair” replacement for the practices of courtroom identification, and showups, which was widely used in 19th century England, but widely recognized as potentially unfair to the defendant. Their origin indicates that the notion of “fairness” is their raison d’etre. They are intended to secure an identification that can potentially incriminate someone, but also is fair to those who are subjected to, particularly those who are innocent of the crime. There is some research into using other methods of photo-lineup that involves the witness sequentially viewing photographs rather than simultaneously. The sequential method is considered more accurate because it prevents the witness from looking at all the suspects and merely selecting the person that most resembles the guilty person. In the United Kingdom (UK) police forces use Video Identification Parade Electronic Recording (VIPER), a digital system wherein witnesses view video recording of suspects and unrelated volunteers. UK which prides itself on it eyewitness identification procedures.
Eyewitness identification is one of the most potent and effective tools available to police and prosecutors. It is compelling and time after time, it convinces juries of the guilt of a defendant. The real problem is sometimes eyewitness identifications are WRONG at least fifty percent ( 50% ) of the time!
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At around 11:30 a.m. first of the men arrived at D.C. Metropolitan Police Department headquarters downtown. Also, the anonymous caller who offered Cradle his first tip of he saw man running through Lafayette Parking wearing a Secret Service uniform arrives as a witness for the police lineup, passing through the metal detector, Cradle directs him to the elevator in which they ride together to the lower level in a room where the lineup will take place. Next, other four men arrive respectfully at 11:35, 11:40, 11:45 and 11:50 a.m. Cradle has all of the five (5) men to assemble together in a room adjacent to the room where the lineup will take place. He gives them each a number with a string attached to it, each man places the sign bearing the number, over his head and around his neck with the numbers 1,2,3,4 and 5. It is now 12 noon, the five men of similar height, build, and complexion stand side-by-side, both facing, bearing their numbers and in profile in the room. Also, the room contains markings on the wall to aid identifying the man’s height.
The anonymous tip caller called arrives for the police lineup, he introduces himself to Cradle as Thomas Kirby. He is 34, 5’9”, 165lbs, Caucasian man.
Cradle, responds”Nice to meet you Mr. Kirby.”
Thomas Kirby, A pleasure to meet you Detective Cradle.”
Mr. Kirby enters the room behind the one-way mirror to allow him as the witness to remain anonymous even to them. Cradle shows Kirby the police flyer bearing the likeness of a dark skinned Hispanic looking man as the possible suspect.
Cradle: “ Please look at the flyer closely to see that any of the men resemble the man in the flyer.”
Kirby looks at the flyer closely to compare it to the men in the police lineup. He analyzes and compares the flyer with the men assembled in the lineup .
Kirby: “None of the men bear any likeness to the man in the flyer.”
Cradle: “ Now, Mr. Kirby looks closely and carefully at the men in the lineup.”
Kirby: “Detective Cradle, no man present looks like the one in your flyer.”
Cradle: “Thank you Mr. Kirby for your assistance, You are free to leave.”
Kirby: “You are welcome Detective Cradle.”
Mr. Kirby caller leaves the room and catches the next available elevator back upstairs and exits the building.
Next, Cradle enters the room behind the one way mirror where the men are lined up. He tells them to take their numbers off. Also, he tells them they are dismissed and now free to go home. He personally thanks them and shakes each one of their hands as the individuals leave the police lineup room in the subbasement of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. All the men enter the elevator together and ride it back upstairs to exit the building and go their separate ways.
It is 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon, Cradle decide to have lunch since the police lineup is over and completed. He walks out of the door of police headquarters heading west down the street and cross over to the other side of the street to where the Subway sandwich shop is located. He walks in and places his order for a 6” inch turkey breast sub sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, green pepper, sweet peppers, hot relish light mayo, and mustard along with a medium coke and lays potato chips. Cradle takes a seat near the window overlooking D.C. Superior Court building across the street. He takes a bite out of his sandwich, thinking to himself how the events of his investigation is being played out in the past several weeks since Richard Royster was murdered at the White House. His job is nonstop and never ending since no murder resulted from the police lineup he held today. He finishes his lunch at 2:30 p.m. and walks back down the street into police headquarters, taking the elevator back up to his office on the fifth floor. He takes a
seat down at his desk, starts opening and reading his mail for the day. No new developments of interest in the case. He decides to knock off work earlier and go for a jog around the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial. It is a hot July afternoon in the Nation’s Capitol but the humidity levels is low for a chance allowing Cradle to get into a good jog.
Instead of seeing a proper homicide investigation, we have seen Royster’s death become mired in a morass of lies, confusion, and conflicting evidence. Faced with this labyrinth, there is not any hope of putting together a challenge-proof of over 100 items is unrealistic. Nonetheless, Cradle is confident ninety percent (90%) of these assertions will hold up with time. For any reasonable, rational person, the weight of ninety (90)- plus discrepancies must still remain staggering.
When the kitchen gets too hot, we have to douse the flames of public indignation with few repercussions as possible. In a lot of murder cases, as the room grows too much hot to handle for some people, they have to step down and resign from their high level positions. “Two hot to handle, Too cold to hold” is the lyrics from a probably rap song from Bobby Brown in the movie “Ghostbusters” would be applicable to this situation.
CHAPTER FOUR
EXODUS
Murder at the President's House Page 10