Savage Son

by Corey Mitchell

  Detective Slot explained to Hipp the necessity behind the transaction. If Hipp was to receive a payment from Bart, it would show “further acknowledgment or admission from Bart that he had previously tried to do this (conspire to murder his family) and that he knew that the 2003 murders had particular coincidences with the previous conspiracies.”

  Once Hipp made the call to Bart to set the transaction in motion, all he could do was sit back and hope that something would arrive.

  It did.

  Just a few days later, Detective Bearor visited The UPS Store to check on the post office box. Sure enough, there was a package sitting inside. It was addressed to Adam Hipp. It was a standard white bubble mailer envelope. Inside the envelope was $200, in cash.

  Upon closer inspection, Detective Bearor spotted the unusual return address on the upper left-hand side of the envelope. On it was written the following:

  K. Soze

  Windlass Ln

  Willis, TX 74358

  Bart was fully aware that Hipp knew of his affection for the film The Usual Suspects. The basic premise of the movie is that five well-known criminals are brought in for a police lineup following a carjacking incident. While in a holding cell, they conspire to plan a heist together.

  The film, however, is far from simple to digest. Its nonlinear storytelling structure is narrated by a supposed physically challenged man named Verbal Kint, who retells the story to a corrupt police officer. As Kint, the only other survivor of a ship explosion, unravels his tale, it becomes clear that a criminal mastermind has been playing puppeteer to the assembled criminals who have all allegedly wronged one individual—Keyser Soze.

  At the end of the film, it is revealed that the narrator, Kint, is more than just a crippled sidekick. As he escapes the clutches of the police, it becomes evident that he is the one and only Keyser Soze, the criminal whom the other usual suspects feared, and whose name is on everyone’s lips from the bad guys to the good guys alike.

  The Usual Suspects went on to receive much praise for its intelligent script and its laudatory references to the 1940s film noir style of moviemaking. The film was also nominated in numerous categories for a slew of awards, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Kevin Spacey (who played Verbal Kint), and two Academy Award wins, for Spacey and for screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie.

  The film was also seen as a hipster cool flick that the smart college-aged kids would dig; so naturally, it was right up Bart’s alley.

  Hipp later mentioned that Bart had “a great affection for the movie, as well as for the way he identified himself with Keyser Soze, because he was able to get away with whatever he wanted to.”

  Hipp believed that Bart’s admiration for the film went beyond a casual filmgoer’s appreciation, and even beyond the love of it from a devoted film fanatic. “I think there was a disconnect between reality and fiction,” Hipp noted. “I think he truly believed he could be like Keyser Soze.”

  Hipp had a real concern about Bart’s obsessive nature with the film. At the end of The Usual Suspects, every one of Soze’s co-conspirators, who helped him pull off the caper and commit numerous murders, all end up dead. Hipp believed he would end up just like them in Bart’s world of crime and retribution. “It definitely led me to believe that if he really thought he could be Keyser Soze, then what would prevent him from trying to demonstrate that.” He noted with a chill, “Because in the movie, essentially he (Soze) goes back to kill the people that were going to testify against him.”

  Hipp’s fear of Bart’s retribution also inspired him to try to communicate from beyond the grave, if necessary. “I had torn a couple of pages out of a journal,” the young man recalled, “and expressly written out that if anything was to happen to me or my family, that I had places underneath my bed that had other pieces of paper that said if something happened, or if I died, or if any member of my family was injured, that Bart was the one to be held responsible.”

  Additional phone calls were made between Adam Hipp and Bart Whitaker in an effort to secure a meeting between the two men in person. The plan was for the two men to meet at Sam’s Boat restaurant on March 19 and to get Bart to admit, on tape, that he was directly involved in the murders of his mother and little brother. Bart agreed, and the Sugar Land Police Department set their surveillance team into motion.

  On the day of the scheduled meeting, Adam was wired up, undercover police officers were stationed at the restaurant, and even more officers with cameras were in tow. The extra personnel were brought on board because of Hipp’s fear that Bart would retaliate and possibly attempt to murder him.

  A nervous Hipp entered the restaurant and took a seat and waited.

  And waited.

  And waited.

  Bart was nowhere to be seen; he failed to appear. Adam placed a call to him on his cell phone and wanted to know where he was. Bart informed him that he had left his house to come visit Adam; however, he believed he spotted police officers outside the restaurant and decided not to enter. Hipp then suggested they meet at The Ginger Man, the same bar where Steven Champagne and Chris Brashear decompressed after the murders. Bart nixed that idea, so Adam suggested they meet in a nearby park. Again, Bart said no, then suggested that Adam come visit him at his house.

  When Adam Hipp informed Detective Slot of Bart’s desire, the officer told Hipp they would arrest Adam if he went to Bart’s. The reason given was that he feared for his safety and could not guarantee they would be able to protect him. As a result, Adam had to call Bart back and make up an excuse as to why he could not come over to talk with him.

  34

  March 19, 2004

  Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

  Reliant Stadium

  One Reliant Park

  Houston, Texas

  Before the murders took place, Kent Whitaker remembered, there was one afternoon when his youngest son, Kevin, was exhilarated to the point of giddiness. Kevin had found out that his favorite musician, country singer Pat Green, known for such songs as “Wave on Wave” and “Carry On,” and such well-received albums as Here We Go and Three Days, would be performing at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo the following March 19, 2004, which just happened to be the same day as Kevin’s twentieth birthday.

  Kent remembered the day vividly. He remembered how Kevin had bolted down the stairs, yelling at his father with joy, “Dad, guess who’s going to be playing at the rodeo on my birthday? Pat Green!”

  “That’s your favorite guy, right, Kevin?”

  “Yeah, Dad. Can we get the skybox for the birthday party?” Kevin queried his father rather exuberantly. The skybox he was referring to was the one owned by the Acme Brick company, located in Reliant Stadium.

  Several months later, Kent Whitaker, with more than twenty complimentary tickets in hand, made his way over to the home of the Houston Texans National Football League team to celebrate his youngest son’s twentieth birthday, as a way to honor something important to his murdered son. Among those in attendance that night was one of Kevin’s best friends, Brittany Barnhill, the daughter of one of Kent’s best friends, Matt Barnhill, a pastor, from the River Pointe Community Church, in nearby Richmond.

  When Matt heard that Kent was taking the young adults to see Pat Green to celebrate Kevin’s birthday, he decided to help Kent out with something a little extra special. Barnhill knew a parishioner at his church who just happened to be a former FarmHouse Fraternity brother of Green’s at Texas Tech University, in Lubbock. He still kept in touch with the now-famous country singer/guitarist. Barnhill was able to score six backstage passes for a meet-and-greet with Green before the concert at the rodeo. He gladly handed them over to Kent.

  On the evening of the rodeo and concert, Kent and his twenty-two-person entourage made its way to their perfect-view box seats provided by the Acme Brick people. The rodeo began in 1932, and features the usual events, such as barrel racing, lassoing calves, wrestling calves, and a whole slew of rodeo clowns to provi
de some laughs. Musical acts were added in 1942, with country legend Gene Autry as the so-called halftime entertainment. By the 2000s, the entertainers took the stage after the rodeo events. Many top country artists, such as Garth Brooks, Charley Pride, and Mickey Gilley, have performed there, as well as several pop artists, including KC & The Sunshine Band, Styx, and 98 Degrees. The 2004 edition featured, among many others, John Mayer, George Strait, Beyoncé, and, of course, Pat Green. Though seeing Green perform later that evening as part of the Spring Break Stampede would seem bittersweet without his youngest son by his side, Kent could see how excited all of Kevin’s friends were to be able to celebrate his life with his favorite musician.

  While the rodeo activities kicked off, Kent and five friends of Kevin, including Brittany Barnhill, were promptly escorted to the backstage area inside Reliant Stadium to have a personal meeting with Pat Green.

  The musician could not have been more accommodating. He took time with each person backstage to make sure to shake a hand, say a quick hello, or autograph a CD or a photograph. Kent was duly impressed as he realized this young man would soon be out there performing in front of more than fifty thousand people.

  When Green made his way over to Kent and the others, he was quick with a smile and handshake for the father. Kent informed the friendly musician that his song “Poetry” sounded as if it had almost been written specifically for Kevin. He mentioned that Kevin had recently been murdered and that they were all at the concert to celebrate his birthday with his favorite singer.

  Brittany suddenly spoke up, “So, are you going to play it?”

  Green actually hesitated, then stated, “We actually don’t play that song in concert anymore.”

  “Aw, c’mon, you have to!” Brittany retorted pleasantly.

  Green hemmed and hawed for a brief moment, looked at the young lady and the father, then said, “Well, sure! Yeah! We’re gonna play it!” He started laughing, then took out a Magic Marker and wrote down Kevin’s name in the palm of his hand. He then asked if the crew would like to take a picture with him, which they all eagerly agreed to; then they were off to their box seats.

  Not long thereafter, Green kicked off his performance. After three songs into the set, Green stepped up to the microphone and said, “We weren’t going to do this song, but I met some folks backstage who asked me to.” Kent could not believe his ears as he heard Green say, “So, Kevin,” he declared, then pointed up through the hole in the roof of Reliant Stadium as if pointing up to Heaven, “this one’s for you.” He then performed “Poetry.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the Whitaker skybox section. Kent said, “It was all I could do from losing it.” Kent had even purchased a package of disposable lighters for the kids to fire up during the emotional song and described their skybox as looking like “a seventies rock show.”

  Even Bart seemed to sense the enormity of the moment as he feigned as much sorrow as he could muster.

  The following morning, Kent fetched the local newspaper, the Houston Chronicle, from his driveway, brought it inside, and opened up to the Star section, where he read a review of the Pat Green concert. The reviewer made special mention of the song dedication by Green and also of the lit-up skybox. Kent later asked, “I wonder if he had any idea how much that meant to us?”

  35

  Whitaker Residence

  Heron Way

  Sugar Land, Texas

  Kent wanted Bart to know how much it meant to have his son live in his childhood home. In addition to a core group of male friends, known as the FAT-men, who stuck around with Kent to help him deal with the grief of losing Tricia and Kevin, Bart provided Kent with a sense of belonging he was sure would not exist without his son’s presence.

  The two men would arise in the morning, chat quietly over breakfast, then go about their separate ways during the day. They would both return home in the evening and spend time reading inspirational books together, such as The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg. They would read passages aloud to one another and then spend time discussing the meanings behind the works and how they pertained, not only to their grief-stricken situations, but to their roles as men of God.

  Lynne Sorsby noticed the positive change in Bart after the murders of his brother and mother. Bart furthered that belief by delving deeper into church and reading religious tomes as well. He also decided to add to the attitude adjustment by asking Lynne to marry him. She eagerly agreed, and the couple set a date for July 24, 2005. Kent Whitaker was ecstatic for the young couple. He believed their union was further proof of God’s will in attempting to allow him to heal over the losses of Tricia and Kevin. Though life ends, there are always new beginnings around the corner. He looked forward to having Lynne as his daughter-in-law, and the prospect of becoming a grandfather appealed to him beyond anything else in his life.

  36

  June 28, 2004

  Bart began to feel claustrophobic. He knew that Detective Marshall Slot was going to be coming after him any day, and he had to be prepared. Of course, he was ready.

  One week, he spoke with Rogelio “Rudy” Rios, a busboy at the Bank Downtown restaurant. The two men had been workplace acquaintances ever since Bart took a job there in late January. Over the next few months, Bart began to open up to Rios and tell him about what had happened to his mother and brother. The media’s version of the events, that is. He told Rudy that he believed he was the main suspect, and that the police would be after him any day.

  For his part, Rios did not want to hear what Bart was telling him. He believed Bart to be a good kid, and thought he was nice, but Rios simply wanted to keep his nose clean. According to Rios, he had a bit of a criminal history—two theft convictions and another for drugs, which led to time in prison, back in 1982. Now he was merely trying everything in his power to stay out of trouble.

  Bart would constantly complain to Rios that the police were out to get him, and that they wanted to prosecute him for the murders. Rios politely nodded and feigned interest, but he mainly wanted to be far away from Bart’s potential criminal issues.

  Over time, however, Rios began to learn more about Bart. The main thing that piqued his interest was the younger man’s access to money. Bart never shied away from talking about his family’s economic status. Rios also noticed Bart usually dressed well, drove a nice vehicle, and never seemed to want for the finer things in life. One day, after hearing Bart’s repeated fears of being arrested, Rios decided to get involved.

  “You know,” Rios addressed his coworker, “I go to Mexico all the time. I’ve got family down there. If you ever want to go there, I can take you.”

  Bart seemed to perk up. “I appreciate your offer, Rudy. I may just have to take you up on that one.”

  “Just let me know,” Rios replied.

  On, or around, June 21, Bart let Rios know. “So, remember your offer to take me to Mexico?” he mentioned.

  “Sure,” Rios replied.

  “Can you do it soon?”

  “No problem,” Rios answered. “Just give me a few hours so I can get some things in line and we will head out right away.”

  “Sounds good. But let’s wait until Monday to take off,” Bart replied. He seemed distant and concerned.

  “Of course, you’ll need to give me some money,” Rios stated.

  “Of course, I will. How much do you need?”

  “Three thousand,” Rios confidently asserted.

  “I’ll have it before we take off,” Bart replied, with nary a flinch. Rios wondered if he should have asked for more money.

  The following Monday, Bart did not go to work. Neither did Rudy Rios. Instead, both men were on a decidedly more adventurous trek. They met at a predetermined locale, picked by Bart, in a mini–strip mall parking lot, in front of an A-1 Dry Cleaners located on South Braeswood Boulevard and Fondren Road, near the BraeBurn Country Club. Bart suggested the spot because it was located in what he believed to be a
higher-crime-risk section of Houston. Rios assumed it was so someone would steal Bart’s Yukon and draw attention away from Bart. Bart stayed inside his vehicle and told Rios, who was driving his mother’s car, to follow him to the Wesley Gardens apartment complex, on the southwest side of Houston, so he could drop off the car. Once they arrived at the complex, Bart parked the truck and left the engine running, plus the front door unlocked and open. Then he ducked inside Rios’s mother’s vehicle.

  Minutes later, Bart Whitaker was on his way to being escorted across the border of the United States into Mexico. They were headed for the tiny town of Cerralvo, where some of Rios’s family still lived.

  According to Rios, the eight-plus-hour drive was quiet and uneventful. Neither he nor Bart uttered a single word during the entire excursion. Instead, it was more of a silent send-off for the lonely gringo desperado.

  Bart, the man who once had everything of material possession—a nice home, an expensive rugged truck, the finest clothes that an aspiring clotheshorse could desire—now was stripped down to the bare essence. He had given Rios a mountain-climbing backpack a week earlier and began to rifle through its contents. He had very little in way of creature comforts—a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, a nice button-down long-sleeved shirt, shoes, socks, some clean underwear, and his toiletries. That was it—except for a large stack of currency, $7,000, to be exact.

  As the two men drove onward toward the Texas-Mexico border, Rios nodded toward Bart’s backpack and said, “If you have anything illegal in the backpack, get it out.”

  Bart did not even rifle through the contents of the backpack. He merely removed the wad of cash and stuck them in his pants pockets. Rios noticed the money but did not say anything about it. Besides, he already had his money. Of course, the excessive amount that Bart flashed, intentionally or not, reminded Rios that he should have learned to perfect his negotiating skills.