The Death of Donna Whalen

by Michael Winter

  She was afraid to give him up.

  I would have got him arrested right quick. You can go to these crime places. There was one girl she talked to and the way she put it, if he done this and if he done that. She didnt say he done it.

  No.

  I can’t believe she’s gone. I has to pass along by the house every time I’m out. Sometimes I stop the car and looks at the window and sees if she’s there. I dont take Sharon out there any more on account of her.

  My Lord no.

  But now she’s having these nightmares and Edie was in from Grand Falls. She said Sharon now come out with me for a few days, we got a swimming pool. Sharon went on and she told me she loves it out there.

  I guess she do.

  She rang me dinnertime and said I’m in the pool and everything.

  Poor little child. She knows all right but she thinks she tells anybody that—

  Theyre going to take her from me again. If I say to her Constable Motty is coming down to talk to you she’ll link up with me. She’s in fear. She lost her mother and I’m the next one she loves in the world next to her mother.

  Sure she dialed the 911.

  She told me. I said you were a good little girl to do that. I said you take Cory and bring him down and go into the Vivians’ and stay there till Nanny gets there.

  That’s what she did.

  And it’s a sin because Donna used to go out and leave her.

  But Donna must have told her if anything happened dial 911.

  And to get Pat downstairs. Pat will come up through the back way.

  The last time I seen her was that night. About twenty after nine. She went in the room and was talking to Pat.

  She used to tell your Tom when she was going. She was going to give Sheldon a run home and I said who is looking after the children. And she said Tom. Donna was gone about a half-hour and I rang. Sharon answered the phone and I said your mommy is not home yet. I didnt let on I knew where her mother was to. I said Sharon dont you think you should be in bed. She said Mommy lets me stay up. I said no love all little girls are in bed this hour. Turn off the television because I knows what you are looking at on television. Not fit to look at.

  No that’s true.

  Because he used to have the horror movies on. She said okay Nanny. I said now you go on to bed. When Mommy comes Mommy is going to ring me. I never heard tell of Donna no more.

  Youre after losing your daughter.

  And I tells your Pat I says help out the police and get him caught.

  Yes.

  And I wonders did she suffer too much. Did he tantalize her or brutalize her.

  She was thirty-one stab wounds.

  But did she feel them. Did she go off unconscious.

  She went pretty low, her voice. You know they had it planned.

  Right.

  So I wants you to promise sweetheart you won’t tell a soul.

  I won’t.

  Especially the police.

  You got nothing to worry about. Because you didnt tell me anything that you didnt tell the police.

  Theyre worried about us talking. It’s the Trokes worrying me.

  I told Sheldon when he rang from the pen, until the murderer is caught I’d rather for them not to talk to me.

  He’s not getting out, Agnes. He could get out but just outside so far and then they’ll charge him.

  If he gets out in twenty-five years I’ll be well gone.

  Yes me too.

  LOUISE MOTTY

  Sharon told her aunt Edie that when her mom came home Friday night Tom Vivian came up with her for a little while. He was there for about an hour and she is not sure he left, but a short time later, a knock came on the door. Then Sharon heard Tom talking to Sheldon. She was sure of Sheldon’s voice because it was low and rough. She said Sheldon never whispered in his life. She heard them talking and then a door at the top of the stairs opened and someone went down over the stairs. She heard her mother say, Stop, Sheldon, leave me alone. Her mother said Sheldon’s name. Louise Motty asked Sharon if there was anything else that she could recall. She saw an arm go up. She saw this through the reflection in the mirror. This arm was covered by a red or brown sleeve. Sharon could not recall seeing a person. She only heard voices. These voices were the voices of her mother and Sheldon Troke.

  Sharon was not the type of child that had to be prompted. She had all these questions she’d throw at you. She heard the coffee table tipping over. Her mother calling to her and a man’s voice telling her mother to be quiet. The television was on. The lamps flickered and she saw part of the big chair, but she did not see any people. Sharon was able to see all this because of the location of the two mirror dressers. One was in her room and one halfway in her room.

  Now Gary Bemister spent a good portion of the morning attempting to align the mirrors so he could see out in the living room as Sharon claimed. It was impossible for him to do so.

  Sharon has never been back to the house. Louise Motty was the one that went back and got all of her clothes and Cory’s things and toys and dolls and whatever else she could find.

  They went into the room, the chapel, where Donna was waking. Sharon looked at her mom and said Constable Louise, do I have to stay here any more? This doesnt look like my mom.

  Sharon stood with the Whalens and then they went out to the chesterfield area and she was talking most with her uncle Clifford. Iris Troke was there but Louise didnt see Sharon with her. She kept a pretty solid eye on Sharon while she was there. Louise kind of stood off but she was in the room.

  JIM LYTHGOE

  When Sharon was first interviewed by the police she did not tell them that she heard Sheldon Troke’s name. She didnt hear his voice either. In fact, in relation to the voice, she was very clear in saying just the opposite, that she did not know who it was. What she did hear, in Louise Motty’s original notes, is her mother saying No, Sharon, no.

  Louise Motty told her that Sheldon Troke killed her mother, that he was in jail and couldnt come after Sharon. The police led Sharon into suggesting she heard her mother say Sheldon’s name. Instead of no Sharon no she must have heard no Sheldon no.

  ROBERT ASH

  Her grandmother said not to mention Sheldon Troke’s name because Sheldon did not do it. This was the very day that her mother was found dead. So Sharon does not mention Sheldon. But she says to her aunt Edie she did hear Sheldon’s voice.

  JOEY YETMAN

  A couple of days before she died, it was on a Wednesday, Joey seen her. He was in the Avalon Mall up by the Sony Store and when he walked out Donna Whalen was coming out of a store. It’s upstairs just down from the eating place. There was a fellow waiting for her. They started walking up towards the food court and she was talking to him. Joey seen just the back of him. He was turned back on. He had blondish white hair, shoulder length, and a white shirt and white pants on. His hair was messed up and his clothes was dirty. He was a little bit taller than Donna.

  Joey contacted the police on the Sunday night after she died. Over the phone. Like somebody never washed. He dont know Tom Vivian.

  CHES HEDDERSON

  He gave an interview on camera that Sunday. People were afraid and they wished the police would arrest someone. The release stated that although no one has been charged there is no need for the public to be concerned that the assailant is still at large. That remark was given in response to a question by the media should people be alarmed and Hedderson’s remark was passed on to Gary Bemister and he made that release over the telephone.

  Ches Hedderson doesnt think he’s indicating to the public that the person who murdered Donna Whalen is presently in custody. That certainly wasnt his intention. It’s there but he can’t say that they were his words or if they were the reporter’s words. This release was given over the telephone. It wasnt a typed release that was faxed out or released by other means. If he’d heard the news release he would have called the media to advise them they were misinterpreting what he’d said. But he did
not call any media. It wasnt brought to his attention that there was any problem with that release.

  PAUL TROKE AND TRISHA HICKMAN WIRETAP

  Paul: Fuck things are bad enough. My head is fucked up enough and you got to be saying things like that to me.

  Trisha: I dont think it came out like that.

  Yes it did come out like that. I won’t have got pissed off if it never. I dont know boy, I dont know about you at all. Youre wild. That’s all I can say is youre wild.

  I should ask them now to fucking put me in the SHU for the night. Why?

  Because I got too much going through my head and I’m going to fucking freak out. That way I won’t get in no trouble.

  As long as you dont get in any more trouble Paul than what youre already in my son.

  I got to go.

  If you have to Paul.

  Trisha I got a lot of things on my mind and nobody fucking understands right.

  Talk to me.

  Ye all thinks it’s so fucking easy down here for me.

  No not at all. I dont.

  Ye dont even know where to start to understand.

  Were you talking to Cathy?

  No.

  Were you talking to anyone?

  No.

  Did anything happen today?

  No.

  Is the guards giving you a hard time?

  No.

  Try to relax.

  Try to relax Trisha?

  Youre going to court tomorrow arent you?

  Was Iris out there running around for Eugene now is she? The whole works of them can go now and fucking crawl up my arse.

  You dont mean that.

  I do mean it. When I goes, none of them are going to hear from me again because I’m not coming back here and I fucking mean that. They can all go to fuck. As far as I’m concerned I got no family.

  You do Paul.

  Where is it?

  Your mother and father.

  That’s why theyre always down to court when I goes. That’s why theyre always down to visit me right. Only one person went down to see me and that was you. So you tell me where my family is?

  Paul there’s a lot on the go boy.

  Cathy is five minutes up from the fucking courthouse. A five- minute fucking walk. Do you know how that makes me feel walking in there and nobody there? You think that makes me feel wanted?

  I know it mustn’t feel very good Paul.

  It dont make much difference to me any more now Trisha. Everything is fucked up.

  You probably needs a bit of time for yourself and I do understand it.

  I know Trisha but the things that’s on my mind I dont want to tell you because it’s only going to scare and I dont want that. I got so much hate built up inside of me you won’t believe it. I’m not talking about you or Mom or Dad but I got no time left for no one any more.

  Why?

  You dont see anybody doing fuck all for me. I should have learnt that a long time ago.

  All you needs is a break Paul.

  Trisha there’s no break for me. I never got a fucking break in my life. What fucking life I got.

  RUTH VIVIAN WIRETAP

  She looks some fucking old. Oh, I met her fucking once. I met her one night when Sheldon was going right cracked upstairs. She’s fucking worse than the youngsters. Bertha would fucking knife you as quick as she’d look at you. Her daughter is as worse again. Iris would stab you as quick as Bertha would. Raymond and Paul too. But Sheldon Troke frightened me when I was out there on the side of the house and he turned around and if I ever sees you talking to Donna again, I’ll punch your fucking face in. I was going to tell Pat about it, but I said I’d better not because Pat would go after them cocksuckers. He was drunk and the two of them fighting and she sat on the door and I said fuck that.

  Sheldon Troke’s got me on the phone and I hung up on him and all day Sunday my phone is ringing off the fucking wall. They’d wait till I pick it up and then hang up and it went on the whole fucking night. One is in jail for bank robbery and one is on trial now, but it was Sheldon fucking threatened. He said to me look, he said, you tell the cops I left Donna at quarter to ten and dont fucking forget it. He frightened the shit right out of me. Every fucking bit of blood in my body just drained. If you know anything else, tell the cops, he said. But he said this to make sure I didnt tell the cops anything. It was sarcastic and threatening and I shouldnt tell the police anything

  I didnt like what they showed yesterday, the way they showed her headstone.

  JIM LYTHGOE

  One of the television reports showed the headstone of Donna Whalen. There’s no doubt that Ruth Vivian is referring to that in this wiretap.

  PAT VIVIAN

  That Friday was a fine morning. Pat went out to clean the doorstep and he said good morning to Donna. She said good morning back. She went up beside her car and another guy came down, blew the horn—Donna went over and talked to this man. It was a friendly conversation. Pat didnt see nothing wrong with it. She was leaning on the roof of the car with her hand.

  He was a blocky young fellow. His hair it wasnt a blond. It wasnt dark. It was in between, a dishwater blond. His hair was well cut. He had on a baseball hat and a red T-shirt and the rest of him Pat couldnt see, only his shoulders up.

  The car was a dark grey. The headrests of the car were up sort of high. The centre of the headrests were like a wire mesh type. It was a foreign car, smaller than a Tempo. Not like a Chev or a Dodge. An expensive car. She talked to him for five to eight minutes.

  There was a show on TV which showed a car in relation to this case. Pat got quite excited as it was the car he’d seen. He doesnt know when he talked to the police. He doesnt have a photographic memory. He cannot remember everything that youre talking about right now.

  Pat told the police he seen the car on TV. They approached the car lot from the fire hall side. On the left-hand side locked up in a cage Pat Vivian picked out the car. It was a grey four-door, a heavy car, no question about it. Pat dont know where this small car is coming into it. That’s the car he picked out. It was a big heavy domestic car. He knows nothing about cars.

  They visited the Edicotts quite often but after Donna’s death not very often, very scarce. They discussed the Sheldon Troke matter. Such as what should happen to Sheldon. Manys a time. Pat thinks the death penalty should be brought back.

  RUTH VIVIAN

  Ruth doesnt want to sit, she’s fine. She has her thing with her. She doesnt want to take a break. Look, it’s been twenty-one months of hell, she wants to get it over with. You can put the paper in front of her, she cannot read a damn paper. She doesnt know how many times she’s got to tell you that. She didnt watch anything on TV about this. She doesnt watch the news. Is it just a coincidence the only time she mentioned details about people in a vehicle was when it was in the paper? You can have your opinion. She’s got hers. What happened upstairs, her nerves are shot and she got to get out of here. Even if she did have to wait a while to get in by the Village or New Pennywell Road. She dont get out. She’s in the house. It’s just as well to say youre shut in. So if she had a place with a garden she’d be able to go out at least because where she got the arthritis. If she stays here she’d have a transfer because she’ll be in the mental. There was a woman murdered. Ruth dont mix with the people down here. The only place she’s been in is Mabel Edicott’s. People dont bother her.

  AGNES WHALEN AND PAT VIVIAN WIRETAP

  Agnes: I said to Ches Hedderson I said Pat knows that car was up there.

  Pat: That was Friday morning.

  The car was there and Donna was down talking to Paul Troke.

  I picked out the car. They give me a mug shot book. And I had my finger laid on the thing and he said Mr Vivian are you going to look for the person and I said there it is right there and I picked out Paul.

  If you were a good friend to Donna you’d want her murderer caught. I know I do. I’ll find out. I’ll keep on until I goes down in my grave.

&nb
sp; And Missus I’ll give you a hand to do that my love. I thought the world of her.

  They knows that some of the evidence they got. They can’t nail him if they dont get anybody to help them. And I said to him well Pat Vivian was telling us about the car.

  SHELDON TROKE

  That Friday Donna got the youngsters ready for school because the kids had to be in school at nine. Sheldon was on the chesterfield lying down. Donna’s mom come and they were in the kitchen having a conversation. She left around eleven. The point Sheldon’s making, what Pat Vivian says about Donna going out by the door in the morning is a lie. Donna wasnt out of the house. She didnt go out until after her mother left. Donna was talking to Kim Parrott on the phone and she was on the way to her house.

  When Sheldon seen this car on the news, it’s all he seen was the front of it and he got a glimpse of the side of it. Pat Vivian saw a small foreign car and this car is a big dark Chevy.

  RUTH VIVIAN

  She is bound as a mother, she doesnt want to say nothing. She never told it to her husband. She’s been holding it inside since it happened. It is all right for you—it is all right everybody else to say it, but she’s the one.

  Sheldon shouted and yelled at her. He was either drunk—like he wasnt the Sheldon that she knew. He seemed like he was pretty mad. Ruth dont know who he was mad with, if he was mad with her, she dont know. But she did get the feeling that she shouldnt say anything.

  He told her to mind her own fucking business and keep your mouth shut and go in the house, like he was just raving on and Ruth was afraid he was going to hurt her or hurt her boy. Tom was going to jail shortly after that and Ruth was afraid he was going to be hurt. But it is the way he said it. Ruth dont know how to explain the feeling. She got really afraid. She never mentioned it to a soul. She’s been back and forth to the doctor, she finds it hard to sleep. She can’t understand what she’s feeling. She doesnt want to make matters worse.