Hometown Killer

by Carol Rothgeb

  John Balser tried desperately to give Jamie Turner an alibi for the night of the murders. He gave a convoluted account of times, places, and people he had seen that day. His concept of time was questionable, so Joe Jackson tried to help the detectives interpret the series of events as John told them.

  Joe knew that John had not been home all evening on the date in question because he had called the house several times to check on John, and neither John nor David Marciszewski was there. Wanda was at work, caring for an elderly lady who lived on Lagonda Avenue.

  Eggers: From what I understand, John and Jamie were together from noon that day until ten-thirty that night.

  Graeber: Here’s the problem we got here—the way he’s putting the times together, puts him right in the middle of the murder.

  Jackson: That’s what I’m afraid of.

  Graeber: Believe me—putting him right in the middle of the murder.

  Jackson: It worries me because when he came back home—he’s been so upset. I don’t know that he was there.

  John (interjecting): I wasn’t there when it happened.

  Graeber: That’s what he’s doing, Joe. He’s putting himself right in the middle. See, we know Jamie was there.

  John (protesting): I know Jamie was with me at twelve.

  Jackson: I know something happened that night that shouldn’t have happened because John has been upset and his moods has changed terrible.

  Graeber: Since that night?

  Jackson: Real bad, yes. Well, he’s so close to Jamie. Jamie graduated with him. We were there at the graduation. They were just like two brothers.

  (The detectives talked to John for over two hours and got at least six different stories from him. At the end of the statement, John agreed to have his blood drawn for DNA testing.)

  It had been a long day and it was far from being over. By the time Detectives Barry Eggers and Nathaniel Smoot interviewed David Marciszewski that evening, their patience was wearing a little thin. David was John’s thirty-three-year-old stepfather and was also mentally impaired, although not as severely as John and Jamie. Unlike John, he was meek, mild-mannered, and soft-spoken. He wore slightly baggy blue jeans and a sport shirt.

  Smoot: Tell us what John told you.

  David: He was saying that Jamie and this other guy did have something to do with the murders.

  Eggers (exasperated): What is that supposed to mean? What exactly did he say? How did he put it? Did he tell you that he was there? Now if somebody tells you something like that—it’s not going to be something you’re going to have to sit here and think about.

  Smoot: Look at your face—we know the answer is “yes”—but the thing is you know he told you that.

  David (hanging his head): Yeah.

  Smoot: John was there, wasn’t he?

  Eggers: He told you that, didn’t he?

  David: That’s what he said. He said the girls was raped and murdered. He told me that he was holding the girls down and he had something to do with the murder of the girls.

  David, a slight man at 5’5” and 130 pounds, became increasingly nervous and reluctant with his answers, but the detectives persisted until they elicited the following information from him: “They stabbed them, after they raped them. Beat them, really beat them—beat them to death too. I think it was a board. Either a board or a lead pipe . . . I’m not too sure what they beat them with. Jamie and that other guy was with him. I think he said Lloyd. I think that’s what—I’m not sure about Lloyd. He did say there was three or four of them. He said that they buried them with leaves.”

  Eggers: Did John ever show you anything that belonged to those girls?

  David (quickly and firmly): No, he didn’t.

  Smoot (to Detective Eggers): Did you see that?

  Smoot (to David): Did John ever show you anything that belonged to those girls?

  David: No.

  Smoot: But you answered that so fast.

  David (insisting): No, he didn’t show me nothing about that.

  Smoot: You never answered a question like that—that fast before—all the time we’ve been sitting here.

  Eggers: What did he do with the evidence?

  David: I’m not sure what they said. I do know that he said that they buried something. I don’t know what it was.

  Eggers: Buried at the house?

  David: Yeah. I don’t know where at. It ain’t in the house. Somewhere in the backyard, I think.

  Eggers: This is your chance to prove to us what you’ve told us is the truth. . . .

  David: About what?

  Eggers: All that’s happened here. So you tell us where the evidence is.

  Smoot: Were you with him when these girls . . . ?

  David (protesting): No, I wasn’t. No, I wasn’t. I was right there at the house. I was there at the house.

  After a break to get some coffee, Sergeant Moody came into the room and read David Marciszewski his rights. He was firm with David, and to the point:

  Moody: All right. You have big problems. Do you understand me? You are protecting someone that has committed a very serious crime.

  David: Who? John?

  Moody: I’m asking you.

  David: I know it ain’t me because I wasn’t there.

  Moody: If you have lied to these officers about your knowledge about any evidence that was disposed of, you’re going to be arrested. Do you understand that?

  David: Yes.

  Moody: I want you to start at the beginning. How do you feel about John?

  David: Love him. As a stepson—I am his stepdad. Even though him and I get into arguments at times, I still care. He needs help with his . . . his alcohol. He’s got a problem with that.

  Moody: What else does he need help about, David?

  David: I guess about the girls. Because of what happened to them—they was murdered. He said that he held the girls down. That’s what he told me. I don’t know what to believe. If he didn’t do it, he wouldn’t say something like that.

  Moody: Tell us what he told you, so we can get on with it.

  David (hesitantly): He said that they had intercourse with the girls, him and Jamie and the other guy. I don’t know who the other guy was. He did say that. And he turned around . . . Well, they turned around and murdered them somehow. But first they, they was holding them down to . . . I guess they took turns. He said that the girls were screaming and, uh, like I said, he said that he was holding the girls down and had . . . sex with them. That’s what I was getting ready to say.

  Moody: David, did you help him get rid of some things that they took from those girls?

  David: No, I didn’t.

  Moody: Do you know where some of those things are?

  David: No.

  Moody: Now you told the detectives something else.

  David: Wait a minute. At Leibold’s (a junkyard across the street from Strahler’s Warehouse), from what he was telling me.

  Moody: All right. If we go to Leibold’s and they’re not there and we go to the house and we find them there, what do you think is going to happen to you?

  David: I’ll go to jail.

  Moody: Why would you think that?

  David: I don’t know.

  Moody: Yes, you do. You’re not a dumb man. Why are you protecting him? Are you afraid of him? Or did you help kill those girls?

  David: No, I didn’t help kill them girls.

  Moody: Were you there when it happened?

  David: Huh-uh. No, I wasn’t there.

  Moody: Do you understand something? I want you to understand something here. You know we got John’s blood today. John told you that, didn’t he? He showed you where we took the blood out of his arm. You know it’s just a matter of time; we’re waiting for a phone call now. When that phone call comes in, we aren’t going to be able to help anybody. Anyone that has knowledge of something in this crime . . . The arrests aren’t over. The arrests haven’t stopped with Jamie Turner or Alex Boone. This community wants everyone respon
sible punished, but this community also understands someone that is brave enough to come forward. Someone that is brave enough with some evidence to come forward. You can’t help what happened to them, but you can do them some justice and do yourself some justice right now. It’s the hardest thing in the world to tell on yourself. You tell me you weren’t there, I believe you. You tell me that you didn’t kill those girls, I believe you. But I don’t believe you when you talk about the evidence.

  David, I’m going to explain something to you right now. We know you’re lying. I know you helped him hide it. Do you think John told you everything he told us today? No, he didn’t. Why do you think you’re sitting here? Because he told us what you did. Now it’s your turn to tell the truth. Did you help him dispose of some evidence from the crime?

  David (haltingly): Yes. Buried it—at the house—in the backyard. Down in some hole—I don’t know how deep that hole is. Out in the field . . . really beside the house, toward back, more, you know, more toward back. You guys think I’m lying?

  Moody: Why are you afraid of John?

  David: He’s a big man. I don’t know where the stuff’s at. All I know is—I’ll probably go to jail. Panties . . . I don’t know what they look like. You’re looking for something.

  Moody: That’s pretty good. How do you know we’re looking for panties? You know what I think? I think you’re just as guilty as John is. I think you are just as guilty as Jamie Turner is and I think you are just as guilty as Alex Boone is. You’re guilty of murder too, aren’t you? Think you can survive in prison?

  David: I don’t know.

  Moody: Think you’re going to get to find out. Well, you aren’t helping yourself any here, David. You tell me you think we’re looking for panties, why? You helped kill them girls, didn’t you? David?

  David (insisting he was not there): I was at the house. Moody: What is it you’re afraid of, David?

  David: I don’t know.

  Moody: What? Just go ahead and say it. Did you have sex with those girls?

  David: No.

  Moody: You willing to give us some of your blood?

  (David nodded yes.)

  Moody: Okay. Did you help him dispose of some things?

  David (uneasiness apparent in his voice—and his manner—as he tried to convince the detectives): No. See I didn’t even know . . . Let me put it this way—I knew they was going to Schuler’s Bakery, okay. I was at the house, but I didn’t know what happened. I wasn’t there when all this was supposed to be taking place. I was not there. I don’t know where the stuff is buried—’cause he didn’t have nothing when he come in the house. All he said is, uh . . . that, uh, he had something to do with it. And, uh, like I told you first the other day, that one guy by the name of Lloyd turned around and told Jamie to shut up. I didn’t help him with nothing. I didn’t hide anything. I don’t know where the stuff is at.

  Moody: Okay, you stick with that. You understand what we told you, right? You understand that if you’ve done something wrong, you’re going to be punished, right?

  David: Yeah, but I ain’t done nothing.

  Moody: Okay, well, then, fine, you stick with that, all right. We’re done talking.

  At 11:42 that same night, Sergeant Moody and Detective Graeber interviewed John Balser again. This time Joe Jackson was not present. John was talkative and outgoing and there were never long silences when he was being questioned. He listened as Detective Graeber read him his rights again.

  Graeber: Now what I want you to understand . . . You were home when they came up and got Dave, right?

  John: Yeah.

  Graeber: And we had a long talk with Dave, real long talk. And you and Dave are close. And you talk a lot.

  John: Yeah.

  Graeber: In other words, you tell Dave a lot of stuff. As a matter of fact, you tell Dave everything, don’t you?

  John: Yeah.

  Graeber: Okay, so we’re going back to what you told Dave about this night. Okay?

  John: Okay.

  Graeber: Okay, now you start and tell me the whole thing.

  John: Okay, me and Jamie went after doughnuts like I told you and him. I took those back to Robby and Willie, like I said. Me and Jamie went our separate ways that night. I went home and Jamie went wherever with Lloyd. I don’t stay in contact that night with those.

  Graeber: What did you tell Dave you did that night?

  John: I told him me and Jamie went after doughnuts. That’s all I told Dave, Sergeant Mooo-nee. (John pronounced Moody as “Mooo-nee.”)

  Graeber: You told him you grabbed their arms, didn’t you?

  John: No, I didn’t. I didn’t say nothing like that, Mooo-nee. I didn’t do nothing, Mooo-nee. If I did, I’d told you first beginning.

  Moody: Were those girls mean to you?

  John: No.

  Moody: Did they say mean things to you?

  John: No.

  Moody: All right. Did they say mean things to Jamie?

  John: Said it to Jamie.

  Moody: What did Jamie do?

  John: Jamie hit those. Me, Lloyd, and Jamie—

  Moody: Lloyd wasn’t there. We know Lloyd wasn’t there.

  John: Okay, me and Jamie. I didn’t hurt those girls.

  Graeber: We didn’t say you hurt them, did we? But you did have sex with them, didn’t you?

  John: Yeah. I didn’t mean . . . I didn’t hurt those in no way.

  Graeber: But you had sex with both of them?

  John: Yeah. Jamie hold those down, sir, and Jamie did had sex.

  Moody: No, Jamie didn’t. Do you know why we know Jamie didn’t have sex?

  John: Why?

  Moody: Because we have his blood too. And blood doesn’t lie.

  John: I didn’t either, sir.

  Moody: How come you lied to us about going down to the bakery with Jamie?

  John explained: See, when my uncle was in here I didn’t want to say nothing to him. I was wanting . . . talk to you guys by myself. You see my point. Okay, I did have sex with those. Me and Jamie met each other. Down at the bakery—in front of it.

  Moody: Who else was there with you, John?

  John: Another boy. Colored.

  Moody: Do you know his name?

  John: No, I don’t. He was there before me and Jamie got there.

  Graeber: Where did you guys meet the girls at?

  John: Down in behind there. That bakery. Just a big wooded area, I think. A pond.

  Moody: John, you lied to Detective Graeber earlier today.

  John: I didn’t want Joe to know.

  Moody: Joe’s not here now, John. Were you supposed to meet the girls down there?

  John: Yeah. Those girls told Jamie. They said, “Bring one of your friends along.” I told Jamie, I said, “Jamie, I don’t want to go.” I said I’d been drinking. I was drinking all day that day.

  Moody: Did you hit one of the girls?

  John: No. I wouldn’t do that. I did try not [to] hurt those. I was so aggravated at what me and Jamie did. I wasn’t aggravated at those girls. I was so far out on drinking I didn’t know what I was doing.

  (Finally John admitted hitting one of the girls with his hand, and then: “I broke a limb off and hit those by that. I didn’t know nothing would happen like that.”)

  Moody: What did Jamie hit the girls with?

  John: Same thing. I think Jamie hit those girls with a board. I tried to stop him. I tried to stop Jamie. He wouldn’t listen to me.

  Moody: Who took the girls’ pants off?

  John: Me and Jamie. Unbuttoned those—unzipped those—and pulled those off.

  Moody: Did you have a weapon?

  John: No. I didn’t have none. I don’t carry those. I didn’t hurt those girls. I had my knife with me. I didn’t . . . I didn’t have it open. I use it to cut wires.

  Graeber: Okay, what else are knives good for? They’re good for cutting. What else?

  John: Killing people. I didn’t use it for that.

  Graeb
er: Did you cut anyone?

  John: I just cut her clothes.