Who Done It?

"Well I don't care what he said to you. Det Lance Jackson will handle him. Fuck his partner. What do you thing a partner will say? Of course he will go along with his partner."

We finish with her telling me more about the sex and how sorry she was. She kept saying she just got carried away with the whole thing.

She kept begging me for forgiveness and she would never do anything like this again. She said she would do anything I asked her to do to get on my good side. She also told me about the other girls and how much each one loved their husband. Just too much alcohol was the main problem.

Monday I didn't know what to do with the bullet. Should I try to use it with no damage on it? I could get bye with the casing but not the bullet. I was debating on having the kids behind me find it. I would talk with them or walk to where I had the casing planted on the ground and let one of them find it. But then the kids haven't been around and I wanted to do it now.

I couldn't wait for the kids to find it any longer so at noon I paged Det Jackson and he called me back at one. I told him I found the casing and he told me not to touch it that he would be right out with a crime scene crew. I then went out in the yard and dropped the casing on the ground where Lance thought the sniper had shot from.

At two Lance showed up with his guys and I showed him where I found it. They took a dozen picture from all angles. I could hear one of the guys saying; "we checked the whole site. It doesn't seem possible that we missed it. We went over this site three different times."

They left at four and at six that night Det Lance Jackson called that they had gotten a warrant and had Dana in custody. They had a warrant so they were going to search his house to see if the casing match up to any of his rifles. I thanked him and told Jane about it. She still said she didn't believe he had anything to do with it. I told her about finding the bullet casing and she looked at me funny.

Lance came to my house for coffee and to talk. He told me about the alibi of Dana. He went on saying it was a tough case to figure out as the casing had let him right to Dana. He said Dana lawyer wants the charges dropped but the DA wont move and charges stay.

The detective had a list of women that had brought charges on Dana for abuse and rape. He had already won the court case so Lance didn't know if he could use the women statement. He said he would need another statement from Jane explaining everything on it like the phone calls.

Both of us along with the kids would have to testify in court about what happen. He said just tell the truth, as you know it and the same with the kids. He hated to put the kids through it but he had to do it. The DA will get with all of you and go over what will happen in court. The only one they will be cross-examined will be your wife by his lawyer. They won't bother with the kids.

I had asked Det Jackson what the penalty for attempted murder would get. He told me any way from fifteen years to probation. He has seen it all. All depends on witness and how good the evidence is. He has seen them get off and other put on probation as long as they didn't do it.

A few days later Det. Jackson called me and told me it didn't look good. He said he found out Dana would jog on the path behind our yard. He said his lawyer is claiming the bullet fell out as he was jogging. Which the jury might just believe that to be true. Lance said he sure wished he could find the bullet.

Four days later I gave him the bullet telling him I found it in the neighbor yards about three feet from my yard. He took me to headquarters where him and a Det Larry quizzed me for three hours. I would not change my story of finding the bullet in perfect condition.

The detectives said it was impossible to find a bullet in that good of a condition when it did all that damage. I told them well go to the Warren Commission. They found a bullet just like it that killed President Jack Kennedy. Look it up. If it can happen to a president of the United States of American then it can happen to a common bricklayer.

Det. Lance told me he checked Dana house and found bullet casing all around his yard. He said I bet you went to his house and picked one up. He told me he thought I opened a sandbag and took a bullet out. That is the one I handed over to him. The bullet has no damage on it a so he think that is what I did.

I told them I don't know where he even lives and I never been to his house. I got a bullet hole in my shoulder, so what are you saying that I fake the whole thing for some damn reason I shot my self in front of the kids. I found the damn bullet on the neighbor's yard where it fell out of a fireman's boot that is all I know. You two are crazy bastard as I walked out of the room and called a cab to come pick me up.

In the cab I was thing about the shooting. What could happen to me if they caught me screwing with the evidence? I guess I might get off with comity service because the guy was banging my wife.

But that still left someone out there that wanted to kill me, how could I find out who done it. Shit the cops don't know how the hell will I be able to find him. Maybe it really was Dana. Shit who knows? All I knew was I was tired of looking over my shoulder wondering where the next shot was coming from.

The grand jury started on a Monday.

Our family did it all. We went in front of the grand juror where they brought charges of attempted murder against him. The newspaper and TV station wanted to talk to us but we gave out no interviews.

Two months later I was in the basement when I saw Jerry going into John's house. I went over to talk to the boys on why I haven't seen them around out side any more. I was worried that they had got into trouble or they were about to get into trouble. I knocked on the door and rang the bell but didn't get an answer. I knew they where inside hiding on me.

Finally I went home and got a key we had to her house. When I went in I called out to the boys. I got no answers from them. I knew they were in the house but where and why where they hiding on me. I found them in Johnny bedroom under the bed. I told them to get out from under the bed and to sit on the bed. I could see them both shaken and knew they were scared of something.

Bad thoughts came to my mind like did they kill the grandma. Why are they so scared? I asked where the grandma was and they told me she went to her senior meeting and then I knew that's where she goes on Tuesdays.

I sat in a chair near the bed and had a heart to heart talk with them. I explained I was their friend and was not out to hurt them in anyway. I was there to help them. I knew they had done something bad or they where planning on doing something bad.

Well after all the crying from them and they were saying that there was no way I could help them. I finally convinced them I would help them no matter what they did. What they told me floored me.

They are the ones who shot me. They took me up stairs where their grandfather had a reptile General Patton colt 45 in a holster. I picked it up and took the bullets out of it. One bullet had been fired. Yes it had gone right through my shoulder.

We went back to the bedroom and they told me the story. The grandma was out of the house and the boys found the colt. They took it out in the back yard and fooled around with it.

Jerry the 13-year-old one had it and Johnny tried to take it away from him. They said it went off but didn't know in which direction it went. They ran in the house and put the gun away. They later cleaned there pants and swore they would never do it again or would never tell anyone.

They felt bad and when they found out I got hit. It hurt them as they liked me a lot but still they would not confess to it. Well I had a long talk with them and finally told them that they didn't shoot me. Another guy who was laying out there had shot me. I told them they, the police found there bullet in the side of my house. It was a 45-cal bullet they found in the side of the house.

They said why didn't they see the guy that night and I gave them a long story on how he was an expert army ranger who was camouflaged and knew his skills. They bought it.

I told them I was going to keep the gun and for them to forget our talk as it never happen. We all swore we would never talk about it again.

When I got home I put the gun in a safe and now I felt better knowing how I got shot. I could stop worrying that someone was out to kill me. I knew Dana was innocent but the bastard was going to pay big time for nailing my wife. Screw him I will teach him to screw around with married women. I know she was just as guilty but she was my wife and I loved her.

As I was sitting having a beer it was like a heavy weight was lifted off my shoulders knowing that no one was out to kill me or hurt my family. I guess it really got to me more than I would let on.

When the trial started I was the first one called. I described what happen to me for the district attorney. I played up the pain in the shoulder and how I was still in pain with constant headaches. I should have gotten an academy award for my performance.

Dana acted, as his own defense council because he was so cocky, plus the fact that he knew that he didn't do it so how could he get convicted. I guess he figured it was a sure win and why give it to another lawyer. His second chair was his partner Ed. The only question Dana asked me was did I see who shot me and I told him no, I didn't see you, which the judge struck from the records. That was all he asked.

I had prepared my kids for the trial and told them to cry like hell on the stand. Any time you feel the pain of daddy getting hurt just cry your eyes out. Both of them did a good job and it took a whole after noon to get through their short story of the shooting because of the crying.

Dana asked them if they saw the man that shot their father and they both said no. That was all he asked.

Next were the three women who brought charges against him to tell the jury what type of character Dana was. They all said Dana had drugged them but the judge had that statement stricken from the records because of lack of evidence but the jury already heard it so it was a point for us. You can strike out things but you get your point across when the jury hears it.

Dana let Ed handle the women. Ed asked if they where trying to get even for losing their court case against Dana and the women said no. Ed laid into them and won that part of the trial.

My wife Jane was next and she told her story. She also said she thinks Dana drugged her. She was lying at that point but I wanted her to stick it to him. She told of the sex and the entire week of phone calls from him which the district attorney had all the records of Dana's call for that week. She told the jury she thinks Dana shot me to have her all to his self.

On Dana's turn he question her up and down trying to prove a lie here and there but she stood firm. On the sex he was vulgar and wanted her to say he was the best sex she ever had and he kept telling her she was under oath and had to tell the truth.

Dana was asking her about all the girls in there and Dana wanted her to say he could have anyone he wanted, she said you would have to ask the other women. He told her you know I can get any women I want don't you and you are under oath. Jane said, "yes you might if you use enough drugs on them." He was mad now as he belittled her saying she was just out for quick sex in the parking lot. It lasted a long time and was no fun for her. She was very upset when it was over.

The next day medical and hospital people where on. That was slow and boring part of the trial.

After them came detective Lance Jackson he told them what he found at the scene and then about finding the casing at a later date and then the bullet at even a later date. He told about the investigating of the girl's night out drinking that led him to Dana.

He told of a FBI profiler, that gave him a profile, that led him to Dana. The district attorney asked if this was normal to find evidence so late in a case and Lance said that it does happen in about twenty-five percent of the case.

Lance told the court that twenty-five percent of his cases the evidence is carried off or ruined by the rescue team or spectators trying to get close to the scene. Often the evidence is carried off by someone at the scene to be found at a later date. Lance said he found a rifle at Dana house that matched the casing and bullet that was found at my house.

Next came the ballistic man and he said it match the gun in Dana's house to the casing and bullet.

Both men were cross-examined by Dana and they stood up to it.

Dana kept saying it was a set up with me being out to get him for having sex with his wife.

The part about the bullet took a full week to finish. Both sides had two experts about the bullet with one group saying it could happen and one group saying it was impossible to be the bullet that hit me and some place inside the house. The main thing was the Warren Commission report that helps us.

Dana brought his partner on for an alibi for that night. The district attorney torn him apart saying how much money they would lose if his partner were found guilty. The district attorney said it also seemed funny how his partner was a witness in his other three trails to give him an alibi.

For closing statement Dana said all the women were out looking for sex or just out looking for fun night like he was. He was only guilty of being out for a good time. He had an alibi for the night of the shooting so it could not have been him. He told them the bullet and the casing was bullshit and his experts prove that. They all rested and the jury took over.

A day later after fours hours of deliberating one day and six the next day the jury found him guilty and he got seven to ten years in the state prison for attempted murder. That will teach him to fuck with my wife.

She did confess to me that she wanted to fuck him that night, plus there was no drugs involve. She was just horny from dancing and drinking. We finally made up after six months and everything is fine once more. I figured the trial she had to go through was enough pain. All her friends and family found out about everything that happen during the trial. They all questioned her and asked her how she could do such a thing to the family and me. She was in the shit house with them for a long time.

Jake