Suspected of killing his missing father, an American spent 17 hours in interrogation. The police force him to confess to a murder he didn’t actually commit when his father is ultimately found alive.
He was charged with murder, even though the victim was in good health. An American has just reached a settlement of nearly $900,000, or approximately 829,000 euros, with the city of Fontana, located near Los Angeles, in the United States, after being falsely accused of killing his missing father, local media reported Wednesday. . The man was actually still alive.
Interrogated for 17 hours
Thomas Perez Junior went through a real ordeal. On August 7, 2018, his 71-year-old father, Thomas Perez Senior, went for a walk with his dog. Soon after, the animal returned home, but without its owner.
Despite the searches made by his son, the septuagenarian is nowhere to be found. Warned, the police do not believe the story presented by Thomas Perez Junior.
The latter is heard by the investigators, who interrogate him at length. The questions continued, to the point that the interrogation lasted 17 hours.
Police claim to have found body of missing man
During the interrogation of Thomas Perez Junior, the police, convinced that he is guilty, do not hesitate to tell the man, who is considered a suspect, that his father is dead and that his body has been found.
To pressure him into confessing, the police even claim that they have irrefutable evidence of his guilt, which is false.
The American initially professes his innocence and claims to have no recollection of killing anyone. The police try to pressure Thomas Perez Junior more and more, both by creating doubt in him, they emphasize that the human brain can sometimes voluntarily forget unpleasant memories, but also by threatening to euthanize his dog. He does not confess to his crime.
He confesses… before his father is found
After hours of questioning, the American finally breaks down and confesses to the murder of his father. Shocked, he then tries to hang himself with his clothes, while he is momentarily left alone in the interrogation room by the police. He was then hospitalized for 72 hours.
The truth finally came out a little later that day, thanks to a call from Thomas Perez Junior’s sister. Not only is his father not dead, but he hasn’t even disappeared.
The septuagenarian had simply gone to visit friends before heading to Los Angeles airport where he waited for his daughter. His son therefore, under pressure from the police, confessed to a murder that he had not committed.
“Psychological Torture”
Thomas Perez Junior was released after three days of psychological observation and decided to take legal action against the city of Fontana, where he was questioned by police.
His lawyer, Mr. Jerry Steering, condemns the “mental torture” his client endured to coerce him into “false confessions”, making him “suicidal”.
“In 40 years of litigation, I have never seen this level of deliberate brutality from the police,” he exclaims.
The police, for their part, assure that the son seemed “distracted” and “not very worried” on the phone when he called them to report his father’s disappearance, and that the presence of the latter’s wallet and mobile phone in his home seemed strange. . A police dog had also detected the presence of blood in the house, to which the son replied that it must be traces linked to the diabetes level tests that Thomas Perez Senior regularly took.
In her ruling, District Judge Dolly Gee condemns the conditions of the interrogation of Thomas Perez Junior. “He was deprived of sleep, suffered from mental disorders,” she said, referring to “psychological torture”.
