In the December 1993 issue of PHOENIX MAGAZINE Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy Sergeant Russ Kimball, who was the coordinator of the multi-agency task force assigned to investigate the August 10th., 1991 military style execution of 9 Buddhists in a West Phoenix temple --- writing with Features Editor, Laura Greenberg, --- relates how the alleged murder weapon first came to the attention of law enforcement. We quote the first two paragraphs of this issue:

"Thursday October 24, 1991"

"It's lunchtime when Russ Kimball drops a thunderbolt on Sheriff's Sergeant Mark Mullavey: the Department of Public Safety just identified the rifle taken from Rolando Caratachea Jr. weeks ago (almost 7 weeks to be exact) as the gun that killed nine people at Wat Promkunaram. Mulavey blanches when he realizes Kimball isn't joking."

"Mullavey reminds Kimball that the Office of Special Investigations at Luke Air Force Base spotted the first report of the gun associated with Caratachea and a friend, Jonathan Doody."

This statement leads readers to assume that the security officers at Luke came upon the alleged murder weapon by chance. All accounts in local newspapers give the impression that Rolando Caratachea and Jonathan Doody were stopped for "suspicious conduct" on the 20th, and 21st. of August on Luke Air Force Base. This would have been just 10 days after what has been described as "the worst mass murder in Arizona history" and in Thailand as "the most heinous crime in the history of Buddhism." Documents supplied to the GRAPEVINE by the office of the Maricopa County Attorney clearly state that each time Rolando and Jonathan were stopped by base security personnel it was by the direction of bulletins issued by Master Sergeant Paul Thompson who was in charge of the Office of Special Investigations of the Security Police at Luke Air Force Base! Other aspects of these events represent themselves in the following reports as anything but routine.

The following are all supplemental reports. This means that they were written subsequent to the events described. Typically such reports are written to "clarify" rough places in an investigation. For example all reports are clear as to the voluntary nature of the searches conducted of the autos of Rolando Caratachea and Jonathan Doody. Since there was never a "plausible" probable cause for stopping the teenagers, the reports of these incidents would have been inadmissable in a court of law if these searches were in any way involuntary. Most disturbing, these reports were seriously colored to present teenagers capable of murder. This coloring will be shown to be pure fabrication.

The following is a supplemental report of Officer Mark Halstead, Luke Air Force Base Security as sworn to Special Agent, Richard K. Harris, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, on the 29th of October, 1991. This is 5 days after the Department of Public Safety Crime Lab determined the Caratachea .22 rifle to be the murder weapon --- but 2 days before the lab issued its written report on the 31st. of October. No explanation of the 7 day lag time between the day of the determination of the murder weapon and the day this report was signed has ever been offered despite our repeated questioning of this irregularity. This is the only "sworn to" report examined in this group of documents and is in our opinion the most reliable. This report was also witnessed by Special Agent Mark Bauer (sp?) --- also of the Office of Special Investigations. Our comments will be in parenthesis and bolded.

"October 29th., 1991"

"MON 21 AUG 91 at the beginning of my shift I was briefed to look out for a silver in color Ford Mustang, late model, AZ tags, Oriental male driving. The plate was FSH-? on numbers. The other was a orange in color Chevy Nova.

(These are the cars of Doody and Charatachea respectively.)

"I can't remember the plate, driven by a Spanish male. Both were in their late teens and had been previously stopped in New base housing for suspicious activity and were found to be in possession of a .22 caliber Marlin rifle, but the patrolman released them."

(Doody and Caratachea were stopped the night before on the 20th. of August by Security Officer Kropp. This incident will be referenced by subsequent reports.)

"At approximately 2020 hours, myself and Sgt. Joseph Turitto were riding together when we spotted the Mustang in question parked at 5716 Walomai and approximately 10-15 juveniles standing near it."

(Joseph Turitto's report will follow.)

"We initiated a patrol stop and called it in. I went to the crowd and asked who owned the silver Mustang. Doody approached and said it was his. I then asked him if he had been stopped the night previously. He said yes. I then said there was a gun found the other night and asked if I could search his car for it. He again said yes.

"Myself and Sgt. Turitto then proceeded to search his car. We both did the interior, then as I proceeded to the hatchback area to search, Turitto went to the crowd to identify Rolando Caratachia. He came forward so Turitto asked him where his car was. He stated that it was parked on the next block."

(Halstead relates how he found a cloth bag containing foreign money in a section we do not include here.)

At this time Sgt. Lou Krecji SPOI showed up so I showed him and Sgt. Turitto the money. We all agreed it was suspicious but we had nothing else on him to hold him."

(It seems they were looking for some reason to hold the teens at this time.)

"Turitto then escorted Caratachea to his car at 5510 Walapai (Which was within 200 feet of the home of Jonathan Doody.) where TSgt. Burgan had been sent to secure until their arrival. Turitto then searched the vehicle in the presence of Burgan and found the .22 caliber Marlin rifle in the back seat of the Chevy Nova."

"He then called me on the radio and told me to respond over to his location to help because there was a lot of clothes and junk in the car. I then told Doody he was free to leave and I responded to the Nova."

"When I got there I saw a .22 rifle, a pair of handcuffs silver in color, and a large survival knife, possibly a K-bar, and a night stick approximately 18 inches in length. Also when I searched the interior, I found a couple of empty boxes that were used to hold .22 ammo. They were cheap brands possibly all lead bullets, kind of like wad-cutters, the name Winchester comes to mind.

(This last statement is significant. These cheap brands of ammo would not be capable of inflicting the damage the Maricopa County Medical Examiner, Dr. Karnitschnig, stated could only have been inflicted by magnums. The Marlin Model 60 .22 caliber rifle will not fire magnums.)

TSgt. Thompson then talked to Rolando for 10-15 minutes.

(We learn from subsequent reports that Master Sergeant Paul Thompson was head of the Office of Special Investigations for Luke Air Force Base. The difference in rank between Tech Sergeant and Master Sergeant seems to imply a promotion between the time of the incident and this supplemental report. Today Thompson is working for the Scottsdale Police.)

"We then asked him where he got the weapon because we were checking it in the computer to see if it was stolen. He stated that he got it for his birthday from his dad. At this time approximately 2140 hours Dep. Terrell MCSO showed up, seized the weapon, and told Caratachea to leave base."

(Notably absent from this police report is the serial number of the gun seized! As a matter of fact we have not seen the serial number mentioned in any of these reports until Feb. 14th, 1992.)

"October 24th, 1991"

Investigator: D.D. GRIFFITHS #670 Reviewer: CAPT. WHITE

Typed by: A3220

Date/Time: 11-08-91 2055

INVESTIGATIVE LEAD: DEPUTY TERRELL #792

DATE/TIME: October 24, 1991 (Thursday)

EMPLOYER: Avondale Police Department

932-3663

Luke A.F.B. Security Police Officer

856-5970

LOCATION: Maricopa County major Crimes Task Force Office, 4th Floor, East Court Building, 101 West Jefferson Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85003

DETECTIVE: D.D. GRIFFITHS #670

General Investigations

SYNOPSIS: DEPUTY TERRELL was dispatched to Luke Air Force Base housing on August 21, 1991, at 2145 hours in reference to a non-military subject trespassing who was also in possession of a weapon. Upon his arrival he made contact with ROLANDO CARATACHEA who had in his possession a .22 caliber rifle which was later determined to be the weapon responsible for the deaths of the victims in this investigation.

"On Thursday, October 24, 1991, at 1800 hours, I spoke with DEPUTY TERRELL within the report writing room of the Maricopa County Major Crime Task Force located on the 4th Floor of the East Court Building at 101 West Jefferson Street, Phoenix, Arizona."

"It had been learned earlier that DEPUTY TERRELL had contact with ROLANDO CARATACHEA while he (ROLAND0) had a .22 caliber rifle in his possession on August 21, 1991. This weapon had been identified as the weapon used to cause the death of the victims in this investigation."

"In speaking with OFFICER TERRELL, he related that on August 21, 1991, at approximately 2145 hours he had been dispatched to Luke Air Force Base housing reference a non-military subject trespassing in possession of a gun."

"Upon his arrival he observed two or three security police vehicles one of which was an undercover vehicle (!!!???) along with a plain clothed security police sergeant and one or two uniformed security police officers. Also present a 1970's model Chevrolet Nova orange in color."

"Standing next to the vehicle he observed a subject later identified as ROLANDO CARATACHEA. As he exited his patrol vehicle and started to the area of the security police officers he noted a rifle lying on the hood of one of the security police vehicles."

"He was told by the security police officers present that the day before, or within the last few days, a vehicle matching the description of the Nova had been reported driving within the area of the base housing. At that time it was occupied by juveniles who were either waving a gun around or who had driven by shooting a gun."

(This is serious coloring of the incident. No report of teens waving a gun or firing from a vehicle was ever made.)

"As a result of this first incident the vehicle was stopped. DEPUTY TERRELL stated he was told nothing that would

indicate that there had been any problems effecting the stop on the vehicle." (There was never probable cause to stop the teens.)

"After stopping the vehicle, security police had made contact with ROLANDO CARATACHEA and were told that he was going to a friend's house four or five houses down the street. Apparently while speaking with ROLANDO CARATACHEA the security officers observed a rifle in the back seat of the vehicle and believed he was told that the butt of the gun had been showing."

"He was further told that ROLANDO CARATACHEA had been stopped a few days earlier on base and at that time had the rifle in the trunk of the car. The officer who had stopped him told him that the rifle could not be kept in the trunk."

"DEPUTY TERRELL advised them (security police) that at this time no violation of law had occurred and was asked to have the subject leave the Base. He was handed the subjects driver's license and proceeded over to ROLANDO CARATACHEA."

"In speaking with ROLANDO CARATACHEA, he found ROLANDO CARATACHEA's demeanor to be calm, speaking clearly in a normal tone of voice with no noted accent. ROLANDO CARATACHEA also did not appear to be nervous and he saw no signs of his having been drinking (alcohol)."

"ROLANDO CARATACHEA told him that he was going to visit friends who lived just down the street pointing a few houses down along the south side of the road. In looking in the direction ROLANDO CARATACHEA indicated he noticed several vehicles parked along the street. ROLANDO CARATACHEA continued by saying that he was parking his car when the security police pulled up behind him."

"ROLANDO CARATACHEA also stated that he had been stopped by the security police a few days earlier and at that time was told to put the gun in the back seat so he did."

"I was told that he ran a drivers license and warrants check on ROLANDO CARATACHEA, checking to see if ROLANDO CARATACHEA was a runaway. But the inquiries came back negative. In asking if he ran the weapon I was told that he was not sure if he ran the gun or if security police had told him that they had. I was told that he makes it a practice to run all weapon was okay, felt that he would have checked it."

"During his contact with ROLANDO CARATACHEA, DEPUTY BARNES arrived on the scene to assist. DEPUTY BARNES told ROLANDO CARATACHEA that he had been to his Father's house on an earlier call. This did not create any response out of ROLANDO CARATACHEA. DEPUTY TERRELL thought that DEPUTY BARNES had stated that it was a family fight or shooting call that he had gone on."

(Rollando Caratachea denies that any such incident occurred at his home.)

He told ROLANDO CARATACHEA that he would have to leave the Base and carried ROLANDO CARATACHEA's gun back to his (ROLANDO'S) car.

"DEPUTY TERRELL was asked about any paperwork which would have been completed on this call and I was told that normally a field interrogation card would have been filled out. Obtaining a copy of DEPUTY TERRELL's log revealed that no field interrogation cards were completed for his entire shift. He was also asked if any notes were taken during this contact and I was told that all the notes on this call had been destroyed."

(No interrogation cards for the entire shift and all notes destroyed!! This could not look worse.)

"DEPUTY TERRELL was unable to provide any further information at this time and was asked to write a supplement of his activities for this incident. He was told that if anything else was remembered to include it in the supplement.

Pending."

"February 14th., 1992"

Investigator: DET. R. SINSABAUGH #714 Reviewer: CAPT. J. WHITE

Typed by: A2545 File: 51697.714

Date/Time

(Please note that it was Sinsabaugh and Mullavey and White who were foremost in obtaining the forced and fraudulent confessions of the Tucson 4. It was Kimball who finally "broke" Jonathan Doody in just 5 minutes after Sinsabaugh and other teams worked on Doody for more than 14 hours.)

INFORMATION: Interview with Police Officer JOSEPH TURITTO, who was a Security Policeman at Luke A.F.B. when he confronted DOODY and CARATACHEA on 08-21-91. OFFICER TURITTO found CARATACHEA in possession of a Marlin .22 caliber rifle, which was later identified as a murder weapon at the Buddhist Temple.

INVESTIGATIVE LEAD: Police Officer JOSEPH A. TURITTO

White male, DOB: 06-08-63

SSN#: 526-73-2915

EMPLOYER: Avondale Police Department

932-3663

Luke A.F.B. Security Police Officer

856-5970

DATE/TIME: February 14, 1992,Friday, 1230 hrs./12:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Avondale Police Department

DETECTIVE(S): R. SINSABAUGH #714

B. SANDS #708

"On February 14, 1992, at approximately 1230 hours, DET. B. SANDS and I (DET. SINSABAUGH), interviewed OFFICER JOSEPH TURITTO at the Avondale Police Department. OFFICER TURITTO is a Reserve Avondale Police Officer at the present time. He is currently a Security Policeman at Luke Air Force Base. He is due to be discharged from the Air Force on 05-15-92, when he plans on becoming a full time Avondale Police Officer."

"OFFICER TURITTO related the following information reference his activities involving the stop of ROLANDO CARATACHEA and JONATHAN DOODY on 08-21-91 at Luke A.F.B."

(This is the second time in two days that the teenagers were stopped on the base.)

"OFFICER TURITTO advised us that he was working as a Security Policeman at Luke Air Force Base on 08-21-91 during the evening shift. Based on briefing information from the day before, OFFICER TURITTO was looking for an Oriental male subject with a mohawk haircut, who was reportedly pointing guns at people in the base housing area."

(This story of the teenagers pointing a rifle at persons on the base and firing out the window was a complete fabrication that was never repeated latter in the case.)

"The subject was apparently driving a gray car, but OFFICER TURITTO was unaware of the source of this information.

On 08-21-91, he learned that Security Police Officer KROPP had stopped ROLANDO CARATACHEA the night before in the base housing area. OFFICER KROPP found ROLANDO CARATACHEA in possession of a . 22 caliber rifle. OFFICER KROPP completed a field interrogation stop on ROLANDO CARATACHEA and released him with the rifle."

(This is the first time the teenagers are stopped. This was the 20th of August. The significance of this becomes paramount as additional information on these bizarre events emerges.)

"OFFICER TURITTO began to look for ROLANDO CARATACHEA on 08-21-91 because he wanted to talk to him about the rifle. OFFICER TURITTO felt ROLANDO CARATACHEA might be associated with the report of an Oriental subject pointing guns on the base. (Again serious coloring of this event unfavorable to the suspects.) He further wanted to ensure that ROLANDO CARATACHEA did not come back on the base with a weapon which is a violation unless it is approved."

"On 08-21-91, at approximately 2202 hours, OFFICER TURITTO observed a gray Mustang at 5510A Waipai in the base housing area. OFFICER TURITTO pulled up to investigate the grey Mustang which he thought might be related to their lookout for a gray car driven by an Oriental male who was pointing guns at people. SERGEANT HALSTEAD of the Base Security Police assisted OFFICER TURITTO on the stop. They approached several juveniles who were standing around the car. JONATHAN DOODY said it was his car when they asked who the car belonged to. JONATHAN DOODY showed his identification and after further questioning, he pointed out ROLANDO CARATACHEA, who was with him."

(It is standard procedure to notify parents of every encounter of military dependents with the Security Police on Luke Air Force Base. Jonathan's father, Sergeant Brian Doody, feels betrayed by the base security who did not notify him of either incident despite the fact that Jonathan clearly presented his Military Dependent I.D.)

"SERGEANT HALSTEAD began talking with ROLANDO CARATACHEA, while OFFICER TURITTO obtained permission from JONATHAN DOODY to search this Mustang. OFFICER TURITTO found a dark colored bank bag underneath the front driver's seat. He unzipped the bag and showed it to SERGEANT HALSTEAD. The bag contained a stack of foreign bills which he had been collecting. He said he wanted to sell the bills because he needed the money. SERGEANT HALSTEAD returned the bank bag and contents to JONATHAN DOODY, who was released after OFFICER TURITTO did not locate anything further in his car."

"ROLANDO CARATACHEA was questioned by OFFICER TURITTO about his rifle which he said was in his car. He accompanied OFFICER TURITTO to his car which was parked nearby on Waipai. Security Police Offices KIMBERLY GAFFREY and MICHAEL BURGAN secured ROLANDO CARATACHEA's orange 1972 Chevrolet Nova, Arizona License CJJ978 until OFFICER TURITTO arrived. ROLANDO CARATACHEA voluntarily gave OFFICER TURITTO permission to search his vehicle."

"OFFICER TURITTO searched the car which appeared as if someone was living in it because the seats were covered with clothing. On the back seat, partially concealed underneath a pile of clothing, OFFICER TURITTO found a .22 caliber Marlin rifle, Model #60, Serial #11319753, which ROLANDO CARATACHEA acknowledged belonged to him. The rifle was not loaded and OFFICER TURITTO noticed several empty plastic ammunition cases in the car. He further found a night stick, handcuffs and a "Rambo" style knife in the car, along with some cassette tapes."

ROLANDO CARATACHEA was advised of his rights by OFFICER TURITTO, who believed ROLANDO CARATACHEA was in violation on the Arizona State Law regarding concealed weapons and minors in possession of firearms. OFFICER TURITTO also said ROLANDO CARATACHEA was in violation of Air Force regulations for carrying the rifle on base."

"ROLANDO CARATACHEA agreed to talk to OFFICER TURITTO after acknowledging his rights. He advised OFFICER TURITTO the rifle was a birthday present from his father. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office was notified and DEPUTY TERRELL arrived on the scene. ROLANDO CARATACHEA was briefed and escorted off the base, after DEPUTY TERRELL determined there was no violation of state law regarding the gun. DEPUTY TERRELL returned the gun to ROLANDO CARATACHEA, who left the area.

A copy of OFFICER TURITTO's report is attached to this report. The report was typed for OFFICER TURITTO by Desk Sergeant MELISSA POWELL after she was briefed by OFFICER TURITTO.

(We have requested of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office the copy of Turitto's report.)

(Here is where things start to become interesting.)

Investigator: DET. R. SINSABAUGH #714 Reviewer: SGT. M. MULLAVEY

Typed by: A2545 File: 51968.714

Date/Time

SUPPLEMENT REPORT

INVESTIGATIVE LEAD: M/SGT. PAUL THOMPSON

Luke Air Force Base

Security Police/Investigations

856-7398/856-6450

INFORMATION: Interview reference initial contact with ROLANDO CARATACHEA on 08-21-91 at Luke A.F.B.

DATE/TIME: May 29, 1992, at 1230 hours

LOCATION: Via telephone

DETECTIVE: R. SINSABAUGH #714

On May 29, 1992, at approximately 1230 hours, I spoke with MASTER SERGEANT PAUL THOMPSON, who is in charge of the investigative unit of the Security Police at Luke Air Force Base.

M/SGT. PAUL THOMPSON assisted OFFICER TURITTO on 08-21-91 when OFFICER TURITTO contacted JONATHAN DOODY and ROLANDO CARATACHEA at Luke Air Force Base. M/SGT. PAUL THOMPSON informed he had issued a bulletin to stop ROLANDO CARATACHEA if he was observed on Base. M/SGT. PAUL THOMPSON issued this bulletin the night before OFFICER KROPP had stopped ROLANDO CARATACHEA.

(We suggest readers read this last sentence a second time. M/SGT. Paul Thompson issued his report the night before OFFICER KROPP stopped the teenagers on the 20th!! This means that the head of investigations of the Luke Air Force Base was directing that Doody and Caratachea be stopped on the 19th.!! For what reason? Task force coordinator Russ Kimball stated in his PHOENIX MAGAZINE article of October 1993 that the Luke Office of Investigations was notified August 12th., 1991, just 2 days after the murders:

"Now the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) offers men and equipment to the task force. Luke Air Force Base is a vast community nearby, but Kimball is skeptical, doesn't consider them real policemen. He drags his feet bringing them in. He has enough troubles already. He doesn't know they will be the real heroes of the temple case."

"The agents will scour Air Force records for the names of servicemen who have Asian dependents, or those who served in Southeast Asia. They'll interview dependents for knowledge of the temple."

(If the Office of Special Investigations was worth a bucket of warm piss they would certainly have turned up the name Jonathan Doody.)

OFFICER KROPP released ROLANDO CARATACHEA along with a rifle which was found in ROLANDO CARATACHEA's possession. M/SGT. PAUL THOMPSON wanted to correct the situation because ROLANDO CARATACHEA did not have permission to carry a weapon on Base property.

On 08-21-91, at approximately 2200 hours, M/SGT. PAUL THOMPSON responded to Waipai Street where OFFICER TURITTO was searching ROLANDO CARATACHEA's Nova. Upon arriving, M/SGT. PAUL THOMPSON observed a .22 caliber rifle on the hood of ROLANDO CARATACHEA's vehicle (remember Turitto said the gun was on the hood of one of the Security Police.) which OFFICER TURITTO said he found in the back seat of the car. OFFICER TURITTO had obtained permission from ROLANDO CARATACHEA to voluntarily search his vehicle.

M/SGT. PAUL THOMPSON instructed for the Sheriff's Office to be notified. DEPUTY TERRELL responded to the scene and released the rifle to ROLANDO CARATACHEA who was warned not to come back on Base.

Remember Halstead said in a sworn statement that Sheriff's Deputy Terrell seized the weapon and told Caratachea to leave the base. Notice how the times involved here in the different reports are wildly discrepant. And look at the contingent of law enforcement who turned out for the event involving two teenagers with a gun who were admittedly behaving themselves at the time and in the proximity of their home or the home of a friend. We have Luke S/SGT. Halstead and Turitto, who are joined by S/SGT. Lou Krecji, S/SGT. Burgan, S/SGT. Kimberly Gafferly, a car of plain clothed military intelligence and Paul Thompson, head of the Office of Special Investigations. Add to this Sheriff's Deputies Terrell and Barnes who arrived in separate cars. This seems to us to be a bit of overkill for such a minor incident.

We think we now understand the reluctance of the Department of Public Safety Crime lab to be forthcoming with what should have been public information concerning the alleged murder weapon they examined. One of our unanswered questions to them was "Can the firing mechanism, injection and ejection mechanism of one Marlin Model 60 rifle be exchanged with that of another?" We contacted Marlin to learn that the answer to that question is YES!! Only two screws need to be loosened and this mechanism can be changed in two minutes. This particular model is notable in the ease at which this can be accomplished. Please note the excerpt from the Marlin Model 60 rifle. We have included the toll free 800 number of Marlin in case the DPS Crime lab or anyone else wished to know more about this gun.

In other developments related to the temple murders the GRAPEVINE learned that last week translations of our articles were broadcast simultaneously over 41 radio stations in Thailand where this incident is referred to as the "most heinous crime in the history of Buddhism." With the exception of KTAR, Channel 3 TV and Associated Press, who reported our accounts responsibly, no Phoenix media has dared examine the dozens of anomalies we published about this case. Their silence is deafening and the world is taking note of this.

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