AZ - Gabriel Johnson, 8 months, 26 Dec 2009 - last seen in Texas - #4

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http://www.kpho.com/video/22155911/index.html

TPS: The news station would like to ask you a couple questions. Is that okay?
EJ: Yeah, that's fine.
TPS: Okay.
Reporter: Elizabeth, can you hear me?
EJ: Yes, I can, you're a little faint.
Reporter: I'll walk a little closer.
Reporter: So why would you say to Logan that you killed the baby? That...
EJ: Because he ruined my life and he hurt me and I wanted to hurt him, and that was the only thing I could say that would hurt him.
Reporter: Do you understand though, that saying something like that implicates you to the possible murder of this child?
EJ: I understand that now. I didn't at the time. I mean, I was emotionally a wreck, I was just completely out of my mind and just upset because of he's just ruined my life and he pushed me to run away and...(inaudible).
Reporter: But do you understand what Tammi is saying to you, the fact that it's just not a good idea for any mother to make that kind of statement?
EJ: Well, of course it's not a good idea, but we're human, we make mistakes and we say things we don't mean and we don't realize that it can, you know that we can be hald accountable for them.
Reporter: How can you be sure that your baby's alive?
EJ: (Pause) Um, because when I left him with these people, they, I trusted them.
Reporter: Why?
EJ: (Pause) What do you mean why? I, I believe in my heart they're good people.
Reporter: I mean, but did they give you any reason to believe that? Because you had been talking with Tammi and Jack, and you've been, basically, they've been extending their help to you.
EJ: Yeah.
Reporter: They've been trying to look out for the best interests of you and Gabriel. Tell me, what was it about these people that made you say, "They are responsible enough to have my baby."
inaudible
EJ: They just reached out to me and they seemed like they cared.
Reporter: And you found them how?
EJ: I met them in San Antonio.
Reporter: But, like, was this at a bar or at the hotel? How did you meet them?
EJ: Was it where?
Reporter: How did you meet them? I mean, was this at a rest stop, at a bar, at a hotel? I mean, how does a conversation like this happen, where...?
EJ: They approached me, and they came up to me. I was out alone with the baby. At the park. (Pause)
Reporter: And they approached you, and said what?
EJ: They, I ,was upset, I was crying, I, I, I've been approached before in the same situation with Tammi. Um, and they just said, is everything okay? And I was like, I don't know what to do, and I was just a wreck, and they were just reaching out to me, and, you know, offering their help, and just listening, and I was just crying like crazy.
TPS: That's how we met in the, in the um um, what do you call it, the airport.
EJ: Yeah.
Reporter. And I'm just asking, just out of curio...I mean, is that, with them, a perfect stranger's approaching you like that in the park, is that enough for you to just turn your baby over?
EJ: Um, yeah. Because they were a couple and I, um I know how much people without children just want a baby and they can't have their own baby, then I just had a good experience with Tammi and I, I didn't feel any reason to feel anything that wasn't right.
Reporter: Elizabeth, does this sound, does this, is this making sense to you in your mind? Like, I mean does it sound normal to you? To have a mom just hand over their baby like that to someone they don't know.
(Phone announcement on time remaining.)
EJ: Excuse me, I didn't hear that last question.
Reporter: Does this sound normal in your mind? For a mom to hand over their baby to people that they don't know just because they were...
EJ: Yeah. I did it before, and no one had a problem with it. Everyone commended me and thought I did such a great thing.
Reporter: So, in other words, you really don't know if your son is alive or not?
(Long pause).
EJ: Um, I, ee, know that he is.
Reporter: How?
EJ: I believe it..
Reporter: You believe that he is, but you don't know for a fact that your son is alive?
(Pause)
EJ: I mean, I'm in jail, how could I know anything?
Reporter: But, you understand how serious this is? Because of what Tammi is telling me that right now because you said you killed your son, because you don't know who has him or where he is..
EJ: I wanted him to leave me alone. (inaudible)
Reporter: I understand, but hear me out, you sent that text message that said you killed your son, you're telling us now you don't know who has him or where he is. Do you know how serious that looks against you?
EJ: I really don't. I, I, you know, I did the same thing with giving away the baby to Tammi, and everybody, you know, no one had a problem with it, everybody said it was such a good thing and commended me and I don't understand what the problem is now.
Reporter: You really don't understand that there is a problem with the fact that you don't know who has your child right now, that you don't know if he's alive or not?
(Pause.)
EJ: I mean, when you give up your child for adoption, you don't really know where the people live or anything.
Reporter: Why didn't you, if you were is such dire straits, why didn't you just take the baby to a police station or why didn't you call Tammi and Jack and say, you know what, I can't handle this, you're, you're gonna have to help me here and leave the baby with...?
EJ: I thought about that. I thought about a lot of things, I didn't know what to do.
Reporter: So you didn't think that, you know, here I am in San Antonio Texas, I'm stressed out, I should just go to a police station and leave my baby there, and walk away at that point?
EJ: I did think about that.
Reporter: Well, then why didn't you do it?
EJ: Because I was afraid I was gonna get arrested for kidnapping.
TPS: Who told you that?
EJ: Logan (laughs).
Pause.
TPS: So basically, you were on the ledge, and Logan pushed ya off.
EJ: Yes,
TPS: That doesn't sound...Does that sound like he wanted his child back or...?
EJ: No, he never made one attempt to see him the whole time. I, I had him by myself. He never made one attempt, one phone call, he never, he knew where I was, he had my cell phone number. He never called to ask how me and the baby was doing, he only took things to court. he didn't care, I mean, maybe he can pretend to care now, but I really don't believe he cared, because he really just after me, and pushing me off the ledge instead of just being civil.
Reporter: Elizabeth, if you, if you already gave your baby away, and you don't know where he is, why are you still pulling Tammi and Jack into this? I mean, right now this is...
EJ: I'm not pulling them into it.
Reporter: Well, if you're still contacting them and still giving them the hope that they could be the parent of Gabriel...
EJ: No, I haven't done that at all. How have I done that?
TPS: No, she hasn't done that.
Reporter: But, so, you, so, are you comfortable with the fact that you may never see your kid again?
EJ: No, I'm not comfortable with that. But, that's the decision you make when you give up your child.
Pause.
Jack: Elizabeth...
TPS: Now, let me ask you, why, why do you want to give your child up for adoption? Why, why wouldn't you want the dad to have the baby? Why wouldn't you want Logan to have his son?
EJ: Because I believe he's a very ugly controlling person and he's not capable of raising a child and he's not capable of taking care of the child. He's being supported by his own father and he just wants to make things ugly and I don't want the child to be in the middle of the ugly, ugly custody dispute and it already started off so ugly. And he's just going to make the child miserable and he's gonna make anyone that has anything to do with me, the mother, miserable.
Reporter: And you really felt like giving your baby away to perfect strangers was the right thing?
EJ: I did.
Jack: Elizabeth, hey, this is Jack, how you doing?
EJ: Hey, I'm alright.
Jack: Um, here, here, here is the long and the short of this whole thing. Without the baby, because of what you said...
EJ: Yeah.
Jack: There is no reason for anyone to believe that you haven't taken the baby's life. And I understand what you're saying, but...
(Jail recording breaking in)
Jack: but, but I think it's important that you understand, because you haven't, like you're not getting this picture, that if, if these people were to somehow be to keep him in seclusion for the, a, until he's past the certain age that he's allowed to sort of filter back into the system, you understand that you will be charged with this? Because if they can't find the baby...
TPS: For murder.
Jack: If you know any way, any way that you can identify either where these people...
EJ: I have. I talked to the FBI, I cooperated, I told them everything.
Reporter: So why are they saying then that you aren't co operating?
EJ: I did, I told them everything. I was there until three in the morning with them.
(One minute phone termination warning.)
TPS: Any questions?
Reporter: So, have you, do you know where the car is?
EJ: It's in San Antonio, I left it there.
Reporter: And you told the police this?
EJ: I didn't talk to the police, I talked to the FBI.
Pause.
Reporter: So what, I mean if these people that have your kid are hearing what you have to say, what do you want them to know? I mean, should they turn that baby over to police?
Pause
EJ: Um, obviously, yes.
TPS: Cause if they don't you could be in jail the rest of your life. You understand that, right?
Jack: Tammi, you only have a few seconds left, what did she want to talk to you about? We, we...
TPS: Tell me what you wanted to say to me, you only have like thirty seconds left, I think to chat with me.
(Cutoff warning)
EJ: Nothing, I just wanted to see what was going on. I don't know.

Call terminates.

Jail house call trancription, audio linked at the top.
 
That's the part I've missed out on. I didn't think she still had the cell phone because last I remember the pings stopped somewhere around Victoria TX. I'm thinking she must have called someone and they called LE, since I don't think there was anything about her being wanted or Gabriel being abducted on the national news then. :waitasec:

Please re-read; no the pings didn't stop in Victoria
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/149226
But before Johnson was arrested at a youth hostel in Miami Beach, a cell phone signal was tracked to her in Victoria, Texas, three days earlier, according to a court document. Victoria is 115 miles southwest of San Antonio, and the signal was last caught moving toward the Mexico border, according to the document.
 
Please re-read; no the pings didn't stop in Victoria
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/149226
But before Johnson was arrested at a youth hostel in Miami Beach, a cell phone signal was tracked to her in Victoria, Texas, three days earlier, according to a court document. Victoria is 115 miles southwest of San Antonio, and the signal was last caught moving toward the Mexico border, according to the document.
That still doesn't mean anything but that she was pinged in Victoria, heading a generally southerly direction, not that there were any pings after that.
 
Please re-read; no the pings didn't stop in Victoria
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/149226
But before Johnson was arrested at a youth hostel in Miami Beach, a cell phone signal was tracked to her in Victoria, Texas, three days earlier, according to a court document. Victoria is 115 miles southwest of San Antonio, and the signal was last caught moving toward the Mexico border, according to the document.

1: Victoria is southeast not southwest

2: victoria is the opposite direction from the mexican border
 
1: Victoria is southeast not southwest

2: victoria is the opposite direction from the mexican border
That's what I thought so I couldn't really figure out what connection Victoria had with going to Mexico. :waitasec:
 
That still doesn't mean anything but that she was pinged in Victoria, heading a generally southerly direction, not that there were any pings after that.

No. Look at a Texas map. I'm not that familiar with Texas, but I can read map. Victoria is the wrong direction from Mexico from San Antonio. Victoria is east and the border is west.
 
1: Victoria is southeast not southwest

2: victoria is the opposite direction from the mexican border

Yes..... that's what I was saying (badly, I guess for a non-Texan Y'all) lol
 
I haven't seen that she booked in advance, only that she rented the room for 5 days when she got there.
You are right, I misunderstood what was said here. It is confusing, this is what I read.
GRACE: Is it true, Ms. Smith, that you learned she checked in and paid for the hotel room a week ahead of time?

TAMMI SMITH: Yes. She told me that she was paid up until Sunday. And we had her basically ready to come back. Sunday morning, she was going to come back. We had offered to help her with an attorney so that she could keep the custody and the custody would not go to the father.
 
TS says she does not want the child now because her family is getting messed up.


Well, she is in this mess by her own hand... she can try to play martyr all that she wants, but people are seeing right through her.

At least she didn't give the excuse she gave the other day:

"We were actually just thinking of maybe just getting a dog," joked Tammi Smith.
 
Thanks Not my kids for that transcription. Every time I think I know the answer to this case, I realize I don't. Reading that again sealed it for me..this could go either way.
 
No. Look at a Texas map. I'm not that familiar with Texas, but I can read map. Victoria is the wrong direction from Mexico from San Antonio. Victoria is east and the border is west.
This did actually give me a brain jolt, if they were pinged moving anywhere, wouldn't there have to be more than one? I always look at the media as if they are trying to spin the story, so if the road she was on when pinged headed in the general direction of MX before turning in a different direction, I would expect the media to say it was headed for MX.
However, they have to know a lot more than they are telling the public. I don't think you can tell direction from one ping. I thought each ping was a stationary marker.
 
No. Look at a Texas map. I'm not that familiar with Texas, but I can read map. Victoria is the wrong direction from Mexico from San Antonio. Victoria is east and the border is west.

map1.jpg

This is about the same route the Greyhound bus travels.
sch1.jpg

sch2.jpg

sch3.jpg
 
elizabeth: " charged with what?"

Do you hear what I hear? This girl was at this point still in the game..... maybe not so now......

She gave her child up for "adoption" she did not murder him. She had a script and went by it.... except probably for the text to Logan. I just bet that wasn't in the script. She gave him a heads-up before the threat was relayed by the producer!!!

Good news and bad news, she doesnt know where he is either, but he was alive last time she saw him! So of course she wasn't worried. Of course she was confused, Tammy said it was a good idea to give him up for adoption. She and Jack said she was to be commended.
 
She used cash I believe according to the AZ couple she sold her 2 yorkies for $500 (IDK if it was total or each) she had $400 cash from a room she rented out, and she just got her last Un-employment check. She had at least $1000 on her when she left.

These peeps have a little too much detailed info about her cash-on-hand, imo.

She's a poor, desparate unwed mother - with 2 registered yorkies [apparently, if someone paid $250 or $500 each], an apt, condo, or house that she can rent out a ROOM for $400 [now I'm sorry, but that's crazy], and an unemployment check.

I say b/s, Tammie.

Plus, EJ would have no expenses with no custody, or with custody she'd have child support and/or AFDC, food stamps, WIC, etc.

Not that I think EJ is necessarily logical, but gee whiz.

Isn't there a 2nd child, too?
 
Then in addition staying in Florida with no car or job? I suspect she had more money than $600. and it could've come from whoever has Gabriel. MOO

Didn't they both say, JS and TS, that she had her last "unemployment check" -- that would mean that she had worked at some point, right? and been laid off or fired?
 
Must say good night now but I hope when I come here tomorrow we'll have some good news about baby Gabriel. :seeya:
 
latest FB update by TFPS`daughter:

all this neeeeddddsssss to stop!! its getting wayy out of hand. please pray for my family
 
FBI agents in Nashville rushed to a home after getting a tip from agents in Miami that missing baby Gabriel Johnson might be there.
http://www.kpho.com/news/22190418/detail.html

Re reading some old stories and I caught this.
The Smiths say that they were the ones that told LE all about JM, right? So why would the tip come from FL instead of AZ?
 
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