9 Dec 2010 - Reports: Elizabeth confessed a second time to killing Gabriel

[BeanE]

According to new reports Elizabeth confessed a second time to killing Gabe.

The first confession was when she texted Logan. This new second confession being reported was in May, during the interview with Detective Salame.

It's reported that this second confession can't be used without a special ruling from a judge, since her attorney wasn't there during the interview.

Originally Posted by BeanE

Source: Baby Gabriel's Mom Confessed Twice
Johnson Confession Reportedly Came During Jail Interview
Pat McReynolds, CBS 5 News
POSTED: 1:30 pm MST December 7, 2010
UPDATED: 11:02 am MST December 8, 2010

A source close to the missing Baby Gabriel investigation has told CBS 5 News that his mother, Elizabeth Johnson, confessed to a San Antonio, Texas, detective in May she killed her son.

That confession came during an unauthorized meeting between Johnson and the detective in the Estrella Jail in Phoenix, a meeting of which her attorney was unaware.

Because the meeting was unauthorized, it is not admissible in court unless there is a ruling otherwise.

Detective John Salame of the San Antonio Police Department might have been just moments away from learning the location of Gabriel Johnson's body when Johnson's attorney appeared and ended the meeting, the source said.

snip

Despite Johnson's alleged confession, McQueary said he maintains his belief that Gabriel is still alive.


http://www.kpho.com/news/26050243/detail.html

Originally Posted by BeanE

Admission of guilt reported in baby's death
Published: 12:00 a.m., Thursday, December 9, 2010

SAPD refused to comment on the alleged confession.

“The details of that interview are part of the investigative case file,” SAPD spokesman Sgt. Chris Benavides said in an e-mailed statement. “Therefore, the details cannot be discussed.”

snip

SAPD Chief William McManus has said the allegations made about Salame were unsubstantiated and would be answered in court, but declined to comment further.

Feldman found out about the interview while it was taking place and stopped it, Alcock said Wednesday by phone.

Johnson filed a motion to change counsel Sept. 27, and last week attorney Marci Kratter became her lead defense attorney.

Kratter, who said Wednesday she “has no idea what's going on,” confirmed she will represent Johnson at a status conference on the case scheduled for Thursday. She declined further comment.

“The only person who really knows what happened in that meeting was Detective Salame,” Alcock said. “He wasn't on drugs.”

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/loc...ing-869422.php

Originally Posted by BeanE

Defense: Adoption talk for missing boy's mom legal
Posted: 10:49 PM
Last Updated: 8 hours and 34 minutes ago

Gabriel's grandfather, Frank McQueary, told ABC15 he and his family appreciate the public support and continue to search for Gabriel.

"We're holding out hope, but with everything that has happened and there being no sign of Gabriel, it really calls into question what exactly did Elizabeth do with that child," said McQueary.

snip

"We've decided as a family that the best thing we can do to assist the county attorney's office is to let them do their jobs," said Frank McQueary. "We want them (Smith & Elizabeth Johnson) to go through the court process, we want them to be successfully prosecuted."

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region...39;s-mom-legal

[TXHOPE]

My heart sank yesterday when I read this. A second time?? And to SAPD?? Is that why he risked the interview? He was about to find out where Gabriel is located?? I understood why she would lie to Logan in an attempt to hurt him but why would she lie to a detective about this? I'm just sick. Two things I'm holding on to for hope is she was heavily drugged at the time according to Alcock and this information is from an unnamed source. Please Lord let this sweet baby be somewhere out there safe so he can come home to his Daddy.

[YellowSubmarine]

I'm in shock. And the fact that this happened back in May and they apparently haven't tried to get more info all because that meeting was "unauthorized" makes me sick.

No matter what, I'm still holding out hope he's alive!

[saba]

Originally Posted by TXHOPE

My heart sank yesterday when I read this. A second time?? And to SAPD?? Is that why he risked the interview? He was about to find out where Gabriel is located?? I understood why she would lie to Logan in an attempt to hurt him but why would she lie to a detective about this? I'm just sick. Two things I'm holding on to for hope is she was heavily drugged at the time according to Alcock and this information is from an unnamed source. Please Lord let this sweet baby be somewhere out there safe so he can come home to his Daddy.

Me too TX. This interview occurred less than two weeks after Sorin Stanescu went on TV to tell us that Elizabeth, " is a very nice person" ...."who would never have hurt her child."

It is all so overwhelming.

[AZlawyer]

This is so sad. Whatever psych drugs EJ was on, apparently they did not put her into such a stupor that she couldn't communicate with the detective or was just talking pure nonsense. Which makes me think she was probably telling the truth.

[BeanE]

Posting for reference regarding the medication Elizabeth was on at the time of the interview:

Originally Posted by BeanE

I believe lithium is used to treat bipolar disorder.

Elizabeth Johnson's Attorney Alleges Unlawful Questioning
Lawyers file motion to dismiss on Friday
Updated: Friday, 08 Oct 2010, 6:29 PM MDT
Published : Friday, 08 Oct 2010, 6:29 PM MDT

According to court paperwork, Johnson was on lithium during the questioning.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news...ning-10-8-2010

Originally Posted by BeanE

Why is this medication prescribed?

Lithium is used to treat and prevent episodes of mania (frenzied, abnormally excited mood) in people with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder; a disease that causes episodes of depression, episodes of mania, and other abnormal moods). Lithium is in a class of medications called antimanic agents. It works by decreasing abnormal activity in the brain.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000531

[iluvmua]

I'm not shocked, I figured this is probably what happened all along.

Makes me sick that EJ could possibly go free.

She didn't have to kill him, that the whole point, she had OTHER options.....


why not sign away at your parental rights if you did not want him... It's so very obvious that Logan and his family DID want Gabriel.

[kappy50]

Not to be o/t here, but report on NG tonight on Master Gabe...probably nothing new, at least there is some national coverage.

[cyberborg]

Sad. Very sad.

I think this was always a foregone conclusion given that EJ was willing to sit in jail rather than lead LE to Baby Gabriel alive or dead and her actions/demeanor.

It is sad though that if she did kill Gabriel why not assist in locating him to bring him home and allow Gabriel to be laid to rest with respect and love?

Did she do this just to spite Logan and is that the reason that Gabriel is not found and this isn't a closed case? Hatred and Spite are powerfully destructive irrational emotions.

[cluciano63]

I also think this little baby has been dead all along...I don't think she would say she had killed him if she had not. I just never believe these people who say they gave the child or children away...maybe it happens, rarely, but sadly, the children are murdered far more often...

[alsmom]

I decided sometime back this little guy was no longer with us also. I didn't want to accept, but it's all that made sense. She was way to vague with info, and I don't believe even she would sit in jail this long and not give up who she gave the baby to. There's no way she gave him to a totally unknown basically nameless couple. She is diabolical. She had either killed the baby when she sent the father the text or planned to and did it right after. So horrible.

[Ransom]

Originally Posted by BeanE

Posting for reference regarding the medication Elizabeth was on at the time of the interview:

Elizabeth Johnson's Attorney Alleges Unlawful Questioning

The ATTORNEY alleges this.

[dr dona]

if u caught Nancy Grace, Elizabeth allegedly confessed to killing Gabe and putting him in the diaper bag and tossing both into a dumpster. I for one think that is just what she did!!!! we all suspected she got rid of both.

[LadyL]

this has been discussed before ... but I'm not sure what happened to the thread - maybe we didn't have proper MSM links then ... ?

[c@rol]

Such sad news. The way she carried on and led everyone on.. I had really hoped it was out there. As time went on, I think it became pretty clear he was no longer with us. Shame they can't use the info

[DairyGirl]

I still don't know what to believe. EJ is very unstable and I don't think she even knows what she did. It never made sense that she would give the baby to strangers and not leave some kind of trail but it is also hard to believe that she could kill him and not leave any evidence. The worst thing is for LM. He may never know what happened to his son.

[BeanE]

I can not find it in my heart to give up hope that this precious baby is alive, and so, I continue to look for him.

[kappy50]

As I do feel he is still alive, I hope the progression picture get's out in the eyes of the public. I feel, especially now, it is very important and more likely to be noticed. Adorable picture, just adorable...

[iluvmua]

Originally Posted by DairyGirl

I still don't know what to believe. EJ is very unstable and I don't think she even knows what she did. It never made sense that she would give the baby to strangers and not leave some kind of trail but it is also hard to believe that she could kill him and not leave any evidence. The worst thing is for LM. He may never know what happened to his son.

Well, If she strangled him with her bare hands/ smothered him with a pillow and put him in the diaper bag and put the diaper bag in the dumpster, I don't think there would be any evidence unless someone found the diaper bag.

I also tend to believe that she killed him when it was dark outside and disposed of his body under the cover of darkness so that no one would suspect anything if they saw her near a dumpster.

MOO ( My Own Opinion)

[pghbrandi]

Originally Posted by iluvmua

Well, If she strangled him with her bare hands/ smothered him with a pillow and put him in the diaper bag and put the diaper bag in the dumpster, I don't think there would be any evidence unless someone found the diaper bag.

I also tend to believe that she killed him when it was dark outside and disposed of his body under the cover of darkness so that no one would suspect anything if they saw her near a dumpster.

MOO ( My Own Opinion)

Didn't they search the landfill and come up with nothing?
I still think (or maybe just want to believe) that she gave him away and is terrified of the other people involved.

[TXHOPE]

Transcript last night regarding Gabriel from Nancy Grace:

Everybody, we want to take you right now to the great state of Arizona. When I`ve heard about the development in this case, I couldn`t believe it. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Did baby Gabriel`s mom Elizabeth Johnson allegedly confess to killing her baby?

KPHO reporting a source close to the investigation tells them that Johnson confessed during what`s being described as an unauthorized meeting between Johnson and a San Antonio police detective.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it`s a very real possibility that Elizabeth killed Gabriel.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Allegedly told her ex-boyfriend she killed the child.

LOGAN MCQUEARY, BABY GABRIEL`S FATHER: She put it in the text that I killed him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That she killed him?

MCQUEARY: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Now reports the alleged confession will never see the inside of a courtroom. Why?

MCQUEARY: Once you betray her trust or she thinks you did, she will not talk to you, won`t do anything for you, never -- you know, it`s just how she is.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: All right. Let us go straight out to Phoenix, Arizona, Mike Sakal. He is a reporter with the "East Valley Tribune."

Mike, the last thing I remember on this story was Elizabeth Johnson had said that she had given baby Gabriel away to another family, another couple in San Antonio, somebody she met at a park.

Well, now we have developments. Start out with a San Antonio detective, goes to Arizona and actually talks with her in a room and she confesses?

MIKE SAKAL, REPORTER, EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE: Correct. This interview happened in May when detective Jesus Salome flew into Arizona, got into the Maricopa County and straight to jail. And he apparently interviewed Elizabeth for a number of hours without her legal counsel present when she was reportedly on medication. And that is when they are saying --

CASAREZ: But Mike, that`s OK. If she waived her rights, she can talk. It`s free, it`s voluntary. But what`s the issue here?

SAKAL: The issue -- well, her former attorneys are claiming, contending that her Sixth Amendment rights were violated because her legal counsel was not present. And the detective in San Antonio contends, while this didn`t have anything to do with the case in Arizona, and now Elizabeth`s new attorney has been granted a motion by a Maricopa County judge for him.

A judge signed an out-of-state subpoena to try to get Detective Salome into Arizona to testify. However this could create a legal quagmire in the case because --

CASAREZ: Mike.

SAKAL: Sure.

CASAREZ: Mike, did she confess to killing baby Gabriel?

SAKAL: According to what other media reports understand and the McQueary family, they understand that Elizabeth has said that --

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCQUEARY: She`s very, very stubborn. Very secretive. She -- you know, it`s hard to get anything out of her. I`m just hoping, you know, she`ll have a change of mind and change of heart, and just tell somebody exactly what happened.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Breaking news. KPHO reporting that baby Gabriel`s mom Elizabeth Johnson allegedly confessed to a San Antonio police detective that she killed baby Gabriel.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: Elizabeth Johnson takes baby Gabriel from Arizona to San Antonio. She is in a San Antonio motel. She tells everybody she gives the baby to a couple she meets at a San Antonio park. She then goes on her way from San Antonio. Now she`s charged with kidnapping.

To Mike Sakal, reporter our of Phoenix, Arizona, tonight, the "East Valley Tribune." What I was asking you when we went to break, we know a San Antonio detective went to Arizona, he spoke with her for hours.

Did she confess to killing baby Gabriel?

SAKAL: Yes. According to media reports and KPHO, as well as the McQueary family, they understand that Elizabeth has said -- once again, for the second time that she has killed her son. The details of her confession have not been revealed. But we may learn more in January. If not sooner.

CASAREZ: All right. To Eleanor Odom. Felony prosecutor Eleanor Odom out of Atlanta, Georgia. This confession, prosecution is saying, they don`t think they can use it because that she may have been incompetent, that she was on medication, could not have voluntarily waived her rights.

Further more, the defense is saying that there was an inappropriate touching from the San Antonio detective. How can this confession be saved?

E. ODOM: I don`t know that it can be saved because she was not Mirandized most importantly. But here`s one way it might be saved. She also allegedly confessed to the baby`s father so they could use that confession.

CASAREZ: All right.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP.../09/ng.01.html

[iluvmua]

Originally Posted by pghbrandi

Didn't they search the landfill and come up with nothing?
I still think (or maybe just want to believe) that she gave him away and is terrified of the other people involved.

Remember, she drove to Victoria, she could have disposed of him out there.
nobody knows which dumpster she went to.

Why would she be terrified of other people involved? She's in Jail, they can't hurt her.

I think she did exactly what she told Logan she did.

Almost a year later and "Mystery Couple" have yet to be identified.

[iluvmua]

Originally Posted by c@rol

Such sad news. The way she carried on and led everyone on.. I had really hoped it was out there. As time went on, I think it became pretty clear he was no longer with us. Shame they can't use the info

They still have the text message she sent Logan. Hopefully, they can use that.

I bet once they charge her with First Degree Murder and the DP (Texas is one state you DO NOT mess around with when it comes to the DP).

I bet she'll really start talking. If they do charge her with 1st degree murder (and I very likely think this will happen). I can see her doing a plea deal.

[pghbrandi]

Originally Posted by iluvmua

Remember, she drove to Victoria, she could have disposed of him out there.
nobody knows which dumpster she went to.

Why would she be terrified of other people involved? She's in Jail, they can't hurt her.

I think she did exactly what she told Logan she did.

Almost a year later and "Mystery Couple" have yet to be identified.

I do remember.

I don't know why she would be terrified of others involved. I was just throwing out thoughts.

[danisisa]

I have thought and thought about this interview with the detective and what EJ knows about the laws. She okayed the interview and in my opinion, she knew that the Det could be violating her 6th Amendment Rights. SHe knows the system well and most likely she knew nothing in that interview could be used against her. Therefore, saying again that she killed G would make the public not look for him. She know the text she sent to Logan can be used against her. She is good at playing poker face and someone needs to beat her at her own game. JMHO Cause seriously, the evidence from TS shows EJ and she were talking after she sent LM the text. SHe would have 1 hr to dispose of kill, dispose of G without getting caught in a place that she is not familiar with. It just does not seem possible on because wherever G was handed off, it happened between 10am and 11am. Broad daylight? Don't think so.ive

Another thing that sticks out for hand off is the fact that the car seat was strewn into the car. That tells me she took the car seat out to give it to the couple, but they had brought their own. If someone brings their own, and similar size to the TS has, they were looking at keeping this child for awhile. WHO TOLD THEM WHAT SIZE TO GET??? I have a good idea!!