police 'forced innocent boy, 12, to confess

[Hilander]

A 12-year-old boy found guilty of murdering his 11-year-old sister said he was forced to confess to the murder after hours of 'terrifying' police interrogation - although he had nothing to do with it.
Police suspected Thomas Cogdell, now 18, had strangled his sister at their Camden, Arkansas home after his shock at her death stunned him into silence. Hours later, he admitted he was to blame. Read More Here

Sounds like they really put this kid through it. I would like to know what happened when that tape recorder was off and don't understand why they didn't take a closer look at the mother. Considering her medical history I would of suspected her, then there was the unknown male DNA, lots of questions here.

 

[Dekzper]

Melody Jones admitted to police she had repeatedly smacked her daughter the night before her death...

I won't say in a post what I think of prosecuting attorney Robin Carroll or the Ouachita county judge(??) or the detectives. I would need to invent a new dictionary.

Obviously the detectives like torturing kids and both Robin Carroll and the judge support that. Since the mother was the one physically abusing the girl before the murder... Oh, but that makes her innocent, right? And why take her on when they can torture a kid?

I'm glad Thomas Cogdell doesn't believe in American justice anymore. He never shoulda believed in it.

 

[EndWinterRomance]

I've heard of this happening a lot, especially to men, children and mentally handicapped. When a woman gets murdered they have been known to lead the woman's lover into a false confession because its easy to blame a lover for a passion killing. It is honestly pathetic and I think it should be illegal to interrogate a child without a child psychologist/advocate present.

 

[Leo2]

Every interview conducted by British Police is taped. This is as much to safeguard the Police officers from allegations of coercion, as it is to safeguard the interviewees. I am amazed this is not standard procedure in the US.

 

[Wade8813]

Since we don't know entirely what happened, it's hard to say how bad the police were. To a 12 year old boy, it probably doesn't take much for an interrogation to be terrifying - especially if they threaten the death penalty and he doesn't know he can't get it.

 

[Scott75]

I agree with Leo; every police interogation should be taped. Also, people should be asked if they want a lawyer before an interogation even begins in my view, unless time is so precious that it can't wait for one to arrive (such as when someone is kidnapped and the person who's being interogated may know where they are). But yes, definitely taped all the way through, not just when they're playing "good cop".

 

[EndWinterRomance]

I agree with Leo; every police interogation should be taped. Also, people should be asked if they want a lawyer before an interogation even begins in my view, unless time is so precious that it can't wait for one to arrive (such as when someone is kidnapped and the person who's being interogated may know where they are). But yes, definitely taped all the way through, not just when they're playing "good cop".

The boy was offered a lawyer but did not understand because it was done in legal terms. He did not know that he could wait to have one present. I don't know about you but when I was 12 I thought what a cop says goes and you need to answer every question they have, at that age they are a major authority. That's why I think it should be mandatory for children under the age of 16 or even 18 to have an advocate present before being asked a single question so that they understand that they do not need to answer every question and what is being asked of them.

 

[Random9]

i think that if your 12 years old a lawyer shouldn't be optional during an interrogation, especially if the one being interrogated is the prime suspect.