Is He Dead? Page 2

  After the judge was seated, the Clerk called the case.

  “Do you have money to hire an attorney?” The judge asked Melissa Jenkins.

  Melissa was shaking and answered the question with a simple,

  “No sir.”

  The judge ordered a public defender and declared her insolvent. Insolvent meant she was broke and could not afford to hire an attorney. After a short wait a public defender entered the court room. Her name was Maria Alvarez and she and I had a history. Up until that point she and I had been like two positive ends of a magnet, we just couldn’t come together. I investigated and arrested drug dealers and she defended them. Maria read over the arrest affidavit and the judge asked the prosecutor, Larry Vaughn, if he was prepared.

  “Yes Sir, Judge,” he answered.

  He explained the basics of the case, at least what he knew of at that time. Then he put me on the stand. First you have to go through the motions.

  “Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?” The clerk asked me.

  I responded, “I do.”

  After providing a brief explanation of the case, the judge ruled there was probable cause to detain Amanda for homicide. He then ordered her retained at the detention center. I stood up and asked the judge if I could again be heard. He permitted me to speak and I asked if he would release Amanda to her mother.

  “Detective, are you sure about that? This is a serious crime we are talking about here,” he said.

  “I know, Your Honor, but I don’t think this child would be a danger to anyone else at this point.”

  The judge asked the state attorney and public defender if they concurred with my recommendation. The state attorney did not agree, but the judge went along with me, so Amanda was released to her mother. The next day the press reported that the investigator assigned to the case made a request of the court to release the homicide suspect. The Chief of Police called me to his office and gave me a verbal thrashing.

  “What the heck were you thinking?” he asked me.

  “Chief, that child has already lived through enough horror. I don’t think she needs any more from us,” I replied.

  “You had better hope she behaves, Detective. From now on, keep your opinions to yourself,” the chief warned me sternly.

  Later on in the afternoon, we received a call from a lady by the name of Patricia Langly. She advised the dispatcher that Robert was in her home. A patrolman and a detective responded to her mobile home and transported Robert to the police station. When they brought him into my office he was obviously frightened to death, but was relieved to hear his stepfather was dead. Robert went through the same process as his sister. His mother sat with him while I advised him of his rights. Like his sister, he waived his rights and provided me with a sworn statement. It was like listening to a tape-recorded conversation of Amanda’s statement. One thing that struck me as highly unusual was Robert’s choice of words for the male and female genitalia. When he described certain acts perpetrated by his stepfather, he referred to the vagina as “cunt” and to the penis as “dick.” These were words I never thought a kid would use in the presence of his mother.

  Once the interview was completed, Robert was processed through the juvenile system, and then released to his mother.

  The next day the lieutenant decided I would remain as the primary investigator on the case. He assigned Detective John Singleton to assist me. The allegations of child abuse, incest and rape had to be thoroughly investigated. Most of the alleged abuse occurred in Tennessee. The Chief decided to send Detective Singleton to Tennessee to conduct an in-depth background investigation.

  Detective Singleton spent two weeks in Tennessee uncovering facts that would turn most people’s stomachs. His investigation made up two volumes, each one over four inches thick. We spent a month putting together this puzzle of horror, child abuse, incest, theft, fraud, rape, and eventually murder. This book is the result of numerous interviews, record searches, police reports, and statements made by friends, co-workers, babysitters, and family members. It took our team well over a month to assemble this puzzle spanning nearly ten years of these children’s lives. I was really split on how to tell this story. Some folks recommended I hire a ghostwriter, but I felt passionate about writing it in my own words. However, I am a cop, not a writer, so the story you are about to read is simple, plain and to the point.

  Four

  The story began in 1974, on a cool autumn morning in the hills of Tennessee. The beauty could only be appreciated if you were there to witness it for yourself. The trees were dancing in the wind and displayed the vibrant colors of autumn on almost every leaf. Almost everywhere in Tennessee is beautiful, but this place is alive with color and tradition, and a wedding was about to take place.

  Charles Thomas Jenkins and Melissa Jones were getting married. It was October of 1974. Amanda Jones was only eight years old and Robert Jones, her little brother was six.

  At the time, Melissa Jenkins was a little more than 5’ 2” tall and, soaking wet, she weighed maybe 100 lbs. She had a zest for life and embraced every day as she awakened to face it. She was pretty when she dressed up and even prettier when she put a little make up on. She was married once before for a short time. Her two children, Amanda and Robert, were from her first husband, Bill Jones.

  Tom was a burly fellow, a little under six feet tall and every bit of 185 pounds. He had brown hair parted on the right side and cut just above the bottom of his ears.

  Amanda was a tiny little thing. She had curly brown hair and big brown eyes. She loved to play with her dolls and playing house. She also enjoyed helping her mom with her little brother. If there was one person she loved more than anything else in the world, it was her little brother Robert. Some folks back then described Amanda and Robert as being two peas in a pod.

  Robert was two years younger than Amanda, not a big boy, kind of small for his size, but he was all boy. It was nothing for Robert to come in out of the yard covered with a fresh coat of top soil. Sometimes the only thing white on Robert was his eyes. They shared the same bedroom, one half with old Tonka trucks and little green army men, the other half with Barbie dolls and Barbie clothes spread out meticulously on the floor.

  Tom and Melissa bought a mobile home and had it parked in a trailer court. The court wasn’t very big and all the trailers were parked very close to each other. When the person in the trailer next to you sneezed, you would hear it.

  Five

  On November 19, 1974 Tom and Melissa Jenkins filed a petition for adoption at the County Court House. In the petition, Tom said he had grown to love both Amanda and Robert as his own children since his marriage to Melissa, which was only one month earlier.

  That night Tom and Melissa decided to celebrate the pending adoption.

  “Let’s go celebrate and have some drinks,” Tom said to Melissa.

  Tom got dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt with the shirt tail partially tucked in. He put on black pants with button-down pockets. It was obvious that dressing up was not something Tom did routinely. People like Tom buy a suit when they need one –whatever kind is popular at the time. The next time they need a suit may be ten years later. They just keep wearing the same suit, and never realize it is no longer in style.

  Melissa wore a white blouse with ruffles on the front with a pair of red stretch-slacks and a pair of white open-toed high heels. They left the house acting like two teenagers.

  “Bring us a couple of margaritas grande,” Tom said in his southern twang. “Make ’em real strong,” he added.

  After three drinks, Tom turned to Melissa and said, “Damn, I’m feeling good, let’s go for it tonight.”

  He reached under Melissa’s blouse and ran his index finger up and down her stomach. He stopped at her navel and began caressing it with slow in and out motions. Melissa was getting excited. Tom told her to follow him. He grabbed her hand and led her to the men’s room. When he got to the door he pulled Melissa in and said, “Come on.
”

  Melissa replied, “I can’t go in there.”

  “Come on, Baby,” Tom said.

  He pulled her into the restroom and they began to kiss passionately. Tom pulled down Melissa’s pants and sat her up on the counter. He lowered his pants and they began having sex in the men’s room. They were making quite a bit of noise, causing a teenage busboy to walk in and investigate.

  “Get the hell out of here!” Tom yelled.

  The kid turned and walked out without uttering a word. This sexual encounter lasted no more than a few minutes. When they were finished Melissa told Tom that she had to pee.

  Tom said, “Pee here,” pointing to a urinal. Melissa still hadn’t put her pants back on. She stood in front of a urinal and made a lame attempt to do what she was told. An older patron walked in and saw her standing there with no pants on, straddling the urinal. Tom looked at him and asked, “What the hell is your problem?”

  “Nothing buddy, I don’t want no trouble,” the elderly man said.

  The man walked up to the second urinal and stood there. Melissa finished peeing, mostly on the floor. Tom and Melissa put their pants back on and returned to their table. Tom ordered one more drink but Melissa had had all she could handle. She was getting anxious to go home and tugged on Tom’s arm. Tom looked over at her and asked, “What? I ain’t ready to go yet.”

  “We need to get home to the kids, Tom.” Melissa whispered.

  Tom turned to Melissa and, without any notice, drew back a closed fist and struck her right across the jaw, knocking her clean out of the chair she was sitting in. The chair broke apart when it hit the floor. Melissa fell back hitting her head against the wall. She started crying and screamed, ‘Why Tom? Why?” Realizing what he had done, Tom reached down and lifted her up.

  “Come on let’s go home,” he said.

  Six

  After returning from the bar, Tom gave Melissa a couple of painkillers and put her to bed. Robert and Amanda were both sleeping. Tom walked into their bedroom and stood over Amanda. Her body was covered exposing only her face. He pulled the sheets down and lifted her gown away from her chest. He stared at her tiny breast. She moved and he stepped back. He was touching her forehead while she slept. He backed up and started stroking himself. The movement and noise woke Amanda. As her eyes opened she felt Tom touching her. Tom saw she was awake and stepped back covering himself with his hand. Then he said to Amanda,

  “You better not ever say a word to anyone about this, or I will kill you and your little brother. Do you understand me?”

  He grabbed her by the neck and repeated in a whisper, “Do you hear me? It’s not so bad, baby,” he whispered, as he forced her to perform oral sex on him. “You’ll learn, baby.”

  Tears were running down her face as her body trembled in fear. When he was finished , he threatened Amanda as he walked out, “Don’t forget, Amanda, not a word, or you know what will happen. You know I will do it, don’t ya?”

  The next morning; Amanda was up early watching cartoons. Tom walked into the living room and said cheerfully, “Good morning,” but Amanda didn’t reply.

  Tom grabbed her by the face, looking directly into her eyes.

  “I said good morning, you got a problem?”

  Amanda pulled her face away and Tom took off his belt and struck Amanda across her back, leaving a nasty red welt. Amanda screamed out in pain. Tom struck her more than a dozen times after that. When he stopped swinging the belt, Amanda fell on to the floor. Her back and legs were numb and Tom walked away saying, “Don’t you ever jerk away from me”.

  “You just remember what I told you last night,” he said as he shut the door on his way out of the trailer.

  Amanda stayed on the floor crying. Robert walked in the room crying also after seeing what had just happened to his sister. He put his arms around Amanda and said, “It’s okay, Amanda.”

  Seven

  Tom had been working all day at the lumber yard and was covered in a blanket of pine sap. It wasn’t unusual for Tom and his co-workers to take Kerosene showers. It was the only thing that would cut all the pine tar from their hair and skin. He got out of his pickup truck with a beer in one hand and a gas can in the other.

  When he opened the trailer door, it slammed against the wall so hard that the doodad shelves Melissa had on the wall rattled violently. The door sprung back and hit his hand, knocking the bottle of Budweiser beer he was drinking on to the floor. Beer spewed everywhere.

  “Son of a bitch!" he yelled.

  “Damn it, that was my last beer!”

  “Hi honey!” Melissa said cheerfully and then the phone rang.

  Melissa picked it up. “Hi Momma,” she said, placing the phone to her ear.

  “Momma, you know that ain’t true. He loves these young’uns like they’re his own,” she said almost whispering.

  “What in the hell is she saying?” He said again, but much louder this time. “I asked what is she saying? Your mother makes me sick and she better stay the hell out of our business,” exclaimed Tom. Next time we go over there she bess just keep her mouth shut or I’ll shut it for her”, Tom yelled, as he sat down on the plastic covered sofa removing his boots.

  “She means well, Tom. Don’t be so hard on Momma, she just wants what’s bess for these kids,” Melissa said.

  Tom mumbled, “She ain’t got the sense God blessed a billygoat with,” he grunted, then stood up and walked towards the bathroom.

  “Damn it!” Tom yelled as he stepped on one of Robert’s Tonka toys.

  ”Robert, I’ve told you a thousand times to put your damn toys away! Why in the hell don’t you do what you’re told?” Tom screamed.

  “Come here, son!” Tom called, as he removed his belt.

  “Come here, damn it!”

  “Bend over!” he yelled.

  Tom swung the belt as if he was hitting an adult. The belt hit with such velocity that it crackled like thunder when it struck Robert’s behind. Robert jumped and bounced around trying to break free from Tom.

  “It’s going to be worse if you run away from me, Robert!” Tom screamed.

  Tom swung again, this time hitting Robert on his back. Robert was crying hysterically, trying desperately to break the hold Tom had on his arm.

  “Pull away from me, will ya?” Tom screamed, as he struck Robert again and again.

  “Now, what did I tell you to do, Robert?” Tom asked.

  Robert was crying and gasping for breath, unable to respond to Tom fast enough.

  “That’s too damn slow” Tom screamed.

  He hit him again, this time just below his neck. Robert was barely conscious when Tom stopped swinging.

  “Stop it Tom, damn it, stop it!” screamed Melissa. “You are going to kill him!”

  Tom grabbed Melissa by her hair and said, “I know what the hell I am doing. Your son don’t never listen and I’m teaching him a lesson,” Tom whispered in Melissa’s ear. “You don’t whoop these kids, so I have to do it for you.”

  Amanda ran into the living room and bent down over Robert. “Get off that boy, Amanda!” Tom yelled.

  “Get off of him!” He repeated.

  Amanda was crying as she covered Robert’s limp little body. Tom grabbed Amanda by the shoulder and said, “I told you to get up!” He slapped her on the back of her head, knocking her on to the floor.

  Amanda jumped up and ran to her room. Later that evening, Tom picked up Robert and carried him into the bedroom. As he was placing Robert in the bed, he woke up.

  “Hey sport, you know you were wrong, don’t you son? I don’t like having to whip you, boy. Hell, it hurts me worse than it does you. When I tell you to put away your toys, I mean put them away,” Tom whispered to Robert, as he tucked the sheets over his chest.

  “Yes, sir,” Robert replied, whimpering from the lingering pain of his beating.

  Eight

  The next day, Tom dropped the kids off at the babysitter on his way to work. Maria Walker had been the kids’ sitter
for a few months.

  “All right, Maria,” he said to the babysitter, as he left. And to the kids, he yelled, “I’ll see you guys this afternoon after work.”

  Robert and Amanda were sitting at the kitchen table in Maria’s house having a snack.

  “Robert, be careful with that milk, son,” Maria said.

  Before the words could leave her mouth, Robert spilled the entire glass on his shirt and pants. Maria stood up and walked over to Robert to clean him up. When she reached towards him he pulled away.

  “What’s the matter, son?” She asked.

  “I am not going to hit you. It was just an accident. We’ll get you all cleaned up. We’ll just wash those clothes and you can take a bath,” she said, as she lifted him from the chair.

  Robert winced in pain when she touched him.

  “What’s wrong, son?” She asked.

  “Nothing,” Robert replied.

  “Let me get these clothes off you then,” she said to Robert.

  “No, I don’t want to take a bath,” cried Robert.

  She lifted up his shirt,

  “Oh my God!” She thought to herself.

  Robert had welts and red stripes all over his back, neck, and shoulders.

  “This is terrible,” she said.

  “You can’t say nothing, Mrs. Walker! He’ll whip me again!” Robert said. “I don’t want another whipping okay?” Robert begged.

  “Come here Amanda, let me see your back,” Maria said.

  When she uncovered Amanda’s back she saw old stripes and scars on her back as well. The first thing she thought about was the movie Roots, when the black slaves were beaten by the slave owners leaving similar marks on their skin.

  Maria picked up the phone and dialed Melissa’s mother at work.

  “Ruth,” she said, “I need you to come over here and take a look at these kids. They both look like they’ve been beaten half to death!”