I plan to watch the new Netflix series "Get Gotti" tonight. That guy was a gift to writers who love alliteration, wasn’t he?
Anyway, you know that no matter how the FBI and the NYPD might crow about Gotti’s takedown, it was a rat, Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, who sealed their case against the Teflon Don.
Cellmates who spill the beans figure prominently in several of my Shocking True Crime Stories, including “The Murder of Kelsey Berreth.” In this tale, a jailhouse informant not only tells prosecutors about his new prison BFF’s successful plot to kill Kelsey but also rats out the murderer’s plan to systematically execute all the prosecution witnesses.
Is there no honor among thieves or killers? According to a May 31, 2019, blog post from the law firm Werkman, Jackson & Quinn, LLP, the simple answer is “no.”
And, even though the prosecution loves to turn a rat, Werkman, Jackson & Quinn said jailhouse informants are incredibly unreliable because:
Being incarcerated, they are surrounded by vulnerable targets already suspected of criminal conduct.
As they are under the control of jail officials, these informants are willing to exchange information for a variety of benefits, such as food, cigarettes, telephone access, visiting privileges, and cell assignments.
While they are in jail, informants may acquire skills in gathering and fabricating information, colluding with other prisoners, recruiting others on the outside to do research, and even stealing another prisoner’s legal papers.
Even when no promises have been expressly made, the experience of being in jail teaches prisoners that the government will confer benefits in in exchange for information, incentivizing them to extract information and fabricate confessions for leniency.
Seasoned snitches know that their testimony is more valuable to the government if they can state that they have not been promised a benefit. They invent reasons for their cooperation (such as being disgusted by the defendant’s crimes) and learn the value of going after targets without express direction from the government.
So it will be up to your lawyer to show the jury why this guy’s lying on the stand about you.
The worst-case scenario is that maybe he isn’t full of sh*t, and you will have to do the time for your crime.
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Cops and criminals might love to stretch the truth, and the truth is, so do I. But of course, in a purely legal way.
After spending most of my adult life as a radio and print reporter and now writing books, I’ve shifted from an emphasis on politics and business to the world of true crime.
But, good heavens, sometimes I get sick and tired of clouding the issue with facts. You know what I mean.
Sometimes, I need to break free and write something unrelated to reality, a story that is just fun to read.
I have done that with “Stolen Desires-Shattered Trust: A Tale of Crime and Redemption.”
Prepare to be captivated by the gripping and intense world of Stolen Desires: Shattered Trust. This pulse-pounding crime thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat from the very first page.
Jack, a complex and enigmatic figure with a shadowy past, becomes an unlikely savior when he rescues Lily, a young and desperate woman, from the streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
However, their journey takes an unexpected turn as Jack, an ex-cop, leads Lily into the dark, dangerous underworld of crime.
Set against the backdrop of a city in turmoil, where secrets lurk in every alleyway, Stolen Desires: Shattered Trust is a tale of crime and deception that will challenge your perception of trust and loyalty.
And guess what? In this story, someone goes rogue and rats. Read the book to find out who and why.
I hope you enjoy this story.
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Those free stories might or might not become full-blown books someday. Depends on whether you like them or not.
Stay in touch, and whatever else you do, keep reading!
Rod