The Fox Hills Resort Session With Brendan Dassey
The Fox Hills Resort Session
There was a third session involving investigators and Brendan Dassey on 27 February, 2006. This took place at the Fox Hills Resort in Mishicot, Wisconsin.
This along with the two prior interrogations received scant documentation by the investigators. In the sworn criminal complaint filed against Brendan Dassey by Special Agent Tom Fassbender, the three sessions were characterized by this statement:
“On February, 27, 2006 Investigator Mark Wiegert of the Calumet County Sheriff’s Department interviewed Brendan R. Dassey, DOB: 10/19/1989, who stated that on October 31, 2005, at approximately 3:45 p.m., he got of the school bus and went to his residence which is located next door to Steven Avery’s residence at 12932 Avery Road. Dassey stated that he saw Teresa Halbach’s vehicle.”
Fassbender did not even acknowledge his role in the interrogations or the information obtained. This sin of omission is unethical at the least. Fassbender was present and active at all three of the sessions. What was the intent of hiding these three sessions?
During the Mishicot High School interrogation, Fassbender and Calumet County Investigator Mark Wiegert had broached the idea that Dassey feared Steven Avery. Toward the end of the Two Rivers Police Department interrogations, Dassey indicated if Avery were released from jail, Avery would kill Dassey after questions to that effect. But, Dassey also said that Avery’s release was unlikely.
Fassbender and Wiegert claimed they feared the Avery family would retaliate against Dassey for his statements incriminating Steven. They placed Brendan, his brother Blaine, and his mother Barb Janda in the Fox Hills Resort for the night.
Yet, the Avery family would have no knowledge of Dassey’s confessions. And, the three returned home then next morning with no concern from the investigators. Why the need for protective custody that lasted only one night and was used before there was any need for it. They did not counsel the three on potential dangers or offer them further protection. The danger had evaporated overnight.
Calumet County deputies were posted at the resort, and it was their duty to continue the interrogation and report information to the lead investigators. These interrogations were not recorded. Nor, were continued grillings by Tom Fassbender. Wiegert and Fassbender claimed their tape recorder was broken. This is despite training from the Reid Institute.
Apparently, Barb Janda mentioned that Brendan had bleach marks on his jeans the night of October 31, 2005, and the spots were a result of him and Avery cleaning Avery’s garage floor. Tom Fassbender testified on 16 April, 2007 that he went to the Fox Hills Resort at 10:30 P.M. when he heard about this, calling the session a witness interview. But, he was willing to wait until 1 March, 2006 to obtain the jeans.
From the criminal complaint: “On February 27, 2006, your complainant spoke with Barb Janda. Barb Janda stated on October 31, 2006, when Brendan Dassey returned from Steven Avery’s residence, Dassey had bleach stains on his jeans. Barb Janda Asked Dassey what happened to his jeans, and he told her his jeans were bleached while he was helping Steven Avery clean his garage floor with bleach. On Mar 1, 2006 Investigator Wiegert recovered the jeans worn by Dassey on October 31, 2005. Wiegert noted the jeans contained bleach spots and other stains.”
That night, Fassbender also confronted Brendan Dassey about a red stain on the Avery garage floor, likely from a spill of red antifreeze. After leading questioning, Dassey said it might be blood then said it was blood. The spot tested negative for blood. (But, the prosecution continued to claim it was blood during Dassey’s trial.)
When Dassey’s second defense attorney, Len Kachinsky, attempted to suppress Dassey’s 1 March, 2006, confession, he mentioned the stay at Fox Hills. He did not mention the further interrogation nor the results. For that matter, Kachinsky glossed over the first two interrogations rather than point out the multitude of information provided by Fassbender and Wiegert as well as the need for continual prompting to get Dassey to repeat their planted information
The deputies who took part in this event are potentially at risk. There is always the possibility for the manipulations and misstatements of the lead investigators will be exposed.
This session, whether a witness interview, or an interrogation is troubling. Particularly because Fassbender minimized almost out of existence and both investigators mis‑characterized the purpose and the basis for the overnight custody.
These so‑called witness interviews were not over. The prosecution team had even bigger plans for Brendan Dassey.
by Brian McCorkle
in category Brendan Dassey
