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Pastimes : Murder Mystery: Who Killed Yale Student Suzanne Jovin? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jeffrey S. Mitchell who wrote (1031)	10/1/2003 9:35:47 PM
From: Jeffrey S. Mitchell	Respond to of 1397

Re: 10/1/03 - [Cusick] NH Register: Ex-cop admits he lied in probe of slaying New Haven Ex-cop admits he lied in probe of slaying Michelle Tuccitto , Register Staff 10/01/2003 NEW HAVEN — Former city police Sgt. Edward Kendall told a jury Tuesday he initially lied to investigators when he claimed he never heard former Capt. Brian Sullivan tell detectives to stop the investigation into the murder of Philip Cusick. Kendall was a witness Tuesday in the Superior Court trial of Sullivan, who faces charges of hindering a prosecution and tampering with evidence. Under questioning by prosecutor John Blawie, Kendall admitted lying to the state’s attorney’s office and officers conducting an internal affairs review of the handling of the Cusick homicide investigation. "A lot of the statements I gave were not true, because I was trying to cover for the captain," Kendall said. Kendall testified Tuesday he remembered Sullivan telling detectives Stephen Coppola and Edwin Rodriguez to stop the investigation "per order of the chief." Cusick was fatally shot in 1996 in New Haven as an acquaintance, William Clark, tried to buy drugs. Clark left Cusick’s body outside Cusick’s North Haven home. In early 1998, Coppola and Rodriguez took a statement from witness Reynaldo Martinez, who pointed to Jose Rivera as the gunman. The detectives informed their superiors about the statement at a meeting shortly afterward. Kendall said Sullivan left the meeting to speak with the chief and returned within minutes, then issued the order to stop investigating. Melvin Wearing, who was chief at the time, has denied telling Sullivan to do so. Sullivan appeared upset about the alleged decision regarding the investigation, Kendall testified. He said Sullivan wanted to forward the tape (of Martinez) and his transcribed statement to North Haven investigators. Sullivan told Kendall to get both and "hold on to them," until Sullivan got back to him. He never did, however, and the items stayed in Kendall’s desk for two years. Kendall told jurors he didn’t think about the evidence again until he learned the state’s attorney was looking for it in 2000. "I lost track of it, and never thought about it," Kendall said. "I was dismayed. We had really dropped the ball on this." When Kendall searched for the evidence in 2000, he found the transcribed statement, but not the original tape recording, which is still missing. When a large search began, Kendall didn’t mention that he had had of them. "I thought I’d find it (the tape). I thought I had signed it out, the lieutenant’s exam was coming up, and I was embarrassed," Kendall said. Kendall initially told investigators he was at fault for what happened, though he told jurors Tuesday he wasn’t to blame. "I was trying to cover (for Sullivan), and I felt bad I did not pick up on it over a two-year period," Kendall said. Under questioning by defense attorney Hugh F. Keefe of New Haven, Kendall said he thought it was possible Sullivan assumed he had forwarded everything to North Haven police. Kendall acknowledged also lying to State’s Attorney Michael Dearington’s office when he claimed he had given a copy of the Martinez statement to North Haven investigators. Kendall said losing evidence in a homicide case would have interfered with a promotion and he’d been hoping to become a lieutenant. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michelle Tuccitto can be reached at mtuccitto@nhregister.com or at 789-5615. ©New Haven Register 2003 zwire.com