Trail of Terror, page 56
“I plead not guilty, judge,” the killer said.
“So, it is noted for the court record. And exactly why are you pleading not guilty of the charges — what’s your reasoning?” the judge inquired.
Bailey thought for long moment, then answered confidently, “You’re making a big deal out of nothing. I see myself more as a victim here rather than a perpetrator.”
The judge interrupted, raising his eyebrows, “So you admit to the murders?”
“Not exactly, your honor,” he said.
“What does that mean — not exactly? You have given not one, but two recorded confessions to the murders in your jail cell. In both statements you admitted to the crimes,” the judge reminded him.
The killer started to ramble a mile a minute in a conspiratorial tone, his eyes shifting continuously, “Satan ordered me to murder all those women. He speaks to me in my dreams. I made many sacrifices to him. I tried to turn to God, but it didn’t bring me anything — just more misery. So, I prayed to Satan, and things improved,” he said nodding his head. “I’m a minion of Satan sent to Earth to carry out atrocities for the devil.”
“So, you do admit to murdering the women?” the judge repeated.
“See, you have to look at it this-a-way,” Bailey groaned. “What you’re calling murder is more like a hobby to me — like playing cards or dominoes. What I did was not such a big deal, especially with all these surplus women nowadays. Anyway, I had a good time.”
“What!” the judge hollered.
“You shouldn’t charge me with anything more serious than jaywalking or fishing without a license. They were all just a bunch of worthless prostitutes and lesbians.”
The judge asked the killer if he thought what he did was wrong.
Bailey answered, “What I did, according to the law of the country, yes sir, it was wrong. But I don’t go by the laws of men. I go by the laws of Satan and what he tells me to do…I only feel bad because I mistreated a few animals in my life. Shoot, Judge — murder isn’t that bad, we all die eventually…what’s the big deal with a few women dying early?”
“Is there anything else you wish to say to the court before we conclude this hearing?” the judge asked him.
“Yes. Release me — I don’t belong in jail,” the serial killer moaned.
“No, you are not being released and you are denied bail,” the judge pronounced.
“Why?” whined the killer.
The judge said, “Because you pose a flight risk and the crimes for which you are being charged are so violent in nature, this court remands you to custody, meaning you go straight to jail. The court also orders that a mental evaluation be completed to assess your ability to withstand a trial.”
“That’s crazy,” screamed Bailey at the top of his lungs, as he stood up in a threatening stance. “I don’t deserve this! You should be thanking me, I only wanted to remove prostitutes from society to make the world a better place…you people don’t understand!”
It took four burly U.S. Marshals to force the killer back down onto his seat.
“You have no choice in the matter Mr. Bailey, by your responses you are in effect claiming incompetence and it means you may not understand the nature of the legal proceedings against you. The mental evaluation will determine how your case proceeds and if you are mentally competent even to represent yourself in trial.”
“I’m not nuts!” he screamed. “Why can’t you all appreciate how much effort I put into getting rid of these disgusting women and what a benefit to society it was? Where’s my moment of congratulation? I deserve a pat on the back for a job well done! All in all.”
“This preliminary hearing is concluded,” the judge announced, slamming his gavel with a loud thwack! “Guards, please escort Mr. Bailey from this courtroom.”
“He’s insane alright with a few intervals of horrible sanity,” Joe observed as the serial killer was being forcibly led from the courtroom.
“Yeah, I suspect eventually he’ll cop an insanity plea,” West answered leaning back in his seat. “I’d say he’d have to be crazy not to use it.”
“What do you think will really happen to him?” Joe wondered. “He’s definitely rowing with one oar out of the water…he’s as we say on the reservation, ‘peach orchard crazy’.”
“He’s still eligible for the death penalty in North Carolina in resentencing proceedings if he’s ever convicted in federal court for capital murder. Problem is, North Carolina has the fifth largest death row in the nation, and most of them were tried more than twenty years ago. Based on my experience in the FBI dealing with animals like this, eventually the judge or a jury will find him not guilty by reason of insanity, resulting in institutionalization in a mental health facility — probably for the rest of his life. In cases of serious repeat felonies like this, courts and judges usually find that the criminal history indicates that the person is inherently dangerous, and therefore must stay hospitalized.”
“I doubt where he’s going, he’ll end up receiving $800-an-hour therapy, he’s going to be lucky to get the 50-cent pill,” Joe joked. “He’s already dead inside.”
“You got that right,” West affirmed. “Most likely, since he’s daffy as a loon he’ll end up in the Federal Medical Center, located near Raleigh. It is part of the Butner Federal Correctional Complex and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons — under the U.S. Department of Justice.”
“Isn’t that the same place where they keep John Hinckley Jr and Bernie Madoff?” Joe asked.
“Yep, it’s either there or he’ll end up on death row…both are human rat traps,” West said. “The FMC is a one-way ticket to la-la land, impossible to get out unless he gets a presidential pardon and I don’t see that happening. Been there once to visit, most of the men seemed to wander in circles and only a few had teeth due to the psych meds. It’s really bad there, most of them were drooling out of their mouths, after undergoing electroshock therapy they end up looking like zombies.”
“No kidding?” Joe replied.
“No shit, he’ll be put in the ultra-maximum-security section where the most dangerous prisoners are held,” the special agent explained. “He’ll be locked down 23 hours a day. Whenever he leaves the cell, he’ll have his feet shackled, his wrists handcuffed and a chain around his waist.”
“Huh,” Joe shrugged. “I guess once Bailey becomes dependent on his meds and takes them for the rest of his life, they’ll have the biggest part of the monster killed.”
“It’s another aspect of our modern justice system,” West agreed. “Inmates sent to the facility are stripped of all their possessions - and they earn the stuff back as they show themselves to be cooperative. However, his mind — what is left of it — will be washed away in an ocean of powerful psychotherapeutic drugs. It’s the end of the road for him. He’ll be evaluated by doctors on both sides of the fence for years. He’ll end up dying of old age there with the mental capacity of a portobello mushroom.”
“Sad,” Joe commented.
“What is?” West asked curiously.
As he stood up to leave, Joe said, “When I was up in Davy, West Virginia interviewing Bailey’s uncle, “What he said.”
“What did he say?”
“He told me that Bailey was cheated out of his childhood when he was a boy…he was beaten, neglected and never had a friend in the world.”
“Life can be unfair my friend and that’s a fact…especially for those who make the wrong decisions,” Special Agent West acknowledged.
+++
The following year, the President of the United States presented Joe Bird, Martin West, Archie Wahnetah, Rodney WalkingStick with Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor awards in the White House Rose Garden. They were nominated for the awards by the Attorney General of the United States. The medals intentionally resembled the military’s Medal of Honor: a gilt, blue-enameled, five-pointed, upside-down star, with each arm formed by a letter “V” (for Valor), surrounded by a wreath of laurel. The central disc bore the obverse of the Great Seal of the United States. The reverse side bore the legend “FOR EXTRAORDINARY VALOR ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY”, with the name of each recipient engraved at the center.
“These awards are due to their dedication, painstaking work capturing a sadistic and dangerous serial killer. The recipients did what many believe was impossible by finding and capturing the most prolific serial killer in the history of the United States,” the President stated.
Rachel was at the ceremony along with both sets of proud parents, when the highest honor the president could bestow on a law enforcement officer was presented to her new husband.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John West is a pseudonym for the real author who served over thirty years in the federal government, which included four years in the military as a Russian translator for the Department of Defense and National Security Agency. He also spent several years holding various state and local positions in the areas of Public Health and Emergency Preparedness. TRAIL OF TERROR is his sixth novel. The real author lives in the Southwest region of the U.S.
John West, Trail of Terror
