This is the email I sent to Ben Niolet, Melanie Sill and Joe Neff of the NandO this past saturday.
"Liestoppers Blogspot is reporting this morning (9/23) that at yesterdays hearing, it was revealed that the Durham Police Department destroyed evidence. Tapes of radio transmissions on the night of the alleged crime have been erased, according to Liestopper's reporter who was at the hearing.
What do you all know about this? How could it happen?"
Walter Abbott
Ruston, LA
As of noon central time today, Monday, 9/25, I had recieved no response to the inquiry. So I phoned Ben Niolet (his number is at the end of his alleged news stories) and asked about DPD's destruction of evidence (audio tapes of police radio transmissions pertinent to the alleged crime) brought to light in Friday's hearing.
His response was, "I wouldn't phrase it that way." I made sure he understood that there was a motion outstanding to preserve that evidence, and that the DPD erased said tapes and while that motion was still outstanding. Niolet acknowledged he knew those facts.
I told him a lot of people who followed the case closely indeed DID consider it evidence destruction and that Liestoppers had a correspondent at the hearing. To which he opined that hearing are public and anyone can go and that news judgements are always made as to what is newsworthy.
Once again we find that we CANNOT depend upon the DriveBy Media to report what is happening in Durham. We must do it ourselves...
http://www.lewrockwell.com/anderson/anderson142.html
Nifonging the Standards of Justice, Part II
"I made sure he understood that there was a motion outstanding to preserve that evidence, and that the DPD erased said tapes and while that motion was still outstanding."
Which means that Nifong should be held in contempt of court for destroying evidence (at the very, very least).
From the Chronicle article you referenced earlier upthread:
Other requested materials, including the original 911 tapes from the night of the alleged rape could not be provided, Nifong said. "The representation is that the tapes didn't exist or have been taped over," Nifong said.
Which is it? Did the tapes not exist or were they taped over?
This is so typical. No one will call Nifong on anything. No judge, no public official, no reporter, no one. Nifong knows this and obviously this is why he feels he can get away with anything he wants.
I keep waiting for one person to call Nifong out but no one ever does. And people wonder why this case is still going on........