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Authors: M. William Phelps
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ask—because I kissed you?”
Maria continued to refuse Jeff’s advances. He finally got the message and asked if he should leave.
She said yes.
Jeff thought about it for a moment. Then he stood and approached Maria.
She was frightened as Jeff walked toward her, and later explained what happened next this way: “We then stood up from the couch and he held me close—at which point I smelled mechanical oil. Not overwhelming, but enough to notice the odor.”
Oil. Donna had been certain about an oily smell.
“You can keep a secret, can’t you?” Jeff asked in a decisive, almost coyly threatening manner. “This is between you and me, right?”
Maria nodded.
They walked to the door.
“Would it be okay if I stopped by every once in a while to check on you?”
“That’s not a good idea, Jeff.”
Jeff looked at Maria. “I need to know that you won’t kiss and tell.”
Maria finally got Jeff out of the apartment and closed the door behind him. Then she called Donna and explained what had just happened.
“Do you hear what you’re saying, Maria?” Donna said right away, immediately considering Jeff a prime suspect. It all seemed to fit: the gun, Jeff’s sexual aggressiveness, the smell of oil, the comment about the burglary, and one very important factor that Donna considered as Maria continued her account of Jeff’s visit: the newspaper article Jeff had referred to before Donna’s attack. Perhaps Jeff had seen the article and become infatuated with her. Donna felt certain that the article had given Jeff the idea to break in and rape Donna. Somehow Jeff must have found out when John was going away and planned the entire assault.
* Jeff Martinez is a pseudonym.
CHAPTER SIX
Remain Silent
Donna and Maria decided to relay the information about Jeff Martinez to Lieutenant Moran and the WPD. This was explosive. Donna and Maria believed with little doubt that Jeff was—if nothing else—a prime suspect, someone who needed to be checked out. Donna did not want to tell John or her father about Jeff. Not right now. “They knew who he was and would have gone right after him,” she explained later. Still, Jeff needed to be investigated. Did he have an alibi for that night? Could he be forced to give up a sample of his DNA? So many questions ran through Donna’s mind that she began to experience major bouts of anxiety.
By now, after doing a bit of research, Donna had learned that 80 percent of rape victims are assaulted by somebody they know. She had also learned that many rape victims fear not being believed, or think they’ll be blamed for the assault, and that because of these concerns, a large percentage of rapes are never reported. Donna, however, was not going to fall into a hole and go away. She was determined to see this through.
Donna again experienced that sense of something going on behind the scenes. When she called the WPD on October 14, 1993, and asked for Lieutenant Moran, the dispatcher on the other end of the line asked who was calling. Donna gave her name and explained who she was. Then she waited for a period of time (“longer than necessary”) before Moran came on the line. It seemed odd to Donna. Then again, was she being overly paranoid? It was a constant balancing act for Donna: Were her anxieties about the WPD a consequence of the rape? Or were they legitimate worries? She didn’t know. She had nothing to gauge her feelings against.
Donna’s instincts were spot on, as she would only later find out. Moran had taken the extra time to get to the phone so he could set up to record the conversation.
“Lieutenant Moran, it’s Donna Palomba.” Donna and Maria were certain the WPD would be ecstatic to have this new information about Jeff Martinez. “I have something I need to talk to you about that happened to my sister . . . she’ll be here too . . . I was hoping you could come down to my office today.” Donna was certain Moran picked up on the urgency in her
Maria continued to refuse Jeff’s advances. He finally got the message and asked if he should leave.
She said yes.
Jeff thought about it for a moment. Then he stood and approached Maria.
She was frightened as Jeff walked toward her, and later explained what happened next this way: “We then stood up from the couch and he held me close—at which point I smelled mechanical oil. Not overwhelming, but enough to notice the odor.”
Oil. Donna had been certain about an oily smell.
“You can keep a secret, can’t you?” Jeff asked in a decisive, almost coyly threatening manner. “This is between you and me, right?”
Maria nodded.
They walked to the door.
“Would it be okay if I stopped by every once in a while to check on you?”
“That’s not a good idea, Jeff.”
Jeff looked at Maria. “I need to know that you won’t kiss and tell.”
Maria finally got Jeff out of the apartment and closed the door behind him. Then she called Donna and explained what had just happened.
“Do you hear what you’re saying, Maria?” Donna said right away, immediately considering Jeff a prime suspect. It all seemed to fit: the gun, Jeff’s sexual aggressiveness, the smell of oil, the comment about the burglary, and one very important factor that Donna considered as Maria continued her account of Jeff’s visit: the newspaper article Jeff had referred to before Donna’s attack. Perhaps Jeff had seen the article and become infatuated with her. Donna felt certain that the article had given Jeff the idea to break in and rape Donna. Somehow Jeff must have found out when John was going away and planned the entire assault.
* Jeff Martinez is a pseudonym.
CHAPTER SIX
Remain Silent
Donna and Maria decided to relay the information about Jeff Martinez to Lieutenant Moran and the WPD. This was explosive. Donna and Maria believed with little doubt that Jeff was—if nothing else—a prime suspect, someone who needed to be checked out. Donna did not want to tell John or her father about Jeff. Not right now. “They knew who he was and would have gone right after him,” she explained later. Still, Jeff needed to be investigated. Did he have an alibi for that night? Could he be forced to give up a sample of his DNA? So many questions ran through Donna’s mind that she began to experience major bouts of anxiety.
By now, after doing a bit of research, Donna had learned that 80 percent of rape victims are assaulted by somebody they know. She had also learned that many rape victims fear not being believed, or think they’ll be blamed for the assault, and that because of these concerns, a large percentage of rapes are never reported. Donna, however, was not going to fall into a hole and go away. She was determined to see this through.
Donna again experienced that sense of something going on behind the scenes. When she called the WPD on October 14, 1993, and asked for Lieutenant Moran, the dispatcher on the other end of the line asked who was calling. Donna gave her name and explained who she was. Then she waited for a period of time (“longer than necessary”) before Moran came on the line. It seemed odd to Donna. Then again, was she being overly paranoid? It was a constant balancing act for Donna: Were her anxieties about the WPD a consequence of the rape? Or were they legitimate worries? She didn’t know. She had nothing to gauge her feelings against.
Donna’s instincts were spot on, as she would only later find out. Moran had taken the extra time to get to the phone so he could set up to record the conversation.
“Lieutenant Moran, it’s Donna Palomba.” Donna and Maria were certain the WPD would be ecstatic to have this new information about Jeff Martinez. “I have something I need to talk to you about that happened to my sister . . . she’ll be here too . . . I was hoping you could come down to my office today.” Donna was certain Moran picked up on the urgency in her
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