Joseph Vrooman Jail Calls
Chronology of Jail Calls, Testimony, Letters
11/13/09
Mr Keefe told you that he thought he had enough evidence to convict you of capital murder, correct? Life without parole and maybe even the death penalty, right? Vrooman: I believe I knew that, yes. (Jesse Brooks trial p 2613)
11/30/06
“I think what I’m trying to say is that. My words that I say if it incriminates me, not in the murder but being there, having knowledge or anything like that. And then if, as I’m saying, does it hurt my chances of making a deal” 24179
11/30/06
“Robin spoke good of me and they came down to give me a chance.” Unrecorded conversation in Tennessee 24211
Sgt. Scott Gilbert
“I think I said to him that Robin - Robin was the one that said to give you a second chance”
(Sgt. Scott Gilbert 6/27/08 Deposition p.79)
“Don’t say anything, don’t say anything right now, you need to think about what you’re going to say, you’ve got some decisions to make, you know” (7/7/08 pg 304, lines 17-23, pg 305, 1-8)
Note: Unrecorded instructions to Vrooman from NH State Police Officer Scott Gilbert on ride to Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Estabrook & Gilbert left Vrooman in Tennessee jail for (10) days to think about it.
Vrooman also stated that he had learned that Knight declined an attorney. (June 2, 2008 29393) Note: Unrecorded conversation with Vrooman in Tennessee
Joe changed his mind about an attorney while in Tennessee and told Sue & Sarge forget it. (June 2, 2008 29401)
“We don’t want you, we want John Brooks.”
(JV 11/30/06, MB Jesse Brooks trial p. 2600)
Note: Unrecorded comment made to both Vrooman and Benton by Sgt. Robert Estabrook
09/09/07 Joseph Vrooman’s Letter to Sue and Roger Sargent
If good time doesn’t pass I can ask for a sentence reduction after completion of 75% of sentence so 17.5 minus 5.8 is 11.7 years same as if good time passes. My lawyer will work on that for me if it comes to that, he thinks I would have a good chance because I have no previous criminal record, so if I do 17.5 I’ll be 68 when I get out if I do 11.8 I’ll about 62 I know it’s a long time but I’ll still get me a 20 year old girl when I get out and make up for lost time. They can’t give me a great deal and ask for the death penalty for Brooks.
I’ve been in every meeting with my lawyer and the attorney general to negotiate a deal there has been four meetings and the shortest one was 5-1/2 hours. A high price lawyer can do no better. I wish I could tell you everything then you would know this is a good deal for me. When it’s over I’ll be able to tell you everything. (30904)
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03/24/08 Joseph Vrooman RECORDED Proffer Interview.
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A.If they offered you a three and a half to seven, would you take it?” And I said “Is that possible?” He said, “Well, it’s possible.” I believe my response to him was if they offered me three - I said, I’d take - I believe a ten to fifteen, not knowing how everything is cut in half, it would have been ten to twenty, but I said, “I’d take - I’d take the ten to fifteen if they offered it, (pgs. 11-18)
Note: NH State Police Sgt. Scott Gilbert makes offer while Vrooman was being extradited during airport layover. (Unrecorded and Undocumented)
Jay Brooks Trial
A. “I was told that right from the first interview I had and Charles Keefe said that this is a potential capital murder case and he said, I have enough to convict you on capital murder.”
Q. Oh, he did? Right from the get-go, told you he had enough to get you on capital murder, right?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Not what you’re sitting here with today, right? There’s no capital murder charge against you, correct?
A: Just conspiracy to commit. (p. 3353, 3354)
Jay Brooks Trial
A: “There was - I had asked him (Gilbert), I said, if I cooperate, what is it,
you know, what kind of deal do you think I could get?” (3376)
Jay Brooks Trial
Q: “Yeah. You’re already calculating what the numbers are going to be, where you’re going to do your time, if you tell them something of value, right?”
A: If I cooperate.
Q: Yeah, no, you knew somebody was already cooperating, you needed to come up with something special, right?
A: I didn’t know somebody else was cooperating.
Q: Oh, but they said Robin Knight said nice things about you, right? You told us that already, correct?”
A: Robin? Yes, he did. (3377)