Death Before Dishonor

Renee

[20 minutes later at the Police Station in the booking area. The DBD clique are
Getting their mug shots taken and getting fingerprinted]
[15 minutes later in Interrogation Room 1. Renee is sitting in a chair at a table when
Det. Jenson walks in with a folder in his hand.]
Det. Jenson: [places the folder in the table] Renee Taylor. Seventeen years old, senior at Bately
High School, twin sister of Ramon Taylor, and one more thing we can add—
murderer.
Renee: I didn't kill anybody.
Det. Jenson: That's what all murderers say until we break them. And you—you won't be any
different.
Renee: Like I said, I didn't kill anybody.
Det. Jenson: [sits down across from her] Just tell me what happened, and we'll go easy on you.
When people confess it makes them look cooperative.
Renee: I don't have anything to confess to.
Det. Jenson: So, you're not in a gang?
Renee: No.
Det. Jenson: Don't lie to me! Just tell the truth. You killed a man. Give his family peace of mind.
Renee: I didn't kill nobody.

Det. Jenson: [grabs folder and turns it upside down, causing pictures of a dead man to fall out.
(crime scene photos). ] This is "nobody"?
Renee: I don't know him.
Det. Jenson: You didn't even look at him.
Renee: [glances at the pictures] I don't know him.
Det. Jenson: Look at him!
Renee: I don't know him.
Det. Jenson: Don't like the sight of your own handiwork, huh?
Renee: I ain't do that.
Det. Jenson: So you want to do it the hard way?
Renee: I'm not trying to do it at all.
Det. Jenson: Why?
Renee: I ain't got nothing to do with this.
Det. Jenson: Where were you on the night of March 15th around 8 'o clock?
Renee: I wasn't killing nobody.
Det. Jenson: [yelling] That isn't what I asked you!
Renee: But that's what you're getting to. I like to get straight to the point.
Det. Jenson: You are not running things here, ok? I am.
Renee: Whatever.
Det. Jenson: Where were you on the night of March 15th around 8 p.m.?
Renee: Doing something probably.
Det. Jenson: I'll tell you—
Renee: At 8 'o clock I was probably watching T.V. or something. The 15th was a Tuesday, right?
Det. Jenson: Yes.
Renee: I was watching T.V.
Det. Jenson: Can anyone alibi you for that?
Renee: Yeah. My—
Det. Jenson: Anybody besides your brother or cousin or any other member of your "clique"?
Renee: [sucks teeth] No.
Det. Jenson: So, you have no alibi for that night, and we have two eye witnesses who place you
at the scene of the crime.
Renee: They didn't see me or any of my "clique" as you call them at any scene of the crime.
Det. Jenson: Whoever said the other five were there? They just ID'd you.
Renee: That's a lie.
Det. Jenson: [pulls paper from the breast pocket of his coat] No, it's not. [places papers on table
In front of Renee] It's all there. [starts reading the paper] "We seen a black
female around 5'6 leaving Mr. Rhoden's house. She had black hair and light
colored hair. In the light we could see the blood on her shirt." Does that sound like
anybody you know?
Renee: Yeah. About half the females at my school look like that. They didn't say they seen me.
I ain't hear my name mentioned once.
Det. Jenson: [continues reading] "We could also see a tattoo on her arm with the letters "DBD"
written boldly." Do half the females at your school have that?
Renee: [sighs]
Det. Jenson: Because if I'm not mistaken only three of them do, including you.
Renee: They didn't see me or any of the people I hang with.
Det. Jenson: [stands up] Okay, so you don't want to talk about the man you killed—
Renee: Can't talk about something I don't know about. I'll feel out of the loop.
Det. Jenson: You know what? I feel out of the loop about "DBD" Can you tell me about it?
Renee: There's nothing to know.
Det. Jenson: You know our gang unit didn't even know about y'all.
Renee: Why should they? We're not a gang?
Det. Jenson: So what are you? A group of kids who kill people for fun?
Renee: We didn't kill anybody.
Det. Jenson: No matter how many times you say that, you're not going to convince me.
Renee: I don't care if you're convinced or not. We know what we did and what we didn't do.
And we didn't kill anybody.
Det. Jenson: So, I'll take it that "DBD" stands for "Death Before Dishonor". Am I right?
Renee: How long did it take you to figure that out? Or did you have to see our tattoos first?
Det. Jenson: Kind of a funny thing for six teenagers to have on them. What could have
happened or what could you six have done that only death could keep you
from giving it up.
Renee:[cracks her knuckles, but doesn't respond]
Det. Jenson: Killing a man would form a really strong bond, wouldn't it?
Renee: I couldn't tell you. I've never killed a man.
Det. Jenson: Can you tell me why your cousin stays with your family and not his father's family?
His mother is your aunt, right?
Renee: Was my aunt. She's dead.
Det. Jenson: What about his father's family?
Renee: I don't know 'em.
Det. Jenson: It's not a good thing to lie to the only person who can help you right now.
Renee: I'm not lying, and I don't need your help; 'cause I didn't kill anyone.
Det. Jenson: So how long has Jamal been staying with you and your family?
Renee: It's his family too. A long time.
Det. Jenson: Since his mother died?
Renee: Yeah, I guess.
Det. Jenson: You never told me why he doesn't stay with his father's family.
Renee: Probably because that's none of your business, or maybe it's because I don't know.
Det. Jenson: You lied to me again. There's no death record for Anna Rae Kanel. Why did you lie?
Renee: I didn't lie. I said she was dead. I never said she died. She's dead to us.
Det. Jenson: "Us"?
Renee: My family.
Det. Jenson: Why?
Renee: [looks at the table]
[30 seconds pass and Renee doesn't give an answer]
Det. Jenson: Don't want to talk about familial issues, huh? How about we talk about your
friends, Brandon, Dantrella, and Liya? How long have you been friends?
Renee: A long time.
Det. Jenson: How long is a long time?
Renee: Since kindergarten. We all played in the "sandbox" together.
Det. Jenson: So, roughly about 13 years?
Renee: Yeah, I guess. We don't have a friendship anniversary.
Det. Jenson: But you celebrate your friendship by killing people?
Renee: We didn't kill anybody.
Det. Jenson: What did David Lee Rhoden do to the "DBD" gang to make y'all kill him?
Renee: "DBD" is not a gang!
Det. Jenson: Me calling your gang a gang upsets you? More than calling you a murderer?
Renee: "DBD" is not a gang, and we are not murderers.
Det. Jenson: Then why is a man dead, and you and your friends at the scene of the crime?
[walks to the door]
Renee: Maybe it was his time to go.
Det. Jenson: But you don't have the right to say when his time is up.
Renee: [scoffs] I didn't, because I didn't kill anyone.
Det. Jenson: You keep saying you didn't anyone. Are you covering for your friends, brother, and
cousin?
Renee: No.
Det. Jenson: I'm just trying to help you out, because if you tell your side of the story before the
others tell theirs, you'll get less time.
Renee: [laughs] They're not going to tell anything because they don't know anything. And if
They did, they still wouldn't tell.
Det. Jenson: It's the whole "DBD" thing, right?
Renee: It's not "a thing". It's something to live by and for.
Det. Jenson: So you're telling me you would die before you're disloyal your fellow gang
Members?
Renee: I'm not in a gang, but yeah. I would put my life on the line for them.
Det. Jenson: And they would do the same for you?
Renee: Yeah.
Det. Jenson: Are you sure? [opens the door, walks out, closing the door behind him]
[In the room behind the two-way mirror.]
[Det. Borden is looking through the mirror at Renee when Det. Jenson walks in]
Det. Jenson: What do you think? [closes the door]
Det. Borden: She's hiding something. I can tell that much.
Det. Jenson: Yeah.
Det. Borden: Why didn't you try to get more out of her about "DBD"?
Det. Jenson: I'll do it when I go back in. Where are the others?
Det. Borden: They're in separate interrogation rooms.
Det. Jenson: Getting questioned?
Det. Borden: No, just sitting there.
Det. Jenson: For [looks at his watch] 45 minutes?
Det. Borden: Yeah. We offered them food and drink, but they refused.
Det. Jenson: Hmm. So, how long should we let her sit there?
Det. Borden: I don't know. You want me to question her?
Det. Jenson: If you want to. But toy around with her first. Get her talking about something off
Topic, then real easy, bring the murder in.
Det. Borden: Yeah. I got you. Did you offer her food and drink?
Det. Jenson: No.
Det. Borden: I will. [grabs sandwich and soda off table] I'm the good one. [walks out]
[In interrogation Room 1. Renee is still sitting at the table when Det. Borden walks in]
Det. Borden: Hey. [closes door]
Renee: He sent you in?
Det. Borden: Yeah, something like that. [walks over to the table and places the sandwich and
soda on it] You hungry, thirsty?
Renee: No. What y'all doing playing good cop, bad cop?
Det. Borden: No, I just thought you would want something to eat or drink, but you don't?
Renee: No, I don't.
Det. Borden: I heard you say you would put your life on the line for the other five kids. Would
You really do that?
Renee: Yes.
Det. Borden: I can understand about your brother and cousin, but the other three?
Renee: Might as well say they're my brothers and sisters.
Det. Borden: But they're not. They have nothing in common with you beside you've known
each other for 13 years. I got people I've known for 13 years, and I wouldn't put
my life on the line for them.
Renee: That's you and them. Not us.
Det. Borden: Maybe, but are you sure they'll do the same for you?
Renee: Like I told your partner "yeah".
Det. Borden: How do you know they're not giving us their side or the story right now, as we
Speak?
Renee: Because they don't know anything. Can't give a side of a story about something you're
Not involved in, or the people you know are not involved in.
Det. Borden: You say that now, but how about later at your trial when you're getting 25 to life
And they get 25 years?
Renee: That'll never happen. We didn't do anything.
Det. Borden: That's right. They didn't do anything, you did. That's what they'll say.
Renee: No, they won't. It's "Death Before Dishonor", not "say what they want to hear".
Det. Borden: Is that what you think I'm doing? Trying to get you to say what I want to hear?
I'm trying to get you to tell the truth. It'll be better for you in the long run.
Renee: I've told you the truth. You don't want the truth. You want your truth.
Det. Borden: I want to know why a man is dead.
Renee: I can't help you with that.
Det. Borden: Fine. [walks to the door and opens it] Just so you know, we always catch the bad
guy.
Renee: Not always.
[Det. Borden walks out the room and closes the door]