Definitions:
Exculpatory means something that tends to clear someone or something of guilt or alleged fault. For example, in criminal law, exculpatory evidence is evidence that is favorable to a defendant and can justify, excuse, or create reasonable doubt about their actions or intentions.
This could include a statement or evidence such as DNA that doesn't match the defendant's. The opposite of exculpatory evidence is inculpatory evidence, which tends to show guilt.
Crinkley - Rebecca, the six year old daughter in this story, says “crinkley” instead of “wrinkley”, the way many young kids cutely mispronounce words as they learn them.
Timmy and Tina Jenkins are going through a heated divorce. They have three children, the youngest, Rebecca, is 6 years old.
Their divorce proceedings were interrupted by a murder trial.
It seems Tina has been accused of murdering Rebecca.
We find ourselves in a State Superior Courthouse where Tina’s murder trial is underway.
Tina Jenkins takes the stand in her own defense.
Prosecutor: “Miss Jenkins I'm going to play you an audio recording and I'd like you to tell me if this is your voice that we hear along with your soon to be ex-husband’s.”
The recording plays and we hear Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins arguing.
Tina: “I will never live apart from any of my children, not even for a day, no matter what!”
Timmy: “Well, I'm going to agree to shared physical custody, 50/50, that's the least that I'm going to accept.”
Tina: “That is never going to happen.”
Prosecutor: “Is that your voice on this recording?”
Tina answers: “Yes it is.”
Prosecutor: “Can you tell us what happened that day during your hike with Rebecca?”
Tina answers: “Rebecca and I went for our normal hike when the other kids were in school, and I had her on our child leash just to make sure she couldn't stray or get out of my sight.
We were walking along our usual path and I could feel tension on the line as she followed behind me.
We were singing - There was a farmer had a dog and bingo was his name-o.
I heard Rebecca sing B, I….. then the leash went limp and when I turned the harness was empty and she was gone. It was that quick.”
Prosecutor: “You're expecting us to believe that your daughter simply disappeared without a sound or trace and you were left alone on the trail with the leash with an empty harness?”
Tina: “Yes, that's exactly what happened. I would never harm any of my children.”
Prosecutor: “Now, Mrs. Jenkins, you can understand how the court will have a hard time believing your story?”
Tina: “Yes, of course, but that's the truth. I would never hurt one of my children. If someone told me this story, I would never believe them either.”
Prosecutor: “We just want to have Rebecca back. Your husband deserves to know where she is.
Are you sure you don't know where she is? Or at this point where her body is? Did you give her a way to somebody for safekeeping out of spite and anger at your husband divorcing you?”
Tina: “Timmy is a fantastic father and I would never use my child as a pawn. My Rebecca disappeared.”
Timmy Jenkins rushes from the gallery and attempts to attack his wife.
He is subdued, and he screams: “You monster! You carried our baby in your body for nine months, and you killed her! How could you kill your own flesh and blood?”
Tina: “I didn’t kill anyone. She disappeared.”
Prosecutor: “The defense rests.”
Forensics found nothing.
Park rangers testified that Rebecca was in the child leash at the trailhead when they entered, and the child leash harness was empty when Tina returned to the trailhead parking lot.
There was an unprecedented search and rescue operation lasting 20 days.
Rebecca's tracks ended where Tina claimed she disappeared. There was no indication she walked away at all.
Bloodhounds followed the scent to where Tina said Rebecca vanished.
They walked in circles for a moment, looked up, down, left and right, and then laid down.
Cadaver dogs were used for months. They can pick up a dead body’s scent for miles. They found nothing.
Tina Jenkins is found guilty of murder even though Rebecca’s body has not been found and all evidence is circumstantial.
Even with no inculpatory evidence, Tina is sentenced to 30 years to life with the possibility of parole after 20 years.
She refuses a plea bargain to manslaughter even though that would greatly reduce her prison sentence.
The county sheriff had a final press conference on the anniversary of Rebecca’s disappearance and exclaimed:
“Rebecca Jenkins is not within the boundaries of this park.”
She spends most of her time in prison in solitary confinement as the other inmates don't take a liking to child killers.
She gets one hour per day of yard time in a 10x20 foot cage.
She has no physical human contact.
Echoes of: “There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o….” can be heard in the solitary confinement corridor for decades.
Her husband and other children never come to visit her, nor do any of her siblings or immediate family.
Every night Rebecca comes to her in dreams saying: “Mommy where are you? You were right in front of me, where are you? Mommy mommy I can't see you anymore. Why is it so dark?”
Tina is paroled after 22 years and let back into the community.
Everyday for 10 years, rain or shine, she goes back to the same hiking trail and attaches a child leash to her waist and drags it behind her as she walks.
Other hikers who see her give her a wide berth as she looks to be insane dragging a child leash with an empty harness.
The park staff and other hikers call her The Leash Lady.
She sings, in a whisper, incessantly: “There was a farmer, had a dog and Bingo was his name-o, B I N GO, B I N G O, B I N G O, and Bingo was his name-o.”
In between singing, she whispers: “Mommy’s coming Rebecca, I got here as fast as I could.”
She tries to find the same spot where her daughter disappeared many years ago but her memory has long since faded.
After so many years in solitary confinement her weakened mind, and many prison psychiatrists, tried to convince her that the disappearance was only a story based in the guilt of killing her daughter.
Part of her mind began to believe her own story was a lie.
Like Gollum, from The Lord Of The Rings, her mind and personality became bifurcated.
One moment she turned her head to the left and said out loud solemnly: “How could I have killed my beautiful Rebecca?”
and the next moment she turned her head to the right and yelled:
“NO! I would never kill my precious Rebecca! Lies, lies, all lies!”
On day 3,704 (10 years and 52 days) after her release, she suddenly feels tension on the leash and she hears her Rebecca singing: “.... N-G-O and Bingo was his name-o!”
Tina turns to see her 6-year-old Rebecca exactly as she was when she disappeared 22 years ago. Same ribbon in her hair, same shirt, shorts and sneakers.
Rebecca screams: “Mommy there you are! I couldn't see you for a minute and it was so dark! Why is your hair grey and face so crinkley?”
Tina embraces her for a good long time.
Tina: “Mommy loves you so much! And I missed you so much!”
Rebecca: “Why did you miss me mommy? We have been walking together the whole time!”
They head towards the car, singing B-I-N-G-O in full voice.
She heads to her ex-husband’s house and she stays in the car as Rebecca goes to the front door and rings the bell.
Rebecca’s dad answers the door and sees his ex wife in his driveway.
He is about to scream: “Get out of my driveway! You’re breaking the restraining order, murderer!”
But before he can, he looks down,
Rebecca says: “Daddy, Why is your hair grey and face so crinkley? Mommy’s hair and face are like that too.
That’s so silly.”
Timmy starts crying confused tears and hugs his daughter.
Rebecca screams through the open driver side window:
“I told you! I told you I would never harm our children! How could you think I would?!”
She puts her window up and pulls out of the driveway singing all the while.
“There was a farmer, had a dog and Bingo was his name-o, B I N G O, B I N G O, B I N G O, and Bingo was his name-o.”
