Kevin Walter and Dion Holley lied to authorities when first asked what took place on Lantern Point Drive in Houston. They claimed they had stopped to help stranded motorists jumpstart their car, at which point they were carjacked and the girl they had with them, Mary, was kidnapped. It wasn’t until later and after assurances they would not be charged for their involvement, both men told police how they had planned to rob Charles Mamou at gunpoint. Both men also told police that Mamou’s driver, Samuel Johnson, drove away leaving Mamou behind – and he fled the scene in their Lexus.
The following day, in the early hours of Monday, December 7, 1998, Officer King received a call from the public information office. A news reporter had learned the name of a possible suspect in the ‘carjacking’, which was later determined to be a drug transaction gone wrong. The reporter had spoken to Kevin Walter’s father and was told the suspect was a Charles Mamou, A.K.A., ‘Chucky’. (HPD Archived Incident Report 156416498, Supplement No. 5)
At 3:10 that same day, a call came into HPD regarding a suspicious vehicle. The blue Lexus Mamou had fled the robbery in was found at the Fondren Court Apartment Complex, 10800 Fondren. According to police records, ‘the left front tire was flat. The driver’s window was busted out’. The apartment manager had become aware of the vehicle in the parking lot, and called the police. (HPD Archived Incident Report 156416498, Supplement No. 5)
The following morning, Tuesday, December 8, 1998, at 8:25 a.m., Sergeant Bloyd and Officer King went to Herman Hospital to interview Kevin Walter. During the interview, they were given the phone number that Kevin had used to contact Chucky while arranging the faux drug deal. That phone number came up to a ‘Robin Scott’ and an apartment on Fondren – the same complex where the blue Lexus was found. (HPD Archived Incident Report 156416498, Supplement No. 9)
Sgt. Novak and Officer Chisolm then went to Robin Scott’s place of employment to interview her. After speaking with her, they decided that Sergeant Bloyd and Officer King should go to her apartment, while Novak and Chisolm took Ms. Scott to homicide for a statement. (HPD Archived Incident Report 156416498, Supplement No. 9)
At 11:33 a.m. Officer Bloyd and Officer King knocked on the apartment door of Howard and Robin Scott. In anticipation of finding Charles Mamou in the apartment, Officer Chisholm had secured an Arrest Warrant based on the false allegations of Dion Holley, and the ‘carjacking’. The Arrest Warrant stated that, “I, HF Chisholm, a peace officer employed by the City of Houston Police Department, do solemnly swear that I have reason to believe and do believe that the Defendant, Charles Mamou, Jr., a black male did, on December 6, 1998, intentionally and knowingly commit the aggravated robbery of Kevin Walter.”
Howard Scott answered the door, but he was alone. After interviewing Scott at the apartment, police learned that Scott had met Mamou through a friend – Shawn Eaglin. The Officers called Homicide and were told that Scott’s story did not match his wife’s, who was at Homicide giving a statement. “It was then decided to bring Howard Scott to the homicide office to be interviewed there since there were some discrepancies between his story and Robin’s. Officer Hollins then transported Howard Scott to the homicide office where he was interviewed by Sergeant Novak.” Not only does the Incident Report refer to the Interview of Howard Scott that took place at the Police Department on Tuesday, December 8, 1998 – it also mentions something that was learned during that interview. “During this interview, another potential suspect by the name of ‘Cedric’ was mentioned as being connected with Shawn and Chucky. See Sergeant Novak’s supplement for the details of this interview and the follow-up investigation concerning ‘Cedric’. (HPD Archived Incident Report 156416498, Supplement No. 9)
The problem with that is – no one can ‘see Sergeant Novak’s supplement for details’ because there aren’t any ‘details of this interview’ in the case file. After a thorough records request, I traveled to the Houston Police Department and physically went through the file with an employee. There is no record of the interview of Howard Scott that took place on Tuesday, December 8, 1998, at the police department.
The only thing on record is that the police went to his apartment and the conversation that took place there – prompted investigators to bring him to the police department to be questioned.
Howard Scott’s wife, Robin Scott, was also interviewed on Tuesday. She was not called as a witness at the trial. According to her written statement, “At about 12:15 a.m., I woke up after hearing the front door opening. At that time I called for Howard to come to my room. When Howard came in I asked him if his company had left yet. Howard told me that they were about to leave.” She goes on to say, “It seemed like it was around thirty minutes later I heard a knock on the door. My brother got up and opened the door.” Robin Scott identified Howard Scott as her brother at that time, because the apartment complex was not aware that she was living with her husband. “I asked my brother who was at the door, he told me that it was Chucky.”
She also stated she saw Chucky later that morning, “When I got up at 4:00 a.m. to go to the restroom I saw that the television was on and Chucky was sitting there watching television. He was by himself. I did not say anything to him. I then returned to my bed and got back up at 4:30 a.m. When I got up this time I started getting ready for work. I looked into the room and saw that Chucky was still in the room watching television.” Robin Scott was never called to the stand, and the jury was never made aware of this statement.
The HPD Incident Report says that the next day, Wednesday, December 9, 1998, at 9:45 a.m., “Sergeants Yanchank and Ferguson went to pick up Robin and Howard Scott to be re-interviewed. (HPD Archived Incident Report 156416498, Supplement No. 11)
Later in the report – “Progress Report for Wednesday, December 9, 1998: On this date, Sergeant Yanchak and Sergeant Ferguson assisted Sergeant G.J. Novak and Officer H.F. Chisholm in the follow up investigation into this offense. Earlier on this date, we had re-interviewed two witnesses named Robin Marie Scott, and her husband, Howard Scott.” (HPD Archived Incident Report 156416498, Supplement No. 13)
During the Mamou trial Detective Novak, after being sworn in, was directly questioned about his activities on Tuesday, December 8, 1998.
Q. You indicated that in checking the subscriber information, it came back for Robin Scott. Can you tell me again the unit number? I know the address was 10800.
A. I said 1423, but I meant 1402.
Q. Okay. You indicated that you learned when you met with Robin Scott who else lived there. She was living there with her husband, Howard Scott?
A. That is correct.
The attorney then asked if Robin Scott had initially told police that Howard Scott was her brother.
A. That is correct.
Q. So she lied to you initially?
A. Yes.
Q. How far into the discussion with her did you finally learn that, in fact, Howard Scott was not her brother but her husband?
A. When we transported her to the police station for the purpose of taking her statement from her concerning her knowledge, she admitted to us – of course, we had Howard Scott transported to the homicide office where he, too, was making a written statement.
Howard Scott was taken back to the Police Department the next day as well as his wife. Apparently, officers were not content with whatever was said on Tuesday, although we will never know what that was. In Howard Scott’s statement on Wednesday, December 9, 1998, he actually refers to the previous day and being taken to the police department. “I got up Tuesday morning around 4:50 a.m. and walked my wife to the bus stop. I got back and Chucky was still asleep. I went back to bed and my wife called around 7:00 a.m. to wake me up. I got up and took my daughter to school around 7:30 a.m. Chucky was still in my apartment. I got back around 8:00 a.m. and Chucky was gone and my apartment door was unlocked. My wife then called around 11:00 a.m. and asked if Chucky was still in my apartment. I then asked her what was wrong and she asked again and I told her no. She then told me that’s all I needed to know and hung up. Around 11:30 a.m. two detectives showed up and began asking me about Chucky. I told them that Chucky left earlier and gave them permission to search my house. I later came with them to the homicide division.”
Sgt. Novak was no rookie. He was a seasoned employee with nearly three decades of law enforcement experience. The idea that he would interview an individual regarding the kidnapping of a girl and not, at the very least, take notes is highly unlikely.
Whatever Howard Scott said at the police department on Tuesday, December 8, 1998, was never heard by the jury.
Anyone with information related to this case can contact me at kimberleycarter@verizon.net. There is also a facebook page dedicated to sharing the truth.
TO CONTACT CHARLES MAMOU:
Charles Mamou #999333
Polunsky Unit 12-CD-53
3872 South FM 350
Livingston, TX 77351
