Charles Mamou has never wavered in declaring his innocence, but the key witness at his trial testified that Mamou ‘confessed’ to him. In a case without a weapon, or a fingerprint at the scene, or a hair, or a fiber, or DNA, or an eyewitness, or a violent history – the testimony of Terrence Dodson was a key factor in Mamou’s death sentence. But, in matters of life and death, should claims of ‘confessions’ be held to a reasonable standard of reliability?
Dodson wasn’t just an uninvolved witness. According to his own testimony, he clearly had reason to be concerned about his well-being. When asked, “Were you a little concerned about the fact that you might be charged with a crime?”
“Yes.”
“But you don’t have that concern now, do you?”
“No.”
Over and over, Dodson maintained his understanding that he had a lot at stake.
“And at that point in time, what exactly are you thinking at the time that you were picked up by the police? Is it clear to you that they are looking at you as a suspect for capital murder?”
“Yeah, it was clear to me.”
“So, at that point, is it a fair statement to say you’re very concerned about your future and what might happen to you?”
“Yeah, it’s a fair statement.”
Dodson knew the gravity of the situation and the possible consequences to himself. That would be enough to make one wonder if his testimony regarding Mamou’s ‘confession’ could be relied upon, but self-preservation wasn’t the only issue that would bring into question everything that Dodson shared in the courtroom. There were also contrasts between his original statement to police and what he testified to during the trial.
During the police interview, Dodson repeatedly said he had nothing to do with the drug deal that took place that night. He simply wanted to go home.
“He told me that he was going to buy a kilo – coke, and I was like, man, take me home because I don’t want to be around the transaction or whatever.”
“So, him and Bud started looking at me saying just chill out man, chill out, man, you are tripping, I was like, man, no, just take me back to the house, that’s all I am asking.”
“And he kept saying, just chill, we got out there. I’m like, oh man, just take me back.”
“And I am like, just take me back, man, I am not with all that.”
Yet, during the trial, when asked about his involvement in the drug deal, Dodson describes it differently.
“What was your part going to be?”
“My part in the robbery?”
“Right.”
“To rob them.”
“With what?”
“With a gun.”
“You had a gun?”
“Yeah, I had it on me.”
“So, what is it that you’re supposed to do, you, personally? What is your role on this jack on jack? Of course, you’re not knowing that it’s a jack on jack at that point, are you?”
“Exactly.”
“So, what is your role? What are you supposed to do?”
“Once I see the dope, I pull out my pistol and take the dope.”
“You’re comfortable going in a situation like that with a gun; and if somebody shows you the dope you just going to take the dope?”
“Pretty much.”
The star witness consistently contradicted himself and his prior recorded statement. While being questioned by detectives, Dodson described Mamou’s ‘confession’ as taking place in one phone call.
“Ok, and where was he calling you from?”
“He said, Louisiana, but we don’t have a caller I.D., so he said, what’s up? I said, what’s up? He said, what’s going on? I said, there is nothing going on, what’s up? He said, have been watching the news? I say, yeah. He said, man, he just started telling what went down, that he, in so many words, did it, and I like, man, and he told me step by step how it went down.”
Dodson lived in Houston, and Mamou lived in Louisiana. Dodson told police that after Mamou returned to his home in Louisiana, he called Dodson and confessed. Yet – at trial, Dodson changed his story, describing how the confession took place differently.
“Now you gave a whole lot of information in response to the prosecutor’s questions about conversations you had with Charles and go into detail about the jack on jack and these guys had a bible. There was a shoot-out and goes into detail about where the people were shot and everything. And then, also talking about the girl had been shot, that they had been outside. And he asked you about talking with Detective Novack, and she supposedly had performed oral sex on him. When did you get that information? What time is that?”
“I don’t really recall, I got, like I said, bits and pieces in person.”
“Everything that you said here in court today, you’re attributing to him?”
“Yeah, everything I said that was told to me was told to me by him.”
“It is one conversation or several?”
“It was several.”
“Over what period of time?”
“I don’t really recall, a couple days.”
Terrence Dodson didn’t just contradict himself throughout his statement and testimony. He also told a version of the drug deal during his statement to police that no one else did. According to him, Mamou confessed to getting into the Lexus before the shooting. He clearly describes the violence taking place inside the car. He also paints a picture of two drug dealers throwing a bag of ‘money’ back and forth between them.
“So the dude that drove the Lexus approached Chuckie or whatever, so this is how we are going to do it, you gonna ride with my boy in my Lexus, and you all do the business and we gonna stay here with Bud or Buk whatever. So, Chuckie was like, no, no, I don’t even like the way that sounds. So, if I am going to do the business, is going to be with you, because you are the one I talked to. So the dude must have said, they all loaded up in other words, and the dude told Chuckie we are fixin to do the business down the dark street, so Chuckie said you want to do it in front of Bennigans, but the dude said, it is too hot over here. So they went down the dark street. Dude asked Chuckie where is the money? So, Chuckie said, I got the money, and threw him the paper bag, whatever. The dude threw it back, so Chuckie said, what’s up? The dude said, take the money out, I want to see it. Chuckie said the money is right here, threw back at him. Chuckie said, by that time, he see the dude flinch – like moving into his seat. Chuckie said, he came out with his pistol and was like, man, what’s going on, and the dude was pulling for his. He said, he just thought something, and shot him up on whatever and burnt off with the girl in the Lexus.”
“His exact words were, shit, I threw him the money, and he threw it back. I threw him the money again, and he threw it back, know what I’m sayin’, and that’s when I threw down to see what’s goin’ on.”
The two witnesses and participants in the drug deal, Charles Mamou, and the police have established that the drug deal and shooting took place outside of the vehicle. None of the other individuals described a bag being thrown back and forth.
Not long after Terrence Dodson told the police that Charles Mamou ‘confessed’ to him, he wrote a letter to Mamou. In it, Dodson once again contradicts himself, writing, “I’m glad you didn’t tell me shit about that, cause I don’t wanna know shit. I feel better off that way.”
Charles Mamou is currently on death row in Texas and waiting for his execution date.
Anyone with information regarding this case can contact me at kimberleycarter@verizon.net. Anything you share with me will be confidential.
TO CONTACT CHARLES MAMOU:
Charles Mamou #999333
Polunsky Unit 12-CD-53
3872 South FM 350
Livingston, TX 77351
Related Articles: What Does It Take To Get On Texas Death Row;
Texas Death Sentence Clouded By Irrefutable Doubt;
Awaiting Execution – “Have You Ever Felt Like You Can Taste The Future?”;
Because They Can – Execution In Texas;
Letter From Key Mamou Witness Contradicting Testimony;
Testimony Worthy Of An Execution? The Mamou Transcripts – Part I;
The Mamou Transcripts Part II;
The Mamou Transcripts Part III – Death Sentence Built On The Testimony Of Dealers;
The Mamou Transcripts IV;
The Mamou Trial – Was Race A Factor?;
Mamou’s Death Sentence Sealed With Graphic Testimony And Photos – Of Victims Of Crimes He Was Never Charged With
Source:
Harris County, Texas. Charles Mamou, Jr. Vs. The State Of Texas. Sept. 1999.
