Born to Lose by James G. Hollock Read Free Book Online

while Sharon, noticing the on-and-off rain, had concluded that Kathy had changed her mind about coming, and never called to make sure. So throughout Friday night no one had worried over Kathy’s whereabouts.
    After her initial confusion, Kathy decided this was just as well: she had decided to suffer on her own. If she revealed the rape to her parents, they would naturally call in the police, and this, she knew, would provoke Bill’s wrath and retaliation. Another thought swirled in her young mind. Twice, at least, Kathy felt she’d taken her last breath—but she had survived. The initial mantra of survival—“He didn’t kill me”—shifted in the roil of her emotions, ranging from relief at still being alive to torment for her own and family’s safety, to “He let me live.” This was compounded by her youthful sense of honor. She had promised never to tell. With little understanding that a promise made under duress cannot be binding, Kathy settled on sparing herself and her family any frightful eventuality by keeping her ordeal secret, forever buried in her martyred soul.
    The following day, Kathy was pale and subdued, her posture slumped. By late afternoon she was so jittery that she dropped a fine china serving plate, which shattered on the floor. Kathy’s brother, Tom, pulled her aside. Eventually, in gasps and sobs, Kathy told Tom what had happened to her. Over her protests, Tom told their parents and the police were called.
    Although Kathy Defino lived in Shaler Township, her abduction occurred in Indiana Township and the rape took place in East Deer Township. Despite these jurisdictional overlaps, the various police departments coordinated their response well. All the cops of the various townships knew each other, at least by name and in most cases personally. It was Officer DickCurti of Indiana Township who took the first action, noting it as follows: “Received call from base to call Officer Hoffman (Shaler PD) who told me a res. of theirs was raped. Act was thought to take place in Indiana twp. This officer, Curti, called and talked with victum’s mother. She was upset and could only tell me her daughter was raped last night but waited till today to tell them. I then talked to Kathy who verified she had been raped. I asked her to come to the station this eve. to give a statement.”
    At 6:30 P.M. on April 5, 1969, Curti noted: “This officer took statement by the victum. Victum taken to St. Francis hosp. by parents to be examined. End.”
    In her statement to Curti, Kathy described both the suspects and their car. Curti put the essentials out on the air soon after: early 1960s Corvette, red exterior and interior; two white males, one with a muscular build, reddish-brown hair, and a thin mustache, wearing a green-and-gold-print shirt, and the second six feet tall with a skinny build and light brown hair.
    Forty-year-old patrolman Melvin “Red” Orris was halfway through his twenty-year career. He’d chase the scoundrels, check the merchants’ locks at night, and make peace between belligerents. Patrolman Orris read about the Falconer robbery, of course. He also received any official reports of the matter through his East Deer stationhouse, although over the preceding couple of days there had been no more news, certainly no fresh leads. Patrolling the township on this April 5, Red Orris received a radio call from his chief, Walter “Cutsy” Usiadek: “Red, a call came in at 1830 hours from Dick Curti over in Indiana. He said a teen girl reported she was raped. Happened last night and into the early hours today in the Murray Hill area. She was taken there from Shaler, where she lives.” Chief Usiadek gave Orris the victim’s name and descriptions of the suspects and the car they were driving.
    Patrolman Orris knew that much of good police work was “waitin’ and watchin,’” and this was what he