PART THREE

  confidential informants and other inmates

The police department and prosecutor’s office orchestrated an in-depth confidential informant (CI) operation while both Robert and Rock-E were in county jail before Robert’s trial. It’s not known who was directly responsible for placing the various CIs. However, it was later discovered that there were officers who knew that Rock-E murdered Officer Hill and “knew that Robert was innocent and didn’t like the fact that Robert was charged with the murder.” All of these inmates were strategically housed next to Robert, then Rock-E. Interestingly, every one of these inmates said that Rock-E told them in detail how he murdered Deputy Hill and bragged about it. And every one of them said that Robert told them he was innocent.

A. Inmate M.S.T.

Inmate M.S.T. was housed by both Robert and Rock-E, and then switched back and forth several times, though it’s not clear if he was an official CI. He was interviewed by law enforcement officials about the conversations he had with Robert and Rock-E. And of course he said that Rock-E admitted to the murder and Robert told him that he was innocent. Robert found out about these interviews and told his court appointed attorneys. Inmate M.S.T. was bench-warranted back from prison and when he got to the county jail, the officers savagely beat him and in the process broke his arm. Fearing for his life after this beating and threats of retaliation, he refused to testify. The day he was supposed to come to court, he barricaded his cell door and refused to come out.

B. Inmate G. M. H.

This inmate is an official Confidential Informant who has a long history of participating in “snitch operations.” He was strategically housed next to Rock-E while in the Harris County Jail awaiting trial on other charges. He was never housed directly by Robert, but he did speak with him a few times at recreation, while deputies were in their presence and could overhear their conversations.

  This person didn’t tell Robert that he was an informant, but he continually asked Rob specific questions about his case, so Rob became suspicious. He told his court appointed attorneys about this and after repeatedly requesting that they investigate, one of the attorneys finally did. It turned out that Inmate G. M. H. had been “debriefing” with officers after his conversations with Robert and Rock-E. He gave a very lengthy statement that was transcribed to 42 pages to the detectives. In this statement, he laid out exactly how Rock-E vividly described the murder of Deputy Barret Hill, which he committed.

  Rock-E even told this informant what type of weapon he used and described important details which only the killer would know. Rock-E also told him that “He has connections. His dad is a cop, so that’s why he isn’t being charged with murder,” and “He better not say anything or he will be taken care of.” This inmate was also bench-warranted back to county from prison for Robert’s trial. On the day he was supposed to testify, the deputies put him in a cell right next to Rock-E. He threatened Inmate G.M.H. again and the officers intimidated him as well. Then the District Attorney approached him with an offer of early parole for working with them. This also insinuated a threat of no parole if he didn’t. Fearing for his safety, on the day of trial, he refused to testify.

C. Inmate J. C.

This person was not a CI or a snitch. However, an unnamed informant told the police that he had conversations with Robert and Rock-E, so he was interrogated by detectives. This interrogation was secretly videotaped. On the tape, J. C. tells the detectives how Rock-E bragged about the murder and told him very descriptive facts about the case. Both this tape and the one of Inmate G. M. H. are extremely detailed and very incriminating. Neither of these tapes was seen by the jury at Robert’s trial.

D. Inmate L. P.

Inmate L. P. is yet another inmate who Rock-E confessed to, though he was never interviewed by police. Robert personally gave his unhelpful, court appointed attorneys L. P.’s information, but they never contacted him.

E. Inmate D. A. L.

This inmate was also housed next to Rock-E at the Harris County Jail. Rock-E once again confessed and bragged that he murdered Deputy Hill in conversations with this prisoner. Inmate D. A. L. agreed to testify to this fact and was bench-warranted back to County to do so. Just seconds before he was to testify, the officers set him up to be assaulted. He was brought to the holding area and handcuffed to a bench.

  The officers conveniently disappeared and an inmate without handcuffs told him to “Keep your fucking mouth shut,” and began to beat Inmate D. A. L. Then the officers came back and suggestively asked him if he still wanted to testify. Inmate D. A. L. bravely said yes. He got on the stand and Robert’s court appointed attorneys did an absolutely ridiculous job of direct examination, just as they did with every other witness through out the entire trial. The prosecutors, being the master manipulators that they are, posed baseless, accusatory questions that totally threw the focus off of the fact that Rock-E admitted to Inmate D. A. L. that he killed Deputy Barret Hill. Rob’s court appointed attorneys did nothing less than help the prosecutors achieve their objectives with this important witness.