I Would Find a Girl Walking (29 page)

Read I Would Find a Girl Walking Online

Authors: Diana Montane,Kathy Kelly

Now that I look back and read, again, his initial acknowledgment as to “motive,” or what made him “kill and kill again,” I still get a slight chill because he would simply “find a girl walking,” and that would provide him with an excuse to take her. He also clearly conveys that he will take some of his crimes to the grave when he writes about the “cards” that he is “holding back.” And which card would have “really turned some heads” I wonder.
November 21, 1985
 
Dear Kathy,
 
Just thought I would drop you a short note.
Hope everything is going very well for you.
I haven’t heard from you in two weeks. Is there anything wrong? Have I said something to frighten you? If so, I am sorry.
I have finished your present, and will send it as soon as I see the property room officer. Sure hope you like it.
Maybe today you might be up to see me. Next week is Thanksgiving. Hope you have a beautiful day. As for me, I will faithfully watch the Macy’s Parade. But I wish I was out of this place. It gets me a little upset at this time of year, cause I’m not with my family.
Got a letter from my attorney, who said it will be at least February or later before I go in front of the Gov for clemency.
I am still waiting to see Paul. He is probably busy at this time.
Well, I’ve got to shave, Kat.
Hope to see you soon.
 
Very truly yours,
Jerry
Two weeks without a letter had convinced him I was upset about something, as if we had a lover’s quarrel. Our relationship as inmate and reporter was never real to him; he always wanted more. My gift? A garish orange and white scarf and hat he had knitted.
November 22, 1985
 
Friday pm
 
Dear Kathy,
 
I was very relieved to receive your letter. As least you’re not mad at me.
Wish I was out to see Kenny Rogers at the Civic Center. I like his music. Would have liked to have seen Heart when they played there. Besides, the skating rink there looks nice. It’s been quite some time since I have been on ice skates.
Well, bet you are going to have a beautiful dinner for Thanksgiving. They will serve us a tray of sliced turkey, salad, vegs, dressing and dessert (pie.) But not enough.
Kat, as for the interview with 20/20, we could try. All they could say is no or yes. They don’t have to know everything we are doing.
As for Dec. 3, I didn’t know there was an execution set for that day. But I will be waiting for your visit anyway, cause I don’t think it’ll happen that day.
Thank you for the stamps, Kat. I appreciate them very much.
Well, guess I’ll close for now—write again when you get a chance, Kat.
Yours truly,
Jerry
 
P.S. Happy Thanksgiving!
December 2, 1985
 
Dear Kathy,
 
Hi!
Hope you had a beautiful Thanksgiving! Have plenty of turkey and the trimmings? They try up here, but it’s not the same as home cooking.
I saw Macy’s Parade, and both football games. Won one—lost one. Tonight, I have a bet on the Chicago Bears. Hope they win for me. My Phila. Eagles lost Sunday.
They gave that man a stay today from Miami Federal Court. He was really close too.
Kat, I hope you will enjoy yourself this week. You probably can get some Christmas shopping done.
I hear that Alabama played at the Ocean Center. I really like their music, Kat. Did you see “Dick Clark’s American Bandstand” last night? Really brought back some memories. I remember dancing to some of the music in high school.
Well, guess I’ll close for now. Hope to see you this week. But if not, it will be soon.
You have fun this weekend, and be careful.
 
Jerry
 
(p.s. over) Thanks for the short note. You have nice handwriting too.
December 10, 1985
 
Kathy:
 
I got your letter tonight written Saturday.
I will try to find out about you being put on my visiting list. When you come up next time, ask for an approval form for visiting. Better yet, write to Mr. Dayan my classification officer. He will be the one who will take care of that.
As for bringing your tape recorder in the visiting park, that will be out of the question Kat. Too many security measures for that.
Your working schedule will play a big factor on this too. It seems you can only get weekends off to come up to visit me. We don’t need any problems with your work. It will be better seeing you on weekends. That way, we won’t be cut short on time.
I was only going on what my mother told me about the Alabama Concert. Had a feeling it was full. But, people do make mistakes Kat. Sounds like you are ready for the Kenny Rogers Concert. I would like to see him in person myself. The only concert I saw was up in Pennsylvania at the Spectrum. It was the Commodores, and a little group trying to get a name for themselves.
I am going to try my best to get you on my visiting list Kat. Keep your fingers crossed. You know when you come to visit, you can buy things to eat, coffee etc. They even have microwave sandwiches too. I can fill you in when I see you.
Well I want to enclose this in the last letter to you. Please drive safely when you come up.
 
Respectfully,
Jerry
December 12, 1985
Thursday a.m.
 
Dear Kathy,
 
Well, bet your ready for the Kenny Rogers Concert tonight. It will be a good concert too. He always puts on a beautiful one. Probably do all of his songs, plus his new one.
I am happy that you came up today. It’s usually a Thursday when you come up. Probably will be a little hassle for you. I am trying my best to get you on my visiting list. You have to fill out a questionnaire, get it notarized and enclose a small picture of yourself. That’s the way they work things around here. I sure hope this can be done, cause it would be a lot easier on you, what with work. We will have to see how things work out, and what they have to say. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed, Kat. You would probably like it better on weekends. We could cover a lot of ground then.
Sounds like we are going to have some cold weather coming our way this weekend. I have my sweatshirt out ready for it. I like the cold better anyway. Probably cause I lived up north all of my life.
Did I tell you they have a church group coming in from Jacksonville on Sat. Dec. 21 to deliver Christmas stockings, and socks, plus homemade cookies for us? They take care of the Florida State Prison, plus the Old Unit. They have been doing this for 10 years now. Very nice people, to do this for us.
I was wondering what they did with the cells downstairs at Daytona Beach Jail. It used to be the County and City Prisons. Boy, could I fix up one of those main cells for myself! It would look like an apartment, Kat. Besides, there would be no noise to put up with like here. I would really enjoy it there too.
I am picking up Daytona (I-100) very clear this morning. Wrote to Bob Mitchell last night. Sure hope he gets it alright. Haven’t talked to him for 2–3 years. The last time was when I was in Daytona Beach City Jail for 2 months. He is a good friend of mine I met while at the service station in Daytona. Plus, he used to be a D.J. at Starlite in Ormond every now and then. They were the good old days, Kat.
I can remember all the good old days very clearly. Even the ones from up North too. Especially the ones with my old girlfriend in Pennsylvania. We used to have a lot of fun at this time of year. No sense in going into detail, cause it is old hat now, and we can’t relive the past. But it’s nice to think about it, though.
I’ll close for now, will write more during the weekend, Kat. Sure hope to see you today, if not I know it will be soon.
December 12, 1985
 
Well, guess you couldn’t make it today. Probably next week. I am waiting very patiently Kat.
I got some information about you being put on my visiting list. All you have to do is write to my Classification Officer Mr. Dayan and ask him for the necessary forms for being put on my visiting list. He will send you the forms, and you fill them out, get them notarized, and put a small picture with it for the record. Then we wait for approval from his boss. I was told that it should be no problem, cause I don’t have any young ladies on my list, except my mother. So, go ahead and write to Mr. Dayan as soon as possible. I have wrote him a letter having my ex-sister-in-law taken off my list. She never came up anyway, Kat. So, that will let you get on my list. I was also told that you cannot bring any tape recorder in, except for weekday interviews. But you can bring up to $20 in $5 bills, so we can have something to drink, eat, etc. The visiting hours on Saturdays and Sundays are 9 am to 3 pm. We can figure out when mom and Dad come up, every two weeks on Sundays, and you can come up on Saturdays. Nobody will know you work for a newspaper (inmates that is.) Before I forget, you need your driver’s license for I.D. purposes when you come up to visit. My mother has one of those clear plastic purses she carries in with her. You might want to do the same Kat. They won’t let you bring your pocketbook with you. I can fill you in on more, if you have any questions about visiting.
Bet you are ready for the concert? Wish I could see it. He was in Jacksonville last night. Have fun Kat. Be careful where you park, cause there are a lot of people who steal, and bang their doors into others.
Have you gotten your present yet? Let me know when you do. Sure hope you like it.
I am still waiting to see Paul. He probably is very busy, and can’t get any time off to come up. Also, the Holidays are coming up too. That has a lot to do with it. But we write to one another though.
These people must think we are made of money here. They have increased the prices on most of our canteen (store) items. I feel sorry for the ones who work on $5 a week. At least I keep myself in coffee, cigs, toilet articles, etc. Most of the floor I’m on is the same way. We try to keep this side looking up to snuff, because of the tours come down to look.
Well, I want to put this in the mail for you, Kat. Again, I hope you enjoy the concert tonight. Be careful.
See you soon—
 
Yours truly,
Jerry
 
P.S. Don’t forget to send off to Mr. Dayan all the necessary papers for you to be put on my visiting list.

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