Federal Workers At The Transfer Center Told Investigators That The Inmate Appeared To Be Asleep When His Cell Was Checked At 2:38 A.m. On The Morning Of Aug. 21, 1995. When A Guard Made His Next Rounds At 3 A.m., The BOP Worker Reported Trentadue Was Hanging By A Bed Sheet And There Was Considerable Blood Visible On The Body And In The Cell.
When Two Employees From The State Medical Examiner's Office Arrived To Conduct An Investigation, They Were Told They Could Not Examine The Cell. Supervisors At The Facility Said They Would Do Their Own Investigation.
Turning Away The Medical Examiners From The Scene Was A Clear Violation Of State Law - One Of Many Abuses Of Authority The Remarkable Case Would Experience. Subsequent Investigations Would Uncover Several Cases Of Perjury And The Destruction Or Loss Of 41 Critical Pieces Of Evidence.
For The Next Three Years, Oklahoma's Medical Examiner Kept The Investigation Open - Refusing To Bow To Pressure From The FBI And BOP To Call The Inmate's Death On Federal Property A Suicide.
Trentadue's Severely Cut And Heavily Bruised Body Had Convinced Dr. Jordan And His Staff That The Individual Had Been Severely Beaten Before Death.
Since The BOP Said Trentadue Was In The SHU Without Access To Other Prisoners, Naturally The Guards At The Institution Were The Primary Suspects. And Those Guards Immediately Cleaned The Cell And Kept The Medical Examiner's Office From Doing Its Own Investigation Of The Scene....
Bevel's Conclusions About Trentadue's Last Moments Of Life Are Summarized In A Filing By The Trentadue Family In Federal Court:
"The Government Claim That After The Guards Last Saw Trentadue Alive And In Bed At 2:38 A.m., Trentadue Used A Pencil To Write A Suicide Note On The Wall Of His Cell, But Did Not Sign That Note With His Own Name. Next, He Patiently Tore A Sheet Into Dozens Of Strips. He Then Constructed A Ligature From Those Strips Of Bed Sheet. Once That Ligature Was Manufactured, Trentadue Re-Made His Bed, Climbed The Wall Of His Cell And Wove The Bed Sheet Rope Into A Metal Vent Above His Sink. Trentadue Then Tried To Hang Himself And Was Momentarily Successful, But The Bed Sheet Rope Broke. Trentadue Fell, Hitting His Buttocks On The Edge Of The Sink But Doing No Injury To His Buttocks. The Impact Of His Body On The Sink Caused Trentadue To Ricochet Across The Cell Headfirst Into The Corner Of A Metal Desk At The End Of His Bunk, Producing A Major Wound On His Forehead.
The Government Claim That The Force Of That Impact Caused Trentadue To Rotate 180 Degrees And Careen Across His Cell To Smash His Head, Leaving Blood And Hair On The Wall Of His Cell And Tearing Extensive Areas Of Skin Off Of His Back. Despite Striking The Desk With Such Force, The Impact Does Not Disturb A Cup Of Coffee Or Any Of The Papers On The Desk.
"The Government Claims That While Unconscious From His Two Head Wounds, Trentadue Rolled Over On His Stomach And Bled Profusely, Depositing Large Pools Of Blood On The Floor Of His Cell. When Trentadue Regained Consciousness, He Attempted To Get Up But Struck The Back Of His Head On The Metal Stool Attached To The Desk, Causing A Third Major Wound On The Back Of His Head. This Third Blow To His Head Further Dazed Trentadue, Who Then Crawled On All Fours, With His Clothing Smearing The Blood On The Floor.
"The Government Claim That Trentadue Finally Got To His Feet And Staggered Around, Leaving Blood Deposits On The Walls And Floor Of His Cell. He Then Stumbled To His Bed And Lay Down To Regain His Senses. After A While, Trentadue Used Two Plastic Toothpaste Tubes Or A Plastic Knife To Cut His Throat, Leaving Blood On His Pillowcase, Sheet And Blanket. When That Second Suicide Attempt Failed, Trentadue Reconstructed The Bed Sheet And Successfully Hanged Himself."...