After a performance in Spokane, police have arrested members of veteran death metal band Decapitated. Yet, why haven’t authorities released key information surrounding the fan’s kidnapping claims?
Earlier today, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officers took four adult males into custody. Michal Mikolaj, 27, Waclaw Kieltyka, 35, Rafal Piotrowski, 31, and Hubert Wiecek, 30, were arrested and booked in Santa Ana, California. A fan has accused the Decapitated band members of first degree kidnapping. The band hails from Poland.
On August 31st, 2017, the band performed at The Pin, a live music venue located in Spokane, Washington. After the performance, the four members allegedly held a woman against her will in downtown Spokane.
In a statement on its website, Spokane City Police Cpl. Teresa Fuller wrote,
“Spokane Police received a call from a victim reporting an incident that happened after a concert in downtown Spokane.”
Police had received the call shortly after 2am on September 1st, 2017. A patrol officer responded to the call and assisted the victim. The report was then sent to the Special Victim’s Unit for a follow-up. After an investigation, officers for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department booked the Decapitated band members. They will remain in jail until their extradition to Spokane.
Cpl. Fuller thanked the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office for their help.
“We greatly appreciate Los Angeles County’s help when it comes to holding criminals accountable for serious offenses committed here in Spokane.”
Yet, have police overlooked the facts?
All of this sounds like a clear-cut case of fine police work. Four bad men committed a heinous crime. After receiving a phone call, officers identified and arrested the bad men. The bad men will now spend years in jail. A woman has received justice following a harrowing ordeal.
Yet, looking at Cpl. Fuller’s statement, the Spokane Police Department have yet to answer the following questions:
Who was this woman?
Why had she attended the concert?
Had she attended the concert alone?
Why would she have stayed alone with the band after the performance?
If the band did kidnap this woman, why haven’t any eyewitnesses on the woman’s behalf come forward?
Why are there only eyewitnesses that testify against this woman’s claims?
The band has toured for over fifteen years. If they’ve kidnapped other victims, why haven’t any made similar accusations?
Why did Cpl. Fuller readily call Decapitated band members “criminals” that committed “serious offenses” in Spokane?
After finding out about the investigation, Decapitated members hired Spokane defense attorney, Steve Graham.
In a statement, he said,
“There is another side to this. We have witnesses that can testify to the fact that the accuser came to visit the band of her own free will and left on good terms. I made it clear that I could get the guys up here ASAP and they would cooperate.”
As part of their Double Homicide tour, the group had toured with Australian deathcore band, Thy Art is Murder. Both groups would’ve played thirteen more shows across North America. Decapitated would’ve then returned to Poland following the tour. However, the tour most likely faces cancellation.
Steve Graham fears that the band will “languish” in Los Angeles County Jail for weeks prior to their extradition. However, he said that the four will not fight their extradition. They will return to Spokane willingly.
Image by Abrisad (CC by 2.0)
While I sympathize with the band and agree that it is highly unlikely that they actually kidnapped anyone while on tour, I would like to point out that at this point in the legal process the police aren’t obligated to answer the various questions that the author of the article would like to have answered immediately. The police investigated and based on that investigation and the evidence gathered (most likely the alleged victim’s statement, chiefly) they were able to obtain a warrant for the band’s arrest. They do not need to answer any of those questions in order to do that.
They will need to file a police report detailing what occurred in general terms but the band won’t get to see all of the state’s evidentiary claims until the discovery process takes place as part of the lead-up to either a trial or a plea bargain or possibly a dismissal of the charges if the band’s legal counsel can show some compelling reason for it. During the discovery process, the band and their lawyers will see the official statement she made in her complaint to the police as well as any physical evidence or other corroborating evidence the police have obtained, if any exists. They will also be able to ascertain the woman’s identity (in America you have a “right to know your accuser,”) and if they feel it’s necessary they could hire a private investigator to look into her background and find out who she is in a broader sense.
And questions regarding the woman’s identity or motives such as “why did the woman attend the show alone” and so forth probably won’t be addressed in discovery either, rather they would be questions that the defense could ask the woman if she takes the stand as a witness during the trial.
I know this completely sucks no matter what, but I got the feeling perhaps that the author wasn’t totally familiar with the American legal system, so perhaps that helps.
Sp every time i go to a show i should be aware i might be raped? Your questions are very much blaming the victim rape mentality.they arenr revealing her name for her protection.why did she attend the show? Really? Was she alone? These are irrelevant. This could have happened many other times.even if she got in the bus ti meet the band that means she is responsible uf shes kidnapped or raped?
I second the previous comments. This article lacks basic knowledge of the American justice system and enforces rape culture by blaming the accuser. It is a shame that it was published, and will certainly taint my opinion of this site overall (which I normally follow quite avidly and recommend to others).