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DOUGLAS A. TRANT February 10, 1999 William
E. Gibson RE: John Dedmon Tape Dear Mr. Gibson: I know that you are aware that John Dedmon alleges that he has a tape
recording of you, Gerald Bilyeu and him at a meeting
outside your office on October 27, 1997. 1 have listened to the tape
recording with the voices identified by Mr. Dedmon. The part of the tape of
greatest concern to me is attached to this letter(1)
in which the voice he identifies as you asks him to
set up Byron Looper by whatever it takes. In a videotaped interview with Mr.
Dedmon, he indicates that meant for him to do anything legal or illegal to
set up Byron Looper as he had done in poker machine cases for you in
Crossville. It is absolutely necessary that we
determine with certainty whether this tape is genuine, as Mr. Dedmon suggests
or is not genuine, as you suggest. Mr. Bilyeu corroborates Mr. Dedmon. Former
TBI Special Agent Butch Morris corroborates that he did come upon the three
of you on that date and in that place. In order to try to determine the real truth in
this matter, I have had the tape analyzed by one of the most renowned audio
tape analysts and voice identification specialists in the country, Joel
Charles. Mr. Charles had for comparison a radio interview of you from a
Cookeville radio station. Unfortunately, there were not enough common words
for Mr. Charles to come to a definite conclusion, but he has concluded that
it could well have been you and that you certainly cannot be excluded. He
said in order to test the matter with more certainty
he would need a voice exemplar from you. A voice exemplar could be given over
the telephone and would take only a few minutes of your time for you to
repeat what is said on the questioned tape in the same sequence and at Mr.
Charles' direction. I am writing to ask you to voluntarily submit to this voice exemplar so
that this matter can be determined with certainty. If the tape is not genuine
as you suggest, that would put an end to the matter if Mr. Charles agrees. If the tape is as Mr. Dedmon suggests, the court
and the public should be made aware of this illegal attempt to set up Mr.
Looper as well as other citizens in your district. I look forward to hearing from you promptly on this matter. Be assured I
do not raise it lightly but have the responsibility to pursue it so that the
truth can be reached once and for all. Sincerely, Douglas A. Trant DAT/dm Enclosure FAXED - ORIGINAL pc: Byron Looper Return to The Putnam Pit
CONVERSATION
BETWEEN JOHN DEDMON, GERARD BILYEU AND BILL GIBSON -
FORMER TBI SPECIAL AGENT BUTCH MORRIS JOINS THEM AT THE
END
Gibson: John, I got a problem I need you to take care of. Dedmon: What's that? Gibson: I want you to set up Byron Looper. Dedmon: What do you mean, like what I did in Crossville? Gibson: Yes, you know what I mean. Do whatever you gotta
do; just get it done. Whatever it takes. - |