Destination by James Ellroy Page A

of innocence or guilt.
    Graham’s spree follows the Lambert snuff. Some snuff details and spree details cohere. Graham says he’s killed people. Graham tells a victim: If I’m caught, I’ll burn.
    Witness Skillern’s ID. Variant IDs. The alibi wits.
    Rick’s bottom line:
    He wouldn’t file a case off a single-wit ID.
    We checked into our hotel. We prepared to roll.
    We had a phone list. Rick made calls. We arranged interviews.
    Rick called Detective Owen. Owen worked for the DEA now.
    Owen was brusque. Owen said he was vague on the Graham case.
    Rick called Detective Ellis. Ellis lived in San Diego. Ellis said he was vague on the Graham case.
    Witness Grady was dead. We tried to locate Witness Amos. We tapped out.
    Rick called Witness Skillern. Rick left a message. Rick asked her to call the hotel.
    Rick called Witness Etuk. Rick called Chester Thornton and Ron Mock. They agreed to interviews.
    Rick called Florence McDonald. She promised to find her son and James Mukes. Leodis Wilkerson was long gone.
    Rick called the D.A.’s Office. An assistant pledged more paperwork.
    Rick called Witness Hubbard. Rick left a message. Rick asked him to call the hotel.
    Rick called the Terrell Unit. Rick confirmed our meet with Gary Graham.
    We studied our papers. We gleaned new details.
    Per photo spread #2:
    Witness Skillern views mug shots. Graham is clean-shaven. Graham has short hair.
    Four men have longer hair. Four men have facial hair.
    Ms. Skillern said the shooter was clean-shaven. Ms. Skillern said he had short hair.
    Four shots bear dates. Four shots bear booking numbers. Graham’s numbers are obscured.
    Ms. Skillern says Graham looks like the shooter.
    But:
    The shooter had darker skin.
    Ms. Skillern views a live lineup. Ms. Skillern ID’s Graham.
    Graham was in the lineup. Graham was in photo spread #2.
    Graham was the only man in both displays.
    Ms. Skillern knows this. She tells Detective Owen. She recalled Graham from spread #2.
    From the defense brief. A known expert comments.
    Dr. Elizabeth Loftus:
    There is an enhanced likelihood that a witness will identify the person in the lineup whom she has seen in the photo spread, whether or not the person is actually the one whose crime she witnessed.
    . . . This familiarity may be mistakenly related back to the crime rather than back to the photograph where it may properly belong.
    Rick found the logic credible. I agreed.
    From the defense brief. Two wits volunteer.
    4/93:
    Malcolm Stephens sees news spots on Gary Graham. He relates them to an event.
    It’s 5/13/81. Stephens approaches the Safeway. His wife is with him.
    A black male runs in front of their car.
    He’s “about 5′5″ . . . compact, but not big, short hair, no beard or anything like that.”
    They approach the store. They get close. They see the victim prone.
    Cut to:
    1982.
    Mr. Stephens sees the black male again.
    He’s by some apartments. He’s familiar.
    They talk. Mr. Stephens tries to place him.
    He puts it together. He’s the parking-lot dude.
    Mr. Stephens sees him “several more times.” Mr. Stephens “learned more about him.”
    Cut to:
    4/93. Gary Graham on TV.
    He’s
not
the Safeway killer. He’s not the parking-lot dude.
    Mr. Stephens comes forth. Mr. Stephens views the Skillern composite.
    It looks like the parking-lot dude. It does not look like Gary Graham.
    I thought it was bullshit. Street jive triumphant. Rick agreed.
    I called my friend Bill Stoner. Bill worked Sheriff’s Homicide. He worked it fifteen years.
    I asked him if he’d file on a one-wit ID.
    Bill said, “No way.”
    HOUSTON WAS BIG. Freeway grids crosshatched it. Dive neighborhoods stretched wide.
    Rick dug the grid aspect. Heist men loved freeways. On-ramps greased quick escapes.
    Graham stayed mobile. His spree turf stretched wide. He dodged hot-car bulletins. He spreed for seven days.
    I drove. Rick navigated. We toured