Det. Rodney Vose: Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
Okay?
Denny Petitt: Right.
Det. Rodney Vose: You have the right to talk to a lawyer and have him present while being
questioned do you understand that?
Denny Petitt: I
killed my brother.
Det. Rodney: Did you hear what I read you?
Denny Petitt: Yeah, I don’t give a f**k.
Det. Rodney Vose: Okay if you cannot afford to hire a lawyer one will be appointed to
represent you before any questioning if you wish, do you understand that?
Denny Petitt: Oh, man, I killed my brother.
Det. Rodney Vose: Do you want me to repeat that one?
Denny Petitt: Man I can’t believe I killed my…..you don’t need to repeat nothing. I
can’t believe I killed my brother. F**k. Oh man. I didn’t mean to. Swear to
God, I didn’t mean to kill him. I love my bro you know he’s just beating my
a**, and I had to fight my way off of him.
Denny Petitt: He beat my a** up.
Det. Rodney Vose: I see that.
Denny Petitt: I
can’t f**king believe I killed my own brother. G*****n it. I knew he was dead
when I seen him, I knew he was dead, I knew it. I’ve been to Vietnam and back
you know, I knew he was dead. That
officer wouldn’t tell me. I knew he was dead.
Det. Rodney Vose: You deserve to know.
Denny Petitt: I can’t believe I killed my brother. {crying} I can’t believe it. I killed my own brother. He’s dead?
Det. Rodney Vose: He’s dead, yeah he’s dead.
Denny Petitt: Oh f**k, oh my God, my little brother, I killed him.
Det. Rod Vose: There's
not any words I can give ya to make any of this go away
or make anything
better.
Denny Petitt: No I
know it.
Det. Rodney Vose: I'm sorry but.
Denny Petitt: I know
it. I knew he was dead. I'm a Vietnam Vet I know when
somebody's dead
and when they're not and he was dead. He was dead when
they arrived. I hit him
with a
f**king oxygen tank. But I done it in self defense.
Look at me.
Det. Rodney Vose: I know, that's why we wanna talk to ya.
Denny
Petitt: You know what I mean I did it in self defense I didn't do it ‘cause I
wanted to kill my brother, f**k. {crying}
Oh my God. I didn't wanna do it, he
was beating my a** I just, it's the only thing I could do
to help myself. F**k. I
hate it I killed my brother, my younger brother. You know what I
mean I hate it.
{crying}
Denny
Petitt: I don’t know man, but I tell you
I loved my brother.
Det.
Rodney Vose: I know buddy.
Denny
Petitt: I didn’t mean to kill my
brother, I loved my brother, I didn’t mean to
kill him. We loved each other.
Denny
Petitt: I know I killed my brother, but
I’m still drunk, so was he, that’s why
he beat my a**.
Denny
Petitt: I didn’t mean to kill him, I
knew I did when I looked at his
forehead, I picked him up told Dave to call 911, I lifted his head up, I knew he
was
dead. I’ve been to Vietnam and back, I know when
somebody’s dead.
{crying}
Denny
Petitt: I killed my brother, I’ll never
live with myself again.
Denny
Petitt: I’ve seen dead people before {sighing}
I wish it would have been me
instead of him, he’s young, he’s 50, I’m
60. I don’t know, he beat me up, I
never
caused it. I can’t believe it. It should have been me,
you know, I wished it
been me. He beat his girlfriend up, almost killed her and had no where
to go.
I’ll never live with myself, that’s
a hard thing killing your own brother.
{Partial Transcript of interview of Denny Petitt on
March 30, 2009, approximately 2 hours after Tony’s death, this interview lasted
1 ½ hours}
