By JULIA JOHN-SCHEDER
A disappointed defense team said Tuesday they were “heartbroken” over the guilty verdict that might send their client, the so-called ‘cannibal cop’, to prison for the rest of his life.
A Manhattan Federal Court jury of six men and six women found Gilberto Valle, 28, guilty of conspiring to kidnap, rape, kill and eat several women including his wife. The former New York City police officer was also found guilty in accessing without permission a police database to research his victims
The courtroom quickly filled up with spectators as word spread that the jury had come to a verdict after deliberating for four days. Upon hearing the verdict Valle’s shoulders slumped and his head hung low. Defense lawyer Julia Gatto, sitting to his right put her hands to her face and shook her head in disbelief.
The defense team had tried to make the case that Valle’s behavior was fantasy “role play” and raised the larger legal question of freedom of speech on the Internet
“We now have people getting prosecuted and convicted of their thoughts,” said defense lawyer Robert Baum outside the courtroom.
Prosecutors had a different take on the verdict:
“Today, a unanimous jury found that Gilberto Valle’s detailed and specific plans to abduct women for the purpose of committing grotesque crimes were very real, and that he was guilty as charged,” said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in a statement. “The Internet is a forum for the free exchange of ideas, but it does not confer immunity for plotting crimes and taking steps to carry out those crimes.”
Valle had used websites like darketishnet.com to exchange information on how to cook women and conspired with at least three others to abduct women. Among his potential victims was his wife and several of Valle’s college friends.
Valle’s parents, who sat in the courtroom every day of their son’s trial appeared to be shaken upon hearing the verdict. His mother hugged Gatto as well as other members of her son’s defense team. The mother kept stating her shock about the result. “Hang in there,” she said of her son to a host of reporters and cameras followed her down the subway steps
Valle and his defense lawyer Gatto hugged for a long time after hearing the verdict, both holding back tears. Then he was handcuffed and led off. At a short press meeting outside the court, Gatto said Valle would stay in solitary confinement where he has been since his arrest in October.
Gatto said that her team would appeal the verdict in 30 days. Valle’s sentencing date was set for June 19.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.