Authors: Corey Mitchell
Dead And Buried (15 page)
“Why did you go into that house?” Detective Ferdolage asked.
“I wanted to steal her stereo.”
“Why did you go into the bedroom to steal her stereo and not the living room?”
“I thought it was in the bedroom.”
Detective Ferdolage and Krebs continued to talk about AnishkaConstantine. Krebs told the officer that he met her about a month ago while fixing her neighbor’s garage door. He then told Ferdolage that he pried open her garage door with a screwdriver. Once inside the garage, he managed to get inside her house. He silently moved around the house and crept into the two bedrooms. In the second room he spotted the woman and her little girl in bed. He startled the woman and she fought with him instantly. He stated he lost his hat, knife, and flashlight in the ensuing scuffle. He did not realize he had lost his knife until he looked down at his pants and noticedthat his belt had somehow come undone and the sheath had fallen off. He stressed that he had only gone to her house to steal her stereo, not to rape her.
Detective Ferdolage decided on a new tactic. He began to ask questions about the rape of Shelly Crosby in Oceano on May 24, 1987. He wanted to know if Krebs had attacked the young woman. Krebs repeatedly denied involvement in the case.
“I don’t think you’re telling me the truth, Rex.” Detective Ferdolage was exerting more pressure.
“I’m telling you, I had nothing to do with that. I don’t know anything about that.”
Detective Ferdolage could sense that Krebs was ready to break. He put more pressure on him. He talked about the importanceof telling the truth, of clearing one’s conscience, and understanding the value of remorse. Detective Ferdolage also talked about the benefits of psychological counseling.
After several minutes, Krebs glanced down at the floor. He slowly lifted his head in Detective Ferdolage’s direction. The detective waited patiently, not wanting to blow an opportunity.
“I want the counseling, but I am afraid of the time,” he pathetically pleaded.
“Rex, there’s obviously going to be some jail time with this kind of crime. I can’t tell you how much, but our judicial system is set up so you are gonna have to do some time.”
Krebs’s eyes were downcast. He looked defeated.
“Why did you do this, Rex?” Detective Ferdolage desperatelywanted to know.
“I don’t know why I did it,” Krebs sullenly replied. He tried to explain what happened with Shelly Crosby. He had been drinking at the Red Fox Bar in Grover City that night. He consumed four martinis and several beers and was intoxicated.He drove over to Farm Boys for some coffee in hopes that it would wake him up. He stated that a cute woman caught his eye as she entered the restaurant. He hoped to catch hers and maybe have a late-night rendezvous; however, she walked right past him.
“She looked down on me like I was trash,” Krebs bitterly recalled.
Shelly Crosby’s nonacknowledgment of Rex Krebs angeredthe young man, so he decided to take out his frustrations on her. He followed her home in his Volkswagen Bug, waited until she entered her home, and then waited an additional thirty minutes before he entered through an unlockedliving-room window. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a large knife from a drawer. He had a large coil of nylon rope with him. He looked around the house and found her asleep in her bedroom. He tied her up and attempted to rape her for thirty to forty-five minutes, but could not get an erection.
Krebs stated that he could not tell him any more. He began to cry.
“What’s going to happen to me?” he worried aloud to Detective Ferdolage.
Rex Krebs eventually plea-bargained in the rape of Shelly Crosby and the attempted rape of Anishka Constantine. San Luis Obispo County Superior Court judge William B. Fredmansentenced Krebs to twenty years in prison. Judge Fredman, however, gave Krebs an additional admonishment.
“You’re going to be in prison for a substantial period of time,” Judge Fredman warned Krebs. “And you will be gettingout when you will not be so old that your predisposition might not rise again and you may be tempted to commit similar offenses.”
Judge Fredman encouraged Krebs to participate in as many treatment programs as possible while behind bars to avoid becoming a repeat sex offender.
“And if you get into that program,” Fredman continued,“I think it will assure you that when you get out, you won’t be going into the community and committing the same kind of offense again and spending the rest of your life in an institution.”
THIRTY-TWO
After Rex Krebs’s conviction, the courts transferred him to Chino. Chino, now known as Wasco for the Central Coast of California, is a designated intake prison. It is a holdover prison for persons convicted of crimes whose eventual prison has not yet been determined. While there, the prisoner undergoesa rigorous ninety-day evaluation. Prison officials determine whether the prisoner-to-be has gang affiliations, drug problems, or is prone to violence. Psychologists and psychiatrists check the prisoner out to determine his mental-healthstatus.
All of these factors are weighed together to determine a “point” value for the prisoner, which then helps to determine what level of security is needed for that prisoner. This, in turn, lets officials know in which prison the convict will spend his time.
On November 5, 1987, Krebs received an administered psychological evaluation from the Chino Guidance Center.It consisted of two questions on drug and/or alcohol use and/or abuse; seven questions about mental hospitals and/or treatment; four fill-in-the-list questions concerningself-examination; a description of the offense that led to the incarceration; forty-nine questions where the respondentfilled in the missing part of a sentence; and a Draw-a-Person segment, both male and female.
Concerning the drug and alcohol questions, Krebs listed that he used heroin and that he occasionally drank alcohol.
As for the mental-health questions, he did not mark either yes or no when asked if he had ever been to prison or a mentalhospital for a sexual offense. He did mention, however, his stay at North Idaho Children’s Home. He also stated that he often felt the need to speak with a psychiatrist, that he often felt inferior, and that it bothered him to think of what he did to “those people.” He also worried about “being hurt both physicly and mentaly (
sic
).” He feared that people would not accept him as a person. Finally he requested that he would like to receive regular psychological counseling while in prison.
sic
).” He feared that people would not accept him as a person. Finally he requested that he would like to receive regular psychological counseling while in prison.
“I’m not sure exactly what my problem is,” Krebs wrote on the form, “I hope I can be helped to realize and deal with it while I’m here.”
In the fill-in-the-list portion of the evaluation, Krebs described his ambitions, who he was as a person, his personality,and how he wanted to change while in prison. His ambitions were to lead a successful and productive life, get married, have two children, and make money.
He described himself as a farmer’s son who was open-minded,yet scared. He relayed that his personality was that of a fair-minded person who liked sports and the outdoors. He was a hard worker. He seemed somewhat unsure what his personality was, but he knew he liked people and peopleliked him. He also stated that he liked to be alone. Finally Krebs stated that he hoped to find out why he did things a certain way and to change that part of himself while in prison.
Krebs’s description of the crimes that caused his imprisonmentwas brief. It took up only ¾” of a 7 ½” sheet of paper. The instructions stated that the prisoner could write the rest of his story on the back of the page if necessary. Krebs wrote the following:
I am not sure how I feel right now. I know I feel badly abought (
sic
) it But I don’t know quiet (
sic
) how to put words to it. Im (
sic
) not sure why I did it. I Know I’ve had I guess fantasies abought (
sic
) Rape since I was abought (
sic
) 15 years old, I don’t Know why!
sic
) it But I don’t know quiet (
sic
) how to put words to it. Im (
sic
) not sure why I did it. I Know I’ve had I guess fantasies abought (
sic
) Rape since I was abought (
sic
) 15 years old, I don’t Know why!
Krebs also filled out all forty-nine fill-in-the-blank questions.Among them included:
#7. I don’t like girls who
Flirt alot
.
#9. I could not love her because
she is to (
sic
) mean
.
#15. Sometimes sex
is scary
.
#24. Marriage
is what I wanted most with Liesl
.
#27. I almost lost hope when
Liesl left me
.
#33. My father annoyed me
when he beat me
.
#44. If I fail
in life it is my own fault
.
#49. I want my doctor to
help me if he or she can
.
Flirt alot
.
#9. I could not love her because
she is to (
sic
) mean
.
#15. Sometimes sex
is scary
.
#24. Marriage
is what I wanted most with Liesl
.
#27. I almost lost hope when
Liesl left me
.
#33. My father annoyed me
when he beat me
.
#44. If I fail
in life it is my own fault
.
#49. I want my doctor to
help me if he or she can
.
Finally Krebs drew a picture of a man and woman. The man is a twenty-six-year-old standing on the beach, thinking about how he failed his family and himself. The man is at his wit’s end and cannot stand himself.
The woman is a twenty-year-old who just got off work. Krebs wrote about her that she “thinks she’ll go home.” He described the woman as extremely tired.
Upon completion of Krebs’s evaluation, California Departmentof Corrections officials determined that he would be best suited for the Correctional Training Facility (CTF) in Soledad, California. CTF is located approximately 26 miles southeast of Salinas, California, and approximately 150 miles southwest of Fresno. It consists of three sections: CTF South, CTF Central, and CTF North. South provides outside minimum-custodyworkers and offers academic, vocational, and industrial assignments for the inmates. Central is a training facility used to teach inmates life and work skills. North providesthe same as Central.
The prison opened in 1946 on 680 acres in the town of Soledad when the South facility acted as a camp for San Quentin State Prison. Central opened in 1951, followed by North in 1958. The prison added an additional dormitory to the Central building in 1984.
CTF is the largest of all the California prisons. Accordingto the 1997 to 1998 Fiscal Year reports, CTF’s budget stood at $105 million and its annual population consisted of 7,100 inmates, 213 percent more than its designed capacity.
CTF houses Security Level I and II inmates, the least likely candidates for violence. The South house is a Level I facility, while Central and North are Level IIs. The Central facility also houses a protective custody wing known as AdministrativeSegregation. “Ad Seg,” or “the Hole,” is an area where they keep certain prisoners separated from the rest of the prison population. Average time served at CTF is three to five years. Fifteen percent of the population, however, is serving a life sentence.
A number of factors determine a prisoner’s security level in California: charges, sentence length, education level, militarybackground, marital status, and family history. Prisoners at CTF receive annual reports that monitor their progress behind bars. These reports offer a numerical charting system that calculates points for or against the inmates. For instance, they may receive good time credits for work or classroom accomplishments.Prisoners will have points deducted for rule infractions, such as engaging in fights or smuggling drugs into the prison.
The prison architects designed CTF cells to be single-prisonercells, but now they must double up. The cells are 6’ x 8’ and consist of a two-tiered bunk bed and a toilet.
CTF offers its inmates several educational and vocational opportunities. The goal here is to help set these criminals on a path to improve their lives upon release so that they can function in normal society. To accomplish that goal, the prison offers numerous activities: carpentry, appliance repair, printing, upholstery work, welding, landscaping, toy repair, and clothes making.
The population does not fluctuate drastically at CTF. A monthly average of seven hundred inmates are transferred to and from CTF. These include parolees and prisoners released to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Krebs received a room assignment in the North Facility at CTF, Level II security. The North building consists of two units, one on each side of the building. Unit One is two prisonerhalls and one dormitory. Unit Two is two prisoner halls. It is an open-air facility surrounded by armed guard towers.
The North Dormitory, a former gymnasium, consists of eighty double bunk beds for 160 inmates. It resembles a militarybarracks unit, with one big hall lined with several beds on either side.
The dormitory has a community shower area, community rest room area, two television rooms near the back of the building, and two pay phones on the back wall. Correctional officers oversee the dormitory perched on top of a podium locatedat the front of the room. An armed sharpshooter keeps watch at all times to make sure prisoners stay in line.
This became Rex Krebs’s new home.
The inmates assigned to the North Dormitory were revered in CTF. They had the plum assignment in prison. They were the day-shift textile workers. They were allowed to leave their barracks every weekday to go and work for eight hours in a building behind the Unit One yard. They made blue jeans. They also received more pay than the other prisoners did. Seven-and-a-half cents a day.
Krebs’s bed assignment was 80 Lower, located directly underneaththe gunman. The other inmates considered his bed to be prime real estate. Located next to a wall, the bed only had one neighbor to the right of it. He also had a direct sight-lineto the podium, so he could keep an eye on the guard. Eighty Lower also provided a perfect vantage point for the rest of the dormitory, perfect for keeping your eye on other, more volatile inmates.
Krebs, however, seemed to get along with almost everyone in the North Dormitory. The prisoners respected him and went to him if they had a problem. He listened intently and made good suggestions on a myriad of problems. The prison staff liked him as well. He usually stayed out of trouble and worked hard.
Rex’s hard work paid off with his ordination as the Caucasianrepresentative for the Men’s Advisory Council (MAC). The MAC adviser is an exalted position in the prison system. The MAC adviser acts as a liaison between the prison staff and the ethnic group represented. If there are problems betweencertain ethnic groups, the MAC adviser can approach the prison staff and attempt to work out the problem. In addition,if there is a problem between a particular prisoner and a specific guard, the MAC adviser can approach the prison representatives without fear of reprisal and attempt to solve the problem. The purpose of MAC is to open up the channels of communication among the prisoners and between the prisonersand the guards. In addition, the hope is that by opening up these channels, prisoners will use violence less often to resolveconflicts.
Krebs loved his role as the MAC adviser. One had to be elected by the other inmates in his dorm, which meant he had to have a good relationship with others in the building. Krebs held the position for three years. He liked that he had a responsibilityto keep the attitude in the dormitory calm. He also liked being in charge when it came to informing the other inmates when a lockdown occurred.
Krebs considered anything that drew attention away from his actual crimes a good thing. The prison system has an internal pecking order among its inmates. There is a hierarchyof acceptable and despicable crimes in prison. It is a bizarre code of cell ethics.
The lowest of the low are the rapists and child molesters. A certain machismo seems to exist among hardened criminals.The predatory sex offenders do not rank on that scale of macho crimes. Other prisoners look down on sex offenders as scumbags who are too weak to pick on someone their own size and who must attack defenseless people for their personal gratification.
If a prisoner finds out that one of their cellmates or dorm mates is a child molester or rapist, the response is usually not pretty. Gang rapes in the shower are common. Male rape by prisoners inflicted with AIDS assures a death sentence for some. Others have slits across their faces made with a homemadeshiv. It marks their true nature, that way if a sex offender is transferred to a new prison, the new prisoners will know what crime he committed.
Rex Krebs managed to keep his crimes a secret from the rest of his dormitory mates. He did this by claiming that he was a “lifer.” A lifer is someone in prison for life, usually for murder. It is common knowledge among prisoners not to mess with lifers because they will kill you in the blink of an eye. They have nothing to lose.
The ruse also kept Krebs from participating in any psychologicalcounseling while in prison. He did not attend meetings for sex offenders because the other inmates would then know that he had raped women and attacked little girls. He kept his mouth shut and stayed away from the shrinks.
Krebs’s time in CTF seemed rather unremarkable. He kept his nose clean, stayed out of fights most of the time, did a good job with the MAC, did his job in the textiles department,and kept up a good working relationship with the correctional officers. He also spent much of his spare time working with leather or jewelry crafts.
He also had an affinity for belt buckles. He would sit for hours in his cell making sketches and designs for unique belt buckles. His favorite buckle contained the infinity logo, or the number 8 on its side. Apparently, the number had a significant meaning for Rex. According to sources, he had a fascinationwith Egyptian numerology and the number 8 specifically. Anja Heij’s report on the meaning of the word “infinity” comes up with an interesting description: “Progress or change is accomplished by walking both sides of the spectrum,usually named opposites, switching over once a critical mass has been reached, thus finding a new balance time after time.”
Some numerologists view the number 8 as a symbol of death and resurrection. It has also come to symbolize the masculine and feminine sides of an individual. In sexual terms infinity is a form of sexual congress between a man and a woman.
The circle represents the purest form of life. When the two circles join in harmony, they make the perfect symbol of infinity. Unfortunately, the circles can create a negative reaction, throwing everything into a state of flux. Regardlessof the outcome, the number 8 ultimately represents the concept of total responsibility for one’s life.
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