Transcript and video: Vancouver police interrogate accused murderer Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam
A video has been released showing a Vancouver police interrogation of accused killer Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam.
In it, Sgt. Leah Terpsma repeatedly asks Kam to provide explanations for evidence linking him to the 2017 murder of a married couple in Vancouver's Marpole neighbourhood.
Richard Jones, 68, and Dianna Mah-Jones, 64, were stabbed to death in their home in a crime that shocked the province.
This evidence includes a hatchet, hat, and glove, which all strongly resemble items bought by Kam at Canadian Tire, right down to the brands and colouring.
Kam often responds with silence to Terpsma's questions before she finally leaves the room, describing him as an "animal".
Kam's defence has argued that he had an addiction to video games and thought that he was actually in a video game when he attacked Jones and Mah-Jones.
Below, you can read a transcript of the interrogation.
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "This doesn't have to be the only thing that we think of you. Do you understand that? That there's still hope and there's still a chance for you to make something good come out of this. Your family is watching what you do from here forward. Your grandmother is watching what you do here forward. Come on, Rocky, you've got to do the right thing. I don't understand how this is difficult. It's very simple. It's very easy, actually. There is only one right thing to do."
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "I have nothing to say."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "So Rocky, one more time then: why is your DNA on this knife ouside the house where these people were killed. Can I have an explanation for that?
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "I have nothing to say."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "Rocky I want you to notice that there's an, there's an image of you at the Canadian Tire when you are buying a hatchet, a pair of gloves, and a hat. The hatchet and the hat, uh, are at the house, the exact same make and model as you bought. The same hat that you boought, the same brand, same logo, same everything is at the house where those people were killed. Do you have an explanation for that?"
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "I have nothing to say."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "This is the very hat rack where you chose that hat from. Where you tried it on. Put your forehead on the brim of it. All of this analysis is yet to be done."
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "I don't want to talk about it."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "I'm sure you don't, love. I'm sure you don't. That's the easy way out."
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "I've got (unintelligible) have nothing to say."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "Fine, can you explain why that hat, this same type of hat that you bought two weeks before this incident, is under the table with Mr. Jones' blood on it. The dead man's blood on it. Do you have an explanation?"
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: (Sigh)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "Do you have an explanation for this, Rocky? Maybe you were over there mowing their lawn and all your things were left behind after you did some gardening. Were you there at this house? Do you have an explanation for this hat?"
(silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "Rocky, do you have an explanation for the hat? Do you have an explanation for the hat, Rocky? It was found under the kitchen table with Mr. Jones' blood on it. These were similar gloves to the ones that you bought right here on September 13. These little rubber knobs on these gloves left patterns on the wall in blood. Do you have any explanation for that Rocky?
(silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "No? You're good? Nothing to say? Okay. Those images are clear as a bell. They're clear as a bell. Your backpack was even left here. We even have images of that clear as a bell. That backpack is seen later in the neighbourhood walking away from that car. Do you have an explanation for that? If you have one, it would be nice to hear it now. It doesn't really make sense if you have an explanation that could explain that, you know, this has nothing to do with you. Now would be the time, wouldn't it? No?
(silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "This hatchet here is the exact same make and model that you, uh, bought on September 13, sitting outside of the residence. Blood all over it. Do you have any explanation for that, Rocky? No? This is your receipt. You didn't take a copy at the time, but this is your receipt from September 13 that shows the items that you bought, being the hatchet, gloves, and hat."
(Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam grabs a piece of paper off the wall and hands it to the officer.)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "Thank you. Hold on. This is the car that belongs to Mrs. Mah-Jones. This is the car that was driven around the neighbourhood and rifled through, and then headlights came on, just lit everything up beautifully for our video camera. Do you have any explanation for why your image might be on that video? Cold as ice, eh."
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "I just don't want to repeat uhhh. (unintelligible). I'm tired."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "Hmm? Hmm? Thank you. This is an image of Mr. Jones earlier in the day before he died, hunched over, walker. Do you have an explanation why you killed this old man?"
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "I have nothing to say."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "This is, uh, the report from the autopsy where they took the fingernails off Mah-Jones. Is there any reasonable explanation for why Mrs. Mah-Jones would have your DNA under her fingernails? Is there any reason why that would happen? Are you lovers?"
(silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "I thought not."
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "How are you. How are you?"
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "How am I?"
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "Yeah."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "Perfect. What does that mean: how are you?"
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "How old are you? Just asking your age."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "How old am I?"
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "Yeah."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "I'm 50. Oh, why do you want to know?"
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "How long have you been in the police department?"
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "27 years."
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "Oh, that's a long time."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "It is long, isn't it? I'm going to tell you how long it is, Rocky. It's been a very long time when somebody is faced with something like this, that someone opts to sit coldly and offer no apology, no remorse. No..."
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "If I say, what? You are going to release me?"
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "No, it isn't about that. Don't you understand that after all this conversation? You're not going to be released. No matter what."
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "I know."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "You've killed two people, man. You're not going anywhere. This isn't about being released. This is about helping other people. But you don't care about that. That's all I've been talking about all night is you helping other people. You done enough to hurt other people, that's for sure. But you're just sitting there coldly. 'Eh, I don't have anything to say. I don't really give a shit.' "
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "You're not me."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "No I certainly am not. Because you know, the difference, I have empathy for other people. And I care for other people."
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "No, you are not being charged for murder."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "I didn't kill anybody, either. That's the difference, man. How you sit there coldly I don't understand it. Because it doesn't seem to be the person that your brother describes. I'm telling you, Rocky, I've been in this room tons of times with tons of people and with people who have done worse things than you. And when they see the writing on the wall and they know the jig is up, I'm caught, I'm done. There's DNA, there's video, there's every kind of evidence that there is, they finally do the right thing. They always do the right thing. Almost without exception. You, sir, are an exception. In the face of all of this, you're choosing to stay back, not help anybody. And you sit there and you pretend that I don't understand something. But you won't tell me what it is I don't understand. That's kind of passive aggressive or something. I don't really understand what you're doing. Playing games is what I think. Are you just playing games, Rocky? Is that what it is? Like this whole thing seems like a big game to you. You're laughing through the interview here in the face of incredible amounts of gore and harm that you've caused. And you don't even seem to take it seriously. You're just giggling away there."
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "That's not laughing."
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "I don't know what it is. You're sure not explaining it. We're just left with what we see. And it's not an empathetic person. It's not normal for you to be so cold. I don't get it. I want you to tell me the truth, Rocky. It's easy. It's simple. It makes sense. Just tell me the truth."
(long silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "You regret it. You feel sorry. No? You don't regret it? You don't feel sorry? It's so simple to give people that little bit of comfort. That tiny step. Such a simple thing to give people. You won't even give them that. I don't understand it."
(long silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "Anything?"
(long silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "This is your chance. What do you want to say?"
(long silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "What do you want to say, Rocky?"
(long silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "Tell me what you want to say. I can see that you're feeling something."
(long silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "This is your chance, Rocky. If you want to say something, I would suggest that you say it."
(long silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "What is it?"
(long silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "What is it?"
(long silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "What do you want to say about this Rocky?"
(long silence)
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "I don't want you to walk out of here today, saying, frick, I blew my chance to say anything or apologize for anything. Or express some remorse, Rocky. What do you want to say about this, Rocky? What do you want to say? You know Rocky, I can see fear and I can feel that you are feeling something. I can see that you're emotional. Why aren't you taking this chance to at least express remorse. Maybe today, you're not ready to talk about the whole ugly story. But at least say you're sorry."
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam: "For what?"
Sgt. Leah Terpsma: "For what? You're an animal."
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