Below is the full text of KVUE Williamson County reporter Tom Miller‘s interview with Greg Kelley, the former Leander High School football player sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole or the right to appeal after he was found guilty of super aggravated assault of a child: Link
Greg Kelley: The first thing I wanted to say was during the investigation I was never questioned by police, and I was the only suspect and person of interest in the case. The other thing I want to [say] is that the police never investigated the home daycare where the assault took place. The Cedar Park Police Department didn’t do a full investigation of all the children in the daycare. Another one is on stand, the detective admitted erasing emails obtained [as] potential evidence of the case. He testified that he [deleted] . . . probably close to 100 emails . . . the investigator testified she [deleted] the same emails as well, and they both broke company policy, because they weren’t supposed to delete evidence of a case.
Mysteriously, there was never a time or date provided that the alleged assault occured on. They have an estimate date on April 15, but they said it could have been two months early and two months after. The last thing I really, really point out with you is the conviction was solely on the convoluted testimony of a 4-year-old kid. There was no . . . evidence of me doing the assault, there was no eyewitnesses of an assault, and my 25-year conviction was solely on the word of a 4-year-old boy.
Tom Miller: If you are innocent, why did you go ahead and agree to a 25-year prison sentence without the possibility of parole or an appeal?
GK: The reason why I did that is ’cause I was [given] two options after I was convicted . . . If I waive my right to appeal to a judge, I serve 25 years. If I give it to a jury and still have my right to appeal, they could have convicted me of 25 to life without parole, and I’d already rolled the dice by not taking the plea bargain before trial . . . and to me, in the eyes of a jury, they think of me as a monster, and they didn’t give me a fair trial at all, and I’m not going to roll that dice again . . . so, 25 years, [I’ll] get out when I’m 44 years old. That’s exactly why I took that . . . I took that because I had no other way. They had already convicted me.
TM: Why do you think they viewed you as a monster?
GK: Because I would never have thought they would have convicted me. I came in the courtroom, came in there with a full heart, ready to walk out there with my family and my supporters, and my heart was crushed when they convicted me on such a convoluted trial, such a washed up trial . . . they thought I was a monster. [But I have] supporters thinking otherwise.
TM: I know you denied that this ever happened, but was there any partial truth to any of the accusations against you?
GK: No. There was no truth at all.
TM: Is there anything you regret doing or wish you had done differently?
GK: No, not at all. People ask me [about] not taking that probation plea bargain . . . my mom told me to take it, my family told me to really think about taking it, I said, “No, I’m not gonna do that. I’m gonna abide by the principles that I [grew] up with and my family taught me, and I’m not gonna accept such a horrible crime when I didn’t do it. That’s not my morals and that’s not my goals. I wanted to change my life and this is not me, so I didn’t take probation as an option.
TM: Do you regret that now, though, in hindsight?
GK: I don’t. I don’t regret it, no.
TM: If you had an opportunity to speak to the families of these children who accused you, what would you say?
GK: If I had the opportunity to talk to their families, the first thing I’d say is, “I’m sorry that your son is thinking that something’s happened to him, but I think he’s acting very untruthful in his testimony, and if something did happen to him, you just have the wrong guy. Bottom line, I’m sorry, but you just have the wrong guy.”
TM: Were you ever alone with either of these boys?
GK: No. I also testified on the stand that I was never alone with them. It was always in the presence of an adult.
TM: Why do you think they said these things happened?
GK: I’ve had that question asked to me plenty of times, and . . . we’re trying to find that out . . . and not letting me be in here any longer.
TM: What was your relationship with these two boys? Were you a role model for them? Were you a friend for them?
GK: That’s all that that was. I was the only one that would interact with them when nobody except for the daycare provider would . . . like I said on the stand . . . I didn’t want them to think as me as a big stranger and I wanted to get to know them. You know, I lived there and I wanted them to get to know [me] and I wanted to get to know them, and I believe they looked at me as a role model because they’d always wanna high-five me.
TM: Was there anything at all that happened? Was there anything that you believe that was potentially borderline inappropriate that happened?
GK: Not at all. As far as me, I was never inappropriate with the boys. That’s one thing I can say, is in my point of view, there was nothing inappropriate going on.
TM: Was there anything potentially inappropriate that could have been seen in somebody else’s point of view?
GK: No.
TM: For people who are unsure, what would you say to them? People who don’t necessarily know what to think, because a lot of people think that something happened, they’re just not sure what.
GK: The only thing I can do is say I didn’t do it. I wish I could reach for a mountaintop and say I didn’t do it. I wish people believed me, but apparently that’s not how this world works. For those people I would say, “Believe what you want to believe. If you knew me as a person, if you knew the things I want to do in my life, I wouldn’t have the time or the mindset of doing something that monstrous.
TM: From what I’ve seen, you and your family are people of faith. Why do you think this happened to you?
GK: I believe it’s in God’s hands . . . this is just a speed bump. As a man it can only make me better, so you know, I believe it’s with a plan . . . bad things happen to good people all the time.
TM: What are you hoping happens moving forward? Are you looking for a miracle?
GK: Of course, yes. [laughs] I pray every night that something will come out and show my innocence and I can get out of here . . . I have many supporters who are trying to get me out of here because they know the true me, they know who I am and what I was up against. So, yes, I am hoping for a miracle.
TM: Again, if you are innocent, why would you go ahead and give up 25 years of your life without the possibility of parole of an appeal.
GK: I didn’t have a choice. I went to trial fighting. I went to trial to fight for my life. I testified and proved my innocence . . . but it’s not supposed to be that way. I had the right to remain silent and I didn’t . . . I took that because I was convicted, I was wrongly convicted and I didn’t have a choice, and 25 years, I saw a light outside of a tunnel rather than giving up, giving into a jury, and they could convict me of life without parole . . . If I would have given it to the jury, they could have given me life, and I couldn’t handle that.
TM: Is there anything you want to say in this last minute? [Kelley’s time on his prepaid phone card was almost out]
GK: The only thing is I didn’t do it . . . and I think the truth will come out, and the truth will set me free.
About a week after the interview above in which Kelley states that “…you just have the wrong guy,” Greg Kelley did another jailhouse interview with Casey Claiborne of Fox 7 Austin:
I can’t say somebody else did it to him because I know how it feels to be accused of something like that. And I couldn’t put my finger on a person or anything. But I know that that kid was being untruthful on the stand.
MyFoxAustin.com | KTBC Fox 7 | News, Weather, Sports
“I could say that I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact,” said Sandusky.
From the Austin American-Statesman:
Kelley said he would play with the kids at the in-home Cedar Park daycare, where he temporarily stayed with a classmate while his parents were in the hospital. He said the kids would climb on his arms and he would do “rough play” with them.
Prosecutor Geoffrey Puryear asked Kelley if he had ever told anyone that he was doing something different in the spring of 2013 besides going to school and working. Kelley said no.Prosecutors then called gym owner Phillip Forbes, who testified that Kelley told him 10 days ago that he was a sniper in the Marine Corps and was going to be stationed in Southern California. He said he found out Kelley was lying to him when he saw articles in the news about Kelley’s trial.“I wouldn’t believe anything he says,” said Forbes.
“Rough play” (admitted by #GregKelley) moved to sexual contact after trust was gained. #FightForGK #Sandusky pic.twitter.com/VphchgPfzh
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) September 5, 2014
“it’s so clear, so many are in denial. These boys didn’t need to know him. But to him it was important. #grooming” @mimisofie #FightForGK
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) September 5, 2014
#FightForGK RT @mimisofie: that’s getting your victims to know you gives you access… Hanging on him… Rough play… #grooming
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) September 5, 2014
.@mimisofie right. He didn’t want them to think of him as a “big stranger.” He plays off tragic misconception… pic.twitter.com/FWq9RXJ97X
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) September 5, 2014
What offenders say when children provide credible abuse disclosures: Made it up, Mix it up, or Minimize & shift. http://t.co/VaYJDT4L0X
— Boz Tchividjian (@BozT) August 23, 2014
The one where I get angry a bit, and wonder if you do too about all the abuse out there. http://t.co/6IbpbDira2
— Mary DeMuth (@MaryDeMuth) September 5, 2014
Thank you, Mary.
My ode to people like @watchkeep: http://t.co/T5WlHpu1Tm
— Mary DeMuth (@MaryDeMuth) September 5, 2014
How Child Molesters Fool People by Anna C. Salter, Ph.D.
Complete list of slide presentations on Dr. Anna Salter’s site here.
#GregKelley is now at Holliday Unit in Huntsville, will be there several weeks for processing. @watchkeep #wilco
— Mitch Goulding (@MitchTWCN) September 5, 2014
Greg Kelley moved into custody of Texas Department of Criminal Justice. http://t.co/LUknGtIpZE
— keyetv (@keyetv) September 5, 2014
Even though the victim said #GregKelley did it: RT @Mmiijjaahh “Heavy-hearted as I fully believe in his innocence…” pic.twitter.com/A1f3hIFxdX
— FAKEfightForGK (@FakeFightForGK) September 5, 2014
A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE For Greg Kelley & #FightForGK / #PrayForGK as Greg begins his 25 years in prison: http://t.co/alafNJZs8m
— O.J. Simpson (@OJ_Simpson_32) September 5, 2014
In case you needed more evidence #FightForGK is Totally Not About Shaming Child Rape Victims! #GKshouldntfeelguiltyhttps://t.co/Z3VYbC0p8W
— FAKEfightForGK (@FakeFightForGK) September 5, 2014
A gal named @heatherdyer1 of #FightForGK publicly defames Greg Kelley’s victims and calls the young boys liars: pic.twitter.com/4Lu1zj1Q5Z
— O.J. Simpson (@OJ_Simpson_32) September 5, 2014
If you define the Truth of God as #FightForGK and opposing it as Satan, then yes, by definition you are in a cult. http://t.co/7t20Mf3IoO
— Eric Pazdziora (@ericpazdziora) August 16, 2014
@FakeFightForGK @SNAPNetwork Wow. #FightForGK‘s true colors: Child rape victim-shaming for political gain. Absolutely abhorrent. #ShameOnYou
— Eric Pazdziora (@ericpazdziora) September 3, 2014