Makarewicz Refused Lie Detector Test, Jury Told-March 10, 1955

Peter Makarewicz refused to submit to a lie detector test when he was questioned about the murder of 15-year-old Geraldine Annese, it was testified today at the trial of the boy. The testimony was offered by State Police Sgt Walter Bogdanchik, who recounted the three interrogations of Makarewicz early the day after the Annese girl’s body was discovered, Nov. 5.

Sgt Bogdanchik quoted Peter as saying he could not explain how traces of blood were found on different parts of his body in tests made at the Norwood Police Station after the boy was taken into custody. After a bench conference, called by the defense in a spectator-filled Norfolk Superior Court, it was established that the officer was testifying from memory and notes he made personally after the questioning.

 The witness told a hushed courtroom that he had to caution the accused youth during the interrogation to ‘”stop clowning this is a serious matter.” This admonition came, Bogdanchik claimed, as he asked the boy if he had rehearsed his alibi and Peter, he said, retorted, “Do you want to see the script?”

It was during this phase of the questioning when Bogdanchik accused Peter of telling different stories of his activities the night Gerry was slain, that the lie detector challenge arose. “1 asked him if he would submit to a lie detector test”

Refused Lie Test

The witness said that Peter replied that he would not take the test and, when asked why, answered: “I don’t see why I should. Would you take a lie detector test if you were in my place?”

After he advised Peter that “you have nothing to fear if you are telling the truth,” Bogdanchik said Norwood Police Chief Mark Folan took over the questioning. Earlier Boedanchik recounted that he asked Peter about his association with Gerry and he said the suspect replied that he was friendly with her six or seven years ago, but hadn’t associated with his pretty neighbor for the past several years. I asked him why he didn’t keep company with her anymore and he said Geraldine had changed.”

The officer quoted Peter as saying he last saw Geraldine in a variety store earlier on the night she met her death.

The questioning of Peter occurred shortly after midnight on Nov. 6 and continued intermittently until about 3:15 p.m. Peter then slept on four chairs, according to testimony, from 4 to 6 a. m. Also present at the questioning were Lt James Murphy, Dist. Atty. Myron Lane and George Kenney, chief clerk in Lane’s office.

Told Of Argument

According to Bogdanchik, Chief Folan questioned Peter further about his association with Geraldine and the youth told of an incident “five, six or seven years ago” when he had an argument with the girl. Peter said Geraldine was wearing a bright red sweater and that he took it off her and threw it on a barbed wire fence. He said Geraldine was very, very mad. It made a deep impression on him, he said, and he never forgot it. He said it came back to him how mad Geraldine was and how she was going to tell her mother. Peter said he went out with Geraldine a few times when they were 12 years old, but they never went out again.

Bogdanchik said he asked Peter what type of boys Geraldine associated with as he quoted Makarewicz as saying “fellows who were out to have a good time, not boys who wanted a steady girl.” He said he asked Peter if he ever saw Geraldine going out with boys and if he ever saw boys let Geraldine out of their cars at the corner of the street when she lived in Norwood. “He said he saw boys let Geraldine out in front of the Balch School.” The school is across from the Makarewicz’ home.

Quizzed About Blood

It was during the third interrogation session that the matter of the blood came up. Bogdanchik recounted that he asked Peter if he knew he had been given a benzidine test and Peter replied that he didn’t know what it was. The officer explained it was a test to determine if there was blood on a person’s body. He said he advised Peter “considerable blood” had been on his groin, abdomen and back of the neck. He testified he asked Peter to explain the alleged presence of the blood and he quoted Peter as replying he “couldn’t explain.” The witness testified that Peter explained traces of blood the test allegedly found on his hands as that of a blackbird he had shot on the Thursday in his backyard. He said he picked up the bird after shooting it, the officer continued.

When questioning of Peter was suspended, Lt. Murphy and the witness went to the boy’s home and his father turned over a pair of blue dungarees. The dungarees and a pair of gloves Peter was wearing when taken into custody were admitted for identification purposes. Recess was called after the garments were admitted.

Declines to View Slides

When the morning session got underway, Peter declined to view pictures taken at the autopsy of his pretty neighbor. Instead, the young defendant sat behind the screen as it carried illustrations of the testimony offered by Dr. S. S. Bjorson, State Police pathologist, who performed the autopsy on the Norwood schoolgirl.

The opaque screen was set up in such a manner that only the jury, court officials, Judge Lewis Goldberg, defense, and prosecution could see the slides. This was a disappointment for the almost capacity crowd that appeared in the second-floor courtroom for today’s session. It was the largest group to attend since the trial got underway. Just prior to the flashing of the first still, Dist Atty. Myron Lane told Judge Goldberg that he would like to have Peter be given the opportunity to see them and, if the defendant declined to do so, he wanted the fact recorded.

Defense attorney Louis Goldstein rose to his feet quickly and declined for his client. As the stills were projected, Peter, sitting only three feet behind the screen, made no outward display of emotion and appeared bored. As each slide flashed on the screen, D. Bjorson, an eminent Swedish medical man studying legal medicine at Harvard Medical School, gave graphic descriptions and minute details. The first set of color pictures were exterior shots of the upper body. He pointed out where hemorrhages occurred and explained that they were consistent medically with strangulation.

Saturday Session

It was announced before the session that court would be held Saturday. This is a very unusual procedure for a Massachusetts murder trial, but according to the court, it was decided to hold the sixth day of testimony this week out of consideration for the locked-up jury. Dr. Bjorson, speaking perfect English, was the first witness called after the session commenced. Court started approximately 25 minutes later than the regular 10 o’clock time. The time was consumed in setting up the 4-by-4-foot screen.

An interested spectator was Dr. J. Stewart Rooney, defense pathologist. He is expected to be called when the defense begins its side, probably Saturday morning.

The state pathologist testified for about 25 minutes and showed a total of 12 slides. Eleven of these pictures were admitted into evidence. The one rejected was turned down because it had been touched up to show a deep laceration. His testimony was just about the same as that of Dr. Frederick A. Stanwood, medical examiner, who observed while Dr. Bjorson performed the autopsy at the Norwood Hospital. An additional piece of information observed by Dr. Bjorson was that he found a “milky substance” in the slain girl’s stomach. This would have been “traces of a milkshake “Gerry” had with three companions about two hours before she met her death.

The second witness called was State Police Sgt Walter Bogdanchik. He is expected to introduce in testimony Peter’s so-called “statement” which the boy was never asked to sign by police. He began by reciting that on the morning following the discovery of the murder in the two-car garage of the Annese home on Tremont st Nov. 6 he was in the office of Norwood Police Chief Mark Folan. Besides him and the chief, others present, he said, were State Police Dt Lieut William H. Delay, Norwood police Lieut James Murphy, George Kenney, chief clerk in the district attorney’s office, and Dist. Atty. Myron Lane. When he finished with the list of names, attorney Goldstein got up, walked over to Lane and both men went to the judge’s bench for a conference.