A couple years ago, San Francisco was rocked by a mass shooting in the Richmond area, near 24th and Anza. The media pounced on the story like ravenous tiger. A jealous teenager blowing away both his crush and his crush’s current current lover during a party was far too sensational to keep under wraps. The shooting set social media ablaze with the usual debates about gun control and misogynistic violence. The case seemed poised to overtake the O.J. Simpson case as one of the most publicized cases of all time.
Then, as quickly as it had come, the story died. It seemed that, somehow, people stopped caring as new atrocities and events entered the news cycle. I have always found the official story to be quite simplistic and decided to do my own research. Other than various news articles quoting and referencing each other, I found little of substance. Recently I had a break when I managed to find the transcript of the interrogation of the killer, Daniel Holman. It seems the story is more complicated than the sensationalist news media let on. Here is the transcript:
Daniel P. Holman
Date: 04/20/2014
Duration: 31 minutes
Location: Room 454, Hall of Justice, San Francisco
No. of Pages: 11
Conducted by Officer Joan Mathison of the San Francisco Police Department
JM: Today’s date is Sunday, April 20th, 2014. It is 9: 02 AM. We’re inside Homicide Detail, room 454, at the Hall of Justice. This is Detective Joan Mathisen. I will be interviewing Daniel Holman in connection with the murders near 24th and Anza, case number 839026. Now, is it ok if I call you Daniel, or do you prefer something else?
DH: Danny’s fine.
JM: Alright Danny. Now would you like anything? Some coffee or a glass of water?
DH: I’m ok.
JM: You sure? You sleep okay?
DH: Not really.
JM: Right, right. How could you after last night… Anyway, I apologize for the rough handling by some of the other officers last night. After stumbling across the scene last night… Anyway, you’ve been advised of your Miranda rights, is that right?
DH: Yeah.
JM: I don’t need to repeat those rights, do I?
DH: No, I understand.
JM: Alrighty, then. Would it be ok if I asked you a couple questions?
DH: Can I ask for a lawyer?
JM: Let me tell you a little secret, Danny. Lawyers just make things complicated, especially for people in your predicament. But if you want one, one will be provided.
DH: (inaudible)
JM: Do you mind if I’m completely honest with you, Danny? You were caught smack dab in the middle of a horrific crime. I think you can understand how much of a problem that might be. Witness testimony along with physical evidence from the scene alone is more than enough for us to convict you. So, to be honest, we really don’t need your testimony.
DH: But you’re interviewing me…
JM: Of course. See, you may think I’m here only for your confession. But, like I said, we don’t need it. I’m giving you a chance to tell your side of the story. The media will have already made up its mind about you. A lawyer will just tell you to keep silent, and silence will just confirm what the media and everyone else already believe. So I guess you can say that I’m here to try and convince you to tell your side of the story.
DH: (chuckle)
JM: I really do mean that, Danny. I’ve checked your records, and you were a good kid. No major trouble with the law, no history of violence or problematic behavior. I didn’t see anything that wasn’t normal for a the average 17-year-old. So that makes me think that there had to have been a reason for what happened. I want to hear that reason straight from the horse’s mouth, not the biased and sensationalist media.
DH: No one will believe my story.
JM: That all depends on you, Danny.
DH: One second life is normal, and then it all goes to s**t.
JM: Just tell me, Danny. Tell me what happened. I can help you, if you let me.
DH: You’ll think I’m crazy too.
JM: Well, Danny, that is very possible. A risk you’ll have to take. But try me… I’ve seen some crazy crap on the job. You’d be surprised what I can believe.
DH: Cassie and Cody were a serial killer couple who were ripping out the tongues of little girls. I killed them in self-defense.
JM: Danny, we can make as easy or as hard as you want. Cut the BS and tell me your story. Otherwise I’ll leave you to the media’s chopping block. Your choice.
DH: Alright, alright. You win. Where do I start?
JM: How ‘bout the beginning. How did you know Cassie?
DH: We were friends for awhile. Since 5th grade.
JM: How did you meet?
DH: I’d just moved to San Francisco from Portland. First day of 5th grade and the teacher sat me down next to Cassie. Cassie sparked up a conversation, and, next thing I know, we’re friends. Cassie had green, hypnotist eyes and looking into them would make you want to spill your deepest darkest secrets. Those eyes made Cassie look genuinely interested in what you had to say. But she didn’t just look it, she was genuinely interested in what you had to say. Within a couple weeks, I found myself best friends with Cassie.
JM: Seems likeable enough.
DH: Likable like you wouldn’t believe. We hung out constantly. As we grew older, She would show me around the city the way only a native could. She took me to random holes-in-the-wall, hidden jewels that weren’t flocked with tourists, and all kinds of nooks and crannies.
JM: Did she spend time with only you?
DH: She had lots of other friends, but, no matter what was going on, she always seemed to have time for me. Beginning of freshman year, her gun nut of a dad took us out shooting. He wanted Cassie to follow in his footsteps, so he taught her and me how to hold and shoot all kinds of guns. Ended up learning a lot from him. Cassie and me dreamed about taking the guns and going on a road trip into the wilds of Montana and Idaho. We had lots of fun dreaming about that.
JM: Did you develop feelings for her?
DH: Honestly, if things didn’t change… I swear I would’ve married her.
JM: Married?
DH: I’m serious. We were inseparable. Together, we explored the city, played video games, and even had compatible life goals. At least up until Cassie began hitting her prime. See, puberty hit her hard. She was never ugly, but some time after puberty hit, she got hot. More and more guys started looking her way, checking her out. At first, she was annoyed and found it creepy, but it wasn’t long until it got to her, especially when the popular guys started giving her attention.
JM: Sounds like you were jealous.
DH: Not really… well, maybe a little. It wasn’t a sudden thing, just extremely gradual. So, I didn’t notice at first. But eventually, Cassie, the girl who always had time for me, started getting busy. Especially when the popular crowd extended its invitation to Cassie. Hanging out, exploring the city or watching horror movies with Cassie began to taper off. Pretty soon, I realized we barely talked to or chilled with each other. I had other friends to chill with, but Cassie dropping off like that really hurt. I guess she was my best friend.
JM: Didn’t you ever tell her your feelings?
DH: They always tell you to just be a good friend and eventually the girls notice. Let’s just say that advice is a load of crap.
JM: She didn’t notice you, huh?
DH: After a years of hanging out, playing video games, opening ourselves up and spending lots of time together, she pissed it away for a spot with the cool kids. I was angry.
JM: Angry enough to hurt her?
DH: Do I look like a psychopath? Hurting her didn’t even cross my mind. Not even when Cody came in.
JM: Cody?
DH: Popular j******f. Cassie craved his attention, and he gave it to her in spades.
JM: Ouch. That must have hurt.
DH: It hurt like a b***h. And for awhile, I just sulked and did nothing. I wanted to move on and forget about her… until a couple weeks ago.
JM: Cassie changed?
DH: All I know is that something happened to one Friday night after work. She worked downtown at some yogurt place, and, when she was done, Cassie went to a party. From what I hear, Cassie didn’t come home that night. Her parents freaked. Eventually, the cops got involved. They investigated but didn’t find Cassie until sometime Sunday at some random bar sleeping off a cocktail of drugs and alcohol. This random bar was investigated for serving alcohol to minors, but they somehow proved that Cassie didn’t get drunk there. She just ended up there.
JM: What do you know about this party?
DH: I didn’t even know there was a party. Didn’t hear anyone at school talking about it and I usually hear about these things. Must have gone under my radar.
JM: So how did you know Cassie went to one?
DH: Cassie, Cody, and their group of friends were always on the look out for parties to crash. It’s what they did. When she was found full of drugs and alcohol, I figured she must have gone to a crazyass party.
JM: Crazy indeed. How did this party change her?
DH: Well, I remember Cassie being this giant ball of energy. After the party though, she looked zombified. She talked to no one and ignored anyone who tried talking to her. She wouldn’t even acknowledge their existence. Her group of friends dropped her like a brick. Cody found another eager girl to shower with attention while Cassie sat by herself behind the gym. Nobody hangs out there except for potheads and couples who want privacy.
JM: You saw all this?
DH: Everyone saw it, but no one knew what the hell was going on. At one point, I called Cassie’s parents and to see what was up, but they had no clue either. They thought that leaving Cassie alone would help her come out of her new shell. I think they should’ve taken her to a therapist or something, but they didn’t.
JM: Did this prompt you to do something?
DH: I was curious. Cassie was so different, and I wanted know why. Last Wednesday, I went out behind the gym to see if I could get something out of her.
JM: Was that this past Wednesday, the 16th?
DH: Yeah. I sat down next to Cassie and watched her stare into space. She had her knees up to her chin and sat completely still. That gave me goosebumps. I tried calling her name a few times, but nothing happened. Eventually I figured it was time to leave. But Just when I got up, Cassie’s eyes turned to me for a few moments. I saw. Nothing else happened, but that was enough of an improvement to make me try visiting her at home.
JM: How did that go?
DH: She refused to see me. I think it had something to do with her parents. They wanted to be present, and I don’t think Cassie wanted them around.
JM: You hung out with her the next day?
DH: Yeah, I figured it’d be better if there was no one around. When I went to see her, she was again sitting with her knees up to her chin. This time, though, she looked at me like she finally recognized me. She didn’t say anything but I saw her green eyes shine with recognition. She gave me a lopsided smile. I sat next to her and decided to pull her in closer and put my arm around her. Cassie didn’t seem to mind cause she leaned in and rested her head on my shoulder. Her body felt a little cold; I wondered if she was sick or something, but I didn’t give it much thought. Too busy enjoying the moment
JM: Touching.
DH: I guess, but then, out of nowhere, Cassie wrapped her arms around me. I almost freaked out because I didn’t see her arms move. One second they’re wrapped around her knees, and a split-second later they’re around me. She looked at me and, for the first time in forever, said something.
JM: What did she say?
DH: In a really weak voice, She asked me to help her. I remember jumping back because I was surprised to hear her talk. Cassie tried to smile at me, but her eyes told me something was wrong. I asked how I could help, and she told me to visit her Friday night. If I came Friday night, she’d explain. I tried questioning her about this, but she didn’t say another word.
JM: Where did she want to meet?
DH: At her house. I thought it was a little weird, but then again, this was my only chance to talk to her and figure out what was going on. I even wondered if it could lead to something between us. I guess I didn’t really move on.
JM: So how did things go that night?
DH: I’m not sure.
JM: What do you mean?
DH: My memory is kinda weird about Friday night. I remember walking up to Cassie’s house and, after I’d knocked on the door, she opened it and invited me in. She had a faraway look in her eyes and didn’t speak much. I asked her what was up. Cassie said she was alright and asked if I wanted to watch a horror movie, like how we used to. She got one of those gory, older movies, just the kind we used to watch back in the day.
JM: What did you think?
DH: Not what I expected. I asked about what was going on. Cassie nodded and asked if I could wait until after the horror movie. She said she just really wanted to spend time with an old friend. I thought this would be my only chance for an explanation, so I agreed. We sat on the living room couch together and put on Cannibal Holocaust. We always made plans to see it when we were younger but never got around to it. Cassie leaned into me and, for a bit, it felt like old times. But then, I noticed something weird.
JM: What?
DH: There’s a scene in the movie where a professor has to take part in some weird ritual and basically eat human meat. During this scene, I noticed that Cassie sat straight up and just stared at the movie with her eyes wide and her mouth open. There was drool dribbling down her chin. I’m sure I noticed her lick her lips too, just slightly. I backed away a little and started paying more attention to Cassie than the movie.
JM: Weren’t you scared?
DH: Morel like weirded out. But I didn’t know what to do. So I just sat still and pretended not to notice. She kept staring into the TV like that until the scene ended. She then sank back into the couch and leaned against me as if nothing happened. The next gore-filled scene had her doing the same thing. She would sit up, stare at the screen and drool. Something made me think she wasn’t aware of what she was doing. Toward the end of the movie, Cassie caught me staring at her while she drooled. She jerked her head away from me but not before I caught a look of guilt on her face. I think I saw teeth as well. More than there should have been. I was very confused at this point, so I just stopped the movie and asked her what was up.
JM: What did she say?
DH: Nothing revealing. She looked straight into my eyes and asked me again if I wanted to help her. I nodded, almost in spite of myself. I saw tears starting to form in Cassie’s eyes and suddenly noticed her hand on my forearm. My eyes caught no movement, just like earlier that day. After that, my memory is blank. I don’t remember anything except feeling extremely happy, like full of joy.
JM: A sense of euphoria?
DH: Yeah. Euphoria like you wouldn’t believe.
JM: There is nothing else you remember from Friday night?
DH: No… not really. Wait, actually I do. I remember snapping out of something like I was daydreaming or sleeping. I was sitting on the couch; Cassie was in front of me holding one of her dad’s guns. A shotgun, Mossberg 500 pump-action. 12 gauge. That caught me off guard, and I think that’s what snapped me back to reality.
JM: Are you saying she was somehow controlling your mind?
DH: Just that she was having some kinda effect on me. I don’t think she was trying to do anything. She kept talking and acting like nothing was wrong so I don’t think she knew what she was doing.
JM: Why did she have a gun pointed at you?
DH: It wasn’t pointed at me. She was holding it out for me to take. I remember asking if she wanted to go shooting the next day. She ignored the question and just asked me again if I wanted to help her. She told me that she really needed me to listen to her if I wanted to help her. I know I should have noticed that things were really weird with her, but everything just seemed to make sense at the time. I really wanted to please her for some reason.
JM: Did you take the gun?
DH: Yeah, I did. She was beaming. Before I knew it, she practically jumped in my arms, and, from there, I don’t remember much.
JM: You don’t remember anything else from that night?
DH: No, I don’t
JM: Where were Cassie’s parents?
DH: Don’t know. I think they went on vacation.
JM: Even though their daughter just went missing a few weeks back?
DH: I don’t know. I’m just telling you what Cassie told me. All I know is that they weren’t home when I visited Friday night, and Cassie told me they were on vacation.
JM: What happened the next day?
DH: Well I woke up in Cassie’s bed with her lying next to me. She was already awake. I opened my eyes and saw her staring at me. It was a dead, empty stare. I jumped back and nearly fell off the bed. Life sprang back into into Cassie’s eyes as she grabbed me and kept me from falling off the bed. She said nothing, just gave me a kiss on the cheek and thanked me for wanting to help her. I saw her flush red for a second. She said something about her hoping I enjoyed the night before. I don’t know why I didn’t tell her that I have no memory of what happened the previous night.
JM: What happened after that?
DH: Well, Cassie wanted to spend the day together. She told me she wanted to make up for lost time. I couldn’t say no by that point. We spent the whole day together. We found some places to eat together, we went down to the beach and spent quality time together. The entire day, Cassie hung on to me like I was a long-lost boyfriend. It was weird, but I didn’t give a damn. I felt like my chance to be with Cassie finally came.
JM: How did you guys decide to go to the party last night?
DH: Cassie told me about the party, Seems she still kept up with who was throwing parties where. She told me that she wanted to go. I was a bit nervous because after the past day; I felt a bit possessive. What if she saw her old friends and dropped me again like before? She insisted though, and I gave in. She promised me that things would be different this time. She wanted me to just trust her.
JM: Did you?
DH: Totally, way more than I should have. Even now I’m not sure why I trusted her. But at the time, it felt right. Like I had to trust her.
JM: Did anything else happen before the party?
DH: Not really. Though, as we were driving to the party, I noticed the Mossberg from the night before was lying underneath the passenger seat of her car. I know my alarm bells should have gone off, but I didn’t think anything of it at the time.
JM: So what happened at the party, Danny.
DH: At first things seemed a little normal except for Cassie. She really had changed. Normally, these sorts of things would have her in the middle of everything, trying to be the center of attention. This time, she just walked between bodies quietly, leading me by the hand. The music was loud and a group of teenagers were having some kind of drinking competition in the living room. People from our school noticed Cassie finally being social. I could tell their curiosity was piqued from the way they stared, though no one said anything. Cassie led me to the foot of the stairs to the second floor of the house. She then told me to wait for a bit because she wasn’t feeling too well, she wanted to go to the bathroom. As I waited, I saw another friend from school and started talking to him. He wanted to ask about Cassie, but I tried to ignore his questions. As we were talking, I noticed Cassie leading another guy up the stairs by the hand. She had this seductive smile on her face. See that smile twisted my stomach up in knots.
JM: Were you angry?
DH: Very angry. I didn’t understand. Nothing made sense. I wanted to know what was going on, so I followed Cassie as she lead this guy to a room upstairs. It was Cody. I stood back, stomach on fire, as I watched Cassie open the door and pull Cody in. Then, she looked up toward me, as if she knew I’d be following them. Her eyes looked wet and she mouthed the words, “I’m sorry”.
JM: How did this make you feel?
DH: I felt many things. My hands were shaking, and I bit the inside of my cheek hard enough taste blood. Something snapped. Everything that happened in the last day swept over me and I broke down. I raced down the stairs and out the door toward Cassie’s car. Without a second thought, I flung the door open, grabbed the shotgun and made sure it was loaded. I slammed the car door shut, ran back to the front door, and kicked it open. Everyone was busy screwing around, drinking or dancing. The dance music playing was so loud that I don’t think anyone noticed me storming through the front door with a shotgun and then running up the stairs. I paused at the door to the bedroom where Cassie and Cody were. I couldn’t hear much of anything. I kicked the door in, looked inside and froze.
JM: I know this is hard, Danny. But tell me, what were they doing?
DH: Well, Cody… he was lying face up in a mess of blood on the hardwood floor. His mouth was wide open and, if he had any eyes, they would have been wide open as well. On top of Cody’s corpse was Cassie, her face buried in Cody’s side. She snapped up and stared at me, her mouth a mess of blood and teeth. Way too many teeth. She stared that dead, glassy stare at me, her teeth-filled jaw wide open. Fear and shock made me lose control of my fingers, and I pulled the trigger. The sound of the shotgun blast practically blew out my ears. I chambered another shell and was deafened by another blast. My ears hurt like hell, but I pumped and pulled the trigger again and again. I didn’t stop until I emptied every shell into the gory mess. When I came back to my senses, I saw Cassie’s lifeless body sprawled on top of what used to Cody. I managed to see a lopsided smile plastered across Cassie’s face. I fell down to the floor, my ears ringing and I… (sniffle) I suddenly realized what Cassie meant by help.
JM: It’s ok, Danny. Don’t worry.
DH: I heard screaming from downstairs but I didn’t care anymore. I sat there on the ground until the cops came. I never wanted any of this to happen. I know it doesn’t make any sense, but something happened to Cassie… and something happened to me. Cause I never would’ve done that. I just know no one will believe me.
JM: You’re right, Danny. No one will believe you. Thanks for the story but you know I can’t believe that. You could’ve come up with something much more plausible, but this? This just makes you sound like a nutcase trying to blame others for shooting your cheating girlfriend and her lover out of rage. That’s what it sounds like.
DH: I didn’t. That’s not how it is.
JM: Of course you didn’t. It’s never your fault. No matter how horrific the killing, you sick bastards can never accept the blame. Always coming up with crazy excuses. Spare me your tears, Danny. You’re going away for a long time. We’re done here.
DH: But what about… You said this would help me.
JM: Yeah, I thought so. But you’re crazier than I thought. I had hoped for something more mundane, but this? You’ve got a big imagination Danny, but it won’t save you. Goodbye.
–End of Transcript-
Now, while I find this transcript interesting, it isn’t exactly frightening. Obviously this Daniel Holman had serious issues, but the scariest bits seemed to be the product of a fanciful imagination. As a result, I managed to dismiss the transcript as the raving of an insane murderer upon first reading it.
Everything changed when a friend of mine found something. See, I have a tech friend, a real wizard when it comes to online research. I asked him about this case and if he could dig anything up on Daniel Holman. I don’t know what kind of technological black magic my friend used, but he managed to find out that the official transcript is actually incomplete. It’s missing a few more lines. My friend got a hold of the missing portion and sent it to me… A true ending, so to speak. Here is the missing portion..
–Addendum–
JM: Alright. Got that out of the way. Sorry for the outburst, Danny. but I had to play it convincingly.
DH: What’re you doing? What’s going on?
JM: I don’t have much time, so listen to me very closely, Danny. Your life depends on it.
DH: My life?
JM: Yes, your life. Now if you want to keep on living. Do NOT, again, do NOT repeat a damn thing you’ve said to anyone. If you want to get out of this alive, keep your damn mouth shut, you hear?
DH: I… what is going–
JM: Shut up. I’m not done. Don’t let anyone know that you know. Plead guilty, Danny. Plead guilty to every damn thing you’re charged with. Tell them you were pissed. Tell them you couldn’t stand seeing Cassie with another guy. Play up the jealous boyfriend act, ok? Just don’t mention a thing about… them.
DH: Them?
JM: Yes, them! Cassie wasn’t the only one. I might not be able to do anything, ok? But trust me, pleading guilty to what everyone think you did is better than them finding out you know. I can promise you that.
DH: But… I…
JM: No buts! Promise me.
DH: I promise.
JM: Alright. Good. Thank you, Danny. I hope we’ll be in touch.
–End of Addendum–
I have since found little else in regards to this story. I haven’t even managed to discover the outcome of the case or the status of Daniel Holman. Much of it is sealed and even my technologically savvy friend cannot dig up much more. With this missing piece in place, the transcript becomes much harder to dismiss. After all, why would a police officer indulge in the fancies of an insane murderer like this after he already confessed? Is it possible? Could they really exist?