On A Mission Of Murder
Authored By: Bradley Chapline
Page Five
2003
Authored By: Bradley Chapline
Page Five
2003
In 1985, I was living with my wife and son in Las Vegas, Nevada. I was attending college, full-time, studying criminal justice. And then, suddenly, while on break one day, I was sitting in the coffee shop relaxing when my worst fears regarding Charles Chitat Ng came to be. There was his face, splattered all over the television screen on the national news. He was now a mass murder suspect that was wanted badly by authorities for questioning. My heart just sank. But, I was not surprised.
Charles Chitat Ng received international prominence with the media as a suspect in connection with twelve deaths in Calaveras County California. Charles Chitat Ng, along with a former Marine named Leonard Lake were accused of luring victims to a 2.5 acre mountain retreat in the Sierra Nevada foothills. They were both accused of torturing and killing scores of men, women and children. Ng appeared on videotapes that chronicled macabre sexual torture at this mountain compound owned by Leonard Lake. Ng would later be linked to as many as sixty-six murders.
In San Francisco, Leonard Lake, a dishonorably discharged Marine himself, was picked up by authorities on a simple theft charge. But, once Lake had been arrested by the local police, he took a cyanide pill, and committed suicide. Charles Chitat Ng was with Lake at the time of his arrest, but had once again escaped police custody.
I immediately called the state police in California. I spoke to Detective Paul Wiggins. I informed Officer Wiggins of my extensive knowledge of Charles Chitat Ng's traits that could well assist them in locating and apprehending him. But, the detective was not listening to what I was saying.
He said, “Isn’t your name Chapline? Weren’t you with Ng in Hawaii as a Marine?” Surprised that he knew my background, I said, “Sir, what are you getting at?” Detective Wiggins replied, “I hear you and Ng were quite good friends. I was told this from a reliable source. So, Mr. Chapline, we no longer have anything to discuss.” I said, "Detective Wiggins, are you fucking crazy?” Detective Wiggins then hung the phone up.
I then tried to tell another detective from a local sheriff's office that I had remembered Charles Chitat Ng telling me in Hawaii that he admired survivalists, and he wanted to go across the border into Canada someday. I also reiterated that Ng would go on foot over the mountainous ranges until he would reach the Canadian border. The detective really got a good laugh out of my so-called synopsis of Charles Chitat Ng.
This was, until authorities realized that Ng did exactly what I said he would do. I just had to pay this asshole detective back. I talked in detail to the news media and went on statewide television in California proving this detective and local authorities to be complete incompetent fools. The local police now wanted to talk to me. I told them they could kiss my ass until they publicly revealed who their source was that fed them all that bullshit about me being Charles Chitat Ng's friend. They refused to disclose their source. In turn, I refused to cooperate any further with California law enforcement authorities. But, I did know their source of misinformation was none other than the now former Marine Corps staff secretary to Brigadier General Bain McClintock, Major Emerson Swisher.
It didn’t take a genius to figure this out. My old nemesis from back at Kaneohe Bay was making my life miserable again. I thought, “Christ sake, I’ve been out of the Marines since July of 1983 and this jerk is still coming after me. Now, I really hated the Marine Corps. It was bad enough that this man was totally negligent in not ensuring Ng was deported from the United States. Because of this omission, alone, it resulted in many tortured deaths of innocent men, women and children.
Months later Charles Chitat Ng was arrested in Canada on a simple shoplifting charge. It took approximately one decade to have Ng extradited back to California from Canada to stand trial for all the murders he had committed. At the time of these negotiations, California had a death penalty law that Canada did not recognize. This created the one decade delay that Charles Chitat Ng played perfectly.
When Ng was finally released from Canadian authorities and delivered back to the state of California, in 1997, I was contacted by Charles Chitat Ng's lawyer from the Public Defender’s Office in Orange County, California. I thought, “The venue for Ng’s trial has been changed.”
I was now an eleven year veteran as a corrections officer in the State of Nevada. Ng’s lawyers were asking me to testify on his behalf at the penalty phase of his trial. They had contacted me by phone while I was at work. I refused to cooperate. I was in no way going to testify on behalf of a man who had committed murder after murder. I told the Public Defender’s Office, “I can forgive a man who made the Marine Corps and their corrupt cronies look like a bunch of fools. But, murdering innocent women and babies, never.” The Public Defender’s Office threatened me with a subpoena and stated that if I did not appear and tell the truth, I would be placed in jail. My response to this yuppie lawyer was, “fuck you!” I hung the phone up. Within a one week period the same yuppie lawyer and a beautiful young female lawyer were at my house in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although I allowed these two lawyers into my house, I remained uncooperative.
Finally, the male lawyer lost his temper. He took a couple of papers from his briefcase and slammed them down on my kitchen table. He said, “Have you ever seen this report? Look at it, Chapline!” I grudgingly picked it up. I saw that it was marked “CONFIDENTIAL '' and was originated by General McClintock’s staff secretary; who else? This report was addressed to Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C. The contents of this report were to be one of the most shocking moments in my life. It stated that Charles Chitat Ng had merely walked away while in custody of my two Marine chasers during a lapse in security. It further stated that one Marine guard was in the bathroom, and the other Marine guard had left his prisoner unattended, while he went out back of the barracks smoking a cigarette.
To say the least, I was hopping mad! I said to the Public Defender, “Do you mean to fucking tell me that prisoner Ng never overpowered these guards with his martial arts? That this was all bullshit and one huge cover-up?” Both lawyers said this was true. Ng's female lawyer said, “Now, will you cooperate with us?” I said that I would. “Boy”, I thought, “This was the reason Ng told me all Marines were incompetent and inept.” There was no doubt when I testified at Ng’s trial that I was going to deliver the ultimate black eye to the Marine Corps. And yes, this time, I would enjoy it.
It was approximately eight months before I went to Orange County, California, to testify at Charles Chitat Ng’s trial. During this time, I had deeply reflected on my feelings. I still wanted to give the Marine Corps a “get even black eye”. But, at the same time I did not want to offer testimony that could help in any way Ng's defense. I realized I had to tell the truth. But, I also knew this was going to be one of the most difficult moments to date in my life. I would have to testify in a manner that I would have to walk a very fine line with almost zero margin for error. I didn't feel too confident about having to walk this tightrope.
I arrived in Orange County, California the night before I was to testify at Ng's penalty phase of his trial. Ng’s female attorney ensured that everything was in order for me as far as meals, hotel room, etc.. Later on in the evening we had a discussion in the hotel lobby. I didn’t believe I had ever met a woman with such integrity and class. I learned a great deal from her in our short conversations. She explained that she did not like defending criminals and especially cases like Charles Chitat Ng. But, she went on to say that even though this left a distaste in her mouth, she would perform her duties to the absolute best of her abilities without any prejudices whatsoever. I was extremely blunt when I said, “I do admire you, but nothing in Charles Chitat Ng's past is an excuse for the outright atrocities that he has committed. Yes, there was racism. Yes, there was torture. And, while none of this was right, it does not justify getting Ng off from the death penalty.” I then guaranteed Ng's female lawyer that I would tell the truth, but that I had full intention of minimizing any and all questions that would be beneficial to Ng's outcome.
Upon my arrival at the Orange County courthouse, I could feel the stress beginning to settle within me. I was escorted into the courthouse and into the elevator. I was taken to the top floor. Upon the elevator door opening, the size of this corridor was huge. It was as long, or, longer than a football field. The corridor was packed with news reporters and cameras. I then saw a Marine master sergeant in his dress blues uniform. I asked Ng's female lawyer, “Who is that?” She told me that I didn’t want to know. I said, “Yes, I do!” She then informed me that he was one of the Marine guards that Charles Chitat Ng had escaped from. I yelled, “That mother-fucker! He was negligent in his duties, lied about me not training him properly, and he gets to be a senior career Marine when I was asked to leave!?” Now, my anger flew out of control.
While taken into a private room, emotionally, Ng's female lawyer put me back together. She then requested permission to let me come out from a holding area guaranteeing that no further incidents would arise from me.
Shortly thereafter, I was called into the courtroom to testify. The gallery section of this courtroom was packed. Although there were a lot of reporters, no live filming was permitted. I knew by just looking at the facial expressions in the courtroom who the family members of the victims were. My heart went out to them. This built a tremendous amount of inner-strength within me to still tell the truth, but not help Ng’s case.
Just prior to the prosecution beginning their questioning of me, Charles Chitat Ng was sitting at the defense table. He no longer looked to be as ruthless and dangerous as I once perceived him to be back in my Marine Corps days. Ng had gained a lot of weight, and he was wearing a pair of “geek” type glasses. I privately thought, “Yeah, the defense is trying to make this man look as innocent as possible. Ng would not stop staring at me until I recognized his presence by nodding my head at him.
Charles Chitat Ng received international prominence with the media as a suspect in connection with twelve deaths in Calaveras County California. Charles Chitat Ng, along with a former Marine named Leonard Lake were accused of luring victims to a 2.5 acre mountain retreat in the Sierra Nevada foothills. They were both accused of torturing and killing scores of men, women and children. Ng appeared on videotapes that chronicled macabre sexual torture at this mountain compound owned by Leonard Lake. Ng would later be linked to as many as sixty-six murders.
In San Francisco, Leonard Lake, a dishonorably discharged Marine himself, was picked up by authorities on a simple theft charge. But, once Lake had been arrested by the local police, he took a cyanide pill, and committed suicide. Charles Chitat Ng was with Lake at the time of his arrest, but had once again escaped police custody.
I immediately called the state police in California. I spoke to Detective Paul Wiggins. I informed Officer Wiggins of my extensive knowledge of Charles Chitat Ng's traits that could well assist them in locating and apprehending him. But, the detective was not listening to what I was saying.
He said, “Isn’t your name Chapline? Weren’t you with Ng in Hawaii as a Marine?” Surprised that he knew my background, I said, “Sir, what are you getting at?” Detective Wiggins replied, “I hear you and Ng were quite good friends. I was told this from a reliable source. So, Mr. Chapline, we no longer have anything to discuss.” I said, "Detective Wiggins, are you fucking crazy?” Detective Wiggins then hung the phone up.
I then tried to tell another detective from a local sheriff's office that I had remembered Charles Chitat Ng telling me in Hawaii that he admired survivalists, and he wanted to go across the border into Canada someday. I also reiterated that Ng would go on foot over the mountainous ranges until he would reach the Canadian border. The detective really got a good laugh out of my so-called synopsis of Charles Chitat Ng.
This was, until authorities realized that Ng did exactly what I said he would do. I just had to pay this asshole detective back. I talked in detail to the news media and went on statewide television in California proving this detective and local authorities to be complete incompetent fools. The local police now wanted to talk to me. I told them they could kiss my ass until they publicly revealed who their source was that fed them all that bullshit about me being Charles Chitat Ng's friend. They refused to disclose their source. In turn, I refused to cooperate any further with California law enforcement authorities. But, I did know their source of misinformation was none other than the now former Marine Corps staff secretary to Brigadier General Bain McClintock, Major Emerson Swisher.
It didn’t take a genius to figure this out. My old nemesis from back at Kaneohe Bay was making my life miserable again. I thought, “Christ sake, I’ve been out of the Marines since July of 1983 and this jerk is still coming after me. Now, I really hated the Marine Corps. It was bad enough that this man was totally negligent in not ensuring Ng was deported from the United States. Because of this omission, alone, it resulted in many tortured deaths of innocent men, women and children.
Months later Charles Chitat Ng was arrested in Canada on a simple shoplifting charge. It took approximately one decade to have Ng extradited back to California from Canada to stand trial for all the murders he had committed. At the time of these negotiations, California had a death penalty law that Canada did not recognize. This created the one decade delay that Charles Chitat Ng played perfectly.
When Ng was finally released from Canadian authorities and delivered back to the state of California, in 1997, I was contacted by Charles Chitat Ng's lawyer from the Public Defender’s Office in Orange County, California. I thought, “The venue for Ng’s trial has been changed.”
I was now an eleven year veteran as a corrections officer in the State of Nevada. Ng’s lawyers were asking me to testify on his behalf at the penalty phase of his trial. They had contacted me by phone while I was at work. I refused to cooperate. I was in no way going to testify on behalf of a man who had committed murder after murder. I told the Public Defender’s Office, “I can forgive a man who made the Marine Corps and their corrupt cronies look like a bunch of fools. But, murdering innocent women and babies, never.” The Public Defender’s Office threatened me with a subpoena and stated that if I did not appear and tell the truth, I would be placed in jail. My response to this yuppie lawyer was, “fuck you!” I hung the phone up. Within a one week period the same yuppie lawyer and a beautiful young female lawyer were at my house in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although I allowed these two lawyers into my house, I remained uncooperative.
Finally, the male lawyer lost his temper. He took a couple of papers from his briefcase and slammed them down on my kitchen table. He said, “Have you ever seen this report? Look at it, Chapline!” I grudgingly picked it up. I saw that it was marked “CONFIDENTIAL '' and was originated by General McClintock’s staff secretary; who else? This report was addressed to Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C. The contents of this report were to be one of the most shocking moments in my life. It stated that Charles Chitat Ng had merely walked away while in custody of my two Marine chasers during a lapse in security. It further stated that one Marine guard was in the bathroom, and the other Marine guard had left his prisoner unattended, while he went out back of the barracks smoking a cigarette.
To say the least, I was hopping mad! I said to the Public Defender, “Do you mean to fucking tell me that prisoner Ng never overpowered these guards with his martial arts? That this was all bullshit and one huge cover-up?” Both lawyers said this was true. Ng's female lawyer said, “Now, will you cooperate with us?” I said that I would. “Boy”, I thought, “This was the reason Ng told me all Marines were incompetent and inept.” There was no doubt when I testified at Ng’s trial that I was going to deliver the ultimate black eye to the Marine Corps. And yes, this time, I would enjoy it.
It was approximately eight months before I went to Orange County, California, to testify at Charles Chitat Ng’s trial. During this time, I had deeply reflected on my feelings. I still wanted to give the Marine Corps a “get even black eye”. But, at the same time I did not want to offer testimony that could help in any way Ng's defense. I realized I had to tell the truth. But, I also knew this was going to be one of the most difficult moments to date in my life. I would have to testify in a manner that I would have to walk a very fine line with almost zero margin for error. I didn't feel too confident about having to walk this tightrope.
I arrived in Orange County, California the night before I was to testify at Ng's penalty phase of his trial. Ng’s female attorney ensured that everything was in order for me as far as meals, hotel room, etc.. Later on in the evening we had a discussion in the hotel lobby. I didn’t believe I had ever met a woman with such integrity and class. I learned a great deal from her in our short conversations. She explained that she did not like defending criminals and especially cases like Charles Chitat Ng. But, she went on to say that even though this left a distaste in her mouth, she would perform her duties to the absolute best of her abilities without any prejudices whatsoever. I was extremely blunt when I said, “I do admire you, but nothing in Charles Chitat Ng's past is an excuse for the outright atrocities that he has committed. Yes, there was racism. Yes, there was torture. And, while none of this was right, it does not justify getting Ng off from the death penalty.” I then guaranteed Ng's female lawyer that I would tell the truth, but that I had full intention of minimizing any and all questions that would be beneficial to Ng's outcome.
Upon my arrival at the Orange County courthouse, I could feel the stress beginning to settle within me. I was escorted into the courthouse and into the elevator. I was taken to the top floor. Upon the elevator door opening, the size of this corridor was huge. It was as long, or, longer than a football field. The corridor was packed with news reporters and cameras. I then saw a Marine master sergeant in his dress blues uniform. I asked Ng's female lawyer, “Who is that?” She told me that I didn’t want to know. I said, “Yes, I do!” She then informed me that he was one of the Marine guards that Charles Chitat Ng had escaped from. I yelled, “That mother-fucker! He was negligent in his duties, lied about me not training him properly, and he gets to be a senior career Marine when I was asked to leave!?” Now, my anger flew out of control.
While taken into a private room, emotionally, Ng's female lawyer put me back together. She then requested permission to let me come out from a holding area guaranteeing that no further incidents would arise from me.
Shortly thereafter, I was called into the courtroom to testify. The gallery section of this courtroom was packed. Although there were a lot of reporters, no live filming was permitted. I knew by just looking at the facial expressions in the courtroom who the family members of the victims were. My heart went out to them. This built a tremendous amount of inner-strength within me to still tell the truth, but not help Ng’s case.
Just prior to the prosecution beginning their questioning of me, Charles Chitat Ng was sitting at the defense table. He no longer looked to be as ruthless and dangerous as I once perceived him to be back in my Marine Corps days. Ng had gained a lot of weight, and he was wearing a pair of “geek” type glasses. I privately thought, “Yeah, the defense is trying to make this man look as innocent as possible. Ng would not stop staring at me until I recognized his presence by nodding my head at him.