Word for Word

Incriminating testimony

Compiled by Times staff

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 22, 2000

From the sworn testimony of Melanie Bowie, 25, a waitress who lives in Holiday.

On Sept. 14, 1998, Bowie was driving on Alt. U.S. 19 in Holiday when she struck and killed Louis Rapisarda, a pedestrian. She is on trial for misdemeanor DUI in Pasco County in connection with his death.

Danny Bowers, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, has acknowledged that he began a personal relationship with Bowie after meeting her at the accident scene. Rapisarda's family contends that the relationship tainted the FHP's investigation.

The family also filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Bowie. In June, lawyer Wolfgang Florin questioned her under oath for more than three hours.

Bowie invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 88 times.

-- MIKE WILSON, Floridian editor

Florin: ... Please let me know if you need to take a break at any time. It may be a little warm in here because of all the people in the room. So if you need to take a break, go to the restroom, get a drink, I will be happy to accommodate you.

Bowie. Okay.

Q. Could you tell me how you are currently employed?

A. Ballyhoo Grill.

Q. I am sorry?

A. Ballyhoo Grill. I need to take a break. No, I'm kidding. Ballyhoo Grill.

Q. When did you have your first drink at Ballyhoo's that evening?

A: I take the Fifth.

Q. How many drinks did you consume at Ballyhoo?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. At what point in the evening did you become intoxicated while you were at Ballyhoo?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Who served you the alcoholic beverages at Ballyhoo's that evening?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Was it more than one person that served you drinks that night?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. I mean take me from the point you walk out the door at Ballyhoo's to get to your car. Take me through that visually, if you can.

A. I would have to walk out of Ballyhoo and go across the street to where my vehicle, to where us employees have to park our vehicles.

Q. Okay. I mean, well, do you remember doing that that night?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. All right. So you get in your truck, pull out of the parking lot, and you head north on Alternate 19?

A. Correct.

Q. No one is in the car with you?

A. No.

Q. Tell me what happens next.

A. Heading north on Alternate 19. I was just on my way driving home, driving like normal. I didn't see anything. I felt something. Like I had hit something. I had no idea what, if it was a barricade, or who knows. It could have been anything. I had no idea. I know I felt something. So, I got up to the U.S. 19 and Alternate 19 light, and that's where I had talked to Brad (Bedson, a friend who was driving alongside her). He was like "You hit something." I'm like, "I know. I wonder what it was?"

Bowie's car had stalled, so she got into Bedson's car with him.

Q. And what happens after you get in his car?

A. Turn around at the Alternate 19, U.S. 19 light, heading southbound on Alternate 19.

Q. Okay. What happens next?

A. Just looking to see what was, what could have been in the road, or what it was that I might have hit, and that's when he had noticed Louis Rapisarda laying on the side of the road, and then we -- I freaked. I freaked. Because I had no idea. Definitely didn't know it was a person that I hit. Still, I was wondering, well, somebody else could have hit him before I did because I did not see him at all.

Q. And what did Brad say?

A. He probably -- he freaked. I'm sure he said -- I don't know exactly what he said.

Q. Well, what's the first indication that he had that he had discovered what it was that you had hit?

A. Probably "Holy s--."

Q. Who? Who is the first person, other than you all, that comes to the scene?

A. I believe it was Danny Bowers.

Q. And who is Danny Bowers?

A. A state trooper.

Q. Do you know Mr. or Officer Bowers, other than a --

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Did you know Officer Bowers, or Trooper Bowers, before this incident occurred?

A. No, I did not.

Q. Have you come to know Officer Bowers outside of this investigation that he did, or his arrival at the scene?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Has Officer Bowers called you at your home at any time regarding this incident?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Has Officer Bowers ever left a voice mail message on your answering machine?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Have you ever played a voice mail message of Officer Bowers or Trooper Bowers to anyone else?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Has anyone else ever taped any voice mail messages that were left on your home answering machine by Officer Bowers?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Did you know any of the officers that investigated this fatal collision, other than Officer Bowers, before the incident occurred?

A. No, I did not.

Q. Have you come to know any of the other officers that have investigated this fatal collision, since the time it happened?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Have any of those other officers called you at your home?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Have any of those officers left voice mail messages on your answering machine?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Has anyone recorded any voice mail messages from anyone other than Officer or Trooper Bowers, on your, from your home answering machine?

A. I take the Fifth.

Q. Could you tell me, what does "habitually addicted to alcohol" mean?

A. I would have to think somebody habitually addicted to alcohol would be somebody that would drink a lot, or to the point of intoxication ... I would think that if they need alcohol frequently, if they were alcoholics or had gotten in trouble with alcohol, or consumed a lot, or frequently got intoxicated.

Q. Where did you come, or how did you come to ... that understanding of the meaning of that term?

A. You could learn that. I would say that's common sense.

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