July 20, 1995 - Part 1
July 20, 1995 - Part 1
(09:55:40) The CHAIRMAN. Major Hines. SWORN TESTIMONY OF ROBERT H. HINES MAJOR, U.S. PARK POLICE Mr. HINES. Good morning, Chairman. First, I want to thank you for your comments in your opening statement about the Park Police and our investigation. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I am Major Robert H. Hines, I joined the U.S. Park Police in 1967 after serving in the United States Marine Corps and the Maryland Army National Guard. From 1985 to 1991, 1 was the Commander of the U.S. Park Police Criminal Investigations Branch. Since 1991, 1 have been the Commander of the Office of Inspectional Services, U.S. Park Police. In that capacity, I also serve as the Force Public Information Officer. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I can only reiterate my desire to cooperate with this Committee in every possible way. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Major. Mr. Chertoff. Mr. CHERTOFF. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome everybody, It's evident you're all experienced in the area of law enforcement. Sergeant Braun, let me direct my attention to you first. I'd like you to focus, please, on July 20, 1993 at around 6 p.m. Did you get a call to attend a scene of a violent death at that point in time? Ms. BRAUN. Yes, I did. Mr. CHERTOFF. Who did you go to the scene with? Ms. BRAUN. I went to the scene with Investigator Rolla and Investigator Apt. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did you find at the scene the body of Vincent Foster? Ms. BRAUN. Yes, I did. Mr. CHERTOFF. Approximately how long did you remain at the scene that evening? Ms. BRAUN. Until approximately 8:30 in the evening. Mr. CHERTOFF. You remained there with Detective Rolla? Ms. BRAUN. Yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. Where did you go next? Ms. BRAUN. After we left the scene, we went to the hospital briefly to retrieve some property. Mr. CHERTOFF. After you were at the hospital, did you get a call to go pick somebody up? 148 Ms. BRAUN. Yes, we did. Mr. CHERTOFF. Who was that? Ms. BRAUN. We were requested to pick up Mr. David Watkins to allow him and his wife to assist us with the notification of the Fos- ter family. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did you go to pick up David Watkins? Ms. BRAUN. Yes, sir. Mr. CHERTOFF. Can you tell us how Mr. Watkins introduced him- self to you, what he told you his position was? Ms. BRAUN. It's been 2 years. I don't remember exactly how je introduced himself. It was fairly informal. He introduced himself David Watkins, and he presented me with one of his business cards. Mr. CHERTOFF. Did you learn from that business card that he was a senior official at the White House in charge of administration? Ms. BRAUN. Yes. Mr. CHERTOFF. Where did you and Detective Rolla take Mr. Watkins? Ms. BRAUN. We took Mr. Watkins to Mr. Foster's home in Georgetown. Mr. CHERTOFF. Is it fair to say you arrived there sometime between 10 and 10:30 p.m.? Ms. BRAUN. As my recollection serves me, it was around 10 p.m. Mr. CHERTOFF. In the car, did you have any discussion with Mr. Watkins on the way to the Foster residence? Ms. BRAUN. We had a brief conversation. I recall asking Mr. Watkins if he had any indications why Mr. Foster would have committed suicide, and at that point, the only thing that he could tell me was that he knew that Mr. Foster was upset over the Travelgate press that he had been getting. Mr. CHERTOFF. Was there any discussion in the car with Mr. Watkins about whether there was a note that had been found at the scene in Fort Marcy Park? Ms. BRAUN. No, I don't recall any conversation to that effect. Mr. CHERTOFF. Now, what was the reason you wanted to go to the house with Detective Rolla? Ms. BRAUN. We were responding to the Foster home to make the .death notification to Mr. Foster 's wife and relatives. Mr. CHERTOFF, Typically, does that process of making a death notification also involve a certain investigative element? Ms. BRAUN. Yes, it does. Mr. CHERTOFF. What is that? Ms. BRAUN. In a situation like that, it would be to look for information that would confirm that the suicide victim was despondent or had made prior attempts, anything that would help confirm our suspicions that it was, in fact, a suicide. Mr. CHERTOFF. Now, you've said "suspicions" that it was a suicide. Recognizing that we're concerned with your state of mind as it was that night, not what we now know 2 years later-as of that night, had you concluded from an investigative standpoint that it was a suicide? 149 Ms. BRAUN. I was fairly certain that it was a suicide but, during the course of an investigation, you would look for other information just to confirm it. Mr. CHERTOFF. So you still had to hold open the possibility of something else? Ms. BRAUN. That's correct. Mr. CHERTOFF. Can you describe very briefly what occurred, what the scene was at the Foster home when you arrived there with Mr. Watkins?