Arrest warrant will be served, Husband made up the story, police say

The Sunday Republican ^ | Sunday, February 15, 2004 | By Robyn Adams

[flim-flam]

WATERBURY — Police said the husband of Sgt. Betsy Valentin of Waterbury confessed to falsely reporting her death in Iraq. Late Saturday night, police had a warrant for his arrest.

The husband, Edward Valentin, lied and will face felony charges, said Neil O'Leary, the city's acting police chief.

Valentin lied to his friends, family and authorities when he said he received a telephone call that Betsy Valentin had been killed in an explosion, O'Leary said. An arrest was expected overnight and O'Leary said a news conference will be held at 1 p.m. today at the police station.

Valentin gained national attention after he sobbed in what police said was faked relief after learning his wife was alive. The story of the alleged prank sparked interest as it traveled through national news services, and Friday and Saturday, Valentin's Waterbury home and phone were besieged with reporters wanting to speak with the family tricked into thinking their wife and mother was killed in action.

The trickster was Edward Valentin, O'Leary said.

He will be charged with falsely reporting an incident concerning a death, two counts of harassment in the second degree, and making a false statement to police.

O'Leary said falsely reporting an incident about a death is a felony. The harassment charges are because Valentin used his telephone to alarm people about the alleged death.

"His story was hard to believe but nonetheless, he finally admitted that he lied and made the whole thing up. Why? That is not clear," O'Leary said.

Police interviewed Valentin at length, at first to determine who made the call Valentin said came to his cellular telephone. Someone called saying Sgt. Valentin was presumed dead after an explosion, her husband had told police.

The bottom began to fall from Valentin's story Thursday when a Republican-American reporter who interviewed Sgt. Valentin last month e-mailed her that morning. Four hours later, the soldier e-mailed the reporter. The reporter informed O'Leary, who told her to go to Valentin's house to show him the note and also to e-mail Sgt. Valentin back, encouraging her to call her family.

Thursday, Valentin said he was relieved to get a call from his wife and began sobbing. He said of the time the military Wednesday evening to his wife's call: "I had been to hell and back."

It was not clear Saturday how Sgt. Valentin would be informed of her husband's arrest.

Investigators got suspicious at the many inconsistencies in Valentin's story, O'Leary said.

He told police and reporters that he got the call on his cell phone from an Army lieutenant colonel whose first name was Jack. O'Leary said Valentin said the lieutenant provided his wife's social security number as confirmation.

"Based on information provided by Valentin, we got a search and seizure warrant for his cell phone records," O'Leary said. "We checked the time frame of the call and noticed he made some calls and got some calls. We interviewed all of those people."

Valentin told reporters that he spoke to his wife about an hour before the military called Wednesday afternoon. He then called another woman and told her his wife had been shot and killed, police said.

Then, about 5 p.m., a police dispatcher notified O'Leary that police cruisers were at Valentin's house and that he had told the officers his wife died in the war.

O'Leary said he thought it was odd that the military would call instead of personally going to the house. Still, police cars were sent to Valentin's home off Francisco Circle in the Washington Hill neighborhood to keep the media and others away from the family. Police cruisers were at the home from Wednesday evening until Thursday when the reporter arrived with the e-mail from Sgt. Valentin.

O'Leary said Valentin was interviewed by police Friday and signed a statement detailing his version of the story. "He swore to it, and it was notarized," O'Leary said.

Saturday, Valentin recanted his story and confessed to lying, O'Leary said.

"We're putting together an arrest warrant for Valentin," O'Leary said late Saturday evening. "He will be arrested."

[flim-flam]

This is truly sick. My heart goes out to Sgt. Betsy Valentin.

[Criminal Number 18F]

Geeze. I've helped bust a lot of soldier wannabees over the years, but this is the first case of "surviving spouse wannabee" I have ever heard of. Amazing that the paper caught it, given that they are almost as ignorant (lieutenant colonel != lieutenant) as the clown himself.

For the record, the military has a formal procedure for casualty notification. In the case of soldiers who are killed or missing, this process always requires an officer senior to the casualty, usually accompanied by a chaplain and sometimes a physician, to physically go to the next of kin and inform him or her personally. The procedure varies slightly from service to service.

It's the worst duty you can draw, but it's taken very seriously.

When one of our men is killed, we even freeze the non-official phone lines and internet lines out of HQ until we have conducted the official notification -- that's to prevent unofficial word from these space age means of communication beating the official notification to the bereaved wife or parents.

Damn straight, he needs arresting. That's the problem with attention-seeking: sometimes you get it.

Guys, have a look at this drip.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[tsmith130]

It's my understanding that this type of information is NEVER done via a phone call. The military sends someone to your home, correct?

[Neets]

Correcr!!

The military has what is called "Casualy Assistance Officers"...folks identified ahead of time who will act as an official representative of the Armed Services who personally goes to the home to notify NOK of a Casualty.

NEVER EVER BY PHONE.

[RunningJoke]

"He will be charged with falsely reporting an incident concerning a death, two counts of harassment in the second degree, and making a false statement to police. "

I wonder if the punishment for the above is worse than the punishment for lying under oath about an adulterous affair.

[drjimmy]

I guess yesterday just wasn't Valentin's day!

[flim-flam]

I believe you are right, as I couldn't immediately think of a motive, other than insurance fraud.

[jocon307]

"The military sends someone to your home, correct?"

Isn't this true of everything? I've heard if they come to your door it is the worst news, even auto accidents, etc. I would think that other than the case of very sick people who are in hospital (as the brits say, but it sounds right here) and basically expected to die, one is never informed of these things via telephone, except as a grievous blunder.

[tsmith130]

Then why do people keep falling for this? If I know it and I don't have anyone in the military, why don't others?

[RGSpincich]

couldn't immediately think of a motive

I think the police gave us a hint.

Valentin told reporters that he spoke to his wife about an hour before the military called Wednesday afternoon. He then called another woman and told her his wife had been shot and killed, police said.

[TRY ONE]

"Valentin told reporters that he spoke to his wife about an hour before the military called Wednesday afternoon. He then called another woman and told her his wife had been shot and killed, police said."


He then called another woman and said: Come closer baby, it's now Valentin's day and we can .......

[Lauratealeaf]

The bottom began to fall from Valentin's story Thursday when a Republican-American reporter who interviewed Sgt. Valentin last month e-mailed her that morning.

What is a Republican-American reporter? I have never heard of one of those.

[wimpycat]

Huh? I wonder what he was up to? Was he trying to get "sympathy sex" from this other woman? "Oooh, my wife is dead, I need comfort, boo-hoo!"

Or did he just want some attention? Sort of like those people who "confess" to murders they didn't commit.

What a loon!

[NonValueAdded]

Maybe he was thinking she would get compassionate leave to comfort her husband after the trauma of the false news? That is the only plausible explanation beyond the simple "he's nuts." The bad thing about my scenario is that she could be in on it. I'm not saying she is, but it might just be then next mortar round to cook off in this story.

[jocon307]

"Then why do people keep falling for this?"

Well, don't forget the details of this very peculiar story. The guy DIDN'T fall for it, he made the story up himself. This is like a hoax of a hoax.

I can't imagine what his motivation was.

As far as other people go, I guess if someone were to call you and tell you someone you loved had been killed,or died, the shock would drive other, more sensible thoughts from your mind.

I remember when my boss called me to tell me that my other boss had died (very unexpectedly, of a "drop dead" heart attack). I had seen the fellow alive and well only 7 hours before. All I kept saying was "You're kidding" "Are you kidding?" "You're not kidding?" Later I thought how much of an idiot I must have sounded, but I literally could not believe what I was being told. The next day as I was going to work I realized that in most of my mind I still didn't believe it, it was only when I got there and saw the receptionist all red eyed and the general state of disarray that I realized it was indeed true. The guy was just full of life, you know. It's still hard to fathom that he's gone, and it's been 3 years now. (we still miss you Brian!)

[tsmith130]

Well, don't forget the details of this very peculiar story. The guy DIDN'T fall for it, he made the story up himself. This is like a hoax of a hoax.

I meant the law enforcement officials. Him telling them that he got a phone call saying his wife had been killed should have been their very first clue that something was not right. Maybe it was....that's why they started the investigation.

[sweetliberty]

" He then called another woman and told her his wife had been shot and killed, police said."

Sounds like it might have been a ploy for "sympathy" from this other woman.

[sweetliberty]

"What is a Republican-American reporter?"

Obviously, some sort of mutant.

[sweetliberty]

Actually, my first thought was that maybe he planned to kill her himself, and in some twisted sort of way, thought that if she was thought to already be dead, there would be no repercussions. Obviously, if that were the case, he isn't the brightest bulb in the package, not having considered such things as a body being sent home for burial.

Personally, I think the cad was just looking from sympathy for some babe he'd been hitting on that was turning him down because he had a wife.

Sick, any way you look at it.

[Hildy]

I would say that the term Democrat-American would make sense, because they always put their party before their country!!!!