TIME FOR VINDICATION

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Article Salvador Calisto

 

The Louisiana Law Enforcement Query: Defense appeals heavily leaned on withheld police reports and timeline gaps to argue for Duckett's innocence. Among these investigative files was a report regarding Calisto and a group of his friends traveling out of state to a Louisiana parish shortly after the crime. Local Louisiana authorities contacted the Lake County Sheriff's Office to inquire about the boys and determine if they were fleeing or tied to the local homicide, a point the defense later argued should have been utilized more thoroughly to establish an alternate suspect theory at trial

 

The Louisiana Police Department & Location

• The Location: The report originated from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, located just outside of New Orleans, Louisiana.
• The Intercept: Jefferson Parish deputies detained Salvador Calisto and two of his friends after they abruptly fled Mascotte, Florida, shortly after Teresa McAbee went missing. [1, 2]

Details of the Jefferson Parish Report

According to the appellate files handled by Capital Collateral Regional Counsel (CCRC):

• The Out-of-State Flight: Salvador Calisto left Florida almost immediately after the murder. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office picked up the boys in Louisiana on suspicion of erratic behavior and potential criminal vagrancy.
• The Call to Lake County: Recognizing the boys were far from home, Louisiana authorities contacted the Lake County Sheriff's Office in Florida. They explicitly asked if these teenagers were wanted for any local crimes or if they were fleeing a major investigation. [1]
• The Box of Clothes: A critical piece of information heavily leaned on by Duckett's defense was that Salvador Calisto allegedly had a box or bag of blood-stained clothes with him while in Louisiana.

 

 

 

The Louisiana Timeline

• Arrival in Louisiana: Salvador Calisto and his friends arrived in Louisiana on May 13, 1987, which was just two days after the murder of Teresa Mae McAbee in Lake County, Florida. [1]
• The Police Contact: Later that same month, local law enforcement in Bossier Parish, Louisiana detained the group. A teletype communication was officially sent from Bossier Parish to the Lake County Sheriff's Office on May 26, 1987, inquiring if Calisto or any members of his group were wanted for questioning regarding the Florida homicide.

Why the Time and Location Mattered to the Case

This event became a critical point of contention in James Duckett's subsequent post-conviction appeals. Duckett's defense team argued that the State withheld exculpatory evidence (Brady material) regarding alternative suspects. [1]