Hey guys, we got a good question in the comments section of a previous post and I thought I would answer it here. It’s about Arnold’s brother Howard (Jesse’s uncle), and the film that’s being referred to is of course “Capturing the Friedmans.” It reads:
I read somewhere that Arnold’s brother Howard, who is in the film and says that he doesn’t believe the the crimes occurred, has elsewhere and subsequently said that Arnold confessed to him that he and Jesse did do something to the kids. Has Howard really said this, and if so, what do you make of it?
There are a few reasons why Howard’s memory of Arthur’s “late night confession” is contentious.
Howard’s recollection is quoted no less than ten times in the report that was issued by DA Rice in 2013, so you may have read about it in a story about the report, or in some of the news coverage of the case in general from around that same time. What was NOT included in the Rice Report was that there have been other numerous instances where Howard stated that he unequivocally believed in Arnold and Jesse’s innocence. Howard wrote to the parole board saying “My nephew is innocent,” and there are hundreds of letters between Howard and Jesse in which Howard is unwavering in his support of his nephew.
Specifically, around the same time as Arnold’s so called “confession,” Howard wrote a letter to Arnold in prison where he quotes his brother’s denial of wrongdoing in the computer classes. While Howard says that Arnold did admit his attraction for young boys, he categorically denied ever having “hurt” anyone in the classes, saying, “ … I never molested the kids.” And more importantly, there is absolutely no mention of Jesse in this version of the confession. Though this letter is a much more concrete piece of evidence, DA Rice has chosen to ignore it accepting as truth the memory of a late night conversation instead.
Second, Jesse’s uncle Howard, by his own admission, deals with some serious health issues, issues which are certainly capable of affecting his memory and cognitive functions. Finally, remember that Howard lived in California where he has lived for well over 20 years, so he had virtually no experience of the computer classes in his brother’s home.
Howard’s recollection of the “late night confession,” whether the result of a medical condition or simply a faulty memory, contradicts what he’s said all along about his belief in Arnold and Jesse’s innocence. It’s not hard to understand why Kathleen Rice would have chosen to tout the version that supports her biased agenda against Jesse, but the DA should not be able to pick and choose statements from an unreliable source.
Thanks for the great question, I’m happy to have a chance to get as much information about the case out there as I can, and I’ll write again soon.
— January 20, 2015