02/21/07

Transcript: Woman who secretly recorded carjacking before she was killed pleaded with captor

By JEFFREY GOLD
Associated Press Writer

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) -- A teacher who was killed nearly 11 years ago tried to talk a carjacker out of taking her life, even offering to help him get a job, according to a transcript of her secretly recorded pleas that was released Wednesday.

Michael LaSane, now 27, went on trial in the death of Kathleen Weinstein, 44, who secretly recorded the exchange before she was killed March 14, 1996. Her body was found with the tape in her pocket.

State Superior Court Judge James N. Citta ruled Wednesday that the jury can hear the tape, despite attempts by the defense and the victim's husband to suppress it.

For at least 46 minutes, Weinstein spoke to the intruder, talking to him about God, brainstorming on how to find him another vehicle, suggesting she would help him find a job.

The special education teacher said she would drive the teenager more than an hour to Newark to see his mother, according to the transcript.

"I'll go in with you to talk to your mom," said the woman, identified as Weinstein by the teacher's family.

"Why don't you let me drive you somewhere? And I'll have my car, and I'll make a promise that I won't tell anybody, because you won't be taking my car; you won't be hurting me, and maybe you can ... you can get away another way," she said.

"You'll wind up spending you life in prison if you don't get killed," said Weinstein, crying at times.

LaSane, who is charged with felony murder, kidnapping and carjacking, said little in response, according to the transcript.

Anything said in open court is considered a matter of public record. But the victim's husband, Paul Weinstein, has opposed playing the tape publicly and had it copyrighted to discourage media outlets from attempting to obtain it.

Only excerpts of the tape had already been released publicly. Complete transcripts of the recording were released Wednesday after lawyers for media outlets, including The Associated Press, protested that the tapes were not played aloud.

Kathleen Weinstein was returning to her car from a Toms River restaurant when she was grabbed from behind and forced into her car by someone saying he had a gun, authorities said.

During her ordeal, she turned on a small tape recorder hidden in her coat pocket. Her body was found three days later.

LaSane pleaded guilty to murder, but the plea was overturned eight years later after it was revealed that his public defender had a sexual encounter with the suspect's mother.