Cemetery Caretaker Russell Neal was killed on Wednesday morning at 1:00 am by an unknown shooter. The men who worked with him told us it was all set up by the woman he shares a 14 year old daughter with.
That's Bernadette Iguawarto - and she was fingered because on Monday afternoon - twelve hours before Neal was killed - he had a misunderstanding with her. It was over money she needed for their daughter to go back to school. He was angry with the girl over a personal conduct issue and gave the money grudgingly.
When Bernadette Iguwarto was leaving his house, he assaulted her - causing her major facial injuries and abrasions. She reported it to the police and Neal was wanted for wounding.
That's what started the whole murder conspiracy going and Bernadette Iguwarto was in the middle of it. She was detained by police for 48 hours and release. She came straight to our office to clear her name and also her sons.
First she explained the misunderstanding that started it all:....
Bernadette Iguawarto, Accused of Neal's Death
"He gave me the money. After he gave me the money he walk inside and he said that he will soon stop give my daughter things. I didn't pay him any mind, I walk down the stairs, when I walk down the steps he said that I was an ass, I said to him that I am not an ass and the he is. When I look back I see him coming behind me and when he reach behind me he took his hand on my back and he push me into the cement wall, I told him that he is chancy and didn't have to do that, I told him to watch what he did to my face now. When the police came he took off and I show them the man is going in the blue and white shirt. I saw the police ride after him; they took like ten minutes before they came back to me and told me to get in the police car. I told the police that they have to see the bicycle because it got broken up when Mr. Neal push me into the wall. The police said not to worry about that, to leave it there. I told them that I can't left my bicycle there."
Giovannie Froggy Leslie, son
"My mother call me about 1:30 Tuesday afternoon, I was at work so I ask for time off from my supervisor I told him that something happen to my mom and I need to go to the hospital. So I went to the hospital and ask if someone came in here for emergency because my mom has pressure and I thought that her pressure went up. One of the guys from the hospital that know me told me that my mother is here. When I reach there I saw a lady in a wheel chair, i didnt know that it was my mom, she hollered for me, she said Giovannie and when I see my mom face I started to cry because I want to know what happen to her. I said what happen to you B. My mother said that Russell slam her into the fence. I said B why would he do you something like that, what did you do him? She said nothing; she said that she went there for some money for daughter to buy stuff for her school. I started to cry more. I wanted to do something, so I said to my mom that we will make the police deal with it. My mom face was so swollen I couldn't even recognize her, she couldn't see out of one eye. Her face was bloody. Anybody that is a son and a mother will feel angry. But I am not that kind of person to retaliate."
Monica Bodden
"So you don't think it's for a little slight push?"
Giovannie Froggy Leslie, son
"It could never be a slight push."
Iguwarto made a complaint, and a warrant was issued for Neal's arrest for wounding. Of course, he wasn't arrested; he was killed before that could happen.
Shortly after he was shot in the early hours of Wednesday morning, police went looking for Iguwarto. The story was that she was angry at him for causing her such serious injury and sent her two sons to kill Neal.
She explained that police put this story to her, while one of her sons Giovannie Froggy Leslie also explained his blamelessness:...
Bernadette Iguawarto, Accused of Neal's Death
"They hold me over there for 48 hours. They interrogate me, one of the officers came and said 'so you threatened the man, you told the man that you will kill him' I said that I didn't threatened anybody. The officer said that 8 people says that I threatened Mr. Neal. I told the officer that I didn't threaten anybody, I told the officer that I depend on Mr. Neal and I wouldn't want anything to happen to him because he takes care of his daughter, he pays my light bill. I told the officer that they have the wrong person. They took me down to the "pisshouse" the officer told me that I am missing out part of the story. I told him what do you mean, he said that I threaten the man; everybody says that I threaten the man."
Giovannie Froggy Leslie, son
"All they get is one information that my mother threaten from some slum dog, because they are slum dogs who accuse my mother. They put my mom who is an innocent person in "pisshouse" They want to lock me up also when I went to look for my mom."
Monica Bodden
"So Ms. Bernadette, you never threaten Russell?"
Bernadette Iguawarto, Accused of Neal's Death
"Never ever. The police say that I said that I will kill Russell or I will make someone kill Russell. I told the officer that I did not have that kind of talking at all with Russell. I know my heart is clean that I never threaten Russell or tell him that I will kill him. For what will I kill him? In the past Russell beat me in my head with a 2X4 board in front of his wife, we went to court for that. I am not that kind of person to threaten anybody. My children are good children; they don't have any police record."
Giovannie Froggy Leslie, son
"They detain my mother for foolishness, they were talking over the media that we do killings and things like that. We are not that kind of people."
Bernadette Iguawarto, Accused of Neal's Death
"Why would we revenge my daughter bread winner? Why would I do something like that? My heart is clean and I want everybody to know that. I never think to hurt Russell."
No one else has been detained for Neal's death.
When Iguawarto was thrown to the ground by Neal, her bike was mashed up and police have taken in that bike as evidence.
