Todd Kohlhepp Describes the Superbike Murders to Investigators, 2016 (Part 1)
Two days after his arrest, Todd Kohlhepp gave Spartanburg County investigators a step-by-step account of the 2003 Superbike Motorsports shootings, a quadruple murder that had gone unsolved for 13 years.
- Subject
- Todd Kohlhepp
- Recorded
- about November 5, 2016
- Runtime
- 58:57
Content warning: Kohlhepp gives a detailed, first-person account of shooting four people, including how he shot each victim, and refers to holding a kidnapped woman in chains on his property.
The Interview
On November 5, 2016, two days after his arrest, Todd Kohlhepp sat in an interview room at the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office and told investigators how he had killed four people at Superbike Motorsports, a motorcycle dealership in Chesnee, South Carolina, thirteen years earlier. He chose to talk rather than write; an investigator wrote the statement out by hand as he spoke, repeating his words back, and at the end asked him to read it over and initial each correction. This is the first of two videos of the interview released by prosecutors in June 2017.
Historical Context
On the afternoon of November 6, 2003, four people were shot dead at Superbike Motorsports: the owner, Scott Ponder; his mother, Beverly Guy; the service manager, Brian Lucas; and an employee, Chris Sherbert. The case went unsolved for 13 years. On November 3, 2016, deputies found a woman, Kala, chained inside a metal container on Kohlhepp's land near Woodruff. Kohlhepp, who had served nearly 15 years in Arizona for a kidnapping committed when he was 15, was arrested that day. The body of Charles Carver was found in a shallow grave on the property; within days Kohlhepp began to confess, and he led investigators to the graves of Johnny Joe Coxie and Meagan Coxie.
Circumstances of the Interview
According to WSPA, Kohlhepp asked for a lawyer on the day of his arrest, then contacted deputies again on November 5 and began confessing. The video opens after his Miranda rights have been read; he initials a map and some notes and tells the investigators they have helped him get back in touch with his mother. The investigator then takes down his personal details and dates the statement, and asks him to tell the Superbike story "from the very beginning". No investigator is named in the recording.
What the Interview Covers
Kohlhepp says he bought a Suzuki motorcycle from the dealership in 2003, found it hard to ride, and asked about trading it in; he says staff mocked him, and that the bike was stolen from outside his apartment two weeks later. He claims that on later visits the manager implied the shop had taken it, and that he kept going back to sit on the bikes and listen to the owner and manager talk trash. He then describes the weapon he used, a Beretta 92FS pistol, and a suppressor he says he had made but left in the car; driving from his class at Greenville Tech to Boiling Springs; waiting in the showroom until no customers were present; and shooting the mechanic, then the three others, then returning to fire a final shot into each. He says he "cleared that building in under 30 seconds" and that it was "almost like a video game". He explains how he avoided leaving fingerprints and how he disposed of the pistol in household rubbish. Along the way he mentions Kala by name, saying that she had written that she found "a killer with a conscience and a kidnapper with morals".
What Makes the Recording Significant
Kohlhepp pleaded guilty in May 2017, so there was no trial and no testimony. This recording is one of the main records of him speaking about the crimes in his own words, and it is his account of how the Superbike case, unsolved since 2003, was committed.
Archival Importance
The interview shows how a cold case was closed by a confession taken within days of an unrelated arrest, and how a written statement is built: the investigator writes, reads back and asks the suspect to initial each change. Paired with video 2, it documents the first days of the Kohlhepp investigation.
Important Caveats
What Kohlhepp says about his motive, about the dealership staff and about his own skill is his account, not established fact. His complaints about the victims are his claims and are not supported by any other source. Any claim by Kohlhepp of further victims, beyond those he was convicted of killing, is unverified; no such claim is made in this video. The machine transcript has many unclear passages, especially in the technical discussion of firearms. Kohlhepp's Social Security number, telephone number and street address, which he gives aloud, have been removed from the transcript, as has the name of a private individual he accuses, without any support, of making a suppressor for him.
Speaker Not Identified: I told you, man, [unclear: "I'm worried" / "work"]. Thank you. [unclear: "I'm out of my mind" / "unless"].
Investigator: You've already [unclear: "read" / "worked"] your Miranda rights.
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, I've read it.
Investigator: [unclear: "I think you still have the..." / "I think he's will have that, I get more info"]
Todd Kohlhepp: I did.
Investigator: We do have one thing we need to do real quick, so that people don't think we're lying. Can I get you to initial and date? This is the map that you guys [unclear: "drove over" / "draw"]. Those are the notes that I [unclear: "hold on" / "put on"]. Hold on, let me [unclear: "grab this house" / "copy"].
Todd Kohlhepp: I got it. I ain't going nowhere. [unclear: "I thought you said I was going somewhere. I said I don't have to be lying."]
Investigator: No, but you're okay. [unclear: "Let's get that house, man."]
Todd Kohlhepp: I just think it was kind of funny.
Investigator: Why?
Todd Kohlhepp: At the end of all this...
Investigator: Right.
Todd Kohlhepp: You've helped me get back with my mom.
Investigator: Really?
Todd Kohlhepp: And I'm hoping [unclear: "you solve a problem" / "we solve problems"] that just [unclear: "cleans the books up" / "leave the book"].
Investigator: I hit the wrong button there. [unclear: "Forgot this."] I'm sorry. Hold on. Yeah, if you will, just...
Todd Kohlhepp: Just do what?
Investigator: [unclear: "We've got white people" / "like now that's"]. No, that's just some notes that I made. If you'll just sign right here, just initial that, because that's where we talked about the notes that I put on there about where they were from. If you would, just sign. Print your name while you're at it.
Investigator: [unclear: "It's today's date" / "Good, today's date"].
Todd Kohlhepp: Yeah.
Investigator: I understand.
Investigator: Now, what were you saying we helped you do what?
Todd Kohlhepp: I haven't been around my mom in years. I've tried. [unclear: "We have fallen apart" / "the path falling apart"]. [unclear: "What's with my grandfather" / "focus my grandfather incorrect"]. I should have patched up years ago, and I didn't do it. It's a really shitty situation.
Investigator: [unclear: "Long time" / "Long as I live in"]. Okay. Um, you know, we want to talk to you about Superbikes. [unclear: "We're good for you" / "We're basically"]. Would you rather write it out in a statement, in your own words, or would you rather...
Todd Kohlhepp: I'd rather just tell it to you.
Investigator: You'd rather just tell it to us? Would you rather us... you tell it to us and us write it out, or do you just want to have a conversation and tell it to us? We'll let you pick whichever you want to do.
Todd Kohlhepp: I don't want to write. [unclear: "Thank you for letting... my hands hurt" / "I know I do for living"].
Investigator: Okay, do you want me to write it out for you?
Todd Kohlhepp: Sure.
Investigator: Okay. It's Christopher, correct?
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir.
Investigator: [unclear: "If you haven't got to meet Mr. Wright" / "See, I think I'm the meanest right"]. It's K-O-H-L-H-E-P-P. I always get it wrong. How old are you again?
Todd Kohlhepp: 45.
Investigator: Okay. Today is 11-5. 11-5. And your current address, again? I forget it.
Todd Kohlhepp: [street address redacted by SKC].
Investigator: Is that [spelling of street name redacted by SKC]?
Todd Kohlhepp: Moore.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: [ZIP code redacted by SKC].
Investigator: And your date of birth?
Todd Kohlhepp: 3-7-71.
Investigator: And your social?
Todd Kohlhepp: [Social Security number redacted by SKC].
Investigator: Okay. What's the phone number that you've been using?
Todd Kohlhepp: That cell phone number, I forgot it. I'm [unclear: "having some, it's not being smart" / "handsome, it's not me, it's morning"]. [unclear: "I'm trying to get the jail's address" / "trying to get the jail to address"].
Investigator: Huh? Oh, yeah, no, I understand, I understand.
Todd Kohlhepp: [telephone number redacted by SKC].
Investigator: Okay. Now, what I want you to do is... what I want you to do is tell me, from the very beginning, about Superbikes.
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "What, about up to it, or the way of..." / "will lend up to the bar"]
Investigator: Well, you bought a bike from them.
Todd Kohlhepp: I bought a motorcycle from them.
Investigator: What kind of motorcycle?
Todd Kohlhepp: It was a Suzuki GSX-R 750.
Investigator: GSX-R 750. Now, you're going to have to bear with me, because I write slow.
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "I'm going to bear with me" / "I'm going to barely"].
Investigator: So you bought a GSX-R 750 from...
Todd Kohlhepp: Superbike Motorsports.
Investigator: Super... I've got to [unclear: "do the same thing"]. Superbike Motorsports.
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir.
Investigator: And that's on [unclear: "Parrisford Road" / "page four drag"], correct?
Todd Kohlhepp: I still got a T-shirt.
Investigator: They give you a T-shirt?
Todd Kohlhepp: They did. I can't... I'm not a trophy guy.
Investigator: You're not a trophy guy?
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "We wanted to give you a trophy" / "not a trophy on one to give your Turkey"]. No, sir, that was actually...
Investigator: I gotcha.
Todd Kohlhepp: I don't keep trophies.
Investigator: So you bought the bike. When did you buy the bike?
Todd Kohlhepp: Um... '03?
Investigator: You remember when in '03?
Todd Kohlhepp: No, sir.
Investigator: Just sometime in '03. But was it spring, fall, winter?
Todd Kohlhepp: It was a long time ago. My grandfather gave me the down payment, and I went and bought it. I'm thinking it was [unclear: "a free..."]. [unclear: "I'm moving it... for God's sake. Stop it, though. I won." / "yeah, so you got one"]
Investigator: Where were you living at when you bought it?
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "Hunkler" / "puzzle"; possibly "Hunt Club"].
Investigator: You were living at [unclear: "Hunkler" / "my club"]?
Todd Kohlhepp: Mm-hmm. Yes.
Investigator: Okay, so go ahead. You bought the bike.
Todd Kohlhepp: Bought the bike. I tried to ride it, [unclear: "it didn't work anyway" / "in wordy way"]. Key points: I had it 14 days, and it got stolen from the front of the apartment complex. I had actually gone back to them [unclear: "on the necessary"].
Investigator: [unclear: "How many does it say?"] You said you went back to them?
Todd Kohlhepp: Before it got stolen, I had gone back to them a few days prior to being stolen and told them that I was having a hard time riding it, and I was not so sure I had made a wise decision.
Investigator: Before it got stolen, I went...
Todd Kohlhepp: Because I was inexperienced. It was a lot of bike.
Investigator: And you went back to them because you were inexperienced, and what else did you say?
Todd Kohlhepp: I thought it was a bad decision. I was trying to see if I could possibly trade it in for a smaller bike, or something of that nature. Maybe I just... [unclear: "I don't know how to ride it" / "I not ride it"].
Investigator: Bear with me. "I thought it was a bad decision and maybe considered..." So, at that, to what you said...
Todd Kohlhepp: Something, I wanted to trade, or [unclear: "from you even" / "from either"] trade it for something smaller, maybe a 600, or just walk away from it, get out of it.
Investigator: Okay. What happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: They were [unclear: "pretty understand" / "quite interesting"]. This has been many, many years. They proceeded to give me [unclear: "more on the rude side" / "all the roadside"] about my inability to ride that kind of bike. No one ever taught me, so, I mean, I [unclear: "don't operate the court the and the hospital" / "not operate court the a nossa enemy"]. [unclear: "They can be by at some time with the trailer" / "buy some time with the trailer"] made by, to make up my mind. They had dropped it off at the apartment, so they knew exactly where it was stored, because the guy [unclear: "burned it over" / "got burned over"] to me.
Investigator: So you said they knew where it was stored?
Todd Kohlhepp: They knew it was stored.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: Because they had dropped it off there.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: Two, three days later it came up missing. It was a police report. As far as I know, they never found the bike.
Investigator: You said you made a police report?
Todd Kohlhepp: I did. Actually, the law enforcement officer made fun of me. He informed me that it's a shame it got stolen before he got a chance to write me a ticket. That was the one time I [unclear: "didn't like" / "didn't miss"] you guys.
Investigator: So you made a police report?
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir.
Investigator: And then what happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: Then insurance came out. I lost a $1,000 deposit, because that was my deductible. They paid off the bike, and it was never seen again, or at least nobody bothered to contact me about it.
Investigator: And they paid off the bike?
Todd Kohlhepp: They did. [unclear: "This is part of the story" / "circus part story"], but I mean, started college, started going to Greenville Tech. None of my credits transferred from my previous degree. [unclear: "Started a player, got the Jones again" / "sort of there got the Jones it again"] for a motorcycle, and started going back to the shop and [unclear: "sit in the hall" / "incident"].
Investigator: And would this be at Superbike?
Todd Kohlhepp: Okay. During one of my times over there, sitting on one of the [bikes]... I believe it was the manager, the owner's friend. The guy was a bit of an asshole. I was looking at the bikes and trying to let the earlier part go.
Investigator: Hold on. Slow down.
Todd Kohlhepp: During one of my times there, the owner's friend, I believe it was the manager. I don't know the names. [unclear: "It's big partners" / "They were partners"] at some point.
Investigator: You said you think they were partners?
Todd Kohlhepp: They were. According to the paper, they were best of friends. They went into business together. It was the [unclear: "Brian or something" / "variety of something"], or something, or [unclear: "a bottle of their names" / "bottled remains"].
Investigator: But go ahead. You didn't know their names at that time?
Todd Kohlhepp: I did at the time, but I [unclear: "don't know where I'm going now" / "over 100k"].
Investigator: Okay. Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: I had spoken to them about buying the bike and all this, and they were always together.
Investigator: Okay. So go back to where you were sitting on bikes.
Todd Kohlhepp: I was sitting on bikes, talking back and forth, and the manager started making some comments about [unclear: "I'm going to have to lose each thing because I went to the whole thing" / "I'm gonna have to loosely say that I'm with the whole"]... basically, "Great, now I have [unclear: "someone who has" / "some more lies"] another one to go pick up," and made some comments about [unclear: "if the last one will be installed" / "last will be in stolen"].
Investigator: The manager said, "Great, now we will have another one to go pick up."
Todd Kohlhepp: And he said something about mine was on its way to Florida. I have no idea [unclear: "it was in Florida or why he said that" / "what subliminal I said"].
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "When he said it was odd to say" / "Okay, when he silly exactly"], because I [unclear] thought about the time [I asked] about possibly selling it, it was implied that "we took your shit."
Todd Kohlhepp: I let it slide for the time being.
Investigator: [unclear: "I thought about it" / "all about it"]. Oh, no, bear with me.
Todd Kohlhepp: This is why I type.
Investigator: [unclear: "If it was my handwriting" / "Do you list if it is my hey lady"].
Todd Kohlhepp: Oh, mine's not much better.
Investigator: So you let it slide for the time being.
Todd Kohlhepp: Time being.
Investigator: Just give me just a minute.
Todd Kohlhepp: What?
Investigator: Just... okay, go ahead. I'm sorry.
Todd Kohlhepp: Is it more about me?
Investigator: No. No. This is [unclear: "big"]...
Todd Kohlhepp: What did I say? [unclear: "I kind of told you."]
Investigator: You're good. You're good. So you let it slide for the time being.
Todd Kohlhepp: Time being. Got mad about it. Kept going out there. Why I kept going to the same bike place, I don't really know. But I'd go out there, sit on the bikes, and listen to these two talk shit.
Investigator: So again, I kept going out there, sitting on the bikes, trying them out, and listening to these two, the owner and the manager, basically talk trash.
Investigator: Okay. Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: Um. Beretta 92FS. [unclear: "I don't know why I keep telling you FS" / "I'm Milwaukee County FS"]. [unclear: "Just details."]
Investigator: Beretta?
Todd Kohlhepp: 92. 92FS.
Investigator: 92FS.
Todd Kohlhepp: 9 millimeter. At the time those only had 10-round mags, because they had [a] limitation, and the aftermarket [unclear: "pro mags" / "Promax"] were [unclear: "awful" / "god-awful"].
Investigator: So how many mags did you have? 10-round mags?
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir. Three of them.
Investigator: Three 10-round mags?
Todd Kohlhepp: I actually prefer a shoulder holster. Although I've got quite a few of those Kydex. They work very well. Bravo Concealment. Um, I highly recommend them. [unclear: captions only: "and how they were going to been one happen swap barrels, I think it's as important, swap barrels, that does lead to this or later, swapped barrel"]. I am not certain which barrel was on the gun that day. The reason is because one [is] threaded, one is not, and I was having problems with the suppressor. I'll explain that in a moment.
Investigator: Now, say that part again. You're not certain which one was on the barrel that day because?
Todd Kohlhepp: Because I was having problems with the suppressor. A suppressor [unclear: "would shoot on a semi-automatic" / "would shield us in the automatic"] requires a Nielsen device, also [unclear: "as a rad recoil assist" / "to rat on wrinkle resistant"], if you have a [unclear: "little barrel"]. Okay. [unclear: "Otherwise you use a spacer and lock this" / "Go ahead and watch if you use a spacer and lock this"].
Investigator: You're having a problem with the suppressor. You're going to have to [unclear: "stay that close" / "say that"]. [unclear: "You're understanding it, and you're just going okay."] So you're having problems with the suppressor.
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes. But if you don't have a [unclear: "rad"] device on it, it causes the barrel to lock back, and you have to...
Investigator: I understand suppressors, [unclear: "as you..." / "most you"].
Todd Kohlhepp: Yeah. [unclear: "They're not solvers" / "not something on silencers"].
Investigator: Okay. So say, start from there, and then?
Todd Kohlhepp: Sure. The problem: the suppressor would lock up when you shoot one round if you don't have a [unclear: "rad"] device. I couldn't make one of those.
Investigator: [unclear: "You can now."]
Todd Kohlhepp: I couldn't have.
Investigator: If you didn't have a [unclear: "rad recoil" / "rap break hole"] device...
Todd Kohlhepp: Also known as a Nielsen device.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "Talk about that so you understand" / "I'll definitely understand"]: when it fires, the barrel, because [unclear: "the barrel is the bread" / "a barrel of lettuce"], also locks the same way. Certain kinds actually, the barrel will move a little bit. They're not fixed. When they move like that, if you don't have the [unclear: "weight of the woman that's fired" / "relate of the glue and fire"], if it doesn't have a little assist to help you move the barrel, it causes the barrel to get locked back, and it can damage the weapon, but it literally locks it up to a single round.
Investigator: Todd, not that it's going to be part of this, but on this statement: where did you buy that Beretta?
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "On the street?" / "I'm sorry"].
Investigator: You don't know who from? Do you remember?
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "This guy, the guy I found him in..." / "a rumor guy, the guy by founding in"] [unclear: "one of us, I won us" / "what was I want us"]. And I had [unclear: "tried to easily" / "read too easily"], and I bought it on the side of the road. [unclear: "I think one of it was worth, but I don't want to" / "they won it was worth at all"].
Todd Kohlhepp: And the suppressor I had made at a machine shop.
Investigator: Do you remember the name of the machine shop? [name of machine shop redacted by SKC]
Todd Kohlhepp: [name of machinist redacted by SKC]. He's no longer in business, [unclear: "or he's sold to people"]. He's no longer managing the place, and he's making bits and pieces for it. I mean, he [unclear: "knew what it was going to be for" / "knew it was something before"], but I don't know if the machinist out there [unclear: "doesn't make it" / "the teeth it doesn't"].
Investigator: You made the suppressor where?
Todd Kohlhepp: [name of machine shop redacted by SKC]. Yeah. [name of machine shop redacted by SKC].
Todd Kohlhepp: And I couldn't go on. I had to do the parts. I put together [with that], tried it out, and made some modifications. At the end of the story, I didn't like it. Um, um, just didn't trust it. Dependability surpasses everything else. Years later I actually learned how to make it myself, and actually [unclear: "behind them, it's going to be dependent" / "behind blue coming to them"].
Investigator: Then what happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "Was going to go out there and use the suppressor" / "I was going to go out there with the suppressor"]. Ended up leaving the suppressor in the car. I went with the [unclear: "M10" / "intent"]...
Investigator: You took the suppressor with you...
Todd Kohlhepp: But I didn't use it. I'm almost positive I put the original barrel back on.
Investigator: Okay. Okay. And then you drove up there... You drove where?
Todd Kohlhepp: Uh, what was it? [unclear: "Pairspray" / "Hershberger"]. Got off of class at Greenville. Drove down there. Put the shoulder holster on when I was at CVS. [unclear: "No backup, you could use me" / "who know backup, you good evening"].
Investigator: So you drove to...
Todd Kohlhepp: I left college. Left my class.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: Drove to Boiling Springs. Put the shoulder holster on at the CVS parking lot. Not going to wear it out of school.
Investigator: Do you remember what time of day it was that you left class?
Todd Kohlhepp: No. Two? 1:30. 1:30 left there. [unclear: "It's a 45-minute drive" / "support them in the drive"].
Todd Kohlhepp: We're fuzzy on the time frame, sir, [unclear: "myself"].
Investigator: It's okay. [unclear: "Just like you do. Just like you."] You left class about what time?
Todd Kohlhepp: I think about 1:30.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "Our class was so boring" / "First art class is so boring"].
Investigator: And this was the CVS in Boiling Springs, you said?
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir.
Investigator: [unclear: "We're waiting just a second" / "here within the center"]. I got it. Okay. Then you put the shoulder holster on at the CVS in Boiling Springs, and then?
Todd Kohlhepp: Drove to the bike [unclear: "lot" / "wise pie chart"].
Todd Kohlhepp: Okay, got there. Not everybody was there. Went in, [sat] on a few bikes, did my usual. Basically stalled for time, and doing my best to make sure that the [unclear: "paid customers" / "pain customer"] [were] not there. The collateral damage is not cool.
Investigator: So if you [unclear: "buy installing" / "bike stalling"] for time, it's to make sure...
Todd Kohlhepp: Customers [weren't] out there. I was waiting. I was waiting for that, to make sure customers were not there.
Investigator: You said you were waiting on what?
Todd Kohlhepp: This was during the time, as you know, it was not busy. I chose a time that was not after work, when I would have a lot of people in there. Did not want to shoot other people.
Investigator: Okay, hold on.
Todd Kohlhepp: Kind of funny, Kala put on her paperwork, when she was writing stuff out to me, that she found a killer with a conscience and a kidnapper with morals, whatever the hell that meant. You remember that?
Investigator: Yeah.
Todd Kohlhepp: After she said [that], I [unclear: "spent a lot of time thinking" / "said what I'm thinking"], wow, okay.
Investigator: So you said you did not want to shoot...
Todd Kohlhepp: I didn't want to shoot anybody else.
Investigator: [unclear: "You don't want to go in your bedroom with me" / "see your book on here beber"], I'm sorry.
Todd Kohlhepp: I'm saying, see, I did not want to shoot other customers. Okay? Yeah. I had to wait for them. One of the guys wasn't there. I had to wait for him to come in.
Investigator: One of the guys wasn't there. You had to wait for him to come in. Who was not there?
Todd Kohlhepp: I don't remember which one. [unclear: "The other managers one, that the two main people" / "the thought of the managers, hold it, the two baby"]. Actually, wasn't meaning to hit the mom.
Investigator: You actually what?
Todd Kohlhepp: I was not meaning to hit the mom. I prefer not to [unclear: "shoot them" / "she limit"] if I can. [unclear: "I'm gonna refuse to shoot a kid" / "I'm gonna refuse to, she did"].
Investigator: Okay. Tell me what happened then.
Todd Kohlhepp: Finally all four showed up. From the sound [of it], it sounded like there was nobody else there.
Investigator: When you say all four...
Todd Kohlhepp: All four people who worked at the bike store. The mechanic, the mom. I was not going for the mom, but she was there at the time, and she was working there, but she got thrown into it. She wasn't... she wasn't a primary target.
Investigator: [unclear: "We use them be up late tonight"] ...was not a primary target. Okay, then what happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: I was sitting on a black Kawasaki Katana 600, I believe. [unclear: "It's crap, like"], but I was sitting on it, and it was a...
Investigator: What now? Black Kawasaki Katana 600?
Todd Kohlhepp: Okay. Told them I would take it, at which point the mechanic took the bike to the back to prep it.
Investigator: [unclear: "She gets..." / "to get"] Slow down for me.
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "I was more on the day of middling" / "I was warned a villain"]. Yeah, I cleared it in under 30 seconds.
Investigator: You what now?
Todd Kohlhepp: I cleared that building in under 30 seconds.
Investigator: [unclear: "You got a little bit proud" / "You've got a little bit more out"].
Todd Kohlhepp: I'm sorry, but [unclear: "I get a little bit proud" / "she got a little bit proud" / "she hasn't been proud"].
Investigator: Okay. So the mechanic took the bike in the back to prep it.
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes.
Investigator: Okay, then what happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: Sat around for a few moments. Sat around the middle, [unclear: "with everybody in the paperwork" / "letter write up paperwork"]. Sat around the middle. The building is very large. It's a 10,000-square-foot building. It's broken [into] the front area of the showroom, the second area was the showroom, I believe there's a [unclear: "surety"] area of the showroom, then there's a back area that is mechanic repair [unclear: "stone shed"]. Middle section is an office, bathrooms, office right behind where the front counter is.
Investigator: And when you said middle section, was that where you were at? Was their office...?
Todd Kohlhepp: No, sir, that was in the second section. I was in the third section. I may be off on this, because this part of the building wrapped around the office and then went around, so it makes it look like another section, but a part of the building wrapped around the section. Yes, sir. In that section, they have the glass up front. You have the glass display, then the office, the bathrooms, the little mini showroom.
Investigator: Okay. The glass display and the mini showroom.
Todd Kohlhepp: Mini showroom. That was all part of the office and the bathroom.
Investigator: Office and bathroom.
Todd Kohlhepp: Okay. Proceeded to go to the back mechanics area, where...
Investigator: [unclear: "Can you use big words?" / "I make a, use big words"].
Todd Kohlhepp: Sorry.
Investigator: [unclear: "I don't know."] You proceeded to go to the back mechanics area?
Todd Kohlhepp: The mechanics area, where the mechanic was prepping the bike.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: Walked up, pulled out the Beretta, put the safety off.
Investigator: Put the safety off.
Todd Kohlhepp: Well, I [unclear: "should carry her around the chamber" / "should hear it around the chamber"] at that time. [unclear] Incidentally, the reason why the SIG 516 in the building had a round [unclear: "end over the safety on" / "rounded over to safety on"] was because I took Kala for a walk without her handcuffs or leg chains. Took her for a walk [unclear: "running the property" / "run the property"] one day.
Investigator: So you pulled out the Beretta, and what happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: Uh, shot the mechanic twice. [unclear: "Damn good angle" / "Deadwood angle"]. [unclear: "Nice shot" / "I shot"].
Investigator: [unclear: "You said it again?" / "So yeah, I just out running idea"]
Todd Kohlhepp: He was beneath me. He was down, crouched down, on this side of the bike. The bike was here, I'm on this side, so I had to lean over the bike and [unclear: "two shots"]. It may have been two, it may have been three, but it definitely was two. At a downward angle.
Investigator: [unclear: "Keep it going, brother."] I'm sorry. You shot him twice at a downward angle. Maybe twice?
Todd Kohlhepp: Twice, maybe a third time. I don't remember the count. On one side, you don't want to waste [unclear: "rounds" / "ground"]; the other side, you [unclear: "don't even need" / "definitely"] desired effect.
Investigator: Do you... Where did he fall?
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "He was legally there" / "immediately there"].
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: I believe those were with the Remington 147-grain subsonics. That would be the brass cases. I believe those were with the...
Investigator: Say that again. Remington?
Todd Kohlhepp: Remington 147-grain subsonics. They're made for suppressors, which would be the brass casings. Crappy round, by the way.
Todd Kohlhepp: He hit the ground. When I realized he was not moving, he was not going to proceed, I moved to the right, when I realized he was not going to proceed.
Investigator: [unclear: "Is that what you said?" / "That word, that's what..."]
Todd Kohlhepp: I got him [with] two lung shots. I got each lung.
Investigator: You got him in two lung shots?
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir. If he can get up from that, I'm impressed.
Investigator: Okay, then what happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: Once I realized that he was no longer a threat, I immediately proceeded towards the front of the building.
Investigator: [unclear: "How long?" / "Come on"]... He was no longer a threat.
Todd Kohlhepp: I proceeded to the front of the building. [unclear: "Forget it, boy."] The reason why you didn't get any fingerprints...
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear] The reason why you didn't get any fingerprints is, on the door I used my knuckles instead of my hand to open the door. And the reason you have no [unclear: "point to me" / "puns Leone"] on any shell casings is, I wear two pairs of gloves when loading every firearm, even in practice. Even my practice [unclear: "I am on this will be a finger once" / "I am of this container ones"]. That's why I don't have to worry about picking up shell casings. If you wear one pair, you can still have a [unclear: "lame" / "latent"] print, because of the acids in your [fingers]. [unclear: "In regard to that"], when they touch, you still get... any chemicals on the outside, when you touch first before you touch it, [unclear: "you can't put a print on it" / "it can't put print on it"], even though you had gloves. If you wear a glove on top of the glove, it causes friction between the two of them, [unclear: "in the gates that" / "Odom indicates that"].
Investigator: So when you're talking about [unclear: "latex gloves" / "one time I liked explodes"]...
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir. But if you wear two pairs, not one. One pair won't work.
Investigator: So you use two pair of gloves?
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes. Latex gloves, five mil. Prefer not the [unclear: "surgical"]...
Investigator: Five mil?
Todd Kohlhepp: Yeah. Seven mil's too tight; it's too thick. [unclear: "Nine, eleven mils" / "911 Miller"] are good for [unclear: "searching" / "a surgeon"], but they're not good for [unclear].
Investigator: [unclear: "To load"...] You said your guns?
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir.
Investigator: Okay. Every time?
Todd Kohlhepp: Every time. In the event that I'm trying to... When you go back to the land, when you open the toolbox up, and you [unclear: "open the vent" / "you're welcome to"], you'll realize that I keep a mass amount of mags loaded. I don't have time sometimes in my mind to worry about which ones are this, which ones are that. So the easy solution is, let's not screw it up, always [unclear: "work closer to you" / "work loss closure cheap"].
Investigator: So then what happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: Soon as I broke through, there was a black-ish door, kind of a fabric-ish thingy.
Investigator: You broke through the door?
Todd Kohlhepp: No, sir, it wasn't a door door. It's one of those, like, flycatcher kind of doors. It was like one of those kind of things.
Investigator: You said a fabric...?
Todd Kohlhepp: Uh, plastic. It wasn't a door, like doorknobs. I just put my hand through it, pushed it forward, and when I pushed it, it kind of parted.
Investigator: Soft door?
Todd Kohlhepp: Soft door. I pushed through it, and it parted. Yes, sir.
Todd Kohlhepp: Okay. At that time, all three, the manager, owner and the mom, the manager, owner and the mom, were all... they had heard the gunshots, obviously, were all standing there.
Investigator: Now, would you say they heard, they'd heard the gunshots in the back and were coming this way to figure out what had happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: By the way, the .38 revolver that [unclear: "she" / "you"] recovered...
Investigator: Mm-hmm.
Todd Kohlhepp: That's actually my mom's. It was my grandmother's. My grandfather [was] being an asshole to me, knowing I wasn't supposed to have it. She's asked for it for years. I doubt [unclear: "you guys can do this as evidence" / "she doesn't do it as evidence"]. But that, truthfully, that one gun, only that one gun, really does [unclear: "fall under her" / "blow under her"]. Grandfather gave it to me to be an asshole to her.
Investigator: So after that point, you said they came, they were coming back to figure out what happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: Came back to see what happened. I had, all of a sudden, I had three people in front of me. [unclear: "I dropped them in" / "I dropped the mirror"].
Investigator: I'm sorry? Oh, okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: So then I had three people in front of me. Mom was the closest, and Mom was the closest, and I shot her two, three times in the chest.
Investigator: All right.
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "Not that this worked" / "Nah, that's work"]. Her pattern was horrible. Two, two... I was actually surprised. Three. And her being there, and I thought, my pattern was horrible. In the chest.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: She fell. The son and manager... son, the owner and the manager ran for the door. Took off.
Investigator: Okay, hold on. The owner and the manager. You said ran for the door?
Todd Kohlhepp: Yeah. At that range, they should have ran to me, not away. They were way too close. When I came around that door, it was, boom, three people right there.
Investigator: Okay, so then what happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: They ran to the door. They ran to the door. In the process of that, I emptied, popped a few rounds, popped one, [unclear: "I don't know which one" / "and another which"], in the process. In that process of running, I popped a few rounds and got one of them in the back.
Investigator: And got one of them in the back. One of them in the back. [unclear: "Is that where it stopped?" / "that were stopped"]
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "I can see details" / "I can Akita bus details"]...
Investigator: No, you're doing great.
Todd Kohlhepp: I got one of them in the back, and he crumpled in the door.
Investigator: He crumpled in the door?
Todd Kohlhepp: Okay. Did a tactical reload.
Investigator: Did a tactical reload?
Todd Kohlhepp: [Tactical reload,] [unclear: "drop the other one before he got to the door" / "inflate the other one before we cut out the door"]. I put, I believe, two, maybe three rounds in him. I'm not sure the count.
Investigator: Hold on. Before he dropped the other one, before he got to the door?
Todd Kohlhepp: The... let me make the door. Halfway, it's here. I engaged the first [three] people here, all three here.
Investigator: Right.
Todd Kohlhepp: At this point, these two ran.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: While they were running, I emptied it and got this guy, then proceeded to go, did a reload. While this guy was still running... this guy, when I hit him, he crumpled into the doorway.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: When I did my reload, before this guy got out, I put two in him, and he actually fell outside.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: So, but he already had two in him.
Investigator: So he crumpled in the door. I did a tactical reload and dropped the other one before he got to the door.
Todd Kohlhepp: He fell outside, sir.
Investigator: When you say you got him, you mean you shot him twice, but when he fell, he fell out of the door.
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir. He actually, the body actually ended up being in the parking lot.
Investigator: That's all. So that was the next sentence. So he... you dropped... dropped the other one before he got to the door, but he fell out the door.
Todd Kohlhepp: He fell out the door.
Investigator: Okay. That was a very fast [unclear]. Okay. Then what happened?
Todd Kohlhepp: Um, I went forward. I'm not entirely sure if I... I think I may have put another round in the guy in the door when I went over him. But I'm not certain on that one.
Investigator: At any point... "I think I may have put another round in the guy in the door as I went over him."
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir.
Investigator: At any point did anybody... I mean, was there... there was nobody else?
Todd Kohlhepp: There was nobody else.
Investigator: Okay, there was nobody else. But did anybody, as they were falling, I mean, did they, did they look at you? Did they face you? Did they say anything to you? Was there any conversation? "Don't," "please," whatever, with any of this?
Todd Kohlhepp: I don't remember hearing any of that. I will tell you, once I engaged, I was engaged. So it's like, at that point, it's almost like a video game. It's not a game, but it's almost like you, you're focused on... You've been there, sir. You know what I'm talking about.
Investigator: So as you went over him, you put a round [in] the guy as you went over him.
Todd Kohlhepp: I think. I'm not positive. I think.
Investigator: But nobody put their hands up, and...
Todd Kohlhepp: I know... well, at least I don't remember it. And nobody said anything other than basically, "Oh, shit," went through the door.
Investigator: I don't remember anyone saying anything or anyone putting their hands up.
Investigator: [unclear: "Were they showing their hands?" / "Would you something"]
Todd Kohlhepp: I don't know. [unclear: "I do not understand"]
Investigator: I'm just asking. It's just a natural [unclear: "so let's" / "webs word assassin"]... we're just asking.
Todd Kohlhepp: Once they saw me engage the lady, I mean, their entire mission was to get out that door. That's all they wanted.
Investigator: So then what did you do?
Todd Kohlhepp: Went out to the front parking lot, and I put a round through the guy's [unclear: "forehead" / "door head" / "gospel head"].
Investigator: Where was he at?
Todd Kohlhepp: In the parking lot.
Investigator: I mean, exactly where?
Todd Kohlhepp: [Out] the front door, go right. Went out to the front parking lot. [unclear: "Only 12 feet away" / "parking 112 ey round"]. And one round in.
Investigator: Who was that? Was that the manager or the owner? You don't remember?
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "It's one of the two" / "Wamba"].
Investigator: Okay, put one in. Okay, then what did you do?
Todd Kohlhepp: Proceeded to walk back through the building again to clear. And as I went, proceeded to walk back through the building... through the building. And as I did, I put one round in each person's forehead. Clear.
Investigator: And as I did, I put one in each person's forehead.
Investigator: Forehead?
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir.
Investigator: And then what did you do?
Todd Kohlhepp: At that point, put the gun on safety, and walked outside, and got in my car, and drove home.
Investigator: Okay. What kind of car were you driving?
Todd Kohlhepp: A '91 Acura Legend. And it was a gray-brown color.
Investigator: Okay. "You put the gun on safety and got into my..." What year is it?
Todd Kohlhepp: 1991.
Investigator: 1991. Was it [unclear: "two-door, four-door" / "2004" / "titter for two"]?
Todd Kohlhepp: Two. Two-door, gray. It's a dark gray with a brownish tint. It's a weird color.
Investigator: Brown tint. Acura... Integra?
Todd Kohlhepp: No, sir.
Investigator: What was it?
Todd Kohlhepp: Acura Legend.
Investigator: I'm sorry.
Todd Kohlhepp: They don't make it anymore. That car was awesome for what it was.
Investigator: Then where did you go?
Todd Kohlhepp: Home.
Investigator: Okay. What did you do with the gun?
Todd Kohlhepp: Took the gun apart. [unclear: "Every bit of it apart" / "ever been at the park"]. Took all my trash. The barrel was separated from [the] spring [and the] slide. I took all my trash...
Investigator: You mean, when you say trash, what do you mean by trash?
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "Into the Hunk load" / "my trash into the tumbler"; possibly "Hunt Club"]. All the trash in my house.
Investigator: Oh, so you emptied all the trash from your house.
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "I got down the same bags" / "down the same bags"].
Investigator: Okay. "And I took..." You said you started, you took all the trash, and then you said, "I took..." what? The barrel?
Todd Kohlhepp: The... I'm not sure which parts were which, but the... I took my cat... I had a cat at the time. I took the cat litter, and I stuck the barrel or the frame or something... one part went into the bag of used cat litter, and it got thrown in the trash, in the dumpster. Then the other parts got thrown into other bags and thrown in the dumpster.
Investigator: I took the cat litter for one part, and...
Todd Kohlhepp: And if you guys don't get the barrel, you [unclear: "know the hell the time jump was" / "have a he'll come to was"]. The firing pin will give you make, maybe, [of] weapon. Extractor will give you make, maybe model of a weapon. The barrel gives it to you.
Investigator: You took the cat litter and put one part in, and put it in the dumpster. Okay. And then what did you do?
Todd Kohlhepp: Put all the other parts in other trash [unclear: "and we get trash today" / "and we get pressure parts"].
Investigator: The other parts in other trash.
Todd Kohlhepp: And it also went to the dumpster. All the way into the [unclear: "Hump Club" / "hunk loved-up"] dumpster. If it hadn't been so long, you guys could have actually pulled records and actually figured out where they put it. But at this point, [unclear: "it's kind of a good point" / "he is confident"].
Investigator: [unclear: "You fill out" / "Fill out"] the top portion. [unclear: "I got it."] I have a couple clarifying questions [I need] to ask. [unclear: captions "Randy, because I'm sorry, I got some"]
Investigator: When the guy was shot, when the guy got out of the building, did he have anything in his hands? Do you recall?
Todd Kohlhepp: I was focused on moving bodies. I wasn't focused on [unclear: "any pain" / "me paint"]. If it wasn't a gun, I assumed they had a gun. This is the South. That's a bike shop. I'm going to assume, on the safety side of it, that they've [unclear: "already been carrying" / "only carrying"] or had something close by.
Investigator: Do you know what you shot with? What ammo? You told me about the first guy, but the rest of them... You did a tactical magazine change?
Todd Kohlhepp: I don't spray that bad. It probably wasn't my best work, but I don't spray that bad.
Investigator: So you shot the... the mechanic, you said with those...
Todd Kohlhepp: The first two rounds would have been the brass.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: The lady would have been all brass.
Investigator: Okay.
Todd Kohlhepp: The... third guy, the guy, the manager, [unclear: "part of the third"], before they got in the doorway, may have been... he would have started out with brass. After the reload, it would have been... the guy outside should have been all nickel.
Investigator: [unclear: "No" / "something cement, sir"]. [unclear: "He's not gonna see you up, sir."]
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir.
Investigator: [unclear: "You're supposed to"... "Your social,"] the last four, it's [last four digits of Social Security number redacted by SKC], correct?
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir.
Investigator: So the guy outside would have been all brass, per...
Todd Kohlhepp: All nickel. Should have been.
Investigator: Okay. And then the guy in the doorway...
Todd Kohlhepp: The only way the last guy would have got any brass in him would have been in the process of when they first took off, and I was trying to slow them down to the door, and he might have got something in him. But most of him would have got nickel.
Investigator: Okay. What I'm gonna do is let you read over this. Okay? There are a couple places here that I made a mistake when... because you use big words and talk kind of fast. I just drew one line in it, so you can still read the word, okay? What I need you to do is go through and initial... initial and date each one of those for me as you read through this, to make sure this is accurate.
Todd Kohlhepp: Yes, sir.
Investigator: Okay?
Todd Kohlhepp: [unclear: "Sounds like my contracts" / "like um tracks"].
Investigator: So my handwriting may be hard to read, so if you have a problem, let me know.
Todd Kohlhepp: Trust me, if it was my handwriting, [unclear: "it would be you" / "would be understand"].
Investigator: I understand.
Todd Kohlhepp: I can't criticize. I can't do any better.
Investigator: [unclear: "I won't go ahead and put out any pages" / "You wouldn't gladly pay, there's not a pop on it"]. [unclear: "I'll get that."] I'll just write the time. [video ends] ---