THE MONSON CASE: A CRITICAL OVERVIEW (The McGohan Statement)

THE MONSON CASE: A CRITICAL OVERVIEW

Robert L. Schillagi, B.A., M.S.

   CONTENTS:
    ABSTRACT
    METHODS
    CASE OVERVIEW
        The Eye Witness Accounts
        The Forensic Evidence
        The McGohan Statement
        The Star Witness
        The Mystery Caller
        The Altered Police Report
        David Weinstein et al.
    RESULTS
    DISCUSSION
    REFERENCES
ADDENDUM
Letter to James Vargeson, D.A.
Komanecky's Allegation
Bertonica's Scenario
Monserrate's Ruling
Public Opinion

E-MAIL
Media
Political

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The McGohan Statement

The first arrest in this case was made in June of 1985. This headline appeared on the front page of the Syracuse Post-Standard on June 15, 1985:

Police: Auburn Man Lied to Monson Jury

By Neil McFarquhar

AUBURN – A 20 year-old Auburn man was charged Friday with lying to the Cayuga County grand jury that has been investigating the disappearance and death of Julie Monson. (MS-1)

Auburn police charged Thomas Calescibetta of Standard Woods Apartments with first-degree perjury and criminal contempt, both felonies. Calescibetta was arraigned in City Court and is being held in Cayuga County jail with bail set at $10,000 on each charge. (MS-2)

The charges against Calescibetta are the first to come from the three-and-a-half year investigation into the death of Monson, an 18-year-old college student who disappeared in September 1981. Monson’s body was found in April 1983 in the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge. (MS-3)

How did the authorities know that Thomas Calescibetta lied to the grand jury? An Auburn woman who had "dated" him came forward:

Calescibetta was arrested after Bonnie L. McGohan of 40 Mattie St. told District Attorney Paul A. Carbonaro Thursday afternoon that Calescibetta indicated to her he had been "lying in grand jury and refused to disclosed all that he knows about the Julie Monson case," Carbonaro said. (MS-4)

In her affidavit, McGohan said that she and Calescibetta were "discussing" the Monson case last January when he told her:

"If Tommy (meaning Thomas Bianco) goes to prison, I’m going too." (MS-5)

She also said in her affidavit that when she tried to get him to tell her more, he said:

"I can’t, I’d only get myself in trouble if I tell you what I know." (MS-6)

What specifically did he lie about? According to McGohan’s statement:

He said he would probably go to prison for perjury because he had lied in the Grand jury about not knowing Carol Hickey. (MS-7)

Carol Hickey (Stevens) was Monson’s closest friend and was with her the night that she disappeared.

This is what District Attorney Paul Carbonaro said about Thomas Calescibetta’s arrest:

Calescibetta’s arrest is "very important," the district attorney said Friday. (MS-8)

"Who knows what he is withholding?" Carbonaro said. "I think he knows a lot more about what happened (the night Monson disappeared.)" (MS-9)

Legally, this is how Mr. Carbonaro said he was going to proceed:

The charges against Calescibetta will be dropped if he chooses to go back before the grand jury to reveal any information he is withholding, Carbonaro said. (MS-10)

"He can purge the contempt charge if he reappears and answers the questions (about what he knows)," Carbonaro said. Carbonaro said he had not discussed the matter with Calescibetta whom Carbonaro said is planning to seek the advice of an attorney. No attorney has been identified so for, Carbonaro said. (MS-11)

If Calescibetta chose not to cooperate:

… the case will be prosecuted like any other felony and Calescibetta could go to jail, Carbonaro said. The maximum sentence for the criminal contempt charge is four years and the maximum on the perjury charge is seven years, he said. (MS-12)

The excerpts that you are about to read were taken from an article that appeared in the Cayuga Seneca section of the Syracuse Post-Standard on October 11, 1985. Please note that the incident in question occurred on May 27, 1985:

An Auburn man … pleaded guilty Thursday to misdemeanor criminal mischief for breaking his girlfriend’s windshield May 27. (MS-13)

Thomas Calescibetta, 21 of Grant Avenue, was sentenced to pay for the damage to the car owned by … Bonnie L. McGohan. (MS-14)

. . . . . . . . .

Cayuga County Judge Peter E. Corning dismissed a second charge – obstructing governmental administration – at the recommendation of the district attorney’s office. (MS-15)

Auburn police filed both charges after Calescibetta broke McGohan’s windshield and locked himself in her car during an argument in the parking lot of an Auburn bar. Police used tear gas to force him out. (MS-16)

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From Robert L. Schillagi, Research Specialist, IBEX Databases, Auburn, Syracuse and Rochester, New York.

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