Shalane Tindal — Direct/Cross/Redirect
139 linesMR. HARPOOTLIAN: We call Shalene Tindal to the stand, please.
The witness, SHALENE TINDAL, was first duly sworn and testified as follows:
COURT CLERK: Please be seated. State your full name for the record and spell your last name. Try to speak in that mic as well, please.
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes, ma'am. I'm Shalene Tindal. S-h-a-l-a-n-e, T-i-n-d-a-l.
DIRECT EXAMINATION
BY MR. HARPOOTLIAN:
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Ms. Tindal, we've talked on the phone a couple of times.
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: But we've never met, have we?
SHALANE TINDAL: No, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay. I appreciate you being willing to come here on such short notice today. I know you've got other things to do. So, where do you work?
SHALANE TINDAL: I work for the Colleton Sheriff's Office as public information part-time, and then I -- for my full-time position I work for the nonprofit blood organization the Blood Connection as the individual -- divisional, excuse me, logistics coordinator and calendar specialist.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay. If I find my glasses, I'm sorry. So, back on June 7th and 8th of 2021, what was your -- what was your job back then with Colleton County?
SHALANE TINDAL: I was solely the public information officer at the sheriff's office at that time.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: The Colleton County Sheriff's Office?
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay. I want to show you a document and see if you can identify this. The easiest way to do that is -- hold on one second. I'm sorry.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: I apologize, Your Honor. I've gotten my two documents jumbled here.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Have you seen this document before?
SHALANE TINDAL: I'm aware of the Post and Courier publishing things of this nature, yes, but not strictly this document in question.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay, but go to the second page. Now, if you look halfway down the page, does that -- there is a quote in here from you, correct?
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Is it accurate?
SHALANE TINDAL: This quote was actually coordinated between SLED and us at the time. We received multiple inquiries from the media, and per the sheriff's standard protocol, any time SLED is in charge of a case or investigation, it's standard procedure to reach out to them and coordinate something with them.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay. So the quote from you, this is on the morning -- this is the Post and Courier on the morning of June 8th, and the quote contained by you in here -- we'll get to how that was put together, but is it accurate?
SHALANE TINDAL: The quote wasn't by me. It was joint information from SLED and the sheriff's office.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: The sheriff's spokeswoman, Shalane Lowes, referred questions. So -- but you were part of the release of this statement.
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes. It was a joint -- uh-huh.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Your Honor, I would like to offer this into evidence.
MR. MEADORS: Your Honor, can I look at it, please?
(Break in proceedings.)
MR. MEADORS: Your Honor, I have no objection. We have no objection to the quote, but the article, I haven't read the article. We just object to the rest of the article, and I think he's agreed to that.
(Break in proceedings.)
MR. MEADORS: No objection.
JUDGE NEWMAN: No objection to what?
MR. MEADORS: To the -- her quote that she gave and not the rest of the article. We're in agreement on that if Your Honor is.
JUDGE NEWMAN: Is that what you're offering?
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Yes, sir. I'm going to have her publish two paragraphs in this story.
JUDGE NEWMAN: All right.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Thank you.
JUDGE NEWMAN: Yes, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: And for the record, Your Honor, this is a story in the Post and Courier on the morning of June 8th, which would be the morning after the murders.
JUDGE NEWMAN: Yes, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: So, what I would ask you to do is -- it's in quotes. Would you read this paragraph and this paragraph, publish it to the jury? This paragraph at this time, and then the paragraph right after that. Okay?
SHALANE TINDAL: Okay.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: And would you slow down just a little bit for me?
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Thank you.
SHALANE TINDAL: At this time there is no danger to the public. The sheriff's office said if information is received that dictates otherwise, we will immediately notify the public. Sheriff's spokeswoman Shalane Lowes referred questions regarding the incident to SLED and the Colleton County Coroner's Office. A request for 911 audio recordings was denied due to the ongoing investigation.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: That's okay. All right. Now, so that statement was the public has nothing to worry about, right?
SHALANE TINDAL: That's what this states, yes, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay. Now, let me ask you. The process for this, getting something like this getting released, you said SLED was involved.
SHALANE TINDAL: Can you clarify exactly what you're asking?
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay. So, is this statement: At this time there is no danger to the public. The sheriff's office said -- You would be the spokesperson for the sheriff's office?
SHALANE TINDAL: Correct, but this was a joint statement released in coordination with SLED's PIO and us while we were waiting on updated information to do an actual letter and release.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay. So, I guess what I'm saying on that, were you -- who -- did you release -- were you the one making this release, or was SLED making -- I mean, when I say -- I'm talking about physically. How did the Post and Courier get this quote?
SHALANE TINDAL: SLED's IPO at the time coordinated multiple times through numerous phone calls. There was also emails. This was discussed over the phone, due to them being the agency on the case, but it did come from my email, but it was coordinated with SLED's PIO at the time.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay. So, SLED signed off on this statement.
SHALANE TINDAL: From what I understand from speaking with their PIO at the time.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: I mean, you, you consulted with their -- now, PIO stands for?
SHALANE TINDAL: Public information officer.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay. So, the sheriff's department has a public information officer. You?
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: SLED has a public information officer named --
SHALANE TINDAL: At the time, I believe it was Tommy Crosby.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Thomas Crosby. Y'all talked and emailed?
SHALANE TINDAL: On numerous occasions from the time of the incident on further.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: And decided this was the statement that should be made?
SHALANE TINDAL: When I coordinated with SLED's PIO, this is what was mentioned and this is what we had published.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay, and, and what you're saying is there's no danger to the public. If information is received that dictates otherwise, we will immediately notify the public. Did you ever -- was there a subsequent release given?
SHALANE TINDAL: After this statement that we put out?
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Right.
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes. There was a joint letterhead released. The initial -- what the Post and Courier published was an actual statement. Later on we actually published a release while we were waiting on additional information.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: And that subsequent statement didn't indicate there was any danger to the public. It didn't change this position, did it?
SHALANE TINDAL: I'm sorry, can you repeat that?
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Did SLED and the sheriff's department change its position and put out a statement saying whoa, now, there's something to worry about? Or did they just not mention this again?
SHALANE TINDAL: When we did the updated release, that same information was also in the body that we sent over to SLED for their approval. Tommy Crosby had taken a moment to look at the release and later, I guess, decided that -- we took that out of the release and that was what was published. Excuse me.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: So -- but they never came back and said there's something to worry about. They just took this language out.
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: And SLED signed off on that.
SHALANE TINDAL: We worked on this together, yes.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Okay, but it wouldn't have gone out if SLED hadn't said --
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: -- let it out, correct? You get information and then you shape it into a release here, or subsequently, that is digestible. Maybe that's the best way to put it. You're the wordsmith. You're the one that tries to make it make sense.
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes, sir, I'm public information. We're not privy to the investigation. We just receive details, and then we take those and turn them into paragraphs so the paper and/or the media can print for laymen's terms to be better understood by the public.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: And I want to make sure I understand this. Any subsequent release never changed -- actually, I think you said the subsequent release said the same thing: At this time there's no danger to the public. That didn't change, correct?
SHALANE TINDAL: In the updated release that was sent out on letterhead, yes, that was removed.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: That was removed?
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: But did they say there is a danger to the public? They never said that, did they?
SHALANE TINDAL: No, sir.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Beg the Court's indulgence just a moment.
(Break in proceedings.)
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Only one other question. In this story, your last name was Lowes?
SHALANE TINDAL: Yes, sir. I got married since then, yes. Somebody decided to like me.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Well, congratulations to Mr. Tindal.
SHALANE TINDAL: Thank you.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Thank you.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Please answer any questions that the State has.
MR. MEADORS: Beg the Court's indulgence.
(Break in proceedings.)
CROSS-EXAMINATION
BY MR. MEADORS:
MR. MEADORS: And I missed the last question. Did you get married?
SHALANE TINDAL: Yeah. Are you still trying to court me? No, I'm just kidding.
MR. MEADORS: I'm happily married. I am not, I promise you. I just couldn't hear.
SHALANE TINDAL: I'm just kidding.
MR. MEADORS: What was the date of the second release that Mr. Harpootlian -- I honestly don't know.
SHALANE TINDAL: Am I talking into here?
MR. MEADORS: Yes, ma'am.
SHALANE TINDAL: The date of the second -- it's the same date.
MR. MEADORS: The date of the second --
SHALANE TINDAL: The initial letterhead release was released on the same date a few hours after the initial statement.
MR. MEADORS: So, the one he was asking about, the second, was the same statement word for word that you -- was released earlier.
SHALANE TINDAL: No. The second -- the initial -- what we initially put out around, I think, before 10:00 in the morning, we had received inquiries from FitsNews, News 4, and I believe Post and Courier. So, the initial statement that I coordinated with SLED was the -- what he was referring to. Afterwards an updated letterhead release, as additional information became available to us, was coordinated with SLED that redacted that information.
MR. MEADORS: Okay, and I'm just going to show you for this -- is this the document you're talking about here? I mean, it's dated June 21st. Is that what you're talking about or not?
SHALANE TINDAL: No, that is not.
MR. MEADORS: Congratulations on your marriage.
MR. MEADORS: That's all I have. Thank you.
SHALANE TINDAL: Thank you, sir. I appreciate you.
JUDGE NEWMAN: Anything further?
REDIRECT EXAMINATION
BY MR. HARPOOTLIAN:
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Only this question. Did you think that Mr. Meadors was proposing to you a moment ago?
SHALANE TINDAL: I don't know. No, I'm just picking.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: No further questions. Thank you.
JUDGE NEWMAN: You may step down.
SHALANE TINDAL: Thank you, sir.
(The witness exited the stand.)
JUDGE NEWMAN: Any additional witnesses today?
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Your Honor, as we've discussed, the next witness will be extraordinarily lengthy. It's 4:30. I apologize to the jury and the Court for not having somebody intermediate. We just could not find anybody, not knowing when the State was going to rest.
JUDGE NEWMAN: All right. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, we will adjourn for the weekend. As you know, Monday is a holiday; we will not be here on Monday. We'll be back 9:30 Tuesday morning. I know that's a long holiday, but still do not discuss the case with anyone. I hope you have a safe and happy holiday and a good weekend, and we'll see you all Tuesday morning at 9:30.
(The jury left the courtroom.)
JUDGE NEWMAN: Anything else today?
MR. WATERS: Nothing from the State, Your Honor.
MR. HARPOOTLIAN: Nothing from the defense, Your Honor.
JUDGE NEWMAN: We'll see everybody next week.
(Whereupon, the case was at ease.)