Frank Valdes

Letter dated February 5, 2002 from inmate Efren Yero #069632

... "FDOC will and can do what they want, when they want to whomever they want for as long as they want. The same Process and increasing pattern of abuses which climaxed on that weekend when Frank Valdes was murdered in cold blood by that little pack of wolves in sheep's clothing (FDOC correctional officer uniforms) will and has already begun again.

As a matter of fact just a few days ago when it was 30 degrees outside and freezing in these cells they put an obviously mentally disturbed prisoner in a STRIP CELL naked and left him there for over one week. I had 2 pair of socks, long john pants, a t-shirt, a long john shirt, 2 sweatshirts on, and under 2 blankets in bed and I was still cold so you can imagine what it would be like to be there in an iron cell and naked.

"Discipline" says FDOC, "attempted first degree murder" say I. This is NOT an isolated incident just as Frank Valdes's beating was not an isolated incident. Three months before Frank Valdes was murdered I wrote Peter Siegel and told him about the same little group of officers who killed Frank and specifically told him if they didn't stop what they were doing they would start killing prisoners soon. Shortly after that letter, which by the way Peter Seigel never bothered to respond to, I heard about Frank being murdered.

I wrote my mother and tried to get Frank Valdes' families address so I could tell them how FDOC let those same officers abuse (literally) about 200 prisoners over about a 2 or 3 year period and ignored all the complaints. When the inspectors did come to investigate them, nothing as far as I know was ever done. My mother, terrified that I'd be next or something refused to help me get their address.

Then sometime in August 1999, I was taken on a call out to see my doctor, DR. SELYUTIN. As we were talking he just came out and started talking about the Valdes' case. In short what DR. Selyutin said was that on the day of the Valdes murder he was at home sick with the flu or something when he received a phone call telling him that the security wanted him to come in and rule that Frank died of self-inflicted wounds or suicide. He said he told the person who was calling that he was too sick to go to work and didn't want to get involved. He said a friend of his had also called him and told him NOT to go to the prison because the officers had murdered a prisoner in his cell, taken him to the clinic in a food cart down the hall, had a medical technician affirm that he was dead. Put him back in the food cart dead; took him back to X wing and cast him down on the floor and left him. In other words it was a first degree murder. DR Selyutin told me all this on August 30, 1999. I wrote FDLE a letter telling them what Dr. Selyutin told me. On September 10, 1999 (or soon around it) they sent me a letter which I still have saying they were forwarding my letter to their office of executive investigations. Shortly after that two agents whose names I forget came to talk to me. I told them everything. They said they would talk to Dr. Selyutin and see what he said. That was the last I heard about it ..."

Like I said I don't know what if anything this will do for you ... he ended the letter with "if my safety can be guaranteed I will testify under oath to these facts made the Lord Jesus Christ who loved Frank to make the real story known."