Garrido: Dugard's Rights Being Violated by Cops

Sacramento TV station receives bizarre letter from rapist

Phillip Garrido has written a ranting letter from prison in which he ironically alleges that Jaycee Dugard, the girl he is charged with kidnapping and imprisoning for 18 years, is having her rights suppressed by law enforcement officials.

The letter, written in pencil from his cell in a California jail, charges that Dugard's "free speach [sic] rights are being violated," according to KCRA.com, a local Sacramento news station. Garrido urges a reporter to contact Dugard at the "earliest possible date."

In the letter, addressed to reporter Walt Gray, Garrido claims Dugard was "repeatedly denied access to have an attorney present during questioning. Over & over she clearly expressed this request from the beginning to the conclusion of questioning," KCRA reported.

KCRA attempted to visit Garrido in prison after receiving the letter, but were turned away when Garrido told jail staff that he would not talk unless his attorney was there. His attorney, public defender Susan Gellman, told KCRA she had advised Garrido to not speak with the media and would remind him of that again. She did not comment further on the letter or its contents.

Dugard's attorney, McGregor Scott, did not comment on the letter after the full text was read to him. Garrido, a convicted rapist, and his wife Nancy Garrido have pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, raping and imprisoning Dugard, who was 11 when she went missing. She is now 29.

This is not the first time Garrido has reached out to KCRA. "It's a disgusting thing that took place with me at the beginning. But I turned my life completely around and to be able to understand that, you have to start there," Garrido told station personnel in a phone call from jail shortly after his arrest in August.

Phillip Garrido's bail has been set at $30 million, while his wife is being held without bail. The Garridos are scheduled to return to court for a hearing on October 29.

Click on the images to see Garrido's letter.

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