John Apledorn heads the Citizens Crime Commission and used to run the Philadelphia Police Homicide Division.
He says the videotaped confession of Raghu Yandamuri, first seen on Action News, is a textbook example of how it should be done – starting with Detective Paul Bradbury's initial setup.
The following is dialogue from the video:
Bradbury: How have we treated you throughout this whole time?
Yandamuri: Good.
Bradbury: We treated you good? Have we treated you with courtesy and respect?
Yandamuri: Yes.
Bradbury: Have we provided you with food and water when needed?
Yandamuri: Yes.
Bradbury: Did we allow you to use the bathroom when you had to?
Yandamuri: Yes.
Bradbury: Ok, you have no complaints so far with us?
Yandamuri: No.
It progresses like an episode of a television crime drama.
But, this is real.
Thousands of people have watched the entire confession on 6abc.com, including many police officers.
Apledorn says the video will probably become a training tool for other detectives.
"From A to Z. They got the written statement, that was clear. They eliminate a lot of things like treatment of the suspect, ruled out alcohol, and drugs. I think they did a fantastic job on it," Apledorn said.
Yandamuri claimed he accidentally slashed 10-month-old Saanvi Venna's grandmother, Satayvahti, as he was falling and then he accidentally suffocated the baby.
Yandamuri: I told her clearly that I don't want to harm you and I don't want to harm the baby.
But Detective Bradbury walks him through details that only a coldblooded killer would know.
"The whole thing doesn't fit. You take stab wounds into effect, and probably the trajectory of the cut and all, and you'll find out it was deliberate," Apledorn said.
In most cases, defense lawyers try to suppress confessions like Yandamuri's to prevent it from being shown to the jury.
But Apledorn says this one was conducted so professionally there's no chance it will be suppressed when the case comes to trial.
