TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — KGUN9 has a follow up on the murder of University of Arizona Professor Thomas Meixner. Recordings show the murder suspect—Murad Dervish in the hours right after his arrest.
We are seeing more of how Dervish behaved—and what he said—and did not say— to Police. The most revealing part is what he said to himself.
Surveillance videos show UA’s Atmospheric Sciences Building had cameras able to document who was in the building. But the videos released do not show the murder suspect.
You see University Police sweeping the building after the shooting of Professor Thomas Meixner to be sure no threat remained.
About 2:30 the following morning, recordings show suspect Murad Dervish in custody at the University Police Department, and being questioned in the interrogation room.
Investigators try to get Dervish to open up by talking about UA, and Dervish’s connections to San Diego.
It doesn’t work.
Dervish says, “It’s a shame we can’t talk, we seem to have a lot in common, going to U of A, living in San Diego., of course I can’t speak with you without a lawyer.”
Soon after, detectives leave Dervish handcuffed and alone in the interrogation room. But the camera’s still recording and the mic is still on when he says: “Well, at least I fulfilled my mission.”
Complaints that Dervish had been making threats led to him being expelled as a UA graduate student—in the department Thomas Meixner led. Dervish was under an order not to set foot on campus.
Even if he said very little in the police interrogation room, right after officers found and stopped his van on a remote road near Gila Bend he said quite a bit.
In an interim complaint, the charging document prepared for Dervish first court appearance, police said after they gave Dervish the required Miranda warning against self-incrimination he said: ”I hope he’s okay, probably wishful thinking.” “I just felt so disrespected by that whole department,” “A woman wouldn’t have done this.”, and “I was going to kill myself, shoot myself, but couldn’t”.
Dervish defense attorney is laying the groundwork for him to be declared guilty but insane. That would confine him in a psychiatric hospital instead of a prison. He is scheduled for a mental health evaluation later this month. His trial is still set for next month.
