Did your lawyer believe you?
Yes, he did. He said he did, "Because," he said, "Otherwise I wouldn't be here." And I said, "Why don't you tell the judge?" I used to say that. "Why don't you tell the judge that I'm innocent? Why are they keeping me here? I mean, I'm not a criminal. I've never done these things. I've never hurt anyone." And he'd say, "Oh, because obviously something happened, because the kids are saying. And maybe you just don't know it yet." That's when I started like, "What do you mean I don't know it yet?" "Maybe you have a psychological problem. You need help."
Then I started -- I mean, investigators used to come and see from the state a lot. Then I was getting depressed, because time was going by and I was still there and I was feeling helpless. Then they started getting rough with me.
Rough how?
They were no longer coming to ask questions. They would pull me out of my cell in the middle of the night and take me out to restaurants.
Who would do this?
State investigators. You know, I still remember one of them. It was a lady. And I remember her name, I'll never forget her name.
What was her name?
Her last name was Arroyo, Arroyo, because she spoke Spanish. I can vividly remember her, because she was the one like in charge of me or something, because she would take me out. She would tell me all the awful things that will happen to me if I didn't tell them the truth.
Like what? What would she say?
She would say, like, "You're going to spend the rest of your life in that little cell." Or, "You're probably going to get killed if they put you with somebody else, because that happens." And I would say, "But I am innocent." And they'd say, "Well, it doesn't matter." And I'm like, "Why does not matter? I am innocent." Then they will change the conversation and they will talk about something else, about the weather, about the food, about what I like. And I'm like, "Why am I in this restaurant? Why can't you just let me go if you believe in me?" "No, because we want to show you what you're going to miss. You're not going to see this again."...
What was your cell like? Were you there alone?
I was there alone in a very small cell with a bed and a toilet. But the thing is that they would switch me from cell to cell. There was this other cell -- I'll never forget. It was called 3A1. I never forget that, because most of the people that were there, it was like a big room with little cells next to each other.
And most of the people -- well, all the people that were there were suicide or suicide watch or they were crazy. Everybody was naked.
Naked?
Yes.
You were naked?
I was naked. Yes.
For how long?
They switched me back and forth. They keep me there for a week. I lost track of time.
So you would go into this cell 3A1. They would have you strip first?
They had me there for a long time.
And you would spend hours, days -- what?
Days.
In the cell alone, naked?
Alone, naked, cold. That's when I began to feel they were getting hard on me. They would give me cold showers. Two people will hold me, run me under cold water, and then throw me back in the cell naked with nothing, just a bare floor. And I used to be cold, real cold. I would have my periods and they would just wash me and throw me back in the cell. And they would tell me if I don't do what they say, that was going to be my life for the rest of my life.
I started breaking down, crying, depressed. They started giving me medications every night to sleep. They were very, very strong. They were these very little green pills. ...
Who was Dr. Michael Rappaport? And there was also a woman named Merry Sue Haber. Who were they?
They were psychiatrists that work for Mr. Von Zamft. And they were there to help me.
They were there to help you. Is that how Mr. Von Zamft--
"Help me remember," that's what Mr. Von Zamft said. "To help me remember." I said, "Remember what?" I remember them telling me, "Ileana, you have a real bad psychological problem. You [can't remember] something that happened to you." And I'll be like, "No, nothing has happened to me." "Yes, it has."
Then all these suicide watch cells would increase, and I would see them a lot. And they will tell me the stories the children were saying.
What sort of stories? What were they wanting you to acknowledge?
They were telling me about the children's saying that we used to play games with them, that I would take their clothes off, or Frank. I said, "Well, that didn't happen." They say, "No, but the children say it, that means it's true. And if it's true, that means something is wrong with your mind. You probably blocked it off. You know, who knows what happened to you in that house?" ...
They would tell me this story and, "Do you remember?" I'd say, "No." They would make me repeat and repeat it. They would tell me over and over on tapes the stories of what would happen. "And people out there don't like you." And this and that. And it was like, "But, that cannot be true."...
After a while, I was dreaming this stuff. I was having bad dreams about the things they were telling me. So they would ask me, "Did you have a dream? Did you have a dream last night?" And I'd be, "Yes, I did." "What did you dream?" "Well, you know, you were right, I'd dream this and that."
And they would say, "You see, you remember through your dreams. And you have to tell the court." They made me lie on stand. I took a lie detector test. And I don't know if I passed them or not, but I was trying to tell the truth, and they were getting me confused. ...
Did [the prosecutors] ever come visit you in jail?
Then I started getting visits from Janet Reno.
From Janet Reno herself?
Yes, herself. She used to come to see me to the jail. But at nights.
Tell me about those visits. Tell me about what those visits were like.
The first visit I got, I didn't really know who she was. And Dr. Rappaport would tell me the next day. Because first visit, she was like, "Hi, how are you? I'm Janet Reno, the State Attorney." And I would tell her, "I am innocent." And she said, "I'm sorry, but you are not. You're going to have to help us." ...
I'd been in jail already a year or so; I'm not sure. I wanted her to help me. But I was afraid of her after she told me -- she was very clear -- if I didn't help, she was going to make sure I was never going to get out of there.
And you got other visits from her?
Yes.
Several, two, three [visits]? A bunch?
Several.
And what were these subsequent visits like, Ileana?
To remind me I was going to be there for the rest of my life if I didn't help them. ...
And you finally decided that you would say these things they wanted you to say?
I was starting to dream about them, and I started doubting my own self. You know, did this really happen, or it didn't? Am I going to spend the rest of my life in prison? What is going on? I was so confused, and for many years after that. You have no idea of the life I've lived trying to find my own self.......