Crimeatorium - The Secret She Couldn’t Keep: The Tomaselli Recordings | Part 7 | Granddaughter Lauren's Account

Episode Date: August 19, 2026

A NOTE BEFORE LISTENING: Lauren is Mary-Beth Tomaselli’s daughter and Anthony Tomaselli’s granddaughter. She had been staying with Anthony and helping care for him, and she was inside his home on the night he died. According to investigators, Lauren was given a sleeping pill so she would remain asleep and not witness what happened. In this final installment, Lauren discusses her relationship with her grandfather, her role in caring for him, and what she remembers about the circumstances surrounding his death. Her interview offers a uniquely personal and firsthand perspective on the events examined throughout this series. Please listen to Parts 1 through 6 before continuing.This seven-part series features the secretly recorded conversations that helped expose the truth behind Anthony Tomaselli’s death. Crimeatorium obtained the recordings from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.Four years after 85 year old Anthony Tomaselli’s death was attributed to natural causes, his daughter Linda Roberts invited a man she had been dating to her home and entrusted him with a disturbing secret about her father’s final night.Realizing the enormity of what Linda was telling him, the man discreetly began recording their conversation. What started as a private confession would lead investigators back to a death no one had questioned.Music:CO.AG Music https://www.youtube.com/@co.agmusic1823If you have a case suggestion for Crimeatorium, please send it to [e-mail] this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/crimeatorium4542/donations

to true crime stories with Criminatorian. This is Detective Delion with the Klaus County Sheriff's Office. Today's date is going to be March 6, 2019, and the time is 1035 hours. This is in reference to case number SO-15. And this is your work? My work cell. Okay. And this is your home?

Uh-so. So, like I explained, you know why we're here. So let's back up. Do you recall that day when you were over there? Yep, like it was yesterday. Okay. Can you walk me through the night before? The night before I called 911?

Yes. Okay. The night before I had taken him to a doctor's appointment. And who's this that you're talking? My grandfather, Anthony. that day I took him to a doctor's appointment. And they told him that he needed to have a chest x-ray because I thought his cancer was coming back.

So we went downstairs at Meese Countryside. We set up the appointment. We had to have a chest x-ray the next morning. So you didn't have a chest x-ray at that time? Not at that time. We went the next, oh, yeah, he did. He went in and had a chest x-ray. I was going to take him to the cardiologist the next morning.

Okay, so he did. So he did. And then they submitted it to his doctor. and then I took him home. I hate to interrupt this. Did they have any finding of what was going on? Did they just have the x-ray and got an extra appointment? That night they called and talked to my aunt.

Were you there with? And my mom. And they said that they found a spot on his lung. And that they think the cancer came back. So they wanted him to go to the cardiologist the next morning and the pulmonologist. And I was going to take him. We set up the appointments. It was at 10 in the morning.

They wanted me to take him. So that night. He always took a drive every night. So we took him to the beach. My mom drove. And who went with you? Just me, my mom, and my grandpa. Okay.

But I noticed that he wasn't like himself. He wanted to make phone calls and call old, like, Shirley's family and just say how much he missed them. Just weird. He wasn't himself. But the last, like, two nights my mom and my aunt had been there. Like they had been staying there. But I would go to bed and they would just say, oh, we'll stay up with him. Where would you go to bed at?

He had two bedrooms. So when you walked in the condo, it was by, not the master bedroom, but it was the guest bedroom, right by the kitchen. That's where I slept. Okay. My mom would sleep with me sometimes. My aunt would sleep on the couch, and then Papa would sleep in his room. So you would stay there. How long have you been staying there?

I had been there for about two weeks, ten days. Okay. And the reason? Because Shirley passed away. And he just was distraught emotionally because he had. because he had outlived pretty much two wives. So he just needed rides to appointments and things like that. So I made sure he eat and make sure he would take his medicine

because he had high blood pressure and cholesterol. So I would make sure his meds were in his little container and that he would take him. So he was really hurt. He was hurt. And he was starting to become confused. He would call me, Mary Beth and my mom, Rosalie, which was his first wife. It was just like he would repeat himself, like, where Shirley and I miss Shirley.

And so, you know, it was just, he was sad, and it just became like he was starting to get little dementia. But was he that sick in that? I never got to take him to the pulmonologist. So, I mean, he already had cancer, you know, and I guess it came back. He had surgery and had part of his lung removed. And I guess it came back. But the day I was supposed to take him, you know, he died. Okay.

So let's back up. So you guys, so it was you and your mom. Did Linda go? To the ride? No, she didn't go on the ride with us. She stayed there. So it was just me and my mom and my grandpa. And we took him down Clearwater Beach because that's where he'd like to go every night.

So we took him on a ride. He kept asking, you know, he kept calling like Paula, which was Shirley's niece. He would call anybody he could think of. He just wanted to talk to him. And nobody was answering their phone. And it was like he was upset. So we went back to my grandma. pause.

And what time did this? He would go on a ride between seven and eight. He liked to take a ride after Will of Fortune. No, just to take a ride. He liked to get out of the house. Oh, really? Every night. I would have to take them.

But the last, the two nights prior, my mom and my aunt were there. Did they always stay there? They didn't. I was staying there. Like, they'd come visit him, but I was the one after Shirley died that they wanted to move in because I wasn't working. So they said that, you know, I could come in and stay with them, take them to appointments, keep him company. He'd like to play

cards. He'd just like to take walks in the neighborhood. So probably about 8, 8.30, we got back and he would always read his prayers at 9. And he always liked to have a drink before he went to bed. You know, he'd like his little vodka and his diet Coke.

That's what he'd like to drink. So he would mix it. Then he'd wait like an hour or two, and then he would take his normal sleeping pill, which was the Tamazepam. What was it? He would take Tamazepam. T-E-M-A T-E

A-Z-E-P-A-Z-E-P-A-M and he took one of those every night One every night Mm-hmm But this night When he was doing his prayers He dropped the After he had drink

My mom was sitting there Linda was sitting there So who gave him the drink Do you remember? I don't know I don't remember who gave him the drink But it wasn't every night thing Like he would just have a drink

To relax himself And the doctor, I remember his doctor, would tell him that was fine because he was 85 years old. Absolutely. So if he wanted to drink, fine. I remember my mom or Linda giving him an anxiety pill because he was getting more anxious. And I was anxious. So about nine, he was like shaking a little bit and dropped his book. I thought something was wrong with him.

And I told Linda, I said, there's something wrong with him. Like, that's just not normal. He never sat on the couch. He would always sit in his recliner. This night he sat and where Shirley sits was always on the couch. That's where he sat. My mom gave me something, said, here this will relax you and just go take a shower and go lay down. It was about 11 o'clock.

So who gave you that? My mom. And she told me, go ahead. Just go take a shower and go to bed. Did you know what it was? I don't know what it was because she was my mom. You know what I mean? So I remember feeling really tired.

It was about 11 or 12. So your mom? I don't remember if it was like a Xanax or if it was just something to help me sleep because I had been up with him because he was my only father figure at this point. So like I worried about him. So, you know, like if he wasn't in his bed by midnight, I would go say Papa. Let's shut the TV off. Let's go to bed. Okay.

So this was, you remember? It was between 11 and 12. That she gave you that time. That she gave it to me because she said, go take a shower. It was my mom. Your mom gave it. And she told me to go ahead and go to sleep. that they would stay up with him because you were starting to call my mom Rosalie.

So she was a little concerned. And then he was shaking. And being Linda was a nurse, I, you know, thought both of them could handle it. Okay. So probably about four or five, I hear my mom screamed. So about, so when you took the pill, how long was it that you started to feel a little bit? Probably about 30 minutes, 45 minutes. And you felt, I went right and laid down with the TV on in the bedroom.

And you the bare bedroom. I always shut the door. Okay. I always shut the door. And then about four or five, I would say, I heard my mom screaming because my mom had to go to work the next morning. And I hear her screaming, and I come out in the living room, and Linda's on top of him. She's calling the old doctor she used to work for, Dr. Mazur, and she was saying, I think my dad passed away. I'm trying to do CPR.

She was on top of his chest, and I remember her pressing his chest. And my mom couldn't call 911. one, she was shaking too bad. So I went in the bedroom and called. And I told him the address and I told him that I think my grandpa just had a heart attack. I know that Linda was on top of him because when the paramedics came, they pulled her off of him. And my mom was standing in his doorway, his bedroom doorway, because it was right by the living

room. And she was shaking and screaming. And what else did she say? She said he's dead. Oh my God, he's dead. Did he say, did they make any statements to you? No. They made it.

She said he must have died. in his sleep, Dr. Mazur said, lift his back over and his back was purple. So he said he's already gone, Linda. That's what Dr. Mazer said on the phone. And when the paramedics came, they put him on the floor and it looked like he had wet the couch because there was a big wet spot on the couch like he had urinated himself. And then not long after that, the sheriffs came. They pounded his meds. He called his doctor. Did the deputies talk to you? Yeah. There was a black gentleman and a white. Two white officers.

Who spoke to you? All of them. All of them did. Yeah. They asked where I was, and I told him. Okay. That, you know, what happened? Then I woke up.

My mom was just like I told you word for word. Like, I mean, it's just like a flashback like yesterday. Like watching him on the grounds for like eight hours until like the people came to pick his body up was just enough to engraving your mind. So they talked to me and then they took me outside. They let me go outside. They called the doctor, counted his meds. My sister showed up. she was there for a while and um what did you say the pill was um he took tamazepam and he normally took i think

zanex or or at a van i don't remember but i know it was tamazepam rostril is his sleeping pill okay all right so it was tamazepan is the sleeping pill okay all right um so it was tamazepan is the sleeping pill Mm-hmm. Okay. All right. So when you went to bed, did you hear anything unusual at night? No.

I had the TV on. And so once I felt sleepy, I closed my eyes because I hadn't slept because I have a hard time sleeping as it is. So when I felt drowsy, I figured Papa's okay. That's what I called my grandpa Papa. figured he was all right because he was with his daughters.

So I felt at ease to go to sleep until I heard this god-awful scream. And that's when she said, I think he's dead. And called 911 because she couldn't call. Have you spoken to your mom about this? Last time I talked to my mom was Friday, and she's never mentioned anything. It's always about my son, who my sister has, you know, who adopted.

And, you know, like things like that. So we've never brought it up. I know it's almost four years since his passing. You know, so like we've never ever talked about it. It was never to be brought up because he died of a heart attack. So I thought the doctor said specifically to the sheriff, he died of a broken heart because of Shirley passing. And that's all I ever thought. So let me ask you.

So when you were, when he was, I know after Shirley had died, did you, was he walking around fine? Did he walk or he needed some assistance? Did he? He didn't need assistance in the shower. He was starting to become forgetful. Which is 85 years ago. But he was still driving in the daytime. He was driving. Yeah. They told him not to drive at night because he had a cataract, I think, in his left eye. So he still had a drive though? They never took his license, no. And so he would drive in the daytime and say, Lauren, come on, let's go for a ride. Let's go to Arby's. Let's just take a drive. Every Wednesday he wanted Arby's. we would. And if it was nighttime, he'd have me drive because he couldn't see. Otherwise, he drove to public, he would drive to go shopping. He could do all this. He could manage his money. I mean,

I saw a decline after she died. Because of a heart. Because he was confused. But not medically. No, except for him coughing a lot. He was having the cough. And that's why we took him to his primary. I did. And then we went downstairs to the, um, uh, uh, radioles. place and then they said, we'll send us to your doctor and then he called that night and spoke to my aunt. My mom was there. And what exactly, and you said you were there too? They said they found a spot on his lung. How big of a spot? I don't remember how, what he said. They say like a massis. They said it was enough that he thinks that he needed to go right away to the cardiologist and the pulmonologist the next morning. He had appointment at 10 and one at 11 and I was to take him. It was on

Fort Harrison right off by Morton Plant where he was supposed to go. Okay. Do you have anything else? No, I think that's about it. This has never been spoken about what you know now, know what happened, but nothing. The only people I ever told was the sheriff that was there. Like, when did you wake up?

I woke up. My aunt's on top of him. I called 911. We've never talked about it because my mom always said it was real hard, especially around my grandpa's birthday and around when he died. She always took it real hard. but for the past couple years, I haven't really spoke to my mom. Because, as you see, I was in jail.

And so because my sister works for a judge, it's just better that I don't talk to her. Understand. You know, so I would talk to my mom. She'd call my work phone and just say, you know, she's going to her boyfriend's house because my sister would check her phone, she said. And, you know, that was it, that she was going to work. I know my mom's lost weight. I've seen pictures, like, but she's never said anything.

I know my, she said my aunt's gone a little crazy. just kind of became a drinker. Some guy that my mom had dated, and then he ended up sleeping with my aunt, and my mom went nuts. I mean, stuff like that, but never about my grandpa, ever. Nothing's ever been brought up about him

until one of my old patients sends me a link. And I thought it was a joke. So then I pressed through the TV on, and there's my mom and my aunt. That's all I've been getting all day. I couldn't even go to work. I understand. He had to come because they don't want to leave me by myself.

Like, I have nobody now. It's like to think, you know, like, I know he was sick. And I'm going to be honest, like, I've disliked a lot of people, but not enough to do that. That's understandable. Just like, it's like he died all over again. You know what I mean? Like, it's just all over again. And to know that my mom would do that to me just is more sickening when I saw the news.

Like, that was your purpose, not to help me sleep. but so I wouldn't hear what you were doing. Essentially that's what happens. Okay. Well, ma'am, if there's anything I didn't ask you that you want to tell me right now? I tried looking up my mom. I can't see her. I mean, I know I can't go see her anyways because of my probation, but I mean, I don't.

So let me end this interview. Did you have anything else? No. I'm going to end this interview at 1053 hours. This is Detective Delioam with the Ponoz County Sheriff's Office. Today's date is going to be March 7, 2019, and the time is 1441 hours. This is in reference to case number S.O.15, 947,48. I am here with Lauren Johnson.

Also present with me is Detective Mike Bailey and we're at the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Like I said, thank you again for coming in. I know I spoke to you briefly the other day, which was yesterday. But there is some more. there is some more information that I want to talk to you about more that day and your grandfather. So let me back up to that time frame. Okay. So you were at that living with him.

Right, since Shirley had passed away. When did Shirley actually pass away? 10 days before he did to the day. So it was in February. I want to say it was the 22nd. Don't quote me on that, but I know they were 10 days apart. They died. So it passed 10 days prior.

Right. And she passed away in like a rehab facility, like a nursing home. And I moved in right after she died, maybe two days or something after she died. So two days after. Yeah, give or take. It was no more than two days, but they had me move in with her. Now, who lived with you guys at that time?

What do you mean, me and my grandfather? Just me and my grandfather. That's my phone. I'm sorry. No, you're fine. So it was just you and your grandfather? Did your mom or your aunts live with you at that time? No, my mom had her own place,

and Linda was living with her husband, Ted, at the time. Now, they would come visit. but they never stayed the night. Never stayed the night? Within those 10 days, maybe once or twice, but they would get up and go right to work the next day. So I'm the one that was with him all the time. Like, I was the one that stayed the night with him,

got up with him in the morning. So Linda made his breakfast. So Linda live with... Ted and her husband. But during that timeline, they may have stayed there. They may have, but no more than like a day or two. Like it was probably one night and they'd get up just to visit him. I was the one that was with him.

No more than one night? Yeah, no more than one night until, like, the night that he died, and not that night, the May's day of those two nights. Okay, so the two, okay, out of those 10 days that you were there and after Shirley had passed, right? So do you, you said they both stayed twice, right? Right. time and the one time they stayed was the night that he passed they stayed together okay yeah did they stay

together the other time or separately do you remember I really don't remember but I do remember the night that he passed they were both there and the night prior they were both there so the night prior to him passing they were there yep together and then the night the next day they stayed there again together right two nights in a row two nights in a row and that was the only time out of those 10 days That I can remember they were together in that house. Yes. Okay. So together, so together they stayed.

I'm sorry, I'm just writing. No, that's fine. Together they stayed the day of the night before. He passed. And the day, the two days before, right? Right. So, like, he died on the sixth. So they were there the fourth and the fifth because he died that morning.

So the fourth and the fifth, they were both there, both nights. Because Linda slept on the couch, and my mom was in the room with me, except for the night he passed. Okay, so let's go back. So the fourth, so on 3-4, right, Linda slept on the couch? Yep. And then on 3-5, and then your mom. She slept in the room with me, the spare room. And then on 3-5.

I was by myself. Papa was sleeping on the couch. He fell asleep on the couch. Because when I went to bed, I was in his recliner. And he was laying on the couch. Linda put his feet up on the couch. You know, because he was doing his prayers and he was shaking a little bit after he had his drink, his nightly drink. And he does his prayers about 9, 9.30.

He would say his St. Joseph prayers. He was like not himself. He was shaking a little bit like tremors. That's not normal for him. No, because I would say it with him. He'd say his little Italian prayers. That was just not normal to me. So I freaked out, and Linda said, oh, don't worry, you know, and so.

This is post him getting, sorry, I interrupted. It's all clear on what you're saying. This is post him getting this drink or whatever it was. No, this was while he had been having a drink. Okay. Which is uncommon. Right, that's uncommon. Not the drink, but the shaking, yes.

Like the tremors. Kind of like he was having like a little stroke. That was unusual. She started to get a little. I got worried. But Linda being the nurse, like, don't worry. and so she do you have me to turn that off

okay so they I remember Linda putting his feet up on the couch and say here dad lay down he was on his back on the couch and then my mom told me go ahead and go to sleep

they were going to sleep in the living room or with Papa to watch him her words were we're going to watch him okay that's what my mom said we're just going to watch over him so that's when I went to bed by myself okay and when so the the pill that

your mom gave you. What was that? I don't know what it was. It was... When was that? When did she give you that? I would say that was about... I don't know, between 10 and 11. She probably gave it to me. Was it after he was laying on the couch and shaking and drinking, or was it before that? It was probably a little after that because she saw that I was worried, like that I was

worried about him, you know, and so she said, here, sweetheart, take this and relax. Did you know what it was? I don't know. Could have been a Xanax. It could have been something because I had just been out of prison. Like, I would say not too long that, you know, something in my system would have affected me to where I would have probably knocked out. Because I started getting sleepy within 45 minutes. I could tell that whatever she gave me was pretty strong.

Right. You know, and my grandfather would always want me to have a little drink with him. You know, like he would drink a drink and I would have a little drink just so I could be alert because that was always my worry is not. to be alert with him because he was 85. So if he went to bed, then I knew I could go to bed, but I always, like, made sure I could hear him in the other room. I just felt weird. And so I told my mom, I'm going to go ahead and go lay down, because I really didn't feel

like after what I drank and if maybe took a Xanax, it shouldn't have affected me that much. But I didn't know if it's because I had been up for a couple days because I was, you know, just worried about him in general because Shirley dying. You know, he was always on edge. Let me ask you, so your grandfather that day, when you were with him, when you took him to the doctor, did he have any type of bruising on his arms and his legs? Well, he would always have little like red bruising because if he hit something, he automatically bruised because he took kumid in. So he had a blood fit.

Yeah, so he would always kind of bruise. And so he would always say, look at my hand. but I did it would be common in his arm right here he'd probably get him in his hands sometimes right here but you know he always wore shorts I mean so you could see you know banged up a little bit yeah do you recall anything um any bang up that he had that day not that I can recall no you don't know if he bruised that day that you can recall besides the little mark that he had here on his like arm You know, I don't recall anything like...

Which arm did he have that mark on? I want to say it was his left arm. But I can't, like, it's been four years. Of course, I understand. Yeah, but I don't know. But, I mean, he'd always have little marks because he'd always bang himself or... He walked, but not always steady. So sometimes he would, you know, in the bathroom, you know, so...

But nothing that, to me, was alarming, I would say. Okay. So your mom and aunt had their own place and they had no reason to be in that house, basically, other than just to visit. So in the own, out of those 10 days that you've been there once Shirley passed, that's, they came there the fourth and the fifth. Right. And those are the only times that they. That I can remember they were together in the house at night, spending the night with me. Because like my uncle would say.

for them to do that? Or was that kind of now that you look at that? I mean, now that I look back, that's kind of odd because Linda had a husband and that was the whole purpose of me being there. So they wouldn't have to have like a reason to leave their home and pack their stuff and get up and go to work. That's why I was there. I wasn't working. So it was nothing for me to take care of him. My uncle, my mom, and my aunt all agreed that that was the best thing for him was for me to come take care of him.

Because nobody in the family could because they all had jobs and kids. And that was like the best option. Take him to appointments, make sure he ate in the morning his breakfast, make sure he took his pills, make sure the house was clean. Like that was my job. You know, so for them to sleep there that night and then my mom not to sleep in the room with me, I'm now looking back, it's odd, you know, but she was my mom. So, you know, I'm not thinking, I'm thinking they're worried about their dad. All right. one second.

So during this, would they ever mention you that they were unhappy with how you were taking care of him? I'm not saying that you weren't that they did. I'm asking you that they were saying to. They wanted him to go to an assisted living. They had me go look at a place with him nearby. Nearby. It was on McMullen booth. They wanted him to go there because they just felt like it was too much for me to take care of him full time if I wanted a job.

But I had no problem because he did not want to go. he owned his condo he owned a car there was no reason for him to go in my mind and I told so he was resistant to this he adamantly said I'm not going okay now let me ask you this and I know this I'm just trying to to get everything on the table here so when you moved in there that was when you got out of prison yeah not I mean it was probably about could have been about a year maybe but I had been out I had a I had a plan I had a plan place in Largo. And at that time, were you working on getting clean or were you? No, I was already clean. Oh, yeah. I didn't have a drug problem. Okay. I mean, I was, because I know you had a history.

Right. But I didn't have like the, I wasn't shooting up or anything like that. So like it was not an issue. Like I didn't have drug problem moving in with him. Okay. What was, let me ask you, what was your, and I know, drug of choice, drug of choice. It was normally like maybe Vicodin or like Xanax, things like that. It was not, like I never did meth or heroin or crack or coke. None of that. I was not and it was more like, I'll be honest, like I got caught. It's not, but I'm caught selling it. So I wasn't really like addicted to it. I, like I've been clean now for years. Like I don't have a drug problem. So when I moved in with him, like it was nothing for me to drop everything and move in with him. No contestation or nothing. No, not at all. Even my uncle agreed. Even my uncle agreed.

and everyone knew my history. And nobody's saying that that's not true. That's not sure. I'm just... No, I know. I know the questions are going to be asked. Like, I know you know my past. But my aunt sat down, my uncle sat down, my mom sat down, and they agreed for they even called me

to please come take care of Papa. We want you to move in. And the next morning, Ted came and picked me up from my house in Largo, brought my stuff, and I moved right in with Papa while we were cleaning out Shirley's stuff. Okay. Okay. So, but it was never... for an issue, but he was adamant about not going to an assisted living.

And what did your mom say and Linda say about that? They argued with him about it. Like, you need to go. You need to be watched 24-7. Like, kind of like they felt like it would bother me, which my grandfather and I had both agreed that it was not a problem for me to stay and take care of him. He was happy at this point. Right. You know, he was happy playing cards with me and watching prices right all day and going to lunch. Like, he had a life. He did not want to be stuck in an assisted living facility with old people, as he called it.

Because I'll just die there. And that's what he said. Okay. He did not want to go there. But they were not happy with his decision. My aunt said, I believe it was the night before he passed or, you know, when the night she came to visit, that he was not able to make his own decisions. And she felt like he was incompetent and things like that. What are your opinion on that?

I disagreed with her. Okay. Big time. I disagreed. Sure. You argued with her about that? Well, I didn't argue because that's their dad. But I put my two cents in and said, like, you know, he's 85.

The doctors don't think he needs to not have a license that he can drive. They don't think he needs his power of attorney to take over his finances. He doesn't. I don't feel he was incompetent at all. Okay. Sure. You were living with them most of the time. Right.

That's why we wanted to ask you. I mean, except for the last two days of his life when he started calling me Mary Beth and my mom, Rosalie. Right. I started to see a decline those last. two days, but within the 10 days, you know, sure, he'd forget little things like, did I take my milk of magnesium, or did I take my pills, and he would just look in the container, but for the most part? For the most part, he would have been all right to have me stay with him.

Okay. What do you think was driving a bus with the assisted living for them? If it's no drag on them, it's only a drag on you, but it really wasn't. You were fine with it. But why were they pushing this? He didn't want it. He didn't want it. I don't know what their intentions were as far as, like, why they wanted him to

go so bad except for like they would have to come visit him every day and make sure or that I would have to take care of him which they never discussed with me because it was never an issue yeah it was never a problem for me it was fine for me to drop everything and move the next day and with him I had no ties to my apartment like left the boyfriend I didn't care because he was my my grandpa right I understand he came first okay understood okay when when you went to the doctor because you said that the day before You went to, you went to his doctor's appointment. His primary.

Did you, are you in the room with them? Yeah. Okay. So what did, do you recall what the doctor said at that time about, he had, because you, because you went, you went to, from what I remember, you went to countryside. His countryside, his doctor. So you have his primary doctor there. Yep, upstairs.

Upstairs. And then downstairs is that. Radiology. Correct? He had had a cough. Okay. Like a bad, he had like a bad wheezing kind of cough. And so Linda said maybe he should go see the doctor.

So we had made an appointment. We got him in like the next day. We went and saw the primary and he listened to his lungs and he said, you know, Tony, I just want you to have a chest x-ray. I want you to go downstairs and have this x-ray. So we did. I don't recall. I think my grandfather said his anxiety was bad or Linda had talked to him and told him.

His anxiety got a little bad because Shirley had passed away. Which is normal. Which is normal because you have. live two of them together. About 20 years. Oh, 20 years. Oh, yeah, because my son's 16. So I would say longer than, you know, right when he was born.

So along, they were about together almost 20 years. So that was his partner, you know? And so she died. So he's on edge and he's a little shaky. I don't know if he tried to, like he gave him another medication because I know we went to the pharmacy, to the CVS by his house. When they did the chest x-ray within a couple hours, they had called my aunt because she was the,

person they would talk to for the results they would call Linda. Now, were you, so when you went to the doctor initially when the doctor said, let's get you an extract. Okay. What was his condition before? I mean, was he like terminal? Was he? He had lung cancer years before and he had part of his lung removed.

But for years he's been okay. Like he had high cholesterol and blood pressure. But other than that, the cancer had not come back to my knowledge because I was never aware of it until we went to have the chest x-ray. And they just told her that they saw like a spot on his lung or a mass on his lung. And so they wanted him to go see the pulmonologist. So it wasn't like a huge, massive, like something very... Not from what I know, no.

From what you know. No. And we never got to go to the pulmonologist because he dies. So I never got to take him to the appointment. So when the phone call came in from the doctor after you guys, so you guys went downstairs, did the extra, you go home. Yeah, we go home. How was he?

He was just coughing. He had that wheezing cough and he just watched TV. Did he still smoke, right? No. No, I would smoke. He did smoke. He would just drink. You know, and he would tell me he quit smoking or he would joke and say, sneak me one.

But he did not smoke. He was adamant about not smoking. He had smoked for years. Okay. So then you get home, and what time did that? So tell me, let's walk through when you got home, who was there and step by, do you remember what? I remember it was just me and Papa. Okay.

And then... What time did you get home approximately? Was it afternoon? I want to say maybe four, but I don't remember. But I want to say it was like mid-afternoon. So I would say like four, because I remember him saying he was hungry. Linda came first And then my mom came

Like was it right away or shortly after? Shortly after because then that's when the doctor calls Okay so So he was there to like when he called the home phone He ended up talking to my aunt Because when I answered the phone it was him So I handed her the phone because he asked to talk to her Because my grandpa was hard of hearing

And he would not wear a hearing aid So I remember Linda taking the phone Okay were you standing there? Yeah Papa was on the couch. I was in his recliner and Linda was sitting. He had another chair by the sliding door and then he had a piano. My mom was sitting where the piano was because my mom was there too.

And then what happened? Tell me about that conversation. Was it a speaker? No. But she got off the phone and said, okay, Dad, Lauren's going to take you in the morning to go see the pulmonologist and I believe the cardiologist. He had two appointments for the next morning by more implant in Clearwater. And what was her reason and what your grandpa say at that time?

Do you remember? He said, why do I have to go? And she said, they found a spot on your lawn. A spot? Mm-hmm. Okay. And then what happened? I don't think he registered it.

Like, I really don't think he processed it. He doesn't take news. Like, to him, he just kind of brushes it off a little bit. So I really don't think that it even affected him at that moment. And I remember her, my mom talking. I don't know what they talked about because I sat and watched TV with him. And then he said he wanted to go for a ride. It was time for his ride.

Because Willa Fortune had just ended. Okay. So that's usually... Because he doesn't like Jeopardy. Okay. So, I mean, these are things I just remember because he had a routine. And he said, I want to go for a ride down by the beach. And he wanted my mom to drive.

And did he... And then when you guys... It was you. Me and my mom and Papa. It was in Papa's. His Honda. She drove. He was in the passenger and I was in the backseat.

And where was Linda? At his house. Okay. So you guys go, you're gone for how long? Normal ride, maybe 45 minutes, an hour at the most, we'd be gone. And we'd get back about 730, about 8, 8.30, we'd get back. And then I believe it was baseball. There was a sport on because he wanted to watch a game when we got back.

So you guys get there? You're still in the living room area? I'm in the living room. And you're watching the game with him. Yeah, he's sitting on the couch and he says he wants a drink. And then who gets him to drink? I don't remember if it was Linda or my mom because that he didn't tell me, I normally make it for him or he'll just tell me to go get the bottle from underneath his bathroom. He had one in his bathroom sink.

So he would tell me to get it and he would normally make his own or he would tell me how much he wants in his cup. So he usually hides it? He used to hide it in his bathroom, vodka and Diet Coke. Okay, so either your mom or Linda made it. made the drink and gave it to him. How long after that did you notice do you remember him? He normally said his prayers between 9 and 9.30 on a normal night. So I would have to say within like 30 to 45 minutes, that's when he had his book in his hand and he drops it.

And it's just really weird to me like a tremor. And Linda said, well, maybe, you know, I said, what's wrong with him? Like, is he having a stroke? like and she said I don't think so maybe it's the new medication because I don't remember if the doctor had changed it I know we went to the pharmacy but I don't know if he had like

you know difference in medication because it was just that day I really don't remember but she said maybe it's just like a reaction and we'll watch him is what they said we'll just keep an eye on him and then you were nervous I was real nervous because you know Shirley had just died and like

my whole being is to watch him so I knew he had already taken his meds for the So are you ready taking the meds? His normal meds. Who gave him to him? In his little container, he normally would tell me to get him. Or he would go in the kitchen. I would put him in there for the week because he had one of those things Monday through Sunday,

and he'd have the A.m. and P.ms. And then he would take some at noon, so it was the one that had the three. And him and I would sit there at the kitchen counter and do them. He had a little, like, kitchenette in the kitchen kitchen. And him and I would sit there for the week and make sure we put him in. there. So he would know if he forgot, he would know because he'd flip in and say, oh, I already took that one. And I would give him to him. And he would watch me pour him in there for him and he would take him with his water. He always had a water by his, um, by the couch, by his chair.

But this night he wanted to sit on the couch, which was weird. It was just really weird. Let me just hear about that. You said he wanted us on the couch. Do you make it effort? Did he say, I want to sit on the couch or he just had to be on the couch? No, he said, I want to sit on the couch. He does. He did. Shirley's spot. That's what Shirley always said. He always sat in his recliner and I don't know why he wanted to that night but he did and so then he was drinking his drink and then

let's do our prayers and it was just really weird to me like so you live there so on the couch can you describe what you have on the couch? It was

just regular pillows like throat pillows so like little square not silky but not cloth. It's hard to explain, but like a shiny type of pillow. Yeah, and so it was... Do you remember what color they were?

They were maroon. Maroon, and then the other end had, like, I think, an orange because I ended up with the pillows after he passed because I had his recliner, but he had a couch with three cushions, and it was kind of like, it was a gray couch. Okay. You said you kept the cushions?

Not those cushions. The pillows. We sold the couch. I mean, we had... I meant the pillow. Not anymore. No, I don't have anything. Okay. Okay. But he had, like, throw pillows. And so when Linda did put his legs up on the couch, she put one of the pillows behind his head.

Okay. I don't know what they did with the other pillows. All right. That's fair. And you said you got rid of those pillows? Oh, I mean, I lost everything. My ex. He was violent, and so...

I understand. We split. He kind of got rid of all my... stuff but but when I woke up the next morning while I heard my mom screaming and that's what woke me up what did you remember what you saw yeah Linda was on top of him like my mom was standing his head his head was okay because I know the recliner the recliner there was a recliner like if I'm sitting in his recliner there's the couch and there's a little table correct so his head was

right there so it's and his feet closer to the recliner then yeah okay Because then he had sliding doors. Sliding doors. His feet were by the sliding doors. His head was on a pillow by the arm of the couch. And then there was a wet spot. What kind of pillows are you on? Like a little square pillow.

Was there a pillow? Do you remember a pillow on the opposite end? Yeah, he had a couple pillows on the couch. I don't know what they did with them. And there was a multicolored pillow there as well. Yeah. that was on like a little

foot rest. Like an ottoman. Right. Is that pillow normally there? I really don't remember. Because I know he had pillows on the not on the recliner, but they had another chair and there would be a pillow on that chair. And then the footstool, I really don't remember. Sorry, I'm trying to picture it.

But down on his couch, he had like a couple throw pillows, but he'd always move them, depending on his bat there. Okay. Because Shirley would sometimes want it behind her back. Sometimes she didn't. Then when she passed, he kind of didn't want to move her stuff. So he really would never sit in that spy until that night.

Okay. All right. Do you remember when, and I know we keep making you go back to this, but when you got up, okay, and you saw Linda on top of him, did you remember seeing anything out of the ordinary, whether, do you, anything that stood out of, to you that was there that, you know,

that you can remember looking back. Anything? I mean, I only remember waking, I hearing my mom screaming, waking up, and she said, he's gone. He's dead, Linda.

He's dead. And that's when I came in the, like, from the bedroom, you have to go catty corner into the hallway, and she's on top of him, my aunt.

Like, she's only 90 pounds. So for her to be on top of him, like, and it was, It was just kind of like they were not startled to see me, but, you know. Right. But, I mean, nothing to me seemed out of ordinary, besides fact that my grandpa was dead in the house,

and she's on the phone with the doctor she used to work for, asking him what to do. Which doctor is this? Dr. Mazur. Right. She just said, Doc, I think my dad's dead. What am I supposed to do? Okay. And my grandpa had a pacemaker.

So she's looking for a pulse, but she said, I think he's still alive because he's still, like his pacemaker was still going. Yeah, but when he said, check his back. And when she kind of rolled to the side, he said if his back is blue, then he's dead. Right. And then the paramedics came not too long after that because I called 911 from the other bedroom. I went the other bedroom because my mom kept screaming. Was this on the house phone or your cell phone? My cell phone.

My personal cell phone. The same number? No, I had an 813-270-5-439 number. Okay. What was it? I believe it was 813-270-5-4-39. I don't think I called from the home phone. Okay.

From his home phone. And I had that number for years, so. Then when I, they came and had to pull her off of him because she was, I don't know if she was pretending to do it at this point now, that you tell me this, or if she was really trying to do CPR. Right. But they pulled her off him, and then they pulled him on the floor. and there was a big wet spot. Like he had peed himself a lot. Did he?

EmT people do any CPR or they did not? No, they knew he was already dead. They knew it, okay. And they left him on the floor. Then the sheriffs came. And I sat in his recliner and didn't move because I was just sick. Like, then I'm watching him lay there. And, you know, to me, my reaction was, like, horrifying.

My mom was a little more calm. And Linda was calling my uncle. I mean, my mom was a wreck more so than Linda. Right. Who was more of a wreck? My mom. But Linda just seemed like always dead. My mom was always dead.

Did he have his prayer cards there? His prayer cards, I believe, were back on the... I had picked him up off the floor and put him next to him on his little stand where he had him, like a little table. They were old cards, like old. So I remember putting them back in his little... He had like a little thing, like for a wallet, he would put him in there and put him on his, like, the little table where the lamp is. And that's where his water was in his drink. Who put the sheet of her?

What she? There was a sheet system. Someone covered him. And put the paracards on. No, I didn't. I don't know. No, I mean, I don't know who did that because when I went to sleep, she had put his feet up. I don't know if maybe the paramedics did it, because I know that when the people, you know,

because he was a veteran, so they had to wait for them to come get him with the flag and stuff. That's why he was there for so long. I don't know about the sheet because I ended up going outside when the sheriffs came. All right. They could have been on post-out. Yeah, I don't know. When I went to bed, he wasn't covered at all on the couch. They just took his shoes off.

Was he wearing the same stuff that he was wearing the night before? I think he had shorts on and the shirt that he always wears a collared shirt. And then he always wore these beige Velcro shoes, and he had those, but Linda had taken those off him when she put his feet on the couch, and then he had, like, the knee-high socks. Okay. Did Shirley, was she cremated as well? I don't, I want to say she was, but I'm not positive.

I remember going to her service because my grandpa paid for it, but I don't remember if she was cremated. Okay. But I know my grandfather was. And that was at his request? Yeah. Okay. Just like my grandmother, his first wife, because they're in the same plot together, like the wall at the funeral home.

Okay. All right. I'm going to go ahead and end this at 15, 13 hours.