Audio recordings obtained through a telephonic wiretap, a house bug and a vehicle bug will be allowed as evidence in the trials of serial shooting suspects Dale Hausner and Samuel Dieteman.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Roland Steinle denied a defense motion to exclude the audio recordings as evidence on Oct. 12. Hausner’s attorney Kenneth Everett had claimed the wiretap and bugs violated the defendants’ constitutional rights.
But Steinle wrote in his ruling that Judge James Keppel had already decided that investigators had probable cause to gather the evidence. Procedurally, the court does not reconsider the same question in the same case.
Transcripts of the recordings released in July revealed that on a single evening, the suspects in last year’s serial shootings discussed their death count, compared themselves to another serial killer and spoke of disguises.
Dieteman told Hausner: “The D.C. sniper is more experienced than us with more technology and know how.”
A few minutes later, the duo discussed the news media’s version of the death count: six.
Hausner said: “The death toll is higher than that. What about the (expletive) guy I shot at 27th Avenue and Northern?” He then called Dieteman and himself “pioneers” in killing.
“It feels good, doesn’t it?” Hausner said.
Later, Dieteman talked about altering his appearance by tanning and dyeing his head and facial hair black so he’d look Hispanic, the transcripts state.
