After several interviews, Mesa admitted to the crimes. "To be honest with you," he said to a detective, "I did it."

The story he then told police over the course of four hours, which he would later contradict somewhat, was that he had gone into Benjamin Varner's room after 9:00 P.M. during the night of February 1 to rob him. Benjamin was there and Mesa asked if Benjamin had a checkbook. He also spotted a 4-inch paring knife next to Benjamin's microwave. Mesa said he grabbed the knife and stabbed Benjamin in the back of the neck. When he fell to the floor, Mesa slit his throat. He then took the checkbook and wrote a check to himself for $650. He also admitted to killing Eric Plunkett and said they both had seemed to be easy targets.

While this story was not consistent with the fact that Benjamin had been stabbed seventeen to nineteen times in different areas of his body, it was nevertheless clear that Mesa was telling at least part of the truth: he was the Cogswell Hall killer.

Based on the confession,  Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire got a warrant to search Mesa's room, now in the adjacent Krug Hall, where he and other Cogswell residents had been moved after the murder. It was not long before they found a pair of bloody Nikes and some blood-stained clothing, which they confiscated. They also turned up credit cards from both victims. After an analysis, the shoes proved a match to the bloody shoe print preserved outside Benjamin's room.

On June 24, 1915, he arrived at the prison and became inmate #7390. In the admission record, he listed his place of birth as Alabama and his occupation as "thief." On the same page, it was noted that he used two other names: Jefferson Davis and Jeff Rhodes. Guards immediately took notice of the prisoner's surly, uncooperative attitude. But they weren't concerned with uncooperative inmates. Salem prison was notorious in the northwest for punishing its prisoners by abuse and torture. The warden at that time was a tough, crude, former sheriff named Harry Minto, who believed whole-heartedly in keeping the inmates in line by force. Whipping, hosing, beatings, starvation and isolation were part and parcel of life at Salem.

The family, whose last name was Hooker, kept up an amiable conversation with her, but after a short time, Carol noticed the driver, Cameron Hooker, staring at her through the rearview mirror.  It made her nervous."He was checking me out," she said later. When they stopped at a gas station about a half an hour into the drive Carol went to use the restroom.  "A voice told me to run and jump out a window and never look back," she recalled, but she calmed her fears and went back to the car.  After all,   this man wouldn't do anything to her in front of his wife and child, she reasoned. As she got in, they handed her a candy bar.

Cameron Hooker

They drove for another mile or so until Cameron appeared to make up his mind about something.  The Hookers mentioned that they were very close to some spectacular ice caves and they wanted to make a quick stop.  Carol didn't object, so Cameron drove down a dirt road that seemed to take them to the middle of nowhere and then stopped the car, turning the key to shut off the engine. His wife Janice, seeming to understand what was about to happen got out of the car holding the baby.  Suddenly Carol found a knife pointed end against her throat, as Cameron ordered her to put her hands above her head and asked her if she was going to do whatever he said.  She froze in fear.  She didn't know what else to say except, "Yes."  Then he handcuffed, blindfolded, bound, and gagged her.

Now was the time for revealing his special creation.  He placed a large, metal-hinged box made out of plywood over Carol's head.  It was heavy and had dense insulation in between its double walls, and a neck hole that near choked her.  The interior was carpeted, which impeded her ability to breathe.  She was to learn that, wearing this, she could not eat, drink, hear, or see.  She was in total darkness.  She then felt Cameron cover her with something heavy that felt like the sleeping bag she'd carried with her.  When the car started up again, she assumed that Janice had gotten back inside.  She sensed them descending down a winding mountain road.

Gag restraint & head box (APWIDE)

They stopped to get dinner at a fast food place while Carol waited to find out what they had planned for her.  She wondered if she would ever see her family or friends again.  Then she sensed the car moving for a while before it stopped altogether and Cameron removed her restraints and prodded her to get out. 

Inside a house, he removed the box that he'd placed over her head.  That was a relief, but it proved to be short-lived.  Cameron led Carol down some steps into a cellar.  He indicated that she was to stand on a Coleman ice chest.  Terrified of what he might do to her, she obeyed.   He told her to lift her hands over her head, which she did.  Then he used a leather strap to tie her wrists to the overhead pipes.  As he removed each item of her clothing, she felt him trembling.  She was still blindfolded, but she could sense that he was building up to something.  Uncomfortable as all of this was, it was nothing compared to what came next.

Cameron removed the chest that was supporting her weight, and she hung there, suspended in the air.  She kicked and screamed to be let loose.   Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire told me to go ahead and scream," she said.  He led her to believe that in other such situations, he'd just cut the vocal chords of his captive and if she kept it up, he'd do the same to her.

To her astonishment, Cameron walked away and then returned.  He started to hit her with something that hurt, both front and back.  Carol shrieked out for help, but that only made him hit her more.  She realized he was using a whip.  He then left her hanging, with her tiptoes just barely brushing something.  She could see beneath the blindfold that a pornographic magazine lay on the floor, featuring a naked woman hung up just as she was.

Yet he was not about to just leave her alone.  Cameron was so excited by his conquest and possession of a slave that he went out and soon returned with his wife.  They removed their clothes and had sex right there at Carol's feet.  To her it was a nightmare.  She could not believe this was happening to her.  She'd never heard of people doing such things and she could not understand what she had done to deserve this treatment.

To her relief, Cameron did take her down from her hanging position.  Her arms were sore and her body hurt where he had beaten her.  He made her sit inside another locking box, and when he closed it, she discovered that she could not move.  Then he placed the head box back on her head.  She was now completely immobilized and barely able to breathe.  She began to scream, drawing her captor back.  He placed a strap over her chest that constricted her breathing even more, forcing her to stop making noise.  Then he left her like that for a very long and frightening night. She thought she was going to die.

Her simple wish that morning to surprise a friend had turned into the worst experience of her young life, and it had only just begun. 

Comments

Posted by komterug

March 01, 2010, 6:30AM

harrisburg was one of few state capitals without a four-year university within its city limits. growing up, i'd thought that was really bizarre, and once i left, i found out just how bizarre that actually since [as most states have their either their flagship or similarly major universities within their boundaries.]

i'm glad that a university has finally rocked up there.

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Posted by edstem

March 01, 2010, 7:35AM

Harrisburg University is overkill in a higher education saturated state. It is window dressing on a city in a severe economic state.

In 2009, Harrisburg University had a 12% - 4 year graduation rate. The class that started with 112 in 2005 had only 12 graduate. Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire is being well served by this institution? The elite employees who draw a salary and generous benefits, with no accountability for student success.

Students who do not graduate are still saddled with crushing debt and now - no diploma to serve as an entry ticket to a better job that could increase their earnings. That college debt will cost them dearly for years: in higher credit rates, higher car insurance rates and the inability to qualify for a home loan. Seems to me that this is exploiting people far more than it benefits the students or the city.

For comparison:

Haverford College: 91.92% (Haverford, PA)
Penn State: 60% (University Park, PA)
Central Penn College: 61% (Summerdale, PA)
Pitt University: 57% (Pittsburgh, PA)

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Posted by BigPoppa

March 01, 2010, 9:27AM

I looked up HU's four-year retention rate for full-time undergraduate students. It is 76 percent. Higher than all but one of the schools you noted.

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Posted by BigPoppa

March 01, 2010, 9:35AM

Edstem's comments reflect a lack of understanding to the difference between-based urban institutions of higher education. He made the giant mistake of assuming that HU is built to cater to undergraduate students like a traditional university--like a Messiah or Susquehanna or a Bucknell. While all fine schools in their own right, they primarily exist to draw tradtional-age undergraduate students. HU--by its own web page-is not like those institutions.

The incoming class in 2005 at HU included dual enrolled students, master's level students, students getting certificates, two-year transfer students, students who needed to pick a college credit, some that wanted professional development, others who attended for ACT 48 programs, and only a handful of traditional undergraduate students. The University graduated people in 2006 (first graduate), 2007, 2008, 2009. It had 12 people graduate in 2009 who completed degree programs (m.s. or b.s.). Universities and colleges only allow those folks to particpate in graduation ceremonies. the University I graduated would have an incoming class of 205 undergraduates but only 165 of those students who stay for four years.

As far as crush debt? Average out of pocket (found on the website) for HU is $3900 per YEAR. Families can borrow a supplemental loan or try to get a scholarship for another source like rotary. Wonder what the debt load is for those other schools that he noted. i'll have to check into that too.

As far as who is best served by HU, half its students are ethnic minorities and half are women. So i'd say the traditionally underrepresented groups are well served by HU. I think students who want a career are well served by HU. And since it puts $16 million a year into the local economy, awarded $63 million in local contracts with the building of its academic center, I'd say Harrisburg is well served by having HU in the downtown. Also, with a little digging, I was able to find that 80 percent of its students are from PA and 60 percent are from dauphin and cumberland counties. So clearly the east and west shore feel they are well served by having a private, independent university in the heart of downtown.

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Posted by edstem

March 01, 2010, 1:41PM

And of course, there is always the millions in federal earmarks that Rep. Holden and Sen. Specter have brought to HU.

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Posted by hbgpenn

March 01, 2010, 8:13AM

It seems as I read Penn Live "edstem" has an answer to everything--and usually a worthless comment to make--as you can see above.

All I know is that across from office sat an empty parking lot and now stands the nicest building in the City. The students are a breath of fresh air and I don't think "edstem" has his facts right about the graduation rate.

Anyway--great piece by the Patriot, and I look forward to seeing more students--they are the only think keeping Strawberry Square alive!

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Posted by BigPoppa

March 01, 2010, 9:12AM

You are so right! I remember when this used to be an empty retail store! That's how old i am! We were glad to see that get turn down for a parking lot. Hard to believe that a parking lot is considered an improvement. I love that this University is here. the other day I walked from inside the hilton, through strawberry square into the University and crossed the street to get to the train station. (nice to stay dry the entire time.)

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Posted by fuzzlebunny

March 01, 2010, 8:55AM

While HU might be a good addition to the area, trying to get credits transferred in from other schools or get courses waived for life experience is a bear.

While the people I dealt with when applying there were very nice and helpful, it seemed they were more interested in getting you to take their classes than they were seeing how they could meet your needs.

If you're a new student, I'm certain the admission process is simple and class selection goes smoothly. If you're a returning student, be prepared to slug it out with the admissions process.

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Posted by greenst

March 01, 2010, 11:19AM

Life experience should never be a substitute for the academic setting. They are both valuable, but not interchangeable.

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Posted by BigPoppa

March 01, 2010, 9:08AM

Edstem's comments reflect a lack of understanding to the difference between-based urban institutions of higher education. He made the giant mistake of assuming that HU is built to cater to undergraduate students like a traditional university--like a Messiah or Susquehanna or a Bucknell. While all fine schools in their own right, they primarily exist to draw tradtional-age undergraduate students. HU--by its own web page-is not like those institutions.

The incoming class in 2005 at HU included dual enrolled students, master's level students, students getting certificates, two-year transfer students, students who needed to pick a college credit, some that wanted professional development, others who attended for ACT 48 programs, and only a handful of traditional undergraduate students. The University graduated people in 2006 (first graduate), 2007, 2008, 2009. It had 12 people graduate in 2009 who completed degree programs (m.s. or b.s.). Universities and colleges only allow those folks to particpate in graduation ceremonies. the University I graduated would have an incoming class of 205 undergraduates but only 165 of those students who stay for four years.

As far as crush debt? Average out of pocket (found on the website) for HU is $3900 per YEAR. Families can borrow a supplemental loan or try to get a scholarship for another source like rotary. Wonder what the debt load is for those other schools that he noted. i'll have to check into that too.

As far as who is best served by HU, half its students are ethnic minorities and half are women. So i'd say the traditionally underrepresented groups are well served by HU. I think students who want a career are well served by HU. And since it puts $16 million a year into the local economy, awarded $63 million in local contracts with the building of its academic center, I'd say Harrisburg is well served by having HU in the downtown. Also, with a little digging, I was able to find that 80 percent of its students are from PA and 60 percent are from dauphin and cumberland counties. So clearly the east and west shore feel they are well served by having a private, independent university in the heart of downtown.

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Posted by pasedition

March 01, 2010, 11:25AM

I am amazed that some of you actually recognize edstem for what he really is. Good job people!!!

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Posted by g024

March 01, 2010, 12:13PM

Who is being well served by this institution? The elite employees who draw a salary and generous benefits, with no accountability for student success.

Its college not high school.

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Posted by bimmerboy

March 01, 2010, 2:34PM

Something's fishy here. I walk by HU almost every day, and in the past 3 months I've maybe seen 3 people walk in or out, and one was the mailman. They have a huge lobby on the corner, and only once have I seen anyone (a middle-aged guy) in there. I smell a boondoggle.

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Posted by danwxman2

March 01, 2010, 2:55PM

Very few students use the main entrance because only a handful walk to school. Most commute and use the parking garage.