11.Rebekah Gregory — Direct
167 linesREBEKAH GREGORY, duly sworn
COURT CLERK: Have a seat. State your name and spell your last name for the record, keep your voice up and speak into the mic so everyone can hear you.
REBEKAH GREGORY: Okay. Rebekah Gregory, R-E-B-E-K-A-H G-R-E-G-O-R-Y.
DIRECT EXAMINATION BY MR. MELLIN:
MR. MELLIN: Good afternoon.
MR. MELLIN: Where do you live?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I live in Houston, Texas.
MR. MELLIN: And where did you grow up?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky.
MR. MELLIN: When did you move to Texas?
REBEKAH GREGORY: About eight months before the marathon, so June 2012.
MR. MELLIN: What were you doing in Texas at that time?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I was working in corporate housing.
MR. MELLIN: Okay. As you walked in here today, for the record, you came into court with a prosthetic device on your left leg. Is that right?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes; that's correct.
MR. MELLIN: When did you have surgery to remove the lower part of your left leg?
REBEKAH GREGORY: November 10th of 2014.
MR. MELLIN: When was your leg actually injured?
REBEKAH GREGORY: April 15, 2013, at the marathon bombings.
MR. MELLIN: What brought you to Boston back in April of 2013?
REBEKAH GREGORY: My mother-in-law was running the race, my boyfriend's mom at the time. And we had come there for my birthday weekend. And we had toured the city. And we were just watching her run. And we were all packed up and ready to go home that day. And at first we went to the 17-mile marker to watch her and held up our signs, and we wanted to make our way closer to the finish line to actually see her finish the race.
MR. MELLIN: Up to that point had you ever run a marathon before?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Heck, no.
(Laughter.)
MR. MELLIN: Had you ever run a half marathon?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes, a couple of years ago I tried for a half marathon, and I was wondering why in the world people did this for fun because it was quite torturous.
MR. MELLIN: So when you went to the 17-mile mark and she went by, what did you do?
REBEKAH GREGORY: We were holding up our signs, cheering, excited. And we just -- that's when we had decided that we wanted to get closer.
MR. MELLIN: And when you went to get closer, where did you go?
REBEKAH GREGORY: We went right in front of LensCrafters, I believe. And we were just trying to get as close to see her actually cross the line.
MR. MELLIN: Who was with you at that point when you were in front of LensCrafters?
REBEKAH GREGORY: We had a group of nine of us. It was my boyfriend at the time, his two sisters, his brother-in-law and his dad and his aunt and then another family friend.
MR. MELLIN: Did you have your son with you as well?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes, also my son. I'm sorry.
MR. MELLIN: And your son's name, for the record, is what?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Noah.
MR. MELLIN: And how old was Noah in 2013?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Noah was five at the time.
MR. MELLIN: When you got to that location, what did you do?
REBEKAH GREGORY: When we got to that location, we were just trying to wait around. And we were watching the runners. And they were coming this way. So we were kind of looking at them. And I was a little nervous because there were so many people around. And so I was trying to keep up with Noah, who you can imagine was very bored, being five years old. And I actually told him to sit down on my feet and wait till the race was finished and just play in the rocks, as if he was a scientist. And that was kind of stretching it because we were on the asphalt, obviously. But he luckily thought that was a very cool idea and he sat down on my feet. And that was actually where he was when the first bomb went off.
MR. MELLIN: What do you remember about that?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I remember pretty much everything. I remember being thrown back -- hoisted into the air and thrown back and I remember trying to kind of get up, and I couldn't. I couldn't really raise up too much. And I was looking all around to try to figure out kind of what was going on. My first instinct as a mother where in the world was my baby? Where was my son? And I kept moving my head around trying to figure out what had happened to him and where he was. And I looked down. And at the time I couldn't see my legs. My bones were literally laying next to me on the sidewalk, and blood was everywhere, and pools of BBs and nails and shrapnel and things from the bomb were all over the place, and people's body parts were also laying everywhere.
MR. MELLIN: At that point how did you feel?
REBEKAH GREGORY: At that point I thought that was the day I would die.
MR. MELLIN: Were there any -- anything burning around you or on you?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I could not -- my left hand was hurting, like it was burning. And I was trying to figure out, you know, where Noah was. And he ended up being in the back of me. And so I raised my head to kind of look. And my instinct was to lift up my arm to try to drag him towards me, and when I lifted up my arm, my bones and all of my flesh was sticking out of my left hand and blood was running down my arm. And so at that point I was completely helpless as a mother and I could do nothing to help Noah.
MR. MELLIN: Could you hear others around you?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I could faintly hear. But the bomb had blown out my eardrums and so everything was very muffled. So I saw the terror on everyone's faces as I kind of scanned around. I could hear Noah, and I don't know how, but I could hear my little boy.
MR. MELLIN: And what was your little boy saying?
REBEKAH GREGORY: "Mommy," "Mommy," "Mommy," over and over and over again.
MR. MELLIN: At some point did you actually just lay back and lay down on the pavement?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes. I laid down on the pavement and I said a prayer. I said, "God, if this is it, take me but let me know that Noah is okay." And right around that time the -- Aunt Penny who was with us picked Noah up and placed him down beside me, and I knew that he was going to be all right at that point.
MR. MELLIN: Do you know what happened to Noah after that point?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Noah was taken to a separate hospital. Later I found out he was taken to Boston Medical. And they rushed me to Beth Israel.
MR. MELLIN: As you sit here today, do you know someone by the name of Krystle Campbell?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes, I do. I don't know her personally.
MR. MELLIN: At some point after that explosion, did you hear or see Krystle Campbell?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I did. As I was scanning -- as I was scanning the crowd for my little boy I looked to the right and kind of in back of me and I saw Krystle Campbell. And she was dead.
MR. MELLIN: At some point were you taken -- there's a Kleenex to your right if you need one. At some point were you taken from the scene on Boylston to the hospital?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I was, yes.
MR. MELLIN: Do you recall that trip?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I do.
MR. MELLIN: Can you tell us about it?
REBEKAH GREGORY: They tied a tourniquet around my leg to try to stop some of the bleeding, and the medical personnel put me on the ambulance. And I could see them mouthing, "We have an amputee." And he kind of got right up in my face and said, "This is really bad. This is really, really bad but we're going to help you." And he just kept saying over and over, "We have an amputee. We have an amputee." And so I knew at that point that if I didn't die, that my legs would be gone.
MR. MELLIN: Did anyone ride in the ambulance with you?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Later I found out that Erica Brannock was in the same ambulance.
MR. MELLIN: Did you notice any of her injuries while you were in the ambulance?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I did not.
MR. MELLIN: Okay. When you got to the hospital, what happened?
REBEKAH GREGORY: When I got to the hospital, they immediately rushed me into emergency surgery and put me in a medically induced coma.
MR. MELLIN: Do you know how long you were in a coma?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I was in for about a week, and I was kind of like in and out of consciousness for the first two.
MR. MELLIN: How long were you actually in the hospital?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I was in the hospital for 56 days total.
MR. MELLIN: How many days in Boston?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Thirty-nine days in Boston.
MR. MELLIN: And then at some point were you transferred to Houston?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes, I was Medflighted to Houston where they could do more surgery.
MR. MELLIN: Did they do more surgery in Houston?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes, they did.
MR. MELLIN: Okay. How many surgeries had you had on your left leg before it was amputated?
REBEKAH GREGORY: On my left leg I've had 17 surgeries. Or I had 17, and then the amputation made it 18.
MR. MELLIN: In addition to the injuries to your leg, what other injuries did you have?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I had shrapnel injuries to my right leg and some fractures and some broken bones. My left hand was injured. It was crushed. And I had -- the bomb shifted all of my teeth. Two of my teeth fell out and caused internal bleeding, and my eardrums were blown out as well.
MR. MELLIN: And what about Noah? What injuries did Noah have?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Noah had a cut to his bone on his right leg from shrapnel, he has a bald spot on the back of his head from shrapnel also, and he had some GI bleeding.
MR. MELLIN: As you sit here today, do you still have any foreign objects in your body?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I do. Pieces of shrapnel.
MR. MELLIN: What have the doctors told you about that?
REBEKAH GREGORY: They said that it would eventually just kind of work its way out and when it came to the surface I would just have to have it removed. I had some asphalt removed. When I had my amputation, on my right leg I had it removed. So it's just kind of one of those things, every once in a while I'll have to have it done.
MR. MELLIN: After your amputation in November of 2014, at some point did you get a prosthetic leg?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I did. I got to take home my leg on January 7th of 2015.
MR. MELLIN: Just about two months ago?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes.
MR. MELLIN: And recently have you actually started using a blade to run again?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I have. The last -- I believe it was two weeks ago I tried a blade for the first time.
MR. MELLIN: If I could have you look at a few photographs. Before you came in here today, did I ask you to take a look at a couple of photographs?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes.
MR. MELLIN: Okay. Do you know if those photographs fairly and accurately depict the scene on April the 15th of 2013?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes, they do.
MR. MELLIN: If I could -- actually, your Honor, at this point move into evidence Exhibits 18, Exhibit 1473, Exhibit 12 and Exhibit 16. So 12, 16, 18 and 1473.
THE COURT: Any objection?
MS. CLARKE: No.
THE COURT: Okay. Admitted.
(Government Exhibit Nos. 12, 16, 18 and 1473 received into evidence.)
MR. MELLIN: Pull up Exhibit 18, please.
BY MR. MELLIN:
MR. MELLIN: Just for the record, can you describe what we're looking at in Exhibit 18?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Sure. This was while we were watching all the marathon runners cross the finish line.
MR. MELLIN: And this is before the explosion?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Before the -- yes, before the explosion.
MR. MELLIN: As you look at this picture, who do you see in the photograph?
REBEKAH GREGORY: In the right-hand corner on the bottom I can see my sister-in-law Gina in the kind of teal hoodie and headband.
MR. MELLIN: You can actually touch the screen.
REBEKAH GREGORY: Oh, I'm sorry.
MR. MELLIN: That's fine.
REBEKAH GREGORY: This is Gina, and then this is my sister-in-law Kimberly
(indicating).
MR. MELLIN: And for the record, that's the woman on the far right with the dark hair?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes.
MR. MELLIN: All right.
REBEKAH GREGORY: And then the little boy right here, I'm standing kind of between them at this point, is Noah.
MR. MELLIN: Is he wearing some type of cap or something?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes, he is. He's wearing a Boston Red Sox hat. And then to the left of Gina is Penny.
MR. MELLIN: Can you also see yourself in that?
REBEKAH GREGORY: I can see myself. I'm right here next to Kimberly in the blue hoodie.
MR. MELLIN: There you go. Okay. Thank you.
MR. MELLIN: And then if we could have Exhibit 1473.
MR. MELLIN: If you could touch the screen, on the top right -- there we go. As you look at Exhibit 1473, not the clearest photograph ever, but do you see yourself in that?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes, I do. I'm in the blue hoodie right here.
MR. MELLIN: Thank you. And is there anyone else you recognize that's in this photograph?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Pete is in this photo next to me, my boyfriend at the time.
MR. MELLIN: All right. As you look at this photograph, do you know this individual, or had you seen this individual right here that I circled in magenta in the middle of the picture with the black baseball cap?
REBEKAH GREGORY: No, I hadn't seen him.
MR. MELLIN: Thank you.
MR. MELLIN: If we could please pull up Exhibit 12.
MR. MELLIN: For the record, again, what is Exhibit 12?
REBEKAH GREGORY: This is after the bomb went off. I'm laying right in the middle, right here; Pete is a little to the left of me standing up, my sister-in-law Gina is right here.
MR. MELLIN: And for the record, you circled Pete standing up, is essentially in the middle of the photo --
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes.
MR. MELLIN: -- with kind of a gray sweatshirt on?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes.
MR. MELLIN: All right. And Gina is laying --
REBEKAH GREGORY: Has the teal sweatshirt.
MR. MELLIN: Thank you.
REBEKAH GREGORY: Kimberly in the black hoodie right here, Penny is in the green jacket, and brother-in-law Colton is right here.
MR. MELLIN: Okay. And for Colton, is that the individual -- the male on the right side of the photo that has on a black shirt?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes; that's correct.
MR. MELLIN: Okay. As you look at Pete in that picture, can you describe his clothing and what we see?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Pete's pants were essentially turned into shorts at that point. They had been blown off of his body. And I believe his shirt might have been messed up too.
MR. MELLIN: And then finally, if I could have you look at Exhibit 16. For the record, what is Exhibit 16?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Sixteen is also after the blast went off.
MR. MELLIN: And in this can you -- in this mass of people in the middle, are you able to see yourself?
REBEKAH GREGORY: Yes. I am right here kind of behind Kimberly in the black hoodie.
MR. MELLIN: If I may have a moment, your Honor?
(Counsel confer off the record.)
MR. MELLIN: Thank you.
MS. CLARKE: No questions, thank you.
THE COURT: No questions? All right, ma'am. Thank you. You may step down.
REBEKAH GREGORY: Thank you.
(The witness is excused.)
MS. PELLEGRINI: The United States calls Sydney Corcoran.
MS. CONRAD: May we approach, your Honor? There is an issue on one of the exhibits.
THE COURT: I thought we addressed it.
MS. CONRAD: I'm sorry. I didn't know what the ruling was on this one.
THE COURT: This one I was going to permit. I addressed both groups of videos.