Made public this
past week on the orders of District Judge
Rosemarie Aquilina, the transcript of the hearing features the
testimony of
Det. Sgt. Roy Holliday, of the Ingham County Sheriff's Office.
According
to
Holliday's sworn testimony, Tim Holland told police
on Jan. 27 Lisa Holland killed their 7-year-old adoptive son with a
hammer.
"During this
interview, Tim Holland told Det. Sgt. Mraz
that Lisa killed Ricky Holland with two blows from a hammer to his
head,"
Holliday said during his testimony.
"Tim Holland described the area of
the
house in which this occurred. Tim Holland also admitted to disposing
the body
at Lisa Holland's direction. Tim Holland admitted to staging Ricky's
room to
make it appear as if he had run away as in previous cases, again at
Lisa
Holland's direction.
Holliday said Lisa
Holland had told police on Jan. 26 that Tim
Holland had killed Ricky.
"...during that
interview, Lisa Holland claimed that Tim
Holland actually killed Ricky Holland," said Holliday. "Lisa
described the site that she believed that Tim Holland disposed of
Ricky's body
to investigators. This was consistent with where Ricky Holland's body
was
found.
"Lisa Holland
described how Ricky's body was bagged and
moved out of the house by Tim Holland, and Lisa Holland admitted to
investigators to cleaning up the murder scene after the murder."
Holliday
said an
inmate Lisa Holland met while she was in the
Ingham County Jail told investigators Lisa admitted killing Ricky.
Details on Ricky
Holland's life revealed
In addition to his
murder, the testimony also gave insight into
Ricky's life with the Hollands. Holliday said Jackson school officials
did not
support the Hollands' claim that Ricky suffered from a number of mental
conditions (such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), instead
stating
the young boy was "a bright boy with an above-average IQ."
"A background
investigation which lasted approximately
seven months revealed a long history of mental and physical abuse
toward the
Hollands' child, Ricky Holland," Holliday testified. "...School
personnel suspected physical and mental abuse by the parents, Tim and
Lisa
Holland."
Holliday said the
suspected abuse was reported to Protective
Services. He then testified to evidence of abuse in the home.
"Evidence of
parental interference with normal development,
evidence of food deprivation, evidence of intentional and continued
humiliation
of Ricky Holland by his parents, Tim and Lisa Holland, became evident
during
the investigation," Holliday testified, "things such as diapers used
in an inappropriate age of development; restraints used on the bus,
which,
according to bus personnel, were unnecessary; harnesses on — and
actually — a
leash used on Ricky when Lisa Holland would take him to school; Lisa
Holland —
or Ricky Holland getting carrot sandwiches daily for his lunch when it
was
known that he did not like carrots.
"Unexplained bruises
and marks consistent with physical
child abuse and constant humiliations were — of Ricky Holland were
common
themes during the investigation."
When investigators
were initially called to the home for Ricky's
disappearance, Holliday testified they found "...door locks on the
outside
of the doors up high where children couldn't reach them in an apparent
attempt
to lock children inside their rooms."
Holliday also stated
Ricky's blood was found in several areas of
the home, and that the carpet in his room had been changed recently.
"There was carpet
replaced in Ricky's room on at least two
occasions near or around the time of his — of Ricky's disappearance,"
Holliday testified. "There was blood found on clothes inside Ricky's
room
that the lab was able to tell us the blood belonged to Ricky or the DNA
came
back to Ricky himself."
According
to Holliday, Ricky Holland's
autopsy showed several
fractures to his body, reported as occurring at or near the time of
death. The
fractures are in addition to the skull injury. Holliday said experts
have not
determined a cause of death, but they "agree that the manner of death
in
Ricky Holland's case is a homicide."