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>>> AN OHIO MAN MAKES A STUNNING
CONFESSION IN THE MOST PUBLIC
WAY POSSIBLE.
22-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW KORDELCO COE
HE ADMITTED THAT HE KILLED A MAN
WHILE DRIVING DRUNK AFTER A
NIGHT OF BAR HOPPING.
HAVE A LOOK.
>> I KILLED A MAN.
I WAS OUT WITH SOME FRIENDS.
WE WERE ALL DRINKING REALLY
HEAVILY.
JUST HOPPING FROM BAR TO BAR.
JUST TRYING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME
AND I LOST CONTROL.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I DRINK
BECAUSE I HAVE DEPRESSION THAT I
STRUGGLE WITH EVERY DAY.
AND I JUST DRINK TO GET OUT OF
MY HEAD FOR A FEW HOURS, YOU
KNOW, I REALLY DON'T LIKE THE
PERSON I BECOME WHEN I DRINK.
I'VE RUINED RELATIONSHIPS IN THE
PAST.
I START FIGHTS.
YOU KNOW, I JUST GENERALLY
BECOME A PERSON THAT PEOPLE
DON'T LIKE BEING AROUND.
ON THAT PARTICULAR NIGHT, I MADE
A MISTAKE AND GOT IN MY TRUCK
COMPLETELY BLACKED OUT AND
DECIDED TO TRY TO DRIVE HOME.
I ENDED UP GOING THE WRONG WAY
DOWN THE HIGHWAY DIRECTLY INTO
ONCOMING TRAFFIC.
AND I STRUCK A CAR.
I KILLED A MAN.
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT, I
CONSULTED SOME HIGH-POWERED
ATTORNEYS WHO TOLD ME STORIES
ABOUT SIMILAR CASES WHERE THE
DRIVERS GOT OFF.
THEY WERE CONVINCED THAT THEY
COULD GET MY BLOOD TEST THROWN
OUT AND ALL I WOULD HAVE TO DO
FOR THAT WAS LIE.
WELL, I WON'T GO DOWN THAT PATH.
MY NAME IS MATTHEW CORDEL AND ON
JUNE 22nd, 2013, I HIT AND
KILLED VINCENT CANZANI, THIS
VIDEO WILL ACT AS MY CONFESSION.
WHEN I GET CHARGED, I WILL PLEAD
GUILTY AND TAKE FULL
RESPONSIBILITY FOR EVERYTHING
I'VE DONE TO VINCENT AND HIS
FAMILY.
I TOOK A DIFFERENT ROUTE, MAYBE
I WOULD GET A REDUCED SENTENCE
AND MAYBE I WOULD GET OFF.
BUT I WON'T DISHONOR VINCENT'S
MEMORY BY LYING ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED.
BY RELEASING THIS VIDEO, I KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS.
I HANDED THE PROSECUTION
EVERYTHING IT NEEDS TO PUT ME
AWAY FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
I'M WILLING TO TAKE THAT
SENTENCE FOR JUST ONE REASON,
AND THAT REASON IS SO I CAN PASS
THIS MESSAGE ON TO YOU.
I BEG YOU, AND I SAY THE WORD
"BEG" SPECIFICALLY, I'M BEGGING
YOU PLEASE DON'T DRINK AND
DRIVE.
DON'T MAKE THE SAME EXCUSES THAT
I DID.
DON'T SAY IT'S ONLY A FEW MILES
OR YOU'VE ONLY HAD A FEW BEERS
OR YOU DO IT ALL THE TIME, IT
WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO YOU.
BECAUSE IT HAPPENED TO ME.
AND ALL OF THOSE ARE JUST
EXCUSES TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL
BETTER ABOUT A DECISION THAT YOU
KNOW IS WRONG AND COULD COST
LIVES.
I CAN'T BRING MR. CANZANI BACK
AND I CAN'T ERASE WHAT I'VE
DONE.
BUT YOU CAN STILL BE SAVED.
YOUR VICTIMS CAN STILL BE SAVED.
SO, PLEASE.
>> SO, MATTHEW POSTED THAT VIDEO
THROUGH A WEBSITE THAT'S CALLED
BECAUSEISAIDIWOULD, THAT'S THE
WEBSITE.
AND JOINING ME IS THE FOUNDER OF
THAT WEBSITE, ALEX SHEEN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE
TIME TO COME ON LIVE WITH ME TO
TALK ABOUT THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, HOW DID THIS COME
TO YOUR DESK?
HOW DID YOU EVER FIND OUT ABOUT
MATT, WHAT HE DID, AND WHAT HE
WANTED TO DO ON YOUR WEBSITE?
>> SURE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK LIKE A LOT
OF FACEBOOK PAGES, AND WE
RECEIVED MESSAGES ABOUT PEOPLE'S
PROMISES, THE PROMISES THAT THEY
MAKE, AND MATT HEARD ABOUT
BECAUSEISAIDI WOULD, I DON'T
KNOW MATT OUTSIDE OF THIS.
AND HE JUST SENT A MESSAGE TO ME
CONFESSING THAT GUILT SO THAT'S
HOW IT STARTED.
>> AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU
HELPED HIM, THAT VIDEO WAS QUITE
PRAFFI
PROFESSIONALLY DONE, USUALLY YOU
SEE PEOPLE SITTING IN OUR ROOMS
AT THEIR COMPUTER CAMS AND
MAKING THEIR TESTIMONIALS, BUT
THIS ONE WAS VERY PROFESSIONALLY
DONE.
WHY DID YOU HELP HIM CREATE THE
VIDEO?
>> THE WHOLE GOAL OF THIS VIDEO
IS TO CONVINCE PEOPLE TO NOT
DRINK AND DRIVE, TO COME TO THAT
REALIZATION THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
MAKE THE SAME EXCUSES THAT MATT
MAKES IN HIS LIFE ABOUT DRINKING
AND DRIVING.
AND TO COME TO THAT POINT IN
YOUR LIFE TO MAKE THE PROMISE TO
NEVER, EVER DRINK AND DRIVE AND
TO MAKE THAT MESSAGE COMPELLING
WE MADE THIS VIDEO.
>> SO, ALEX, DID YOU EVER THINK,
I THINK I NEED TO CALL THE
POLICE, I THINK I NEED TO AT
LEAST ALERT THE AUTHORITIES WHAT
I'M UP TO SINCE I'M WORKING WITH
SOMEONE WHO HASN'T EVEN BEEN
CHARGED BUT WAS SUSPECTED IN
THIS CRIME?
>> YEAH, I LOOKED AND SAW NEWS
REPORTS THAT HE WAS THE PRIMARY
SUSPECT AND THEY KNEW THAT.
THEY WERE JUST GATHERING THE
EVIDENCE.
EVEN STILL TODAY WITH THIS VIDEO
BEING OUT, THEY HAVE NOT PRESSED
CHARGES YET.
I AM NOT GOING TO PRETEND TO
UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL SYSTEM, BUT
MY UNDERSTANDING -- WHAT I DO
KNOW IS THAT THEY'RE PUTTING
TOGETHER THAT CASE TO MAKE SURE
THAT WHEN THEY PRESS CHARGES
THAT THEY HAVE HAD THE EVIDENCE
THAT THEY NEED TO SENTENCE HIM
TO A REASONABLE AND FAIR
PUNISHMENT.
SO, I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE
LEGAL SYSTEM, AND THEY KNOW THAT
HE'S THE SUSPECT.
>> WELL, ALEX, WE WOULD LOVE TO
ALSO SPEAK WITH YOUR NOW
COLLEAGUE, MATT, PLEASE PASS THE
MESSAGE ON TO HIM THAT WE'D
WELCOME HIM ON THE PROGRAM ANY
HOUR, ANY DAY IF HE WANTS TO
TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
WHAT HE'S DONE AND WHAT HE'S
EXPECTING, CERTAINLY IF HE WANTS
THIS MESSAGE TO GET OUT, NOT TO
DRINK AND DRIVE, IT'S A GREAT
VENUE.
WE REACH A LOT OF HOMES AT CNN.
THANKS, ALEX.
>> THANK YOU.
>> IT'S GOOD TO TALK TO YOU.
WE DO APPRECIATE IT.
>>> WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE THE
MOTIVATION COULD BE?
IS IT SIMPLY THE MAGNANIMOUS
EFFORT TO SAY, LOOK, I DID THIS
CRIME AND I'M GOING TO DO THE
TIME AND TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR IT?
OR IS THERE SOMETHING MORE
CALCULATED TO THIS?
MAYBE SOME WAY TO WORK WITHIN
THE SYSTEM AND MITIGATE A
SENTENCE?
BELIEVE IT OR NOT THIS PLAYS
INTO SENTENCING, WHETHER YOU ARE
SORRY, WHETHER YOU DON'T COST
THE STATE MONEY TO PROSECUTE YOU
AND WHETHER YOU ACTUALLY OFFER
YOUR CONTRITION, JOINING ME NOW
IS CNN'S BRAND-NEW LEGAL ANALYST
AND DEFENSE ATTORNEY MARK OMERA.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
IT'S GOOD TO TALK TO YOU IN
PERSON AND NOT FOLLOW YOU IN THE
ZIMMERMAN TRIAL, GREAT TO HAVE
YOU ON BOARD.
THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT IS NOT TO
TALK ABOUT GEORGE ZIMMERMAN
TODAY BUT TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
I STARTED TO POSE THAT QUESTION,
DID MATT POSSIBLY DO THIS FOR
ANOTHER REASON BECAUSE THERE IS
ANOTHER POSSIBILITY.
>> WHEN I FIRST SAW IT MY
CYNICAL PROSECUTOR SIDE CAME OUT
AND I LOOKED AT IT AND SAID,
WELL, HE'S DOING THAT TO TRY TO
GAIN SOME FAVOR BECAUSE WE KNOW
THAT THINGS LIKE ARE RELEVANT,
CONVISION AS YOU SAY IS RELEVANT
AND REMORSE IS RELEVANT, BY THE
TIME I LOOKED THROUGH THE VIDEO
AND BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE END
OF IT, I THINK HE'S BEING
SINCERE.
I THINK IT WAS A GOOD HONEST
MOVE WITH A LOT OF INTEGRITY AND
I THINK I'LL GIVE HIM A
THUMBS-UP ON THE WHOLE WHY HE
DID IT.
I HOPE THAT HIS FUTURE ACTIONS
FOLLOW WHAT HE STARTED HERE
TODAY.
>> AND THE OTHER ELEMENT OF, YOU
KNOW, THE ENTIRE SYSTEM OF
JURISPRUDENCE IS IF YOU TAKE
ACCOUNT AND YOU TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT YOU DID
AND YOU SIGN A DEAL SO THAT YOU
DON'T PUT PEOPLE THROUGH THE
EXPENSIVE COST IN MONEY AND
EMOTION OF A TRIAL, THAT ALSO
COUNTS, DOESN'T IT?
>> AND IT SHOULD.
BECAUSE AFTER ALL, HE DID
SOMETHING EVEN THOUGH DRINKING
AND DRIVING IS INTENTIONAL, THE
ACT OF WHAT HE DID WASN'T REALLY
INTENTIONAL.
THE YLD THAT HE CAME FORWARD
BEFORE HE WAS CHARGED AND SAID I
KILLED SOMEBODY, I'M
RESPONSIBLE, I AM TAKING
RESPONSIBILITY.
AFTER ALL, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE
WANT OUR CHILDREN TO DO, OUR
RESIDENTS TO DO.
WE REALLY WANT TO SAY WHEN YOU
DO SOMETHING WRONG, ACKNOWLEDGE
IT, AND GOT TO GIVE HIM CREDIT
FOR DOING JUST THAT.
>> AND ULTIMATELY ALEX HAD
MENTIONED IN SOME OF THE
REPORTING TO CNN THAT HE DOESN'T
WANT PEOPLE CALLING HIM
COURAGEOUS.
IN FACT, HE IS SORT OF BUCKLE AT
THE NOTION THAT PEOPLE ARE
LOOKING AT THIS VIDEO AND SAY
IT'S COURAGEOUS, IT MAY SEEM
COURAGEOUS, BUT HE KILLED A MAN
AND THERE'S A FAMILY OUT THERE
THAT FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW HAS
HAD A HIT AND RUN ON THEIR
HANDS.
>> IN MANY CASES, IN MANY OTHER
CASES THE VICTIM'S FAMILY WHEN
THEY COMPLAIN, THEY COMPLAIN
BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER GOTTEN
THAT APOLOGY, THEY NEVER GOT
THAT SENSE OF FULFILLMENT FOR
WHAT THE OTHER SIDE WOULD SAY,
WE HAVE TO GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR
SAYING THAT TO THE FAMILY.
>> YOU'VE STOOD BEFORE A LOT OF
JUDGES AND PLEADED CASES AND
ASKED FOR MITIGATION IN
SENTENCING BEFORE.
IF YOU WERE IN THIS COURTROOM,
WHAT DO YOU REALLY THINK MIGHT
END COMING OUT?
BECAUSE HE'S GOING TO GET
CHARGED AND HE'S GOING TO HAVE
TO GO THROUGH SOME PROCESS AND
HE'S GOING TO PLEAD GUILTY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK A YOUNG WOULD
DO WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
>> WE KNOW IT'S A HORRIBLE CRIME
AND A DEATH HAS BEEN CAUSED BUT
IF WE LOOK AT SOMEBODY THAT
SAID, THEY'VE DONE WHAT WE
WANTED THEM TO DO, THEY'VE
ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR REMORSE AND
GUILT AND THEY MADE LIFE EASIER
FOR THE FAMILY AND FOR THE
SYSTEM, THEN AT LEAST HE HAS NOW
TAKEN THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS
SOMEBODY WHO WE SHOULD STILL
PUNISH BUT PUNISH AS LITTLE AS
REASONABLE, MAKE HIM PAY FOR HIS
ACTIONS AND THEN MOVE FORWARD.
THIS MIGHT BE THE KIND OF GUY
WHO DOES VIDEOS LIKE THIS ONE
THAT GOES OUT TO SCHOOLS AND
GOES OUT TO OTHER COMMUNITY
PEOPLE TO SAY, DON'T DO WHAT I
DID.
>> YOU THINK THAT MIGHT BE THE
ACTUAL SENTENCE OR WILL THERE BE
JAIL TIME?
>> HE'S GOING TO JAIL.
HE'S KILLED SOMEBODY, HE'S GOING
TO JAIL.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> YOU ARE A FINE LAWYER, BOTH
YOU AND THE PROSECUTION IN THE