Investigators say the widow of the man who killed dozens of people at a gay nightclub in Florida knew her husband ‘was going to do something bad’ before the attack.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that a statement written by an FBI agent and signed by Noor Salman says that she was in denial that her husband, Omar Mateen, could hurt other people when he left their home with guns and ammunition.
‘I knew when he left the house he was going to Orlando to attack the Pulse Night Club,’ Salman said allegedly during an 18-hour interview that was written by a FBI agent.
Salman faces charges of aiding a terrorist organization and obstruction of justice. Mateen killed 49 people and wounded at least 68 others during the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016.
But Bruce Frumkin, a Miami psychologist and expert on false confessions, will testify that Salman’s testimony to FBI was not true.
In a ruling on Friday, U.S. Judge Paul Bryon sided with the defense to let Frumkin testify, according to Salman’s lawyer Charles Swift.
Swift has argued that Salman was not in custody at the time she was detained by the FBI, hours after the attack.
He also asserts that the woman was not read the Miranda rights but U.S. attorneys respond that she was never in custody in the first place and gave her statements, voluntarily.
‘I knew on Saturday, when Omar left the house about 5 p.m. that this was the time that he was going to do something bad. I knew this because of the way he left and took the gun and backpack with ammunition … ‘ Salman said, according to the statement she signed.
Her statements were recently made public.
‘I knew later, when I could not get ahold of him that my fears had come true and he did what he said he was going to do,’ Salman added.
‘I was in denial and I could not believe that the father of my child was going to hurt other people.’
Salman shared that Mateen became obsessed with the Middle East and ISIS recruitment videos for two years up until the shooting.
He was said to have been looking at the area now referred to as Disney Springs and City Place in Palm Beach, according to Salman’s statement.
The couple was said to have driven around the club for a week before the shooting with their young son sitting in the vehicle.
‘”How upset are people going to be when it gets attacked?”‘ Mateen said, according to his wife’s statement.
‘I knew he was talking about himself doing the attack on the Pulse,’ she added.
Salman’s attorneys and federal prosecutors continued a hearing Friday to discuss whether sealed evidence and an expert witness’ testimony should be allowed at her March trial. The hearing was closed to the public.
She apologized in her statement.
‘I’m very sorry I lied to the FBI,’ she said. ‘These are my words.’