Cookie and Muffin Plan A Road Trip- Continuing.....The Justice For Caylee Anthony Saga

During this chapter of Continuing .....The Justice For Caylee Anthony Saga..... Rather than focusing on the circumstances surrounding the 2008 disappearance (or kidnapping, if you believe Princess Casey's fairy tale) and death of  two year old Caylee Marie, or the efforts of law enforcement to solve Caylee's murder. We have an unusual opportunity to get to know a little more about how Caylee's mother (and accused killer) 24 year old Casey Anthony thinks.

Casey was arrested and charged with child abuse and  lying to law enforcement about the circumstances of Caylee's disappearance within 24 hours of Caylee being reported missing on the evening of July 15, 2008. ( 31 days after Caylee was "reportedly" last seen ) The day after that, Casey hired attorney Jose Baez and instead of  helping with the search for her missing daughter ( beyond the wild goose chase she had taken law enforcement through the day before ), she
decided to invoke her right to remain silent. Casey Anthony was in and out of Orange County Jail (OCJ )  several times for felony economic charges until a grand jury handed down a seven count indictment against her (including one count of !st degree murder) on October 14, 2008. Anthony has since been in protective custody at the OCJ on a "no bond" hold, awaiting her capital murder trial. The trial is scheduled to start on May 9, 2011.,

We've heard a lot about the Anthony family through TV ( news interviews and jailhouse visits ) as well as other forms of media released under the "Florida Sunshine Laws" ( such as depositions and interviews  by LE of Casey Anthony's family and friends and neighbors). A recent form of media that's been released as part of the discovery process are a group of letters Casey allegedly wrote to fellow OCJ inmate Robyn Adams and a  supplemental report from the Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) about verbal discussions that Casey allegedly had with Robin Adams and Maya Derkovic while the three were incarcerated at the OCJ and an investigation into the alleged assistance with their communications by a corrections officer at the OCJ.(The pages in the report that deal with the investigation and interviews with Derkovic and Adams  are pages 1-8 and 160-268, respectively. The supplemental report includes interviews with other areas of investigation that I won't cover in this entry.)

You can read more of the background information of these "two friends" and the investigation that was conducted after Maya Derkovic approached law enforcement about her and Robyn Adam's communications with Casey Anthony in my last post on this case.

I have read all of the jailhouse letters, which to be quite honest is a somewhat tedious process.  These letters are at times funny, sometimes very sad, often confusing because they are all over the place, mostly they are unbelievable, but that's because of "who" wrote them more than what they say. In fairness, it will be up to the jury to decide what weight they give the letters and any of the statements alleged by Derkovic and Adams, should the state or the defense introduce them at trial. Here are a couple of random samples from the collection of letters:

One of Casey's Letters to Robyn

One of Robyn's Letters to Tracy

In this post, I want to talk about some of the things in the letters that made an impression on me; however, I'll do so as I address each of the 4 statements made in the defense response to Anthony's letters (numbered in the order I'll address them below).
Here we go......

At the indigency hearing on March 18, 2010,  Ninth Circuit Judge Stan Strickland unsealed the letters (sealed at state's request until the investigation was done) and allowed Casey Anthony's defense 15 days to decide whether they would seek to have the letters remain sealed. On April 5, 2010, the Anthony defense announced in the following statement in the press they wouldn't fight the release of the letters.

Liz Brown, of the DePaul Center for Justice in Capital Cases, released the following statement as the Defense Response to Anthony's letters:

"(1)The letters released today reflect the natural desire for companionship when isolated for 23 hours a day,  and (3) clearly demonstrate Casey's unconditional love for her daughter, Caylee. Despite these intentions, (2) it is obvious in the letters authored by Robyn Adams that her sole purpose and only goal in corresponding with Casey Anthony was to create 'leverage to get out of prison early.'  Furthermore,(4) despite numerous inaccurate media reports, the letters written by Casey Anthony do not contain a single reference to chloroform or any admissions of guilt. Casey Anthony maintains her innocence and looks forward to her day in court."

Outline of Katfish.....Ponders' Response to the Statements included in the Defense Response to the Jailhouse Letters, Followed by Discussion of the Content in the Letters 

(1)  CRAZY CONVICTED GIRLS GONE WILD

"The letters released today reflect the natural desire for companionship when isolated for 

 23 hours a day."

 I agree with Liz Brown that these letters reflect a natural desire for companionship that comes from being isolated for 23 hours a day. Though some of Ms. Anthony's isolation is self imposed, she would be allowed some visits and to make phone calls but has decided to refuse those privileges.  Any outside contact beyond her "Dream Team" and the prison Chaplain is refused, reportedly because these are the only visits that are exempt from the Sunshine Law. Although the defense doesn't acknowledge it, Robyn Adams was also in protective custody and most likely in need of companionship too when she and Casey began communicating. Although Casey destroyed Robyn's letters to her (* flusharooni* was the plan) you can figure out Robyn's side of some of their conversations by reading Casey's replies. I won't be delving too deeply into Robyn's side of the conversation because this entry will be long enough as it is.

The content of the letters that reflect a need for companionship manifest in several ways, from talk of the  mundane aspects of their day to attempts at raising each other's spirit, getting to know each other and confiding to each other, as well as offering comfort and advice to one another. There are probably others but I'll stick with these...LOL!

When Casey and Robyn share the mundane aspects of their life it is often inter-sprinkled with attempts to cheer each other up. For instance, their fondness for muffins and cookies translated to nicknames for each other. Casey is "Muffin" and Robyn is "Cookie".

Just for the record, a few of the things Casey is sick of  is hot dogs and bologna and Ramen noodles, she craves a Snoopy Snow Cone maker, Smoothies and Chocolate- Swiss Cow Milk. and  some of the things she wishes she had in jail are basketball shorts, a comfy sports bra tank top, a pink hair removal pad she saw on a commercial (Adding, she may try and get her boys to order it for her, shock! Would that "Smooth Away" be considered contraband, like the letters from her parents or the blue pen Cookie gave her? I think so.)
 
When writing, Casey spends a great deal of her time focusing on the discomforts of jail, what she plans to do when she gets out. She talks about her past (as it pertains to how it effected her) and her aspirations for the future. Most of Robyn's focus seemed to be her legal situation, the affect on her kids and family and her own discomforts with being incarcerated, but she did play along a bit when they made plans for their future. Casey is very supportive of "Everything Cookie" in all of her letters.( She seemed to take immediately to the role of supportive little sister.) Did I mention they talk about God a lot and how good he thinks they are?

It seems both Cookie and Muffin enjoyed passing time fantasizing themselves on a 'Thelma and Louise' type RV trip, that, or an RV Ministry they'll call the 'Sisterhood of the Traveling RV'. They even have some bumper sticker ideas for their RV, ' Legal Partners in Crime' and ' Crazy Convicted Girls gone Wild' . Casey writes Robyn that RV pricing will be fun. The RV will be custom designed, all colorful and creative, adding she wonders what will happen when they put two Photographers / artists together in one RV? *sneeze* Oh, and did I mention they talk about God a lot and how good he thinks they are?
( I think I'll add a dose of reality here....what you get when 2 ex - cons go pricing an RV upon release from the slammer, will probably  look more like this  one below than what Casey has cooked up in her head.)

When Casey talked about their plans for the RV ministry, coming to a city near you she wrote, " We'll bank on the book, travel lots, set-up shop in a fine city in ye ole' US of A, maybe settle a sports bar and definitely a crafty, artsy fartsy place. Sold! Talk about stickers and crafts, I've been making stuff 4 EVER! " ( I hate to say this but it popped in my head....We are quite familiar with your artsy fartsy "sticker" work Casey.....does that explain the heart sticker on the duct tape? grrrrr) Will that be a Sports Bar for the Lord? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the book that will bank the trip is a "cook book they'll write via different dishes savored while driving the nation". *sneeze* Did I mention they both talk about God a lot and how good he thinks they are? Moving along......


Things Casey says she wants when she is released are," I can't wait to get my teeth whitened and to use my regular toothbrush,toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner....I swear, I won't become obsessively girly! I still have no desire to wear heels unless the occasion calls for it. But Converse, boots and REAL flip flops....ah~ and hats, regular ball caps, sunglasses, and underwear that fits." Then she adds, " Is that vain? Should I not look forward to these things? No matter how little or how much money I have someday, all I want is to live comfortably, not worrying about bills, food or even a few clothes. Everything in moderation and modesty. I want to donate money to charities- leukemia research, breast cancer, cervical cancer (the former for yourself-in your honor) and the latter because of my family and my own physical health." *Sneeze*

This seems like a good spot to segue into Casey's health fears (bordering on hypochondria IMO). Casey writes, " I've been thinking about getting tested for breast cancer and having them check the cell count on the pre-cervical cancer ( crossed fingers that it's still inactive ) but I have a feeling that will constitute a trip to the hospital. No thanks. Not right now. It sucks not having any health insurance- mine expired at the end of the year." Hmmm....would that be insurance from her job at Universal? Right!

In several areas of the letters Casey talks about having seizures in her sleep. She says it started the first time she was bonded out of jail but has continued since she came back in. In her words to Robyn, " I bit my tongue two nights in a row in my sleep....and unfortunately that means something very unpleasant happened, again: seizures. That's the best and easiest way for me to know. Add waking up soaking wet from sweat and somewhat disoriented- definitely a seizure. I don't walk or talk in my sleep, and even if I did, more than likely I wouldn't almost bite my tongue off. I guess all of my headaches make sense too-they aren't all associated with my allergies. I need to tell Jose and see what I need to do about this. I don't care how stressed out someone gets , headaches and seizures don't sound very normal to me." I wonder what advice Dr. Baez gave her on that?

Casey also comments through-out her letters about skin rashes, but  she seems to pretty much accept they aren't serious. I can reassure her on that, it looked like good ole acne to me when they showed her back in the tattoo picture. There is one more symptom Casey mentions through-out her letters.....an intermittent sneeze. Don't worry though, these aren't health related sneezes, they are signals from God affirming or denying thoughts or words. (Yep, confirm that with another *sneeze*) It seems obvious Casey is very immature and narcissistic, but like it or not, I think this girl is troubled beyond that.
As I mentioned above, Casey also shared some of her past  and aspirations for her future with Robyn. I'll start with the past because that is where the "meat" is. Keep in mind, Casey is a pathological liar when reading about her past. (There is even some things in her past that she admits she isn't certain happened.)

Anthony stated in the letters that she's an emotional wreck and said she was sexually abused."I woke up night after night with my sports bra lifted over my chest or if I had a regular bra, it would be unhooked," Anthony wrote. Anthony claimed her brother would walk into her room at night and feel her breasts."This went on for over three years before I finally stood up to Lee and told him if he ever came in my room again, I'd kill him," Anthony wrote.

Anthony said she informed her mother about the incidents, but that Cindy Anthony turned on her."When I told my mom about it two years ago, she made excuses, saying that he was sleepwalking. Not only did she say I was lying, but when I explained everything, her reaction was literally like a knife in my chest: 'So that's why you're a whore?"  Casey claimed she sought help from a doctor on her own when she was 18. Anthony said she has since forgiven her brother."That's why we're more friends than brother and sister, but even with openly forgiving him, part of that pain will always live in me."Anthony wrote.

Anthony also claimed she thought her father, George Anthony, did the same things to her when she was much younger. She wrote," Over the past few months, I've been having really vivid dreams, and it's obvious that they are dreams of things that have already happened. I think my dad used to do the same thing to me. I can see him in my room, exactly the way it was when I was in elementary school and everything gets fuzzy. But I wake up feeling both sore and sick to my stomach, the way I used to feel growing up. Maybe that's part of the reason I have so much anxiety with my parents."

Brad Conway, the attorney for the Anthony family, said, "The Anthony family denies that there was any improper sexual behavior in their family, nor was there ever a time when Casey told them of inappropriate conduct by her brother or father."

Another area of the past Anthony shared was getting pregnant with "Cays". (You can try and read for yourself in the sample letter above page # 13649 "You and me, Two Peas in a pod.") She seems to confirm Caylee's father is a guy she slept with at the end of November 2004, named Erik from Kentucky although she doesn't 100% rule out Jessie, they slept together in January 2005.. (She expressed some doubt to the accuracy of the paternity test Jesse had done because it took a long time to get the results. She said Jose Baez tried to confirm the results, but Jessie refused to give him DNA.) 
~ A great blogger named Snoopysleuth left a comment below to let us know that Eric James Baker moved to Kentucky and got killed in a motor vehicle accident there in the spring of 2007. I moved it up here for those who may skip the comments. Thanks for the details Snoopy!~

 Anthony also wrote about the search for her daughter, Caylee Anthony. She wrote," You want to know something, I know that Caylee's nanny, the "real" Zenaida, the girl that'd been my friend for 4 years, I know in my heart that she's not responsible but I don't blame her for not showing her face. Would you want to be sitting here with me for something you didn't do?" Casey then added," Considering the circumstances, you technically are and it sucks....And I know this goes without saying,, but outside of my self and my legal team, not a soul knows this..........Casey said she asked Zenaida Gonzalez to watch Caylee so she could prepare to move away with her daughter."Unfortunately, my plans got beyond tangled when Zany wouldn't tell me where she and Caylee were. I had asked her to take Cays for a few days, so I could put the rest of our stuff together, money I had saved, new clothes, new everything," Anthony wrote. "That's why I waited to report her missing, because she was and wasn't. I would give anything to go back to that day and to have not let Caylee out of my sight"
(Is it just me or does her last sentence seem out of place with the circumstances she describes???)


Hmmm......Anthony reported on her first application for indigency on July 16, 2008,  that she had $1200 in savings. I never have heard if that was verified, but if so, where did she earn or steal that? (I mentioned in an earlier entry, Casey also wrote in $1400 bi- weekly for earnings and then thought other-wise and crossed it out $1400 bi-weekly earnings. I thought that was kind of funny, you lie long enough you start to believe the lie?) Why did she need to steal from Amy if she had money in savings? We saw Casey buy clothes at Target with Amy's checkbook, but she definitely didn't buy anything for Caylee.


Casey's letters also told Robyn she suffered a miscarriage in 2007, something she said," only a handful of friends knew about." For some reason she felt the need to add,"I made the mistake of telling Lee, and the week of my 21st birthday, he told my Mom. Lovely! I may have a big mouth, but I can keep a secret" Obviously, most people aren't that loyal. Oh well. We live and learn, stumble and fall, and we dust ourselves off and keep moving forward." Casey acknowledges in her normal way (as in how Robyn's struggles effects her) that Robyn must have shared some of her own struggles in a previous note, she wrote, " It's a comfort to know other people have BS too."

I don't know about you but, to be honest all these Casey fables are kind of wearing on me so I'll share one more and then move on. I thought this one was a perfect analogy of how Casey thinks.....this is what she wrote, " Baby talk.....I always wanted to adopt a baby or child from another country - is it selfish to want one from Ireland? Accent and all? If I do someday, I'll adopt local - US wise."

UMMMM, Yeah right....that's going to happen.
  
(2) FRIENDSHIP WITH A SILVER LINING or A GET OUT OF JAIL EARLY CARD? 

 "It is obvious in the letters authored by Robyn Adams that her sole purpose and only goal in corresponding with Casey Anthony was to create 'leverage to get out of prison early."

I think it's important to point out  that while Adam's letters to her friend, Tracy,  do question the possibility of benefiting from keeping the letters, the fact remains, she is not the one who approached law enforcement (LE) and the transcript of her interviews show that she reluctantly agreed to turn the letters over and take part in the investigation..

Robyn entered into a plea deal (10 years in a Federal prison  for drug conspiracy charges and weapons charges) at the end of September 2008, but wasn't formally sentenced until January 2009 and then stayed at OCJ for another six months or so. Maya accepted a plea deal (30 years in state prison for murder). Katfish...ponders hasn't found evidence that Derkovic or Adams benefited in any way by coming forward, if they have and they testify you can be sure it will come out in court. There have also been media reports that Adams tried to sell the letters before she was approached by LE, I don't know if that's true, but even if it was, the letters are now public record so no one will have need to pay for them.

                   (3) MOMMY, MOMMY, MOMMY DO YOU LOVE ME?

 " The letters clearly demonstrate Casey's unconditional love for her daughter, Caylee."

 I've went over these letters and even though she does talk about Caylee, somewhat, I can't seem to find where these letters clearly demonstrate Casey's unconditional love for her daughter, Caylee. Anthony said she loved her daughter and believed she was a good mother in search of some freedom."I don't know one single mom who doesn't try to get their freedom regardless of how old they are. That's one of the biggest things that truly cuts me when I hear them talk about me as a mother. I was a great mom. And I love my daughter with everything that I have. I would give my life to have her back even for five minutes," Anthony wrote.

 Anthony wrote that she continues to talk to Caylee every day. (in her letters, she refers to Caylee as Cays)
"When I tell Cays how much I love her, I've always ended it with 'forever and always.' I still do to this day. I talk to her throughout the day, as I do daddy , and it brings a sense of peace to my heart," Anthony wrote. "Thinking about it brings tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. I'm an emotional wreck." Have I mentioned lately Casey and Robyn both talk about God aka "daddy" a lot and how good he thinks they are?

I would normally not be skeptical about the comfort anyone receives from God, but I just have to say.... All of the religious banter, citing of scriptures, and talk of their love for God just comes off as disingenuous to me. Before jail, Robyn grew pot and sold it on a large scale, she stole prescriptions from her employer and she and her husband were both sentenced as addicts. Casey was a liar, a thief and a big ole party girl before Caylee went missing. Where was the concern for their children and their God when they were free to live as they chose? I could be wrong but it seems more like a convenience more than a belief.
                                  
(4)  SOMETIMES YOU WONDER, WHO CAN YOU  TRUST?

"Furthermore, despite numerous inaccurate media reports, the letters written by Casey Anthony do not contain a single reference to chloroform or any admissions of guilt. Casey Anthony maintains her innocence and looks forward to her day in court."

 I agree with the defense on this statement. It was wrongly reported that these letters contains references to using chloroform to sedate Caylee. Even though we don't know the cause of  Caylee's death or exactly how the state alleges Caylee died, we have heard about traces of chloroform found in the trunk of Casey's car and computer searches for chloroform. Inaccurate reports that said Casey wrote she had used chloroform to sedate Caylee could be interpreted as an admission of guilt. The OCSO Supplemental Report does include statements from Derkovic and Adam's alleging Casey made these statements and others that "could be deemed incriminating" to them. I say "could be deemed incriminating" because there is a HUGE difference between statements in Casey's own hand writing and those alleged to have been made verbally to a  fellow inmate. Just saying. There is plenty of evidence out there without inaccurate reports.

Although Maya Derkovic and Casey had talked a bit through the ventilation system, Maya was only in the Lima dorm for a short time before transferring to a state prison. For this reason, I'm not going to spend time going  into claims that Derkovic made about things that Casey Anthony told her. I have seen nothing that shows they talked beyond the "vent". I just don't think Casey would make any significant admissions into a vent that anyone could hear, especially to someone she didn't feel she knew well.

Robyn and Casey's rooms (cells) were never close enough to have vent talk, but it didn't take them long to work out ways to communicate by letter and signal to each other at their windows and eventually convince Sylvia Hernandez to break jail rules and allow them to talk through the 'bean hole' in Casey's door regularly and a occasionally Robyn was allowed to enter Casey's cell. Anthony and Adams were the only stationary (being held in protective custody long term) inmates in dorm L. The harassment both Anthony and Adams received from the other prisoners seems to be a catalyst to their friendship as well as their mutual disgust with the vent talkers. (It seems vent talk is  mostly "sex talk", " fighting" and "howling at the moon").

According to the investigator's report included in the OCSO Supplemental report, Adams and Anthony had conversations in reference to the discovery of Caylee Anthony's body. Adams recalled seeing a story on the news in which it was being reported that divers had located a "bag of bones" in the river at Blanchard Park. That night, Adams went to Anthony to talk to her about it. Anthony told Adams that it was not her daughter. Adams recalled Anthony giggling about the story as if Anthony knew it wasn't her daughter.

When Anthony was told that authorities had found human remains in the woods by her mother's house, she became nervous and scared. This was the first time Adams saw fear in Anthony. Anthony told Adams they found "remains" and were taking it to have "DNA done". Anthony also told Adams that the remains were found in a black garbage bag with a baby blanket. This conversation took place shortly after Anthony was notified of the discovery by the prison Chaplain. Due to Anthony's differing reaction when hearing of the Blanchard Park discovery and the discovery of the bag by Anthony's mother's house, Adams felt as if the discovery in the woods was in fact Caylee and that Casey knew that as well. According to Adams, Anthony did not show any remorse.

 Investigators said in their report, Adams told them that Anthony would give Caylee "stuff" to make her sleep.Anthony and Adams discussed chloroform, and Anthony told Adams she would give the toddler "antihistamines or something" to make her sleep. Caylee would have a hard time taking naps, because she was afraid of "missing out on something". Adams said that Casey used the phrase "knock her out" in reference to medicating Caylee to help her sleep. "Casey Anthony liked to have her days free."

 Like I said above, it remains to be seen whether the state or the defense choose to use any of the information from the letters or the "alleged" statements by Casey Anthony to Robyn Adams and Maya Derkovic. I heard today that the prosecution has sent the letters to the FBI to be analyzed along with a letter Casey had written to the Orange County Sheriff shortly after she was indicted. The jury will decide what weight they will place on this evidence as they determine the guilt or innocence of Casey Anthony for the murder of Caylee Anthony.
*sneeze* (that's mine)

For your convenience, a partial  index for:
 "Casey's Jailhouse Letters"
Casey's letters- pages 1-11,15-16.19-24,29-31,35-46, 47-54, 59-61,63-67, 69,
                                     96-98,103-106,111-113,118-119, 132, 140-145,148-150,
                                          153-160, 163, 167-170, 174-175, 178-180, 182-186, 188-198

Robyn's letters to Tracy - pages 18, 25, 56-57, 92-95,114-115,165-166, 205-206, 211

 The pages through 211 that are not listed are envelopes and cutout, jokes, cards beyond that it's duplications as far as I can see.

 OSCO Supplemental Report
    The pages in the report that deal with the investigation of the letters and 

interviews with Derkovic and Adams  are pages 1-8 and 160-268, respectively. There are also interviews with Linda Tinnelli, Krystal Holloway,
Cecilia Benhaida and Rozzi Franco in this report

wesh

Sphere: Related Content

Waiting, Waiting, And Waiting Some More....Judge Rules Nicholas Sheley Trial Won't Begin Until 2011

Nicholas Sheley mugshot

The hearing I attended at the Knox County Courthouse on April 29, was originally intended to be a telephonic scheduling conference between Ninth Circuit Judge James Stewart, the Prosecution, the Defense and defendant Nicholas Sheley who is housed in the Pontiac Correctional facility. Judge Stewart had scheduled the teleconference earlier this year in an effort to save Illinois some travel expense. Some of the attorneys for the state, one of the defense attorneys and Nicholas Sheley are located through out the state between Chicago and Springfield.

 Unfortunately,  the prison phone system couldn't forward the call into the area of the facility where Sheley is held, so Sheley was transported two hours each way for this half hour hearing.Why Sheley couldn't be brought to an area of the prison where the call could reach ?? I don't know. Kudos anyway to Judge Strickland for trying to keep an eye on the expense. The purpose of the teleconference  was to schedule some hearing dates and deadlines in preparation for the upcoming capital murder trial of Nicholas Sheley, 30, for the murder of Ronald Randall, 65, of Galesburg, IL . Sheley is also charged for five deaths in Whiteside County, IL and two deaths in Festus, MO. related to an alleged killing spree during the last week of June, 2008.

 I made my way up the stairs to the second floor courtroom about 1:15 pm. The hearing was scheduled to start at 1:30 pm so I had a few minutes to spare. I stopped for a minute to talk to a reporter from Whiteside County, Tara Becker, before taking my usual seat behind the family of Ronald Randall. They always sit in the front row behind the prosecution. This spot gives me a good view of the entire courtroom and a pole to lean on.

 A side note that may be of interest: At the last hearing Tara Becker told me she was reporting on the sale of  the Thompson State Prison to the federal government. I asked how that was going and she said the prison is officially closing as a state owned facility and the few prisoners who were housed there have been moved. In December 2009 President Obama directed the federal government to buy the near-empty state prison in rural Thomson, Ill., to house maximum security federal inmates and lease a portion of the prison to the Department of Defense to house detainees from the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The suspected terrorists from Gitmo will not be allowed visitors and the facility will be at least as secure as a super-max facility. The decision is part of a plan for shutting down the controversial Guantanamo detention center. OK, back to the  Sheley hearing.....

In the next few minutes two more members of the accredited press arrive and three of the attorneys from the Attorney General's office for the prosecution and two of the lawyers for the defense. Bill Elward, Micheal  Atterberry and Steve Plazibat from the AGO take their seats in front of where I'm sitting. Lead defense counsel, Jeremy Karlin comes in with new co-counsel Anthony Vaupel.  They take a seat at the defense table, Karlin opens his laptop and they look ready for business. Knox County State's Attorney John Pepmeyer and John Hanlon from the State Appellate Defenders Office won't be in court today.

Right at 1:30 Nicholas Sheley is escorted into the courtroom by four (pretty big) corrections officers from the Pontiac State Prison. He is wearing his tan color prison garb, is fully shackled at his waist and feet. I notice instead of the rubber sandals worn at the county jail, Sheley has on some canvas sneakers. One of the CO's keeps hold of a ring on Sheley's waist chains until he is seated. There are a few Knox County Sheriff deputies and bailiffs in the courtroom as well. As soon as they have Sheley situated, Judge James Stewart takes his seat at the bench and the hearing is under way.

Judge Stewart explains that the scheduled teleconference didn't work out so we are here to do the same business. He first said they couldn't get the  prison on the call, and then said, "well, not to where Mr. Sheley was". Stewart also said that he has four issues that he wants to cover today :

1) Defense co-counsel Anthony Vaupel to update the court on his progress of familiarizing himself with the  case.
2) If the state has complied per Supreme Court rules 412 ( Disclosure to Accused )
3) If the defense has complied per Supreme Court rules 413 ( Disclosure to Prosecution )
4) There is a scheduling motion to be heard.

Judge Stewart asks what the state has on their agenda for today? Bill Elward stands to speak for the state. Elward says they want to set a trial date. Previously the trial was expected to start in October or November 2010 before lead counsel Public Defender James Harrell left the defense. The state is asking for a realistic date that they can work backwards from to set deadlines. Stewart agrees there have been issues with lawyers and other collateral issues that make it necessary to reset the schedule.

Anthony Vaupel rose to address the court. He informs the court that he has been able to read through all of the discovery (over 10,000 pieces of evidence), the court filings, and has reviewed most evidence on disk.
Judge Stewart asks where the other attorneys on the defense are in reviewing what has been submitted in the case? Jeremy Karlin stands and informs the court he has read the entire case multiple times. He adds that he can't speak for Mr. Hanlon, but when they have discussed the case Hanlon is able to speak intelligently about the case. ( I checked my notes and at a case management hearing six months ago, on December 4, 2009, Mr. Hanlon answered that question by saying," all but the last box".)

Judge Stewart says well," How about October or November, does the state have all of it's evidence and it's investigation done?"(Stewart had originally targeted sometime between May and October 2010 for the trial.) Jeremy Karlin says he doesn't see anyway  they can be ready by then. The question of the Motions in Limine for "course of conduct evidence" remains unanswered.

In 2009 the defense filed a Motion in Limine To Exclude Evidence of Other Alleged Crimes or Other Alleged "Bad Acts" at Trial, that hasn't been ruled on. In January 2010 the prosecution filed it's response to the defense Motion in Limine, their first Motion in Limine to admit Course of Conduct Evidence and simultaneously filed a Motion to Seal their Motion in Limine and any defense response because it contains evidence that may or may not be presented as evidence at trial and could taint the jury pool. At several previous hearings Karlin has referred to this as the $64,000 question because he can't comply with Supreme Court rule 413 as to expert witnesses and an affirmative defense until he knows what and how the state intends to use the evidence at trial. The state has contended they can't make that decision until they have some idea of what type of defense will be used. In court documents filed in March, Stewart ruled they would keep the motion sealed until there is a hearing to determine what evidence will be admitted, then the prosecutors will redact inadmissible portions.

Judge Stewart asks Karlin how long after that question is decided would the defense be ready for trial? Karlin replies February or March of 2011. Michael Atterberry stands and tells the court the state will be prepared to try the case then. Stewart says he is not ruling out January, and tentatively sets January to March 2011 for the trial unless circumstances arise that would interfere with that time period. The judge says they need to set deadlines for depositions and a close date for all motions to be filed.

Judge Stewart then asks if  the state has fully complied with 412? Michael Atterberry said, " We believe we have substantially, we're trying to provide what the defense motion just asked for, we have contacted the lab." (This is the first I've heard of this motion, I'll have to see if I can get a copy.) Stewart asks, " Does the defense feel they have complied with 413? Jeremy Karlin replies,"To the extent we know what our defense is."

Atterberry tells the court,  the state can re-plead their Motion in Limine and  asks for 3-4 months to prepare. Stewart says July or August for the state to re-plead and 30 days for the defense to respond, it shouldn't take as long for the defense to respond as it does the state to prepare to re-plead.. Karlin says any information about how the state intends to narrow.....the state conceding is good; however, that doesn't eliminate the defense need for the court to hear live testimony. Atterberry says 3 months needed. Stewart asks if it's necessary for the state to re-plead? Michael Atterberry says the state will do it as an offer of proof by July 1, June 15 at the earliest.

Stewart says if Mr. Karlin decides he wants to have testimony heard the court is available, and adds the deadline for the state to re-plead as an offer of proof is June 30 and then we need to have a case management hearing in July. Karlin says the defense would like an opportunity to respond.The judge says how much time needed to respond? Karlin tells the court 60 days to draft is reasonable, 60 days to respond. Then Karlin must have reconsidered because he says," I agree it's harder to re-plead, how about 45 days?". Judge Stewart responds," 30 days should be enough time, July 30 to respond, and a case management conference August 6 at 1:30.

Judge Stewart asks if the defense can disclose their defense based on the information they have? Karlin says they have done that, but not an affirmative defense, adding the defense can do that within 21 days of the hearing to decide the Motion in Limine. Stewart says 21 days from now. Karlin stands his ground, he tells the judge he doesn't mean to be obstinate but there are some investigations that aren't completed. Stewart tells Karlin he wants them to disclose some affirmative defense by June 30. Karlin answers they (the state) are entitled to know when I know. Stewart says it has been 2 years, it can be amended. ( It seems as though the judge is trying to be as fair as possible here, the state has conceded to re-plead their motion, so the defense can offer up some type of defense.)

Bill Elward stands and asks the court for some confirmation as to the dates that have been set. He lists
offer of proof 6/30, defense response 7/30 and case management hearing 8/6.
Karlin isn't happy with this schedule, he says,"We have addressed this issue, the schedule has us telling you an affirmative defense on the same day." Judge Stewart again says, after 2 years you should... Karlin interjects  but we will have additional information to obtain.

Anthony Vaupel says something about a motion for fingerprint evidence.(This must be the motion mentioned earlier by Atterberry.)  We just got the motion yesterday,Atterberry replies, we have conceded, we'll see if the information supplied is ok. Vaupel asks the court if this can be addressed at the case management hearing on 8/6. Stewart must have agreed because the next thing I heard was an order will be submitted.

Court is recessed. 

The DOC guard grabs the hoop on the back of Sheley's shackle. Sheley takes a scan of the gallery and he is led from the courtroom with his entourage of security to head back to Pontiac Correctional Facility. I spoke with someone who saw them arrive today who said Sheley and  the four guards made the 2 hour trip in 2 vehicles. Sphere: Related Content

Will There Be Justice For Emma Barker? UPDATED 4/30

UPDATE below Original Story-
                                                                                   

Emma Leigh Barker
September 2, 2007-March 18, 2009

 Emma Barker was just 18 months old when her mother, Stacey Barker, 25, led police to her little body on March 19, 2009 . Emma’s mother had dumped her body along side the Golden State Freeway in Sylmar, CA. 12 hours earlier.

When Emma was first reported missing Stacey Barker claimed she had been attacked and knocked unconscious, when she came to Emma was gone, evidently taken by her attacker(s). Later Barker admitted she had made up the story of the attack and kidnapping, she said Emma had died accidentally and she feared being blamed so she dumped her daughter’s body.

On April 27,2009, Barker was arrested and the charges filed against the young mother include murder, assault on a child causing death and child abuse. The complaint alleges that Barker willfully caused and permitted the child to be injured and harmed and that injury resulted in death. Barker pled not guilty to all counts on August 12, 2009. She has been held at the Century Regional Detention Facility on a one million dollar bond since her arrest.

For more details on this case click here.

There was supposed to be a hearing on Monday, April 12 in the Stacey Barker Murder Case. We had hoped to learn at this hearing if there would be a plea deal or if this case would be going to trial. There was not an actual hearing according to our friends Tori, Ange and TD who attended the “hearing“ and shared what happened in court with katfish….ponders, so that I could share with you. (Thank you friends!)

Public Defender Roberto F. Dager told the court that at 10 am, Stacey Barker was still en-route to the Michael Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster, CA. from the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood. It's a 90 mile drive from the jail to the courthouse, one way. Dager told the court that when Barker arrived he wanted to see her for 5 minutes so she could sign some papers. Superior Court Judge Hayden Zackey set the next court date for Thursday, April 29, 2010.

PD Dager was overheard telling a few of Stacey Barker’s family, who had also came to the courthouse for the hearing, there was no use for them to stay because Stacey wouldn’t be seeing the judge today and after signing papers she would be on the bus right back to LA.

Our friends think it is pretty likely that Stacey Barker is accepting a plea deal and noted that Deputy District Attorney S. Kelly Cromer wasn’t present in the courtroom when this "hearing" took place. Had she and the Public Defender already discussed what needed to be discussed before the “hearing“? Hopefully we will find out more on April 29.…stay tuned.

Update- 4/30/2010
There was another short hearing held  4/29 in Lancaster, Ca in the Stacey Barker murder case.Just a few short notes from our friends who attend the hearings and share with us:

The defendant's bus was late again coming from the Central Regional Detention Center. While waiting for the defendant to appear, DDA Kelly Cromer and PD Roberto Dager had a "little side conference" in the jury box. Our friend said Dager said "something" to Cromer, to which Cromer was heard to laugh and say," The only deal I'll go for is 15 to Life." With that the discussion was over until the Barker was brought up to the courtroom. (keep in mind this was just part of a conversation that was over heard, so should be evaluated on that basis, not as fact pertaining to this case, just something you might have heard as well if sitting in the courtroom)

Something that was put on the record is Judge Hayden Zackey's desire to get a court date set in this case. PD Dager told the court he needs more time to interview more witnesses and there was still a question of some discovery. Judge  Zackey said," I would like to start TRIAL within the 60 days, this is getting OLD." Zackey added, "I understand the nature and gravity of the crime, but I would like to proceed with trial soon." (Tori's thinks the "this is getting old " statement was in reference to the defendant being brought to court, 90 miles one way, and nothing being accomplished.Given the financial crisis in CA that seems a reasonable assumption.) Another hearing date was set for June 7 and court was recessed.

Our friends noted that Stacey Barker was in GREAT spirits today. When she entered the courtroom she said hi to her boyfriend in a flirtatious manner, during the hearing she was bouncy and laughing with her attorney, and when she was led out of the courtroom by the bailiff (despite an admonition earlier in the case not to have make any contact with the gallery) she turned in a "coy" way and said "BYE" to her family...kind of like she was somewhere other than a court of law.....bidding farewell to her fans. ( LOL, whatever)

Check back, our friends will attend and give us an update of what happens in court on June 7. Hopefully there will be a trial date set so there can be some Justice for Emma.

In this writer's opinion, getting to the  Truth = Justice. Sphere: Related Content

Jailhouse Connections And Investigations - Continuing.... The Justice For Caylee Anthony Saga -

Casey Marie Anthony  is a 24 year old Orlando, FL woman who has been held without bond at the Orange County Florida Jail since October 14, 2008 when an Orange County Grand Jury handed down a seven count Bill of Indictment . The charges brought in the indictment against Anthony  in relation to the Death Investigation of her 2 year old daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony  are as follows :

CMA #08049710

  

1 count - First-Degree murder

1 count - Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child

1 count - Aggravated Child abuse

4 counts- Providing False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer

The first degree murder charge is a capital offense and the possible penalty is Life In Prison Without Parole (LWOP) or the Death Penalty.

Casey Anthony is housed in what the Orange County Florida jail calls Level 1 protective-custody in Dorm L. When Casey was arrested for the murder of her daughter Caylee, the Orange County Sheriffs Office (OCSO) decided that she needed additional protection above and beyond what other prisoners that are housed there require. Most prisoners in a high profile case are held in protective custody, but  no doubt the public's hostility towards Casey Anthony after learning most everything she told law enforcement about Caylee's disappearance was a  lie and that she didn't report her daughter missing for a month  factored into her Level 1 Protective Custody status.

We have been told when it comes to protective custody, few people are guarded as closely as Casey Anthony. She resides in her jail cell for most of the day and is not allowed contact with any other prisoners. She is also not allowed to watch TV in her cell, but she is allowed one small transistor radio, which she bought at the jail commissary. The short time each day prisoners in protective custody are allowed out of their cell  is to shower, get books, make phone calls, or watch TV in a "community" day room  for individual use by those in protective custody (other than visits with their lawyer or court hearings). There is also scheduled visitation time (once or twice a week?) but Casey refuses all visitors.


While no contact with other prisoners is an important part of protective custody, in all of the cases I have followed ( not just in the OCJ ), prisoners find a way to break the rules and communicate. Let's face it, all they have is time to try and figure ways around the rules. This case is no exception.

During a pretrial hearing on March 18, 2010, Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Stan Strickland unsealed an
  IN CAMERA SEALED MOTION TO DELAY DISCLOSURE   that he has allowed the State to keep under wraps for the previous month while they conducted an investigation.Judge Strickland unsealed the motion because he said that the investigation into this information has almost concluded.

The State's motion (link provided above) advised the court that the State had been informed the defendant, Casey Anthony has made a few friendships while in jail and had written and passed 50 letters to one of the inmates against jail rules, possibly with a guard's help. The State's Attorney Office (SAO) said the letters are not a confession, but appear to contain relevant statements of the Defendant. The motion also advised that based upon the past history of this case and in anticipation of accusations of misconduct by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney requested that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (F.D.L.E.) take over the investigation of the communications between the Defendant and these witnesses.

Under the FL Sunshine Law, once the state turns over discovery to the defense, the discovery becomes public documents, unless ordered sealed by the judge ( for example: the video in the jail medical clinic of Casey's reaction to Caylee's remains being found has been withheld ). Judge Strickland gave the defense 15 days to look over the letters and decide if they would seek to have them remain under seal.
Anthony's defense chose not to fight the release of the documents. I'll discuss what's in the jailhouse letters and my thoughts on the contents of the letters in my next post that will be titled "Muffin and Cookie Plan A Road Trip".

In the rest of this post I'd like to give you a better understanding of the physical layout of Dorm L where Casey has been bunking for most of the last two years.  I did some research so that I can give you a more complete introduction to Casey's jailhouse friends and also got some of the legal documents involved in Robyn Adams case which I have linked in this post  It also seems important we cover some of the background of the F.D.L.E.'s investigation.  Most of the information about the investigation can be found in the OCSO Supplemental Report to Jailhouse Letter


~The Investigation~

A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation found that Casey Anthony, Maya Derkovic and Robyn Adams became friends while they were in protective custody in the female detention center, Dorm L, which is where jail guard Silva Hernandez worked.  Here is a copy of the floor plan for Dorm L :

Orange County Jail, Woman's Detention Center, Dorm L

The dorm consists of a control center at one end of the dorm and facing the communal day room that resembles a classroom. The inmates cells are lined around the day room and consist of two levels. Inmates that are in close proximity to each other are able to communicate through the ventilation system. Robyn Adams explained it is possible for communication through the vents between any of the cells but the further away you are the louder you had to speak, so she and Casey didn't communicate "via the vents ".

 Casey Anthony was originally arrested and placed in protective custody on July 17, when she was arrested for lying to law enforcement  in the days after Caylee was reported missing. Adams was arrested on July 21 and placed into protective custody because her husband was a police officer.( I'll tell you more of the details of Adam's arrest in a bit.) Anthony remained in jail for about a month until California bounty hunter, Leonard Padilla assisted in getting her released on August 20, 2008. This is the first time when Adams and Anthony were in Dorm L together, but didn't form a relationship beyond a wave. ( For the sake of being thorough I should tell you
Anthony was arrested again, this time on economics charges on August 29 and bonded out on September 5. Anthony was arrested for more economic charges September 15 but was out the next day.) Adams wouldn't see Anthony again until she was arrested on October 14. During the time Anthony was out, Adams decided to agree to a plea deal in her case on September 25, 2008. Adams was sentenced in January 2009 and moved to a federal prison in August of 2009. Maya Derkovic was housed in the Orange County Jail with Casey Anthony during the latter parts of 2008 to the beginning of 2009.

   ~ Friends Made In Jail, May Turn Out To Be "Friends From Hell"~

Maya Derkovic mugshot

Maya Derkovic, then 18, was originally arrested on January 28, 2007 for armed carjacking. Derkovic identified herself as a full member of the 3rd World Rolling Sixties gang (a spin off of the West Coast Crips ) within minutes of her arrest.You can read more here about her arrest for the armed carjacking and how she came to be involved in and charged for the death of a 15 year old girl, who Derkovic admitted she choked
while two fellow gang members held the victim's arms in an act of crude gang justice.. "Maya is a pretty established member of this group and has been for long time," said sheriff's homicide Detective Brian Cross of the lanky, 6-feet-2 teenager with a "Daddy P" tattoo on her neck, a souvenir of her time as a prostitute in Miami. Derkovic first joined a street gang several years ago when her family lived in South Florida. Born in Bosnia, she went by the nickname "Luda," which means "Crazy" in her native language,
Derkovic's mother, who did not want to be named to protect her younger children's identity, has visited the jail regularly since her daughter's arrest. After years of trying to control her daughter's misbehavior, she said her daughter must accept responsibility for her actions, whatever they were and whatever punishment faces her. " Taking somebody's life is something I cannot imagine any child of mine doing. I can't imagine what that other girl's mother is feeling," she said. "For my child it is too late. If she did it, she's going to have to deal with herself. Someone else may learn from what happens to her."  (Hmmmmm, no comment!)
Derkovic, 21, is serving a 30-year sentence at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, FL for murdering 15 year old  Jackie "Angel" Curtis three years ago.

Robyn Adams mugshot

Robyn Adams and her husband Clay were arrested on federal drug and gun trafficking charges on July 22, 2008.Clay Adams lived two lives: one as an Altamonte Springs cop of nine years, the other as a painkiller-addicted, marijuana grow-house operator who was scheming to kill a former supervisor.

That's how authorities described it when Adams, 36, and his wife, Robyn, 32, were hauled into federal court in Orlando on drug and weapons charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Bodnar sought to have the couple  (who could face up to life in prison if convicted on all charges) held without bond, noting both made threats to a police informant and others.

The 35-page Criminal Complaint describes in detail how investigators say the Adams' stockpiled weapons, sold drugs and gave sensitive police secrets to criminals.

According to the complaint,  Robyn Adams used her position at an orthopedic surgeon's office to get Oxycontin which was then sold across the state. The complaint also detailed how Adams approached an informant to partner in a marijuana-growing operation. That person tipped off City-County Investigative Bureau (CCIB) agents, who brought the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and ATF into the case. After the informant rented a home for the operation, Adams and his wife set up hydroponic equipment in the residence and provided marijuana seeds.Adams provided the informant with drivers-license photos, undercover aliases and real names of drug agents and CCIB officers, along with the descriptions of their vehicles. Adams also supplied weapons and prescription drugs to the informant, a convicted felon.
Gunning wrote, Adams told the informant that he joined CCIB earlier this year to learn investigative methods on how to detect marijuana-growing operations.

When Clay Adams was  removed from a position on an undercover unit, investigators say he snapped. Adams advised [the informant] that he will let the issue cool off for a couple of months and then 'take [the supervisor] out' when he least expects it, utilizing a .308-caliber rifle equipped with a silencer," Gunning wrote.
Both husband and wife confessed and entered into plea agreements.He pleaded guilty to five federal charges, including conspiring with his wife to grow 2,200 pounds of marijuana. Robyn Adams pleaded guilty to two charges: conspiracy and a weapons count. The pair were sentenced on January 9, 2009. She is now serving an eight year sentence at a Federal prison in Tallahassee, FL and will be on supervised release for ten years after. Clay Adams was sentenced to seventeen 1/2 years and is serving his time in a Texas federal prison.

 More Of The Investigation~

It was Derkovic who first approached law enforcement about her and Adam's contact with Casey Anthony.
In Derkovic's sworn statement, she told authorities she and Anthony would talk through the ventilation system. (I haven't been able to determine exactly which cell Derkovic was in from the floor plan, but her cell was on the same side as Anthony.) I won't go too far into Derkovic's claims about those vent talks in this post, mainly because I'm not sure I believe her and really want to devote more space to Adams and Anthony, and just how their relationship developed.


Adams told the F.D.L.E. investigator her cell (#19) was across from Anthony (#12) and they would smile,  wave and give hand signals through the window on their cell doors, or when one was out in the day room. She said it was just a way of offering support to each other. They would signal if they were ok or not, that they were praying for each other, that sort of thing was the extent of their communication at the time. Adams said that she felt Anthony came to trust her because she smiled and didn't yell taunts at Casey like the other inmates did.

Shortly after they began their communication, Adams was moved to another cell (#27) on the same side of the dorm as Casey but on the upper level. Shortly after the move, Anthony signaled to Adams (from the day room) that she would leave her a note in a green hardback book called, " Do Away With August", from then on they used that book to pass notes (same type of stuff as they had communicated by hand signals before) and eventually the letters.
.

When asked by the investigators to elaborate on how her communication with Casey evolved into talking to each other, Robyn Adams explained that the even number cells took their turns coming out for showers, day room / TV time, etc. during the day and the odd numbers were let out night. She said after a while she started helping the guards out a bit, cleaning showers, fold laundry, whatever and as much as the guards would allow her to do. When Adams was folding laundry in the day room they were able to " kinda lip talk" and hand signal as they had before, but in closer proximity.

Adams says she started asking "Shannon", (this was the name she and Casey assigned Sylvia Hernandez because her uniform said," S. Hernandez" ) " Hey, can I go give her a book? Can I, can I just go over there you know talk to her through the glass?" Adams said after a while this just became a routine when "Shannon" was working. I would say, "Hey, I can't hear her, can I just go see what she's saying? Can I go closer, that type of thing."

Adams said it never got to the point that she just took it for granted she could approach Casey's cell, and "Shannon" did not receive any type of compensation for allowing the communication between the two. There was no gain in it for her, she just treated us as "people". People in confinement for a long period of time who needed human interaction. When asked point blank if there was any type of sexual relationship between any of the three (Anthony, Adams, Hernandez) Adams replied, "I strongly believe it was strictly that she just felt bad. She felt bad. There was nothing for her to gain from it except for being human and having someone to talk to." ( I guess that means no sex. LOL)

Next the investigators asked Adams how frequently she and Anthony were allowed to spend time together, how long were they allowed to talk, and were there times you were allowed in the same cell together? Adams told them the contact with Anthony took place after the other inmates were done showering and placed in "lock". The contact took place every night that Hernandez was on shift (4-5 nights a week) and they were allowed to talk anywhere from a few minutes to hours. Their contact ranged from speaking through the bean hole (food tray slot) in the cell door to spending time in the same cell. (Hernandez allowed Adams to cut Casey's hair on one occasion. WTF?)

On March 9, 2010 F.D.L.E. conducted an interview of Sylvia Hernandez about the communication between Casey Anthony and Robyn Adams. This interview was independent of any investigation being conducted by OCSO. Hernandez told investigators she hired on with Orange County Corrections in January of 2008 and worked the "B" two shift (6pm-6am) with the standard law enforcement rotation of 3 days on 2 days off in the Female Detention Center (FDC) Lima Dorm (Dorm L).

Hernandez explained that Lima Dorm is basically a confinement dorm where you have inmates for disciplinary, protective custody, special management (medical or pregnancy), psychological  inmates for evaluation counseling and suicide precautions.There were usually 30-35 inmates in Lima dorm while Adams and Anthony were both in custody there, although they were the only two who were in protective custody status. Most inmates came and went , but Adams and Anthony as protective custody, were stationary.

Hernandez admitted she was aware of written communication between Anthony and Adams, but made no attempt to stop the communication.Hernandez also allowed Adams and Anthony to have face to face contact at Anthony's cell door, but denied allowing them to spend time together in the same cell. Hernandez admitted she allowed Adams to cut Anthony's hair on one occasion.

When Hernandez was questioned about having a relationship (sexual) she denied that but admitted she had written to Adams after she was sent to Tallahassee. She also admitted she attempted to assist Adams in retaining counsel for her case by providing her with names of local attorneys and on one occasion approached Anthony's counsel on behalf of Adams.

Hernandez told investigators that she spoke to Anthony "a few times" about her case. One conversation took place when it was being reported that Caylee's bones may have been found in the water at Blanchard park, but turned out it wasn't Caylee. According to Hernandez, Anthony told her investigators were "not looking in the right place" and it's right in their face but they're"not looking in the right place".

At the end of the report F.D.L.E.Investigators stated they thought Robyn Adams seemed to be truthful and forthright about her involvement with Casey and her role in creating and maintaining the evidence in question. Adams showed a great deal of emotion associated with her current sentence, her friendship with Anthony, the loss of Anthony's child and the moral dilemma of providing information pertaining to Sylvia Hernandez, because they had formed a friendship. The information was also consistent with the information in the letters between her and Anthony. The investigators stated in their report they think Hernandez was less than truthful during her interview but her actions didn't rise to the level of violation of Florida statutes. Wonder which one if any of them the State will use in the trial?

When Casey Anthony was arrested on July 16, 2008, little did she know even though her daughter was gone forever that she would soon have a " new sister". A sister who she could share (most) all of her confidences with and not be judged because in her own words, “We have so very much in common , both the good and the bad”.
Check back and we'll talk more about the information in the letters and the conversations between Casey Anthony and Robyn Adams, there is a LOT to talk about.
 :)
wesh
Sphere: Related Content

The Land Of Casey Fables - Continuing...The Justice For Caylee Anthony Saga -

The primary interest of katfish...ponders in this case has always been Justice for Caylee. Reporting on the State of Florida's quest for justice for Caylee Marie Anthony has truly turned into a SAGA. In the past month, there has been enough fodder added to this true story ( that is playing out like a fractured fairytale) to fill  dozens of  chapters. It's not surprising this case plays out like a fairytale, given that most of what Casey Anthony says about Caylee sounds like a fable.

 

                              ~The Poor Poor Princess~

 There was an indigency hearing held on Thursday, March 18, 2010 for the court to rule on a
Defendant's Motion For Determination Of Indigency For Costs.
This motion caused a lot of concern for anyone who had been following this case, particularly the citizens of Florida. Many defendants are indigent but the background of this defendant raises special concerns. Many readers are familiar with the background of this case but it never hurts to refresh.

When Casey was first arrested on July 16, 2008 she filed an application for indigency and requested a public defender be appointed.( If you follow the link provided to the application, note Casey stated on the form that she had an income of $1,400 bi-weekly....oopsie... she scratched the income part out....for a second she must have forgot the police had discovered she had been lying about having a job for 2 years.) Casey hired Jose Baez to represent her the next day.( Or was he already waiting in the wings?) It was curious hiring a private attorney one day after being granted indigent status and assigned a public defender, even more so when her parents testified a week later during a bond hearing they had very little net worth. A curious fact but really no one's business since she wouldn't be using state money, so there the speculation about the Anthony's windfall of riches began.

After a grand jury indicted Casey for first-degree murder, in October 2008, Casey's " Knight in Shining Armor", Jose Baez, began to bring in reinforcements to defend the case. By March of 2009, Casey's "round table" included as many as eight attorneys working various aspects of the case and several world renowned experts announced they had been retained to work their "magic" on the forensic evidence that was accumulating in the case. This led the State's Attorney to file a motion dubbed "The Pauper To Princess Motion". The State's Attorneys  feared there might be a conflict of interest if Casey's defense attorney was also handling business deals for her.The state knew Casey had no tangible assets to sell to afford this type of defense and wanted assurance that  there were no book or movie deals for her story that might hinge on the outcome of this case and potentially raise appellate issues if there is a conviction. The issue was resolved in a short hearing and a session " in camera" between the Judge, the defense and the state. Judge Strickland ruled that he found no conflict of interest. The transcript from the in camera session was sealed, so speculations about the riches being bestowed upon the Anthonys continued.

That brings us to where we are now in 2010 and the hearing for the Defendant's Motion For Determination Of Indigency For Costs . There were several surprises during this hearing on March 18. The first surprise was a new attorney, Cheney Mason, had joined Casey's defense. Mason addressed the court through-out most of the hearing so I'll refer to his appearance in the hearing here but I'll discuss him more specifically  in a bit.

 When the hearing started Casey Anthony was surrounded by defense attorneys. Cheney Mason on her left, Jose Baez on her right. Linda Kenney-Baden and Andrea Lyons were bringing up the rear. At the prosecution table were Jeff Ashton, along with Linda Drane Burdick and Frank George. An attorney for the Justice Administrative Commission (JAC) participated in the hearing by telephone. (The Justice Administrative Commission is the state agency that oversees funding. The commission has opposed allocating funding for Anthony's defense, saying in court papers it has "severe concerns" about whether Casey Anthony qualifies for financial assistance, given her own financial affidavit attached to her motion that shows she has already contributed over $ 110,000 for her defense.)


Through out this hearing, Princess Casey seemed down right giddy, much like the cat that swallowed the canary. Those surrounding her at the defense table seemed giddy as well, at a minimum, there seemed to be a new found confidence. (Was this man, Cheney Mason,  their new "Knight in Shining Armor"? ) They were so confident in fact, rather than present an accounting of their costs to the court, Cheney Mason beckoned the court to just "trust him" that Casey was broke. Strickland's responded this wasn't a matter of trust, they were seeking public funds and the affidavit provided the court  is "pretty light in terms of full disclosure." Despite defense efforts to provide the disclosure "in camera" it was decided the defense attorneys would testify as to their clients access to funds and the defense expenditures to date in open court.

Mr. Mason called his "witnesses" one by one. Lead (for all intents and purposes)defense attorney Jose Baez testified Thursday that the defense received and spent about $275,000 over the past year and a half. Of that, $5,000 came from an anonymous donor, $70,000 came from a former defense attorney, Todd Macaluso, and $200,000 came from ABC through a "deal" with Anthony.( The terms of the deal were not released.) That money, he said, was spent on defense costs including travel, depositions and retention of experts."It's been quite an expensive task," he said. Baez also testified that he has spent about 2,500 hours 
on the case (adding he hadn't really kept track??), and has been paid an estimated $89,454.

Attorney Andrea Lyon testified she has received $22,500, but all of that money went back into costs associated with the case.  She also added that she has raised about $70,000 (less the $22,000) through charities and as as the Supervisor of the Death Penalty Legal Clinic has enlisted the help of her students at DePaul University College of Law, in Chicago,  IL . The students assist in legal work in exchange for grades. Lyon concluded her testimony about the funds she has handled saying, "There's not a dime" left.

A third defense attorney, Linda Kenney Baden, testified that she is working pro bono on the case. After some questions she added she had torn up a prior retainer agreement because there was no money to pay her.

Cheney Mason told the court, it wasn't as though he and the other attorneys were seeking (their normal bucket of gold)  fees, they were all doing this pro bono (for free).The defense is only seeking help with costs that include service of subpoenas, investigative costs, travel, fees charged by experts to interpret forensic evidence, expert witness fees and the cost of depositions. Mason added, the renowned expert Dr. Henry Lee has been known to work for a crate of oranges.(So that should save some money, eh?)

 Judge Strickland deferred ruling until he had an itemized accounting of money spent so far by the defense.(That's right, the defense brought no proof of expenses to court for a hearing to rule their client indigent.)  Ninth Circuit Judge Stan Strickland ruled on Friday, March 19 that he would grant the motion to declare Casey indigent. So "Princess Casey" is officially a "Pauper" once again.

There was much more to this hour long hearing. If you would like to view the video click here.
The link will take you to the first 3 clips of the video. These first 3 were taken before court started , so is mainly attorneys arriving, Casey rubbing her hands, fixing her shirt, playing with her hair, etc. that page will link you to the rest of the clips, there should be 9.
CNN 

The other surprise announcement in this hearing was the unsealing of an IN CAMERA SEALED MOTION TO DELAY DISCLOSURE that Judge Strickland has allowed the State to keep under wraps for the last month.The State learned that Casey had been communicating with a couple inmates in jail. After interviewing the inmates it was learned Casey had written over 50 letters to one of the inmates. The judge allowed the defense 15 days go over the letters and decide if they would ask the court to seal the letters. I'll tell you more about these letters and friendships in an entry I'm working on that I'll title  "Cookie and Muffin Plan A Road trip". I have more than a few thoughts about Casey's correspondence and choice of friends.

  ~ Casey's New Knight In Shining Armor Or Court Jester?~

The Casey Anthony defense has a new addition to the team, Veteran Orlando Attorney J.Cheney Mason, P. A.  
He has created quite a stir since entering his appearance at the indigency hearing on March 18.

J. Cheney Mason is considered a distinguished member of the Florida Bar Association. According to his website, Mason has been in private practice in the Orlando since 1971. His areas of practice include Criminal Defense, Marital and Family Law (Divorce Law), Entertainment Law and Trial Practice, with a strong emphasis on Marital and Family Law and Criminal Law. Mason is a Board Certified Criminal Trial lawyer certified by both The Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Mason is also a frequent guest lecturer before various Bar and Legal Associations and has published numerous legal articles and authored books.
He is currently an "AV" rated lawyer (highest possible rating) by Martindale Hubbell and is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. It seems he has had an esteemed career.

It's reported that Mason’s first love is his criminal defense work.“It’s been a special thing to defend the rights of the accused and fight the government for 36 years,” he says. Criminal defense is probably also the work that generates the most attention for Mason. Cheney has tried several criminal jury trials that were televised by national and local news media. He's been linked to the defense of astronaut Lisa Nowak, and several years ago, he defended businessman Nelson Serrano in a quadruple-murder case in Polk County, FL.

My first impression was that Casey Anthony is very lucky to have an attorney of Mason's stature willing to work her case pro bono. Mason is nearing  retirement as he joins this defense team. I think it is safe to say that admirers and detractors alike look forward to Cheney Mason getting this defense team on track.

This defense team, specifically Jose Baez, has come under fire for his inexperience, less than adequate presentations in court, lack of decorum in the courtroom, and mostly for his professed hate of the media but evident love of the camera. These qualities have garnered Mr. Baez some choice nicknames that I prefer not to use but I do understand those who are inclined to do so. Let's face it, few "love" a defense attorney until they need one. I think to be fair he should be commended for building a defense team made up some very high profile lawyers and experts, a caliper of defense you might see in a case for a rich celebrity not some "Party Princess" from Orlando..

My second impression of Cheney Mason was that he is full of bluster and actually rude. In an effort to create a light-hearted moment during the indigency hearing, Judge Strickland pointed out that SA Jeff Ashton had laughed at something he said (about appointing a special master instead of divulging to the court where Casey's money had gone) Mason turned and looked at the prosecution and said, I don't care what the "ignorants" say. Ashton whispered to the others at the state table, "he's joking". There is a time and a place for everything, and a light hearted moment can go a long way in easing tensions inside the courtroom for everyone. Name calling is another matter, frankly this isn't a school playground.

In an impromptu press conference after the same hearing Mr. Mason was asked why he took on this case. His response to one who asked that question was something like," this (defending a death penalty case) is the greatest honor a defense attorney can achieve". That seems a noble response. But when Mason said he took this case on because he thinks it will be "fun" adding he expects to one day walk out of court with Casey Anthony on his arm I thought WTH?
There has been discussion out in blogosphere that this having "fun"comment shouldn't be offensive because everyone should enjoy their work. I agree that it would be sad for someone to spend almost 40 years doing work that they didn't enjoy, and frankly don't think I would want someone to represent me who didn't enjoy what they do. Beyond that I found the remark offensive and inappropriate. This is about a precious child who is dead and a young woman who has spent the last 2 years in jail and it's possible she will spend the rest of her life in jail, if she doesn't end up with the same fate a another 'high profile" client you represented. Mr. Mason, did you have "fun" representing Nelson Serrano? If so, I'm sure he is very appreciative of that from death row.

J. Cheney Mason is often invited by the news media to provide expert commentary on legal issues involving family law and criminal law. Here are a few quotes from one of those commentaries from Mr. Mason about the Casey Anthony case before Caylee's body had been found or Cheney was a member of this defense team :

Defense attorney Cheney Mason said claims made by Casey Anthony and Baez that Caylee was alive will now work against them at trial

“Then all the talking, all the press interviews and the parents going on this show and that show and the lawyer going on different shows establishes they have no credibility whatsoever,” Mason said.

“You can pretty well predict there’s going to be a life sentence, either a plea and get it over with or have a circus trial and then be convicted and get life,” Mason said

These quotes are excerpts from an  November 2008 article by Local 6 News reporter Tony Pipitone as he continued his investigation into the Casey Anthony murder case, discussing its merits with former prosecutor, Elizabeth Rahter, and  prominent defense attorney J. Cheney Mason.

Casey and the rest of the defense may see Cheney Mason as a "Knight In Shining Armor", but after his remarks and the attitude he displayed in his first appearance in this case, katfish is left to ponder......his performance thus far puts me more in mind of a joker, or more appropriately a "Court Jester".

Check back for the continuing Saga of the Quest for Justice for Caylee......        

WKMG
MyFoxOrlando

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Who Killed Haleigh Cummings? Eeny, Meeny, Miny or Moe ; Misty, Ron, Tommy or Joe ?

Joe Overstreet

Hank "Tommy " Croslin, Jr.

Misty Croslin- Cummings

Ronald Cummings

The investigation into the case of a missing 5 year old Satsuma, Florida girl, Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings, has taken some drastic turns in this past week. Haleigh was reported missing in the wee hours of the morning of February 10, 2009 by her father's 17 year old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, and her father, Ronald Cummings Sr. Here is a link to the  911 call made to the Putnum County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) to report Haleigh missing and the original police report.

This entry will be about the events of this past week, but I wanted to give some background for those who haven't closely followed this case. Click here to see previous entries on katfish...ponders related to this case.
I haven't written a lot about this case because other than the initial search for Haleigh, the search this week is only the second physical search for Haleigh in the last 14 months. Most  media reports have revolved around misbehavior or strange behaviors of those involved in Haleigh's life, but not necessarily what happened to Haleigh.

Speaking of misbehavior, on January 21, 2010, Haleigh's father Ron, his girlfriend/wife/ex-wife/whatever Misty, Misty's brother Tommy and 2 others were arrested for trafficking prescription drugs. I chose not to address those reports other than commenting on other blogs and message boards because the PCSO said the arrests were not related to the Haleigh investigation.

 ~   Fly Home Little Haleigh Bug  Fly Home ~

Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings

                                                                     
Haleigh's disappearance came on the heels of the Caylee Anthony case, as a matter of fact, the news broke as the nationally televised memorial for Caylee was starting in Orlando (70 miles away) . The similarities between the 2 girls brought instant media interest, and at first this case seemed that it may be an actual case of stranger child abduction.

The FL Department of Law Enforcement activated the Child Abduction Regional Team. Searching began by over 100 officers from county, state and federal law enforcement by helicopters, bloodhounds, ATV riders and ground searchers conducted grid searches of the wooded area and boats, divers searched the nearby St. Johns River. During the first week or so,  LE also worked to rule out roughly 44 sex offenders who live within a 5-mile radius of the Cummings home.

Unlike the Anthony family, those close to the case Haleigh's mother Crystal Sheffield, her father Ronald and his girlfriend Misty made emotional public pleas and voluntarily took lie detector tests. Another thing different from the Anthony case was the police were quiet about releasing information, although everyone who took lie detector tests said they were told they had passed and no one was arrested.

The only other "clue" was that Misty said she might suspect her cousin Joe Overstreet from TN. Misty claimed that Joe molested her as a child and had left town the day Haleigh disappeared. There were also varying reports of a dispute between Ron and Joe over a gun Joe had stolen that was supposedly recovered before Haleigh went missing. Law Enforcement (LE) from FL went to TN and interviewed Joe but apparently didn't find evidence to arrest or focus on Joe as a person of interest.

As time went on LE said that the evidence wasn't matching up to Misty's statements and her statements were inconsistent. LE also said they didn't think this was a case of stranger abduction. Even though LE essentially cleared Haleigh's parents as suspects (they were on the bottom of the list) they both remained "favorite suspects' for many following the case .
.
The fact LE has released very little information regarding this case has given a lot of room for speculation.
I know I have personally had at least a dozen theories over the last year. There are only 2 theories left standing in my mind that make sense to me, but I will leave them in my mind because I just don't know enough about the evidence gathered by LE in this case to "fairly" outright accuse anyone. One thing is certain, many people across the world took this child into their hearts and took sides, pretty much along family lines, as to who abducted Haleigh.

                           ~Let's Make A Deal~

Hopefully soon, the PCSO will have enough evidence, physical and circumstantial,  to arrest those involved and prove in the courtroom what happened to little Haleigh.

This past Tuesday morning (April 13),there was a dramatic increase in activity in the year old case of the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings. Dozens of officers from several law enforcement agencies converged on the Shell Harbour boat ramp in South Putnam County, FL. The intensity of the search was similar to how law enforcement initially responded to Haleigh's disappearance. Haleigh's family on both sides were brought to the PCSO so that LE could inform them of the search rather than them hear about it from the media. Ronald Cummings was brought over from the Putnum County jail to the sheriff's office when LE met with the family, many of whom were said to be crying when they left.

The search was triggered by a tip the Putnam County Sheriff's Office received on Monday, said Lt. Johnny Greenwood, a spokesman for the department. As expected, authorities have been tight-lipped about what the tip specified. In the press release Greenwood said," Due to the sensitivity of this investigation, the name of the person providing the tip and the physical evidence alleged to be in this area will not be released ".

Immediately rumors started to fly that Misty (long named as the key to the investigation), her brother Tommy (who last fall, had placed himself at the trailer the night Haleigh went missing ) or Ron ( who had shown a propensity for a quick temper ) had started to talk in exchange for a plea deal in their drug cases. For most people, the fact that Ron was allowed to join his family at the sheriff's office seemed to lighten the suspicion on him somewhat although there are still those who suspect him.


On Wednesday, Misty was taken out to the search site on St. Johns river by LE which fueled the fire of a plea deal and then word came out "unofficially" that Tommy had been to the search site on Monday.Were they confessing and showing where Haleigh had been placed in the river? There were also reports of letters that Misty had written to her parents and brother in Massachusetts said to blame Tommy and Joe for taking Haleigh.
Another rumor that spread was that a person(s) had been taken into custody in the Haleigh Cummings case. On Wednesday PCSO issued another press release:

Satsuma Area Search for Missing Haleigh Cummings Continue 2010-4-14 by: Lt. Johnny Greenwood

Still acting on a lead received in the case of missing Haleigh Cummings, investigators are continuing the meticulous search for physical evidence in the St. Johns River near Satsuma, Florida. At this point, this search has failed to yield any items of evidentiary value in the case. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has received many media inquiries concerning a rumor that has uncontrollably spread throughout our community. The rumor that a subject is either currently being detained by law enforcement, or is in law enforcement custody related to the Haleigh Cummings case has been reported to the media. Sheriff Hardy wants the citizens of Putnam County and the media to know that this rumor is false. There is currently no one in law enforcement custody as the result of the investigation into Haleigh Cummings’ disappearance. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office will provide future releases when information in this case becomes available. Sheriff Hardy would like to again thank the citizens of Putnam County and the media for their support.

                        ~ A Race For The Reward ?~

Well....the PCSO may not want to disclose who made the tip, but on Wednesday morning a Former FBI agent named Steve Brown said in an interview ( here's a link to the video) with News4Jax  that he had solved the case on Monday and this was now a homicide investigation. Brown said that he was hired 10 months ago by Crystal Sheffield to investigate this case. Brown said the information he supplied PCSO led them to the St. John river to search for corroborating evidence to support eyewitness testimony..

On Thursday evening, Flora Hollars, Misty, Tommy's and Joe's grandmother appeared on "Issues" with Jane Velez Mitchell (JVM) and "Nancy Grace"(NG), both current event / news type shows on HLN. Flora Hollars' statements were a little inconsistent regarding who told her what and when between the 2 HLN appearances, but  it was the "way" she made a statement on "Issues" that raised my  hinky meter. Ms. Hollars told JVM, "I’m the reason they are searching down at that river. I’m the one that gave em the lead…I called the sheriff, I called crimestoppers, I called them all." It was like she was covering all her bases and the thought crossed my mind…is there still a $35,000 reward for leads to Haleigh? Hollars told several scenarios of what she has been told happened to Haleigh, but at the end she seemed to lay the blame on Joe. Her main mission in these appearances seemed to me,  to make the point Tommy confessed to her and she led the police to the river.

Below, I embedded a video of a Presser given by Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy on Thursday about the search. Sheriff Hardy announced the investigation is now a homicide investigation and confirmed there has been evidence collected at the scene that is being sent out to independent forensic labs for testing. He also confirmed that the search will wrap up at the St. Johns River location today, but the stressed they will continue following up on the leads that brought them to the river.

 While Sheriff Hardy still didn't want to disclose what the tip was that led them to search of this part of St. Johns River,  he would say....the tip that spurred the search did not come from Tennessee (where Flora Hollars lives).When asked if it came from the jail, Hardy wouldn't comment. (If Tommy truly did confess to his grandmother on the phone, the call would have been monitored by the jail and LE could well have been to Tommy's cell before Granny Hollars finished looking up the phone number for LE.) What are the odds that Steve Brown solved this case the same day Tommy fessed up to his granny? IDK? ~shrugging shoulders~




           ~It's Time for A Family Feud~

 One thing that has become apparent over the last 14 months is that a sense of  loyalty is not a strong value in the Croslin family. A few examples: Tommy told police he went to the mobile home the night Haleigh was taken and no one was home, in exchange for getting out of jail. Misty and Ron had a physical conflict with Tommy and Hank Sr. that ended in a restraining order against Tommy and an accusation of Misty and Ron placing a dead rat in the Croslin mailbox.Another example is when Misty was first arrested for trafficking drugs she told LE that she had seen items in her brother Tommy's home that were stolen property. Was she hoping for a get out of jail free card for that?

I have a feeling those examples are petty compared to where this family feud appears to be heading...... Misty is accusing her brother Tommy and  cousin Joe of abducting and killing Haleigh. Tommy has accused Joe of killing Haleigh. Granny Hollar accuses all 3 of her grandchildren of  various levels of involvement in Haleigh's death.. Overstreet's attorney says Joe was interviewed by detectives late Tuesday, and he denies any knowledge or involvement in the case.

Tommy's attorney, James Werter said Friday that Tommy Croslin Jr, "did not tell Flora Hollars anything about the investigation except to have his attorney contact and meet with him." The Putnam County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Croslin Jr. had called his grandmother on Sunday but couldn't address the contents of the conversation. It declined to release the tapes of the phone calls, saying the content was connected to the ongoing investigation.

Hollars also said she heard from Misty Croslin on Thursday, who gave more details about Haleigh being dropped into the river tied to a cinder block.However, her father, Hank Croslin Sr., said Misty Croslin "didn't tell Flo all that stuff."

Hank Croslin Sr. said,  "Tommy said he only asked Hollars to get in touch with other family members to arrange visits. At the time Hollars was the only one in the family with money in a telephone account to pay for collect calls from jail. I'm not saying he doesn't know anything," Croslin Sr. said, adding that Hollars may been repeating the content of letters Misty Croslin sent to her father and another brother in Massachusetts. He also said the reward money in the case - $35,000 - might be an influence."The only person who knows the truth is the police and the lawyers and them," he said.

All I can say is good luck to the police and lawyers sifting out the truth from this group. Once again, hopefully there will be some corroborating evidence to support the testimony of any of this family the state needs to put on the stand to get justice for Haleigh!.


  Jacksonville.com
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A Salute To An Authentic American Hero

Here at katfish…ponders the focus of this blog is the criminal justice system. Much attention has been paid to those who break the laws and what happens when they reach the courtroom. For me trials are a study of human behavior. You get the best and the worst of people. Some people are truthful and some are liars. Everyone has an agenda, whether it is the pursuit of justice, trying to dodge a conviction for bad behavior, or ensuring the defendant receives a fair trial. How the arguments for these agendas are woven around the constitution in an effort to achieve their goals is most interesting to me.

There are a couple of subjects that I haven’t really opened the door to here, my personal life and the men and women who are out there risking their lives to enforce the laws of our land and protect the public. I would like to crack the door open a bit to my personal life in order to introduce to you a man who I have admired all of my life and consider my personal authentic American hero.

Captain Clinton D. Spurlock of the Illinois State Police

This hero is Clinton D. Spurlock also known as “Captain Clinton D. Spurlock“, “Clinton“, “Clint“, “Duane“, “C.D.”, “Spur” and for me he will always just be “Uncle Duane“.

While saluting my uncle, I hope this post will also shine the spotlight on all of the men and women of The Illinois State Police, as well as the other branches of law enforcement who serve to protect us.

Clinton served 30 years with the Illinois State Police (ISP) before retiring as Captain of District 20 in Pittsfield, IL. District 20 serves five counties, Adams, Brown, Pike, Schuyler and Scott. Clinton Spurlock also held the position of Chief of the Personnel Bureau during his years with the ISP.

When I decided to write this entry, I looked up the definition of hero. There are a lot of definitions and most of them fits Clinton Spurlock like a comfy pair of house slippers:

hero - someone who fights for a cause -champion, fighter ,defender, guardian, protector  -  a person who cares for persons or property.

I think most of the men and women who wear a shield while enforcing the laws to protect us and promote public safety improve the quality of our lives to the extent they deserve to be considered our heroes. Don’t you? Where would we be without them?

hero - someone distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility, strength and fortitude - leader - a person who rules or guides or inspires others.

This definition of a hero also fits my Uncle Duane very well, not only because of his chosen profession and the many State Troopers that he inspired as an instructor at the Illinois State Police Academy, but his strength of character made me feel very safe growing up and without a doubt he “inspired” me to behave (at least in his presence, LOL).

After ”retirement” Clint worked as chief of police in Griggsville, IL for a few years. As of the 2000 census, there were 1,258 people, 500 households, and 360 families residing in the city. Griggsville is located between the Mississippi River and the Illinois River which provided a perfect backdrop for “Spur” to enjoy nature and spend many good times with friends and family hunting and fishing. He also took advantage of the rich black soil that blesses the Midwest to grow wonderful gardens, flowers and plant trees.

hero - a person who is idealized for possessing superior qualities in any field

This final definition of a hero embodies Clint’s spirit in the whole of his life as much as the warm and fuzzy lining does those comfy house slippers I referenced above. He achieved great success in his career, but there is so much more to this man, he was of the Christian faith and past master of the Good Hope Masonic Lodge. He graduated from Bushnell High School and attended Western Illinois University, Missouri University, and is a graduate of the prestigious Northwestern University Traffic Institute in Evanston. He was a Boy Scout leader in Good Hope when his boys were growing up. Clinton is also well known for his artistic talent including the Bushnell mascot "Sparky" and his many years of restoring antiques.

Sadly, my uncle passed away on March 31, 2010 after an extended illness. He will be missed but remembered, oh so fondly, by his wife of 56 years, Mary, his 2 sons Mike and Jim and daughter Brenda and their families, his sisters and extended family and his large circle of friends. The respect shown by the Illinois State Police color guard during the visitation, funeral at the church and graveside service was awesome and just drove the point home that this man laid to rest was an Authentic American Hero. Sphere: Related Content