A Tale of Two Mothers

Angenette Levy contemplates two mothers in opposite corners of a legal battle but in otherwise very similar situations.

First on Karen Halbach in particular and the rest of the Halbach's:

I’ve heard over and over again that the Halbachs have a deep faith that has guided them through the last 18 months. Mike Halbach has often said that he gets his strength from his mother. I don’t know whether it’s faith or life experience or a combination of both, but I know that I don’t understand how this family has kept it together.

Imagine for months, turning on the news and listening to the man you believe to be the murderer of your daughter, granting interviews and suggesting that your daughter might still be alive. Imagine Karen Halbach, listening to Steven Avery talk about how cops might have planted his blood to frame them for her daughter’s murder. To listen to him say, “she was here for 5 minutes, and left” even after his nephew gives a three-hour recorded confession.

Source: WFRV Courtroom Journal – Two Mothers – Polar Opposites (Angenette Levy) Faith is a strong force and can move people to greatness or get them through great trials:

The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."
Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Source: Job 1 – BibleGateway.com New International Version We do not know the reasons we just believe there are good reasons to be revealed sooner or later.

Barbara Tadych the mother of Brendan Dassey presents a more conflicting image. She too has lost a child, though her child lives and breathes yet who can say he is not lost? I feel for Ms. Tadych. However, the conflict comes in her reversal of course. I have touched on this before. Angenette picks up on the first half of it as well:

I’ll [Angenette] never forget what it was like to look into her eyes as she realized what her brother had dragged her son into that Halloween day. She said that she was “numb.” She looked into the camera and spoke to her brother and said, “Steven, I know you’re going to be watching this and I hate you for what you did to my son, so you can rot in hell, alright. And I’m gonna get you for it.”

Source: WFRV Courtroom Journal – Two Mothers – Polar Opposites (Angenette Levy)

Angenette goes onto wonder:

As I’ve said before, only Brendan Dassey can answer the “why” question. And, if he did do it, and if it was simply because he “wanted to see what if felt like”as far as sex goes, then why did Steven Avery bring his young, impressionable nephew into this?

Source: WFRV Courtroom Journal – Two Mothers – Polar Opposites (Angenette Levy) why did Steven Avery drag Brandon into it? In the movie The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Howard, Curtin, and Dobbs were confronted by another man trying to get a piece of the action. Howard, Curtin,and Dobbs refuse and decide to approach the man and shoot him together. Why together? So they would all be in on the murder together and would be equally likely to hang. IIRC, Brandon confessed he stumbled upon the horror and was invited by Steven to partake. Steven did it to try to make Brandon part & parcel of the action so as to give Brandon a good reason to be quiet. It worked for a time, but the same pliancy that led Brandon into the horror and kept him quiet for a time also lead to the confession.

It’s also terribly sad that most of the time Barb comes to court by herself. Brendan’s dad Peter has been here in the mornings, but he has to work in the afternoon. When Steve was on trial, many of the Avery family members showed up for court everyday. It’s sad to see that Brendan’s grandparents, Dolores and Allan, and his uncles choose to stay home for his court appearances. Why all the support for Steve and none for Brendan?

It must be awful to feel like no one’s behind you, or your son. She also trusted her brother with her son, and now look what’s happened, if what Brendan said is true.

Source: WFRV Courtroom Journal – Two Mothers – Polar Opposites (Angenette Levy) Now, as Wizard points out earlier in a comment the prosecutors attempted to cut a deal with Brandon. Now, with the the confession, the phone call, and Ms. Tadych's statement above why oh why did you not advise your son to take the deal? I guess they all felt Brandon was a snitch.

In the end Steven Avery bears the most of hte guilt:

And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.

Source: Mark 9:42 - Biblegateway.com New International Version

Barb Tadych's Explosion

Barb Tadych the mother of Brendan Dassey had a royal conniption fit outside of the Manitowoc County courthouse after the Dane County jury convicted Brendan.

We need to look at both sides here. Her son was just convicted of crimes that will take him away for the rest of her life and most (if not all) of his life as well. Do we need reporters asking her how she feels? It seems like some Saturday Night Live skit. After all, they do say the most dangerous animals are often mothers defending their offspring.

Of course, the members of the media all need their soundbites. They do not draw viewers, listeners, readers for just ............. After all, no news is good news so turn it around to say good news is no news.

However, a few things now. One she did not have to lash out at the Halbach family. Teresa is lost and gone forever at least you can visit and talk with your son. You need not have done that, you did your case no good and called with a pair of fours. It seems you and the rest of your family sacrificed Brendan for Steve and lost both. Bad, bad, – bad decision. You could have had Brendan for Steve but chose Steve.

The defense tied its case to the stupidity, gullibility, and lead-ability of Brendan Dassey. They say he said what they were trying to get him to say in order to save his skin or because he wanted to please others. So, why not BS all day about Steve? Reports have it Brendan was offered plea deals to testify against Steve but did not.

Again going back to the phone conversation there was one thing Brendan feared greatly and that was Steve. If Brendan & Steve get assigned to the same facility, I bet Steve will kill Brendan.

Bad, bad, – bad choice.

State of Denial

Brendan Dassey is a convicted criminal. The confession, the conversation with dear old Mom, and the I don't knows buried Brendan good.

However, some think otherwise:

It didn’t take long. Brendan Dassey was guilty on all complaints. On 25 April, 2007 after only a couple hours deliberation, the jury announced a decision. Apparently, this jury bought into the confession mythology. It is ironic that the Steven Avery jury had real physical evidence and spent substantially more time deliberating.

Also, ironic is that charges against Avery that resulted from the Dassey confession were dropped.

Source: Convoluted Brian – Dassey Trial - The Verdict Now, Mr. Convoluted is in a state of denial over all of this.

Brendan Dassey confessed and certain statements he made led to the discovery of evidence. That is a significant problem the defense had. How could they have overcome it? I don't know. The conversation Brendan and his mother had however sealed the deal (if it was not significantly closed prior to that). Brendan is not being led, Brendan and his Mom are not talking to a crowd they want to please. How is Brendan trying to please his mother by admitting to what happened?

The Steven Avery jury most likely spent the majority of time on one charge and that charge was the one he was acquitted on.

While I am skeptical of portions of the confession I am not skeptical of it all. IIRC they did not find certain bits of evidence it seems would be present. Either that, or the crime shows on TV featuring (I am not talking CSI I am talking Discovery Channel type shows with actual cases) the forensic experts tying the criminal to the crime by a stray hair are more luck than method.

The only possibility Brendan has of getting away with murder is by going after his representation which was atrocious. Why let him on the stand? Where were you Mr. Kachinsky when he was spilling his guts (for a minute never mind he spilled someone else's guts)? However, in this case I have a hard time believing inadequate representation is going to do it for him.

I am quite convinced of the fact that Dassey and Avery formed a diabolic duo.

Criminals and Feeling Sad

Charlie Sykes is taking calls on the Dassey trial. One caller stated he felt sad for Brendan Dassey and Charlie did not much care for that. He said we should feel sad for Teresa.

Count me in the group that feels bad for all involved in the case. However, do not give me keys to the jailhouse and expect I will set Dassey & Avery free. They deserve what they are getting. I feel sad they chose to murder an innocent woman. I feel sad they felt they could get away with it. I feel sad a kid (Dassey) who at least had a chance of bumbling through an inconsequential life is soon to be shipped to Dodge Correctional Institute.

No, to feel sad for someone is not to excuse them or to give them freedom from the consequences of their actions:

I left feeling sorry for the whole affair that started with the condemned kidnapping, robbing and murdering some number of people. Given a knife and permission to cut the condemned free from the deathly bonds, I would have dashed the knife into the brown desert sand.

Source: Blogger Beer – Marcus in Arabia: The Execution.

I Don't Know

Is all Brandon Dassey could say when asked why he made that long & detailed "false confession".

Angenette Levy with WFRV has an excerpt of Brandon's cross examination. Anyway, about the only thing I can see as certain when it comes to Brandon Dassey is he will say anything.

This does not mean what he says is always false. For example, Mr. Dassey's famous confession led to concrete discoveries. Now, if he made the statements and found no evidence of the crime based on that confession then the case he made a false confession is much stronger.

The exchange Angenette puts on the WFRV Courtroom blog contains an exchange between Mr. Dassey and Mr. Fallon as Mr. Fallon cross examines Mr. Dassey:

Then, Fallon asked Brendan about why he told the investigators that he had been to Steven’s trailer, before 5 p.m. He said that he wasn’t over there.

Fallon: “you didn’t tell your mother that you went over there?”

Brendan: “I didn’t.”

Well let me play something for you, and I want to ask you a couple of questions, alright?”

Dassey replied, “ok.”

Fallon then played a jailhouse phone call between Dassey and his mother, from May 13, 2006. The same day he gave a second confession to investigators as he tried to enter into a plea deal, stating that he and Avery planned Halbach’s rape and murder.

Barb: Brendan, why did you even go over there?

Brendan: I don’t know.

Barb: Why didn’t you just call 911? Or, tell me at 5 o’clock when I got home. Were you afraid of him?

Brendan: Well, yeah.

Source: Courtroom Journal – Brendan Dassey Testifies (Angenette Levy) I don't know is not going to cut it when you are trying to explain why your "false confession" matches physical evidence found based on your confession. I don't know is not a defense.

Angenette states a psychologist is testifying today on why Brendan is susceptible to making false confessions. What I want to know is not why Brendan may or may not make false confession obviously his concern is to keep himself out of prison, but why key pieces of physical evidence used to convict Avery were found based on Dassey's "false confession".

Investigators know, even when there is no reason to suspect false or deceitful confessions to back the confessions up with other evidence. It does not seem Mr. Dassey is aware he needs more than "I don't know"?