The White Picket Fence

The story of an ‘accused navy deserter’ with a horrible dark past, hiding his life from everyone, trying to kill his wife and her amazing will to survive. The terror, the violence and humiliation she goes through trying to keep herself and her two young children safe.

My husband was accused of being a navy deserter twice in a 10 year period, once around 1976 and again in 1987. What makes this story strange in the beginning was he was never in the navy. He was a decorated army Vietnam Veteran that served his four year tour of duty. In 1976 he was pulled over for a traffic violation. When the officer ran his driver’s license through their system the officer saw that he was on the FBI’s ten most wanted list and arrested him promptly. Once in a jail cell, his parents brought over all of his paperwork proving who he was and proving he was not naval personnel, but did indeed serve his country in the army. The navy released him claiming they had made an error and said they would clear up the mistake immediately.
In 1987 without any warning a sheriff came to our home one day in September with a warrant for his arrest. It was a complete shock as my husband thought this was cleared up years ago. Once again, he gathered all his papers and took them to the sheriff’s office to prove he was not a naval deserter. I was home with my two small children awaiting for his return when I received a phone call from him stating the navy insisted the sheriff keep him detained until a naval officer came to pick him up to bring him to the San Diego Navy Brig. I was unable to retrieve any information from the navy as to where he was and why he was being falsely detained.

In the month of November, 1987 The Oprah Winfry Show’s producer contacted us and invited us to appear as her guests on her show to tell our story. She arranged to fly us to Chicago and we told our story on national television. It was an amazing experience and I thought once we returned home we could start our lives again and put all this behind us. My husband’s job was secure for now but he had to return as soon as possible or they would have to find a replacement. My husband was so traumatized by this as was I but I was more worried about his well being then my own. He was trying to put his feet on the ground but never seemed quite right. He seemed distant and reserved. He tried to get over it and unfortunately became very paranoid. This was the beginning of the end.

My husband seemed different and now was showing a side of him that was new to me. He had a quick temper to begin with but now he was loosing control over everything. I found myself walking on egg shells to keep him happy. He would snap at the kids, but he took most of his aggression out on me and I grew very concerned. This was not normal. I even found out he purchased a couple of guns which scared me to death. Then one night when the kids were sleeping upstairs my husband out of the blue starting to yell at me stating that ‘I didn’t know what it was like’ and I tried to ask him what he was talking about and he threw me against the wall and changed his whole demeanor and started to scream in my face about the Vietnam war and all the people that were after him. He then threw me to the ground and literally sat on my chest for over 2 hours screaming horrible crazy things! From this point on came the beatings, the scream fests, and rape-sex he forced on me or he’d kill me. I was repulsed and sickened by him and over the course of the next few months was a true test of survival for me. We had a huge law suit pending with the US Navy and even my lawyer begged me to be careful of my husband. He told me he was extremely dangerous and volatile.

I knew I had to get away from my husband but I didn’t know how to. The more I tried to talk with him the more furious he became. Then suddenly something hit me. I thought that if I used reverse psychology and turned things completely around to make my husband think our problems were because of me, maybe he would at least calm down long enough for me to get away. As a result, it actually did work long enough for me to leave with the kids in one piece. I pretended I would be back in a few weeks all the while I was planning on never returning. He promised to take care of my beloved dog which I had intended to get her in a few weeks. I took the kids and moved in with my mother.

In the meantime I received a very unusual phone call from the States District Attorney telling me that it is imperative he speak with me. I didn’t believe him at first and had my lawyer check him out to find he was who he says he was. I arranged a meeting with him to which he told me things about my husband that was so horribly shocking. He also advised I get a new identity because he said my husband is a very dangerous man. He certainly was not the man I married – I didn’t recognize him and realized I was in big trouble. The DA continued his conversation by telling me my husband had been accused years before I knew him for rape, stalking women and having violent uncontrollable outbursts. It was so shocking to find out that I was married to a monster.