Friday, May 30, 2014

Tammy Moorer's Children Statements



does the apple fall close to the tree?

This is an article from myhorrynews.com with Statement Analysis added in bold type.   



The teenage son of the couple charged with murdering Heather Elvis says he and his younger siblings have lived in fear for months because of constant threats to their family.
They are afraid to leave their home and they don’t understand why someone would want to harm them.
There have been men with rifles standing across the road looking up here,” said 15-year-old Christian Moorer. “It’s hard to just live our lives knowing somebody out there is threatening to kill you.”
Note that he does not say "us", but the second person, "you", reducing reliability in something this personally frightening.  This is distancing language and it is not expected under a threat.  

Note that somebody is out there, not trying to kill us, but "threatening to kill"

One should question if this 15 year old has been told these things and is entering into the language of another, and not in fear, for himself.  
Christian’s parents, Sidney and Tammy Moorer, face charges of murder and kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of Elvis.
The 20-year-old Carolina Forest woman disappeared in the early morning hours of Dec. 18. Her vehicle was found the following evening at Peachtree Boat Landing in Socastee, about eight miles from her apartment and about two miles from the Moorers’ residence on Highway 814.
All activity to her cell phone ceased at 3:41 a.m. Dec. 18, and her body has not been found.
The Moorers were taken into custody on Feb. 21 after police executed a search warrant at their home. They were indicted on March 21. A trial date for the case has not been set.
Harsh reality
Tammy Moorer’s relatives say they have prayed for the family of Heather Elvis since they first heard she was missing.
They’ve hoped she would be found safe and returned to her loved ones. But they say some people have treated them harshly since Elvis vanished. The Moorers live just off S.C. 544 next to Tammy’s parents’ home.
Her father, William Caison, died of a heart attack in March and his family says it was the stress of the case that killed him.
The Moorers’ children — Christian, 12-year-old Nikki and 8-year-old Caison — have been living with their grandmother Polly since Tammy and Sidney were arrested in February.
Last week, a host of aunts, uncles and cousins gathered in the Caison home to discuss how they have been forced to live since Elvis disappeared.
From the beginning, family members say, the police focused primarily on the Moorers.
According to police records, Sidney Moorer and Heather Elvis were in a relationship last year. Joanne Todd Dry, Tammy Moorer’s aunt, said 38-year-old Sidney Moorer may have gotten mixed up with Elvis, but he’s not a killer.
Another aunt, Lisa Bonechans, said every family member, especially Tammy Moorer’s mother and children, have been scared for their lives for months.
Our family shouldn’t have to live in fear just because the police say Tammy and Sidney did something,” she said.
Note "something" minimizes murder
Christian Moorer said the police have been called to their property dozens of times since December because people have come into their yard, thrown bricks at the house and even called on the phone threatening their entire family.
Waccamaw Publishers has requested reports about these incidents from the Horry County Police Department. Lt. Robert Kegler, the agency’s spokesman, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
It’s unclear what Kegler could say anyway because police are under a judge’s order not to discuss the Heather Elvis case. Family members said the police have searched both houses twice, trying to find evidence.
The first search came just a few days after Elvis was reported missing.
“They haven’t found anything,” Dry said. “And that’s why they’re trying to keep everybody quiet.”
Intense questioning
Christian Moorer said on the February morning that police arrested his parents, the three children were taken by investigators to a small office at Coastal Carolina University.
With no other adults present, Christian Moorer said the police interrogated him and his sister while their little brother remained in the car.
They started off being nice,” he said. “Then they started telling me I was lying about things and I wasn’t. I was being very truthful with them.”
Christian said on the night that police say Elvis was murdered, he never heard his parents leave the house or any other noises.
As the family was recounting what everyone has gone through, one cousin started crying as she was looking at a picture on her phone.
Someone had just posted a picture in a private Facebook room of Tammy Moorer with a Photoshopped gunshot wound in her forehead.
Her aunt screamed that this is the kind of things they have been dealing with. They talked of a poster that had been circulated showing Tammy, Sidney and Tammy’s dad with the caption, “one down and two to go.”
Dry said the police told them that their complaint about the poster would be forwarded to the planning or public works department since it dealt with a sign.
Sitting on the floor near her aunt, Nikki said she is always scared. Christian just shook his head.
“I don’t understand how people can do this,” he said.
Bond denied again
Last week, Tammy Moorer’s lawyer asked Judge Steven John to release his client from the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on homebound security because the 42-year-old is pregnant and remains fearful for her life and that of her baby.
Attorney Greg McCollum said Tammy had been to hospitals in Loris and Conway and both facilities confirmed she was pregnant.
“She was trying to get pregnant prior to her arrest,” McCollum said during a bond reconsideration hearing Friday. “This is something she and her husband [Sidney] were trying to do.”
Senior Assistant Solicitor Donna Elder questioned whether Moorer is really pregnant, saying Moorer refused medical attention after receiving positive pregnancy tests.
“I do not believe it is a foregone conclusion that she has a viable pregnancy,” Elder said. “Ms. Moorer has continued to refuse prenatal vitamins and prenatal care. She refuses to be seen by an OB-GYN.”
The revelation of Moorer’s possible pregnancy had been widely discussed on social media in the weeks prior to Friday’s hearing. But Friday was the first time her pregnancy was discussed in open session.
It wasn’t enough, however, to sway the judge, who upheld his March 17 decision to deny bond. John said the court would treat Moorer as if she was pregnant, but stated her pregnancy didn’t warrant release from jail.
“The previous decision to deny bond continues in full force,” he said.
John also wanted Tammy Moorer’s condition monitored closely and any anomalies put in writing.
“If the defendant refuses to accept these services, I want that noted in the record,” he said. “It will be documented in writing.”
At one point during the hearing while John was in the process of denying bond, Tammy Moorer spontaneously spoke aloud, interrupting the judge.
“Excuse me, but can I say something,” Moorer said. “No ma’am,” John sternly replied.
After consulting with his client, McCollum said Tammy Moorer wanted to express concerns about conditions at J. Reuben Long where, McCollum said, Moorer is exposed to bedbugs and fellow inmates have HIV, herpes and other ailments.
“She doesn’t think that in her condition it’s healthy, appropriate or safe,” he said.
John said the court can’t force Moorer to accept services, but he reiterated his desire for the jail to document any instance of her refusing health care.
“At this point in time, it’s not the court’s responsibility to force her to seek medical attention,” he said. “The court will consider her to have a viable pregnancy at this time. She will be afforded the full services of the J. Reuben Long [Detention Center] health center as well.”
‘Our family is sticking together’
In the past, Moorer has had two miscarriages and McCollum said he fears she and her unborn child may experience medical complications if she’s allowed to remain behind bars.
“She’s in the second trimester right now,” he said. “She’s pregnant.” Security was tight for Friday’s hearing, with deputies turning away two citizens for inappropriate dress. Inside the courtroom, a man sitting among Elvis supporters had his cell phone confiscated for taking photos before the hearing.
Note the additional words "right now" and the redundant and unnecessary "she's pregnant"
This is sensitive.  Is it due to deception, or is it due to not being believed?   
At least one other man was ejected for unspecified reasons while a Caison family member broke into tears following John’s ruling.
Outside, after the hearing concluded, deputies had to disperse a small crowd that had gathered and was engaged in a shouting match in the parking lot of the Horry County Government & Justice Center.
Also in court Friday, McCollum restated that his client is innocent.
There’s a misconception and misbelief about the lack of evidence against Tammy Moorer,” McCollum said. “There’s been a lot of speculation that they found forensic evidence, that they’ve found a hair sample or a tissue. That’s absolutely not true. There’s no evidence to link Tammy Moorer to the disappearance or possible death of Heather Elvis.”
This is not to say that she is innocent as the article says. 
McCollum said law enforcement focused on the Moorers almost immediately after Elvis disappeared on Dec. 18, and that arrests were made to quell public pressure.
“The desire for law enforcement to do something, it’s my belief the method of arrest was done in such a way that [the Moorers] would be taken into custody, they could be interviewed and that [law enforcement] would crack the case,” McCollum said. “They arranged to have her [Tammy Moorer] arrested with the intention of trying to get some kind of incriminating statement.”
Elder took exception to the notion that law enforcement buckled under public pressure, noting that investigators didn’t file charges until two months after Elvis disappeared.
“This is not a case where law enforcement rushed to make an arrest because of public pressure,” she said. “This is a case where law enforcement, contrary to public pressure, they waited.”
Back home after the hearing, Christian Moorer fought back tears. He said he wasn’t sure how his family would endure this.

“Our family is sticking together,” he said quietly. “It’s tough when you hear and see these things about your parents and you never know when someone out there is going to try to kill you. But we’ll just keep praying. That’s all we can do.”

49 comments:

Unknown said...

This whole article bugs me. The children are being exploited from all sides. Children are inherently vulnerable. When they are caught up in traumatic events – terrorism, violence, natural disaster, crime, grave illness – they depend on the good judgment of adults to keep them from further harm. In the news judgments they make every day, reporters, photographers, editors and producers should be mindful of the responsibility they bear to report the truth with compassion and avoid subjecting children to the additional trauma of insensitive or exploitative coverage

Unknown said...

I have zero compassion for the Moorer's, but this makes me sad for their kids. They didn't ask for this, and they are also victims of their parents horrible choices.

I wonder if the TM and SM have any understanding of the pain and devastation their selfishness has forced on their children?

Doubtful.

Randie said...

Lisa the crazy aunt said:

"Our family shouldn’t have to live in fear just because the police say Tammy and Sidney did something,” she said."

The words "Tammy and Sidney did something" are framed words.

These are words from Lisa's internal dictionary. She KNOWS what Tammy and Sidney did.

Anonymous said...

Oh, for God's sake.. leave the kids alone. The fringe lunatics on this blog will start saying her son was in on it next just because Peter underlined a couple of words...

Anonymous said...

"Oh, for God's sake.. leave the kids alone"

you would think that grandma wouldn't USE those kids like that. surely they know it will come back on them with even more anger & disgust. but then they ARE staying with polly, and she DID raise the raged out ugly inside & out wildebeast control freak tammy...
i agree with other posters that want to see proof of these threats they didn't mind snapping photos of searchers.. why not these bad men with shotguns?
use the kids to try to sway public opinion of their murderous parents. pathetic totally pathetic JMHO but i think DCFS or whatever agency they have needs to check on their welfare as no LOVING grandparent would USE kids like they are.
SMH
Cecelia

Anonymous said...

The son is telling the truth. he uses distancing language because its too scary. not because hes being deceptive.

John Mc Gowan said...

Hi Peter,

“Our family shouldn’t have to live in fear just because the police say Tammy and Sidney did SOMETHING,” she said.

Something

This was the first word that jumped out at me.

Minimization.?

Laura said...

“They started off being nice,” he said. “Then they started telling me I was lying about things and I wasn’t. I was being very truthful with them.”

Peter you had underlined "I was lying" above, I believe to suggest it could be an embedded confession. But is this not just repeating what the police told him?
"telling me I WAS LYING anout things"
Do you feel this could be reflective language rather than an embedded confession? He is repeating what they told him.

Charlotte said...

Are we picking on children now? This young boy has lost his two parents, and is most likely terrified about what is happening to them and himself.

He loves them, even if it is hard to fathom for some.

You should be ashamed of yourself!

Annonymous17 said...

Anonymous @ 11;54, these adults ALLOWED these children to be interviewed by a reporter, which to me is proof alone that they don't have their best interests at heart, and minimizing murder and having a victim mentality because the public doesn't like your family just adds to the proof of how seriously dysfunctional their whole family is.

Annonymous17 said...

And to add to that, why is one cousin looking at a Facebook private room about Tammy Moorer in a room full of children? Why is their family exposing their children to this? Those children should not be sitting around in a room full of adults talking about the alleged crime. What irresponsibility and hypocrisy.

Anonymous said...

of course they are going to minimize. they believe she is innocent of murder. it's natural, not deceptive.

Anonymous said...

talking about the apple falling from the tree?? go pick on somebody your own size. this boy is not the enemy.

Anonymous said...

I'll never understand how the analysis on this case became so biased.
I respect everyone on here including Peter for being bright, creative and insightful. I appreciate the consistency and diligence of the statement analysis done by Peter and everyone else here, but this is the one case where I feel you guys have it wrong, blinders on, and the statement analysis done is biased. I don't believe it's intentional. But I notice SA rules being stretched to and sometimes beyond their limit to indicate guilt and lying and other SA rules being utterly ignored when there are indicators of extreme sensitivity from the wrong parties.

dadgum said...

Public service announcement: 'Horry County' is pronounced without the 'h'. "Orry County"

Please return to your activities.

Anonymous said...

Hog wash. Step 2 in sympathy garnering. I feel for the children but lets face it people, did they have a fighting chance with parents like that? Someone like Tammy Moorer, filled with such rage and hate, cannot hide it from the public. How is she expected to hide it from her children? Sidney Moorer was having affairs which took him away from his family. I am certain that the current situation is scary for the children but probably not anymore scary then what they unfortunately have already seen. Aunt Lisa should reach out to Cindy and George Anthony to discuss what type of life they SHOULD expect. Crime hurts every single person involved and associated with those that are/were victims or those that made the decision to participate.

SL

Anonymous said...

Annonymous17 said...
Anonymous @ 11;54, these adults ALLOWED these children to be interviewed by a reporter, which to me is proof alone that they don't have their best interests at heart, and minimizing murder and having a victim mentality because the public doesn't like your family just adds to the proof of how seriously dysfunctional their whole family is.

May 30, 2014 at 1:38 PM
-------------------------------

That adults in their life allowed them to be interviewed by a reporter doesn't make them fair game to be torn apart on Peter's -- or anyone else's -- bloogs. They are kids. Who love their parents, regardless. Who, at a minimum, want to believe that their parents could never do such a thing and probably do believe it. Can you blame those kids for wanting a bit of sympathy and support? I certainly can't.

Calif Anon said...

Anon at 2:58 pm, do or did your children have a fighting chance with a parent such as yourself? Don't judge someone just because they sin differently than you.

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 2:58, Just because someone has shitty parents doesn't mean they will turn out to be terrible people.
You wrote "Did they even have a fighting chance with parents like these?" Your equation is too simple that people turn out just as rotten as their parents. Sometimes people, miraculously, end up with good hearts despite horrible parents.

Anonymous said...

Terry Elvis

Tania Cadogan said...

public announcer 'Gum

I have a question.

Why do you drop the H when you say herb as in the plant?
'Erb sounds comical. is it going the way of the U i wonder?

Why not 'ospital rather than hospital, 'orse instead of horse, 'ouse instead of house?

Enquiring hob pixels need to know.

Ta :)

Anonymous said...

John, if you're reading on here, could you possibly do a body language analysis of the picture of Tammy posted at the top of this blog post? Thanks, I am curious.

Anonymous said...

Hobnob,

Did you know in Middle English, the language of Chaucer, ALL silent letters were actually pronounced, so, for example, in a word like "knighte" it would be pronounced ka-nikt-ah". The silent k and silent e are both pronounced. The "gh" is pronounced as a "k".
Forgive me, it is one of the few times I get to share one of the useless facts in my head :)

Kellie said...

Isn't that funny dadgum! Growing up, I spent a lot of time at the beach. My grandparents always pronounced it OH REE county. At some point I got the idea it must be because it sounds naughty if pronounced as it's spelled.

And hobnob I bet you'd find this interesting. http://www.sciway.net/ccr/sc-pronunciations.html

Note that even this article does NOT tell us why to drop the H, but only to be CERTAIN to do it ;)

Anonymous said...

if you knew of the local IQ levels, you would understand that “She’s pregnant.” was not said in redundancy.

Anonymous said...


“There have been men with rifles standing across the road looking up here,” said 15-year-old Christian Moorer. “It’s hard to just live our lives knowing somebody out there is threatening to kill you.”

“They started off being nice,” he said. “Then they started telling me I was lying about things and I wasn’t. I was being very truthful with them.”

“I don’t understand how people can do this,” he said.

“Our family is sticking together,” he said quietly. “It’s tough when you hear and see these things about your parents and you never know when someone out there is going to try to kill you. But we’ll just keep praying. That’s all we can do.”

---------------

The Officers where toting rifles when they arrested the Moorers. There are photos and video of LE with rifles in the street in front of the Moorer home who where looking in the direction of the house. He was not lying about that. He is misleading people to believe it was unknown possible assasins with his next statement.
"just live" - just?
"somebody out there" is backing up unknown possible assains.
"our lives" becomes "kill you", should be "kill us".

"very truthful" - very? a lie is a lie, there is no level of "very".
"can do this" distancing, is he not personally experiencing "this"?

"when you hear, and you never, to kill you." you, he does not own it with "I".
switches to "we", just praying - just?
"That’s all we can do", there is something other than "all" that could be done.
I doubt he is praying, but at least he isn't threatening the people who have done him and his family wrong.

Anonymous said...

The 15 year old is a MINOR. Not yet an adult. My nephew (15) does not elequently phrase his statemens either.

Was this minor interviewed by a reporter, camera and microphone? Throw nervousness, insecurity and lack of public speaking into the mix with the grief this child has been living with.

Anonymous said...

I don't think it was meant to imply that the kids would automatically turn out rotten, but that the kids' well being, at least emotionally, never had a chance.

There are definitely kids from rotten parents/homes who turn out fine.

Also though, I do feel bad for the kids. The adults did put them in this position.

Tania Cadogan said...

My englishness gave me away when i last invaded canada and america.

I said herb, tomahto, aypricot. peecan and ate my pizza and a very large burger with a knife and fork, causing much amusement in denny's ( well that and the fact i had the whole place playing creamer volleyball and table ice hockey due to it being the olympics.

I love how words sound, some roll off the tongue, others make you feel or hear what the word means, some make you amile others make you shiver.
I especially love nonsense words, local dialect words and some of the really olde worlde words.

Kellie said...

lol @ Hobnob. A fellow logophile!

Aypricot and peecan are actually quite southern! It fascinates me how much of the southern dialect and accent (that many criticize harshly) is actually rooted in old scot and english. LOADS of Scot-Irish around these parts :-D

John Mc Gowan said...

I understand that Heather's parents and family are going through hell not knowing where their daughter is. I think we should also take into consideration what the Moorers extended family may be going through. What they have done, and yes i didn't name them, because i don't think they deserve a title, and i hope they get the full force of the judiciary system. But, if we want justice for Heather's killers, we should also not justify a lynch mob, towards the Moorer family.


Two wrongs do not make a right. Yes, put them in the chair if they are found guilty, geez, i will pull the switch myself. Again, i say but, not to refute my previous statement, but, it is not right for a family to suffer a negative legacy when it has nothing directly to do with them.

Fundamentally. Lets not tar everyone with the same brush.

Anonymous said...

I have enjoye learning about SA on this blog, and I appreciate the careful considerations Peter posts.

That said, I agree that doing analysis on a child who is clearly in a crisis situation is mean spirited and petty. If like to think this blog had a high standard.

Unknown said...

It's disappointing that the entire Moorer family lacks the good sense to remove these kids from the volatile situation created by their parents actions.

(Beginning with TM and SM when they were out of jail, and grandma, along with aunt/uncles presently.)

These kids were dragged to their parents bond hearing/arraignment, and allowed to participate in this 'our life is miserable' family meeting, where they were also allowed to be interviewed!

It's obvious the kids wellbeing comes LAST in this family. If they think that the kids presence will somehow benefit them, then consequences be damned. I can only imagine how these kids felt hearing the details of what their mom and Dad are accused of doing, then being made into props for the media...not to mention what they are likely enduring from their peers at school.

Annonymous17 said...

Jen Ow put it so eloquently, and better than I did originally.

Anon at 3:09 a.m., I was not being critical of the children, but critical of the adults who allowed them to be interviewed and made a part of the situation. That is not being a responsible adult, and I will judge them here if I please.

Anonymous said...

I actually have no problem with Peter doing analysis on this kid's statements if it helps get to the truth. After all, they were published in a newspaper. But please, when doing the SA on this kid, do not confuse reflective language with an embedded confession.
I don't see any indicators the kid is lying. The ONLY thing I find to be sensitive is the "very truthful". However, by itself, it doesn't carry much weight in my opinion.

dadgum said...

@Kellie
Scotland County, many Scot surnames, Presbyterian churches...and sheep.
I am never sure how to say 'pecan', I do have a bunch of pecan trees though lolol

Anonymous said...

I find it curious that so many of those commenting here assume this analysis equates to somehow violating or picking on this child. Law enforcement stated on the record that the children were extensively questioned and were obviously coached. Then, here we have direct quotes from one of the children, ALLOWED BY AND IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS FAMILY, that go out to the public. It is copied here with, in my opinion, VERY LITTLE ANALYSIS and certainly no malice. What is the problem? Feeling sorry for these children is completely separate from and irrelevant to this post. One does not negate the other.

And on a side note, @ anon. 5:22. Quite unnecessary. I was a 5th generation native of Horry County and somehow managed to be blessed with a relatively high I.Q., as were many people I know. After moving to the largest city in the US as soon as possible after college, partly to get away from those 'backwoods', I learned rather quickly that rampant stupidity is everywhere you turn.

Kellie said...

dadgum it's a SMALL world!!! I was born and raised right next door to you in Richmond Co. :D

Kellie said...

PS dadgum, You can call it whatever you like, Pee Can or Pee Con or Puhcon. Just be sure to call me when you put them in a pie. lol

ima.grandma said...

anon@4:17 - well said! Thanks for sharing your tale of insight and revelation. You speak for many others coming from small time communities.

It is a sad truth I imagine you realized through personal growth.:

"...I learned rather quickly that rampant stupidity is everywhere you turn."

dadgum said...

Kelli..I am in Stanly Co, actually..my first granddaughter was born in Lumberton, and daughter attended Pembroke. :) Love it here..came by way of SoCal (after 30+ years we are still outsiders, lolol) Smoking chicken today, made my own BBQ sauce, and yes..pecan pie. Come on over!! (park by the barn in the bottom pasture, beside the henhouse)

~mj said...

I long to hear (see) the family of the accused (this case, TM's mom, etc) to say something similar to this:

"I do not believe my daughter is capable of murder and I look forward to the courts bringing justice to my family. What I'd like to see right now though, is the harrasement to stop!"

I'm sick and tired of these families getting on a dang soap box, undermining the police, making ignorant 'innocence beyond all else' comments, and basically adding weight to negative public opinions of their child.

No balanced person wants to believe their child is capable of murder, I get that. If my child were ever accused, I'd focus on responsibility to moral and societal obligations and get them telling any and everything they know. If in the end, my child was clearly responsible, I would support him or her. I would, but I also would support our societies way of handling that crime and be clear with my child, that while I love them, they need to saddle up and take responsibility.

If I felt my child was wrongfully accused, I would keep fighting - in the court room. Not blasting my misery via my grandkids through the media, effectively polluting the possible jury pool that I would need to be relying on to get my child cleared. Ugh.

rob said...

The children are being used by the family to garner sympathy.
LE said after the interviews with them that they were heavily coached.
If anyone in that family cared about these children, they would be out of sight and not giving interviews.

Statement Analysis Blog said...

rob wrote, "the children are being used by the family to garner sympathy"---

This is a conclusion.

Had I done a full analysis report, this would have been my conclusion.

In fact, without knowing, but only guessing, in a report I would likely have learned that the teen entered into a specific adult's language and parroted back what he had heard.

As to the gun and threat: the teen does not believe it.

As to being hassled, or uncomfortable, he believes it.

Good post, rob.

Peter

Statement Analysis Blog said...

PS:

The family does not care about them, but are deliberately putting them "out there" in a thin attempt to change public perception.

rob said...

I'm here in SC. On my last trip to the beach in April, I did a drive by of their home and the boat landing. I feel like when this gets to court, the survailance camera footage will show a truck going into the landing with an empty bed and coming out with something or someone rolled up in a carpet or tarp. Everybody in the beach area is touchy on this subject, and I didn't encounter anyone, who cared to state an opinion, that thought the Moorers were innocent or that Heather was still alive.

Nic said...

Christian said on the night that police say Elvis was murdered, he never heard his parents leave the house or any other noises.

If the parents never left, what "other" noises would there be? Fighting? A stranger's voice? I'd be sure to find out what Christian meant by "other noises" they would expect to maybe hear.



This is not to say that she is innocent as the article says.

Or that the forensic evidence found was (stupid) Sidney's, i.e., so lying by omission as they were together.

Anonymous said...

"Christian said on the night that police say Elvis was murdered, he never heard his parents leave the house or any other noises".

And yet, by their own admission, his parents DID leave the house, to go to several places where they have been charged with indecent exposure. It is quite possible that if Christian said that he did not hear his parents leave, and the police said that his parents admitted to leaving, Christian thought this meant the police thought he was lying, even if the police didn't say that. If so, you would think the adults in his life would set him straight.

“Our family shouldn’t have to live in fear just because the police say Tammy and Sidney did something,"
Why not “Our family shouldn’t have to live in fear just because Tammy and Sidney are accused of something". Instead, they she tries to push it off on "the police say", implying that the police have no evidence and are simply saying things about Tammy and Sidney.

And I don't understand why the cousin would go to a website that would have negative things about Tammy and Sidney if that kind of thing upsets her, much less tell their kids about it. It makes it seem staged.

Mary said...

John-

Good catch. The mom (grandma) even says the parents did "something." A shame, however, she neglects to say what she at least THINKS they did...gotta protect their (thug) own.