I feel that Parker is in the worst position of all...an adult who's life was formed by the Army and as an adult child of an alcoholic. When I watched Parker on the stand all I could see was a very guarded man. In the Army, and probably all branches of services, I only know about the Army...when you have a family member who is impaired by drug or alcohol addiction, you learn very quickly how to cover up. "Acting normal" becomes the new norm and the pressure is intense. Living on an Army base with a sick family member...especially an officer's family, it is like living under a microscope 24/7. I still have painful, painful memories of those years...stitched in along with the wonderful memories of traveling through Europe, bouncing back and forth, never settling in for very long. I do think he will be blamed by the defense and that, to me, is unfair. I think he lived through hell for a long time, probably much longer than he should have. I also think he probably realizes at night that he should have left her a long time ago and taken the kids with him. I don't think however, that he should shoulder the blame for his children dying on Jan. 27, 2011. That solely belongs to Julie, in my opinion. I am only sure of one thing...this trial has brought back all the painful memories of growing up with an alcoholic with a mental disorder, and the chaos that one person can create. What I saw on the stand was the designated rock of the family...what may have seemed uncaring to some, seemed like a blessing to me. That's why he was so close to those kids. He was the stabilizer in the family. He must feel so lost inside now.
This case has made me cry. It is too sad that Calyx and Beau could not outlive her. They really did seem like wonderful kids.