GUILTY TX - Riley 'Baby Grace' Sawyers, 2, brutally murdered, Spring, 24 July 2007

[shopper]

I think registration "over there" is cut off because that sorry azz board may be closing. Courttv is changing its format at the beginning of the new year, from crime to reality tv, so the message boards may not last. There are some decent people there, but I hope the majority of them don't join here. Of course, the mods here won't put up with their crap so they may not want to join here anyway.

Anyway, I just posted something for those a-holes who were bashing Sheryl. It took me awhile to come up with something and even that didn't seem harsh enough. Really, what can you say to people like that? If they are that far gone from simple compassion, they are IMO a lost cause.

 

[Salem]

I'm so glad you said something! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: I really wanted to, but couldn't get in.

I'll go read it!

Salem

 

[interestedmom]

:clap: :dance: :clap: :dance: GOOD JOB SHOPPER!:clap: :clap:

 

[shopper]

:blushing: Ah, it was nothing. It was really the right thing to do, the family of Riley (other than her mother and stepfather) deserve and need all the support and compassion they can get. Although they shouldn't, I can imagine they are just wrought with guilt and I hate to see the blame on them.

Sheryl thanked me for my pm and I gave her a link directly to this thread, so hopefully we'll see her soon.

 

[Salem]

Okay - I have to get off of here! I'm crying again. This poor baby and her family.

Shopper - thank you for your post on CourtTV and you to Bobbisangel. I had no idea about your daughter. Please accept my most heartfelt hugs.

Enough for me today!

Salem

 

[paddy01]

For those of you who would like to make a statement regarding tougher sentencing and laws, a fellow WS'er took a letter I wrote to my area Congressmen and turned it into a petition at the petition site. Here is the link if you are interested-I think the Child Safety Act has been effectively buried, and perhaps there is still a way to reach our leaders-I think 10K signatures will get the petition before decision makers.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/the-children-need-us

believe, thanks so much. Somebody has to be the voice for these children.

 

[Taximom]

I am so sorry to hear this about Sheryl and CTV. I never understood why people stay there as it requires a certain personality. I'm very thankful to WS, and great mods too. Sheryl will find much compassion here.

 

[paddy01]

OMG! The website that Shopper provided is absolutely awful......(not meaning anythign towards you shopper) but some of the people on there are absolutely heartless, it seems. My goodness! I am used ot being on here where every one speaks their mind, everyone is very open adn honest, and to go on there where it seems there is no heart or understanding, it just hurts my heart. Some people just don't have the understanding as all of us on WS. I really do hope that Sheryl does come join all of us if this is what it takes for her to grieve. I felt really bad for her and the things that were said towards her on the court tv website/forum. ugh!

ITA, I'm sure glad I didn't find that website before I found WS. I feel comfortable here, not afraid to say what I think and feel! Thank you all.

 

[GrandmaSheryl]

Texana,

I couldn't link your post to add something to it, but here goes. I remembered reading about the custody situation, but originally couldn't find it. I went back through the posts and found it this morning. I tried to find anything online at the Painesville, OH records site, but I don't think they have family court cases listed. The only thing I found listed was Robert Sawyers driving without a license back in 1997.

Here's the paragraph I was talking about:

Reports came through friends and relatives that Trenor had left for Pennsylvania and Maryland. But no address for the two could be found until months after Trenor filed for a Texas driver's license on June 15, 2007.

DePledge said a court order was requested to bring the mother and child back from Texas but it was dismissed because Trenor had primary custody.

As the noncustodial parent, Sawyers had no right to demand the return of his child to Ohio.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5327597.html

OK, here's what ticks me off royally. Having been through the whole Family Court fiasco myself, I know that in order to have "secondary" custody, you have to have joint custody in the first place. If I'd seen where she had "sole" custody, it would have meant that he had no rights.

There was a visitation order in place, and the "mother" chose to ignore it. Robert jumped through the hoops and went to the anger management class and was doing everything by the book to ensure having Riley in his life. And to make this stink even more, because an address couldn't be found for this woman so that she could be served papers, it was allowed to go on even longer.

My thought? If a judge had perked up his ears at this point and found her guilty of violating the custody order by not having Riley presented to him for visitation, maybe she'd still be alive. Instead, they chose the "oh well" alternative. This father had rights, and they weren't addressed.

Unfortunately for a lot of cases, once a person moves away it creates a "status quo" in the child's life, and the parent that didn't run off is the one that ends up getting punished. And we all know who got the ultimate punishment in this case.

Texana, thanks for caring so much about Riley. I've seen your posts all over this thread along with others, and I keep thinking . . . the wish that Riley had received this much support from "strangers" when she was still able to be saved.

FLMOM exactly what I thought, that if the judge had acted right away we would not be here today, but unfortunately I was told by our attorney that she has a right to defend herself and without being served she did not know about the court date therefore we had to get her served. I said the judge should issue an arrest warrant because she has violated the court order for visitation and when they arrest her she can come to court and defend herself. The laws have to be changed. Non custodial parents have no rights even if granted visitation. Now if he were not paying his child support all she would have to do is pick up the phone, and they would go after him, but she does not let him see Riley, and we call the courts and there response, "Do you have an attorney?" Why should we need an attorney to inforce their visitation order? Sorry this whole thing makes me sick. And her father ought to be facing charges for lying to us, but he won't. I just hope he knows that by lying to us, he contributed to the death of his granddaughter and I hope it haunts him the rest of his life. And I want to thank everyone here for their love and devotion to my granddaughter. I was referred to this site, and glad I came. Much Love Rileys Grandma Sheryl :blowkiss:

 

[GrandmaSheryl]

Okay, here is my first shot at a timeline. Please add or correct any information!

March 2005 - Riley Ann Sawyers is born to Robert Sawyers and Kimberly Dawn Trenor - For two years the couple and their daughter live with Robert's parents in Mentor, Ohio

March 29, 2007 - Kimberly and Robert have a dispute and domestic violence charges are filed against Robert

April 13, 2007 - Robert completes anger management courses and moves out of his parent's home

May 23, 2007 - Kimberly Trenor is named primary custodial parent of Riley

June 2007 - Kimberly (19) takes Riley and moves to Texas to marry/or live (I'm not sure it's been confirmed that they are married) Royce Clyde Zeigler (24), whom she met on an internet gaming site.

June 15, 2007 - Sawyers family is searching for Trenor and Riley. They find out they are in Texas when Kimberly applies for a Texas driver's license on this date.

July 24, 2007 - Royce stays home from work to make sure Kimberly enforces his "discipline plan" on Riley.

October 29, 2007 - The body of a small child is found in a storage bin on a sandbar near Galveston Bay. She is named Baby Grace.

November 7, 2007 – Sheryl Sawyers phones Galveston, Texas authorities to say the sketch of “Baby Grace” resembles her granddaughter, Riley.

November 11, 2007 – Stories surface about a missing toddler from Spring, Texas matching Baby Grace’s description.

November 20, 2007 – Galveston authorities announce a $20,000 reward for information about Baby Grace.

November 24, 2007 – Baby Grace is tentatively identified as Riley Ann Sawyers. Kimberly Dawn Trenor and Royce Clyde Zeigler are arrested. Kimberly gives a statement that she and Royce beat Riley with leather belts, held her head under cold water, Royce picked Riley up by her hair and threw her against a wall (or tile floor), then gave her children’s pain medication. They shoved her face in to a pillow and a couch. They then went to a local Wal-Mart and shopped for items including a blue storage bin that they stored Riley’s body in for approximately 2 months. It’s not clear on what day she and Zeigler threw Riley’s body in to the Galveston Bay.


Let it be noted that Trenor is also pregnant at this time, presumably Zeigler is the father and the child was conceived after Riley's death. :furious:

I have to add that I started to feel rage again while I was typing this out. :furious:

NewMom2003 just a few things to add/change in the timeline

Oct 2006 - Kim Trenor breaks off relationship with Robert Sawyers but continues to live in Sawyers home.

May 29, 2007 - Trenor and Ziegler apply for marriage license.

June 1, 2007 - Trenor and Ziegler are married.

June 6, 2007 - Trenor appears at Lake County Human Services for child support hearing.

June 2007 - Sawyers hire attorney Laure Depledge and file motion with Lake county domestic relations court.

Aug 29, 2007 - Sawyers and attorney learn that Kimberly is living in Spring, Tx. (she applied for Tx. drivers license on July 23- 1 day before the murder.)

Sorry couldn't remember exact date for some of the events. All things seem to have happened ages ago. Sometimes feels like a horrible nightmare that I keep hoping I will wake up from.

 

[GrandmaSheryl]

Thank you to everyone here for the well wishes to myself and my family. I have read every post here and will say that not one has made me want to lash out to defend myself or my son, and that is because no one here has given me reason to. Thank you shopper for the invite to this site. You are right that it is a much different site than the other and I think I shall not visit the other anymore except to invite a few of the good people I did meet there to join us here. Thanks again. Much Love to You All. Sheryl Sawyers

 

[SadieMae]

Thank you for joining WS Grandma Sheryl and welcome!! :blowkiss:

 

[Salem]

And her father ought to be facing charges for lying to us, but he won't. I just hope he knows that by lying to us, he contributed to the death of his granddaughter and I hope it haunts him the rest of his life. And I want to thank everyone here for their love and devotion to my granddaughter. I was referred to this site, and glad I came. Much Love Rileys Grandma Sheryl :blowkiss:

Sheryl - I shortened your post, just to save space. Hope you don't mind. I know it is much to early to even begin to think about this, and I hope I am not out of line here, but there is no reason why your son can not file a wrongful death suit against Kim and her father, and anyone else that failed to follow through on any complaints that your son or yourself made regarding Kim's keeping Riley from her visitation with her dad.

My understanding is that your son had a court order allowing for visitation. If your son ever complained to the police department or social services about Kim's failure to ensure Riley was where she was supposed to be for visitation, I would name them in the suit also.

My heart goes out to you and your son. Lots of hugs and prayers for you.

Salem

 

[Bobbisangel]

FLMOM exactly what I thought, that if the judge had acted right away we would not be here today, but unfortunately I was told by our attorney that she has a right to defend herself and without being served she did not know about the court date therefore we had to get her served. I said the judge should issue an arrest warrant because she has violated the court order for visitation and when they arrest her she can come to court and defend herself. The laws have to be changed. Non custodial parents have no rights even if granted visitation. Now if he were not paying his child support all she would have to do is pick up the phone, and they would go after him, but she does not let him see Riley, and we call the courts and there response, "Do you have an attorney?" Why should we need an attorney to inforce their visitation order? Sorry this whole thing makes me sick. And her father ought to be facing charges for lying to us, but he won't. I just hope he knows that by lying to us, he contributed to the death of his granddaughter and I hope it haunts him the rest of his life. And I want to thank everyone here for their love and devotion to my granddaughter. I was referred to this site, and glad I came. Much Love Rileys Grandma Sheryl :blowkiss:

Sheryl, I'm so glad that you came over here. Some of the people over on CTV are just unbelievable. If I could have reached through the monitor last night I would have just slapped one person in particuliar until she changed her attitude. Shame on her.

I can only imagine what you have gone through since finding out about Riley. Such a precious little one. It's just hard to understand why some things happen...the mother and stepfather....the grandparents not being more concerned and not being honest with you and your son and the way the judicial system is set up. You are right though...something needs to change within the system. The whole judicial system needs revamped. I guess the only way to do it is one step at a time. Other wise it can become just mind boggeling because so much is wrong.

My heart goes out to you and your son. My daughter was murdered when she was 25 and that was just a nightmare. To lose a little one to murder and the things that Riley went through would be even worse...I think. She was just a baby. Who in the world expects so much from a two yr old. I wish so much that you had found her and gotten her away from her monster mother. I know that baby was your heart. I can tell that just from the things you have said. I honestly hope that those two get the death penalty because they deserve nothing less. That mother could have taken Riley and left any time when that stepdad was at work. She didn't want to leave him. She made the decision to allow him to abuse Riley and she made the choice to join in. Now she has to pay for those choices. I won't shed a tear for her but Riley breaks my heart. God bless you Sheryl. You are very welcome here.

 

[believe09]

Dear GrandmaSheryl-Welcome! I hope you understand the diligence and love that went into the searches for the identity of your granddaughter when she was yet unidentified, and how most of the sleuthers here knew that there would be someone pining for the little lost soul who was found in Galveston. My heart aches completely for you and your family-I understand intimately the challenges of the family court system and how out of date it is when it comes to issues regarding non traditional family members and custody. You worked within it; you and your son cannot reproach yourselves. When the time comes, perhaps you and he can be a voice for change.

 

[paddy01]

Thank you to everyone here for the well wishes to myself and my family. I have read every post here and will say that not one has made me want to lash out to defend myself or my son, and that is because no one here has given me reason to. Thank you shopper for the invite to this site. You are right that it is a much different site than the other and I think I shall not visit the other anymore except to invite a few of the good people I did meet there to join us here. Thanks again. Much Love to You All. Sheryl Sawyers

Welcome GrandmaSheryl, I too am new here and like I said, I'm comfortable, not afraid to voice my opinion. I went to the courttv. website yesterday just to see for myself, and cause I'm nosey like that!
Was disgusted by what I read, the lack of compassion & empathy. It made me sad and angry. Once again welcome.

 

[interestedmom]

Welcome GrandmaSheryl! It's nice knowing you are here with all the compassionate sleuthers rather than some of the heartless people on CTV.
I want to express my deepest sympathies to you, your son and the rest of the family. Riley's story had me glued to the internet and tv before she was even identified. What a beautiful little girl. She is in her safe place now, out of harms way. I am so sorry for your loss. thanks for joining, I really hope that myself ,as well as the other sleuthers, are able to help you in some way with our kind words and symathy during this hard time you are going through. Continue being strong...... :blowkiss:

 

[Texana]

Grandma Sheryl, welcome. I am so sorry for your loss--words really don't even come close to expressing anything.

Did anyone post a link about the announcement that charges are being considered upgraded to capital murder?

Also, more about Zeigler's alleged childhood: One of his father's four ex-wives refuses to speak publicly from fear of retaliation from him. Another one is saying that the abusive behavior was exactly what she experienced from his father.

Very telling that one of Zeigler Senior's ex-wives will not talk publicly.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5369799.html

I hope the charges are upgraded, but the concern is getting a conviction, the DA stated.

 

[shopper]

Thank you to everyone here for the well wishes to myself and my family. I have read every post here and will say that not one has made me want to lash out to defend myself or my son, and that is because no one here has given me reason to. Thank you shopper for the invite to this site. You are right that it is a much different site than the other and I think I shall not visit the other anymore except to invite a few of the good people I did meet there to join us here. Thanks again. Much Love to You All. Sheryl Sawyers

You are so welcome Sheryl. It infuriated me to see people treating you so ugly over at that dump. The members of Websleuths are always so compassionate towards victims and their surviving family members. I really hope and honestly believe you will find support and comfort here. Most everyone here truly cares about justice. Of course, there are trolls here and there but they are dealt with swiftly.

I'm so glad you're here and hope to post with you often. :blowkiss:

 

[calidreamin]

Hi GrandmaSheryl I just wanted to welcome you to Websleuths and say how sorry I am about what was done to Riley. My prayers to you and your son. You will like it here, Websleuths is a very warm place, especialy when you are in such pain.