WA WA - Sky Metalwala, 2, Bellevue, 6 Nov 2011 - # 4

[belimom]

As a mental health counselor, I'm starting to see some evidence of possible distortions in reality for JB. It's possible she had some kind of psychotic break -- can happen under times of extreme stress for people with pre-existing mental health vulnerabilities (i.e. an 11-hour "mediation" re: custody when you don't want to relinquish ANY custody to your ex is extremely stressful and can provoke underlying mental illness in people who are predisposed). She's not stupid, I don't think. So, to tell a tale of running out of gas and spending an hour walking half a mile to a gas station knowing you don't have the money to pay for any gas because you left your wallet at home -- AND your car has gas in it after all (!) -- smacks of being out of touch with reality. It just not the kind of tale someone who's in touch with reality and trying to cover up a crime would come up with. I think a switch got flipped during that mediation, she did something to Sky, and was too disorganized cognitively to come up with any believable explanation for what happened to him.

As a fellow mental health professional (psychologist), I agree. I think, though, that her story sounds believable *to her*. I think she did put thought into it, but due to being fairly reclusive, her perception of what is believable probably is a bit off base, IMO. (I don't know if I think she had a psychotic break or a neurotic one. I'm leaning toward the latter...? I don't think she's out of touch with reality but more out of touch with how she perceives others and how she perceives others to perceive *her*.)

I really hope they're watching her closely b/c I'm afraid she may try to harm herself. And then Sky may never be found.

 

[ClassyT]

As a fellow mental health professional (psychologist), I agree. I think, though, that her story sounds believable *to her*. I think she did put thought into it, but due to being fairly reclusive, her perception of what is believable probably is a bit off base, IMO. (I don't know if I think she had a psychotic break or a neurotic one. I'm leaning toward the latter...? I don't think she's out of touch with reality but more out of touch with her how she perceives others and how she perceives others to perceive *her*.)

I really hope they're watching her closely b/c I'm afraid she may try to harm herself. And then Sky may never be found.

She may have snapped but in all honesty there was a lot of thought put into it. Premeditation. Emailing friends, conveniently leaving a phone that could track her whereabouts and call for help.

 

[TheMothership]

I wonder if they found a stroller in her car? Just an insignificant thought in my head.

 

[HRCODEPINK]

She may have snapped but in all honesty there was a lot of thought put into it. Premeditation. Emailing friends, conveniently leaving a phone that could track her whereabouts and call for help.

Since first mention, my immediate thought was "She left her phone home. No ping report."

 

[Shelby2]

Is it true than that her FAMILY will not take a LDT either? I am hoping that maybe he is safe with someone in her family, perhaps she is/was planning on running away with the kids when the mediation did not turn out as expected? Implausible, but it's what I'm hoping, at least he'd be alive...

 

[HRCODEPINK]

Is it true than that her FAMILY will not take a LDT either? I am hoping that maybe he is safe with someone in her family, perhaps she is/was planning on running away with the kids when the mediation did not turn out as expected? Implausible, but it's what I'm hoping, at least he'd be alive...

I'm hoping for that too, but I am really worried that the family doesn't want to answer questions on a poly about her mental stability, if she has ever done anything that would be abuse, if she has ever expressed a possibility that she may harm (or even hide) the kids, etc.

 

[nothingnew]

So true, so true. My DH, retired LE, says no one should ever take a polygraph. He said they often make the innocent look guilty. They are not accurate or the courts would allow them in...MOO.

But we are talking about a "Mom" who supposedly does not know where her 2 year old sick son has spent the last 3, going on 4, nights. Who cares about "I might look guilty"-for goodness sake my baby is not with me, someone help me! She's not on trial for anything, her priority should be manning up and finding her son, not focusing on her image. jmo

They are allowed in court.
http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/admissability-of-polygraph-tests-in-court.html

 

[HRCODEPINK]

But we are talking about a "Mom" who supposedly does not know where her 2 year old sick son has spent the last 3, going on 4, nights. Who cares about "I might look guilty"-for goodness sake my baby is not with me, someone help me! She's not on trial for anything, her priority should be manning up and finding her son, not focusing on her image. jmo

They are allowed in court.
http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/admissability-of-polygraph-tests-in-court.html

Yes, they are allowed in court, but if someone is guilty, it rarely, if ever, gets in. Both sides must agree to allow it, and one side always wants it left out. But you are right, they can get in!

ETA: And being a legal studies major, I know why you wouldn't want to take one, but if it were my baby, it would be hard to stop me.

 

[ClassyT]

I think someone who has been so rabid in attacking her husband's character the past year and being the "good guy" would be the first to volunteer a LDT. If she has completely disconnected she believes her actions are true and proper. If in fact it all makes sense in her head she should have no problem with it. The fact that she wont says she knows its wrong and is quite sane...just terrible at coming up with a story. She might as well have said a dingo ate her baby.

 

[pferrin]

As a mental health counselor, I'm starting to see some evidence of possible distortions in reality for JB. It's possible she had some kind of psychotic break -- can happen under times of extreme stress for people with pre-existing mental health vulnerabilities (i.e. an 11-hour "mediation" re: custody when you don't want to relinquish ANY custody to your ex is extremely stressful and can provoke underlying mental illness in people who are predisposed). She's not stupid, I don't think. So, to tell a tale of running out of gas and spending an hour walking half a mile to a gas station knowing you don't have the money to pay for any gas because you left your wallet at home -- AND your car has gas in it after all (!) -- smacks of being out of touch with reality. It just not the kind of tale someone who's in touch with reality and trying to cover up a crime would come up with. I think a switch got flipped during that mediation, she did something to Sky, and was too disorganized cognitively to come up with any believable explanation for what happened to him.

How long does a psychotic episode last..what happens to the person after that?

 

[ThoughtFox]

The whole thing tonight about leaving the purse and phone at home, and above all leaving a sick child inside the car, just blew my mind.

The policeman talking to NG said she wasn't headed to the nearest hospital either - another red flag.

And I kept wondering why on earth she didn't ask her friend to drive by her car and check on her son? Am I missing something there? I also wonder if the friend who picked her up at the gas station drove past her car on the side of the road, or from another direction?

I've never quite heard anything like this, except on that show "I Shouldn't Be Alive" when it's life or death, and a parent has to decide whether to leave the family because they were frostbitten or were out of food. Gasoline doesn't seem like the same emergency.

And I have broken down with kids in the car before we had cellphones. And once my husband broke down on a freeway bridge with our four-year-old daughter inside. He was carrying her down a ramp and twisted his ankle but he kept walking till he got to a phone. And he never let go of our child, for heaven's sake!

 

[Shelby2]

I guess she didn't ask the friend to check on her son because she knew he wasn't there.

 

[ClassyT]

Andrea Yates had a psychotic episode. She called the cops and told them she did it. There was no hiding it, no story. Susan Smith had a story. Yates is crazy, Smith sucks at stories.

 

[fraudqueen]

But we are talking about a "Mom" who supposedly does not know where her 2 year old sick son has spent the last 3, going on 4, nights. Who cares about "I might look guilty"-for goodness sake my baby is not with me, someone help me! She's not on trial for anything, her priority should be manning up and finding her son, not focusing on her image. jmo

They are allowed in court.
http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/admissability-of-polygraph-tests-in-court.html

I understand what you are saying. However, say she hasn't done anything wrong and she takes the test, which shows she's not telling the truth, when she really is. Then the focus will not go where it should anyway.
I checked your link and it does say most states won't admit it. I live in Florida and they are not used in court here. I was only passing along advise from DH, who retired after 40 years as a detective and then police chief.
Didn't mean to upset anyone.

If my child were missing....I'd be lying in the middle of the street screaming for help.

MOO:innocent:

 

[jjenny]

Yep, if somebody tries to hide what they did, they know they did wrong.

 

[JeannaT]

I know everyone is aghast that she left her preschoolers home alone, but I have to add this. In my preschool playgroup there was this french woman married to a german guy, very upper middle class, their home was worth like, 450K.

Both very well educated. Both had masters degrees plus.

They would leave their kids alone, INEXPLICABLY. She'd go grocery shopping for an hour, etc., and she thought nothing of it. As a group of playgroup moms, we told her she would be charged with a jailable offense if she was caught doing this in the US, and it's DANGEROUS.

Just throwing that out. Some cultures think nothing of leaving their preschoolers without any supervision, oddly enough. : (

 

[ClassyT]

I know everyone is aghast that she left her preschoolers home alone, but I have to add this. In my preschool playgroup there was this french woman married to a german guy, very upper middle class, their home was worth like, 450K.

Both very well educated. Both had masters degrees plus.

They would leave their kids alone, INEXPLICABLY. She'd go grocery shopping for an hour, etc., and she thought nothing of it. As a group of playgroup moms, we told her she would be charged with a jailable offense if she was caught doing this in the US, and it's DANGEROUS.

Just throwing that out. Some cultures think nothing of leaving their preschoolers without any supervision, oddly enough. : (

Shes been charged with it before. She knew it was wrong. Its not a cultural difference.

 

[GingerRed]

I know everyone is aghast that she left her preschoolers home alone, but I have to add this. In my preschool playgroup there was this french woman married to a german guy, very upper middle class, their home was worth like, 450K.

Both very well educated. Both had masters degrees plus.

They would leave their kids alone, INEXPLICABLY. She'd go grocery shopping for an hour, etc., and she thought nothing of it. As a group of playgroup moms, we told her she would be charged with a jailable offense if she was caught doing this in the US, and it's DANGEROUS.

Just throwing that out. Some cultures think nothing of leaving their preschoolers without any supervision, oddly enough. : (

In this case I don't think it's "cultures". I know French people, German people and dozens from other European and Asian countries and they would be just as aghast as we are. This is a problem with certain people who lack common sense or protective instinct, IMO.

 

[Cubby]

Regarding not driving to the nearest hospital. That could be explainable depending on their health insurance. Most doctors are affiliated with a certain hospital. Most insurance providers require a person to choose a primary care physician or group of physicians. Depending on which physicians were chosen for her children and what type of insurance plan they had, she would have to take them to the hospital for which that physician was associated.

It is only when someone is uninsured they are required by law to go to the nearest ER.

Of course we don't know what their insurance situation is, nor do we know if she contacted a pediatrician before leaving Sunday morning.

I know when I thought my son ingested Excedrin when he was a baby, I had to call his primary to get the go ahead to go to ER and in our case this pediatrician was not associated with the nearest hospital. (fortunately he did not ingest any).

IMO it will be interesting to see if there was any contact with a pediatrician regarding this 'illness' mom alleges Sky had.

jmo

 

[JeannaT]

In this case I don't think it's "cultures". I know French people, German people and dozens from other European and Asian countries and they would be just as aghast as we are. This is a problem with certain people who lack common sense or protective instinct, IMO.

Ok. Well, you might want to read this article, about a couple who left their child in a stroller outside a restaurant while they ate in the US, as was a common Danish practice. They were a bit surprised that the US frowns on that behavior.

Cultural, it seems. Cultural, to supervise your kids.

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/14/n...ide-restaurant-is-returned-to-her-mother.html