Human Predators Stalk Haiti's Vulnerable Kids

[pinkpuddytat]

Haitian lawyer for jailed US missionaries fired

"The Haitian lawyer for 10 U.S. Baptists charged with child kidnapping tried to bribe the missionaries' way out of jail and has been fired, the attorney who hired him said Saturday night.

The Haitian lawyer, Edwin Coq, denied the allegation. He said the $60,000 he requested from the Americans' families was his fee.

Jorge Puello, the attorney in the neighboring Dominican Republic retained by relatives of the 10 American missionaries after their arrest last week, told The Associated Press that he fired Coq on Friday night. He had hired Coq to represent the detainees at Haitian legal proceedings."

I don't know if I believe this. Early on, Puello was just spouting the lies that Silsby had told him, all of which were soon discovered to be lies. Why the heck would he care if any of these people ever get out of jail? I think he doesn't want the Haitian lawyer getting any of the money the families cough up, because it'll just mean less for himself. These people don't need a Dominican lawyer right now anyway -- in fact I have a feeling none of them will ever be allowed into the Dominican Republic again.

And frankly, you'd have to pay me a lot more than $60,000 to defend any of these people (though of course, I'm not a Haitian living in Haiti with Haitian employment opportunities). I'm sure Coq is no saint, but I don't think Puello is either. And I still want to kiss Coq for shouting out the truth about Laura Silsby.

 

[pinkpuddytat]

Things spread pretty easily by internet and e-mail. I seem to recall that there were some family relationships between some of the people at different churches.

 

[songline]

Update on the jailed missionaries

Americans in Haiti jail:
‘We fear for our lives’

Feb 6
[ame="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/35273848#35273848"]msnbc.com Video Player[/ame]

 

[i.b.nora]

I think we have all been wondering how are these people all connected?

What I have determined is the following:

Laura Silsby, 40 Meridian, and Kuna, ID President of New Life Children's Refuge, Inc. Once employed by Hewlett Packard. Said to have begun attending Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian about 2 years ago.

Charisa Coulter, 24 Meridian, and Kuna, ID Personal Assistant and Live-in Nanny for Laura Silsby Vice President of New Life Children's Refuge, Inc. Said to have begun attending Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian about 2 years ago.

Notes:
• Laura's sister is listed as the third Board of Directors. She has a business in Kuna and likely knows the Coulters.
• Both Laura and Charisa are listed in the Incorporation papers in Idaho. They are listed as founders and as two of the three Board of Directors.
• According to Karl Penhaul of CNN who showed on TV the New Life Children's Refuge papers they applied for and issued in the Dominican Republic, six days after the earthquake, their intentions to run an orphanage and to do adoptions were outlined and both Laura and Charisa signed the papers.

Carla Thompson, 53, of Meridian, ID is listed as the Missions Coordinator for the Central Valley Baptist Church.
"God is our provider and God gives us strength and comfort," said group member Carla Thompson. "We are having a great time. We have our Bibles and we are OK."
Not sure if she is somehow related to Paul Thompson, or not.

Corinna R. Lankford, 43, Mother of Nicole
Corinna along with her daughter Nicole and Carla Thompson, went on a Central Valley Baptist sponsored mission to Ecuador in July - August 2009.
Her husband Sean Lankford works for Hewlett Packard as a Business Applications Developer. He has been interviewed in the media.

Nicole Lankford 18, Middleton, ID Daughter of Corinna

and

Paul Thompson, 44 Twin Falls, ID Originally from Amarillo, TX Became Pastor of Eastside Baptist Church, June 2001.
Might be related to Carla Thompson.

Jim Allen, 47 from Amarillo, TX He is a cousin of Paul Thompson.

Drew Culborth, 34 Topeka, KS A fireman and a youth pastor at Bethel Baptist Church, Topeka, KS. His sister Renee is married to Paul Thompson.

Silas Thompson, 19 Twin Falls, ID Son of Paul Thompson

Steve McMullen, 56, of Twin Falls, ID A member of the Eastside Baptist Church.

Note: There is a Steve McMullen of Meridian, ID who in a WSJ article was said to be a longtime friend of Laura Sander Silsby's family, meaning the Sanders family of Buhl, and Twin Falls. I theorize that he is the son of the Steve McMullen that is one of the accused kidnappers.

I don't generally bump my own posts but for the benefit of MissIzzy especially, you really need to actually read the above post. You are spinning out of control and making me dizzy, Izzy.

Two groups of people: One group associated with the Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho; the second associated with the Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho.
The two locations are about 137 miles away from each other – about 2 hours 12 mins driving time.
Laura's parents are in the Twin Falls area.

 

[pinkpuddytat]

Songline: What's the date on that? It doesn't sound like it's from the past day or two. If it is, MSNBC is dangerously clueless. There's not even a hint in that report that Silsby's knowledge and intentions may have been different from those of others in the group.

 

[i.b.nora]

Pink — Thanks for the link to the Richard Pickett story. He was on Anderson Cooper 360 the other night and I meant to follow up and forgot until I saw your link to the news article.

Mostly I was wondering how Laura Silsby had glommed onto he and his wife so when I googled tonight I realized he had been talking online about Haiti and adoptions for a long time. Oh, and he praises God alot too, so Laura might have seen it as a natural fit.
His website is: http://www.myhaitianadoption.org/

 

[i.b.nora]

The songline link I click on goes to the Sarah Palin speech.

 

[i.b.nora]

"Coq orchestrated "some kind of extortion with government officials" that would have led to the release of nine of the 10 missionaries, Puello charged.

"He had some people inside the court that asked him for money, and he was part of this scheme," Puello said.

Coq denied the requested $60,000 payment amounted to a bribe.

"I have worked for 10 people for four days working all hours," he said. "Look at what hour I'm working now, responding to these calls. I have the right to this money."

On Friday, Coq had told the AP that he was working for no fee.

Puello said Coq initially requested $10,000 but kept asking for bigger and bigger amounts. He said that when Coq reached $60,000, he said he could guarantee it would lead to the Americans' release."

and

"Asked if Silsby had deceived the other nine Baptists by assuring them she had the proper papers, Puello said Saturday, "I believe that is true."

He referred further questions on that issue to Sean Lankford, also of Meridian and the husband and father of two of the jailed missionaries.

Reached by the AP on Saturday night, Lankford would not comment. "I don't have time right now to talk to you," he said.

NBC News reported Saturday that there are divisions within the jailed group.

It said some of the missionaries handed an NBC producer a note through bars of their holding cell earlier in the day that listed the names of all of them but Silsby and her former nanny and partner in the orphanage, Charisa Coulter.

"We only came as volunteers. We had nothing to do with any documents and have been lied to," NBC quoted the note as saying. "Please we fear our lives.""

This all sounds true to me.
Its an Associated Press article.

Haitian Lawyer for Jailed US Missionaries Fired

Haitian lawyer for 10 jailed US missionaries fired by lead attorney over alleged bribe plan
By FRANK BAJAK and MICHELLE FAUL Associated Press Writers
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti February 6, 2010 (AP)
The Associated Press

 

[pinkpuddytat]

Mostly I was wondering how Laura Silsby had glommed onto he and his wife so when I googled tonight I realized he had been talking online about Haiti and adoptions for a long time. Oh, and he praises God alot too, so Laura might have seen it as a natural fit.

It really seems like she was trolling the internet for victims.

 

[pinkpuddytat]

Coq may have been trying to "practice law" the normal way for Haiti. Under normal circumstances, paying bribes is probably the only way to get people out of jail and get charges dropped. But this case is too high profile. No matter how many people he paid off, and how high up the judicial ladder, the Prime Minister would block any release and/or charge-dropping that hadn't already been negotiated and agreed to with US officials. And I don't think any amount of money is going to get Silsby out any time soon. Keeping her in a Haitian jail for a nice long while is good PR for both Haiti and the US right now. Hillary Clinton would be happy to bribe Haiti to keep her, and is in a position to do just that.

 

[songline]

songline: What's the date on that? It doesn't sound like it's from the past day or two. If it is, msnbc is dangerously clueless. There's not even a hint in that report that silsby's knowledge and intentions may have been different from those of others in the group.

fixed. SORRY.
Yes I think there is. MSNBS just rolles on to the next video.

 

[songline]

the songline link i click on goes to the sarah palin speech.

FIXED...MSNBC seems to roll on to the next story...Sorry it must have done that.

 

[pinkpuddytat]

Two groups of people: One group associated with the West Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho; the second associated with the Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho.
The two locations are about 137 miles away from each other – about 2 hours 12 mins driving time. Laura's parents are in the Twin Falls area.

It's Central Valley, not West Valley, that Laura and Charisa.

 

[i.b.nora]

It's Central Valley, not West Valley, that Laura and Charisa.

You are absolutely correct, my mistake big time. Apologies.

 

[pinkpuddytat]

Lots more detail on the note that the jailed Americans passed to NBC: http://www.aolnews.com/world/articl...son-scribble-note-saying-were-afraid/19347793

I'm a bit perplexed though. It was passed to an NBC reporter today (Saturday) when he was meeting with all 10 jailed Americans at the jail. He says it lists (not signed by) 8 of them -- everybody except Silsby and Coulter. But my understanding was that the men were moved to a different prison after the hearing, so that the group would now be split over two jails. I guess maybe that changed back again, perhaps at the request of US officials, but I hadn't heard anything about it.

Two sides of the note are shown in the video, and I only see Carla Thompson's full name at the end. Looks like the others are just listed by first name on the other (first) side.

The reporter said that unlike with previous interviews at the jail, the guards wouldn't permit a camera this time. What's not clear is whether that was something the guards were insisting on their own initiative, or if they were enforcing a demand by Silsby or somebody else in the Haitian judicial system. The reporter says one (unidentitified) member of the group "slipped" a note to the NBC producer. Again, what's not clear is whether the need to covertly "slip" the note was because they were afraid the guards would stop it, or because they were afraid of Silsby trying to stop it or somehow retaliating if she knew they passed a note to the outside.

Seems to me US consular officials, who've said they've had unlimited access to the jailed Americans, should have been able to get this kind of information from the prisoners who wanted to get it out. Maybe they did, but the 8 are scared because they haven't seen any concrete action on it yet. I really expect that US officials will insist on re-interviewing each member of the group separately, and having the 8 physically separated from Silsby and Coulter in the jail if they request that. I know jail space is tight in Haiti these days, but if these 8, which include two teenagers, are scared of Silsby and feel they can't talk to a reporter when she's there, that's a huge problem. Since there was apparently no restriction by the guards on who was talking, I have to think the 8 are afraid of Silsby and Coulter, otherwise they'd just say whatever they wanted to the reporter and not bother with the slipping of the note.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

The crime happened in Haiti. Therefore they should be dealt with there and not in America.

Touche' - That's how I felt when the story broke. Since there is information pointing to illegal activities, I've changed my tune.
There is merit to my point though that this ongoing story is robbing the good guys from getting coverage. I hate it when the bad apple ruins the whole bushel. They're giving a bad name to Baptists as well.

 

[i.b.nora]

Assistance to U.S. Citizens Arrested Abroad

BACKGROUND: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. As our Country Specific Information explain, penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating the law, even unknowingly, may be expelled, fined, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs are strict, and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and fines. If arrested abroad, a citizen must go through the foreign legal process for being charged or indicted, prosecuted, possibly convicted and sentenced, and for any appeals process. Within this framework, U.S. consular officers provide a wide variety of services to U.S. citizens arrested abroad and their families.

A consular officer cannot:

* demand the immediate release of a U.S. citizen arrested abroad or otherwise cause the citizen to be released;
* represent a U.S. citizen at trial, give legal advice or pay legal fees and/or fines with U.S. Government funds.

Worth a read as to what services they might normally provide.

 

[Missizzy]

OK...real quickly...did I spin out of control? I thought I had it down but I totally apologize if I mixed something up. i.b.nora, I attached links to the Paul Thompson's church newsletter. His son and wife, Renee, attend there. Is the Eastside Baptist not the right church for him?

I didn't find much info on the Central Valley Church so I didn't link other than the list of people you placed there. Their pastor is Clint Henry and he seems to be distancing himself from the mess. I was merely trying to point out that Meridian/Caldwell/Middleton are relatively close to each other while Twin Falls is 135 miles away. I wondered how Silsby could have pulled both churches in. I think that Carla (possibly Paul Thompson's relative) might be the link. I admit, it's getting confusing as there's lots of junk links cashing in on the confusion.

I'm really sorry if I messed it up. Please don't ever hesitate to shut me down if I spin. That's what seizures do. I don't wish that on any of you. I'll check back in the morning and remove anything that I can't verify. Once again, my apologies.

 

[pinkpuddytat]

Assistance to U.S. Citizens Arrested Abroad

BACKGROUND: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. As our Country Specific Information explain, penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating the law, even unknowingly, may be expelled, fined, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs are strict, and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and fines. If arrested abroad, a citizen must go through the foreign legal process for being charged or indicted, prosecuted, possibly convicted and sentenced, and for any appeals process. Within this framework, U.S. consular officers provide a wide variety of services to U.S. citizens arrested abroad and their families.

A consular officer cannot:

* demand the immediate release of a U.S. citizen arrested abroad or otherwise cause the citizen to be released;
* represent a U.S. citizen at trial, give legal advice or pay legal fees and/or fines with U.S. Government funds.

Worth a read as to what services they might normally provide.

Yes, that's the *official* policy. This is what's put out for public consumption, so that U.S. citizens who get themselves into trouble can't demand these services, or sue because they didn't get them. However, the reality in most countries (and basically all countries that receive significant amounts of US aid) is that consular officers, or other US government personnel *can* in fact do all of these things except for formal legal representation at trial. It's a behind-the-scenes decision as to whether they actually will in any particular case.

My father was the Consul of US Consulate in Latin America for a couple of years while I was growing up. The range of his activities was often way beyond the official policy. On more than one occasion, we took short term custody of some drug-addled college-aged US citizen who'd gotten caught with drugs, and had them staying in our US government-owned official consular residence on the Consulate grounds for a day or two, after negotiating (read: "demanding") their release and promising to make sure they got the he!! out of the country promptly and without committing any more crimes. Under the laws of the country we were in, these idiots were subject to pre-trial detention, trial, conviction, and serious prison terms.

Plenty of US citizens arrested for drug possession or trafficking *were* left to face the full weight of local law enforcement completely on their own. It was generally a judgement call as to what sort of person it really was -- flaky hippies below a certain age were far more likely to get the "hand them over to us and we'll send them home to their parents" processing. No doubt some of the more serious criminals got negotiated out in trade deals, in exchange for some citizen of this country who was locked up in the US, and for whatever reason their home country wanted to bring them home to face some local justice or some undeserved local freedom.

The biggest factor in what our consular officials can *really* do is the underlying diplomatic relationship with the country in question. The biggest factor in what they *will* do within their range of "can dos" is the US government's perception of whether there's any good reason to do special favors for the citizen in question. I don't expect they'll find any reason to do special favors for Silsby. Her best hope of getting out is if the Haitian government begs us to take this criminally insane whackjob off their hands so they can concentrate their meager resources on reassembling their country.

 

[pinkpuddytat]

New bit of info this morning:

"December 2009 * Leaving the U.S.?
Silsby tells a Kuna retailer she soon would be leaving the country, according to the Wall Street Journal. A judge orders Silsby to hand over her two children's passports. "
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/1071122.html