Human Predators Stalk Haiti's Vulnerable Kids

[pinkpuddytat]

I am a bit confused by this man's interview. He says that they only took children given to them by Orphanage Leaders. So who was the leader(s) and from what orphanage(s)? Also said regarding their supposed agency to agency quest for documents that he thought at least some of the documents had been prepared ahead of time, but he never saw any of the documents himself.

As the note he knows nothing about said, they were lied to. Silsby had at least one local man rounding up children, and with her volunteers ready to believe anything and everything she told them, it certainly wasn't difficult for her to point to a guy who'd just dropped off a bunch of children and tell her clueless crew that he's an "orphanage leader".

 

[truckbomb]

When one watches all three video interviews one comes away with a few thoughts.

First, the interview was not a journalistic triumph with all the softball questions being asked.

I would have asked, “Mr. McMullin, you were in the jail cell for at least several days with Silsby. You must have had an uneasy feeling after you realized after some time that the situation was more than a misunderstanding and that the documents were your salvation. Didn’t you ask Silsby at all whether she had them or where they were?

As for McMullin, he seems well into the Kool Aid. Even now he sees no fault in Silsby’s handling of the situation. McMullin has been in jail for three weeks under very adverse conditions and has no clue that anywhere in the world, even in Idaho, what they did in collecting the children could well sustain a charge of kidnapping.

I guess you have to be a cultist religious nut to tune out reality and common sense.

Take me to the Kool Aid Mr. Jones.

 

[i.b.nora]

Two Idaho missionaries react to NBC's interview with Laura Silsby

by Scott Evans
Idaho's NewsChannel 7
Posted on March 23, 2010 at 5:43 PM

"NewsChannel 7 talked with Corinna Lankford and Carla Thompson about Dr. Nancy Snyderman's interview with Laura Silsby.

Both say the interview was out of line and based not on the facts.

The women are referring to a part in the story where the NBC reporter asked Silsby for her reaction to the nine who no longer in jail are distancing them from her.

"Have those, here in Idaho, stepped back from Laura Silsby?” asked NewsChannel 7.

“No, absolutely not. We all still stand right beside Laura and support her in everything that she did and everything that's happening now. We're all right with you Laura," said Lankford.

"In a sense she implied that we were not standing behind her, and in fact we are standing behind her 100 percent," said Thompson."

more...

Thompson says they did a prayer service for her and Lankford goes on to say they have sent her several letters letting her know she has their support. They said they are frustrated at inaccuracies of reporting but that they are waiting for Silsby to get out and get home safely before they will comment or expound or tell their story.

 

[pinkpuddytat]

“No, absolutely not. We all still stand right beside Laura and support her in everything that she did and everything that's happening now. We're all right with you Laura," said Lankford.

"In a sense she implied that we were not standing behind her, and in fact we are standing behind her 100 percent," said Thompson."

more...

Thompson says they did a prayer service for her and Lankford goes on to say they have sent her several letters letting her know she has their support. They said they are frustrated at inaccuracies of reporting but that they are waiting for Silsby to get out and get home safely before they will comment or expound or tell their story.

Either these two are deep into the Kool-Aid too, or they're waiting until she's out to mention that she has their "support" in the same way they'd "support" anyone struggling with mental illness, addiction, etc.

These two WERE the only adults present besides Silsby and Coulter when one of them passed the note to an NBC News producer saying "We've been lied to", and listing the name of 8 of the arrested missionaries, while omitting Silsby's and Coulter's names. I don't believe for a second that 17 year old Nicole pulled that stunt by herself, without their knowledge and support, and signed Carla Thompson's name to it. Nor do I believe that an NBC News producer would have fabricated such a story and note (and if Lankford and Thompson want to claim he did, they should have made a public accusation to that effect a long time ago).

After hearing these two and McMullin give irrational interviews, I'm getting the sense that they may have been threatened, and/or warned that Silsby's life is in danger from the criminals she was mixed up with, and that speaking candidly about anything having to do with her Haiti/DR escapade could harm her chance of getting out of Haiti and back to the relative safety of the US. Even if they think she's a criminal and/or mentally ill, as devout Christians, they wouldn't want to do anything to hasten her death.

 

[Lambada]

Sorry for my absence - no internet for the last 27 hours (one of the joys of living in Paradise!).

I have just watched all 3 McMullin interviews and a couple of things struck me. He probably meant well BUT............my reaction is 'oh dear, oh dear, oh dear'. Not the sort of personality you want traipsing around a foreign country at a time of disaster (or possibly at any time!). Complete lack of streetsmarts, no curiosity, little self-responsibility. Lots of 'I don't know' responses, some where he clearly did know but looked off camera for guidance (was a lawyer present?) as to how to respond. When asked if the Haitian judge required his presence back in Haiti, would he go - did he actually say 'I don't know'? If I was the judge, I would find that disrespectful to the Haitian judiciary. McMullin seemed to be saying it would be up to the State Dept. Well, I'm sure they would advise BUT in the interests of being tactful, wouldn't you say 'Yes if the judge requires me back, I'm not going to become a fugitive from Haitian justice' (even if you didn't mean it).

And when they finally came out of Court knowing they were about to be released, someone explained the terms of the release 'in broken English' & McMullin didn't listen??? OK he has a hearing problem, but wouldn't you ask one of the other 8? Unbelievable. They might have been told they were being released without financial bond but on the understanding that they should return if required (I think I read that somewhere back when they were released) and NOW he says he 'doesn't know' whether he would go back or not?

Yes truckbomb I agree the journalist didn't zero in on some of the crucial questions but he did do quite a good job of letting the interviewee show us the type of person he was.............I mean for example the classic bit where McMullin said he hadn't realised when they got to the jail that they were there as inmates, so he started telling the Haitian inmates about the Lord because he thought he was there to minister. No wonder the Haitian prisoners initially said they didn't speak any English. Did you notice the discrepancies? First saying it was hard to make themselves understood because no-one had English & then later saying a lot of people had English so they had to be careful what they said.

I can imagine what the visiting US Consul said to his colleagues after visiting this person in jail .

Btw on Puello, El Salvador are asking for extradition, either under the 1933 convention signed by both countries or under the convention for international organised crime:
Dan a juez solicitud para extraditar a Torres Puello

Video here:

Fiscalía solicitó la extradición de Jorge Torres Puello

 

[jeff_jones]

More trouble in Idaho

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/03/25/1129686/silsbys-troubles-mount-at-home.html

-

 

[truckbomb]

From the Idaho Statesman

Also Wednesday, Gerald Husch, an attorney who has been representing Silsby and Personal Shopper in a suit filed by former employee Robin Oliver, was granted his motion to be removed as attorney for Silsby and her company. An affidavit filed in connection with Husch's motion said he's owed $19,000, according to Oliver's attorney, John Kluksdal.

Kluksdal said Silsby and Personal Shopper have 20 days after receiving notice of Husch's withdrawal to notify the court of their plans; if they do not, Kluksdal can file for a default judgment.

Good luck collecting your $19,000 legal fee from jailbird Silsby, Counselor Husch. Did your representation agreement call for a retainer? No? Because it is a Wage and Hour claim that triggers attorneys fees? And she hit numbers like $19,000 before you woke up that there nay be no assets left in the failed company? What woke you up, the news that your client was in a Haitian jail with a bunch of Looney Tunes like her that make the Beverly Hillbillies look like Rhodes Scholars?

Get in line with the others she bilked, Counselor. Not all is lost. Those other scammed creditors and you can use the default judgments as toilet paper.

 

[truckbomb]

Should have added above that attorneys fees awarded to Counselor if Silsby successfully defends Wage & Hour suit. He should have had a big retainer and, if he had one, hit her up for replenishment when she maxed it out.

 

[Lambada]

A bit more here about the investigation leading to the arrest of Jorge Puello - Interpol Washington, ICE & USMS International Investigations Branch plus law enforcement in DR, Haiti, Canada & El Salvador.

Adviser In Haitian Kidnapping Case Iced

 

[pinkpuddytat]

From the Idaho Statesman article:
And Silsby's ex-husband, Terry Silsby, has filed for sole custody of their 5-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son. In early March, he also asked the courts to demand an immediate return of his children's passports, require that Silsby obtain "medical clearance" before any contact with their children, and give him sole legal ability to make all educational decisions for the children.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/03/25/1129686/silsbys-troubles-mount-at-home.html

Interesting. Sounds like this was a formal petition to the court to require a psychiatric evaluation. Apparently it never happened (the requests were made *last* March, so possibly it did), but its probably a moot point now. Any psychiatrist looking at what this woman has been up to for the past few months would peg her as either a pathological liar, utterly out of touch with reality, or both. None of those reports to the court would support any unsupervised contact with the children, much less part-time custody. But the judge has the same access we do to all the media reports, and better access to formal records of US/Idaho court proceedings re her business fraud and Haitian court proceedings re her criminal escapade and imprisonment there, and isn't likely to see the need for a psych evaluation to back up a sole custody order for the father.

I really feel sorry for the kids, especially the 15 year old. The 5 year old is probably to young to really notice anything's wrong, but the 15 year old is at an age where he (and his friends) are certainly aware of *everything* that's been in the media, and the teen years are usually tough going even without this sort of mess as a backdrop.

 

[Lambada]

Jorge Puello has now been moved from the DNCD custody cells to the 'extraditables' part of Najayo jail (viz. still in the DR).
Envían a Najayo dos hombres solicitados en extradición

And I see from an El Salvador newspaper that the Minister of Justice there is saying that Puello was helped by ex-government functionaries from Migracion Dept. and Foreigners Ministry
Autoridades reportan 19 víctimas de trata de personas
which sort of mirrors some of the accusations being made about a government functionary in the DR.

 

[Lambada]

This from one of the DR newspapers tonight - looks like the US is also staking a claim on Jorge Torres Puello:
EE.UU. detalla historial acusado tráfico de personas

 

[pinkpuddytat]

This from one of the DR newspapers tonight - looks like the US is also staking a claim on Jorge Torres Puello:

He's a very popular fellow

 

[Belinda]

Hi All - I have been following this case closely on here and several other sites. What I'm wondering is if anyone has any additional information on the Pickett's? I wonder if they have filed a legal complaint of any kind? I also wonder if, at some point, Silsby will be charged for trying to snatch the Pickett kids. As she was unsuccessful, I don't know if they will bother.

 

[Lambada]

I recall a poster asking about John Duarte earlier in the thread.
Ontario priest gets 18 months for preying on Haitian youths

 

[Missizzy]

Lambada--It was me and I am appalled. This man, this priest, preyed on these young boys for years and single-handedly tainted a well-meaning charity (and squandered huge amounts of donated funds) for his own wicked desires. I was very disappointed.

I find it interesting that Duarte hid out in Puerto Plata until he was arrested and extradited. I find it hard to believe that he never ran into all our other players. From what I've read, he was a very brash and flashy guy. Thanks.

 

[Belinda]

Duarte got 18 months? 18 months for sexually abusing children? Really? This is a joke. So, I wonder how quickly he can resume his activities after prison. Why are these men continually let go with a slap on the wrist so they can continue to hurt children? I am so disgusted I could spit. This is insane. :banghead:

 

[Missizzy]

This article describes Duarte's dynamic personality and shows how he was able to garner the support he did. And it was a massive amount of support. He "could do no wrong" until he was exposed. He did some amazing acts of charity and seemed to work tirelessly. However, not one whit of this charity excuses his sexual abuse.


http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Win...+alleged+child+abuse+Haiti/2129327/story.html

"Duarte had been living in the impoverished village since October 2003, where he had been directing the affairs of the charitable group, which had built and was operating two schools, a health clinic and running a child and family sponsorship program.

The HTFH [Hearts Together for Haiti]leaders received information that parents were concerned Duarte was seducing adolescents in the community...."

and

"Duarte, his close-cropped hair dyed a brassy blonde at one time and sporting tattoos and a nipple ring, worked tirelessly for the poor in Haiti, according to charity workers."




http://www.windsorstar.com/entertai...te+sentenced+months+prison/2753172/story.html


"With time served since his arrest, Duarte is expected to be free in eight months.

When he delivered the sentence, Justice Bruce Thomas admonished Duarte's supporters in the courtroom for treating the case as if it were a "persecution" rarther than a prosecution....."


I find it very sad that the voices of the young boys and teens were not heard. So Duarte "saved the boys the heartache and pain of testifying". Right. He didn't want the parishioners to hear the details translated in open court. How do the boys get justice or closure? I wish an attorney would assist them in suing the charity so that they might receive therapy for their abuse. I've read that he had favorites and withheld food and shelter from those boys who refused his advances. He is truly evil. My guess is that Duarte will be trolling for boys in Canada the day he is released, which according the article will be around Christmas!!

 

[Lambada]

I find it interesting that Duarte hid out in Puerto Plata until he was arrested and extradited. I find it hard to believe that he never ran into all our other players. From what I've read, he was a very brash and flashy guy. Thanks.

He was apparently working as a dive instructor at one of the tourist hotels in Sosua when he was arrested. I started a thread on DR1 last October so you can trace the DR part from that
Canadian Missionary Arrested At Casa Marina

DR1 is upgrading today & will be on and off, the webmaster has posted, so if you can't access the thread, maybe try later.

 

[Melly53]

This article describes Duarte's dynamic personality and shows how he was able to garner the support he did. And it was a massive amount of support. He "could do no wrong" until he was exposed. He did some amazing acts of charity and seemed to work tirelessly. However, not one whit of this charity excuses his sexual abuse.


http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Win...+alleged+child+abuse+Haiti/2129327/story.html

"Duarte had been living in the impoverished village since October 2003, where he had been directing the affairs of the charitable group, which had built and was operating two schools, a health clinic and running a child and family sponsorship program.

The HTFH [Hearts Together for Haiti]leaders received information that parents were concerned Duarte was seducing adolescents in the community...."

and

"Duarte, his close-cropped hair dyed a brassy blonde at one time and sporting tattoos and a nipple ring, worked tirelessly for the poor in Haiti, according to charity workers."




http://www.windsorstar.com/entertai...te+sentenced+months+prison/2753172/story.html


"With time served since his arrest, Duarte is expected to be free in eight months.

When he delivered the sentence, Justice Bruce Thomas admonished Duarte's supporters in the courtroom for treating the case as if it were a "persecution" rarther than a prosecution....."


I find it very sad that the voices of the young boys and teens were not heard. So Duarte "saved the boys the heartache and pain of testifying". Right. He didn't want the parishioners to hear the details translated in open court. How do the boys get justice or closure? I wish an attorney would assist them in suing the charity so that they might receive therapy for their abuse. I've read that he had favorites and withheld food and shelter from those boys who refused his advances. He is truly evil. My guess is that Duarte will be trolling for boys in Canada the day he is released, which according the article will be around Christmas!!

12 charges and all he got was 18 months!?!?! UNBELIEVABLE!