WA WA - Sky Metalwala, 2, Bellevue, 6 Nov 2011 - #12

[tlcya]

Terry said Biryokova's been able to convince courts that she's been healed even though she has mental issues, "She has OCD, she's been diagnosed as depressed, and also with bi-polar. It's a bad combination and it's a bad combination for someone that's compulsive to the Nth degree."

Now, Metalwala and Terry are working on lifting the restraining orders and going to court. Terry said they hope they can get Metalwala's 4-year-old daughter home with her dad by Christmas.

http://mynorthwest.com/108/581545/F...etalwala-says-he-believes-son-is-still-alive-

MOO, this man has been vilified by a mentally unstable, bitter, angry woman.

BBM I pray he is able to have his daughter by Christmas with psychological assistance available to M to ease the transition and help her heal whatever damage has been done to her little pysche by whatever has happened with Sky.

I can only pray that Sky did not suffer whatever fate awaited him while she was "in charge."

I cannot imagine what a heavy burden that would be to bear as a small child/big sissy

 

[Rougelatete]

Wow. JB had a GAF of 15 out of 100?! That's incredible. And they gave her full custody of the children?

http://www.krem.com/news/northwest-news/134334748.html

Here's the GAF scale, for those who are not familiar with it:

Global Assessment of Functioning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I hope there's a serious review of those responsible for her medical/psychiatric assessments as well as those involved in her parenting reviews....

Just to back up what I said above....found this article....

http://mynorthwest.com/108/581884/Missing-boys-mom-may-have-been-dangerous

Umm....she went from a 15 to a 40 in less than 4 days and they found that an appropriate amount of progress to release her to her children as primary provider? Even a 40 isn't great....

 

[Cubby]

I was reading some reviews of the Veloce apartments and a couple mentioned the noise level originating from outside of the building. Still, if it's so loud all the time, people may get used to tuning all noises out, even those of crying children.

The review below makes it sound like maybe the inside is noisy too...

In this building, I think outside noises might be normal due to it's location. It appears to be a fairly busy street, location as opposed to a quieter SF residential area.

What I was thinking was more along the lines of hearing ones neighbors while inside the unit with the door and windows closed. I can hear a lot of things in the units adjacent to mine, such as children crying, cabinets closing, vacuum cleaners and the spin cycle of a washing machine, but I am also in a building several decades old. It's not horribly loud or disturbing but I hear it.

I'm really curious about soundproofing between the units.

 

[pdxmama]

Like Julia, I am a single mom. Mine is 9 and I hear the same questions when I am out without my child. Where is Name? He's usually at grandma's or his dads, or even out with grandpa when not with me, but people ALWAYS ask. Especially those stores (7-11, the gas station) that I am a 'regular'.

Maybe Julia avoided shopping anywhere regularly to avoid the questions about her children?

Also, when living in a high rise apartment building (years ago) and even now in a TH, I routinely see the neighbors. When living in a high rise, if not in the hallway or elevator, often in the lobby while people were getting their mail or waiting for the elevator in the lobby.

I really don't understand how she avoided people so much. Heck, even if she ordered out and had delivery, wouldn't the delivery person see the kids? Or at least hear them?

I'd like to know when she stopped attending church, if no one from church has seen her or the children either. Especially since people at church are almost always eager to volunteer giving someone rides (or babysit for things like mediation), especially a single mom with young kids and no access to transportation.

The above tells me society really isn't there yet to recognize the signs of how mental illness can really endanger children, especially when untreated.

BBM - I know! Especially not having a car. That makes any out of the home activity pretty public: taking a cab, riding the bus, picking up a car at the rental car office...yet no one has seen this kid.

 

[ingra1327]

raw interview with SM http://www.king5.com/video/featured...etalwala-on-Skys-disappearance-134333408.html

Some questions and Solomon's answers from the raw interview, some paraphrased:

About the email where Julia called SM a sadistic Pakistani Muslim:
SM: She still is just lashing out in anger. And... you don't really think when you are angry. So it would be lashing out in anger.

SM: I was really surprised about that comment, especially the Pakistani Muslim. We both went to church together. We're moving from what is the main reason why we are on TV which is to promote Sky's araweness. For her to take a cheap shot to me that's so unrelevant. (sic)

SM: I think she's angry and yeah, it's, like I'm trying to use all my energy and there's not too much, I might have to say, but I'm trying to focus on the prize and the prize is getting Sky back home. I'm trying to do everything I can, it only takes one person...and that's what I'm hoping for that person to come forward.

SM: I really believe the BPD and FBI from what they have in their hands, they're doing a wonderful job. I 100% believe they're doing a wonderful job.

Q: At the press conferences we had a hard time understanding why theyweren't harder on Julia.
SM: Well, you know we all have our own jobs that we do, like this is your job, you ask me questions, I'm sure you went to school for this, and you've been doing it for a long time. Same as the police officers and FBI, they have gone to school. Their passion is to go and do what they're doing today. I have a passion for all my customers that come to my store. I love to greet then, I love to help them. It's my passion. I really believe they're very passionate of bringing Sky back.

Q: I'm curious...do you remember what your last memory of Sky?
SM: Yeah, of course, well it was M and Sky, they were in the back seat. This was the second last time, is that okay? It was such a cool moment. M and Sky are in the back and I'm driving and M starts to scream and Sky does the same thing, then M does it a little louder, the Sky a little louder, then a third time then they laugh and laugh. It was so cool to see a brother and sister working together, laughing wise. Just on their own. I was just looking, not looking, I was driving, but here and (points to his head).

Q: What was it like (not seeing your kids)
SM: I had to, what I believe is, God can do anything. He is the most powerful thing there is and if there's something that happens in a situation, if you're praying about something and it's not happening. There's something in the middle that God wants you to do, with you, around you,I don't know what. When I saw the doors were closing on me and I go, ok, I'm just going to trust you because you are my God. I'm going to trust you 100%, not 99.9%. And it was hard. I think about them all the time. When I thought about them I started to pray for them, I started to believe for them, to believe for their future. Take my thoughts and make them into prayer.

Q: Does M know that Sky is missing?
A: I don't know
Q: You... don't talk about it?
A: no, no

Q: You didn't get to see your kids for that long because of a custody dispute?
SM: Custody dispute and the way that Julia attacked me one error after the other. As soon as I took the error out, there was another whole...coming at me. With the court timing and rescheduling, it just came one after another.

About hearing Sky was missing
SM: It was beyond shock. Nothing in life will prepare you to hear your baby boy is missing. There's nothing to ever prepare you and how you're going to feel. I was so shocked and the police officer had to kind of say, you know what, I need to ask you a couple of questions, cause I was about to cry. He asked me where was I...

Q: the picture you paint to the court, J really needed some help. The morning that Sky disappeared, what did you think had happened to your son given all of that background?
SM: the first thought was always a...thought, that something had happened to Sky. You don't really understand what is going on. You're not able to process the words that you're actually hearing. And the first thing I did was I called my brother. Um, is that your question?
Q: Did you immediately think that Julia did something to Sky?
SM: ...It's not like I put the blame on somebody, my thought was..Sky is missing.
Q: Given what you know about Julia, we know about the OCD, bipolar, depressed...she had dreams about hurting him, so given all these things is it hard for you to think about that?
SM: I choose not to think that, because I need to still be here. If I let my thoughts run wild, it's very true, but I don't go there. I'm always a person who says, the cup is always over flowing, the cup is never half empty.

Q: A lot of the people who have met you and know about Julia...How did the two of you meet? I mean you obviously fell in love and gotten married.
SM: Its a very funny situation. I saw Julia at a gas station. And there's a place I go watch my car every week. And I was friendly with her and there was an attendant, we'd wash the car and say Hi Hello, and the attendant was talking to Julia. So I just gave her one of my cards, like a single guy should do with a beautiful woman. And she called me and she was very nice, very sweet...

 

[nursebeeme]

I would love to know what her current GAF is... (just curious)

 

[Cubby]

Terry said Biryokova's been able to convince courts that she's been healed even though she has mental issues, "She has OCD, she's been diagnosed as depressed, and also with bi-polar. It's a bad combination and it's a bad combination for someone that's compulsive to the Nth degree."

Now, Metalwala and Terry are working on lifting the restraining orders and going to court. Terry said they hope they can get Metalwala's 4-year-old daughter home with her dad by Christmas.

http://mynorthwest.com/108/581545/F...etalwala-says-he-believes-son-is-still-alive-

MOO, this man has been vilified by a mentally unstable, bitter, angry woman.

BBM I pray he is able to have his daughter by Christmas with psychological assistance available to M to ease the transition and help her heal whatever damage has been done to her little pysche by whatever has happened with Sky.

I can only pray that Sky did not suffer whatever fate awaited him while she was "in charge."

I cannot imagine what a heavy burden that would be to bear as a small child/big sissy

In a similiar case, with parental alienation, in which the mother finally lost parental rights entirely, the father has taken the child to counseling for the entire duration of the process. When mom was coaching the child to make false allegations, when mom lost primary custody and had limited supervised visitation. It's been years since the child saw mom, but the child is still in counseling.

Since it's been documented JB went to counseling or divorce and parenting classes, I tend to believe he will be more than willing to get M whatever counseling or therapy she needs. I also believe he will fully cooperate with routine well being checks from CPS if that is required during a transition period in which he has regained physical custody.

JMO

 

[duckgoesquack]

I was thinking maybe Julia sought legal advice after being caught shoplifting but that's not likely. Is he SM's divorce attorney? Could he have represented Julia's mother in her divorce?

If you look at the court history for their divorce

http://dw.courts.wa.gov/index.cfm?f...tClassCode=S&casekey=150460526&courtname=KING CO SUPERIOR CT

You will see that 1/2011 there was a "Notice Of Withdrawal Of Attorney "
Same day filed there is a declaration filed "Declaration Of Leslie Clay Terry "

so SM has a new divorce attorney (i think Terry mentioned his name in the interview)

 

[Rougelatete]

I would love to know what her current GAF is... (just curious)

Ooooh....tempting. I could hazard a guess but I think that would be outside my bounds, lol.

 

[stilettos]

Wow. JB had a GAF of 15 out of 100?! That's incredible. And they gave her full custody of the children?

http://www.krem.com/news/northwest-news/134334748.html

Here's the GAF scale, for those who are not familiar with it:

Global Assessment of Functioning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I hope there's a serious review of those responsible for her medical/psychiatric assessments as well as those involved in her parenting reviews....

That is un-filpping-believable!

 

[danisisa]

It seems odd to me how SM is so relaxed during the interview. If I was in the same situation, I would def be visibly upset. To me some things are not always what they appear to be. I feel for the kids in this dysfuntional situation and beg for whoever has Sky to return him and let the courts decide who is a better fit. Constantly running and hiding has got to suck and will not be worth it!!

 

[Camille]

Maybe I shouldn't use the word "their history", but clearly one time leaving two children alone in a car, and with the issues in the court documents dated Feb 1, 2011, clearly this would be enough for me to "check on the children" regardless. IMO!

You would think that, along with his concern over her mental condition, would have prompted him to find some way to make sure that his children were being properly taken care of. I would also like to know why he wasn't having phone contact with the children. Was there something in the court order preventing that?

 

[rachelslaw]

It seems odd to me how SM is so relaxed during the interview. If I was in the same situation, I would def be visibly upset. To me some things are not always what they appear to be. I feel for the kids in this dysfuntional situation and beg for whoever has Sky to return him and let the courts decide who is a better fit. Constantly running and hiding has got to suck and will not be worth it!!

I've been thinking about this too, and I believe that, under these particular set of circumstances, he has been instructed to remain calm and careful.

If this was an abduction, then yes, BOTH parents would be pleading and crying for the safe return of their child. If the child only had ONE custodial parent, then, if there was an abduction, the parent would certainly not be able to remain calm.

Since, sadly, it is a safe bet to assume that Sky was not abducted from the vehicle as claimed by his mother, and his mother will not assist LE or speak to the public, then we can assume that the mother knows the fate of Sky. Not a stranger.

So yes, I can see why Solomon would be deliberate in his words and responses. He is doing what he can for Sky and not making things worse by saying something to trigger an unplanned episode from JB.

It is quite possible (to me) that LE may instruct Solomon to "turn up the heat" when they are ready and not before. I can't imagine the self-control he has had to exercise to "walk on eggshells" around JB, however I do believe that he believes that if he remains calm, no further harm will come to Sky and hopefully LE will find him soon.

imo

 

[duckgoesquack]

Shoplifting? When & where was that?

She was a juvenile - i read it somewhere she stole from Bellevue Square when she was a teenager

if you do a name search
http://dw.courts.wa.gov/index.cfm?fa=home.namelist

you can see a "Juvenile Respondent" record in 1997

i will try to find the news article about the shoplifting incident

EDIT:
Here's the article

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016719977_missing09m.html

"
Biryukova had no additional adult criminal history, but was charged with second-degree theft as a juvenile when she was 16 after she was caught stealing clothes from the Bellevue Square Nordstrom store, according to juvenile-court records."

Court documents say she was stopped by a loss-prevention officer, who recovered six tank tops, three skirts, three pairs of jeans and a dress, together valued at $587.90, that Biryukova had stuffed into old shopping bags.

"Julia admitted to the theft, saying that she did it because she didn't think it was fair that her friends stole and had all these new clothes that they didn't pay for and she wanted her clothes for free; she also said it was peer pressure," a Bellevue officer wrote in a police report.

The case was dismissed after Biryukova completed 24 hours of community service and six months of community supervision, court records show.

 

[jash]

You would think that, along with his concern over her mental condition, would have prompted him to find some way to make sure that his children were being properly taken care of. I would also like to know why he wasn't having phone contact with the children. Was there something in the court order preventing that?

There's a restraining order against SM that likely prohibited him from contacting Julia. Otherwise I'm sure we would have heard about the last time he spoke to the kids (and not just that he hasn't seen them since December).

 

[Rougelatete]

You would think that, along with his concern over her mental condition, would have prompted him to find some way to make sure that his children were being properly taken care of. I would also like to know why he wasn't having phone contact with the children. Was there something in the court order preventing that?

My impression is that SM tried very hard to get proper care for his children but was stymied every time -- he requested an order of protection while she was involuntarily hospitalized with a GAF of 15 -- only to be denied that order of protection. Once she was released, she pulled a classic DB move and slapped him with an order protection, which was approved, and effectively barred him from seeing his children.

This man strikes me as someone who was abused by JB. I believe he did an amazing job (especially considering the amount of power and control she held over his daily life, his every move) of trying his hardest to stand up to an abuser and do what he thought would most protect his children. He had no apparent vested self-interest. All of his moves were in attempt to save his children. At some point, we have to realize he's not superman and can't make magical things happen when JB and the courts keep getting in his way. He was trying to play by the rules but it wasn't a fair game.

In my opinion, we should be pointing the finger first and foremost at JB, then at CPS, the courts, the hospitals, and the psychiatric staff. They are the ones who failed these poor children, not SM.

 

[stilettos]

My impression is that SM tried very hard to get proper care for his children but was stymied every time -- he requested an order of protection while she was involuntarily hospitalized with a GAF of 15 -- only to be denied that order of protection. Once she was released, she pulled a classic DB move and slapped him with an order protection, which was approved, and effectively barred him from seeing his children.

This man strikes me as someone who was abused by JB. I believe he did an amazing job (especially considering the amount of power and control she held over his daily life, his every move) of trying his hardest to stand up to an abuser and do what he thought would most protect his children. He had no apparent vested self-interest. All of his moves were in attempt to save his children. At some point, we have to realize he's not superman and can't make magical things happen when JB and the courts keep getting in his way. He was trying to play by the rules but it wasn't a fair game.


]In my opinion, we should be pointing the finger first and foremost at JB, then at CPS, the courts, the hospitals, and the psychiatric staff. They are the ones who failed these poor children, not SM.

Yes, yes,yes,yes,yes!! Great post.

 

[Cubby]

It seems odd to me how SM is so relaxed during the interview. If I was in the same situation, I would def be visibly upset. To me some things are not always what they appear to be. I feel for the kids in this dysfuntional situation and beg for whoever has Sky to return him and let the courts decide who is a better fit. Constantly running and hiding has got to suck and will not be worth it!!

I'm not sure if you have ever been in family court, but in FC the parties are advised to remain calm and rational. Advised by their attorney any outbursts or emotional behavior almost always results in benefitting the other party. SM has had, appx 17-20 mo's (since Mar or June of 2010) of experience in the family courts remaining calm and focused.

In watching the interviews, it's clear in some of the video's SM is fighting back tears and trying to remain positive, while in front of the camera's doing all he can to keep his sons name and face in the public eye.

We don't see what he is going through in his private life/private time. We did have one earlier MSM article in which SM's atty TC mentioned 3 hours of SM's uncontrollable sobbing the evening before.

Personally, I think it is unfair to say something is off by his demeanor in front of the camera when none of us are there to see how he may be falling apart when alone, or in the privacy of his own home and his family.

JMO

ETA: I've been in family court, it is not fun, it sucks and it is not something I would wish on anyone - and my sons father and I were not even close to the bitterness, rage and venom spewed by JB.

 

[gitana1]

You would think that, along with his concern over her mental condition, would have prompted him to find some way to make sure that his children were being properly taken care of. I would also like to know why he wasn't having phone contact with the children. Was there something in the court order preventing that?

It's clear he tried to monitor their welfare. And tried as hard as he could. He simply was not believed so the court likely felt there was no reason for the abuser to monitor the welfare of the kids.

Sadly, Julia and her attorneys made very sure that Solomon could have zero contact. And how was he supposed to have phone calls with a child so thoroughly alienated that she screamed bloody murder when dad came to visit? And when he has a dv protective order against him that prevents him from contact with the mother? And what, if somehow he would have been able to have phone contact, would he have gleaned from such calls? Especially with mommy sitting there monitoring the conversation as you know she would have? These are two and four year old children. Not old enough to articulate what was happening to them.
I really don't think even phone contact could have helped, except to in retrospect, narrow down the timeline.

Look at the Jhessye Shockley case. She was taken from the cousins who raised her, by the police, and given back to the mother who had been in prison for torturing Jhessye's siblings. When they saw Jhessye after that, she begged to come home and they noticed signs she was being abused. They called CPS. Nothing was done. And they had much greater grounds to believe that the child was at risk than in this case because Jhessye's mother had already been convicted of serious child abuse.

It is troublesome to me that Julia was so readily believed and even given the current circumstances, she is still believed to some degree by some and suspicion is cast on the father who fought his hardest against this eventuality and warned the world that this could happen if she got custody. :twocents:

The sad fact is that the court enabled a situation in which no one was able to monitor the welfare of those two kids. And here we are.

 

[ladonna]

If you look at the court history for their divorce

http://dw.courts.wa.gov/index.cfm?f...tClassCode=S&casekey=150460526&courtname=KING CO SUPERIOR CT

You will see that 1/2011 there was a "Notice Of Withdrawal Of Attorney "
Same day filed there is a declaration filed "Declaration Of Leslie Clay Terry "

so SM has a new divorce attorney (i think Terry mentioned his name in the interview)

Odd after you posted this link, it says court documents no longer available.