Sunday, June 5, 2011

Governor Christie - I shouldn't have to learn about Joe's suicide note from the Nordstrom sales associate who sold me a Tory Burch handbag 16 months after Joe committed suicide!! Why did the Monmouth County Prosecutors office fail to use NJ's stalking law A1563?

The Monmouth County Prosecutors office is not upholding the laws of the state of NJ.

We have a law on the books that protects women and men from stalkers.

http://law.njstatelib.org/law_files/njlh/lh2009/L2009c28.pdf

That law took effect March 21, 2009.   That law was sponsored by over 40 of our Senate and Assemblymen and women and unanimously passed.

The legislation A1563 updated the current NJ stalking law to incorporate third party stalking.  My decade long case of third party stalking that began on Christmas Eve in 1997 when someone using the voicechanger from the movie "Scream" called my home to recite dialogue from the movie was the impetus to update the stalking law.  I was stalked to Disney World on my birthday and it was the voice from the movie "Scream" calling my hotel room to sing Happy Birthday to me.  Under the current law written by Marlboro Sgt Yenisey and Manalapan Chief Brown based on my case, the criteria to launch an investigation into a stalking is course of conduct, pattern of behavior.

I have a letter from Michael Cunningham at the Monmouth County Prosecutors office dated May 14, 2009 that alerts me to the fact that the new stalking legislation that took effect in March 2009 based on my case of third party stalking is not retroactive.  However, Mr Cunningham writes that should my case of third party stalking escalate, my new law will be used to help me. 

My stalking escalated into a series of  threats in August of 2009 that occurred 24 hours before and 48 hours after a family court hearing.   In one of the voicemail threats, the third party stalker told me " I've got your cell phone number and that is not all I have - you are going to get yours".  ID Discovery Channel used two of the actual messages in the documentary they filmed on my stalking entitled Stalked Someone's Watching Dangerous Games ( the show is available on itunes).  I attached above the threatening phone call they did not use.  The third party stalker was calling me and hanging up in June 2009, 4 hours before my flight departed Newark airport and 4 hours before my return flight was scheduled to take off.  My itinerary was displayed on my American Express statement.  The day after I began to receive threatening messages, a man on Elizabeth St in NYC began to use my credit card to order food and deliver it to his apartment. 

In August of 2009 the Monmouth County Prosecutors office declined the case because I had not been physically harmed.  Other than taking a police report, the Marlboro Police were prohibited from helping me.  The new stalking law that was in effect when my stalking escalated did not require me to be a homicide victim or the victim of attempted murder.  I reached out to Lynn Rosenthal at the White House Office on Violence Against Women and I drove a copy of  the CD that contained the threats to FBI Agent Gallagher who deemed them credible threats.

Sandy Clark from the NJ Coalition for Battered Women phoned Deputy AG Kristianson who then reached out to AP Brennan to tell him that the AG's office wanted him to use my law to help me.   In Sept of 2009 Brennan sent detectives into NYC to question the man using my Amex card to order food and deliver it to his apartment.  The man in NYC who was subletting an apartment on Elizabeth St that was two doors down from the 5th precinct admitted to the crime however instead of calling for back up from the NYPD to make the arrest, the detectives turned around and went back to NJ .

In six weeks, FBI Agent RJ Gallagher and Marlboro Sgt Yenisey identified the third party stalker when he used his credit card to repurchase minutes to his throw away cell phone.  Assistant US Attorney McKenna was in charge of my federal stalking case.   The third party stalker admitted to stalking and threatening me and then he lawyered up.  The stalker through his attorney was attempting to plead down to a lesser charge but the US Attorneys office was not permitting him to do so.  To avoid facing federal prosecution, the third party stalker committed suicide on Jan 4, 2010. 

On Jan 5, 2010 Governor Christie appointed Assistant US Attorney McKenna to the position of Director of Homeland Security.  McKenna handed down my file to the Monmouth County Prosecutors office who informed me about Joe Pate being identified as the third party stalker and also informed me about identification of the man in NYC who was using my Amex card.  I was told there would be an investigation into the suicide.  Joe was a third party stalker yet somehow he knew every detail about me. 

AP Brennan never answered any of my questions about the suicide.  The MCPO waited 5 months to follow up on the man in NYC fraudulently using my Amex card and by that time according to NYPD Detective Oliver and Bureau Chief Salwen at the Manhattan DA's office the suspect had packed up his sublet and left NYC.   Did the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office really think that this criminal was going sit in his apartment in NYC for five months and wait for them to return with handcuffs?

I never received a reply from AP Brennan about the questions I asked following Pate's suicide.  However, I got answers from the Nordstrom sales associate who sold me a new Tory Burch handbag to take on vacation last month.  This lovely young woman who patiently spent time finding the perfect handbag for me misspelled my name on the delivery tag.  I asked her to correct the spelling of the name because I explained that I had a problem in the past with a stalker and when I check into the hotel I am going to change the name on the room and I did not want the item to get lost.  The next sentence out of her mouth was "Joe Pate stalked you".  When I asked her if she saw the ID Discovery Channel show, she told me that she was a member of the First Aid Squad who was the first responder to the suicide.  I learned about the suicide note from the Nordstrom sales associate.  I learned that this was not his first attempt at suicide.  I learned that Joe was friends with a police officer and called the officer before he lit the fire that killed him.  I should not have to learn specifics about a case where I was a crime victim from a sales associate at Nordstrom.  I would expect that the people paid by my tax dollars to investigate and prosecute the crime would be the people who should have answered my questions that I posed 16 months ago in a series of emails.

I never got any answers from the Monmouth County Prosecutors office but in addition to a lovely new Tory Burch turnlock mini bag in chambray I got details about the case that I never knew but details I later confirmed to be correct with the police.  I am shocked and dismayed that these were details that the Monmouth County Prosecutors office never bothered to look for and are only aware of thanks to me.

Governor Christie - you were the Governor in mid January 2010 when the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office was supposed to be investigating the suicide.  You pulled Charlie McKenna off my case to go to work for the State of NJ and that move dumped my case into the inept and bungling hands of the Monmouth County Prosecutors office.   It is time to fire up the State Helicopter and head on down to the Monmouth County Prosecutors office to begin teaching a course in CrimeFighting 101.   You need to clean house.  I suffered through the stalking for 13 years and I refuse to pay taxes towards the salaries of the "team" who bungled the investigation and prosecution of my crime of stalking.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

“Creaming:” Why Many DV Victims Don’t Get Help

http://annecarolinedrake.com/2009/07/10/creaming-why-dv-victims-dont-get-help/

by Anne Caroline Drake July 10, 2009

Kudos to Anne Caroline Drake for eloquently and honestly bringing issues and problems with the "system" charged with addressing violence against women into focus... I am reprinting her article here as I just read it yesterday... almost 2 years later the "system" is still creaming.  


Today I’m blowing the whistle on a corrupt system. I promised myself when I started this site that I would only write positive stories. But, I think it is time for y’all to know the truth about how the system operates. . .notice I did not use the word “works.”


While I was researching the story of Nancy Tyler yesterday, I discovered the story of Alice Morrin in the Hartford Courant.

Both women were trying valiantly to survive relationships with pit bull abusers. Both women frantically contacted friends for help. Nancy survived. Sadly, Alice did not.

Linda Blozie of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence was quoted in articles about each of them:

. . .the onus gets placed on the victim to keep themselves safe. . .

. . .there’s always some kind of trigger point that would put someone more at danger. I don’t know if you can ever predict that someone is going to be murdered.

Those of us who have survived domestic violence know the first statement is ever so true, and the last sentence of the second statement is pure bullshit. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to predict that Richard Shenkman would burn down the house before he’d surrender possession to Nancy. He’d done it before.

Neil Jacobson and John Gottman published their excellent book When Men Batter Women: New Insights into Ending Abusive Relationships in 1998. The book clearly explains the difference between a “cobra” and a ”pit bull” abuser.

The domestic violence system deals fairly effectively with people fleeing “cobra” abusers. Why does the system so frequently fail people fleeing “pit bull” abusers?

Creaming

“Creaming” is a non-profit term for the practice of accepting clients who present a quick and easy fix. . .like skimming cream off the top of an old-fashioned butter churn.

It’s relatively easy to get free from a “cobra” abuser. All you have to do is call in sick and wait for him to leave for work. By the time he comes back home, you can be safely relocated. He’s not likely to hunt you down or stalk you. He’s more likely to slither on to his next victim.

But, “pit bull” abusers don’t let go. They stalk. They engage in litigation abuse. They destroy careers. They burn down houses and kidnap people. And, when they realize the relationship is, in fact, over, they kill. Their victims need lots of help and resources to survive.

When they don’t, their murders present fantastic fund raising opportunities for domestic violence agencies.

I’m blowing the whistle because I know for sure that Crystal Brame and Rebecca Griego both called domestic violence agencies. Crystal also called NOW. Rebecca worked for the University of Washington which bragged about their workplace safety program for DV victims, but they did nothing to protect her. Crystal and Rebecca did everything they knew how to do to stay alive. But, the system failed them miserably.

Vernetta Cockerham similarly did everything she knew how to do to protect her daughter. But, the cops let her down.

What leaves me furious is that the people who were paid to protect them didn’t. And, most of them still have their jobs.

We need to start holding the system more accountable. Like the good folks in Connecticut, we need to start asking hard questions. Why wasn’t Richard Shenkman in jail? He’d been terrorizing Nancy Tyler for years. Yes, he got arrested. Several times. The judges always grant his bail requests. He’s yet to be prosecuted. Why?

We also need to be vigilant about who gets Violence Against Women (VAW) funding from the Department of Justice (DoJ). They dispense the bulk of their funding to domestic violence agencies and police departments. Some do wonders with the funding they receive, but others let us down. We need to lobby our elected federal representatives and the DoJ to make sure VAW funds are increased for agencies who get the job done, and funds to the rest get cut or eliminated.

No more excuses.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Stalked: Someone's Watching, Season 1 Available on ITunes

http://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/stalked-someones-watching/id413746152



Description

Watch as everyday people become victims of relentless stalkers in Stalked: Someone’s Watching. From an emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend, to a “friendly” new neighbor, to a harmless crush gone awry, hear from the victims themselves, if they were lucky enough to survive.

Name Description Time Price

1 TV-14VideoNowhere to Run After three years of emotional abuse, 28 year old Peggy Klinke breaks it off with boyfriend Patrick Kennedy. When Patrick begins watching Peggy's every move, police offer little to no help, leaving Peggy to take matters into her own hands. 21:35 $1.99 View In iTunes

2 TV-14VideoNeighborhood Watch When "Mary" moves to a quiet DC suburb she finds a new best friend in her next-door neighbor Jane. But before long it's clear that there's something strange about Jane. Uncomfortable, Mary tries to distance herself but Jane won't be stopped. 21:35 $1.99 View In iTunes

3 TV-14VideoToo Close to Home When single mother of two, Harvette Williams, gives her business card to Kevin Gary, she has no idea that she's inviting an obsessive stalker into her life. Dr. Michelle Ward looks at what happens when a harmless crush turns into a dangerous obsession. 21:34 $1.99 View In iTunes

4 TV-14VideoBehind the Shield Police officer Amy Johnson is happily married to Dustin Hall for four years when in the blink of an eye, he becomes a different man. As a cop, Amy is convinced she can handle it on her own until Dustin finally goes too far. 21:34 $1.99 View In iTunes

5 TV-14VideoDangerous Games Single mother Karen Welch gets a mysterious call on Christmas Eve. At first, she thinks nothing of it, but before long, she's getting dozens of hang-up calls every day. Follow Dr. Michelle Ward through this shocking game of cat and mouse. 21:32 $1.99 View In iTunes

6 TV-14VideoTeenage Obsession In 1996, outgoing Cameron Wallace meets shy Ryan Clutter in a high school art class. The two are only acquaintances but Ryan soon becomes obsessed with her. And little does she know that Ryan will stalk her for the next ten years. 21:32 $1.99 View In iTunes



Total: 6 Episodes

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Stalked: Someone's Watching Episode 5 Dangerous Games Feb 27 at 7:30pm

ID Investigation Discovery Channel
Feb 27, 7:30 pm est
(30 minutes) Stalked: Someone's Watching

Dangerous Games

TV-14 (V), CC
Single mother Karen Welch gets a mysterious call on Christmas Eve. At first, she thinks nothing of it? but before long, she's getting dozens of hang-up calls every day. Follow Dr. Michelle Ward through this shocking game of cat and mouse.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Verizon Wireless aiding stalkers in NJ and across the United States

Verizon Wireless boasts the largest nationwide network and recently the reach of the network took a startling turn when 8 months after the third party stalker committed suicide, someone began tracking me through the GPS locator in my Blackberry.  The response from Verizon Wireless "We are sorry for your inconvenience".  Hey VW - you are violating my privacy and putting my life in jeopardy.  There are websites out there that enable a stalker to put a cell phone number into the locator and via a satellite, the stalker can find your location within 100 feet of your phone.  Verizon is aiding and abetting the stalker by selling me a phone with the GPS tracker switched to the ON position.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Stalked: Someone's Watching "Dangerous Games" February 21 10:30 PM

Tune in for episode 5 of Stalked: Someone's Watching

http://investigation.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=141.15373.130559.40124.5

Feb 21, 10:30 pm  (episode premier)

(30 minutes)

Stalked: Someone's Watching

Dangerous Games

TV-14 (V)
Single mother Karen Welch gets a mysterious call on Christmas Eve. At first, she thinks nothing of it? but before long, she's getting dozens of hang-up calls every day. Follow Dr. Michelle Ward through this shocking game of cat and mouse.

Thank you Atlas Media Productions for picking my decade long story of stalking to weave into a documentary. The segment includes Marlboro Police Sgt Ross Yenisey who not only wrote the NJ stalking law for me based on my case of third party stalking but also worked with the FBI to apprehend the third party stalker.  Also on camera is my NY attorney Brian Sullivan who rode shot gun with me guiding me through the legal system and strategizing the game of cat and mouse.  Last but not least, thank you to my dear friend Lisa Tischendorf whose endless support has kept me sane through the insanity.