Tuesday, November 16, 2010

"I Will Survive!"





Hebrews 10:32
...you need to stick it out, staying with God's plan so you'll be there for the promised completion.
...but we're not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We'll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.

"I will Survive!"

Friday, October 8, 2010

Lights of Peace Soy Candles

To order:
http://www.thetruthaboutkelsey.com

(Label from candle...candles can be ordered without picture to give as a gift - select custom candle and add a note. Candles can also be made for other wrongfully convicted or for other lost children. Proceeds from all sales go to Raye Dawn Smith defense fund.)

Lights of Peace

Lights of Peace candles are made in support of Kelsey Smith Briggs and Raye Dawn Smith to be used in prayers for them and their family while Raye waits to return home.

Each candle comes with a picture of Raye Dawn and her daughter, Kelsey, who need prayers for peace.

The candles come in a variety of pleasing scents to fill the hearts of those who burn them with hope for justice and peace.

Proceeds from candle sales will go toward the Raye Dawn Smith defense fund.

Lights of Peace are all-natural, soy-based candles that are hand-poured on request. Soy wax is made from soy beans, which are a renewable resource and are not harmful to the environment when burned in wax form. Soy candles burn longer than other types of waxes and emit a stronger scent.

Prices:

16 oz. Jar Candle $15.00

10 Pack of scented Tea Lights $9

HTML clipboard

Scents:

· Red Velvet Cake

· Rain Shower

· Ocean Breeze

· Almond Cake

· Baby Powder

· Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Special orders are available with an additional charge. To request a special order, send an email to jo@jodyortiz.com with the special scent you desire.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The Naked Truth Bound in Scorn is now available

Want to know more about the case?



The Naked Truth Bound in Scorn is now available for sale on Jody's Web site. Copies will be delivered within the next week to two weeks (depending on mail service).







About the book

Have you ever had life by the tail where success grabs hold of you in your every endeavor? Would you be willing to risk the comfort of that success to reach out in defense of something you believe is wrong?

This is the true story of one such woman. Jody Ortiz began her journey of advocacy for truth and justice in a criminal case that involved one of her clients.

Through years of daily, dedicated, and thorough research of this case, Jody Ortiz has worked tirelessly to bring truth to the spin created by the local media.

In advocating against what Jody Ortiz believed was an injustice, Ortiz has in turn, suffered from mental and verbal abuse, cyber stalking, hacking into her personal e-mail accounts, attempts to destroy her business, threats of violence, false accusations, and the harassment of her friends.

All of this in an attempt to quiet her voice of truth and her passion for speaking what she fervently believes is a personal vendetta to destroy justice and sway public opinion.

As told by Ortiz in her own words, you will feel the crippling fear that overtook this private citizen and see exactly why we often aren’t presented with the full picture of an event as it unfolds.

In the end you’ll ask yourself, would I have the courage to do this for what once was a total stranger? We believe you will. And you will see that ultimately, truth does set you free.

Order your copy today at http://www.BoundinScorn.com. A companion book will soon follow.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Join Raye's family in prayer

In all of our lives, there are choices that must be made.



We can choose a path of peace and forgiveness.

Or we can choose a path of revenge, doubt, fear, and hate.

Raye followed the path that her family has walked for five years when she publicly forgave her ex mother-in-law for launching a campaign of hate and revenge against her after Raye lost her precious child to the hands of a man who deceived her. Raye has continued to follow that path throughout the days of her wrongful conviction.

As a result of her chosen path, God has placed many caring and compassionate people in Raye's life and the lives of her family members. We are all thankful for those who have blessed Raye along the way and to those who lift her up in continuous prayers and shield her heart against the untruths that are continuously told against her.

Today is the United Nation's International Day of Peace. Join us as we pray for peace to all of those who have chosen the path of hate and revenge.

Christianity: Soothing the conflicting shadows of our own soul, may we know peace; Loving our neighbors as ourselves, may we do peace; Vanquishing our hatred of difference, may we learn peace; Confronting injustice and indifference, may we teach peace; Serving God may we find peace ...and live in peace together.

Islam: May God's peace and mercy and blessings be upon you. Oh God, from you comes peace. You are peace. Spread peace through your greatness and vastness.

Hinduism: The Supreme is perfect and complete and all emanations from the Supreme, including this world and all living beings are perfect and complete...may we always strive to see one another as God sees us--as perfect and complete.

Buddhism: May all beings be peaceful, May all beings be happy, May all beings be safe, May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature, May all beings be free.

Judaism: Grant universal peace, Oh God, with happiness and blessing, grace love and mercy ...you have given us a guide to a life of caring, filled with generosity and contentment, kindness and well-being...may it please you to bless all your people in every season and at all times with your peace.

Learn more about the International Day of Peace at the following link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janet-haag/become-one-with-a-million_b_732139.html

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Evidence of a violent past

From the archives of The Shawnee-News Star:







November 23, 1997
Section: News
Three to face charges in beating
PAULA niBRIDE SNS Writer
The three young men who beat a 20-year-old male at a party earlier this month will face charges of aggravated assault, said Pottawatomie County sheriff's deputy Mark Young.




Joseph Medley, 20, Cass Merrill, 21, Richard Ellis, 21, and Paul Smith were at a party in a field on Munson Road between 45th Street and MacArthur Nov. 1 when the victim drove up, Young said.
The victim, Lance Briggs, also known as Lance Robinson, 20, said he was hit from behind when he got out of his pickup truck at the party.

According to witnesses, Briggs was knocked to his knees by Medley, who then struck him several more times.
The other men allegedly joined in the beating.
Two witnesses reportedly told the sheriff's deputy Merrill pushed Briggs into a nearby fire.
"Briggs suffered major burns on his left arm and had severe head and facial injuries," Young said.
The victim was treated and released that night at Shawnee Regional Hospital.
The hostility between the two men apparently began more than a year ago, Young said.
The deputy said Medley said he was hit on the head with a beer bottle, allegedly by Briggs, last year.
Briggs told the deputy someone else had struck Medley with the bottle.
Copyright 1997 The Shawnee News-Star








July 15, 1998
Shots damage house, cars near Meeker
MICHELLE BOYD WATERS SNS Staff Writer
A spray of bullets fired at an occupied Meeker area house damaged a sliding glass door and two cars early Saturday.




Several adult and two juvenile occupants of the house, three miles west of Meeker on U.S. 62, reported no injuries at the scene, according to Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Undersheriff Chester Duncan.
Lance Briggs, a resident at the home, had been assaulted and thrown into a fire during an altercation a few months ago in Shawnee, Duncan said.
The undersheriff said his office is investigating whether or not there is a connection between the earlier altercation and Saturday's drive-by shooting.
Deputies at the scene discovered that bullets or fragments of a bullet shattered the sliding glass door on the home and two bullets struck each of the two vehicles parked in front of the house.
"At least five rounds were fired," Duncan said. "We have some suspects, but (the residents) didn't get a vehicle description."
The undersheriff said the shooters fired the rounds at the home from the highway.
Several families were inside the house, including at least two small children.
No one was outside the home, Duncan said.
Deputies Dale McNelly and Clarence Gibson responded to the scene from the area of U.S. 62 and U.S. 177 -- three miles from the shooting scene.
Deputy Mike Bennett arrived at the scene later.





Sunday, August 1, 2010

Evidentiary hearing set in Kelsey Smith-Briggs case | NewsOK.com

Finally! A fact-based article from The Oklahoman.

Evidentiary hearing set in Kelsey Smith-Briggs case
Judge plans to hear testimony about alleged juror misconduct during mother's 2007 trial.

BY NOLAN CLAY Oklahoman Published: August 1, 2010

NEWKIRK — The mother of Kelsey Smith-Briggs will be back in court Sept. 1 for a fact-finding hearing on the "strong possibility" of juror misconduct during her 2007 trial.

Kay County District Judge D.W. Boyd is holding the hearing to gather evidence for the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

The dead girl's mother, Raye Dawn Smith, is serving 27 years in prison for enabling child abuse. Smith, 30, is asking the appeals court for a new trial. A decision could come late this year.

The appeals court July 2 ordered the evidentiary hearing. The appeals court found witness statements filed in her appeal "contain sufficient information to show at least a strong possibility that a juror received information outside of the courtroom."

At issue is whether a female juror during the trial watched television coverage of the case and checked an Internet site devoted to Kelsey. A former co-worker claims the juror admitted to doing both.

The former co-worker also claims the juror during the trial "told me... Smith should fry... looked like a junkie, was trash and no good."

Jurors are supposed to avoid the news during a trial, not form any opinions until all the evidence is presented and not do any research outside the courtroom.

Kelsey, 2, is the Meeker girl whose death from abuse in 2005 became highly publicized.

Many Oklahomans were angered because she died even though DHS workers, a private child-welfare worker and a state judge were overseeing her care because of her repeated injuries.

The death prompted reform legislation and a lawsuit by the girl's father. The state last year paid $525,000 to settle the lawsuit.

The juror, Brandi Marie Oldham, said in an affidavit in 2007 that the jury deliberations and verdict "were based solely on the evidence we received in the courtroom during the course of the trial." Oldham on Friday declined to comment to The Oklahoman about the case.

"Sir, you need to not contact me," she said to a reporter when reached by phone at her work in Jenks.

The former co-worker, though, claims she called him several times daily during the trial with an update on what was going on.

In a 2008 affidavit, Ronald Todd Bowman, of Sapulpa, wrote the juror "admitted to me daily that she watched the television news coverage of the trial... and made statements to me that the news didn't know what she knew about the case."

Bowman also stated the juror "advised me... during the trial she and the other jurors looked at the Kelsey website to see what was on it and to see what information was being added."

The website, Kelsey's Purpose, was created after the girl's death and at times had information critical of Raye Dawn Smith.

Bowman wrote he and the juror then worked in Sapulpa at a home health care agency. He wrote he had hired her and was training her to take over his position. In a separate affidavit, Bowman's roommate, Sean Clack, wrote in 2008 that he overhead the daily conversations.

"Ms. Oldham admitted to Mr. Bowman that she often went on the Internet and conducted research about Ms. Smith's case during the trial. She would check and see what was being reported about the case online," Clack stated. "Ms. Oldham also admitted to my roommate... that she had reviewed the Kelsey Briggs' website during the trial. Ms. Oldham told Mr. Bowman numerous times she was bored with the whole thing."

Men may testify

The mother's attorney, Stephen Jones of Enid, said the two men probably will testify at the hearing.

"I think she did that," Jones said of the misconduct claims. "There would be no reason these two guys would misrepresent it."

The prosecutor, Lincoln County District Attorney Richard Smothermon, said Friday he expects the appeals court will uphold the conviction.

Asked about Bowman's statement, he said, "I think the evidence will show that not to be true."

"Based upon the interviews that I have done since the trial with the jurors, I don't believe there has been any misconduct," the prosecutor said.

Kelsey died on Oct. 11, 2005, at her home near Meeker. The death was ruled a homicide but no one was convicted of murder in her case.

Kelsey's stepfather, Michael Lee Porter, 30, was charged with first-degree murder and child sexual abuse but pleaded guilty to enabling child abuse. He is serving a 30-year prison sentence. He blamed the girl's mother for her death.

The mother was never charged with murder. Jurors on July 18, 2007, found her guilty of enabling child abuse and compromised on her punishment. Some wanted more time and some wanted less, a juror said afterward.

Smith blames Porter for Kelsey's death.

During 2005, Kelsey suffered repeated injuries, including two broken legs and a broken collarbone, and was taken from her mother for a time. Her death came four months after the state judge returned Kelsey to her mother, despite accusations the mother was the abuser.

The evidentiary hearing was assigned to a Kay County judge because the trial judge is retiring.


Following is the letter from the juror's former boss along with witness affidavits. There have been five jurors that have come forward since Raye's trial to state that something went wrong in the trial. Hopefully justice will finally be served with these jurors' voices being heard. Raye deserves a fair trial with an impartial jury that is sequestered and not subjected to the antics of biased members of the press and the Briggs family. Justice will be served with the murder and sexual assault charges heard in a court of law against the man home alone with Kelsey at the time of her rape and murder.
























The Oklahoman article can be found at the following link. Of course the bullies have already left comments in an effort to sway public opinion.

Evidentiary hearing set in Kelsey Smith-Briggs case | NewsOK.com

Friday, July 23, 2010

Bill Roberson vs Richard Smothermon - The choice is clear

Although I'm not a resident of Lincoln County or Pottawatomie County, I feel the current district attorney needs to be replaced since he allegedly aided in the bullying, stalking, cyberbullying, and harassment of myself by giving my personal information to the cyberbully gang, Kelsey's Purpose.

If one were to look into the reason Richard Smothermon was fired as district attorney of Payne County, and they questioned his current staffers, they would realize that his morals are questionable, at best.

A man who cheats his family will cheat his community.

Richard Smothermon wasn't a legal resident of either of the counties he represented until a private detective working on a wrongful conviction case that Richard Smothermon pushed brought this fact to the public through research for an appeal. He falsified his application to be district attorney. (Evidence available at http://www.thetruthaboutkelsey.com/Richard%20Smothermon/Smothermon.htm)



The choice is clear...a man with morals, or a man who will do anything, even put a private citizen in harm's way, to appease one family in order to boost his political aspirations.

Have a blessed day!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Richard Smothermon - A wrongful conviction under his watch

The following email is included in my book, The Naked Truth Bound in Scorn, and was authored by Kathie Briggs, the paternal grandmother of Kelsey Smith-Briggs. This email was written after the June, 2005 hearing during which the decision was made to place Kelsey back in the home of her mother, Raye Dawn Smith. Kathie Briggs distributed this email to many officials in the effort to clear her son's name from the list of possible perpetrators of Kelsey's abuse. She has claimed she emailed hundreds of people in order to get someone to save Kelsey. Read it for yourself and you be the judge.

At the time of this email, Kathie Briggs had given up her visitation of Kelsey because she didn't want to be supervised during her visits. As you can tell from the language, there is no worry that something will happen to Kelsey, she's only worried about supervised visits and parenting classes.

Also, Kathie has made the statement several times that 1) Her visits were taken from her, 2) she could not appeal the judge's decision, and 3) that Ashley stole money from Lance because he had thousands of dollars in his account. This email in her own words clears up all three of these lies among others.

You can read more evidence such as this in my book.

My question is, why would a district attorney like Richard Smothermon team up with a proven liar and convict someone that he told multiple people "She's innocent but I have to charge her with something"?


We need your help in clearing the name of a soldier fighting in Iraq.
My son, SPC Lance Briggs, was an IRR in the US Army and was called up and reported for duty on September 11, 2004. We took him to Ft Leonard Wood, MO, where he began additional training. He was injured and put on Medic Hold while he underwent two minor surgical procedures on his back. During this time he was able to come home on government holidays. In Feb. he was sent to Ft Dix, NJ for more intense training. He flew home for his last visit here in April 4th and left on April 11th. That following week he was flown to Ft Benning, GA, and on May 2nd he left Kuwait. He is stationed at Camp Arifjan with the 1864th Transportation Unit out of Nevada. His mission is to deliver supplies all over Iraq. We know his job is one of the most dangerous and pray for his safe return. In his six weeks there he has lost one of his fellow platoon members and was at the Baghdad Airport when it was hit with a mortar attack.
Now for the reason I’m writing. The story is long and complicated, but I will condense it as much as possible. My son has a 2 yr. old daughter, Kelsey, from his first marriage. We did not know that she was his until she was three months old and then asked for a DNA. He had moved on and was about to marry again. He then began his first legal battle for standard visitation. When he was called up for active duty I went to court and asked for his visitation and it was granted. We wanted Kelsey to have the opportunity to see videos of her Daddy while he was gone and to interact with his family so when he came home it would not be such an adjustment. We also have six other Grandchildren and we want her to feel as much a part of our family as they do. The natural mother contested this. She did not want the new wife to see Kelsey. My new daughter-in-law is the dream step-mom. Never have I seen someone so loving to all children and not just Kelsey. She is a natural born mother even at age 21. In our family we don’t use the word “step” unless absolutely necessary, we just love each other regardless of blood. The visits were going okay until Jan 8th when the mother did not show up with Kelsey. I tried to locate her, but calls were not returned. I knew it was possible the holidays had thrown her off schedule so the following weekend I went back to our exchange spot and she was there. She explained Kelsey had fallen off her bed and broke her clavicle. I took her to my house where we were having a birthday party. It was Jan 14th and my son was here because of ML King’s birthday. Two hours later he and his wife went to her mothers house and took Kelsey with them. When they got there and started to change her they noticed 29 bruises and multiple abrasions. The police were called and she was taken to the ER. The Meeker police were also called and they were to call DHS. They determined it was an accident and forced us to give her back. We contacted our attorney, [name withheld for privacy], of Stroud and got an emergency order. We went to court on Feb 4th and we received guardianship. The mother tried to point the finger at my son. It was determined he could not have done these injuries in the three hour window. The mother was ordered by DHS to take Anger Management, Parenting Classes, and Drug and Alcohol Assessment. She was given supervised visitation with her mother for three days per week until March 11th. At that time she was given unsupervised visitation on each Wed.-Thurs. and then from Fri-Mon. She actually had her more hours than we did. During this time the mother had a new boyfriend. We felt uncomfortable with him being present during the visit after some of the comments Kelsey had made. We asked for this to be put in the court order. We did not receive a copy of the court order for seven weeks so we did not know what our guidelines were.

[Something that Kathie Briggs and her group have highly criticized Raye for was marrying Mike Porter in April even though according to the court order he wasn’t to be around Kelsey. If this statement is true, the court order wouldn’t have been given to anyone until May of 2005, after Kelsey was removed from Kathie’s home after breaking her legs under Kathie's care.]

The mother said her attorney, [name withheld for privacy], would not sign off on the order because he wanted to see if I did anything wrong. Several times she came home with some bruises and we documented all of them and had people look her over for our protection. The mother had a history of accusing others and our attorney advised us to do this. In March she came home with a bruised nose. As the day went on it swelled up so I took her to the ER and they called DHS. I thought the computer must have Kelsey red flagged for any injury. The following morning DHS scolded me for not calling them sooner. They had previously told me not to call unless I suspected abuse. It is hard to know how to determine one bruise. We also asked the court order to be set up, so if Lance got any leave before shipping out he would get Kelsey during that time and it would take away from everyone else’s time. On Apr 4th when Lance home we had just picked Kelsey up and she had bruises so my daughter-in-law called DHS so they would not think Lance had done it. He left on Apr 11th and the mother called the following day wanting Kelsey to make up for missed days. I called my attorneys to see if I should and he was out so I called DHS and was told this was not a DHS case and I should not contact them unless Kelsey was hurt. So I let her go. I had been told by a caseworker that I needed to work with the mother to help reunite her with Kelsey. It was never a goal of mine to keep Kelsey indefinitely. I had hoped the mother would take her classes and get Kelsey back once it was determined she would be safe. The mother returned Kelsey to me on Apr 14th with a sprained ankle. She went to the zoo with an aunt and fell off her platform shoes. Sounded odd that after begging for more time she would go to work and let the aunt take her. I don’t think anyone contacted the school that sponsored this trip to see if the injury actually happened there. My daughter-in-law called the DHS hotline to report the injury and then DHS scolded us for calling. The mother picked her up the following morning to take her to DHS for an assessment and kept her for the weekend. She was returned on Apr 18th and we were told her foot was still bothering her. The mother had also married earlier that day. We had enrolled Kelsey in a Gymnastics class three weeks prior to this injury and the mother was not happy. We invited her to come to the classes, but she did not. She had a class that night, but we did not take her. The following day I took her to Wal-Mart and she wanted to walk, she took four steps and said, “can’t”. The next couple of days she would stand by furniture and put her weight on the good leg and would crawl or would want me to carry her. I babied her and knew sprained ankles take time to heal. I asked people what they thought, but really wasn’t that concerned. On Thurs the 21st I went to the school to pick up other children ad she took five or six steps and sat down on the sidewalk. Thirty minutes later her mother picked her up for her weekend. This is where the nightmare begins…On Mon the 25th the caseworker called and said the mother would be late bringing Kelsey home. She was in their office and both of Kelsey’s legs were swollen and hot to touch. The mother said that was how she was four days earlier when she picked her up. I had no idea what they were talking about and they just kept talking to me as if I knew she was injured more. Several teachers and the school nurse had seen Kelsey thirty minutes before she was picked up and I told them that to call them to verify she was fine. She stated they told the mother to take her to the doctor. Two hours later they called to say both of her legs were broken. The Doctor in Shawnee stated the first one must have been a missed diagnosis of the sprained ankle and the second one was as stress fracture from over compensation. They did not suspect abuse. I spoke to the Doctor myself and she assured me this was unusual. We found out later this Doctor was the sister of the Attorney for the mother. The DHS worker told the mother she could keep her another day and take her for the cast the following day. I questioned how they had the right to let her keep her when I was the legal guardian, but it did not matter. The casts were put on and we went back to our schedule. During this ordeal, Kelsey was having some hair loss. The mother took her for blood test and everything was normal. I discussed this with this same Doctor and she told me she was not concerned and in a month we would test further. Once again I did not know she was the Attorney’s sister. I did some research on hair loss and read stress could cause the air to fall out. I worried we could be the ones causing stress by keeping her from her Mom and the back and forth schedule. I even talked about petitioning the court to let her go home early. Then I realized after a comment Kelsey made the stress might be at the mother’s house and we were her safe place. The hair started growing back and I even showed it to the DHS workers, but later in court it became an issue. The casts were on and she was miserable. A healthcare professional that worked for a foot doctor stated we should get a second opinion. She stated it was unusual for a 2 yr old to have two broken legs. She also stated sometimes growth plates have not fully closed and they look like fractures. She had her office make a referral to Dr. S. at the OU Physicians Clinic. I asked the mother if she would like to take her. She said “yes”. That night she called and was concerned if the doctor in OKC suspected abuse they would take her into custody in OK County. I told her I couldn’t imagine abuse being suspected. The mother had a death in the family and could not make that appointment and wanted me to reschedule. They could not see us for two weeks so I took her. Dr. S. told us that Kelsey did not have toddler fractures, and they were not stress fractures, but that some one had broken Kelsey’s legs. I did not know at the time that he had already showed the x-rays that I had provided to two other Doctor’s for their opinion and they all agreed. I did not expect to hear this. I called Lincoln County DHS the following morning to tell them what the Doctor said. That afternoon they called and wanted us to bring Kelsey to them and were placing her in a foster home. At the same time they were telling me this, my son beeped in and I told them I need to talk to Lance and please call back in five minutes. I spoke to my son; he had just landed in Germany and was leaving for Kuwait. I did not tell him what was going on because at that moment I did not know myself. When DHS called back they wanted to know if I told him. I explained he was in a war situation and I only had a couple of minutes on the phone and I couldn’t tell him yet. They wanted his address or phone number, which I did not have at that time. My daughter drove Kelsey to Chandler, I just could not handle watching her go off with strangers. The next day after letting us worry all night we were told they gave her to the maternal Grandmother. We went for a just cause hearing and it was determined that the broken legs could have happened at either house and since the mother had pointed a finger at us she could not be left in our home. Even though the mother did not take her to the Doctor from Thurs until Mon. My husband and I were given 4 hours per week of supervised visitation at the DHS office for the next month. The mother was given the same thing. During this time DHS was conducting an investigation. We provided them with names of people who saw Kelsey the day she was at my house and they never contacted any of them. My grown daughter and her two children had moved in with us and she called them and asked to be interviewed. The school nurse finally contacted them, my aunt that had been at my house finally called them. They never contacted me for an interview, I finally called them and then she only asked me questions about the visitation schedule. They interviewed my husband after the just cause hearing for a few minutes. My daughter-in-law finally called them and so did her mother. They were spending time with the mother and her husband and I knew something was not quite right. During one of the visits Kelsey saw her step-dad go past the window and got hysterical and said she did not want to see him. She even told the worker she did not want to see “Daddy Mike”. They made her anyway. Two other times while in my visit she stated, “Daddy Mike hurt my legs”, but both times the worker was talking instead of listening. I always took Kelsey books and projects to work on and a video of her Daddy. It was a strange setting, but I made the best of it and tried to make each hour a quality hour. We went back to court on June 14th. The CASA worker had been on the job for six weeks. She said she got her child abuse training from Girl Scouts. She also stated she interviewed the mother, the step-dad, the day car provider, and one of the mother’s fellow employees, which happened to be her own sister. [This is one out of many false statements in the email. The CASA worker called the woman “sister.” She wasn’t actually her sister.]

She stated when I visited, Kelsey screamed, kicked, pinched, and bit me. [Read DHS visitation logs here.]

This was not all true. She also recommended that Kelsey be given back to the mother and we get one hour supervised visitation per month. She also recommended my son be given the same visitation when he returns. She also stated that Lance was allegedly in the Army because they did not have his address and she could not locate him through Government agencies. I really knew we were doomed at this moment. The DHS report was given to our attorney when court started. We were shocked at some of the things in it. There were many allegations made towards my son, his wife, and me that were unbelievable. The interviews from most of our family were either missing or partially reported. Dr. S. had done a deposition that the Judge was reviewing the following morning. Our attorney believed after he saw it he would have to rule in our favor. In the DHS report it stated I had broken a court order when I let the mother have Kelsey for the make-up visitation so I failed to protect. DHS also broke the court order as stated by the supervisor when they allowed the mother the extra day. The next morning the Judge came in and without explanation dissolved the guardianship and stated he over ruled anything the DHS recommended and he was returning the child to the mother and the grandparents would not be allowed to see her. The next court date is July 14th. The way I understand it that is when he will tell us if we have to take any classes. It is very difficult to not see our Granddaughter, but it is harder for my son to not have any contact with her either. At this time I’m fighting to clear his name from all of this. They have him listed as an alleged perpetrator. He was not even here during any of these injuries. I feel they are slandering his name while he off fighting another war and when he comes home he may not be able to see his child. We were also told he might have to take classes as well. When he and the mother were married they both drank too much and did drugs.

[This is different from the perjury the entire Briggs family committed in January by stating that Lance never did drugs or drank too much.]



They battled constantly and she states he was abusive and I cannot deny or confirm that.

[Witnesses and other evidence prove he was abusive with blackened eyes, a bloody nose, and bruises around her neck]

We did witness her out of control and hitting Lance on two occasions. After their divorce he went to rehab, attended anger management classes, and when he found out Kelsey has his child he on his own took the divorced parents class and he and his new wife took parenting classes. These are the same classes the mother took after Kelsey was injured and they think she is fit to raise her now. Lance has done nothing wrong since Kelsey was born. He had a steady job where he was drug tested; he purchased a house and was excited about being a father. When he was called up to serve our country he knew he would miss a lot with his wife and child, but we come from a long line of proud military family members and he was ready to do his part. Now he is fighting two wars. He has tried to call his daughter since she was returned to the mother, but they never answer. Our attorney says we can appeal this decision and is shocked at how the ruling went.

We could have provided more information to prove the mother and her husband have an abusive relationship as well, but we were stupid and did not want to get other people involved.

We want to appeal, but at this time our financial situation will not allow for that. My son knew while he was gone he could save money for his family and get his truck fixed. So far everything extra he would have had has gone to legal fees.

Then when he comes home he will have his name attached to a deprived child petition and have to fight to see his child all over again. I do not believe this is how our military should be treated and I’ve talked to DHS and was told there is no appeal process for their reports. How can this be fair? I have always told my son to do the right things in life and the system will work for you. Well something has gone terribly wrong in Lincoln County. We have heard that Lincoln County is one of the most corrupt counties in the state and now I believe it. I have contacted the State DHS and have had little response. You know the old saying, “the squeaky wheel get the grease”, well in Oklahoma the squeaky wheel get the shaft. My daughter-in-laws step-dad is [the governor’s wife’s] cousin and he is trying to contact her as well. The bottom line is we do not know where to turn. The mother has had an alcohol problem since high school, she has received one DUI and the Meeker Police testified to letting her off of another one. The alcohol assessment test states she has a low risk of using alcohol, but we just found out she has two bounced checks at the liquor store in Shawnee. One was five days before she got Kelsey back and the other was for seven days after she got her back. We are concerned for her safety. Raye Dawn has told the DHS many stories claiming abuse by Lance and even claimed he caused her to lose her first baby. I was with her at the hospital and this is not true. She is trying to get sympathy from these workers and it is working. She also claimed abuse by her boyfriend previous to her marriage to Lance. They have written these allegations as fact in this report, which seems like slander. We need help to clear my son’s name and would like to see Kelsey again. It is not easy to ask for help, but my son has given up his freedom to fight for us and someone needs to fight for him. I do not understand how a person in America can be tried in court when they were not only out of state when the abuse happened, but were not present in court and was never served papers and did not have council as well. Not to mention he was absent because our country called upon his services.

I have contacted almost every elected official in our area. Rep. S. and [name withheld for privacy] offices are the only ones in Oklahoma who shared any concerns. I had to get a Congressman from Nevada to give us any guidance and that is very sad. I feel it is time for the elected officials or someone, anyone in this state to help clear this soldier so that he may see his child when he returns home without restrictions.

[List of phone numbers removed for privacy]

Since I first wrote this letter DHS contacted my daughter-in-law and told her she could visit Kelsey at their office for 2 hours per month supervised. They also told her when Lance returns home he will get the same visit. Ashley has been given a service plan that she is more than willing to comply with. We were told Lance would have to have a service plan even though he was not here. That means if he gets a 15-day leave as some soldiers do he will see his 2-year-old child for one hour. We really feel she should be at the airport to see him arrive home. They need as much time together as possible to bond all over again. I still do not understand how this can be done to him. I do not know what DHS is telling people that justifies their actions. How can we fight what we do not know? How can a soldier do his job protecting the American people when his own rights have been violated? There is so much more to this story than I have written. This is just a summary.

Updated 8/3/05
Ashley saw Kelsey at the Lincoln County Office for one hour. My son was able to call her cell phone ad talk to Kelsey for the first time in six weeks. When shown a picture of her Daddy, Kelsey did not know who he was right away. How sad is this? That is why we asked for visitation in the first place. She stated Kelsey looked well and seemed well adjusted. We hope her Mother and her new stepfather are taking their parenting roles seriously and will give Kelsey a stable loving environment. I do feel as though the Lincoln County workers should be working with both families in building a common ground for Kelsey to live with for the rest of her life. It seems as though they have focused all of their resources on the mother and stepfather and have forgotten that we all need to get along. We cannot stay divided like this and expect Kelsey to have a well-rounded upbringing. She will always be stuck in the middle if someone does start to mend these problems now.


You can read more in my book, The Naked Truth Bound in Scorn.

Prosecutor Richard Smothermon Pushes False Charges?

This article is from www.USObserverOK.com and was written in June or July of 2007. The facts in this article are still true with the exception that Raye faced a jury that had been tainted by Oklahoma media who perpetuated the story invented by the Briggs and Mike Porter to ensure a conviction of Raye that took away any hope of justice for Kelsey.

Kelsey Smith-Briggs - Murder & Exploitation
Prosecutor Smothermon pushes false charges?

Kelsey Smith-Briggs - a child, not a purpose.


By Barry Jon
Investigative Reporter

Lincoln County, Oklahoma - There is no more horrible, there is no more irreparable story than that of Kelsey Smith Briggs. The unnecessary death of a child pains and shocks communities to the core and its effects ripple into lives distant and unconnected. We hold our own children more closely and we demand answers.

Kelsey’s memory is entitled to have the real picture of her story exposed: a picture of deceit, and a picture of converging storms from which DHS and her mother could not protect her. A tremendous amount of time and effort has been put into our research and interviews; documents have been poured over and countless people have shared their knowledge to piece together the true story of the life and death of Kelsey. The lack of evidence to support the loudly publicized rendition of Kelsey’s abuse is as compelling as the evidence of what actually happened.

What stood out as our investigation progressed was how the system has been manipulated through deception and frequently told, outright lies. In the end, the amount of information compiled could easily fill another Grisham novel set in small town Oklahoma. A battle forged in Lincoln County became drawn unnecessarily along family lines. Every branch of state government, several agencies and countless people far from the town of Meeker have been directly affected by this saga, even if only on an emotional level. Yet the main characters around which this sad story revolves can be distilled down to six people: Kelsey herself, Kathie Briggs (the grandmother), Michael Porter (step-father), Lance Briggs (biological father), Raye Dawn Smith (mother) and District Attorney Richard Smothermon.

Our biggest problem in writing this article wasn’t finding people willing to talk, and it wasn’t gathering verifiable documentation or information contained in records; it was how to tell the story as concisely as possible. This tangled story is entirely about Kelsey, but we determined the best way to tell it would be to untangle it one person at a time.

Lance Briggs: Biological Father “You want to play games? You decide!” - Lance Briggs

A father should never have to bury his child. It chills the bones to even conceive of such a painful ordeal. In the process of unraveling Kelsey’s story we cannot forget the hurt surely felt by people in her life. Yet, in the unraveling we cannot fully understand Kelsey’s ordeal without uncovering the world into which she was born. That world, whether he wanted it to or not, very much included her father, Lance Briggs.

Research has shown that an intact and happy home is by far the best scenario for children. Why then did Kelsey’s mother, Raye Dawn, divorce Lance in the first place? Wouldn’t Kelsey seeing her mother and father together have been best? It was a long record of physical and mental abuse that preceded Raye Dawn’s escape. Make no mistake; Lance Briggs is a vicious physical abuser with a long laundry list of offenses.

Lance threw Kelsey’s mother against the wall and choked her with his arm for not “super-sizing his McDonald’s Value Meal.”

Lance Briggs sweats as truth comes out.

Lance reportedly, violently punched the pregnant abdomen of Kelsey’s mother causing a miscarriage in the summer of 2000. Police were called repeatedly during the marriage for assaults on Kelsey’s mother and advised her more than once to get a protective order. Lance pled to assault charges and was court ordered twice to attend anger management classes for his assaults on Kelsey’s mother and later on with girlfriend Marie Larsen. The final blow according to police records came in May, 2002 when Lance threw Kelsey’s mother against the wall and choked her with his arm for not “super-sizing his McDonald’s Value Meal.” What a hero! The injuries to her collar bone and neck were observed and photographed by police. When Kelsey’s mother, Raye Dawn, filed for divorce her pregnancy with Kelsey was so early on she was unaware of it. According to witnesses, Lance repeatedly, and against a temporary relief order, broke into her house and destroyed and stole personal items of hers only to leave them to be found in a nearby field and creek. On one occasion his mother even returned items that had gone missing when Lance claimed to have had no involvement. Yet he kept leaving notes asking her to take him back or threatening, “You want to play games? You decide!”

Lance’s second marriage to Ashley Gober was so terrible that the divorce was finalized only one month after the death of Kelsey. However, Lance doesn’t confine this physical and mental abuse to his wife. Lance was arrested just last year for assaulting two women when he broke into a former girlfriend’s house and dragged her by her hair into the front yard and now yet another protective order is in place. Police records reportedly show he even had a loaded gun with him. How many charges and how many protective orders have to be filed before a pattern of violence is established and properly dealt with?

When Kelsey’s mother, Raye Dawn, discovered her pregnancy she attempted to shield this child from the chaos of the Briggs family. In the end it was Kathie Briggs, not the father, who pushed for paternity testing. Originally, Lance didn’t want anything more than standard visitation. He didn’t push for custody; he didn’t show up for hearings and he even reportedly told people that he hoped the baby wasn’t his so he could move on with his life. These are not the actions of a loving father and certainly not the wonderful man he’s been portrayed as. Lance even admittedly lied to authorities regarding his military movements to avoid suspicion.

Upon Kelsey’s death, authorities attempted to contact Lance with the terrible news of his daughter’s death, but were unable to locate him. We hear over and again of how Lance discovered the news of Kelsey’s death right after getting off the plane from Iraq. Horrific news, but Lance and his mother Kathie appear to have been lying regarding his location and status as an American soldier. Lance wasn’t fresh from Iraq, but rather sources inform us he had been testing positive for drugs and was spending time in a military drug rehab center at Fort Benning, Georgia. Sources go on to tell that he was being threatened with a dishonorable discharge if he did not voluntarily leave due to possible military drug charges and physically assaulting a superior officer in Germany. Briggs claims to have received an honorable discharge but according to an Observer source he was discharged for being “no longer fit for military service.” Lance was initially scheduled to be back well before Kelsey’s fatal day with Michael Porter, but was fighting his own demons and not for our freedom. We encourage Lance Briggs to release his un-edited DD214 and his full military records to disprove our military sources – a small task for the hero his mother claims.

Not only should we be angry that the disgraced military service of Lance Briggs is being hoisted to war hero status, but we should be livid that it is being done on the memory of a slain little girl. This illustrates the level to which the Briggs have dropped in their attempt to use anything to pull at the public’s heartstrings to fulfill their agenda – an agenda of vengeance towards Kelsey’s mother, Raye Dawn Smith, for divorcing and filing charges against an abusive man. This is a man who couldn’t even protect his own marriages from himself.


Michael Lee Porter: Death by Deception

Michael Porter swept in as a confidence artist in shining armor. He was college educated (so he said), brilliant in his business dealings (miserably false) and had his own home (in foreclosure). Kathie Briggs has admonished Kelsey’s mother for not verifying all of this, yet she herself publicly denounced one of her own “would be” supporters for attempting to do the same thing regarding her.

Sadly, it wasn’t until after Kelsey’s death that Porter’s house of cards came crashing down. Even before Kelsey’s mother knew of the suspicions surrounding Kelsey’s death she called for an autopsy because she “wanted to know what her daughter died from.” Yet, Porter immediately questioned the need. Porter faked heart attack symptoms not once, but twice as the events following Kelsey’s death unfolded. He raved to DHS and investigators in a letter on what a wonderful mother Raye Dawn was, but plea-bargained to “allowing abuse” as if someone was left unpunished. Even after his arrest Porter was quite comfortable having Raye Dawn and her mother watch over his own children. Yet, sources tell us that District Attorney Smothermon may be calling him to the stand as a “credible” state witness stemming from his plea agreement.

It’s been reported to us that Porter’s own daughter shared with a school guidance counselor that her father told her “not to talk about what goes on at home” and that he would act loving towards Kelsey when her mother was around but would hit Kelsey when Raye Dawn was gone. She watched as her father hit Kelsey’s head against a brick wall when her mother was gone. One of Kelsey’s young cousins once witnessed him take Kelsey into a room and close the door and when they came out Kelsey was crying. This monster closely guarded his abusing secret like he did so many other lies.

Kathie Briggs: For the Love of Money

Kathie Briggs spent so much effort getting DHS, CASA, and the judge to chase Kelsey’s mother that sadly the gathering darkness of a real killer slipped in almost unnoticed.

When police in our nation’s capital focused on tips that a shooter was using a white mini-van to randomly execute innocent people, the real killers went unnoticed until police changed their focus. Scott Peterson had family and friends so sure of the great man he was, all the while hiding a financial downfall that ended with him killing his own wife and unborn child. Even Ted Bundy, one of America’s most notorious serial killers, was able to keep his family in the dark, yet Smothermon wants us to believe that trained DHS and CASA workers could overlook Porter but Kelsey’s mother, Raye Dawn, “should have known.” Raye Dawn was forced to focus on protecting her life and daughter from the manipulations Kathie and Lance Briggs.

“Take these kids or I will kill every one of them!” - Kathie Briggs

All too often when marriages fall apart the love and the feelings of extended family are shut out of the debate. The blessings of grandchildren are ripped from the nurturing wisdom of grandparents and these relationships are left empty and broken. But in contrast there can also be the meddlesome mother-in-law that has reached mythic proportions in every culture on the globe. Kathie Briggs wants you to focus on the dejected grandparent concept and prays her exploits as the meddlesome in-law (that appears to have been taken to criminal proportions) will go unnoticed. Three things tell us about the nature of a person: past record, actions and motives. We are directly questioning her record, her actions and her motives regarding her persecution of the mother of Kelsey, Raye Dawn Smith.

Even though Briggs publicly questioned why anyone would “take the time to verify” details of the case, we decided to do just that and began to compare what was being said with what our investigation uncovered.

Kathie Briggs claims she was the one who sought out DHS for help with her own children when they were young. She argues, “This decision was my own and not court ordered.” This is correct. In fact, according to witnesses she drove down to the Pottawatomie County courthouse with her four young children and exclaimed, “Take these kids or I will kill every one of them!” DHS records and a sworn and signed affidavit attest to this. She is exactly right; it was her decision to abandon her own children, but once she threatened their lives in front of DHS workers it was no longer her choice.

Kathie Briggs spent two years (uncommonly long) working her DHS plan to get her children back. She was frequently given gas money and even driven by health department worker, Norma Hansen, just so she would visit her own children. Briggs also claims that the judge in charge of her case praised her as a shining example when in reality Judge Carter never did so. This is her past record with DHS; this is her record with her own children, and this is how she revises truth.

Kathie has become the queen of revisionist history. She likewise affirms, “I am very proud of the children I raised and the adults they have become.” So you’re proud of a son who pleads no contest to assault charges on more than one occasion with more than one woman, who attends “court ordered” anger management twice, who reportedly gets beaten up for groping a woman in a bar, who admits to lying to authorities regarding his whereabouts, who doesn’t show up for custody hearings, who gets relieved of military service for drugs and assault?

“The information known by Briggs demonstrates knowledge gained through harassing / stalking activities.” - Meeker Police

Kathie Briggs sued for the same visitation rights with Kelsey that she was already freely receiving without court intervention – any other statement is a verifiable lie. Kathie Briggs stalked Raye Dawn, following her to work, to her school and to her house long before she ever claimed Kelsey had any signs of abuse. In fact, in the report to the District Attorney when DHS was first called to investigate, Kathie Briggs stated “she had not seen bruising on Kelsey on any occasion prior.” Yet, she would now have us believe that a nurturing mother of two years with no history of abuse or violence suddenly turns on her daughter. When DHS was called in after Kelsey broke her collar bone (the most common bone broken in children) Kathie Briggs called the Meeker Police and stepped up her stalking and harassment. Sources at DHS have stated that their offices received so many calls from Kathie that proved blatantly untrue they began to disregard them. Some of the calls reported abuse during times that Kathie didn’t even know a DHS worker was present. And these calls haven’t ended with the death of Kelsey but have continued, only now stating abuse of Raye Dawn’s son, whom she has never seen outside of DHS supervised visits due to the malicious prosecution by District Attorney Richard Smothermon.

Kathie would also call in erroneous police reports as well. On one particular occasion police stated they received a call from Kathie Briggs claiming that Raye Dawn was driving erratically and at excessive speeds. Kathie didn’t realize an officer was on that exact road and he saw nothing to substantiate Kathie’s claim. Kathie even alleged that Raye Dawn had the wrong license plate on her vehicle having switched it with another, which was likewise proved false. Moreover, in the official police report of the incident the officer stated, “I believe that Briggs is continually following and stalking [Raye Dawn] in attempts to gain any information possible to use against [her] in the custody battle for the child. The information known by Briggs demonstrates knowledge gained through harassing/ stalking activities.”

Kathie lists three main points in her abuse claims regarding Kelsey’s mother, Raye Dawn: broken color bone, two broken legs and bruises from head to toe (the mother is not suspected in the abdominal injury resulting in Kelsey’s death). Let us examine those three points from the position of evidence and not innuendo.

The mother took Kelsey to the emergency room when she complained of pain and was unable to use her arm freely. The broken collar bone and bruises were attended to and she was released from the hospital with no suspicion of abuse. The Briggs family, who were locked in a heated custody battle, returned her to the same ER and the same doctor four days later and complained of abuse. The doctor documented all bruises and the collar bone and referred it to the Meeker police to investigate. When questioned at the preliminary hearing if he thought abuse had occurred that same doctor stated it was “not my job to determine what happened. That’s for the police.” He was required by law to contact authorities simply because the Briggs used the word abuse. Both the police and DHS investigated the incident and cleared Kelsey’s mother of all suspicion, having determined the break to be nothing more than a childhood accident.

Time lines show Kelsey’s legs broken while with Kathie Briggs; reason why DHS removed her from Briggs’ custody?

Even more compelling is the evidence surrounding Kelsey’s two broken legs. Evidence and DHS time lines substantiated by Kathie show that Kelsey was delivered to Kathie Briggs with a doctor x-rayed and diagnosed sprained ankle, but very much walking. Kathie herself states Kelsey “took three steps and fell down, then didn’t walk the rest of the week” but sources tell us that Kathie took her to gymnastics classes several times during her stay. If Kelsey “stopped walking” why did Kathie take her to gymnastics, refuse to take Kelsey to the doctor and just give her back to her mother? Worried, the mother (not Briggs) reported this to DHS and took Kelsey to the ER where her legs were discovered fractured. The doctor diagnosed their cause as “complications from the sprain due to overcompensation” and cast both legs. Back in Kathie’s custody Kelsey was taken under false pretenses to another doctor where Kathie had Kelsey’s casts removed seeking a different diagnosis - what did Kathie know that the mother didn’t? Then Briggs returned Kelsey to her mother without casts. The maternal grandmother then took Kelsey immediately back to the doctor to have the casts put back on so her legs would heal properly, and the doctor who removed the casts is part of the DHS investigation. At this point DHS began to suspect Kathie Briggs, or at the least someone in her house, but realized there was almost no way to prove it. This is why DHS specifically removed Kelsey from Kathie Briggs’ guardianship to place her in foster care. Very important to note is that three doctors directly disagree with one another on the fractures. Dr. Barrett and Dr. Koons examined Kelsey and determined their cause was over-compensation due to the sprained ankle but the doctor that Kathie sought out, Dr. Sullivan disagreed. However, because one doctor said there was a possibility of abuse DHS was required to act. Kathie once again was using anything possible against Kelsey’s mother but this time it backfired because timelines show Kelsey was with Kathie when the fractures occurred and not with her mother.

As for the bruises from head to toe, the pictures that Kathie Briggs has amassed are a showcase of every scrap and scratch, every bump and fall that a two year old can do over an 8-month time span and culminate with the results of an auto accident. The photographs that Briggs has plastered anywhere she can find a flat surface are from what she even called “a very active child.” Even the blood vessel burst in her eye was a direct result of the auto accident.

NO ONE from Briggs family bothered to show up for Kelsey’s final “public hearing”

During the next several weeks all of Kathie Briggs’ and the mother’s visits were monitored at a DHS facility. Here is yet another red flag; during all of these monitored visits with Kathie Briggs, Kelsey was documented to have continually hidden from Kathie, thrown things at her, run away from her, yelled at her and tried to bite her, until finally on July 6, 2005 Kathie Briggs without warning simply did not show up for her scheduled visit with Kelsey. When questioned, Ashley (Lance Briggs’ former wife) stated Kathie “would not come to the office because DHS told in court what a bad person she was and she did not want anybody to state any more bad things.”

Interestingly, DHS workers continually tried to gain contact information for Lance Briggs from Kathie, but she kept avoiding the request stating that he was moving around so much in the military this wasn’t possible; however, during many of the supervised visits at DHS Kathie would receive phone calls from Lance. Somehow he was able to coincide calls during visits but could not keep in contact with DHS. In fact Kathie spent so much time on the phone talking to various people during several visits with Kelsey that records show observers finally had to reprimand her for it.

So let us cast our eyes on the documented visits with Raye Dawn, the mother. Kelsey played games with her, laughed, snuggled next to her to watch movies and was notably happy with her visits that ended in “hugs and kisses.” What did Kelsey know that we didn’t? Kelsey’s actions were not erratic during these visits; they were consistent with both her mother and with Kathie Briggs. We have heard the proverb that children are good judges of character and this child spoke volumes.

Kathie Briggs even purposely lies about her access to Kelsey after she was given back to her mother in July of 2005. Kathie claims that the court blocked the Briggs family from seeing Kelsey, yet our investigation revealed that this is an outright lie. For being as vigilant as she claims, how could she overlook her access for three months before Kelsey’s death? In reality, NO ONE from the paternal family showed up to a public hearing to discuss restricting overnight stays outside of the mother’s home because doctors were concerned about what might have been seizures that began to manifest. But Kathie knows she had access. It is in the court documents and she even exercised this once after an auto accident where Kelsey was in the car.

Briggs’ front - Kelsey’s Purpose - reportedly slapped with “cease and desist” order by Attorney General for “misuse of funds.”

What Kathie doesn’t want the public or her supporters to know is that the DHS record does not show a pattern of abuse by the mother because that abuse was never there; it shows a pattern of her own deceit and manipulation of the system which she learned with her own children. We already know, according to Kathie’s testimony and others’ to DHS, that Kelsey was not being abused before DHS involvement. Judge Craig Key and DHS workers poured over the records for countless hours before Kelsey was finally returned to her mother in July 2005. Yet now the DHS worker is being ridiculed by Briggs out of one side of her mouth while telling reporters that her testimony at the preliminary hearing was, “the most compelling.” You cannot have it both ways.

Briggs family openly mocked DHS worker during preliminary hearing testimony!

Now, here is the real kicker; Kathie and Lance Briggs have filed a $15 million lawsuit against DHS for allowing the abuse and death of Kelsey. If they win, they will have to give half of the settlement to the mother, Raye Dawn. However, if Raye Dawn is convicted of anything regarding the abuse/ death of Kelsey then Kathie and Lance Briggs get to keep it all. You don’t think $7.5 million dollars isn’t a motive? The squeaky wheel gets the oil, or in this case the cash. Briggs’ embellishments and outright lies are out of revenge and she now seeks to destroy the life of a grieving mother while lining her own pockets. Even her attempt at a non-profit has been sent a “cease and desist” order from the Attorney General for “misuse of funds.” A fact she has tried to hide from supporters, but is finding several in her ranks are discovering this for themselves. Call and ask her how her son Lance continues to purchase more and more possessions while remaining unemployed.

Beware a mother scorned. That’s what stands out. Even in the father’s seeming lack of interest Kathie sought and seeks anything she can set her hands on to destroy Raye Dawn’s life -attempting to gain any information possible and revising history to use against her. The police even saw this. These actions had nothing to do with the well being of a child. It had to do with the selfish nature of an individual who was so angry for having been seen through that she came out spitting venom. Of course we’re sure she’ll simply say the evidence is lying.

District Attorney Richard Smothermon The Prosecutors: Reason takes a Holiday

The name “Mike Nifong” has quickly become synonymous with the zealous prosecution of the innocent bordering on the criminal. The fact is politics and ladder climbing can play a powerful role in the justice system, and if left unchecked can wallow in our own backyard. District Attorney Richard Smothermon wants to be Attorney General even if it takes the sensational prosecution of an innocent person.

Do you not find it fascinating that Michael Porter, Raye Dawn Smith and DHS are all being accused of “allowing abuse” but no one seems to have actually committed anything according to District Attorney Smothermon? Smothermon is now prosecuting Kelsey’s mother, Raye Dawn, at the political behest of Kelsey’s paternal grandmother, Kathie Briggs. Smothermon even apparently told several witnesses that Kelsey’s mother had nothing to do with harming Kelsey. The evidence doesn’t warrant charges, but the Kathie Briggs Machine has forced his hand, and he cannot ignore it without suffering politically.

Smothermon reportedly tells room of witnesses he thought the mother had nothing to do with abuse.

What is truly sad is that Kathie Briggs has amassed a small army of very good people around a swirling story of innuendo, half-truths, omission and even outright lies. Because Briggs’ supposed “non-profit” calls for the reduction of child abuse by imprisoning Kelsey’s mother, Kathie is attempting to see to it that an untainted and fair trial is all but impossible. Seeing such a weak case but no way out, Smothermon, rather than directly attaching his own name to a no win case, has hired a vindictive and reportedly dishonest private practice attorney to prosecute. When is the last time you have heard of a DA bringing in a hired gun and turning down the chance to directly prosecute the highest profile case in his district? A case with both statewide and national recognition. A case that could have his name and face on front pages and TV screens giving free publicity to his Attorney General aspirations. Even though he desperately wants the free camera time showing him prosecuting a child abuser, he distances himself from the media. The reason is because he wants to be at least arms length when that ship sinks. The special prosecutor, Patricia High, even saw how weak the case was and the first thing she did was attempt to stack charges in the hopes that something, anything would stick. Prosecutors know that often a jury will see several charges and believe that where there is smoke there is fire and convict on at least one charge.

DA Smothermon and Patricia High now push the laughable charge that Kelsey’s mother was abusing her long before DHS was ever involved based on a photograph given to them by the mother herself. However, the Briggs family and Kathy Briggs have given sworn statements to both DHS and police that they never saw anything questionable before January 2005. The fact that Kathie Briggs doesn’t stand up and let her own statement be heard is further evidence that the prosecution of Raye Dawn isn’t about justice.

Most importantly, the DA has to prove intent or at the very least neglect. Notice that the DA has dropped the charge of neglect. Smothermon knows that after all the DHS documentation he would not be able to prove neglect, so he amended the charges to Abuse and Allowing Abuse. However, the DHS record doesn’t point to the mother as either abusing or allowing abuse. The DHS record does the exact opposite. It attests to the care, love and cherished relationship this mother and daughter shared. It shows how she jumped through every hoop to do what she thought was best for her daughter.

Thousands of dollars are being wasted on a case that has no business being pursued (outside of politics). District Attorney Smothermon has continued to offer plea agreements to Kelsey’s mother in the hopes this case will go away as quietly as possible, but Raye Dawn has completely refused anything other than her innocence. Why would Kelsey’s mother turn down an offer of only 5 years in prison to risk 30 years or more from a court? Her unflinching statement of innocence and Smothermon’s waffling tell the story.

Raye Dawn Smith: The Mother

When Kelsey’s mother, Raye Dawn was aggressively being questioned by investigators regarding her daughter’s suspicious death she shared with the investigators that her father told her as long as she told the truth everything would turn out alright. They told her, “Not this time.”

We cannot simply try people on the basis of “guilt by association.” Raye Dawn may have brought Michael Porter into her life, but she also brought Lance Briggs into it as well. The fact that Porter turned out to be a more intelligent liar and a more secretive abuser than Lance does not make Raye Dawn an abuser or an enabler. Remember, two county DHS offices and CASA “should have known.” They were trained and they had unrestricted access. Kelsey’s mother, Raye Dawn, divorced Lance Briggs because she refused to allow herself to be abused. This fact, a stack of DHS documentation, sources inside DHS and the courts as well as members of her own community tell us that this mother would never have knowingly allowed her precious daughter to be abused, let alone be the abuser.

There is no evidence in the DHS record that points a finger at Raye Dawn that does not also point at Kathie Briggs. Let me repeat that – there is NO EVIDENCE pointing to Raye Dawn as having committed any abuse. The record and sources in DHS point to Kathie Briggs making so many fabricated reports of abuse surrounding childhood scrapes that they told her to stop calling simply to build a custody case.

Kathie Briggs stalked Raye Dawn for two years and never reported to a single soul that she even thought the mother was abusing her child. Kathie Briggs’ own testimony and that of other members of her family to both DHS and law enforcement stated that they had never seen bruising on Kelsey before January 2005. But in the heat of a custody battle that was not going her way she whipped her family into a frenzy and called DHS over a broken collarbone (did we mention that this is the most frequently broken bone in children). Doctor’s investigated, DHS investigated and law enforcement investigated and not one of them found any reason to believe abuse was involved. Why? Because there was no abuse by the mother! But now the Briggs would have us believe that a loving, caring, nurturing mother would, after two years suddenly start abusing her child. There is NO history; there is NO motive. The DHS records show that from the time Kelsey was returned to her mother until Michael Porter killed her there was not one report of abuse, and DHS, having free reign, was able to drop in completely unannounced. This absence of false abuse reports to DHS directly coincides with Kathie Briggs no longer pursuing visitation with Kelsey.

Imagine if you will, escaping from a violently abusive man, and discovering that you now have a precious child growing inside of you. Would you readily share that with a monster? Would you readily share that with a man who allegedly caused your miscarriage by punching your pregnant abdomen? The Briggs (Kathie and Lance) have so maliciously sought to scar the life of a loving mother who only wanted refuge for her and her daughter. Kathie Briggs now does so for fame and fortune.

When we are too lazy to search for the truth and simply call for the hanging of all in the vicinity it is painfully evident that we have no, or cannot conceive of, empathy. Lashing out with hatred and anger does not produce justice, it is simply blind vengeance. And just because we cannot imagine abuse and murder occurring, hidden from all but the victim and a sole perpetrator does not mean it didn’t happen. The writers of CSI and Law & Order have conceived of far greater twists.

Kelsey Smith-Briggs: A Child, not a Purpose

Truly, the most important element to the Kelsey Smith-Briggs story is Kelsey herself. At the heart, the very core of this saga are the collected memories of youth and the bundled essence of a child - a child who was not born to simply be on a bumper sticker or plastered across a billboard. A child whose "purpose" was to giggle and climb monkey bars, to run through summer afternoons with dreams streaming in her hair. This child's inheritance was not a "purpose" to die.

One thing that cannot be forgotten and should not be eliminated is the fact that the “purpose” of a precious 2 year and 9 month old child was taken, not fulfilled. The murderer, Michael Porter, did not give Kelsey a purpose; he took her purpose from her. The grandmother, Kathie Briggs, does not give Kelsey’s life a purpose; she uses it. The mother, Raye Dawn Smith, did not obstruct Kelsey's purpose; she sought it and now mourns it.

If we are religious, we remember only one child was born so that others would be saved. If we live outside of faith, we remember the focus of our founding fathers & mothers and their assertion of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If we believe in the rule of law, we remember that guilt and innocence are proved by evidence, not innuendo or motives for financial or political gain. If we believe in the memory of Kelsey, we remember her purpose to prosper, and not a purpose to die.

In short, a precious child was used as a pawn by her vindictive grandmother and physically violent father to deal out revenge on an ex-wife for filing divorce and assault charges. They then had Kelsey’s mother, DHS, CASA and the courts so chasing their tails that a killer slipped in under the radar. Witnesses may lie, but the evidence doesn’t. Every turn we made and every person we contacted drove us to this destination, including the Briggs themselves.

Read more articles from the ONLY media outlet in Oklahoma with the guts to tell the true story including Kathie's admission, "I'm no longer obsessed with Raye Dawn. She's in prison." at www.usobserverok.com.