Q. ". But there was one problem: none of it actually happened. A 35-year-old mother of four, Linda Miller, was picked up by police in March on suspicion of child abuse as she tried to cross into Canada. Distraught, Devereaux responded, "My life is ruined, okay, I did it. The harrowing accusations were completely unfounded,leaving Wenatchee desperate for answers. She was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison; he received 23 years. ." There were other arrests, including that, in March, of Donna Hidalgo, adult step-sister of Perez's foster child. "Evil does not require a motiveit simply is.". Perez even let Jen go on Dead to Me after Jen confessed to murder. . Supportive parishioners, many of them poor and dependent on the food the Robersons' gave out weekly, decry the arrests as police "payback." ." My god, I could never do those things. Devereaux's 15-year-old accuser was Glassen's responsibility, one of dozens of kids on his case list. Striding down the hallway of the county courthouse - tall, fair, well-built, with a sidearm and handcuffs visible under his leather jacket - he is the image of righteous justice. Hernandez, 52, faced life in. He wasn't halfway through the forms when a sheriff's deputy announced he was under arrest. They were families, police say, in which adults treated children as commodities, "trading them like party favors" - not for financial gain, but for sexual gratification and illusions of power and control. A friend of Perez's foster daughter claimed that on one occasion, "Pastor Roby" asked the girl into his shag-carpeted office off the sanctuary. Carol and Mark Doggett (whose daughter had been taken to a mental facility in Idaho to recover memories against them,[29][63] and then ran away while denying having been abused[64]) were freed,[65][66] but then still required legal assistance to get their children returned to their custody. Detective Perez brought L.R.H. No. Fax: 805-488-2633. Detective Robert "Bob" Bachelder is originally from Portland, Maine where he worked as . Forty hours sitting in a classroomspread over three days? Some time later, she began "having fun" with her older, mentally disabled child. Perez claimed in the lawsuit that he was retaliated against by City Manager Rob Mayes and former police chiefs James Runnels and Kyle Westall after he provided a deposition in a former sergeants'. But by the time Detective Robert Perez completed his investigation, 24 people in Wenatchee had been accused in a child sex-abuse scandal. The promotions took effect Friday, July 16. 2d 33 | Casetext Search + Citator", "Wenatchee Witchhunt on Dateline, November 1995", "Part I, b - Detective a man who charmed, harmed", "Robert Perez Police Department Evaluation", "Ex-Wenatchee sex crime detective Bob Perez dies", "Bob Perez, driving force in discredited sex abuse cases, dies | Local News", "Author Fights Sex-Ring Case Subpoena | the Spokesman-Review", "Writer Need Not Reveal Sources in Wenatchee Sex-Ring Cases | the Spokesman-Review", "Child sex ring book gets mixed reviews | Northwest", "One Brave Soul's Crusade for Truth About Wenatchee | the Seattle Times", "Wenatchee Witch Hunt and the Doggett Family", "Wenatchee Couple's Rape Conviction is Overturned | the Seattle Times", "State v. Carol M.D, 89 Wn. Other siblings confirmed the story. . App. That didnt happen. Mae Hochstetler can pay the bills because the state pays her to care for her adult son, with a pandemic pay bump. Four hours later, she was changing into coveralls with the words "Property of Chelan County Jail" stenciled on the back, and social workers met her children at the school bus. His investigation, with state Child Protective Services agents, ensnared 42 Chelan and Douglas County residents, 28 of whom were convicted or pleaded guilty, the newspaper reported. Defense attorneys put Wenatchee police detective Bob Perez on the stand as a hostile witness and tried to undermine his credibility. He first joined the NOPD in October 2004 as a 7th District Patrolman, then moved to the 6th District Task Force and 6th District Investigations. After seeking refuge for her children in a "safe house," Miller saw to it that Steinborn went to jail. But the cases against Town and Green and 15 others were overturned on appeal after evidence emerged that suspects, children and other defendants were coercively questioned by Wenatchee Police Detective Bob Perez, and bullied into signing statements the detective typed for them. [4][16] Perez's foster daughter later recanted[17][18] and apologized to Roberson, claiming that Perez had pressured her. Sheriff Allan Joseph Weber; Grafton County Sheriff's Department, New Hampshire. Then 54 and divorced, Devereaux had five adolescent girls in his care. Would you consider that training to be appropriately extensive? [72][73] The last lawsuit against the authorities in these cases was settled in 2009, with the children of Harold and Idella Everett, who initially made an Alford plea (pled no contest),[74] receiving $120,000. . 2023, Everett Herald and Sound Publishing, Inc. 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"My own father sexually abused me, the humiliation, the hell. The investigation found that Perez coerced suspects, many poor and developmentally disabled, into making false confessions, and coached testimony from witnesses. The caseworker advised him to be patient. . A few had histories of telling terrible lies. What would you say to him if he were alive today? [60] This work formed the basis of Lyon's 1998 book, Witch Hunt: A True Story of Social Hysteria and Abused Justice. Two key victims were in Perezs foster care at the time. Three teenage girls were returned to Devereaux's care. Perez yelled at a child and called her a liar until she fabricated stories of abuse in an . Only after reassurances and coaxing did the teenager reveal he had repeatedly been sodomized by his father. I want to make sure it doesn't happen again, and I believe the state could convict me at trial." A multitude of police reports written by Wenatchee detective Robert Perez described dozens of adults lining up to take turns molesting children. Many of the adults arrested as a result. Every person alleged to have been part of "The Circle" is poor, some desperately so. The Unraveling Of A Monstrous Secret -- Sex-Abuse Scandal Has Wenatchee Reeling Jun 8, 1995 Marla Williams, Dee Norton IT BEGAN AS a case involving one man raping his two young boys. So when he started bragging, she picked up the phone and called the Rape Crisis Center. [2] Perez died in 2013 at age 60. [26] Five days later, the Roberstons were arrested. PEREZ Feb. 2000 99 Wn. Attempting to leave Wenatchee quietly, he stopped by the Douglas County sheriff's office to purchase a trip permit for his rig. "He wore me down and made me mad . Fox Nationprograms are viewable on-demand and from your mobile device app, but only for Fox Nation subscribers. [43], Critics maintained that these cases were mishandled by the police and proper protocol was not followed when interviewing the children. Such events were by this point no longer new in this small city where, it was reported, Wenatchee's Child Protective Services workers and police Detective Robert Perez had jointly succeeded in . One of the central figures in the case who was acquitted, East Wenatchee Pastor Roby Roberson, told KPQ-TV he always expected an apology but never received one. According to police records, Cherie Town was advised of her rights but chose to "cooperate.". During a hearing before trial, Green's defense attorney argued that Perez improperly questioned and arrested his client and, thus, her confession should not be allowed into evidence. The court also vacated orders dismissing Detective Robert Perez and Wenatchee Police Chief Kenneth Badgley, on the ground substantial justice required it. Individually and as a group, the accused were isolated from society's mainstream. 22, Ex. On March 13, 1994, in what has become known as the "parade of homes," D.E. Sergeant Robert "Rob" Barrere is from Metairie, Louisiana just a few miles outside of Orleans Parish. Word was out that Meredith Town was preparing to skip Wenatchee and take his boys to El Dorado, Kan. . He was also told that his 15-year-old accuser had recanted during a conversation with her caseworker, Paul Glassen. Miller's confession was corroborated by her ex-husband, Larry Steinborn. Detective Armando Perez has worked for the police force in many different units. More than 40 adults have been charged, and 28 are in prison, as a result of an investigation led by Wenatchee Police detective Robert Perez, who has been criticized for his methods, including a . [25] After their acquittal, they plea-bargained this case to community service for Robert. Robert Stack 10/13/1982 1548 Ogden St: Robert Tolliver 11/12/1982 600 blk Poplar St. Savino Joseph Nuane 11/12/1982 2644 Larimer St. - Joe's Liquor Store Steven Emory He was determined to ferret out the rest of the abusers, to save the kids. The point? "[50] In 2001, a jury found the city of Wenatchee and Douglas County, Washington negligent in the 1994-1995 investigations. Over the years, Attorney Perez has taken many cases to trial and has won unpredictable . Cherie and Meredith Town's former residence, 610 Mission St., is within an easy five-minute walk. He was born on October 17, 1953, in Ohio, to Ricardo and Anne (Tempe) Perez. Perez, 60, of Waterville died on Dec.. The appellants further allege that two of the primary child witnesses were foster children living with Perez and that he coerced them into making disclosures with gifts or by physical abuse. Perez asked for details. At 37, unemployed, with a felony record, Meredith Town didn't have a lot - just enough to fill a trailer. And Idella, threatened with a beating from her husband, had held the children down, then molested them herself. [2][3] Many poor and intellectually disabled suspects pled guilty, while those who hired private lawyers were acquitted. Glassen's wife is Canadian, so they packed and moved to British Columbia. In 2021, Maria Gutierrez alleged an Arlington police officer tore her rotator cuff. The family lived from welfare check to welfare check. Some will never believe it. That did not happen. It is responsible for providing police service to an area encompassing 468 square miles and 21 community areas, representing approximately over 4 million residents as of 2022. Police records say the youngster was forthcoming, confirming that his father raped him and forced him to perform oral sex. Phone: 805-986-6530. "She said she was mad, that she lied, that Perez encouraged her . By the time he stopped talking, police were pretty sure Cherie Town knew more than she had let on. [15] In 1995, after Pastor Robert Roberson criticized the investigation, he was arrested and charged with eleven counts of the sexual abuse of a child. Nicolas Ferrel-Ibarra. . Leave a Flower Sponsored by Ancestry. Elizabeth Loftus, a University of Washington professor and nationally noted authority on memory, argues strongly that children, and even some adults, are "highly suggestible" and therefore unreliable. she said during an interview at the Washington Correctional Facility for Women near Purdy, where she is to spend the next 40 years. Devereaux's remaining foster daughters were moved to new foster homes and an investigation began. The case was sparked by a claim made by a foster child in the home of Wenatchee police Detective Robert Perez, who said she and other children were sexually abused at the church. I doubt anyone is really investigating me, but I do believe they are trying to discredit my work. . Offering lurid recollections of the abuse, she described how, at one home, grown-ups would take children, six at a time, to a room with six single beds. Still, the foundation of the increasingly complicated and bizarre case was the children's testimony. Improper training. He was accused of sexual abuse of his teen-age stepdaughter in 1993 and 1994. Appointed by President Biden, Kendee Yamaguchi will work in the U.S. Department of Commerce, overseeing trade professionals. They talked for a while, and then, Glassen said, the girl "blurted out that she had told a whole bunch of lies about having sex" with Devereaux. "But I believe there is a possibility that people who share such common, aberrant needs could be drawn together because the mainstream of their existence centers on the frequent need to be sexual. A former East Wenatchee cop, Kinkade does not shy from a brawl. Harold Everett had raped her and at least one sister and brother. A. VOCAL, as the group is more commonly known, is a national organization established to "protect the falsely accused.". The 15-year-old said Devereaux had forced her and a 12-year-old foster sister to have sex with him. The investigation began in January 1995 when Detective Robert Perez was told by his 13-year-old foster daughter, Donna Perez, that she had been sexually molested. Legal Statement. Meredith Town was sentenced to 18 years and 4 months in prison; Cherie was ordered to serve 10 years. The Wenatchee cases were anything but [fake news];they destroyed lives, destroyed children and parents, and left many of the children with lifelong angst.Q. or redistributed. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. . Defense attorneys questioned the foundation of the charges, citing physician diagnoses that revealed "the alleged victims suffered from various forms of psychological problems including attention-deficit disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychotic disorders and other impairments.". - Drive continuous improvement and efficiency in the accounting and master data processes for NA Hub. In March, with her parents in prison, the Everett child began making new allegations: Dozens of adults had regularly forced her and countless other children to have sex. Yes, exonerations were ultimately achieved, but the fabric of so many lives was torn so violently, thosechildren and adultscan never go back to what they were before. In Cherie Town's book, it was wrong for her husband to be messing around with other women. Experts say children who have been sexually abused for years accept it as "normal," and often will repeat the behavior in situations other than the home. Justice would have required someone within the system having the backbone to stand up and declare "This is wrong." Donna pointed out houses and buildings . Debate rages in Wenatchee and across the country over whether children are reliable witnesses. But it wasn't until the couple divorced and Maxine left the house that allegations surfaced. In September, police, prosecutors and child-protection workers believed they were just about to wrap up two very ugly cases of child sexual abuse - the Town-Holt and Devereaux cases. "I have never been so terrified in my life. I don't want to believe it either, but based on the evidence, I must.". That we must always remain ever vigilant. What steps were missed in handling this correctly? Perez knew time was short. Perez didn't believe Devereaux and told him so. The sheriff's office obtained search warrants and sought physical evidence, including samples of the carpet and sections of the rectory wall. Ever since this page published details of the spree of child abuse prosecutions in the town of Wenatchee, Washington, readers have been calling . All rights reserved. I didn't know what I was saying, what I was signing. + Subscribe for $1 for the first month Do you feel it lends to the distrust of the justice department, or do you find theres some saving grace in the fact that, in the end, Perez was ultimately caught, and everyone accused, exonerated? Bob Perez died a disgraced former detective in 2013. Market data provided by Factset. People who know and like Perez say he is a dedicated officer, that he is often stern but can be a "teddy bear" of a man. Reed, 43 at the time, pleaded guilty to two counts of child molestation. On March 13, 1995, Perez put Donna in his police car with two social services caseworkers and they drove through Wenatchee and East Wenatchee. Now in their late teens, the former witnesses have publicly declared that none of the crimes they . Bob Perez died last Thursday at Central Washington Hospital, according to. However, prosecutors never charged Glassen with a crime. Detective Robert Arredondo. Then a 15-year-old girl, in juvenile detention for allegedly trying to poison Devereaux and a foster sister, accused him of rape. I'm lying.". Rattling off names, the girl referred to the group as "The Circle." [56][57], Pierce County public defender Kathryn Lyon compiled "The Wenatchee Report",[58] which "purport[ed] to show civil-rights violations involving children and families in Chelan and Douglas counties. [13] Perez attempted to subpoena Lyon's sources,[59] but was unsuccessful, except for a tape that Lyon had already shared with others. He has twice been tried on charges of molesting his stepdaughter. Justice isnt a task that ends, it is ongoing and those seeking it can never rest. Elegant new homes, perched on the brown ridges above town, attest to the community's expanding wealth. Bundling the girl up, Perez and two Child Protective Services caseworkers drove the child, now 10, around town so she could point out where these orgies were supposed to have taken place. If true, "The Circle" would have likely gone down as one of the most egregious cases of crimes in American history; instead, whats egregious is that it had been entirely made up at the hands of law enforcement. When Ventura Police arrived to the 1500 block of Daffodil Avenue, they found 37-year-old Robert Perez had been stabbed once in the chest. The older daughters, Melinda and Donna, were sent to live as foster children in the home of detective Robert Perez. Seattle Times staff reporter Dee Norton contributed to this report. The Holts - Selid, Laura and their three kids - lived just a few doors down, at 512 Mission St. Finally, was justice served? He was found not guilty on two charges; the jury was hung on three others. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. In your expert opinion, what do you believe were the motives behind Perez and Abbeys witch hunt?A.

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