The pre-hearing documents that Rita’s attorney filed were fascinating and numerous, amounting to 116 pages. The image gallery contains the lists of exhibits, witnesses, and family members in the area. I have only included these four pages because the photographs in the copy I have are barely discernible black-and-wide versions that appear to have been copied and scanned many times. The remaining pages contain personal or immaterial information. Twenty-two pages were photocopies from a picture book of the kids in Michigan and with their cousins. The cousins included in the pictures are the ones that had recently moved to Texas. Thus, the images are somewhat deceiving because my kids would certainly not be spending much time with these cousins if they moved to Michigan. There were 20 pictures of her sister’s house, where they were planning to move, and two shots of Rita’s parent’s house.
Rita had staged the photographs of Debbie’s house to make it appear much more spacious. The images appear to show two bedrooms for the kids and one for Rita. I’m sure the house did not have four bedrooms–if I recall correctly, it has three–so I’m not sure what got converted into an extra bedroom. However, from the images, it appears to be a converted closet. The pictures only show one bathroom, but I believe there was a second one, although I’m unsure if it was full or half-sized.
While I recall Debbie’s house being lovely for a modular home, I cannot imagine six people living there. I’m not sure why she didn’t propose moving in with her parents as they had more space.
Rita included a list, provided below, of relatives in Michigan and Ohio, including people I’m sure she hadn’t seen in years, and I’m sure she hasn’t seen since moving. The list includes her second cousins, third cousins, great aunts, and some people I don’t recall ever hearing about, even though her family had frequent reunions. She included a lot of my family that she at least thought lived in Toledo.
Relatives in Michigan and Ohio
Rita’s Family
Parents: Milton and Joan Hanson, Maybee, MI
Sister: Debra Benson and husband Russell Benson, Maybee, MI Brother: Mark Hanson and wife Irene Lynn Hanson, Chelsea, MI
Nephews and Niece:
James Hanson, Milan, MI
Logan Hanson and wife Becca and son Bentley, Ypsilanti, MI
Doug Demory and wife Casey, children Nora and Blake, Milan, MI
Samantha Stoddard and husband Mike, children Conner, Hunter, Jacob, and Ryder, Canton, MIAunts and Uncles:
Karen Jahnke and husband Wayne, Ypsilanti, MI
Virgil Hanson and wife Betty, Union City, MI
Michael Hanson and wife Deanna, Sherwood, MI
Jennie Hanson, Athens, MI
Alan Hanson and wife Polly, Union City, MIFirst and Second Cousins:
Paula Robinette and husband Gregory, children Shelby, Noah and Gregory, Ypsilanti, MI
Tammy Stuck, child Clyde Jr., Battle Creek, MI
Shelly Hanson, Battle Creek, MI
Gary Hanson and child Jason, Battle Creek, MI
Eric Hanson, Battle Creek, MI
Jeff Hanson, Union City, MI
Ken Hanson, Union City, MI
Nolan Hanson, Sherwood, MI
Alana Mancuso and husband Todd, children Anson and Wyatt, Battle Creek, MI
Julie Krietzer and husband Tom, child Kyle, Tecumseh, MI
Jenny Avery and husband Walter and child Lori, Battle Creek, MI
Susie Sencret and husband Steven and children Christy, Holly, Rockwood, MI
Mike Hanson, children Michelle and Mike Jr., Union City, MI
Teresa Green, husband and children Misty, Holly, Rusty, Cody, Ypsilanti, MI
Billy Schooler and wife Diane and children NaAuturm, Nathan, Nathaniel, Ypsilanti, MI
Pam Schooler, Ypsilanti, MI
Joann Zemke and husband Jim David Perry, Gregory, MI
Connie Jerrell and husband Jim Robin Schooler
Carol Schooler
Ronda Schooler
Thomas MeyersThird Cousins and Great Aunts:
Lena Schooler
Tayna Parchell
Michelle Schooler
Sheron Schooler
Steve MainsBrother Paul Hanson lives in Dallas, visits MI several times a year with wife Trisha and children Abby and Jarrett
Eric’s Family
Aunts and Uncles:
Alan King and wife Rosie, Dundee, MI
Donald Mockensturm and wife Charlene, Clinton, OH
Robert Mockensturm and wife Cathy, Toledo, OHCousins:
Amy Salenbien and husband Matt, children Lauren and Bethany, Britton, MI
Julie Grewe and husband Scott, children Julia, Nathan and Katie.
Arron King, Monroe, MI
Kristina Elsayed and husband Khaled, children, Toledo, OH
Brad Mockensturm and wife, Toledo, OH
Chad Mockensturm and wife Juanita, Toledo, OH
Brian Mockensturm, Toledo, OH
Russell Mockensturm, Toledo, OH
Scott Mockensturm, Toledo, OH
Her witness list included herself, her sister, and her nephew, James, who had lived with us for many years. It also included two teachers that had worked with Caleb–JoAnne Westerhaus and Marie Hayes–a McBath-street neighbor, Heather Fornicola, and a “Representative from Dundee Community School District.” The last three people listed did not testify. Heather later told me that she told Rita she wasn’t getting in the middle of things because she didn’t know my side of it. I’m not sure why Mrs. Hayes didn’t testify, but Rita always had terrible things to say about her and insisted we send Amanda to a private school for the fourth grade so Mrs. Hayes would not be her teacher.
Rita included Caleb’s individualized education plan (IEP) and notes from the meeting on January 4, 2013. Caleb was in 8th grade, and this was the first IEP meeting that Rita had attended. Since Caleb was in kindergarten, these meetings would occur once or twice a year to see how things were going and adjust the plan. Rita always refused to go even though I asked her many times to do so. Her excuse was that she couldn’t handle the teachers calling Caleb dumb, which they certainly never did. She basically couldn’t overcome her personal feelings about her schooling to help Caleb. It was ridiculous having these meetings without her; the meeting frequently put me in a situation where I did not know everything going on.
Rita was the one that would go through Caleb’s things when he got home from school, as I was at work. I would frequently ask if Caleb had done his homework, and she would say he had or that he didn’t have any. I would then go to these meetings and hear that Caleb was never turning in his homework. It took far too long to realize that Caleb had figured out if he didn’t bring assignments home or “lost” them, then he wouldn’t have to do them. Had Rita attended these meetings, it would have been obvious what was going on. Rita not participating in these meetings annoyed me greatly as I saw, and still see, it as terrible parenting. Rita needed to be at these meetings to help Caleb, and she refused to attend.
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