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00:00:02,043 --> 00:00:03,643
[reporter] There have
been further shocking developments
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00:00:03,643 --> 00:00:06,013
in the Mineola Swingers
Club Case today.
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00:00:06,013 --> 00:00:10,743
With defendants Jimmy Sones
and Shelia Sones now free
after taking plea deals,
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00:00:10,743 --> 00:00:13,213
the convictions of three of
the other defendants
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look increasingly likely
to be overturned.
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[thuds]
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{\an8}[Mike] After the lawyers for
the Jamie Pittman,
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00:00:20,773 --> 00:00:24,673
{\an8}and Shauntel Mayo and
Patrick Kelly cases
filed appeals,
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the 14th Court of Appeals
threw out those verdicts,
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based on numerous
evidentiary errors
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00:00:31,543 --> 00:00:34,313
that the court said that
Judge Jack Skeen had made.
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And this was something that
the defense attorneys
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had complained about
the whole time,
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Skeen seemed to
be siding with the state
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and he did it to such
an extent that the court threw
out those verdicts.
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He went to all the other
defendants and offered
them plea bargains.
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To plead guilty
to injury to a child
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and time served
so they could get out.
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[camera shutter clicks]
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[Melinda] But Dennis Pittman
still had an appeal pending
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and so Dennis wasn't
offered the plea bargain.
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It was assumed he would
get out shortly afterwards,
like the others.
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- [Melinda] But by then,
Patrick Kelly,
- [camera shutter clicks]
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Jamie Pittman and Shauntel
had been in jail for
almost four years.
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[Mike] Matt Bingham, one
of the most law-and-order
prosecutors,
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makes a deal to let out
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a bunch of the most
perverted, maniacal,
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criminal monsters
that had ever struck Texas?
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If Matt Bingham really
believed that they
had done what
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he had prosecuted them
doing for four years,
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do you really think
he would have let them go?
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Absolutely not. They would be
rotting in prison for the
rest of their lives.
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[theme music playing]
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[woman speaking]
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[child speaking]
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[man speaking]
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[boy speaking]
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[man speaking]
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[girl speaking]
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[Reporter] Patrick Kelly,
nicknamed Booger Red,
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was sentenced to life
in prison for his role in the
alleged child sex ring.
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I was locked up for
almost four years.
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[Patrick]
When I was in prison,
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they overturned my case and
offered that plea
and I accepted it.
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I was tired, I wanted
to get out.
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I wanted to see my family.
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I wanted to see my mother.
I wanted to see my brother,
my wife, my son.
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[Patrick] What's up bud?
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{\an8}This is my world right here.
I will fight a grizzly
bear for him.
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{\an8}I'm not that good anymore,
but I'll still try.
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{\an8}I'll give him my best shot
that's for damn sure. [laughs]
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[Steven] When he actually went
to jail and they told me
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that's what they're accusing
him of and the DA tried to
get me to turn against him.
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I told them they're crazy
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because my dad ain't
never done anything like that.
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'Cause it...
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That was just all made
up stuff in their head.
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To me, that's the worst thing
in the world for you to do,
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is to molest a child,
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But yet I got convicted
on hearsay.
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It's what was said,
no proof of anything,
it's just what was said.
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[Patrick] I mean, these people
don't even know me,
know nothing about me,
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just because of my nickname,
I was the devil.
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For Margie Cantrell to
do the things she's done,
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to brainwash them kids
to say the things they said,
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because these kids are going
to be traumatized
for the rest of their lives.
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Margie Cantrell is a monster.
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[rooster crowing]
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[dog barking]
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[rooster crowing]
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[Shuantel] This is Margie
and John Cantrell
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and all of their
foster children.
And my three children.
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{\an8}That woman and
that man stole my life.
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[camera shutter clicking]
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Prison was hard.
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I learned how to fight.
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I was sexually abused
in prison,
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by a group of women.
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I was very targeted.
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There was no
reason to live anymore.
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But I knew that God wasn't
going to leave me there
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I didn't know how long
it was going to take
to get me home.
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I filled my time with
Bible studies and law books.
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In 2011, I could have probably
took my bar exam and passed.
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That's how hard I worked.
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After I got out of prison,
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I knew by law,
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I would never get to have
contact with my kids
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until they were
18 and they found me.
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It was... it was horrible.
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[Hunter]
Margie was an attention hog.
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Her appearance to the
public was important to her.
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{\an8}So when we went on outings
like this, I remember
this is at the zoo.
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{\an8}- [camera shutter clicks]
- [Hunter] I remember
this picture.
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{\an8}[Hunter] This was more
of just like a show of like,
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like "Oh, hey, I got
this big happy family."
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But it was pretend.
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Behind closed doors,
this was not true.
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The entire time with
the Cantrells was
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the worst time of my life.
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[birds screeching]
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[Hunter] Being back here
brings back a lot of memories.
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[camera shutter clicks]
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[Hunter] I was always worried.
Always scared.
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Margie was just,
she was an animal.
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[Carly] The back scratcher was
the main punishment
for everything.
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They would pull
your pants down,
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{\an8}whoop you with that,
we'd have welts
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{\an8}on our backs and everything.
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{\an8}And you weren't
allowed to cry.
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{\an8}If you cried, you got
whupped again.
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[Hunter] Making Margie angry
was as simple as
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taking a cookie,
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just 'cause you didn't ask
permission for it.
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[Carly]
Or going outside
without permission.
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[Hunter] Or talking to the
neighbors without permission.
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It was everything, you know,
we... we couldn't be kids.
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We weren't allowed to.
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I remember the time
whenever I'd used all the
blankets in the closet
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she had repeatedly bashed
my head into the doorframe,
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she used to drag us across
the floor downstairs.
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[Carly] I think the worst
thing that happened to me
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was when my head
got slammed into
the tile floor.
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It was right around here.
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I ran away and she was yelling
and stuff about me leaving.
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She ended up slamming my head.
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I was on my knees and she
ended up slamming my head.
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[Hunter] I was downstairs and
I heard the crash on
the tile and I ran upstairs,
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and I saw Carly on the ground,
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it really set me off.
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It was just something
you didn't do.
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You didn't put your hands
on my sisters, no matter
what you did.
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[Margie]
Carly's never been struck.
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Carly has never had a spank
and a swat, nothing, ever.
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Hunter was.
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Not by the back scratcher.
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I can sit here and say,
"Oh, no, no, no, never."
No, no I did.
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I slapped him a few times.
I popped him in the
mouth a few times.
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Not long after that, a hearing
was held in family
court in Tyler.
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{\an8}Finally, the world's gonna see
who these people really are.
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{\an8}[Female reporter] Our top
is about the hearing
that took place today
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{\an8}regarding the welfare
of the foster children
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00:09:06,143 --> 00:09:09,273
{\an8}currently in the care
of John and Margie Cantrell.
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Those children were the
victims of the Mineola
Sex ring trials.
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Representatives from
Child Protective Services
and attorneys
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00:09:16,143 --> 00:09:19,573
were in court to hear
the judges remarks about what
to do with the children
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currently in the
Cantrell's home.
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[male reporter]
The allegations of abuse
came from multiple children.
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One child alleged being beaten
with a wooden back scratcher
until it snapped
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00:09:29,043 --> 00:09:33,043
And another alleged that
Margie Cantrell popped her
in the mouth and slapped her.
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{\an8}[Judge speaking]
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{\an8}The children were ultimately
removed from Margie and John,
um because of physical abuse
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{\an8}[judge speaking]
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They didn't make that choice.
I made that choice.
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Like they said, um,
"These are her kids.
She can relinquish them."
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And I chose to relinquish
the conservatorship.
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[male reporter] Also in the
courtroom was Shauntel Mayo,
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herself a defendant in the
Mineola Swingers Club case
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00:10:24,313 --> 00:10:27,773
and the mother of three
children removed today
from the Cantrell household.
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My heart's relieved,
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because they've known
before my kids
were put in there.
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They took them out
of a good loving home,
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granted there was issues in
our home, but it wasn't
issues that was accused of.
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And put them into a worse
situation for nine years,
they've been abused.
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- So that's not true.
- [indistinct chatter]
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00:10:49,513 --> 00:10:54,013
and this is the lies they
were spreading in the
news about us.
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[male reporter] Throughout the
Swingers Club Sex Ring Trial,
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foster mother
Margaret Cantrell
was instrumental
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instrumental in exposing
the alleged abuse
in Mineola and Tyler.
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00:11:01,843 --> 00:11:04,913
However with these fresh
accusations about
her own conduct,
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the credibility of some
of her statements has
come into question.
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I believe, uh,
from looking at that,
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that, uh, we were
played in the media.
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To take innocent people
and start slamming
them is disgusting.
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{\an8}I think, over a
course of time,
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{\an8}we might be seeing very
interesting statements
from these kids
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{\an8}about what actually
happened to them.
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It's Thad Davidson, just
pushing it and pushing
it and pushing it.
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00:11:33,043 --> 00:11:38,143
"If we can ever get the
children away from
Margie Cantrell's custody,
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00:11:38,143 --> 00:11:41,673
we can get them
to tell the truth."
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- Would you guys like
to say anything?
- No.
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00:11:44,273 --> 00:11:46,543
- No, I don't think
it's proper.
- Nah.
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00:11:46,543 --> 00:11:50,543
What do you think about these
allegations that are
being made against you?
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00:11:50,543 --> 00:11:53,473
We don't even know
most of them yet. [laughs]
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- [lawyer] Margaret!
Don't talk to him. Go.
- Yes, Ma'am.
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00:11:57,843 --> 00:11:58,943
Yes, Ma'am.
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00:11:58,943 --> 00:12:01,273
- No.
- Go, hurry up.
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00:12:01,773 --> 00:12:03,143
[lawyer] Go.
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00:12:04,013 --> 00:12:05,773
[reporter] Would you like to
say anything...
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00:12:06,773 --> 00:12:10,743
We decided that the
best thing, is to go
back home.
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Home was always Vacaville,
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00:12:15,773 --> 00:12:18,943
where we were loved,
where people knew us,
knew what we were like
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00:12:21,043 --> 00:12:23,043
And it would be better.
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Yes, it was a dream home.
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But we loaded what we could
load in a U-Haul and
a trailer behind it.
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00:12:32,673 --> 00:12:34,743
And everything else that
we ever owned,
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00:12:36,043 --> 00:12:38,043
was left behind.
We locked the door,
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and we drove away.
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[camera shutter clicks]
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00:12:54,013 --> 00:12:57,913
[Hunter] When they came
to get us, I felt like
it's about time.
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It had been so many years
dealing with her
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00:13:01,143 --> 00:13:04,673
it was just a major,
major feeling of relief
to get out of here.
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00:13:17,773 --> 00:13:20,513
I was having a lot
of issues with
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00:13:21,143 --> 00:13:22,743
my adopted parents.
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00:13:23,343 --> 00:13:24,873
We were not seeing eye to eye.
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00:13:24,873 --> 00:13:27,773
And so I was you know
like, "What can I do?"
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00:13:27,773 --> 00:13:29,873
And then I thought
about it, and I was like,
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00:13:29,873 --> 00:13:32,573
"Well, I... I can look
up my dad."
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00:13:33,673 --> 00:13:37,613
And I got the idea to
look him up on Facebook.
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00:13:37,613 --> 00:13:41,613
We wasn't allowed to have
any type of contact
with Gabby.
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00:13:41,613 --> 00:13:44,143
Uh, she would had to been
eighteen years old before
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00:13:44,143 --> 00:13:46,513
we were supposed to have
contact with her.
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00:13:46,513 --> 00:13:50,213
I got a Facebook page and all
that stuff and I posted
a lot of stuff in there,
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00:13:50,213 --> 00:13:55,613
pictures and stuff of Gabby.
And I left it open
to the public.
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00:13:55,613 --> 00:13:58,613
[Gabby] And that's how I found
him and then I contacted him.
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00:13:59,313 --> 00:14:01,473
She gave me her phone number.
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00:14:01,473 --> 00:14:05,043
I called her and the next day
her and her boyfriend
come out to visit.
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00:14:05,873 --> 00:14:07,513
As soon as I got
out of the car,
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00:14:07,513 --> 00:14:09,213
tears were running
down my eyes
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00:14:10,513 --> 00:14:12,113
and I just embraced her.
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00:14:13,143 --> 00:14:15,573
I don't even know how long
we stood there hugging.
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00:14:15,573 --> 00:14:19,513
It was a happy,
very happy emotional day.
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00:14:19,513 --> 00:14:21,413
[Gabby] He hugged me
for a really long time.
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00:14:21,413 --> 00:14:23,573
- [camera shutter clicks]
- [Gabby] It had been
eight years
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00:14:23,573 --> 00:14:25,413
since the last time
I'd seen him.
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00:14:35,243 --> 00:14:39,143
[Gabby] At that time,
I was having a lot of problems
with my foster parents
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00:14:39,143 --> 00:14:41,973
- and so I... I just
had enough.
- [camera shutter clicks]
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00:14:41,973 --> 00:14:45,113
[Gabby] I ran away and
I never looked back.
229
00:14:46,973 --> 00:14:48,873
[Jimmy] When she ran away,
230
00:14:48,873 --> 00:14:51,113
she called me wanting me to
come pick her up.
231
00:14:52,143 --> 00:14:53,773
So, I did.
232
00:14:54,713 --> 00:14:56,713
I damn sure wasn't
gonna turn her down.
233
00:14:56,713 --> 00:14:57,973
[camera shutter clicks]
234
00:14:57,973 --> 00:14:59,843
[Gabby] There was no way I was
going to be able to come home,
235
00:14:59,843 --> 00:15:02,943
not actually having
formally recanted.
236
00:15:06,973 --> 00:15:08,843
[Mike]
Jimmy read some of my stories
237
00:15:08,843 --> 00:15:10,873
and in 2014 called me up.
238
00:15:11,943 --> 00:15:14,473
{\an8}And he said, Gabby really
wants to talk to you.
239
00:15:14,473 --> 00:15:16,513
{\an8}And so, we met at
this truck stop,
240
00:15:20,043 --> 00:15:23,673
and all of a sudden,
this big rig comes pulling
into the parking lot and
241
00:15:23,673 --> 00:15:26,973
Jimmy gets out
and he's... he's he's got this
Duck Dynasty shirt on.
242
00:15:26,973 --> 00:15:31,713
And... and there's Gabby,
who just looked like
a goth teenager.
243
00:15:31,713 --> 00:15:34,473
They came in, and they
sat down, and, and
she was real nervous.
244
00:15:34,473 --> 00:15:36,113
I remember her,
245
00:15:36,113 --> 00:15:37,973
her leg going up and down and
246
00:15:39,413 --> 00:15:40,943
she just started spilling.
247
00:15:40,943 --> 00:15:42,513
Can... can I read what
she said?
248
00:15:45,413 --> 00:15:47,713
She told me that everything
they'd said was a lie.
249
00:15:48,473 --> 00:15:51,143
"Sex kindergarten,
the swingers' club.
250
00:15:51,143 --> 00:15:54,243
Their parents and all the
other adults were innocent.
251
00:15:54,243 --> 00:15:57,743
She said, "They literally blew
up my mind and
planted stuff in it.
252
00:15:58,313 --> 00:15:59,943
I'm furious about it.
253
00:15:59,943 --> 00:16:02,943
They lied to me, they used me,
they screwed up my life.
254
00:16:04,413 --> 00:16:07,113
And she said, my ultimate goal
is for this to be overturned.
255
00:16:07,113 --> 00:16:09,413
My goal for myself
is just to tell the truth."
256
00:16:11,843 --> 00:16:14,143
{\an8}And not only Gabby, but Hunter
recanted as well.
257
00:16:14,143 --> 00:16:15,743
[camera shutter clicks]
258
00:16:15,743 --> 00:16:18,613
When I got a bit older,
I actually pulled
my older sister
259
00:16:18,613 --> 00:16:20,573
aside and asked her, you know,
260
00:16:20,573 --> 00:16:22,573
do you actually remember
261
00:16:22,573 --> 00:16:25,243
any of this swingers club
stuff happening?
262
00:16:25,243 --> 00:16:28,613
'Cause I started realizing
I don't remember any of this.
263
00:16:31,113 --> 00:16:33,413
And that's when it really
clicked that Margie
264
00:16:33,413 --> 00:16:34,513
brainwashed us.
265
00:16:37,343 --> 00:16:42,213
In the beginning, she asked me
if anybody had touched us and
things like that.
266
00:16:42,213 --> 00:16:43,873
At first I said no.
267
00:16:43,873 --> 00:16:45,673
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
268
00:16:48,143 --> 00:16:49,673
{\an8}[Hunter speaking]
269
00:16:49,673 --> 00:16:53,943
{\an8}But eventually, I just
basically started repeating
what Margie had been asking.
270
00:16:53,943 --> 00:16:55,513
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
271
00:16:57,613 --> 00:16:58,943
{\an8}[Hunter speaking]
272
00:17:03,773 --> 00:17:05,313
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
273
00:17:06,143 --> 00:17:07,343
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
274
00:17:07,343 --> 00:17:09,243
[indistinct chatter]
275
00:17:09,243 --> 00:17:11,573
[Dr. Wood]
My name is Dr. James Wood.
276
00:17:11,573 --> 00:17:16,513
I'm a retired professor of
psychology at the
University of Texas at El Paso
277
00:17:16,513 --> 00:17:20,613
{\an8}A lot of my research has been
on child interviewing,
child suggestibility.
278
00:17:21,113 --> 00:17:25,873
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
279
00:17:28,613 --> 00:17:31,673
One of the more amazing things
was just seeing those
280
00:17:31,673 --> 00:17:34,043
interviews and then
how they were conducted.
281
00:17:34,043 --> 00:17:35,473
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
282
00:17:35,873 --> 00:17:37,313
{\an8}[Hunter speaking]
283
00:17:37,773 --> 00:17:41,113
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
284
00:17:41,113 --> 00:17:42,243
{\an8}[Hunter speaking]
285
00:17:42,243 --> 00:17:43,773
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
286
00:17:44,143 --> 00:17:45,773
Okay.
287
00:17:45,773 --> 00:17:51,143
Introducing information.
So we've had, uh kindergarten
and did anything nasty happen?
288
00:17:51,143 --> 00:17:54,343
And you put them together.
So you've actually
linked the two ideas, so that
289
00:17:54,343 --> 00:17:59,743
suggests to... to Hunter, we
want a statement about nasty
things in kindergarten, right.
290
00:17:59,743 --> 00:18:01,743
That's coming from
the adults, not from him.
291
00:18:01,743 --> 00:18:02,973
[Margie]
Where did that happen?
292
00:18:04,313 --> 00:18:05,973
{\an8}[Ranger Kemp speaking]
293
00:18:09,243 --> 00:18:11,773
{\an8}[Dr. Wood] Margie is the last
person you want
touching that
294
00:18:11,773 --> 00:18:13,713
{\an8}child as you try to get
a statement from him.
295
00:18:14,243 --> 00:18:16,713
She's pressuring him.
296
00:18:16,713 --> 00:18:20,743
She's demonstrating her
control, she pulls his
hands down like that.
297
00:18:20,743 --> 00:18:22,673
She's giving him
a lot of signals about,
298
00:18:23,513 --> 00:18:25,573
you're gonna do
what I want right now.
299
00:18:25,573 --> 00:18:27,043
{\an8}[Ranger Kemp speaking]
300
00:18:27,713 --> 00:18:28,773
{\an8}[Carly speaking]
301
00:18:28,773 --> 00:18:30,143
{\an8}[Ranger Kemp speaking]
302
00:18:30,143 --> 00:18:33,113
{\an8}[Dr. Wood] Another suggestive
interviewing technique is
303
00:18:33,113 --> 00:18:35,113
{\an8}giving positive feedback,
304
00:18:35,113 --> 00:18:38,743
{\an8}which is praising a child
for making an accusation.
305
00:18:38,743 --> 00:18:40,613
{\an8}Saying, "You're doing
a great job."
306
00:18:40,613 --> 00:18:43,313
{\an8}[Ranger Kemp speaking]
307
00:18:54,613 --> 00:18:58,843
{\an8}When Margie is with Shelby
or Margie is with Hunter,
308
00:18:58,843 --> 00:19:02,343
{\an8}one thing is you could say,
well, that's
their caretaker, right?
309
00:19:02,343 --> 00:19:06,473
{\an8}But in the case of Gabby,
they had no relationship.
310
00:19:06,473 --> 00:19:08,313
{\an8}She wasn't her foster child.
311
00:19:08,313 --> 00:19:11,943
{\an8}And yet Kemp brings
Margie in to question Gabby.
312
00:19:12,513 --> 00:19:14,243
{\an8}[Margie clears throat]
313
00:19:14,243 --> 00:19:17,513
{\an8}[Gabby] They would pull us
into this room.
It was a small white room.
314
00:19:17,513 --> 00:19:21,513
{\an8}It was just the same question,
just in different words, over,
and over again.
315
00:19:21,513 --> 00:19:25,613
Just hours of the
same question, wanting me to
change my answer.
316
00:19:26,213 --> 00:19:27,413
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
317
00:19:32,413 --> 00:19:33,673
{\an8}[Gabby speaking]
318
00:19:33,673 --> 00:19:35,873
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
319
00:19:35,873 --> 00:19:37,243
{\an8}[Gabby speaking]
320
00:19:37,243 --> 00:19:39,243
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
321
00:19:39,243 --> 00:19:40,943
{\an8}So they can't get her to
change her story.
322
00:19:40,943 --> 00:19:44,413
{\an8}So they put her in a room
with Shelby and let
Shelby interview her.
323
00:19:44,413 --> 00:19:46,043
{\an8}[Gabby speaking]
324
00:19:46,043 --> 00:19:47,713
{\an8}[Shelby speaking]
325
00:19:47,713 --> 00:19:48,973
{\an8}[Gabby speaking]
326
00:19:51,613 --> 00:19:53,043
{\an8}[Shelby speaking]
327
00:19:53,743 --> 00:19:58,413
{\an8}[Gabby speaking]
328
00:20:02,673 --> 00:20:04,113
{\an8}[Shelby speaking]
329
00:20:06,513 --> 00:20:07,943
{\an8}[Dr. Wood]
Totally in violation.
330
00:20:07,943 --> 00:20:10,613
{\an8}You're not supposed
to have children question
other children,
331
00:20:10,613 --> 00:20:13,573
{\an8}and you're not supposed
to have children pressure
other children.
332
00:20:13,573 --> 00:20:16,413
{\an8}[Gabby speaking]
333
00:20:16,973 --> 00:20:19,873
{\an8}[Shelby speaking]
334
00:20:19,873 --> 00:20:20,873
{\an8}[Gabby speaking]
335
00:20:24,343 --> 00:20:25,613
Margie Cantrell
336
00:20:25,613 --> 00:20:28,043
and Ranger Philip Kemp
337
00:20:28,043 --> 00:20:31,573
violated just about
every rule in the book
338
00:20:31,573 --> 00:20:33,713
for good interviewing
of children.
339
00:20:34,343 --> 00:20:36,113
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
340
00:20:44,073 --> 00:20:45,343
{\an8}[Ranger Kemp speaking]
341
00:20:45,343 --> 00:20:46,343
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
342
00:20:46,343 --> 00:20:47,343
{\an8}[Ranger Kemp speaking]
343
00:20:47,343 --> 00:20:49,243
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
344
00:20:53,143 --> 00:20:54,873
{\an8}[Dr. Wood]
It was crystal clear
345
00:20:54,873 --> 00:20:59,243
{\an8}that the children were
subjected to very intense
pressure and
346
00:20:59,243 --> 00:21:03,143
{\an8}suggestive questioning by
Ranger Kemp and
Margie Cantrell.
347
00:21:03,143 --> 00:21:06,873
{\an8}[Gabby speaking]
348
00:21:07,343 --> 00:21:10,773
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
349
00:21:10,773 --> 00:21:14,873
{\an8}[Melinda] It was Margie
Cantrell telling them
350
00:21:14,873 --> 00:21:16,243
{\an8}that these things happened.
351
00:21:16,243 --> 00:21:19,213
{\an8}So it's like, if you tell the
kid there's a Santa Claus and
352
00:21:19,213 --> 00:21:21,873
{\an8}and if you're not good,
Santa Claus won't bring
you anything
353
00:21:21,873 --> 00:21:25,613
{\an8}and you're putting that belief
in that child's head.
354
00:21:25,613 --> 00:21:28,413
{\an8}Then you could put the
bad beliefs in there too.
355
00:21:28,413 --> 00:21:30,973
[Hunter] None of this stuff
actually ever happened.
356
00:21:30,973 --> 00:21:33,673
We were manipulated
in to believing it.
357
00:21:36,843 --> 00:21:40,043
{\an8}When I finally realized
the sex scandal never happened
358
00:21:40,043 --> 00:21:43,713
{\an8}and she knew it never happened
I didn't understand why
359
00:21:43,713 --> 00:21:49,513
{\an8}she forced a child
into telling you something
that didn't happen.
360
00:21:49,513 --> 00:21:51,713
{\an8}[Margie speaking]
361
00:21:55,973 --> 00:21:58,213
We learned much later
362
00:21:58,213 --> 00:22:00,243
the reason she's doing this
363
00:22:00,243 --> 00:22:03,343
is because
the worse the child is
364
00:22:03,343 --> 00:22:05,973
then the more
the foster parents pay.
365
00:22:07,673 --> 00:22:11,873
And so, Margie started saying
that the children had told her
366
00:22:11,873 --> 00:22:13,413
that they
were sexually abused.
367
00:22:14,873 --> 00:22:17,713
[Gabby] Margie Cantrell
got a lot of money
368
00:22:17,713 --> 00:22:19,513
for Shelby, Hunter and Carly.
369
00:22:19,513 --> 00:22:21,343
The more messed up they were
370
00:22:21,343 --> 00:22:23,943
the more money she got
for taking care of them.
371
00:22:24,573 --> 00:22:26,143
I think it's horrific.
372
00:22:27,513 --> 00:22:30,713
[Hunter] She was creating
this horrible backstory for us
373
00:22:30,713 --> 00:22:33,513
so that she could get paid.
374
00:22:33,513 --> 00:22:36,413
Margie just needed the money.
She wanted the money.
375
00:22:36,413 --> 00:22:39,773
[Jenna] She would brag,
"Oh yeah.
376
00:22:39,773 --> 00:22:43,313
John, John, now if we say
this about this kid,
377
00:22:43,313 --> 00:22:46,073
then, you know we can get
$1,500 for that kid."
378
00:22:46,513 --> 00:22:48,243
So everybody,
379
00:22:48,243 --> 00:22:50,473
even if they
didn't have issues,
380
00:22:51,143 --> 00:22:53,143
they were
going to "have issues"
381
00:22:53,143 --> 00:22:55,343
when they
got to the Cantrell's house.
382
00:22:56,843 --> 00:22:59,513
[Dr. Wood] From an
economic point of view,
383
00:22:59,513 --> 00:23:03,243
if she has these three foster
children staying with her,
384
00:23:03,243 --> 00:23:05,713
they typically will be
returned to their parents.
385
00:23:05,713 --> 00:23:07,973
But if the parents
are convicted
386
00:23:07,973 --> 00:23:09,873
and they're put into jail,
387
00:23:09,873 --> 00:23:11,713
then the children are
not going to be returned
to those parents
388
00:23:11,713 --> 00:23:17,473
and they become a steady,
reliable source of income.
389
00:23:17,473 --> 00:23:21,513
[Melinda] That's how we
learned that each one
of these children they got,
390
00:23:21,513 --> 00:23:23,513
every single child,
391
00:23:23,513 --> 00:23:27,343
their level escalated,
so that they made more money.
392
00:23:30,413 --> 00:23:31,943
{\an8}[woman speaking]
393
00:23:37,573 --> 00:23:38,773
Yes, I was.
394
00:23:38,773 --> 00:23:40,413
I heard
395
00:23:40,413 --> 00:23:44,773
through one of the articles
that it was 3000,
396
00:23:44,773 --> 00:23:47,413
maybe like 700 per child.
397
00:23:47,973 --> 00:23:49,673
I wish.
398
00:23:49,673 --> 00:23:53,213
But no, never, ever,
ever was that true.
399
00:23:54,143 --> 00:23:56,613
You're never paid
400
00:23:56,613 --> 00:23:58,513
to take care
of these children.
401
00:23:58,513 --> 00:24:02,343
You have to put
the money out first,
support them.
402
00:24:02,343 --> 00:24:06,473
It's a reimbursement plan
that the state has.
403
00:24:06,473 --> 00:24:09,973
And as one would come in
404
00:24:09,973 --> 00:24:14,243
that might have been
a fire starter,
405
00:24:14,243 --> 00:24:19,973
um poke the eyes out of cats,
rip their limbs off,
406
00:24:19,973 --> 00:24:25,773
they would definitely require
about $1,400 a month
407
00:24:25,773 --> 00:24:27,343
or something like that.
408
00:24:27,343 --> 00:24:32,843
That would be much more but
that's a 24-hour type child.
409
00:24:35,473 --> 00:24:37,613
[Thad] Margie is
a master actor.
410
00:24:37,613 --> 00:24:41,613
She's totally alive when she
gets to play hero to the jury.
411
00:24:41,613 --> 00:24:44,573
She's totally alive
running around the countryside
412
00:24:44,573 --> 00:24:47,873
talking to whatever law
enforcement agent is foolish
enough to listen to her
413
00:24:47,873 --> 00:24:50,773
{\an8}about how these poor kids
have been traumatized
414
00:24:50,773 --> 00:24:52,413
{\an8}and damaged
by all these evil people,
415
00:24:52,413 --> 00:24:53,713
but I'm here to save them.
416
00:24:54,513 --> 00:24:56,413
But it's actually just a con.
417
00:24:56,413 --> 00:24:57,613
It's just a money scam.
418
00:24:59,043 --> 00:25:01,613
[Margie] I did my job.
I did what I was
supposed to do.
419
00:25:01,613 --> 00:25:03,573
And that's where
my part ended.
420
00:25:03,573 --> 00:25:07,343
Even though people can hate me
and try to blame things on me,
421
00:25:07,343 --> 00:25:09,873
I did not know the
inner workings of this case,
422
00:25:09,873 --> 00:25:11,613
nor the people, nor anything,
423
00:25:11,613 --> 00:25:12,773
and then you start hearing
424
00:25:12,773 --> 00:25:14,573
well you
made it all up Margie,
425
00:25:14,573 --> 00:25:16,043
you made this whole thing up.
426
00:25:16,043 --> 00:25:17,973
And now I'm on trial.
427
00:25:17,973 --> 00:25:21,143
But, where's the kids
in the mix?
428
00:25:21,143 --> 00:25:24,513
Listen to them.
Maybe talk to them more.
429
00:25:24,513 --> 00:25:28,143
Maybe another forensic...
I don't know.
430
00:25:28,143 --> 00:25:31,143
But somewhere lies the truth.
431
00:25:32,713 --> 00:25:34,473
{\an8}[woman speaking]
432
00:25:38,343 --> 00:25:41,343
[Margie] After everything
I've been through and
everything I've seen,
433
00:25:41,343 --> 00:25:43,413
I don't think
they had a choice.
434
00:25:44,143 --> 00:25:46,613
But Shelby says
this is her truth
435
00:25:46,613 --> 00:25:48,773
and she stands by it
to this day,
436
00:25:50,343 --> 00:25:52,973
and that's the end
of her story.
437
00:26:01,143 --> 00:26:02,973
{\an8}[man speaking]
438
00:26:06,143 --> 00:26:08,513
I probably couldn't say
anything to her.
439
00:26:08,513 --> 00:26:10,713
I would...
I would probably just leave.
440
00:26:13,973 --> 00:26:16,243
[door squeaking]
441
00:26:19,413 --> 00:26:21,873
[Hunter] They basically
took my childhood from me.
442
00:26:23,143 --> 00:26:25,473
They did steal my memories.
443
00:26:28,473 --> 00:26:31,713
With everything that happened,
I never thought I'd ever see
my mom again.
444
00:26:33,143 --> 00:26:36,513
{\an8}I can imagine it hurt a lot
445
00:26:36,513 --> 00:26:39,873
to have your children
testify against you,
446
00:26:39,873 --> 00:26:42,243
and put you in prison
for something you didn't do.
447
00:26:42,243 --> 00:26:45,243
And knowing that they were
manipulated into doing it.
448
00:26:46,143 --> 00:26:47,343
It must have been hard.
449
00:26:49,143 --> 00:26:55,143
[Hunter quoting prosecutor
and himself]
450
00:27:04,773 --> 00:27:11,143
"The record will reflect
Hunter pointed to
and identified the defendant."
451
00:27:11,143 --> 00:27:14,413
[Shauntel]
Having my son testify
against me broke my heart.
452
00:27:15,473 --> 00:27:16,713
It broke my spirit.
453
00:27:18,213 --> 00:27:20,513
It broke my spirit
for all the kids.
454
00:27:21,243 --> 00:27:23,213
{\an8}[man speaking]
455
00:27:23,213 --> 00:27:25,313
There was no reason
to forgive him.
456
00:27:26,573 --> 00:27:28,313
I've never blamed my children.
457
00:27:31,143 --> 00:27:32,943
From day one,
I've known that it wasn't...
458
00:27:32,943 --> 00:27:34,713
it had nothing to do
with the kids.
459
00:27:38,613 --> 00:27:41,343
When we were reunited
after all these years
460
00:27:41,343 --> 00:27:43,613
my mom was
just so happy to see me,
461
00:27:43,613 --> 00:27:47,043
she... she couldn't control
her feelings seeing me,
462
00:27:47,043 --> 00:27:49,613
I mean she busted into tears.
463
00:27:49,613 --> 00:27:52,043
She was hugging me.
She wouldn't let me go
or anything.
464
00:27:53,713 --> 00:27:56,143
[Shauntel] I didn't think
that I deserved
465
00:27:56,143 --> 00:27:59,673
the chance to...
to be his mom.
466
00:27:59,673 --> 00:28:02,843
I couldn't believe that he
even wanted to be around me.
467
00:28:02,843 --> 00:28:05,343
Because they wouldn't have
been taken from me
468
00:28:05,343 --> 00:28:08,773
if I hadn't started
doing drugs in 2003.
469
00:28:09,573 --> 00:28:10,973
It was my fault.
470
00:28:12,613 --> 00:28:14,713
It's always been my fault.
471
00:28:15,943 --> 00:28:17,613
After I got out of prison,
472
00:28:17,613 --> 00:28:20,513
I would have
major anxiety attacks.
473
00:28:20,513 --> 00:28:23,143
I couldn't handle it,
I couldn't get a job.
474
00:28:24,313 --> 00:28:26,613
But Jamie held my hand and
475
00:28:27,413 --> 00:28:31,073
taught me how to live again.
476
00:28:31,073 --> 00:28:33,873
My children haven't
forgiven me completely.
477
00:28:33,873 --> 00:28:35,413
But I have.
478
00:28:35,413 --> 00:28:37,073
and I had to forgive myself
479
00:28:37,073 --> 00:28:41,843
because I couldn't be a mom to
them without forgiving myself.
480
00:28:52,073 --> 00:28:53,613
[Gabby] After I had recanted,
481
00:28:53,613 --> 00:28:56,073
the reuniting
with my mom happened.
482
00:28:56,073 --> 00:28:59,073
It was really emotional. Uh,
she didn't know I was coming.
483
00:28:59,643 --> 00:29:01,343
I remember she was...
484
00:29:02,443 --> 00:29:04,883
she was
watering some plants out,
485
00:29:05,913 --> 00:29:08,643
uh, by the porch area
that they had.
486
00:29:11,643 --> 00:29:14,713
[Shelia] This truck pulls up.
It was Jimmy in the...
487
00:29:16,273 --> 00:29:19,883
didn't know who the hell that
was in the passenger seat.
488
00:29:19,883 --> 00:29:23,013
Then they both
got out of the truck.
489
00:29:25,373 --> 00:29:27,413
And I finally realized...
490
00:29:28,013 --> 00:29:29,513
who she was.
491
00:29:33,273 --> 00:29:36,243
I dropped my water hose and
492
00:29:37,343 --> 00:29:39,783
I grabbed
that child up so fast
493
00:29:39,783 --> 00:29:42,413
and so hard
and I hugged her so long.
494
00:29:46,073 --> 00:29:48,173
I didn't want to let her go
495
00:29:48,173 --> 00:29:50,413
and I didn't want her
to go away.
496
00:29:53,343 --> 00:29:55,413
Look how cute you were.
497
00:29:57,643 --> 00:29:59,713
Not that you're not cute now.
You're adorable.
498
00:29:59,713 --> 00:30:02,543
[Gabby] She was like, "I can
either be your best friend,
499
00:30:02,543 --> 00:30:06,643
or I can step back
into the role of your mother,
it's up to you."
500
00:30:06,643 --> 00:30:09,273
And I was, you know,
finally like, "I,
501
00:30:09,273 --> 00:30:11,443
I want you
to be my mom again."
502
00:30:11,443 --> 00:30:13,913
[Shelia] That's the picture
I had.
503
00:30:13,913 --> 00:30:16,413
That's the picture
I kissed every night.
504
00:30:16,813 --> 00:30:18,413
And I talked to.
505
00:30:26,613 --> 00:30:28,543
[Jimmy] I wrote this
when I was in prison.
506
00:30:30,343 --> 00:30:34,913
And I was
definitely depressed,
507
00:30:34,913 --> 00:30:37,443
I mean, I was giving up hope.
508
00:30:37,443 --> 00:30:42,243
I was laying in my bunk
asleep, and I had this dream.
509
00:30:42,243 --> 00:30:45,643
And I got up immediately
after the dream stopped,
and I wrote it.
510
00:30:51,013 --> 00:30:54,613
"As I sit and think
about my beautiful Gabby,
511
00:30:54,613 --> 00:30:58,813
how all it was is now
nothing more than memories,
512
00:30:58,813 --> 00:31:02,443
I look outside and watch
an angel fall from the sky.
513
00:31:05,373 --> 00:31:10,013
I look at her with a smile,
although no words are said,
514
00:31:10,013 --> 00:31:12,913
she grabs my face
and breaks down instead.
515
00:31:15,543 --> 00:31:17,813
I ask, 'What's the matter?'
516
00:31:17,813 --> 00:31:20,343
as I wipe her tears away,
517
00:31:20,343 --> 00:31:23,973
she leans in closer
and she had this to say."
518
00:31:25,883 --> 00:31:27,813
"Love life and keep it simple,
519
00:31:27,813 --> 00:31:30,173
but most of all,
keep your heart open,
520
00:31:30,173 --> 00:31:31,443
[sniffles]
521
00:31:34,173 --> 00:31:37,273
because she loves you
and still needs you.
522
00:31:38,543 --> 00:31:40,443
My angel closed her eyes,
523
00:31:41,273 --> 00:31:43,143
and her body went limp
524
00:31:44,813 --> 00:31:47,643
as her spirit
ascended back to heaven.
525
00:31:47,643 --> 00:31:50,813
I just sat there and cried
because I knew
what she meant...
526
00:31:51,143 --> 00:31:52,273
Gabby."
527
00:31:56,243 --> 00:31:57,543
You okay?
528
00:32:00,173 --> 00:32:02,543
It makes me cry
every time I read it.
529
00:32:06,443 --> 00:32:09,543
I mean, I was to the point
where I was ready
just to off myself.
530
00:32:11,173 --> 00:32:12,713
That's how depressed I was.
531
00:32:16,443 --> 00:32:18,913
This right here kept me alive.
532
00:32:47,073 --> 00:32:50,613
The place where it all
supposedly began.
533
00:33:06,243 --> 00:33:07,973
How could
such an innocent building
534
00:33:07,973 --> 00:33:10,173
be so damn evil for me?
535
00:33:10,173 --> 00:33:11,373
I mean...
536
00:33:12,273 --> 00:33:14,073
this is where it started.
537
00:33:15,143 --> 00:33:17,343
It's where the lies came from.
538
00:33:18,643 --> 00:33:21,713
and I really
don't like being here.
539
00:33:21,713 --> 00:33:23,413
If my
little old arms could do it,
540
00:33:23,413 --> 00:33:26,073
I'd take every damn brick
out of this bitch.
541
00:33:28,013 --> 00:33:30,243
[Shauntel] I didn't know
it existed.
542
00:33:30,243 --> 00:33:32,543
How did my kids know what
the inside of it looked like?
543
00:33:34,373 --> 00:33:35,783
Because I don't.
544
00:33:35,783 --> 00:33:38,273
But ask my two oldest kids
545
00:33:38,273 --> 00:33:40,343
and they can tell you
what it looks like.
546
00:33:40,343 --> 00:33:42,913
That woman walked my kids
through this building.
547
00:33:51,413 --> 00:33:52,713
[door closes]
548
00:33:54,643 --> 00:33:58,343
[Hunter] Margie brought me
to this building
the first time I was here.
549
00:34:02,243 --> 00:34:04,013
We drove up one day,
550
00:34:04,013 --> 00:34:06,273
Margie talking about
wanting to buy the place
551
00:34:06,913 --> 00:34:09,443
and I was like 8 years old.
552
00:34:11,913 --> 00:34:13,143
It was creepy.
553
00:34:13,883 --> 00:34:16,173
And, uh, I remember stopping
554
00:34:16,173 --> 00:34:18,413
and seeing
a basketball in the back.
555
00:34:18,413 --> 00:34:21,173
And, uh, I can't remember
what I said about it,
556
00:34:21,173 --> 00:34:23,243
but I think
I wanted the basketball
557
00:34:23,243 --> 00:34:25,273
so I think
Margie just kind of took that
558
00:34:25,273 --> 00:34:27,273
and kind twisted that,
559
00:34:27,273 --> 00:34:30,543
you know,
trying to make it seem like
we had been here before
560
00:34:30,543 --> 00:34:31,973
and that was my basketball.
561
00:34:35,713 --> 00:34:38,143
As far as
she's talking about memories,
562
00:34:38,143 --> 00:34:40,413
I don't know if
Shelby maybe said something,
563
00:34:40,413 --> 00:34:43,513
but I had no memory
of the place at all.
564
00:34:45,543 --> 00:34:51,713
I've never been in here
with any family member ever,
565
00:34:51,713 --> 00:34:54,713
um, not even in the building
or on the property.
566
00:35:13,343 --> 00:35:15,013
[dog barking]
567
00:35:20,783 --> 00:35:22,913
[Carly] My mother
bought me a house.
568
00:35:22,913 --> 00:35:25,173
It's a mobile home right
across the street from her
569
00:35:25,173 --> 00:35:26,543
with two lots,
570
00:35:28,073 --> 00:35:29,713
so if anything happens,
571
00:35:30,783 --> 00:35:32,013
I'm right there.
572
00:35:33,073 --> 00:35:37,543
In a year or so, I'm hoping
to have me and my mother
573
00:35:37,543 --> 00:35:41,173
and my grandmother
all right there
in the same vicinity,
574
00:35:41,173 --> 00:35:42,713
if not side by side.
575
00:35:45,613 --> 00:35:48,243
[Hunter] I hope to go back
and finish school
576
00:35:48,243 --> 00:35:49,913
and get some stability
577
00:35:50,713 --> 00:35:52,013
is really what I hope.
578
00:35:52,013 --> 00:35:53,543
In 10 years it would be nice
579
00:35:53,543 --> 00:35:56,273
to have a family of my own.
580
00:35:56,273 --> 00:35:59,013
[Shauntel] There you go.
There you go, Carly.
581
00:36:02,173 --> 00:36:03,973
[Hunter] I would like
to see myself
582
00:36:03,973 --> 00:36:06,713
closer to the family
I have right now.
583
00:36:10,713 --> 00:36:13,413
I constantly feel guilt
about what happened.
584
00:36:13,413 --> 00:36:17,513
I do feel like if I'd have
stuck with my answer
"no" in the beginning,
585
00:36:17,513 --> 00:36:19,713
that it had never happened,
586
00:36:19,713 --> 00:36:23,073
um, I feel like none of this
would have ever happened.
587
00:36:26,643 --> 00:36:30,013
[Gabby] The fallout
is devastating and
it still affects us.
588
00:36:31,813 --> 00:36:35,543
This is something
that we have to live with
for the rest of our lives.
589
00:36:36,913 --> 00:36:39,013
Justice for my parents
590
00:36:39,013 --> 00:36:42,373
would be their names cleared,
591
00:36:42,373 --> 00:36:46,173
it taken off of their record,
because that felony
is still on their record.
592
00:36:46,173 --> 00:36:49,613
Justice for Margie would be
seeing her behind bars.
593
00:36:52,643 --> 00:36:54,443
[Shelia] This one woman
594
00:36:55,883 --> 00:36:57,783
hated so much
595
00:36:58,413 --> 00:37:01,413
that she destroyed us.
596
00:37:01,413 --> 00:37:03,173
She was the rich woman.
597
00:37:03,173 --> 00:37:06,013
They're going to believe her
over the poor people.
598
00:37:07,643 --> 00:37:11,143
Especially poor people
that have had
599
00:37:11,783 --> 00:37:13,883
poor people problems.
600
00:37:13,883 --> 00:37:16,713
You could tell by
the newspaper clippings
601
00:37:16,713 --> 00:37:20,073
and everything that
602
00:37:20,073 --> 00:37:24,643
society thought that,
because we were poor,
we were indecent,
603
00:37:25,013 --> 00:37:27,343
immoral, dirty.
604
00:37:27,913 --> 00:37:30,513
{\an8}[man speaking]
605
00:37:36,243 --> 00:37:37,973
I don't trust anybody.
606
00:37:40,883 --> 00:37:44,443
My life experiences are really
negative toward the world.
607
00:37:45,443 --> 00:37:48,543
People are liars
and they're mean.
608
00:37:54,813 --> 00:37:56,713
[Jimmy] We were innocent.
609
00:37:56,713 --> 00:37:59,273
Our lives
were turned upside down.
610
00:37:59,273 --> 00:38:01,573
It cost me
four years of my freedom,
611
00:38:03,273 --> 00:38:05,213
the loss of my daughter.
612
00:38:05,213 --> 00:38:07,543
I wasn't there as a father.
613
00:38:10,573 --> 00:38:13,373
You know it makes me sad
the fact that
614
00:38:14,473 --> 00:38:15,843
I wasn't there.
615
00:38:18,743 --> 00:38:21,213
I didn't get to raise
my daughter.
616
00:38:21,213 --> 00:38:23,183
I will never
get those years back.
617
00:38:35,743 --> 00:38:38,013
{\an8}[Mike] After those guys
got out,
618
00:38:38,013 --> 00:38:40,743
{\an8}I would still get letters
from Dennis Pittman,
619
00:38:40,743 --> 00:38:44,743
{\an8}and basically saying,
"Look, all these other people
are out, what about me?"
620
00:38:44,743 --> 00:38:48,473
{\an8}And he would
always sign his letters,
621
00:38:48,473 --> 00:38:50,943
{\an8}"Dennis Pittman,
the innocent man."
622
00:38:51,843 --> 00:38:53,473
{\an8}And...
623
00:38:53,473 --> 00:38:56,573
he just got caught up
in Smith County justice.
624
00:38:56,573 --> 00:38:58,643
We all knew he should be free,
625
00:38:58,643 --> 00:39:01,943
but the wheels
of the criminal justice system
turn really slowly.
626
00:39:03,113 --> 00:39:04,913
So, every year went on,
and it was like,
627
00:39:04,913 --> 00:39:07,013
of course this guy's
gonna get out eventually.
628
00:39:07,013 --> 00:39:08,213
[buzzes]
629
00:39:32,213 --> 00:39:37,013
[Jason] I would check to see
where he was
in the parole review.
630
00:39:37,013 --> 00:39:39,713
Because Dennis was convicted
of an offense
631
00:39:39,713 --> 00:39:42,543
that allowed him
to be parole eligible
632
00:39:42,543 --> 00:39:44,843
with less than
half time served.
633
00:39:44,843 --> 00:39:49,473
So I would periodically check
just to see and I happened to
634
00:39:49,473 --> 00:39:51,313
look it up and see that
635
00:39:51,313 --> 00:39:53,913
it didn't show
he was in TC any longer,
636
00:39:54,473 --> 00:39:57,313
and so I text Melinda
637
00:39:57,313 --> 00:40:01,213
and I said,
"Dennis might've made parole."
638
00:40:01,213 --> 00:40:04,113
And, you know,
she responded back
639
00:40:04,113 --> 00:40:06,013
"Or he died,"
640
00:40:06,013 --> 00:40:07,813
which I'd never
even considered.
641
00:40:07,813 --> 00:40:09,443
And then
we started looking into it and
642
00:40:09,443 --> 00:40:12,373
of course found out that
he had indeed passed away.
643
00:40:17,273 --> 00:40:19,643
[Mike] He died
of COVID complications.
644
00:40:20,213 --> 00:40:22,013
And that was that.
645
00:40:22,673 --> 00:40:24,213
So the last innocent man...
646
00:40:24,943 --> 00:40:26,083
was dead.
647
00:40:32,013 --> 00:40:33,913
{\an8}[man speaking]
648
00:40:35,273 --> 00:40:37,083
{\an8}- No.
- [man speaking]
649
00:40:37,913 --> 00:40:39,313
He did?
650
00:40:40,473 --> 00:40:43,113
What? I did not know that.
651
00:40:46,083 --> 00:40:49,113
What? Oh, my gosh. Ugh.
652
00:40:49,113 --> 00:40:50,743
Well, now I feel really bad.
653
00:40:52,373 --> 00:40:53,743
Yeah, I didn't know.
654
00:40:54,573 --> 00:40:57,183
His life now
is defined by this.
655
00:40:57,573 --> 00:40:59,083
You know, he died
656
00:40:59,083 --> 00:41:02,313
without ever having
a chance to tell his story
657
00:41:02,313 --> 00:41:04,183
and for people to believe him.
658
00:41:04,183 --> 00:41:07,573
And so imagine how lonely and
isolating it must have felt.
659
00:41:07,573 --> 00:41:10,843
It's not about pride and
arrogance and winning cases.
660
00:41:10,843 --> 00:41:14,083
It's real lives that were
affected and impacted.
661
00:41:14,083 --> 00:41:16,213
We all had a responsibility.
662
00:41:16,213 --> 00:41:17,943
We have failed him
in many ways.
663
00:41:20,443 --> 00:41:23,473
[Mike] It was the
final tragedy in this story.
664
00:41:23,473 --> 00:41:27,273
And you can trace
every single terrible event
back to two people.
665
00:41:27,913 --> 00:41:30,643
Margie and John Cantrell.
666
00:41:30,643 --> 00:41:33,113
They were
never held accountable.
667
00:41:35,313 --> 00:41:39,573
There were various people
talking about ways
they could go after them
668
00:41:39,573 --> 00:41:41,713
with some kind of
fraud charges.
669
00:41:41,713 --> 00:41:43,273
You know,
I think, ultimately,
670
00:41:43,743 --> 00:41:45,743
the fact that
671
00:41:45,743 --> 00:41:48,913
we were dealing with
a bunch of people
who lived in trailers,
672
00:41:48,913 --> 00:41:50,913
a bunch of people
who didn't have any money.
673
00:41:50,913 --> 00:41:52,713
I mean, ultimately,
I think people
just didn't give a [bleep].
674
00:41:53,943 --> 00:41:56,743
She got away with it.
And what does she do?
675
00:41:56,743 --> 00:41:58,113
She goes back to California
676
00:41:58,113 --> 00:42:00,113
and scuddles
back into her hole.
677
00:42:08,743 --> 00:42:10,313
[Margie] Life is good.
678
00:42:10,313 --> 00:42:12,943
I've been swimming a lot.
679
00:42:13,813 --> 00:42:16,713
And I take care of my husband.
680
00:42:16,713 --> 00:42:20,743
He has PTSD
and some problems.
681
00:42:20,743 --> 00:42:23,573
And we work in the backyard.
682
00:42:24,183 --> 00:42:26,543
Our backyard is gorgeous
683
00:42:26,543 --> 00:42:28,473
and I have,
684
00:42:28,473 --> 00:42:32,113
oh, so many grandkids
surrounding me,
685
00:42:32,113 --> 00:42:34,673
and grandma's very involved
in what they're doing.
686
00:42:34,673 --> 00:42:36,373
And, um...
687
00:42:36,943 --> 00:42:39,273
they make me laugh
688
00:42:39,273 --> 00:42:42,643
and they're coming into
those teenage years
so it really makes me laugh
689
00:42:42,643 --> 00:42:44,473
because I get to
send them home.
690
00:42:44,473 --> 00:42:47,373
But it's good.
Life is... is good.
691
00:42:48,573 --> 00:42:50,213
{\an8}[man speaking]
692
00:42:52,113 --> 00:42:56,373
I have regrets at
walking away from my home
693
00:42:56,373 --> 00:42:58,373
and our dreams.
694
00:42:59,813 --> 00:43:02,913
But we have new dreams
and they're pretty awesome.