Both times Webber moved out of the residence, she said it was because of Russell's constant drinking. Webber said there were several occasions when Russell was drinking and driving with Gillespie and other children in the car. She often found vodka bottles in the car.
"The home of an alcoholic is not a suitable environment for a family, especially a family with children in it," she said.
Webber said she couldn't control Russell when he was drinking. She said he often wouldn't realize he was walking around the house without clothes on if he'd been drinking.
"All I wanted was to give Katherine the perfect little family that she deserved," she said. "This is a child that lost her mother at an early age and had no father figure in her life. That is not what she had with Ryan in the home continuing to drink."
"I went to Ryan's family several times and told them "Ryan has a drinking problem. I need help. I need to get Katherine out of this environment,'" she added.
Webber's concerns went unheeded. And that, apparently, helped cost Katherine Helen Gillespie her life.
Evidence about Russell's drinking only adds to the questions about the murder conviction in this case. It appears the prosecution did not prove that Russell fired the weapon in question. And if he did, it's hard to see the intent required for a murder conviction, much less the aggravating circumstances required for the death penalty.
This whole case smells like a railroad job, and I've seen that kind of thing happen before in Shelby County courtrooms. I've been writing for three-plus years about the unlawful actions of Judge J. Michael Joiner in the lawsuit a neighbor filed against me. That experience caused me to start a blog about judges, lawyers, prosecutors, and other officials who abuse the public trust. I wound up losing my job because of what I've written on this subject.
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