Kathie Briggs is Kelsey's paternal grandmother. Although we have made attempts not to even mention her name in our fight for Raye Dawn's freedom, it's impossible because many of us see Kathie as the main reason Raye Dawn is now in prison. Kathie is the one who corresponded with Mike Porter. Kathie started Kelsey's Purpose and used it as a tool to gain support and harass and threaten the DA and other public officials until Raye Dawn was charged with a crime. Kathie wanted "that little hussy in jail" and she wanted her in jail "for MURDER" and that's obvious from not only her words to Mike Porter but also her actions since Kelsey's death. Kathie got what she wanted when Raye Dawn was sentenced and then she went after Gayla, Raye Dawn's mother, by passing out flyers around Gayla's neighborhood that accused Gayla of not taking proper care of Raye Dawn's dad when he was dying of cancer and accused Gayla of neglecting Kelsey. Kathie said on her forum that she wanted Gayla in prison. I believe she stated "one down, many more to go."
Our belief is that Kathie is the one who belongs in jail for neglecting Kelsey when Kelsey broke her legs at Kathie's home and she crawled for days with no medical attention and her weight and hair loss while in Kathie's care; for her conspiracy with Mike Porter to have Raye Dawn put in jail; her perjury on the stand during Raye Dawn's trial; and for making political and personal threats via her website.
No, we can't leave Kathie out of the mix because she IS THE REASON Raye Dawn is in prison and not grieving her child. Mike Porter should have gone to trial and he should have been charged with sexual assault and at a minimum homicide. It's my opinion that Kelsey died as a result of the sexual assault. Instead, Mike Porter is in prison for enabling child abuse, a prison somewhere protected and probably under a false identity and charged with a much lesser crime. He's under the protection of the DA as part of his plea in our opinion. The DA protecting Mike Porter is the same DA that Kathie threatened if he didn't charge Raye Dawn with something. The excuse for the plea was that "Lance couldn't handle the trial" so they worked a plea deal for Mike. But what about Raye Dawn? Lance was certainly strong enough to handle her trial.
On 3-5-2006 Kathie said: "Our DA has
already stated on camera his case against Mike Porter is strong."
After Mike's plea a paper quoted: "If it wasn't for the Briggs family's
desire to accept the agreement, Smothermon said he would have taken this
case to trial."
Kathie stated 3-5-2006: "We heard another rumor today that a deal could be
made for the mother. This is not justice for Kelsey if that happens. It
sends a very bad message for all who witness abuse and do nothing..."
The only protecting I see being done is the protection of Mike Porter, the
trashing of Raye Dawn, and the opportunity for Mike Porter to abuse more
children. Anyone else see that?
Because of the plea, Mike Porter will be out of prison when he's in his 50s and he'll be young enough to prey on other children and other single moms. Very few things have been said about him in Kathie's quest. We know very little about Mike Porter. We've been accused of not talking about him, but what's to say about a man who didn't go to trial and whose crime has been minimized by Kathie? We know nothing of him. Kathie put the focus completely on Raye Dawn while communicating with, offering rides to, and joking with the man who murdered Kelsey. She even sent at least 43 pictures of Kelsey to the man who sexually assaulted Kelsey for the billboard that he presumably purchased for Kathie's site.
To our regret, we can't forget about Kathie in our quest to free Raye Dawn.
Raye Dawn has filed NO lawsuits and wanted NO part in any suits. She does not want money from Kelsey's death and does not want anyone else using Kelsey's death to make money. This is a lie!
On December 5, 2005 Kathie stated, "I have heard nothing but good things from those who know Mike Porter. We were excited that Raye Dawn was dating someone that appeared stable. We wanted Kelsey to have two homes where she felt loved and secure. I did not know him, but I knew he had two children that he loved, so I never thought Kelsey would be in danger. "
In Kathie's speech at the Capitol in December, 2005 she stated, "We were also concerned with the new boyfriend and asked that he not be present during these visits." This was an untrue statement. The court order asked Mike Porter not be present, but clearly from Kathie's statement above she was excited about Raye Dawn dating Mike and she knowingly allowed Kelsey to visit Raye Dawn with Mike present. Why has nobody clued in on her constantly changing stories?
The confidential OCCY report states:
"
The worker also documented concerns that the paternal grandmother was allowing visitation with the mother that was in violation of the court order, both in duration of the visits and Mr. Porter was living in the home with the mother. The worker recommended that Kelsey remains in DHS custody and be placed outside the paternal grandmother’s home and in the mother’s home."
Kathie Briggs to Mike Porter in their January 20, 2006 email:
"Once again let me say, you are young, you don’t have the guidance of your parents, and I am trying not to take advantage of that. Part of me has compassion for you and your situation and part of me thinks of how Kelsey lost because of actions you were either aware of or part of. I am not here to make you feel worse, I just know I want accountability. I don’t want my feelings for Raye and her family to overshadow my willingness to accept the fact that maybe they did nothing wrong."
Kathie Briggs to Mike Porter in their January 24, 2006 email: "First of all, I want Raye Dawn in jail and I want her charged with murder."
This is from the confidential OCCY report:
After months of reflection and review, the Lincoln County staff demonstrated an attitude of suspicion the paternal grandmother, Kathie Briggs. The OJSO has considered the possibility that the paternal grandparents were somehow involved in one or more of the incidents reported. Within this context, after examining the evidence and DHS case history the following alternatives must be considered:
a) Ms. Briggs was the perpetrator of some of the incidents of abuse and child welfare failed to adequately investigate and document her involvement.
b) Ms. Briggs was not the perpetrator, but, by her demeanor, persistence, and/or irritation, was able to negatively influence DHS professional child welfare investigators so that her concerns were not properly investigated.
c) DHS staff did not consider the danger to Kelsey significant to warrant a thorough investigation.
d) DHS staff did not comprehensively review the case to consider the contextual evidence implicating a different perpetrator.
This was posted on Kathie's forum when it was SUPPOSED to shut down. I've highlighted the interesting parts. Again, it's about the fame for Kathie. Also, our forum has banned members that posted threatening statements toward the Briggs. We have not condoned any hatred or violence. The Briggs can't say the same. We've banned any member who seemed unstable or out of hand. Kathie is the one who put her family in the spotlight and she's the one who actively sought national attention. We didn't do that. So whatever attention Kathie is now getting, she's put herself out there for that. We have never cultivated the violence, threats, or stalking mentality that KP members have. We're not the same and would never threaten or blackmail anyone as KP members have and you can read on the Kathie's - Kelsey's Purpose page.
This was posted in March but Kelsey's Purpose has not shut down and Kathie is posting on other blogs and forums under a new alias. She's obviously not "done."
This message was posted after I posted the address for people to send their complaints to the IRS about what was going on at Kelsey's Purpose. Don't let this fool you. Kelsey's Purpose is still operating.
FYI - According to those who know, Jeanna lives on a main highway. She doesn't live in a neighborhood. Her driveway is approximately five acres to seven acres long and there is no way to see her back yard from the highway.
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Date: Mar 31 |
Announcement Author Message kjbriggs Kelsey's Grandma Posts: 1,184 Group: Administrators Joined: Nov 2005 Status: Offline Reputation: Post: #1Announcement As you all know the past three years have taken a toll on us that no individual should ever experience. We did everything we could to do the right thing for us, for our members, and for Kelsey. Our private little world in Meeker, OK became a fish bowl for all to see and judge. In the process we gained strength by the new friendships that surrounded us. People that were willing to give of themselves in a way we never imagined. For that we will always be grateful and will never be able to repay. I went from being the grandma that sews and takes pictures to the one on the news. I was in a world that most people only read about. Most don't realize I actually hate doing interviews and I don't like public speaking. But what I hated more was the wrong that had been done to our baby girl. As each reporter called wanting me to speak, as much as I wanted to, I never said "no". It wasn't about me, it was for Kelsey. I promised her justice and I promised her I would never shut up. That is a promise I will keep. I have always been a trusting and sometimes naive person. A quality that has bitten me in the rear many times in the past two years. It now takes me longer to let people in my space. I learned our so called 'fame' brought out very peculiar people, some that only wanted to touch me. I know that sounds bizarre, but I am not kidding. I have been be friended by many that turned my trust around to use against me. I have been bashed beyond my wildest dreams. All the while our family continued to do what seemed to be the right thing. If I had a dime for everytime we said we have to take the high road I could afford the face lift I have been accused of spending KP donations for. One I rightfully deserve as my wrinkles multiply and my skins sags. In the past few weeks our spirit for everyday life has dwindled. Our energy has been zapped from us as we try to handle every single situation. Even after stepping back and trying let others take over we are never really on a break. Each decision includes us as this site has Kelsey's name on it and it belongs to her. We tried making each of you apart of this group and hoped you all knew how important you were and are. We were strongly encouraged by many of you to obtain our own nonprofit status. A process that took weeks and much work on a select few. With that came the need to give out titles. Board members had to be selected and offices filled. There were not enough offices to go around. Being the people pleaser I am, I came up with the idea of the Title Committee. This would give each of us the opportunity to use our best quality on KP. To our family it did not matter what position you held or what title you wore, you were equally as important as a member of our group. This was not a business, but a group of friends. All the while other problems surround us. Two weeks ago during spring break I was at Jeanna's with seven of my grandchildren. We were outside playing t-ball and then went around back to pick up limbs. Well,everyone, but two who considered it work. Making a game out of picking up limbs was not something she was going to fall for. I soon noticed a white Explorer sitting straight across the highway from Jeanna's driveway. After being stalked several times before I had had enough. I literally walked across the highway and took down his tag number. While I was walking back, the children said they could see a lens pointed towards the house. He then pulled forward just enough to see the backyard. Then backed up to the original position. I made thechildren go into the house. This went on for approximately fifteen minutes while I have seven children reporting his every move as they peered out the window. He finally left about two minutes before Jeanna's husband could get to us. This is only one example of the stalking we have experienced, but this one was the most serious for the children.When you have a child tell you our family has a very interesting life and we are like the FBI it makes you wonder what you are doing to them. Misinformed freaks are coming out of the wood work to trash the Briggs in their efforts to free Kelsey's mom. That on top of the threats and stalking make you wonder when they will no longer be threats and will become another tragedy. I can only imagine them doing a happy dance and taking credit for our decision, but in reality they had little input. Now they can focus more on their ultimate goal of freeing Kelsey's mom. In reality that is out of all our hands and our family will accept the decisions made by our judicial system. Kelsey deserves more than the negativity that some have projected at an organization bearing her name and so do we. After a personal desire to step back we had to make a decision. We sat for hours talking about once again doing the right thing. This time the right thing had to put our family first. It wasn't easy and I was a hard sale. The final sales pitch so to speak was when Jeanna said Kelsey deserves to rest in peace. It was a major light bulb moment. We looked at each other and said,'Kelsey is done.' She did her work, she put a face to child abuse, she changed laws, she has saved children and now she needs to have peace. As long as her name is attached to this site the others will never let her rest. But we will. She deserves it and we are giving it to her. We will continue to honor her memory with an annual walk, the Hugs project,Kelsey Saturday and possibly the Toy Drive. We will continue to have Kelseyspurpose with resource information available. We will leave her story on KP, but we will no longer have a message board effective sometime in April. We will dissolve the 501c3 and will no longer be a group that only belongs to KP. Regardless of what you hear, the Attorney General's office has not nor have they ever shut us down. Our nonprofit status was not in jeopardy. This was a personal decision and no one forced our hand. We have made a family decision to take our lives back,to spend more time with our children who are still here on Earth. Kelsey would want that. This is sad on many levels, but it can be a blessing in disguise if we allow it. Several have the desire to continue the efforts that Kelsey started. The main difference will be the name of the group. By taking Kelsey's name from the title we can be a group that does not tie itself with just one case, but includes all cases. A new group can flourishthe way KP has. Imagine a group titled "The Childen's Voice" orsomething similar. The title will represent all abused children. My theory is if all of us are here for the children and really believein what we are doing we will continue. I hope we can continue doing this together. By taking Kelsey's name away we open the door to other families to feel their loved one is just as important. We can add other faces to child abuse such as Olivia, Letha, Logan, and many many more.Kelsey's story can be a part of the site, but not the main focus. Look what our small group has already done, changing the name is not going to stop us from doing more. So once again, this can be a blessing. The same work with a fresh start and a new name. One thing I am sure of is we made the right decision for us and for Kelsey. I am guilty of not putting my family first in many situations in the past two years. I felt I owed everyone outside of us everything I could give. Before I really do give everything I need to refocus and start giving back to my husband, children, and grandchildren while I still can. Please do not feel I do not value each of you as a friend. I was thinking earlier this morning of something. I was thinking of the 'Footprints In The Sand'. When the footprints are missing it is because God carried you during the hardest times. Not only has God carried us through the hardest times, but in a sense you, our friends,have also carried us through those hard times. I cannot express enough how much you all mean to us. I spend more time with some of you than I do many members of our family. So please understand as I say again, this was not an easy decision. One of Kelsey's favorite sayings was 'I done'. I think it is time to let her rest in peace. |
Summary of each participants recommendations made at the judicial proceedings (This is documented in the State files for the June, 2005 hearing.) DHS Child Welfare Treatment Worker -
A DHS child welfare treatment worker appeared on behalf of the respondent mother. The worker recommended that the child remain in her present placement [with maternal grandmother] and continued visitation as present. The placement with the mother would be phased in following services provided by Community Home Based Services (CHBS).
When asked, Is there any indication that the child may be returned to [the paternal grandmother's] home through your recommendation?
The treatment worker responded, Not through our recommendation, no.
The following is a statement from the paternal
grandmother, Kathie Briggs:
"I can tell you without a doubt the DHS workers DID NOT testify that
Kelsey should not be returned to me. If that discussion took place it was
outside the courtroom and ethically should not be considered in a court of
law."
What about the Smiths?
Didn't they lose Kelsey too?
Not according to Kathie.
She'd rather ask for prayers for the man
who sexually assaulted and murdered Kelsey.
Keep in mind, this is coming from a woman who gave up her kids for two years after saying, "If you don't take them I'll kill them." According to witnesses, she had to be reminded to visit them while in foster care and she borrowed money and rides when people would convince her to visit.
kjbriggs
Kelsey's Grandma
Posts: 1,026
Group: Super Moderators
Joined: Nov 2005
Status: Away
Reputation:
Post: #53RE: Kelsey's story in summary
We appreciate every opportunity to get Kelsey's story
out.
She is a very special little girl and we are happy to share her. We
wish it was under different circumstances. When she won Miss
Personality in her pageant I thought she was destined for great
things. I still think she can bring great things even with a tragic
story. I miss her every single day and some are harder than others.
Today is one of those days especially when I heard the song "One
More Day". I would give most anything to have one more day with
Kelsey. I know her Daddy deserved to have at the very least one more
day. He left his child here in the hands of her mother while he went
to war. She should have been protected. She should never have had
the first bruises that brought the system in her life. She should
have gotten up each day to do what little girls like to do. Not
having pictures taken of marks or going to the DHS office. This
little girl should have been with a loving mother that raised her
to love both sides of her family. She should have been with a
mother that had her best interest first at all times. She should
have been raised by a mother that could notice if there were
problems with the man in her life. If not at first, then after the
first court hearing, or the second one. If she honestly believed the
paternal family was at fault then Kelsey deserved a mother that
could determine they were not the perpetrators when they were not in
the picture.
Today I feel more bitter than some days. I could go on and
on with who failed her and how. I just wish that those people would
take some responsibility for their lack of action to save her. They
all know who they are and I hope that each night when they go to bed
they see that precious face. I hope they are filled with guilt.
I
know that may sound hateful and not at all how the "Amish" would
feel, but that is how I feel today.
People keep telling me they will
all get "theirs". The problem is people who allow a child to die
will not know when they "get theirs".
They do not know remorse, they
do not know guilt, they do not know responsibility. They only know
blame and that blame is on everyone but themselves.
It has been more
than a year and still the people that allowed Kelsey to be abused
and brutally murdered feel sorry for only themselves.
kjbriggs
Kelsey's Grandma
Posts: 1,026
Group: Super Moderators
Joined: Nov 2005
Status: Away
Reputation:
Post: #107RE: Kelsey's story in summary
There have been numerous updates since the summary was
written. I hope to update it in the near future. I plan to add
another forum of frequently asked questions.
At this time the
stepfather has agreed to a 30 year plea agreement. It was a hard
decision to make, but there are plus sides to accepting a plea. It illiminates the possibility for parole.
Kelsey's mother was found guilty of enabling child abuse
and received 27 years. The jury wanted to charge her with murder and
child abuse, but that was not an option. She has filed for a new
trial and if for some reason that happened
it would give the
prosecutor the option of adding charges including murder. Once the
appeal for the new trial is over she will then be able to file
numerous appeals for the conviction.
It is sad this family is
forced to spent thousands and thousands of dollars for something
that could have had such a different outcome. I still say if I were
in their shoes I would do the same for my loved one. It is out of
our hands at this time and we are always ready to accept the next
step. We have a great family and so much support on this site that
we feel blessed regardless of the outcome.
This was posted just weeks after Kelsey's death. This post has nothing to do with Kelsey, it's all about the media and the attention Kathie was getting.
kjbriggs
Kelsey's Grandma
Posts: 1,122
Group: Super Moderators
Joined: Nov 2005
Status:
Away
Reputation: 
I will never forget the day we were working to have our own funeral service for Kelsey. Lance, Royce, my brother-in-law Terry, and I went to speak to an attorney. While we were gone we had several people here at the house to man the phones. If we had not all have cell phones I don't know what we would have done. We met with the District Attorney and the Sheriff that day and once we got the go ahead on the service all four of us were on a cell phone making arrangements. We had two hours to go to the funeral home, put the obituary in the news paper and to contact the media for a service the following morning at 10:00. Once that was done we had to contact family and friends to let them know of the new plan. I know there were many people here in Meeker and the surrounding area that did not know our service was first and went to the Smith service that afternoon. We still managed to have around 250 people come to pay their respects to Kelsey.
The phone calls still came in for days and even weeks. We had to add a new line in our house to answer them all. I remember one night I checked the caller ID and saw that we had received 50 phone calls in less than four hours and that did not include our cell phones. We could not keep up some days. We had people over daily just to help with the messages. We were very blessed by so many people and the support we were given and we still are. So thank you all for thinking of Kelsey and in her name helping other children.
It is a priviledge to have people from all over the world join us.
