Through a Mother's Eyes

by Cary Allen Stone

  On another occasion, again from his deposition, he said, “I beat the hell out of her so bad she couldn’t walk for about two weeks. It’s amazing that she didn’t have any broken bones.” Toward the end of 1995 and early 1996, school and witness records reflect that young

  Charley is having serious problems at school and that the problems can be tracked to his family life. Charley complained to his teacher that Chuck locked him out of the house and wouldn’t let him back in until he stopped crying. He also told her that Chuck had killed his pet Iguana. Julie later tells the same teacher that she is deathly afraid of Chuck and what might happen to Charley during visitations. The teacher notes Julie’s excessive weight loss and is withdrawn. And that she is using heavy make-up to cover bruises. Julie becomes more protective of Charley.

  On September 15, 1996, Charley is sent home from school for fighting. He cries in the classroom but won’t say why. He tries to be a normal young boy and enjoy rollerblading, baseball, and reading about dinosaurs.

  Julie obsessed over Charley’s safety and well being to the point of being excessively overprotective. She refused to allow him to wear necklaces or chains around his neck like the other kids while at school or playing because she feared for his safety. Whenever his teacher requested a conference over misbehavior Julie defended Charley vigorously.

  Charley became Julie’s only and best friend. The mother that loved him so became Charley’s only and best friend. Slowly over time, the two became inseparable. Julie withdrew further and further from the other members of her family and friends. She, along with Charley, became “isolated.” The world that they lived in shrank down to a cave, then into a cavern, to a tunnel, and finally into a hole. Charley would often encourage his mom to leave so that the two could live on the beach.

  In October of 1995, Julie worked as an Administrative Assistant at a health club. She excelled there as an employee.

  1996 was the “meltdown year” for Julie. All of her problems grew exponentially and raged out of control. She left Chuck again and moved back home with her parents. Now up in years, Donald and Marseille tried to provide a home for her and the children but the stress was taking its toll. They were struggling financially due to high medical bills. Donald, near seventy years old, had just been through a quadruple bypass operation, had his arteries repaired in his legs, and suffered from emphysema. Marseille was diabetic. With all of the additional expense from Julie’s problems, they became saturated, overwhelmed, and angry. Watching their retirement dwindle, Donald demanded that Julie repay over $80,000 that he spent caring for her and the children over the years. She of course had no money but took on the added stress. They finally encouraged Julie to leave Chuck and move from their home.

  Chuck’s untruthful statements made earlier to a judge while seeking the restraining order against Julie for an alleged attack on him with a knife fueled the custody battle for Ashley. Julie’s addiction had also come to the attention of David.

  During the summer of 1996, Julie required dental work involving the extraction of a number of teeth due to a gum disease caused by the Methadone treatments. Her dentist prescribed Vicodin for her pain and sent her spiraling back into Hydrocodone Hell.

  By August, Julie’s log tells the story: “Still calling in Rx....dose up 30 daily...working hours up drastically/zero staff/things bad with Chuck/bad with parents. Stressed/depressed/ severe weight loss 20lbs.” She begins to forge prescriptions at an alarming rate and she realizes that her addiction is out of control. September 12th, Julie calls in a prescription to a pharmacy for Lora 7.5 milligram, #30 and Doxycycline 100 milligram, and #20. On September 24, another call is made for a refill of Lora 7.5, #30. The same prescription is called in on October 4.

  Her log continues for early October: “Vicodin dose up to 45/day... [more] depression...[more] stress/twice as busy at work and new staff (training) /parents angry over [more] work hours/Chuck filed for divorce, custody of Charley. Didn’t tell parents about custody suit/couldn’t handle more stress. Throwing up each AM repeatedly.”

  Then in late October: ”Lost 10 more lbs. From original wt. of 121 lbs. down to 92 lbs., preparing for response to divorce and custody suit. Vicodin habit 45-60 tabs/day. No concentration suddenly/forgetfulness/frustrated and angry [at] myself. Wanted to stop using now before I got caught and lost everything. Needed treatment. If I went into treatment/would not hold my job––would lose Ashley to David immediately Losing my job and Ashley meant losing my family––mom would go crazy if I lost Ashley. Chuck would come and take Charley to Troy, Alabama. I wouldn’t be able to stay in treatment knowing what Charley would be going through and what Chuck would tell him. I’d never have the [money] to get him back.”

  On November 6, she and Charley arrive at another pharmacy on East Colonial Drive having called in the prescription this time as nurse Carol. She approaches the druggist and asks for the prescription. One pharmacy finally called her dentist to verify the validity of the prescriptions. He realizes who and what is going on and advised the pharmacy to call Julie’s home telephone number to frighten her that they are going to call the police. Julie took the call and became fearful that she would be arrested, charged, and sent to prison for a minimum of ten years as a habitual offender. She is terrified that she will have to surrender custody of Charley to Chuck who she fears will torment and torture him.

  As her life was melting down, Julie, while at her parent’s home, receives a phone call from Chuck in October of 1996. He explains to her that he has been offered a position in Troy, Alabama and that he is selling the house in Clermont. He tells her that he wants to start over with her and the children in Troy. To his surprise, Julie agrees. They make plans to meet. Julie is convinced that the geographical change will be the cure that she desperately needs for all of her problems. When Chuck calls, he suggests that they meet and drive around Orlando so that they can look for a new house. He says that he decided against taking the position in Troy. Julie sees it as one more reconciliation ploy by Chuck and rejects him for the last time. “All the red flags went up.”

  Chuck, furious, called his attorney and ordered him to, “draw up the nastiest divorce that you [he] possibly can!” The papers were filed on October 23, 1996. Five days later, on the 28, he filed for primary custody of Charley. Julie has no financial resources to fight him. Now over-stressed, overwhelmed, and deeply in tunnel vision, Julie believes that the only way for she and Charley to escape from Chuck...is for both of them to die. She can see no other alternatives or any other way out.

  It was in the early days of November 1996 when Julie and I had our last conversation. She looked somewhat distant, stressed and I was determined to inquire why and offer whatever assistance I could...when I got back two days later from a trip. That proved to be one of the biggest regrets of my life. Two days later was too late.

  2

  This chapter covers the day before November 6––the day of the murder, and November 7, the day of Julie’s arrest.

  In his deposition, Chuck stated, “and near as I can tell, about three days after, or I guess, I’m not sure, I think it was five days or so after she was served was when...was when this happened.”

  Julie was not going to let Chuck obtain custody. She knew that she could not fight him for custody and believed strongly that Chuck was invincible in a courtroom having beaten several DUI’s and domestic violence charges. She knew that her drug addiction was out of control and would be major factors in court proceedings. She knew her previous arrests would come back to haunt her. Another conviction, within the last five years of a prior conviction, would mean that Julie would be considered a “habitual felony offender” as described in Florida Statute 775.084. That meant a much more harsh and extended punishment for her particularly if it was the result of a violation against F.S. 893.13 relating to the purchase or the possession of a controlled substance.

  She believed the police would arrest her for the prescriptions she had illegally obtained within the past few days
for Lora, Doxycycline, Lanoxin, and Metoprolol. She believed that she would be sent to prison. And she knew that she did not have anyone, whether family or friends, to support her during this critical time. Julie was alone with Charley.

  From Dr. Elias Gongora’s psychiatric report filed June 20, 1997, we can see what Julie was thinking about the week before the murder:

  In notes written by Julie’s mother under the heading “Julie and Charley’s Last Week” is found a succinct description of Julie’s overall behavior in the days prior to her son’s death: “Julie took Charley and some other children to an Aloma Elementary School party “a sock hop” on 10/25/96 and had a great time. Julie spent 3 hours on 10/28/96 carving a Garfield face on her daughter’s pumpkin and (2) hours on 10/29/96 carving a fang faces on Charley’s pumpkin––They had a great time on Halloween night. She took Charley out and they ended up at McDonald’s with a friend from school.

  Chuck picked up Charley on Saturday and returned him at 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Julie gave him a bath and they laughed and talked, then she lay on the couch with him on her arms. Looking at a new book that he had and they were together all evening––she didn’t talk much to anyone else. Then on Monday, they did the same thing. Charley asked if they could go out and she said it was too late, but they would go out to dinner and they talked about taking a couple of days off and going to the beach. She didn’t talk to anyone else that night. They laughed and talked only to each other.

  In this same note, under the heading of “Comments Julie made to her mother the last week,” the following are listed: “No one truly loves me but Charley…I’m the only person who loves Charley…Can you imagine what life would be like for Charley living with Chuck…Do you think Chuck would give Charley up if I would not take any money or support money in a divorce settlement?”

  On November 5, 1996, Julie left her job and picked Charley up from school. They then checked into room 122 in the Best Western Hotel on West Colonial Drive in Orlando. She wanted to spend time alone with her son. The two of them went to a park to play for a while. For dinner, they went to Steak & Ale on Highway 50. After they returned to the hotel both stayed up late watching Nick-At-Nite. Finally, Charley fell asleep. But Julie remained awake the entire night.

  At 8:00 a.m., Julie went to breakfast in the hotel leaving Charley in the room. After breakfast, she returned and both cleaned up for the day. By midmorning, they were driving in her white Chevrolet Camaro Z28 on their way to a pharmacy where Julie had phoned in another prescription. She walked up to the pharmacist and asked for her prescription like normal. The bag she was given contained the Lora, Lanoxin, and Metoprolol. The Lora was a generic Hydrocodone. The Metoprolol is a blood pressure medication. Donald had been prescribed Lopressor to help keep his blood pressure down. From the pharmacy, Julie and Charley went back to the park and played until it was time for lunch. They drove to McDonald’s again. After Charley’s favorite lunch, Julie drove to Eckerd’s Drug store where she purchased several bottles of Benadryl and utility knife razor blades. On November 6, Julie consumed approximately sixty tablets of the Lora.

  Later that evening, around 9:00 p.m., on their way back to their hotel room, Julie purchased a Bourbon and Coke in the hotel lounge. She and Charley then went to their room. After a time, Julie was able to get Charley to take approximately ten tablets of the Lopressor and several hundred milligrams of the Benadryl. She told him that he could stay up all night and that the Benadryl would help him stay awake. She was trying not to frighten him. Believing and trusting his mom, Charley did as Julie directed. He crawled up into bed with her and cuddled while she read his favorite dinosaur book. Charley loved dinosaurs.

  He started to cry and complained of a bad headache. Julie hoped that he would simply go to sleep. Later, she stated, “He was shaking like having a seizure.” His reaction to the medication continued and Julie began to panic. She feared that the medication, intended to make him sleep and quietly die, would cause him to live with severe brain damage. She took a razor blade from the package and cut his left wrist. The cut, however, was superficial and not deep enough to be fatal. She tried again but the wound still wasn’t deep enough. A third incision finally opened the wound. Julie hoped that while Charley was unconscious he would bleed to death. But he continued to move in a jerking, seizure-type way. Failing to end his life in this way Julie next attempted to cut Charley’s throat. Again, she did not have it in her to make a fatal wound. Eventually, most likely from the loss of blood, Charley became quiet and stopped moving. She thought he had passed away.

  She decided to clean the blood off her son and carried him to the bathtub where she had placed two pillows to cushion the body. She filled the bath with water. She washed him. Then she left for a brief time to remove the linens from the bed. She pulled the covers back on the other bed and then went into the bathroom to retrieve Charley. With great care, she dried him off and then carried him to the clean bed where she put powders and lotions on him. She dressed him in a “big warm sweatshirt” because now he was cold. Then she placed his head on the pillow and tucked him in with the covers.

  What Julie refuses to acknowledge, remember, or believe to this day, but what the autopsy report stated was that Charley finally surrendered his life by drowning.

  On the dresser, Julie left her driver’s license, car registration and other means to verify identification for the police. She also wrote several letters. There was a letter addressed to the Orlando Police Department that included details of the night. She described how much and what medication she gave Charley. She wrote of her panic when he didn’t fall asleep and die. She explained how she was unable to bring herself to cut deep enough into his wrist and throat. And how she finally ran the bath water and took him to the bathtub.

  “He stopped breathing at 3 a.m.”

  When it was over for Charley, and after she had meticulously placed all of the identifications and letters out for the police, Julie took several milligrams of both the Benadryl and Lopressor on top of the Lora/Bourbon and Coke combination. She took the razor blades and climbed into the bath filled with water. An attempt was made on her wrist with the razor blade. The amount of medication she took caused her to become confused and pass out. Julie assumed that she would never wake and would join Charley in heaven.

  But Julie did not die that November night. She awoke that morning, dazed, disorientated, and incoherent. Neither the medication nor the cut on her wrist was fatal enough to end her life as she had hoped. She had a unique and unusual high tolerance for medications. About eleven that morning, Julie was seen wandering around the hotel hallways. First, she was observed having difficulty entering her hotel room. Then she was seen on the second floor trying to enter room 222. Salma Brewer, from housekeeping, called the front desk over her radio to get permission to let Julie into her room. Assistant General Manager Maryanne Quiles responded that she was on her way and soon arrived taking charge of the situation. Salma returned to her duties down the hall.

  Maryanne described a slender, white, female with blond hair, about 5’ 2’ wearing only the top of her jog suit but otherwise naked standing in the hotel hallway when she arrived. The woman was completely disorientated.

  “It was almost like she didn’t, you know, she wasn’t comprehending or something.”

  She asked the woman what room she was staying in and was told room 122. Maryanne told the woman that she needed to get into her room and put some clothes on. The woman complied and entered her room. As Maryanne walked away, she heard someone out in the hall and returned to see if it was the same woman.

  Again, the woman was out in the hallway wearing only the jog suit jacket and nothing else. Maryanne reiterated the need to be fully dressed in the hotel and the woman reentered the room once again. Maryanne returned to the front desk. Another housekeeper who had observed Julie wandering in the hallways, Marion Long, said in her statement, “she was wandering around like she couldn’t find her way off the second floor like she was space out!”
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  Another witness, Andre Hylton, said he saw her in her jog suit walking from the lobby area toward the rooms. The woman “seemed confused.” Carmen Virola, another hotel employee, said, “she had no pants on only a jacket. So I call the front desk and ask for Maryanne, manager of the hotel...I saw the lady praying by the door in front of her room. I ask her again ‘do you need any help?’ She start to cry and went in the room.”

  A brief time later that morning, the front desk clerk advised Maryanne that the registered occupants in room 122 had not checked out yet. Having had a previous encounter there, Maryanne decided to go back to the room to investigate. Upon her arrival, she noticed that the woman was attempting to open her hotel room door lock with her car keys and was frustrated. Maryanne inquired as to where her hotel room key was.

  “She’s like I don’t know, ah, so I went up there and I opened the door for her. I was a little bit perturbed because of the idea that she was taking so long checking out and stuff.”

  When the door opened, Maryanne saw what looked like a bloody pillow and a towel in front of the bathroom that appeared to have blood on it as well. Then she saw Charley on the bed.

  “I said he’s not breathing. And then she went kind of over to him and she just kind of touched him or something that, because she kind of I guess, to wanting to wake him up. But, ah, I said he’s not breathing and she says, um, he looks...and she touches him and she says, ‘oh, he’s dead’...just like playing. ‘Oh, he’s dead’––very short.” Maryanne went out of the room and called to Salma.

  “So I run to the room. When I went in there, what I first saw was the child in bed and he looked like he was asleep. So I got closer, um, and he, I saw some foam coming out of his left nostril...His face was pale and the lips was purple. And, um, I tried to feel and see if the child was breathing by putting my arm by his nose but I didn’t feel no air coming out...So, I, I was gonna leave the room but, ah, I changed my mind and went back and I thought it was better for me to find out right there if he was dead...So I touched his forehead with my arm. I didn’t want to use my hands...because I know I was cleaning. So I touched the fore...the baby’s forehead with my arm and he was cold.”