Broken Doll

by Burl Barer

  Clark was in Snohomish County Superior Court on December 18, 2002, for the setting of a time to start the new sentencing phase. Ron Doersch asked for a quick start, preferably the third week in January. Bill Jaquette, head of the Snohomish County Public Defender Unit, agreed that “the third week in January would be fine, as long as it is in 2003.”

  “It’s apparent the defense tactic is to set this so far in the future that I’ll be retired or die of old age,” Doersch said. “Justice deferred in this case is justice denied. None of the facts will change, so there’s no reason for so much extra time.”

  “The extra time is needed to develop a case that might convince a jury to not impose the death penalty,” explained Jaquette. “The defense will hire an expert to do that, and the expert needs about a year. The defense won’t be content with the same information that was presented in the first trial,” Jaquette said. “That obviously wasn’t enough to turn a jury to spare Clark’s life.” Clark’s life-or-death judicial proceeding—an entirely new penalty phase—has been scheduled, but not for 2003. The new date is 2004.

  The reason for the extensive delay is that William Jaquette, for whatever reason, opted not to represent Richard Clark again. New lawyers must review everything. There is no question of guilt or innocence. Clark is guilty. It is the mitigation, or sentencing phase, that must be held anew.

  “Once again a jury will have to decide if he should live or die,” said Gail Doll. “Of course, you already know how I feel about it. Life in prison is too good for him, and death isn’t bad enough.”

  Epilogue

  May 2003

  Gail Doll and Tim Iffrig, although divorced, remained close. Tim worked for the same employer, now located in Mukilteo, Washington. Both he and his mother have stopped drinking.

  Gail Doll continued to live in the same little house in Everett from which Roxanne was kidnapped. Carol Clark remained on Lombard Street in the same house where she washed Richard Clark’s bloodstained shirt.

  Lloyd Herndon was no longer senior detective for the Everett Police Department. For reasons both personal and professional, he returned to patrol duty in Everett’s South Precinct.

  Feather Rahier, violated at age two by her father, groped in the garage at age four, and vanished from the Gelo residence at age thirteen, returned home alive and well following Clark’s conviction and imprisonment. She will not be called to testify, nor will her name be mentioned, at the 2004 penalty phase of Richard Mathew Clark.

  Author’s Note

  In this author’s analysis, Richard Clark ineffectually attempted to prevent himself from committing the initial kidnapping of Roxanne Doll. Even though Neila D’alexander made it perfectly clear that she intended to spend the night in town, Richard Clark asked her to return with him to the Doll-Iffrig residence. He also urged Vicki Smith to accompany him after returning Jimmy Miller to the reservation. Had either accepted his invitation, the kidnapping, rape, and murder would have been at least forestalled, if not prevented.

  It is also highly probable that the coffee-drinking, glasses-wearing Richard Clark, who reappeared at the Dog House Tavern between 10:00 and 10:30 P.M., and asked about selling his van—a van he had only recently acquired—was a Richard Clark who was already past the act of rape, and into the mental act of “undoing.”

  This scenario, if valid, puts Jimmy Miller, unconscious in an alcoholic blackout, in the front passenger seat of Clark’s van when Richard Clark kidnapped Roxanne Doll between 9:15 and 10:00 P.M. It also means Roxanne Doll was alive in the back of the van until just prior to midnight. Jimmy Miller was asked point-blank if this was possible, and he acknowledged that in his condition that night he would have never known.

  None of these various interpretations of time lines and behavioral indicators alters the fact that Richard Clark kidnapped, restrained, raped, and murdered an innocent seven-year-old child named Roxanne Doll.

  Each child—Roxanne Doll and Richard Clark included—is potentially the light of the world. Had Richard Clark’s life been different, his basic at-birth biology balanced, his upbringing healthy, his emotions matured, the odds of him ever committing such a heinous act rapidly diminish.

  If there is nothing learned from this nightmare beyond the unquestioned guilt of Richard Clark in the death of Roxanne Doll, her death does not rise to the level of sacrifice. If, however, her death compels a closer examination of the facts and factors that contributed to the creation of the mind-set and motivations of Richard Clark—an examination that saves future lives—then her death is not in vain.

  Richard Clark appears to fit the profile of a “situational” child molester. “This type of individual doesn’t really have a sexual preference for children,” explains Dr. Stephen Rubin, “and the motivation is really more one of power or control over someone more weak than they are.”

  Quite often, abuse in the offender’s own life sets the stage for his or her sexual abuse of young people. “These individuals usually have low self-esteem, lax standards of morality, and even though this type of offender doesn’t have a primary sexual desire for children, they may react to a built-up sexual impulse or anger that, to them, is irresistible.”

  Childhood beatings, for example, interfere with the proper development of the hypothalamus, which regulates the body’s emotional and hormonal systems. An excess of the hormone noradrenaline, or low levels of the brain chemical serotonin, may cause violent responses to various stimuli.

  The main criterion for the victims is “availability.” Unlike the pedophile who has a compulsive sexual desire for children, and thus pursues them fairly constantly, the situational molester may have many years between episodes, or only one sexually inappropriate act in his entire life.

  Incarceration, devoid of comprehensive treatment, has no effect on altering their postrelease behavior. Comprehensive treatment, however, is of significant value. “Sex offenders are not as hopelessly fated to a life of deviant behavior as is widely believed,” says Dr. Rubin.

  Canadian psychologists R. Karl Hanson, Ph.D., and Monique T. Bussiere, Ph.D., recently reviewed 61 studies covering more than 23,300 cases of sex offenses and found that only 13 percent of the individuals identified in the studies went on to commit another sex crime. According to their study, published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (Vol. 66, No. 2, pp. 348–362), those who did re-offend had committed more diverse sexual offenses and more deviant sexual interests, and did not complete their rehabilitative treatment programs.

  “The findings contradict the wide-held notion that most sex offenders inevitably repeat their deviant behavior,” noted the researchers, who are corrections researchers at the Department of the Solicitor General of Canada.

  “Treatment programs can contribute to community safety,” they write. “We now have reliable evidence that those who attend and cooperate with treatment programs are less likely to re-offend than those who reject intervention.”

  “Child molestation, because of its large numbers of victims and because of the extent of its damage to the health of its victims, is a national public health problem,” state Gene G. Abel, M.D., and Nora Harlow, authors of The Stop Child Molestation Book (Xlibris 2001). “To combat this public health problem we must focus on the cause. People with pedophilia molest 88 percent of child sexual abuse victims. Early diagnosis of this disorder, followed by effective medicines and therapies, has the potential to save children from being molested.”

  The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) is a nonprofit, interdisciplinary organization founded in 1984 to foster research, facilitate information exchange, further professional education, and provide for the advancement of professional standards and practices in the field of sex offender evaluation and treatment. ATSA is specifically focused on the prevention of sexual abuse through effective management of sex offenders, and the protection of our communities through responsible and ethical treatment of sex offenders.

  For further information on publi
cations, seminars, and state chapters, contact:

  The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers

  4900 S.W. Griffith Drive, Suite 274

  Beaverton, Oregon 97005

  Phone: (503) 643-1023

  Fax: (503) 643-5084

  E-mail: atsa@atsa.com

  This author has found no confirming evidence that Richard Clark received any comprehensive ongoing treatment for his inappropriate behavior toward Feather Rahier other than being locked up in a cell. That behavior aligns symptomatically with those of children born of alcoholic mothers—children born with either fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol effect (FAE).

  “Children with FAS,” stated Inez Serrano, information specialist for the Cowlitz County Health Department in Washington State, “often develop behavior problems that increase their risk of becoming involved with the criminal justice system. The most serious characteristics of FAS/ FAE include a high probability of sexually inappropriate behavior, including the molestation of children. At least sixty-five percent of adult males with FAE manifest sexual behaviors that are repeatedly problematic, or for which the individual is incarcerated or treated.”

  It is thought that the actual incidence of inappropriate sexual behavior is much higher, and not always reported by the individual or the family due to embarrassment or fear of being reported to authorities. In addition to child molestation, problem sexual behaviors most common for those with FAS/FAE include indecent exposure, various sexual compulsions, voyeurism, masturbation in public, incest, sex with animals, and obscene phone calls.

  Other symptoms of FAS/FAE include:

  • Mental Health Problems

  During childhood, 60 percent of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders have ADHD. During adulthood, most adults with FASD have clinical depression. Twenty-three percent of the adults had attempted suicide, and 43 percent had threatened to commit suicide. Richard Clark attempted suicide three times in a twelve-month period.

  • Disrupted School Experience (suspension or expulsion or drop out)

  By the time students with FAE reach adulthood, the rate of disrupted school experience peaks at 70 percent. Common school problems include: not paying attention, incomplete homework, can’t get along with peers, disruptive in class, disobeying school rules, talking back to the teacher, fighting, and truancy. Following his mother’s death, Richard Clark didn’t return to school.

  • Trouble with the Law (involvement with police, charged or convicted of crime)

  Sixty percent of those age twelve and over develop criminal records. The most common first criminal behavior reported was shoplifting, followed by property damage, possession/selling, sexual assault, and vehicular crimes. The criminal record of Richard Clark includes virtually all of the above crimes.

  • Confinement

  Inpatient treatment for mental health, alcohol/drug problems, or incarceration for crime is experienced by 60 percent of those ages twelve and over. Over 40 percent of adults with FASD had been incarcerated, about 30 percent of adults with FASD were confined to a mental institution, and about 20 percent had been confined for substance-abuse treatment. Richard Clark served time for criminal behavior, but never received comprehensive treatment for his alcoholism or drug usage.

  • Alcohol/Drug Problems

  Of the adults with FAE, 53 percent of males and 70 percent of females experience substance-abuse problems. This is more than five times that of the general population. Richard Clark’s continual consumption of alcohol, the drug most linked to violent behavior, and other lesser drugs, is well documented. The massive amounts of alcohol consumed by Richard Clark following his mother’s death certainly did him no good. Research at the University of North Carolina tested the sensitivity of the adolescent brain to binge drinking. The results, published in the November 2000 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, advanced the hypothesis that this damage is a component of alcoholism.

  • Problems with Employment

  Eighty percent of adults with FAS/FAE have significant difficulty in securing and maintaining employment. Richard Clark never had his feet firmly on any career path other than petty criminality.

  • Exposure to Violence (sexual and/or physical abuse)

  Seventy-two percent of individuals with FAS/FAE have experienced abuse. Those exposed to violence are four times as likely to exhibit inappropriate sexual behavior. There is no doubt that the violence inflicted upon young Richard Clark left an indelible mark on his psyche and his future behavior.

  Craig Harris at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester has asserted that adolescent experiences can determine how a person will behave for the rest of his or her life. Bullies, for example, are easily created. According to Harris, if you place an adolescent hamster in a cage for one hour a day with an aggressive adult hamster, it will grow up to become a bully who picks on smaller hamsters. When faced with a hamster its own size, it will cower in fear. Once again, research confirms that fear is the underlying component of aggression.

  In the United States of America, over three percent of the population is currently in prison. In Canada, it is estimated that at least fifty percent of the prison population was possibly exposed to excessive amounts of alcohol prebirth. As of yet, no comprehensive studies have determined the percentage of FAS/FAE-afflicted population in America’s rapidly expanding prison system. In the previous decade, the population of Washington State increased twelve percent while the Washington State prison population increased ninety percent.

  The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Family Resource Institute is an excellent source of further information. The mission of the FAS Family Resource Institute, a nonprofit organization, is to identify, understand, and care for individuals disabled by prenatal alcohol exposure and their families, and to prevent future generations from having to live with this disability. For more information, contact:

  FAS Family Resource Institute

  PO Box 2525

  Lynnwood, WA 98036

  Phone: (253) 531-2878,

  or in Washington (800) 999-3429

  http://www.fetalalcoholsyndrome.org

  Life, including death, appears incomprehensibly unfair. Time heals all wounds except the fatal. Scars of the heart seldom fade, and comforting the bereaved is a temporary social obligation.

  A natural desire for simplicity and certitude tempts us to sanctify the innocent and demonize the guilty, burying the depth of our pain in the shallow “It was God’s will.” No religion on earth includes rape and murder as praiseworthy acts. Indeed, mercy and compassion are the hallmarks of all faiths.

  “Crime victims, their families and friends, deal with more than pain, grief, and anger,” Gail Doll has said. “We must also cope with the complicated and often impersonal criminal justice system. Families and Friends of Missing Persons and Violent Crime Victims provided us with ongoing support in our time of grief, information and referrals in time of confusion, and advocacy by volunteers that made all the difference in the world to us.”

  Families and Friends is the oldest victim advocacy and support group in Washington State, and one of the first such groups in the nation. They offer services to crime victims, their loved ones, and the public throughout Washington twenty-four hours a day, at no cost. Peer support groups provide comfort, understanding, compassion, and coping skills.

  Among the valuable services provided by Families and Friends are educational programs to increase public awareness of the impacts of violent crime, and abduction prevention information. They have fingerprinted thousands of children and adults, and developed “Personal ID Packets” with dental charts, fingerprints, and safety tips. Families and Friends also offers a complete resource center with updated information on topics ranging from the criminal justice system to victim experiences. A newsletter, The White Rose, offers important insights into victim issues, pending legislation, and personal stories of victims and survivors.

  Families and Friends works closely
with national organizations such as the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the National Victim Center to provide further resources for assisting local crime victims and families of missing persons.

  Prior to the trial, the organization familiarizes victims and survivors with criminal justice system terminology and procedures. During trials, transportation to court is provided, and victims are shielded from curiosity seekers, the news media, and confrontation with the alleged offender and/or family members of the accused.

  “We also provide assistance and support to families searching for loved ones,” added a dedicated volunteer, “and we monitor the conduct of judges, prosecutors, and other criminal justice personnel in an effort to help make the system more responsive to victims and the general public.” For more information, write:

  Families and Friends of Missing Persons and Violent

  Crime Victims

  PO Box 27529

  Seattle, Washington 98125

  Roxanne Doll, a bright-eyed child with her life ahead of her. (Courtesy of Snohomish County Prosecutors Office)

  Gail Doll and Tim Iffrig, Roxanne’s parents, in happier days. (Courtesy of Tim Iffrig)

  This picture of Roxanne Doll at age 7 was used on the “missing child” flyers created by her mother and posted across the entire United States. (Courtesy of Snohomish County Prosecutors Office)