The Murder of Jeffrey Dryden: The Grim Truth Surrounding Male Domestic Abuse

by Troy Veenstra

  In the legal field one of the first things you are taught in the basic 101 introduction to law class, is to expect your clients to lie to you, expect that for every truth they tell you, there are three lies along with it. No one wants to come to a lawyer in a bad light. Everyone wants the person defending them to believe they are truly innocent, that they did no wrong, yet at times, this idealism can stand against you and harm you in the end.

  It is only human to lie to protect our own ass. Though most of us will claim we would never do that, until you’re at that point, where you’re facing life in jail or freedom, you will truly never know what you will or will not do.

  Falling back again to the legal field, we expect to be lied to, even by those people we are there to defend. If you are so willing to lie to the person that holds your fate, that holds your life in the palm of your hand, why does it seem so unfathomable for people to think that she too wouldn’t lie to them as well? Think about this for a moment and allow it to really fill your mind, allow it to wonder unrelenting. Remember those memories of yourself as a child and the value your parents had on you then as well as now, then ask yourself, if it came down to it, could you afford to lose your mothers faith in you?

  Would you be willing to tell the truth if there was a chance, even small, that they would turn their back upon you and alienate you from the family forever? Excommunicated for all eternity?

  CHAPTER 15:

  THE PASSIVE SEARCH OF

  CHIQUITA RENA FIZER

  According to a study based around the use of Social Networks, “over the last year, 45% of the employers questioned in the study stated they were using social networks to screen job candidates, (Wortham, August 20, 2009).

  After reviewing their job candidate’s social network page, 35% of the employers questioned in the survey stated that they “Did not offer a job to the candidate based on the content uncovered on the social networking site,” Furthermore, when asked what they found that convinced them that the candidate was not what they were looking for. The top answers they gave were, “Provocative pictures, reference to drinking and drug use, acts of violence or use of violent language, bad-mouthing of previous employers and colleagues and poor outline communication skills.”

  Through the previous chapters in this book, we have read the comments and statements made by Chiquita’s family about the type of person she is. Such comments as you may recall like the one made in chapter 5 where one of Chiquita’s cousins stated, “I love my cousin with all my heart and know as well as the rest of my family and our friends that she would never do something of this nature.“

  As well as the comments made by one of her aunts in several other chapters where she stated. “My niece is a very nice young woman as well, she would never do something like this ever…,” and; “My niece is a beautiful young educated person and was just about to attend college. Never hung out in the streets, knows nothing about the street ways and life. A schoolgirl period!”

  Thus, using the same principle premise as many employers do when wanting to find out the true character of their potential hire, I did the same when I went to Facebook and found Chiquita’s Facebook page. One of the first things I did when I came upon her page was check out her pictures, noticing that she only had about three pictures total in her picture sub-menu.

  All three photos were of her standing in front of the bathroom mirror holding her cellphone in front of her as she shot provocative pictures of herself in various types clothing. One of the first pictures I notice was one of her where she wore what appeared to be a black dress that came down to her knee. In the photo, she held her tongue out as if scrolling it over the contour of her lips as she took the pic.

  The second photo was of her standing in a short pink shirt and tight blue shorts as she looked at the back screen of her phone as if trying to figure out how to work the camera feature. The third picture was of her in what I believe to be a provocative position, in this pic she was facing to the side so the picture showed her entire body profile. She was bent halfway down as if partially crouching; her back was curved, arching upward, as was her butt. She was wearing the same pink shirt, which was pressed slightly up over her stomach, revealing more of her upper body to the camera. However, in this picture, she was standing in what appeared to be black laced panties, which curved upward over her butt, revealing her bare cheeks to the camera. Not quite the picture I would expect the average, “Schoolgirl,” to wear.

  After checking out her pictures I then went to her profile page and found the following information listed by her about herself and her likes, dislikes and so on. I leave it to you to decide what kind of person Chiquita actually is, compared to that of the one her family claimed.

  Favorite quote:

  “ima do me you do u because at the end of the day its all about me.”

  Sexy ~n~you know ~it~

  Favorite Music:

  “Anything I can shake my ass too”

  About Chiquita:

  “Im a kool fun person very outgoing luv to laugh in a total hottie duh lol im down for watever long as its fun im outspoken in yeah a flirt so take me as i am or fuckoff” – not the God fearing type as we were told about…

  Though I cannot guarantee it will be up for much longer, I urge you to check out her Facebook page for yourself and look upon the pictures I described as well as the information about her listed above. Currently her Facebook page is set for public display, meaning anyone and anything she posts on it is open for the public to view.

  Currently at the time of this printing, the address to her Facebook page is:

  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001187127369&sk=wall

  CHAPTER 16:

  OCTOBER 20 2010 – MAY 14 2011

  COASTER RIDE FROM HELL

  If you were to ask Paula or anyone else from Jeff’s immediate family about the seven months that followed, they would keenly tell you that those seven months were like a coaster ride from Hell. It seemed from the start, Chiquita was doing everything she could to stretch things out as long as possible, thus, extending the pain and torment upon her victim’s family and preventing justice from being served.

  Originally, the trial date for Jeff’s hearing was scheduled around the second week in March 2011. However, in February, the trial date was pushed back until around April, as Chiquita court records indicate that she and her Public Defender at the time were not getting along and thus it was felt that she should be given new council.

  In May, her trial date was pushed back again, this time until June as the new public defender requested additional time to investigate the claims, and charges against Chiquita, and examine the Prosecution’s evidence. Strangely, later that month, Paula was informed by the Prosecution that Chiquita was ready to take the original plea offered to her back in October. It was believed, though not said of course, that Chiquita’s new council agreed with her previous one when it came to her case, and thought that taking the deal offer was more than being kind to her considering the plausible outcome she was facing if (and when) found guilty.

  Consequently, on May 22 2011, all of Jeff’s family and friends that could be there that day arrived once more in a unified pack. Ready, willing, and wanting to hear the words of Guilty fall from her lips, a simple word that would have brought so many to tears just to hear it from her… a word, sadly she would never come to utter in court, though guilty she would come to be.

  CHAPTER 17: MAY 24, 2011

  PLEA ACCEPTED…

  Though it was not the perfect outcome we as Jeff’s family and friends were hoping for, and though it took much longer than it should have that day, ultimately it was an outcome that all of us could live with.

  In the course of that day, Chiquita had single-handedly brought Paula and her family further down than anyone could have expected. At the beginning of the proceedings that morning, despite the express advice of her counsel, Chiquita withdrew her plea, switching it back to a plea of not guilty.

  Oddly en
ough it was only after she spoke to her aunt and two other family members, (who interestingly enough seemed to be the only people there this time to support Chiquita versus the 30 to 40 that were there at her pretrial hearing) that she again changed her plea back from guilty to a plea of no-contest. This no-contest plea was offered in light of Paula’s wishes to bring an end to this trial, and allow her son to finally rest in peace with the justice he so rightly deserved.

  Furthermore, it seems that Chiquita’s reasoning to change her plea that day was a result of several causes. Such reasons as, for example, the Prosecution informing her that if she did not take the plea by the end of the day, that the deal would be removed from the table and the full charge of Murder in the second degree, with a request for the highest amount of time to be served sought.

  On top of this notice by the prosecution, when Chiquita first pleaded not guilty that morning, she made a request to the judge for a new defense lawyer, (this would make it her second public defender she had gone through) which Judge Johnston was more than willing to allow. However, in light of her previous decision with other Public Defenders the judge informed her that she would have to foot the bill for another lawyer if she so choose to get a new one.

  All of these factors, as well as the plea from her other relatives and aunt to accept the deal weighed heavily upon Chiquita that day, yet ultimately she decided to plead no-contest to the charges, still unable to stand up as an adult, unable to break away from her mother’s bosom and admit the sin she did that morning.

  Judge Johnston, wanting to make sure the charge stuck, and that she could not appeal it successfully later on, went through each step of the process with her, explaining to Chiquita that a plea of no-contest, in the courts and public eye was still a plea of Guilt. Furthermore, Johnston explained the sentencing to her, making sure that with each step Chiquita confirmed with a verbal affirmation, so if needed, it could be shown later as evidence in an attempted appeal of the charges.

  When it came to sentencing, Johnston made sure to let her know that in the courts eyes she was pleading guilty to the charge of 2nd degree murder of Jeffrey Scott Dryden. Furthermore, Johnston made sure to inform her that though the plea deal stated she would only spend a minimum of 14 years in prison, the charge does allow for a maximum of 45 years (instead of life if she was found guilty by a jury).

  Chiquita affirmed this with a verbal affirmation, an affirmation her family members that day knew she was pleading. Hence, this is why I find it ostentatious that during the sentencing hearing a month later, Chiquita’s aunt made a mockery of the court system, while at the same time embarrassing her family and her niece when she brazenly broke down. Falling to her knees in the courtroom, stating that the whole ordeal was an accident… a freak accident... how absurd the transparent notion.

  CHAPTER 18:

  LETTERS TO THE JUDGE

  When I first starting writing this book, one of the things I knew I wanted to include, were the letters to the judge that many of us wrote as our way of having a final say to the man that would decide the fate of Jeff’s killer, Chiquita Fizer.

  I knew that only a few of Jeff’s friends and family would be willing to share their words and thoughts as many had used their letters as a way of expressing their last thoughts of sadness and grief with the judge. Their last way to express the grief, the hate, pain, and anger they felt for the person that severed apart of their life from them.

  Therefore, what follows are only a few of the letters that were written, these letters are from those members of our family willing and wanting to let everyone know what the loss of Jeff meant to them, therefore, I will start with my letter to the judge.

  ***

  To the Honorable Chief Judge Donald Johnston:

  I remember as a child a question given to the class one spring afternoon by our teacher who told us a story about a bus and its passengers.

  He stated that there was a bus on the corner of some random street, picking up people waiting to get on. He told us that two people were already on the bus including the bus driver, and how at the first stop the bus picked up a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a future brother-in-law, a future son-in-law, a co-worker, a man, a son, a nephew, and a best friend. At the second stop, one person as well as the bus driver got off, but how many people remained He asked.

  As children not too enthusiastic on the ways of the world, everyone answered by stating that there were still 10 people on the bus, yet every student in class got the answer wrong. When we asked him to explain how many there were, he looked around the class and said with a smile, “only one… one person could be a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a son, a man and so on. One person can be so many things to so many different people and thus touch the hearts of everyone around them.” Through the years thereafter, growing up I always knew that everyone had some sort of effect on the people around them, that we all share some sort of bond, some sort of social conflict theory that effects every aspect of our lives.

  Thus, when making your decision at Chiquita Fizer’s sentencing, I ask that you please keep in mind that when Chiquita took it upon herself to murder my cousin, Jeff Dryden, she did not just kill one man, one person, but she killed everyone on that bus, that in some respect she is a mass murderer. Chiquita took from this world everything that Jeff could have been, everything that Jeff was, and ruined not just her life and Jeff’s life but the lives of everyone that knew him; everyone that loved him and everyone that could have been blessed by his kindness, his friendship, and his love in their lives.

  Chiquita, by the will of her own doing, brought a black cloud of sadness and grief upon the lives of everyone that knew Jeff, her actions continue to cause constant ripples of torment and dread in the lives of so many others that will continue for decades to come. Chiquita took away the memories of future birthdays, future Christmases, future moments of togetherness, future moments of sadness and love; she took these all away in one simple act of selfishness; anger and rage.

  The pain that everyone feels for this loss continues to linger on even now by her own selfish actions, holding herself to a sense of disrespectful innocence, claiming no contest for her immature actions, thus taking no responsibility for her crime or the suffering and torture she has brought upon so many others. For it became obviously clear what she fears when she came to you twice in one day, only to finally plead out as long as she could do so with a “no contest.” Chiquita fears to hear those words upon her own breath, fears to hear herself admit that she is a killer, a murderer, a person that took the life of an innocent and now at the moment of her maturity, she still falters to become adult, falters to become worthy of the term “Human.”

  For even a dog, a pet, a domesticated animal can show signs of remorse for their actions; can admit when they are wrong and even show regret for the cause and effect of their guilt. Some will say that Chiquita also became a victim that night, but honestly speaking, do we see male abusers of woman as victims or as aggressors to a crime? Why then should we not see Chiquita for what she has allowed herself to become. She is not a victim but a murderer, a killer, and she should be held fully accountable for her actions.

  Thus, your Honor, I ask you sir to reflect on the letters from all those others that have written to you on this matter, and heed the testimony of the Jeff’s stricken family. I ask that you weigh heavily all of this when making your sentencing, regardless what was agreed upon by the prosecution and the defense, you dear sir, you still have the right and the power to push Chiquita in the right direction. You have the ability to help her see the true errors of her way’s and impose a sentence befitting of one that shows no sign of remorse. Knows not the impact of her actions upon this world or the suffering she has placed upon all our souls, for even lady justice, which is blinded by the lies of other can see through the falsity and see the murderer Chiquita Fizer is through the veil of justice. For even Lady Justice, weeps a tear behind her veil for the murder of innocents under her watch.

  Respectf
ully

  Troy Veenstra

  Cousin of Jeff Dryden

  ***

  My name is Joshua Dryden the youngest brother of Jeffrey Dryden. I would like to take a moment of your time to inform you about my life before and after the passing of my departed brother.

  Growing up for most of our lives the sons of a single mother, I looked to my eldest brother Jeff Dryden for support, guidance, and advice. Reflecting on it, I dare say he was one of my father figures; after all, he was the one whom taught me to shave and tie a necktie. He also was a very generous person, not only did he buy our sisters first car when she needed it, he also paid for me to go on my high school senior class trip to Florida.

  My brother was not made of money by any means but he always put our struggling family first before his own needs and wants. Through his selflessness, he instilled in me a sense of family duty and unity.

  A unity that continues to be tested and strained through the dismal times ahead of us due to the abrupt passing of our anchor. Since his passing, our family has entered a bleak period. Every day there is a sense of emptiness that grows with each passing day. Holidays, Birthdays, Vacations are forever changed for the worst since the only thing on all of our minds will be “I wish Jeff was here to enjoy this.”

  Not only did my brother’s life end on July 18 2010 in a violent and painful way, but a portion of everyone lucky enough to know him ended as well. His passing was a tragedy that will forever encumber our family and friends. I have sleepless nights and gloomy days as I think to myself “I wish I could forget how my brother Jeff died and just remember how he lived.” but unfortunately that is not the case. People say, “Time heals all wounds.” However, so far time has only expanded my wound.