Selid Holt, 35, was already in the Washington State Penitentiary at Walla Walla for raping his daughter - turned in by his wife a year earlier. On March 13, 1995, Perez put Donna in his police car with two social services caseworkers and they drove through Wenatchee and East Wenatchee. The children had said there were pornographic photographs and videotapes, including some "home movies" of the alleged orgies. The Wenatchee cases were anything but [fake news];they destroyed lives, destroyed children and parents, and left many of the children with lifelong angst.Q. Perez even let Jen go on Dead to Me after Jen confessed to murder. See Roberson v. Perez, 119 Wn. They deny any of it ever happened. On the application form, he and his wife, Maxine, said they would happily share their home with up to six school-age children, preferably girls ages 6 to 12. [85][11] In September 1995, Grant wrote, "Now I know what it's like to be falsely accused. Perez was in charge of interviewing the more than 40. [60] This work formed the basis of Lyon's 1998 book, Witch Hunt: A True Story of Social Hysteria and Abused Justice. 6 at 3) The reference hearing, which began on March 11, 1998, was held in front of Judge Wallis Friel and spanned the course of seven days. In your expert opinion, what do you believe were the motives behind Perez and Abbeys witch hunt?A. [12] After case worker Paul Glassen criticized the way that Perez interviewed the foster daughter of Robert Devereaux, he was arrested for "tampering with a witness", and later fled to Canada with his family. Justice would have required someone within the system having the backbone to stand up and declare "This is wrong." Some lost parental rights. Rose, then 26, maintained his innocence. Detective Robert Arredondo. His dreams came true and he became a K9 officer. By the time he stopped talking, police were pretty sure Cherie Town knew more than she had let on. "Children's disclosures may be confusing and inconsistent. "Fake news" sounds so benign. In early August 1994, Perez paid another visit to Cherie Town, who was in the Chelan County Jail awaiting sentencing. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. A few had histories of telling terrible lies. He first joined the NOPD in October 2004 as a 7th District Patrolman, then moved to the 6th District Task Force and 6th District Investigations. Early Life Personal More than 40 adults have been charged, and 28 are in prison, as a result of an investigation led by Wenatchee Police detective Robert Perez, who has been criticized for his methods, including a . He was accused of sexual abuse of his teen-age stepdaughter in 1993 and 1994. On March 13, 1995, Perez put Donna in his police car with two social services caseworkers and they drove through Wenatchee and East Wenatchee. [22] Parents and Sunday school teachers were charged, and many were convicted of abusing children, often including their own, or their foster children. [69] The city was fined almost as much during the civil trial for withholding evidence. [10] This drive became known locally as the "Parade of Homes"[11][12] or the "drive-by". In police custody, Devereaux repeatedly denied abusing the girls, saying they would often come on to him but he always ignored the behavior or took steps to stop it. Then a tip came from the Holts' former landlady. PEREZ Feb. 2000 99 Wn. [25], On March 23, 1995, Robert Roberson, pastor of some of the accused, criticized the authorities at a public meeting. Twenty-four witnesses testified as to the facts of . Donna pointed out houses and buildings where she says she and other children were repeatedly raped and molested since January 1988. That we must always remain ever vigilant. Every person alleged to have been part of "The Circle" is poor, some desperately so. A few days later, Child Protective Services concluded that the allegations of sexual abuse were "unsubstantiated," adding that police investigators had found "nothing prosecutable." "He wore me down and made me mad . WENATCHEE (AP) The former police detective who led the discredited Wenatchee child sex ring investigation has died. Children, not knowing whether their memories are real, grow up unsure and unhappy - damaged no matter what happened. 10/21/2004. [13] Perez attempted to subpoena Lyon's sources,[59] but was unsuccessful, except for a tape that Lyon had already shared with others. to the police station for questioning. Legal Statement. Perez asked for details. . [23] "None of the interviews, or the adults' confessions, was taped",[24] nor did Perez take notes. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Ever since this page published details of the spree of child abuse prosecutions in the town of Wenatchee, Washington, readers have been calling . Whether those children were routinely gang-raped, as police and prosecutors say, is another matter. In 1982, the Miami-Dade Police Department formed a small unit of three detectives to look into unsolved murder cases. Q. "To start with, Randy and Mike kind of pressured me to let them do those things with the boys since they found out I was doing it for a long time," she reportedly said. Stopping by juvenile hall to talk with her about a new placement, assuming she was released, Glassen found the teen agitated. When the Department of Social and Health Services initially granted the license in 1987, Devereaux was married. Detectives believe a man fatally shot his neighbor at the Erwin Estates Apartment Complex. . As I have long argued, Evil does not require a motiveit simply is. . There, the pastor and three other adults allegedly raped her. In a signed statement to the court, he wrote: "Because of liver damage that has affected my brain and memory, I have no recollection (of the crime). She listed 22 locations. The harrowing accusations were completely unfounded,leaving Wenatchee desperate for answers. Market data provided by Factset. The point? Robert Perez's passing has been publicly announced by Valley Of The Temples Memorial Pk & Funeral Homes in Kaneohe, HI.Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share memories of Robert in the G I thought to myself, `Oh God, what a mess,' and went straight to my supervisor," Glassen said. [80], In 1995 journalist Tom Grant of KREM-TV won a George Polk Award for Excellence in Journalism for his coverage of these cases. On March 13, 1995, Perez put Donna in his police car with two social services caseworkers and they drove through Wenatchee and East Wenatchee. But not everyone is prospering. The suspect, who was reportedly living on the USS Kidd, is accused of fatally hitting a pedestrian and fleeing the scene. "Justice" would have required critical oversight of the cases. So began the painful unraveling of a monstrous secret. Gomez, 267 F.3d 895, 907 (9th Cir.2001) (internal quotations omitted). He was born on October 17, 1953, in Ohio, to Ricardo and Anne (Tempe) Perez. The more he heard, the. . Justice isnt a task that ends, it is ongoing and those seeking it can never rest. 22, Ex. . Other than that, he said, it was a quiet interview. 500 Park Ave West . Five served their full sentences before their cases were overturned. In the Wenatchee investigation, lies were originally generated by a particular detective and those around him who blindly accepted his premise and not only enabled it, but allowed it to mushroom into the debacle it became. Down at the station, seated alongside the detective's desk, Cherie Town answered questions for a long time. Top-floor windows are busted out, the rest covered with plywood. The investigation found that Perez coerced suspects, many poor and developmentally disabled, into making false confessions, and coached testimony from witnesses. A.I do not consider a 40-hour training course on child abuse "extensive" at all. Mae Hochstetler can pay the bills because the state pays her to care for her adult son, with a pandemic pay bump. Perez, 60, of Waterville died on Dec. 12 at Central Washington Hospital of stroke-related complications, The Wenatchee World reported Wednesday. 77 | Casetext Search + Citator", "3 Settle Suit Resulting From Child Sex Case", "City's sex-case settlement with Roberson: $700,000 | Local News", "City ordered to pay after withholding records in child sex lawsuit", "Roberson Says He's Due Credit Pastor Wants Talks with Media Counted as Community Service | the Spokesman-Review", "Sex-Ring Defendant Can't Just do Pr Work, State Says Roberson Must Come up with Better Plan for Community Service Work | the Spokesman-Review", "Man jailed in Wenatchee child-sex case is set free | Northwest", "Wenatchee-Current Status: Arrests, Convictions, Dismissals", "Lesser settlement stands in sex-abuse civil case | Local News", "Woman must continue to register as sex offender: 'Sex ring' subject vows to fight on", "TV Reporter's Stories on Alleged Sex Ring Cited | the Spokesman-Review", "Silver Batons: Medium Market Television", "Grant Wins 'Pulitzer of Broadcasting' | the Spokesman-Review", "KREM-TV, Investigative Reporting on the Wenatchee Child Sex Ring | 1997 duPont-Columbia Award Winner in 1997 duPont Winners on Vimeo", "Reporters at Odds in Sex Ring Case Some May Have Saved Innocent, Others May Have Fed Flames | the Spokesman-Review", "FMSF Newsletter - February 1, 1997 - Vol. Lived in Oxnard, CA and dreamed of being a police officer. A friend of Perez's foster daughter claimed that on one occasion, "Pastor Roby" asked the girl into his shag-carpeted office off the sanctuary. But then, asked to describe the incidents, Devereaux shook his head and said, "I can't tell you. . Flowers In their memory Plant Memorial Trees. Seattle Times staff reporter Dee Norton contributed to this report. "Clearly, there is risk of embellishment," Berlin said. . Rattling off names, the girl referred to the group as "The Circle." Supported by interviews with other children, it appeared a hellish pact had been made among neighbors. No. [41][42] The judges had earlier asked for a visiting judge to investigate. . App. . Perez was named the department's chief sex crimes investigator in January 1994, even though he had no formal training. The appellants allege that Detective Robert Perez conducted the interviews using tactics such as threatening the interviewees with prison terms, criminal charges, and permanent family separation. The school board on Tuesday adopted a blueprint for potential layoffs and deep program cuts to make ends meet. Police records say the youngster was forthcoming, confirming that his father raped him and forced him to perform oral sex. Perez, 60, of Waterville died on Dec.. As part of the Fox News Flash & Media team, Laura has her hand in a variety of content - from faith & values to crime & justice - having recently interviewed celebrities like actor Leslie Jordan, author Mitch Albom, and crime expert Nancy Grace for FOX. She told him she had been angry with her foster father for spying on her, for putting her on restriction after catching her having sex with a boyfriend. According to police records, Cherie Town was advised of her rights but chose to "cooperate.". [23] By 2000, the last person in custody, Michael Rose, was released, after a judge vacated his March 1995 convictions. At least one caseworker said change was needed in the Devereaux household - perhaps only boys should be placed there. But by the time Detective Robert Perez completed his investigation, 24 people in Wenatchee had been accused in a child sex-abuse scandal. Finally, was justice served? . . Perez said it was too late, that he was under arrest for suspicion of child rape. He was found not guilty on two charges; the jury was hung on three others. Talking with the children made Perez believe Laura Holt - also known as Becky - had molested not only her children but countless others. During a hearing before trial, Green's defense attorney argued that Perez improperly questioned and arrested his client and, thus, her confession should not be allowed into evidence. Cited in numerous civil suits still pending against the city of Wenatchee, Detective Robert Perez retired on disability. Overnight lane reductions are scheduled Monday through Thursday, with more disruptions ahead this month. Emerson Linarez, 38, was shot and killed in a confrontation with a homeowner. National experts are split on whether the benefit of recording such statements outweighs potential problems. (According to court documents, Cherie Town has an IQ of 77; 90 to 110 is considered normal.). If I were an investigator charged with investigating the cases today, Id do it exactly the same way, Perez said in 2004. Striding down the hallway of the county courthouse - tall, fair, well-built, with a sidearm and handcuffs visible under his leather jacket - he is the image of righteous justice. Detective Armando Perez has worked for the police force in many different units. A. "The adults undressed and got in line and took turns with everybody. Authorities alleged that Miller and her former husband, Larry Steinborn, were members of "The Circle.". Initially placed together, state caseworkers separated the children to prevent them from "sexually acting out amongst themselves.". Perez spent about an hour talking with Cherie Town. "Wenatchee Witch Hunt" Detective Robert Perez Was Perez Dealt with properly by his employer? Emergency Phone: 911. [33] The jury acquitted the Robersons of all remaining charges;[34][35] one juror reported that acquitting them "was not a difficult decision for us. [68] The city of Wenatchee paid the Robersons a settlement of $700,000. 2d 33 | Casetext Search + Citator", "Wenatchee Witchhunt on Dateline, November 1995", "Part I, b - Detective a man who charmed, harmed", "Robert Perez Police Department Evaluation", "Ex-Wenatchee sex crime detective Bob Perez dies", "Bob Perez, driving force in discredited sex abuse cases, dies | Local News", "Author Fights Sex-Ring Case Subpoena | the Spokesman-Review", "Writer Need Not Reveal Sources in Wenatchee Sex-Ring Cases | the Spokesman-Review", "Child sex ring book gets mixed reviews | Northwest", "One Brave Soul's Crusade for Truth About Wenatchee | the Seattle Times", "Wenatchee Witch Hunt and the Doggett Family", "Wenatchee Couple's Rape Conviction is Overturned | the Seattle Times", "State v. Carol M.D, 89 Wn. There were neighborly exchanges between families. The case was sparked by a claim made by a foster child in the home of Wenatchee police Detective Robert Perez, who said she and other children were sexually abused at the church. He rose quickly, becoming a detective trainee only three years after being sworn in. But it wasn't until the couple divorced and Maxine left the house that allegations surfaced. "[48] Other legal watchdogs such as the state Commission on Judicial Conduct and the ACLU declined to criticize these prosecutions. A subculture of down-at-the-heels subsistence workers and unemployable welfare dependents remains. I would never subject my children to that.". Heres whats happening at the mid-point of the 2023 session of the Washington Legislature. Perez yelled at a child and called her a liar until she fabricated stories of abuse in an . Would you consider this one the earliest instances of "fake news" weve seen? Her statement implicated a slate of other adults, some of whom she now says she does not know. In a separate appeal, this court reversed the jury verdict in favor of the Sims. - Provide support to Hub members regarding detective controls processes (B2R, B2C, P2P, MDM). [48][49], In 1996, a consultant, retired Bellevue Police Chief D.P. The 12-year-old backed up the charge. Perez served over 200 days in Ventura County Jail after holding his girlfriend hostage at his Oxnard home in July of 2007. I was with the District Attorneys Office in inner-city Atlanta for over a solid year, handling felonies in various capacities every single day, before I prosecuted a child molestation case ---much less allegations of this magnitude. "Nothing has gone on, could have gone on. He alleged Perez was arrested for petty larceny in 1975, and cited for receiving unemployment benefits while enrolled in the Police Academy in 1983. [43], Critics maintained that these cases were mishandled by the police and proper protocol was not followed when interviewing the children. Do you feel it lends to the distrust of the justice department, or do you find theres some saving grace in the fact that, in the end, Perez was ultimately caught, and everyone accused, exonerated? On March 13, 1995, Perez put Donna in his police car with two social services caseworkers and they drove through Wenatchee and East Wenatchee. Dwaine Hooten . Tim Abbey, the Supervisor of Child Protective Services at the time of the Wenatchee sex crime investigation, had no doubt done his part in aiding Perez having dismissed an alleged victims recantation, facilitating the arrest of the caseworker whod brought the very admission to his attention, and even forcing hospitalization at a mental facility for any children whod been uncooperative witnesses in the prosecution of their parents. There is medical evidence to support some charges of sexual molestation. And then there were the statements of the Holt children. 320 "willfully." That is, the City knew what was being requested but decided not to comply with the discovery request.5 [11, 12]PREJUDICE.Burnet also requires that the discovery violation be one that "substantially prejudiced the opponent's ability to prepare for trial."Burnet, 131 Wn.2d at 494.The word "substantial" is key, and its meaning is . Bob Perez died last Thursday at Central Washington Hospital, according to. Bundling the girl up, Perez and two Child Protective Services caseworkers drove the child, now 10, around town so she could point out where these orgies were supposed to have taken place. A second set of files is kept by Chelan County Prosecutor Gary Riesen, whose office is down the hall, just past the Superior Court chambers where the fates of the accused are to be decided. Both later recanted their claims of sexual abuse. Oct. 6, 1995 11:59 pm ET. WENATCHEE Former Wenatchee police Detective Bob Perez, who led a discredited child sex ring investigation in the 1990s in central Washington, has died. . [29][30][31], In 1999, the Washington state legislature passed the "Perez Bill" which required child abuse investigators to keep accurate records of their interviews and forbade them from investigating cases involving their own children. Late one afternoon that September, Luci Perez sat down with her foster daughter. The lawsuit alleges it. If true, "The Circle" would have likely gone down as one of the most egregious cases of crimes in American history; instead, whats egregious is that it had been entirely made up at the hands of law enforcement. "It is extremely easy for a child, especially when traumatized, to create false memories . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Some children were abused in Wenatchee, that much is certain. . He was determined to ferret out the rest of the abusers, to save the kids. Directions Physical Address: View Map 250 N Ventura Road Port Hueneme, CA 93041. [45], Washington Governor Mike Lowry requested a federal review,[2][44][46] but U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno declined to involve the national Justice Department in these cases. Interviewed in jail, where she is being held in lieu of $50,000 cash-only bail, Miller now claims her confession was coerced. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Q. 6, No. Reams of legal papers are bound in bright red files, dog-eared and smudged now, from handling by members of the news media. Others argue children do not lie about something as physically and emotionally painful as sexual abuse. The detective responsible for the witch hunt, Robert "Bob" Perez, having incarcerated 43 adults with almost 30,000 counts of child rape and molestation, had become the lead detective of the. In newspapers and on television, he accused Perez of being on a power trip, of leading child witnesses into making false accusations, of trampling on suspects' constitutional rights and bullying adults into signing confessions. Criticism of the probe centered on Wenatchee police detective Robert Perez, who some say became obsessed with ridding the area of pedophiles and used testimony from his two foster daughters, ages . "But I believe there is a possibility that people who share such common, aberrant needs could be drawn together because the mainstream of their existence centers on the frequent need to be sexual. A. Apr 20th, 1998. [70][71] While on trial for child abuse, Douglas County also prosecuted the Robersons for welfare fraud, a case the Robersons described as "harassment". When the child was placed in the foster care of Luci and Bob Perez, she was withdrawn and frightened. A judge rejected that argument. Perez knew time was short. Still, the foundation of the increasingly complicated and bizarre case was the children's testimony. In September, police, prosecutors and child-protection workers believed they were just about to wrap up two very ugly cases of child sexual abuse - the Town-Holt and Devereaux cases. That suspicion was heightened by medical evidence suggesting that at least one and possibly both of the boys had been abused. They don't want to believe it. . It is important to note that their marriage ended after one of Miller's daughters (by a previous husband) accused Steinborn of sexual molestation. The official version of what happened in Wenatchee is found at the Chelan County Clerk's Office, on the fifth floor of the Chelan County Courthouse Law and Justice Center. In 2021, Maria Gutierrez alleged an Arlington police officer tore her rotator cuff. Market data provided by Factset. Children were interviewed in the presence of other children. "My own father sexually abused me, the humiliation, the hell. Rafael Perez: The Man Who Inspired Denzel Washington's Oscar-Winning Role. He says homicide is different from all others: "I think one of the most stressful jobs that I've had . Devereaux's remaining foster daughters were moved to new foster homes and an investigation began. [8] Manuel Hidalgo Rodriguez, convicted in 1995,[53][75] was awarded $2.9 million from his defense attorney Ed Stevensen,[76] who took a job with the prosecutor 3 weeks after losing his case,[77] but in the end received $689,000. Unable to afford the $1,000,000 bail for each, they were held in jail where Robert was beaten. I don't want to believe it either, but based on the evidence, I must.". Experts say children who have been sexually abused for years accept it as "normal," and often will repeat the behavior in situations other than the home. he wanted to. The next day Devereaux was notified that his foster care license had been suspended. He spent his youth in Guadalajara, Mexico, where his father attended Medical School. By this time, some children had recanted their accusations. The Douglas County Sheriff's office was notified. The Wenatchee child abuse prosecutions in Wenatchee, Washington, US, of 1994 and 1995, were the last "large scale Multi-Victim / Multi-Offender case"[1] during the hysteria over child molestation in the 1980s and early 1990s. However, prosecutors never charged Glassen with a crime. After seeking refuge for her children in a "safe house," Miller saw to it that Steinborn went to jail. The house - a hulking, beige two stories crouched near the curb - is a wreck. ". WENATCHEE Former Wenatchee police Detective Bob Perez, who led a discredited child sex ring investigation in the 1990s in Central Washington, has died. "But I was not willing to have my wife and 5-year-old son picked up, interrogated and God knows what . Laura Holt later recanted her confession, claiming she had been "browbeat" by Perez. . Van Blaricom, hired by a city insurer who looked into how the Wenatchee police ran the child abuse investigations, stated that the cases were handled properly. Police later accused him of failing to report abuse and obstructing justice, prompting an internal Department of Social and Health Services investigation. . Nicolas Ferrel-Ibarra. 'This has ruined the lives of these children': Nancy Grace on the Wenatchee witch hunt, THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE FAKE SEX RING THAT CHANGED WENATCHEE FOREVER. She told a counselor that her husband, Meredith "Gene" Town, had for years been molesting their two young sons. Some things she said made Perez suspect there was a conspiracy, that kids were being passed among neighbors. ." The driving force behind the investigations was a police detective, Robert Perez, who never taped a single interview, routinely destroyed any notes he made and relied primarily on the testimony of . [12], In 1997, Pastor Roby and Connie Roberson attended the "Day of Contrition" conference in Salem, Massachusetts, along with other victims and experts of the day-care sex-abuse hysteria.[6][87][88]. Rose was sentenced to 23 years. During the ride she. Criminal prosecutions in Washington state, U.S. hysteria over child molestation in the 1980s, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, "The imaginary "sex rings" in Wenatchee, WA", Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, "Other Well-Known Cases | Innocence Lost | FRONTLINE | PBS", "Pastor and Wife Are Acquitted on All Charges in Sex-Abuse Case", "Jury finds city, county negligent in child sex ring case", "Book Review - 'Witch Hunt: A True Story of Social Hysteria and Abused Justice', "Afterward: Freedom is never the same for those who've been to prison on phony charges", "Last case settled in botched sex ring case", "Children sacrificed for the case: Allegations set up a puzzle of doubtful ethics, dubious facts", "CNN - Pastor, wife acquitted in child sex trial - Dec. 12, 1995", "The ghost won't lie still: Ten years after first arrest, 'sex-ring' episode still haunts the community | Local News", "WENATCHEE SEX RING: Questions resurface about 'witch hunt', "TV Station Ordered To Turn Over Tape: Judge Says Krem-TV Violated Girl's Rights In Wenatchee Sex Ring Case | The Spokesman-Review", "Wenatchee: Sex Probe Tests Truth and Trust", "The Unraveling of a Monstrous Secret -- Sex-Abuse Scandal Has Wenatchee Reeling", "Sex Case A 'Wenatchee Witch Hunt' Some Incidents of Incest Were Uncovered but There's Been No Proof of Group Child Abuse", "Cameo Garrett: Wenatchee Mentality: Conversation with Robbi Roberson", "Who is Abusing the Children of Wenatchee? [6] Sixteen adults entered Alford pleas; most of these were poor or "functionally retarded". S Federal & W Florida . "There are countless suggestive forces," she said. In 1994, Perez (who had undergone a few hours of specialized training in child abuse investigations) took his foster daughters on a ride through the streets of Wenatchee, asking them to identify places where they had been abused . When Ventura Police arrived to the 1500 block of Daffodil Avenue, they found 37-year-old Robert Perez had been stabbed once in the chest. Chief Mathew Lewis has been named Chief of Detectives and Chief Robert Waring has been named Chief of Operations, both three-star chief titles. "We had to undress and lay down on the bed, a kid on each bed," she said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Eventually, both Cherie and Meredith Town bowed to punishment. Sergeant Michael B. Wagner 4/27/2007. that the police officer was `out to get her dad.' Q. What would you say to him if he were alive today? but, in my 20 years of experience I've found it extremely unusual for a child to fabricate such accusations from whole cloth," said psychiatrist Roland Summit, who has been a consultant on several high-profile sex abuse trials, including the McMartin day-care case in Los Angeles. Then 54 and divorced, Devereaux had five adolescent girls in his care. Some were born poor in Wenatchee, others arrived that way. ." The Devereauxs were warned there could be problems. Ricardo Robert "Bob" Perez, Jr. passed away peacefully at Central Washington Hospital on Thursday, December 12, 2013, surrounded by family and friends. Leave a Flower Sponsored by Ancestry. Perez's star witnesses, Donna and Melinda Everett, returned to live with their biological parents, Harold and Idella Everett. Robert Perez also known as JR.