Sleuth

Crystal asked me to meet her at dads so we could start going over the paper work. What is going on, what is happening, it is all surreal. As we try and figure out where to start, we decided to organize all the different paper. As we separate bank statements and other documents it is almost overwhelming. With adrenaline rushing, we were just in awe of what we were looking at. And some of the pieces wouldn't fall together until later on down the road. We start going through statements one by one, highlighting everything that was not on the fake bank statements. Line after line, day after day, month after month. 4 years of bank statements. In one of the bank statements when looking at them, there were large amounts deposited one for over $30,000 and another for over $10,000. Where did this come from? This is one of those pieces we would later figure out. In those same statements over the next two months, all of that money was spent, gone. How does someone spend over $40,000 in two months? There is really nothing to show for this money either. Payday loans, checks to herself, ATM withdraws. Payments to a Kubota tractor - dad didn't have a tractor. Payments to some places that we did not know. We had to start putting the assumptions together. We had to become detectives and figure everything out.

While going through all the paperwork we came across some letters. A few of the letters were from the gentlemen they were purchasing their trailer house from, because of course we now knew that the land didn't belong to them. The letter said:

"March 8, 2000

(My fathers name):

Well I think that we have a few problems. First of all this is the way I see it. When I went down there and (her name) gave me the $3600, she knew that went for back payments and returned checks. She knew exactly what that went to, I had been making the house payment for months, without a payment from her, because it was my credit at stake. This amount went towards what was owed and the charges I incurred on my checking account due to her insufficient checks.

(Her name) was also told that day that I could not continue to carry this note interest free. And she agreed. (Her name) was also told to have (my fathers name) call me, she agreed to that several times, but to no avail. There is no a person that will carry a note like this for this length of time interest free.

Like I have stated before, (my fathers name) I have bent over backwards trying to work with (her name). I have tried everything in my power to contact you, and still keep a job myself. It is not my fault that things have not been taken care of. It is not my fault that (her name) did not tell you about all this. It is not my fault that she has written many bad checks. It is not my fault that she has lied from day one. You can not blame me, for any of this.

I kept my end of the contract, from day one I have tried to work with you both on this. I cannot continue on like this. If you still disagree, then I guess I will take another day off and see what an attorney has to say, because I don't know what else to do.

(Home owners name)"

Dad did not own his trailer house either! This was not the only letter from the home owner either. There was another one. It states that after interest, he is owed well over $11,000. He states that he has been by the house numerous times and she wouldn't answer the door. He left messages with my uncle and aunt trying to get a hold of my dad. He offered to let them pay $5,000 and the back taxes. He mentions that the original contract is null and void, and that he is still waiting for $400.00 promised to him. This letter has a small section cut out of it, which is odd, so we do not know what it says. Dad owns nothing except a 1994 Ford Pickup, but is that truly his either?

We found another document to her sister-in-law regarding her brothers life insurance. Her brother had passed away from cancer. What dad was told was that she was the beneficiary on her brother's life insurance, but she felt so bad for the wife so she gave her half of the insurance check out of the goodness of her heart. We found the letter from the insurance company that listed her and her brother's wife as beneficiaries but listed them both as 100%. The insurance company wrote a letter saying they could not pay out with them both listed at 100% and that both parties needed to come up with an amicable settlement, which is when we found this letter:

"(Sister-in-law's name)

After talking with the insurance company this morning, and also receiving a letter in the mail from them yesterday, I have a problem.

Last summer when (brothers name) was at my house, before the cancer came back and he was taken down with treatments and everything else he and I had a long talk about a lot fo things on his mind. He had told me he had put me as the beneficiary on his life insurance and why he did so, he had done this in 2008 and this was before he was even diagnosed with the cancer. He was diagnosed in 2009 (September 2009 when I came out for his surgery). Then a 2 years later (just as I had told both of you it would come back) the cancer came back and he had to quit working, he had told me he didn't think he had it anymore because of the premiums not being paid. That was fine. I told him I would take care of the funeral and his wishes but that I wanted him to get his affairs in order. This did not happen and I think I know why. So the fact that this is happening is beyond me. I made my brother promises that so far I have kept, and now I will keep the last one.

I do not mean to hurt you, but as per my brothers wishes I will take 1/2 of the life insurance proceeds as my part. I am doing this for several reasons, one - the talks (brothers name) and I had together over the last couple of years, two - some things I heard and saw during my last two trips to Florida (I am not a complete country bumpkin like a lot of people think I am) and three - the talks (brothers name) and I had when I was there in March.

If you do not agree to 1/2 then we will let it go to court where it can be tied up for months or years and the court costs can eat up the proceeds. So the ball is in your court. I will send in the form I have received from the insurance company requesting I receive 1/2 of the proceeds and if you agree you can send in your form.

Let me know if you agree or if we are going to court

(Her name)"

Dad shook his head and said. "That's not what she told me". After finding this letter, Crystal decided to try and find her sister-in-law and get into contact with her. Through Facebook, she was able to locate her and send her a message. She agreed to a phone conversation with my sister and discussed the above while sobbing the whole time. She also mentioned that during her visits to Florida, that she bad mouthed Crystal and me and stated that they never had any money because they were always paying our bills. That they had lent her money because of this. Her sister-in-law also stated that she never received any assistance with the funeral costs and it pretty much broke her.

Did she just steal half of her brothers life insurance?

There is no way a person can do all of this and sleep at night is there?

We've been wrong before

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