Published
May 23, 2009
09:52 pm
-
Dealing with
son’s prison
sentence
only way I
know
Bob West
column for
Sunday, May
24
The
Port Arthur News
Readers who
turn to this
space on
Sundays
looking to
be
entertained
with a
collection
of odds and
ends from
the sports
world will
have to
forgive a
devastated
dad for
deviating
from the
norm. Sports
moves to the
back burner
after you’ve
spent a week
in a
courtroom
and seen
your son
sentenced to
65 years in
prison.
I’ve spent
the past few
days
wrestling
over whether
to address
Damon’s sad
situation in
a column and
finally
decided it
was
something I
needed to
do. Among
the many
reasons
leading to
my decision
was an
outpouring
of love,
prayers and
compassion
from family
and friends,
and from
some folks
Genie and I
don’t even
know.
These words
on a card
from Betty
and Gene
Scott sum it
all up. “If
you could
listen to
all the
thoughts
going out to
you now,
you’d hear a
symphony of
warmth and
caring.”
So where do
you start to
explain how
the high
school
quarterback,
the
All-American
boy, the kid
most
everybody
from his
hometown
really liked
could end up
breaking our
hearts? In
this case,
the answer
is a simple
as two words
—
methamphetamine
addiction.
That’s
another
reason I
wanted to
write this
column. If I
can reach
one kid, one
parent with
the human
tragedy
crystal meth
made of
Damon West,
it will be
my greatest
achievement
as a writer.
Hopefully I
can connect
with more
than one
because this
insidious
drug is all
too
available.
Anybody with
concerns
should go to
the web site
www.meth911.net.
Jumping off
the top of
the lead
page in bold
letters is
the quote,
“The first
thing people
on
methamphetamines
lose is
their common
sense.” It
gets more
eye-opening
from there.
Damon lost
his common
sense, his
grasp of
reality and
eventually
his freedom.
He wasn’t
the same
person who
left home 15
years ago
with a
football
scholarship
to
North Texas,
the same guy
who as
recently as
2004 was
impressing
heavyweights
in the
Democratic
party as a
fund raiser
for
presidential
candidate
Dick
Gephardt.
The downfall
began after
he moved to
Dallas
in 2005. Our
alarm bells
started
going off a
year or so
later. He
began dating
a stripper
who was bad
news and
told us he
was working
for a
limousine
service and
on the side
buying
things to
resell from
storage
facilities.
At times he
would get
belligerent
with us over
the phone.
We began to
suspect drug
use. On the
rare
occasions he
came home,
we pleaded
with him to
get out of
Dallas
and move
back in with
us. I sent a
dear friend
from
Houston,
Barry
Warner, to
try and
deliver the
same
message.
Our words
fell on deaf
ears.
Somehow we
should have
done more.
But what?
You can’t
grab a
30-year-old
and forcibly
move him?
Not when
he’s sold
his soul to
meth.
So now Damon
sits in a
jail cell,
awaiting
assignment
to the
prison
system.
There is no
question he
was guilty
of being
involved in
a massive
string of
burglaries.
The evidence
was
overwhelming.
I can’t even
begin to
describe how
much it hurt
to listen to
the
testimony of
victim after
victim put
on the stand
by the
prosecution.
Equally
painful was
watching
some of the
losers
trotted out
to testify
against him.
Two of them
had to be
brought from
their own
jail cells.
These were
people the
Damon we
used to know
would never
have
associated
with. But
his common
sense was
long gone.
Nothing we
saw or
heard,
however,
prepared us
to hear a
sentence of
65 years.
Murderers,
rapists and
child
molesters
don����t get
that kind of
time.
Actually,
since he was
a first
offender and
there was
compelling
testimony
from a
state-paid
psychologist
and
psychiatrist
who did
extensive
testing on
him, we
hoped for
probation.
Our desire
was to get
him in a
drug
treatment
facility,
then bring
him back
home under a
strong
probation
and
community
service
requirement,
and have him
speak about
what meth
had done to
him at any
school that
was
receptive.
Included in
the
testimony
presented by
the doctors
who
interviewed
him, and put
him through
batteries of
tests, was
that he’d
been
sexually
molested by
a baby
sitter at
age nine (
we knew
about it and
he received
counseling),
that he
suffers from
attention
deficit
disorder (we
didn’t
know), that
he was not a
sociopath
and that
what he
needed most
was drug
rehab.
The
investigator
working with
Damon’s
legal team
said we
assembled
the
strongest
lineup of
character
witnesses
he’d ever
seen.
Included was
former
Texas
land
commissioner
and
gubernatorial
candidate
Garry Mauro
and Arthur
Schecter, a
Houston
attorney and
a former
ambassador
to
Bermuda
under Bill
Clinton.
Both had
worked
closely with
Damon during
the 2004
campaign.
Schecter
even gave
him the keys
to his River
Oaks mansion
to come and
go as he
pleased when
in
Houston.
Also
testifying
on his
behalf was
his priest
where he
attended
church in
Port Arthur, Father Don Donahugh, his football
coach at TJ,
Mike Owens,
and his
godfather
and former
editor of
the Port
Arthur News,
Bill Maddox.
His mother
and I were
also put on
the stand.
Ultimately,
it didn’t
make any
difference.
Even though
no guns were
used and
none of the
victims were
ever
physically
confronted,
no mercy was
shown.
Using a
fairly new
law that
holds when
three or
more persons
are involved
in
burglaries
it can be
treated as
organized
crime, they
buried him.
He’s not
eligible for
parole for
15 years.
It’s
doubtful
he’ll ever
get the drug
treatment he
needs.
Meanwhile,
Genie and I
are
struggling
and shedding
a lot of
tears but
we’ll be OK.
Ditto for
Damon’s
brothers,
Brandon and
Grayson.
Although our
love is
unconditional,
we’re
alternately
furious with
Damon for
destroying
what could
have been
such a
productive
life, and
consumed
with grief
over the
loss of that
caring,
charismatic
kid who left
home 15
years ago
with such
big dreams.
Above all,
we hope and
pray meth
doesn’t
bring down
someone
else’s child
or loved
one. Since
this sordid
chapter in
our lives
began, we
have learned
Grayson’s
wife had two
brothers
driven to
suicide by
meth
addiction.
In closing,
we want to
thank
everyone who
has reached
out to us,
and those
who have
wanted to
but just
didn’t know
what to say.
Your
thoughts and
prayers have
been a
blessing.
*************************************************************************
Wimberly,
TX
June 20
Murphy
and I
went to
Jim
Andrus'
son's
wedding.
It was
held at
a
beautiful
setting
on the
Red
Corral
Ranch
outside
of the
Dripping
Springs/Wimberly
area.
We were
able to
enjoy
quality
time
visiting
with
classmates
Steve
Robison,
David
Williams,
Jim
Andrus,
Paul
Colletti,
& Lynn
Eldridge.
We also
ate the
most
wonderful
barbeque
in the
state of
TEXAS
(maybe
USA) at
the Salt
Lick
Restaurant.
I hear
it was
listed
in the
Texas
Monthly
magazine
featuring
bbq!
Be sure
to try
it.
Also,
don't
forget
to use
the link
to see
photos
from the
wedding
weekend.
Need to
go pack.
We are
headed
to
Tupelo,
TX,
(outside
of
Corsicana),
to visit
Lynn
Eldridge
Gill's
ranch
home.
She and
her
husband
invite
about
125
people
each
July 4th
weekend
for a
catered
chicken
supper
and
fireworks
display.
We've
never
been
able to
go until
this
year.
I hear
the temp
should
be in
the
triple
digits!
Well,
what's
new?
That is
what it
has been
for
several
days
here in
Lumberton.
I think
that
Jude
Arisco
and his
family
will be
there.
He is
always a
"riot".
His
side-kick,
Paul
Colletti
won't be
able to
make it,
though.
*************************************************************************
SUPPORT
from
Donnie
DeLee
I was
reading
the last
NEWSLETTER
and saw
my name
mentioned.
Well,
spring
is
definitely
out for
coming
to SE
Texas.
I went
in the
outpatient
dept. of
Sutter
Memorial
Hospital
on May
20 to
try an
angioplasty
to get
stents
in both
of my
femoral
arteries
(legs)
but the
surgeon
couldn't
get the
stent
between
the
plaque
and the
artery
wall.
So, I am
having
to fix
my PAD
the
old-fashioned
way with
an
arterial
bypass
graft.
Yep, I'm
in the
hospital
now.
I had
the
surgery
Friday,
May 19th
and
should
be home
by
Tuesday
to
recuperate.
(Excuse
the
confusing
e-mail
as I am
typing
under
the
influence
of
dilaudid)!
So,
between
the
operation
and time
to
recuperate
and to
save up
again
for the
trip it
will
probably
be late
summer/early
fall
before I
get back
to the
ole
stomping
grounds.
I'll
keep
trying
until I
succeed.
from
Sandy
Ellis
MacNamara
Hello
my
friends.
Want
to
let
you
know
that
on
July
7th,
very
early
in
the
morning,
I am
having
my
third
hip
replacement/revision
surgery.
I
am certainly
NOT
looking
forward
to
it,
but
I am
hoping
that
it
will
improve
my
quality
of
life.
I
should
be
in
the
hospital
(Seaton
on
38th
street) Tuesday
through
Friday
(that's
the
plan)
with
a 12
week
recovery
time. Lots
of
physical therapy
-
hard
work.
The
plan
is
for
Paul
to
be
my
primary
care
taker,
but
given
his
recent
motorcycle
accident,
it
may
be a
struggle.
We
will
get
through
it -
we
always
do.
It
should
be a
very
interesting
summer.
Tillman
Richey's
brother-in-law,
(wife's
brother),
is
having
radical
surgery
for
a
rare
cancer
with
a
grim
prognosis
for
a
long
recovery.
His
surgery
is
scheduled
July
8 (
I
believe)
in
Nebraska.
David
Chesser
(55)
is a
fire
fighter
in
Vidor,
TX.
He
found
out
this
diagnosis
the
same
day
he
got
news
that
he passed
the
Captain's
test.
Please
keep
him,
his
family, and
the
Richey's
in
your
prayers.
God CAN
answer
prayers!
Ask
Mr.
Rowland!
*************************************************************************