Month: June 2018

October 19,2015

On Monday the Assistant District Attorney in Centreville, Alabama called asking me to email all the documentation I collected supporting my charges against Tyler. I set up an appointment to meet with him on November 3, 2015, the same day as the second trespassing hearing. Following our vacation, we headed straight to Woodstock.

Again, the hearing proved to be uneventful. Tyler was a no show, something about working in Georgia. I asked if they required proof but, no answer. I met with the special prosecutor that replaced Attorney Downs. After telling my story and showing my evidence he commented “Wow, all you are filing against this guy is trespassing?” The Judge asked if I wanted to postpone again and I said no. He stated that Tyler had as much notice as anyone else and he should have been there. So Tyler was charged with a “no show”. Whenever we have the next hearing Tyler would now have two charges. (trespassing and failure to appear) After spending the next day with Mary Grace, we left for home on November 5, 2015.

Our next visit to Woodstock was December 1, 2015. This trip was spent going through the storage unit and meeting with family and friends who were interested in buying some items I had to sell for Mary Grace. It was this trip that I met a close friend of John Brook’s and who shared John’s love for music. I spent two and a half hours with him at Mary Graces’ house going through John Brooks’ music collection. It was raining and cold, so I stayed in my vehicle most of that time. Again, I was trying to get an idea of what I was dealing with and see if the collection had any value.

We left Woodstock December 9, 2015.

The third hearing was January 5, 2016. This time my new prosecutor did not show up. You guessed it-postponed again until March 1, 2016. I also had scheduled a meeting with the Assistant District Attorney for January 6, 2016. Right again: Cancelled.

The trip was not a total lost I was able to get John Brooks’ truck and have Attorney Downs take a statement of what went down when the truck was purchased from Tyler. We spent time trying (the best we could) to get Mary Grace’s home winterized, made several trips to the Division of Motor Vehicles trying to get a new title for the vehicles, and meeting with people that could give me a fair estimate on any items I could sell. We left for home the afternoon of January 8, 2016.

Believe me, I know you are getting tired of hearing these petty details but, in this story the petty details are what leads to the outcome. Also, I am eliminating so much of my investigating. I really am trying to move along as fast as possible.

OK–Let’s keep talking,

Reta

First of all, let me apologize for this post being so late. I had it scheduled for 6AM and it show published on my end. —Go figure— Ok, let’s talk.

Literally, my mind and legs were running as fast as possible to solve all the mysteries surrounding Mary Grace and John Brooks. On Monday October 13, 2015 I became serious about getting some answers.
I spent days checking on the financial part of this puzzle. I found John Brooks and Mary Grace’s accountant in Birmingham and found the investment company they dealt with until June 2014 when all the accounts were emptied and closed.

This process is not just making calls and the information magically appears. I had to fax guardianship/conservator paperwork along with a copy of John Brooks’ death certificate. I contacted the Department of Motor Vehicles in Montgomery to see what steps I needed to go through to get the vehicles titled in Mary Grace’s name. (I didn’t know if Tyler still had the vehicles at this time but, I knew they still belonged to Mary Grace) That is when a very “large” can of worms were opened. My vehicle dealership experience kicked in and over time, I ordered the entire history of the vehicles. This gave me all the vehicle information from the time it was first titled. So I had dates, owners, signatures, etc. After many phone calls, letters and texts, I was able to get in touch with the new owners.

Tyler had sold John Brooks’ vehicles on line. The person who purchased the 85 Mercedes was told that the car had been purchased from his step-dad, and he was not given a bill of sale but a title that was signed by John Brooks on October 17, 2015. How could that be?? He died on June 22, 2015. I had to get a signed statement from the owner and have the title revoked. It was Feb 2016 before I finally received the new title and April 2016 before I was able to rent a transport trailer and pick up the car in Livingston, Alabama, another incurred expense.

The person who purchased the truck had been told the vehicle belonged to Tyler’s Dad who was sick and unable to drive so they were selling it. On August 7, 2015 someone forged John Brooks’ name and someone had unlawfully notarized the paperwork to get a duplicate title. On August 25, 2015 someone signed John Brooks’ name on the title to finalize the deal. I also have a statement from the owner and a new title.

The more I dug and found out all the “wrongs” and unlawful things that were happening, the angrier I became. It had nothing to do with me personally (so to speak) I had worked hard and planned for my retirement. But, wrong is wrong—Mary Grace was a good person, up in years, that loved and trusted her son to take care of her. Now what, she had been taken advantage of by her son and now this. And why was no one taking me seriously? I know I was a small fish in a big pond, but this is UNBELIVABLE!!!!! At what point is too small??? Does that mean if you rob a bank for $10.00 it is any different that robbing one for $100,000.00? I just could not turn my back on this, it was eating me alive.

I will have to admit, I am a take charge person–I take action first and think later. Not always a good thing. So on Saturday October 17, 2015 I shot off a very detailed email to the Bibb County District Attorney, then left for vacation.

Ok- Let’s keep talking,

Reta

The next visit to Alabama was August 24, 2015 it was a short but successful trip. We checked on Mary Grace’s house and found it had been vandalized again. This is the time we found the rubber snake by the front door. REALLY????!!! The fleas were still bad, so we called for a professional, they ended up having to come 3 different times. I had to go to the Social Security office and get a new card for Mary Grace and the Veterans Administration to handle some business. I found out the paperwork for the case had been taken to the Assistant District Attorney’s office on August 27, 2015. Of course, I visited with Mary Grace, who was doing great so we headed home August 28, 2015.

We returned to Alabama on September 22, 2015 for the first hearing scheduled the next day, of course this was the first of many trips. In the meantime, I had been communicating with Chief Price and the City Prosecutor Attorney Downs. I was so glad my support system from Texas came to be with us.

The visit to Mary Grace’s house revealed more vandalizing, the back door of the house was wide open and John Brooks’ shop door was wide open. REALLY??? What is up with leaving the doors open??? They don’t think we could tell someone had been there or they didn’t want to take the time to open them on it their next visit? Here are just a few pictures of the destruction:

I had received a $107.22 bill from AT&T that was due if I did not return the router, so I located it and took it to UPS on my way to the hearing. I just wanted you know all the things that were going on as well as all the money that was being spent through out this process. My cousin and I met Mary Grace for her Doctor’s appointment and she had gained 18 lbs in three months.

The hearing was uneventful. Tyler showed up without an attorney claiming he was unaware he needed one and stated he would not plead guilty, he wanted to go to trial. I was told that I was going to be assigned a new prosecutor, something about a conflict of interest. When we left City Hall we noticed that we were being followed. (guess who?). We made some turns but, so did they. I called Chief Price to let him know in case this did not end well. We crossed Hwy 11 to get gas and the follower headed back in the direction of Woodstock.

On Wednesday, my cousin and I went shopping for winter clothes for Mary Grace. We then went to the cemetery to check on John Brooks’ grave and that is when I found the marker Tyler had placed. It was very nice and thoughtful except for the picture. I guess he was not thinking about Mary Grace seeing the picture of her son who she would not recognize. The tattoos and nipple rings–the things he kept hidden from her. Personally, I thought the picture was disrespectful to “Mama”.

During this trip we were able to meet some of John Brooks’ friends who were in the clock/watch business. They were very helpful identifying the items used in his clock profession. Of course, we swapped “John Brooks” stories for hours. Oh yes, the GOLD, one of these men was involved with a group that would get together with their “metal detectors or Geiger counters, whatever you call them. He asked me if I would like him to get this group together and scan Mary Grace’s property for the gold. I thanked him and declined.

The next few days were spent continuing to clean Mary Grace’s house and going though items in storage. Not that it is anyone’s business but, at this time the only item that had been sold was the piano on July 28, 2015. Family and friends were given the first option to purchase anything belonging to Mary Grace. Oh wait, everything belonged to Mary Grace. We also attended to some personal business then left for Florida on October 2, 2015.

OK- Let’s keep talking
Reta