Looks like Laura Silsby won’t be coming some soon. No details yet, but according to the Associated Press:
Judge Bernard Saint-Vil says Laura Silsby has been charged for a newly discovered, alleged attempt to bus child earthquake survivors to the Dominican Republic on Jan. 26.
She already could face trial on kidnapping and criminal-association charges from her group’s attempt to take 33 children across the border without permission three days later.
Saint-Vil has added the new charge of “organization of irregular trips,” from a 1980 law restricting travel out of Haiti that was signed by then-dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier.
Could this be the 40 kids who went missing on the earlier aborted attempt?
Or were there other attempts we don’t know about yet?
How much you wanna bet CVBC and its minions play this: God has placed Mrs. Silsby in her cell of affliction as a witness of His love for the Haitian people, to harvest their souls for His glory. Or this: she’s taking Haiti’s sin on to herself; Haiti’s suffering is her suffering. Or some variation.
Addenda: Baby Love Child has posted a detailed commentary on this new event with background on the gone-missing 40. , Haiti: New charge brought against Laura Silsby Organization on Irregular Trips
The comments section on the Idaho Statesman version of this breaking news is, as usual, quite interesting. Idaho article
From CNN: The judge also rejected a petition for bail filed previously by Silsby’s lawyers; a new bail petition was dropped off by Silsby lawyer Chiller Roy on Friday.
Saint-Vil told CNN he expects to complete his investigation into the charges against the missionaries next week. He said he will then submit the dossier to the attorney general, who will have five working working days to give his opinion on the judge’s findings. The judge, once he receives the attorney general’s opinion, will then announce whether he will proceed to trial.
The charges against all 10 Baptists and the penalties if they are found guilty are:
– Criminal association, 3-15 years;
– Kidnapping of a minor, 3-9 years;
– Organizing irregular travel, 3-6 years.
June? Maybe June 2019.
BD, I don’t think this is all for Laura Silsby. The investigation by Homeland Security and the FBI into her intervention into the adoptions by that couple in Kentucky may result in charges. If the Feds didn’t think something was there they would not have devoted resources.
I think the remarks about the Duvalier dictatorship show many Americans, and American journalists, are still stuck in the 1970-90s when it comes to Haitian affairs. President Rene Preval, never accused of corruption, is often painted with the Duvalier and Aristide brushes, as well. People seem not to realize he is an agronomist who has actually done quite well in reforestation and bringing small industry to Haiti. Last, but not least, the ‘holding charges’ may not be the charges Silsby is tried on.
Right, but they’ve got their bird in the hand right now. I think it’s possible to charge the others with something, but it looks to me that it’s Silsby who they want. After all, Saint-vil and the prosecutor let Coulter out the other day. It would be interesting to know what she told the judge.
There most definitely will be a stateside investigation and that’s what the rest of them should be sweating. Haiti’s got bigger fish to fry, but the US is different. This is to public to let it ride. I’m sure Idaho authorities will be on her as well.
I thought the Duvalier reference was weird. What difference does it make whose regime the law was enacted under You don’t see the press say, Law X was signed when Woodrow Wilson was president, unless it’s a relevant fact.
I think the comment about the age of the law was meant to call into question the Haitian justice system. In the U.S., there are laws that date back to the 1800’s, which we still use today. Heck, our constitution was written when? My goodness, the U.S. is so out-dated!
I think it was also meant to convey the notion that this judge is so desperate to keep her in jail, that he’s digging through the law books to find something–anything–to hold her with.
Hmm! This is good news and hopefully those missing kids wil turn up soon and be returned home.
Anderson Cooper did a piece on the attempt to take 40 kids in Petionville. They interviewed a woman who had given her son away, but quickly decided that she wanted him back. She ran back to the bus and took her son. Anderson Cooper mentioned that the Silby clan gave each of the kids a used stuffed toy, and that as this little boy was getting off the bus they took it back. So much for caring for Haitian kids–they couldn’t even let the kid keep a secondhand toy.
I haven’t seen any reports on the other 39 kids. I assumed that they got off the bus and somehow-maybe with some help- made it back to their families. That’s my wishful thinking at work.
If the 40 kids show up in the US there is going to be a lot of explaining to do. I think they got through with the kids and thats why everyone on their end is being so quiet.
Merrymico, Wow I never thought of the possibility that perhaps some of the 39 kids (or maybe another smaller batch of kids we have never heard about) actually got through on an earlier attempt. Let’s say they only accomplished getting one over the border and that kid is hidden somewhere in the DR…….and evidence is found of this one kid – it would seem to me that everyone going to be called back to Haiti, including those that have never been charged yet.
I’m sure with money and connections it would be easy for the DR missionaries to drop a kid or kids off somewhere in the DR for “safekeeping”, and then get the heck out of the DR. And not say anything back in the States….and telling yourself…I am doing this in the name of God so it’s okay and those Haitian kids in the DR are better off, when it all dies down, we’ll get some forged papers and get them to the US.
Not sure how likely this scenario is but until all children are accounted for, how will anyone ever know – except for those involved? May God have mercy on their souls if they did this and have not admitted the prior transport(s) which must have been facilitated by bribes in the name of God.
On a side note, it troubled me quite a bit that when the news story first broke, it was reported the baby was very dehydrated. I didn’t understand that at all. They even had someone with them with medical training and they couldn’t keep a baby hydrated for a day or however long it was? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT. AT ALL. Maybe they would argue the baby was already dehydrated when they got him/her – well, maybe it was borderline to even transport the baby and they should have helped the parents hydrate it instead. I know, it was better to get the baby on the bus and drive real fast to the DR where it would all be taken care of. I feel this group had no freakin’ clue as to what they were doing period.
And if there is any evidence of their “cluelessness” that Silsby can start using against them, she will. And if one kid made it across, she will give up that information to save herself when she is fully out of options. I’m not sure how Haitian law works with plea bargains – but I am sure Silsby will NOT want to take this entire rap herself and will do what she can to minimize her own sentence.
Again, it’s probably unlikely that an earlier attempt succeeded…but what if it did? (Anon J)
I think one of the reasons the judge went to visit the resort/orphanage in the DR was to check for evidence of kids.
I also think the boy got off the bus before the police officer stopped them, so there were 41 on the bus, his mom stopped the bus and got him off, and then later the officer stopped the bus and made the 40 get off. Or am I missing something?
Her desperation to get kids–any kids–is what frightens me. If it was “just” her passionate fervor to carry out her diety’s will, that’s scary enough. But if it was because there were people on the DR side who she had to meet quotas for…Very scary indeed.
Any word on the invisible man, Jorge man of many names? I run a search every day, but no new news. did he fall off the planet in the Chile earthquake?
From the comments at Idaho Statesman’s new posting of the same article. Anyone able to follow up on this:
“It will be interesting to see how they react to the return of Coulter – Coulter and Silsby showed up together at the church as newcomers, joined in and started the promotion of the “orphanage”.”
Hi Annonymous, Could you imagine? I think the judge found evidence of something or he would have released Silsby by now. I just get a feeling that this is far from over and something is going to break soon. Why the silence on the part of the church people? Oh yea and on the Silsby /Colture myspace support page there is only 128 friends They are avoiding Silsby /Colture like the plague.
http://www.laredosun.us/notas.asp?id=5110
This article, published today, says that on Friday, all of the missionaries were charged with the new charge of “irregular travel”, not just Silsby.
Gotta share this. While searching today, I stumbled across this blog, Lettuce Spray. Some interesting stuff there, most similar to what I’ve been reading. But this was new. Carol, former employee, talks of Silsby
The ex-employee Carol offers some insight I have not seen elsewhere.
“Anderson Cooper mentioned that the Silby clan gave each of the kids a used stuffed toy, and that as this little boy was getting off the bus they took it back.”
That right there shows what kind of people these so-called missionaries really are. What disgusting behavior. I am ashamed that these people are Americans.
Has anyone seen any more information about the Kentucky couple who were adopting and Silsby tried to get their kids? I cannot figure out why Silsby would continue to pursue those kids. What was she going to do with them and what did she hope to gain by getting them? Even in the context of all of the other off-the-wall stuff she did, this makes no sense.
Does anyone know what would happen if the church people were called back to Haiti to face new charges? What if they refused to go? Would that go on record in case they tried to travel to another country lets say to try the same thing?
I think that is where Puello fits into this. He was going to be the one to give the kids new identities and papers. Isnt that his specilaty false identity?
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/03/14/1116898/home-from-haiti-coulter-wants.html
In this article, “Released detainee (Charisa Coulter) says ‘God has blessed me with peace.'” and “”We are 10 Christians who obeyed God’s calling and we went to help the nation of Haiti and its children,” Coulter said Saturday night of the group’s intent following the Jan. 12 Haiti quake. “It didn’t go the way we planned. … It’s hard to understand.””
She is brainwashed. Still wandering around in that Silsby Fog. The lack of remorse that this group displays is just … mind boggling.
Belinda–I have more on the Picketts that I really want to get up today . Now that Coulter is home, I have to re-write part of oit.
I’m not sure, what would happen. There may be something in their release that is contingent upon returning if ordered to do so They’re not going to be doing any foreign work for while, though. Their passports were confiscated.They can always go to some poor section of Boise and grab up kids, though.
It would be nice if they would do work in this area. There are so many needy families and kids.
This is the city which witnessed the murder of Robert Manwill last summer. They could stay right here, put all that effort into their own community, and never run out of things to do. Boise is a refugee relocation center, so there are people from all over the planet, who have come to the U.S. to escape the ravages of war. So they already are here, no need to go traipsing about the globe. However, the parents want to keep their children, so that might pose an issue for these “missionaries.”
I’m on the road home from WV (we bought our land!!!!!) and I read this at the motel before we left this AM. I have thought about those 39?40? kids all the way down the road. If I were home, I would light a candle for them. (That’s my little half-theist/half-pagan thing I do.)
And yes, the nanny-lady does sound a bit fundymentalized. I agree with BD that the will of God can usually be whatever anyone wants it to be. Kinda takes the “mighty” out of Almighty, doesn’t it?
Even though the Coulter family is showing support for Silsby, I wonder if there is really a “front” going on?
First, I am bewildered by how “attached” Coulter is to Silsby. When did their friendship start? I saw an article saying that Coulter and Silsby joined the church 3 years ago – that would make Coulter 21 at that time. Coulter is also employed as the nanny of Silsby’s children, not sure how long she has been on the job. The children are now 5 and 15.
This “attachment” appears very deep. Why would Coulter be so attached to Silsby? To the point that she doesn’t leave Miami for six days, resting, and then returns home.
All I know is I would want to see my family asap, especially my parents!
I am not going to speculate as other posters have on the relationship, just that it is usually deep.
That leads to my second point. I wonder if the Coulter family does not approve of the deep friendship. And they have wanted to get Coulter away from Silsby for some time anyway, recognizing Silsby is a bad influence. Of course, they couldn’t say anything about this for weeks, since it may have jeopardized getting Coulter home and also jeopardized their relationship with their daughter if they said anything negative about Silsby.
So Haiti took their passports. GOOD! They are so bold that Im worried that they are going to try and go back and continue. By the things that have said so far its as if they are thumbing their nose at thr Haitian government.
My take on the Coulter/Silsby pairing is:
Young impressionable misfit type is taken under the wing of an older, “wise”, narcissistic sociopath type. It creates a very, very deep bond on the young person’s side, and the older person milks it for all it’s worth. In the eyes of the younger, the older can do no wrong, and the younger takes great pride in being “on the inside” and feels important and part of something important. Nothing else compares to the brilliance of being in the older’s focus. The “inner circle” so to speak. Pretty common. The only thing that breaks it is time and experience. It is kind of a cult following type of thing. IMO.
Wow. Here’s a news report/video, with interview with Coulter as she de-planed last night. Still no remorse
This gives more context to the “It’s hard to understand” comments from the news article.
The Idaho 10 were released on their own recognizance, i.e., without bail, but with restrictions. They have a legal duty to return to Haiti if the court requests them too. If they don’t, warrants can be issued.
But, as someone else pointed out, it is not having their passports that will keep them in the U.S. There may also be a restrictions on where they can travel here. They could have been allowed to return to their home states, but not travel from state to state. Would explain why the Liberty Legal Institute and Cabel Sasser do not have The Idaho 10 on speaking tours to raise money for Right Wing causes such as Sarah Palin, yet.
Thanks J. I dont know how international laws work but Im glad to know that they arent home free.(running around doing speaking tours. The one thing that bothers me is Allen denying the Laura is lying note. I would think that the reason they arent doing speaking tours is on the advise of their lawyers because they cant seem to keep their stories straight.
Something about Silsby being charged under a law enacted by Duvalier puts a smile on my face.