Christopherborst.com
Hope has survived though justice failed. My journey is NOT over!
Christopherborst.com
Hope has survived though justice failed. My journey is NOT over!
Hope has survived though justice failed. My journey is NOT over!
Hope has survived though justice failed. My journey is NOT over!
In 2001, I was resistant to allowing my ex wife to move out of the area with my daughter. This move would have disrupted the custody schedule that my daughter and I enjoyed that was ordered by the court. I was asked three times about the move. After the third time saying no, the allegations were made.
In any other criminal case, hearsay is not admissible. Hearsay statements were made implicating abuse. Zero of these statements corroborated with any of the actual physical findings in the case. Furthermore, a journal was read to the jury. I was denied the right to forensically test this journal for its authenticity. After trial it was then handed back to the author, (my ex). It was later subpoenaed by the Motion Court to be returned for further examination and testing. It was reported as being "lost". This was the only piece of physical evidence in this case.
All of my statements made to any agency were NOT recorded. All of the statements were made in settings where recording was available but not used. All of the individuals taking my statements were trained and had experience in operating recording equipment. My actual statements line up with the evidence or lack there of. None of the testimony regarding my statements made by DFS or law enforcement have merit. Their testimony regarding my statements (taken way out of context) do not corroborate with any of the physical findings.
Yes it's true, my convictions were overturned. But, this ruling was then overturned. Read closely,
After nearly 7 years in prison, two of which with no convictions, waiting for a re-trial, a pivotal moment occurred when the Western District Court of Appeals overturned the original ruling, (above). This decision came shortly after the retirement of Honorable Judge Nixon, who had granted me a new trial in that court. The Court of Appeals cited hearsay and my alleged confessions, deeming Judge Nixon’s ruling erroneous in their published opinion that I'm sure you've read.
It was notable that the court waited for Judge Nixon’s retirement before rendering this decision, a timing that felt like a deliberate gesture. In my belief, had the new evidence presented in Judge Nixon’s court, combined with the evidence of deliberate mishandling of evidence involving the disappearance of the journal, been available to the next trial jury, the State’s case would have been significantly weakened. The mishandling of evidence would have been glaring to a jury, revealing a broader theme of injustice. Unrecorded statements regarding my alleged confessions would have carried much less weight, and the truth of my case could have been much clearer. This is my truth, one that I stand by, even in the face of the system that continues to unfold its complexities in my life that does not resemble true freedom in any way.
On April 28th I began a conversation over text with her husband, Chris. It was his objective to reach out, set up a time to talk and to gain my perspective on the charges, convictions, etc. We settled on a time and place to meet the following night. After a 3-hour conversation, he gave me Kelsey's phone number. He said he was going to have the discussion with Kelsey when he got home. He told me to expect a call or text within the next couple of hours. Sure enough, within an hour, he texted and gave me the green light to text my daughter. My first texts were "Good evening, Kelsey!" "This is Chris, your father." Kelsey's reply, "Hi, good evening." "This is Kelsey, your daughter." From that point on, we've texted almost every day.
We were both anxious to meet each other. At the time I was in Florida, on business. I had plans to visit a friend over the weekend. So, I asked Kelsey if she wanted me to fly back to Kansas City right away or if she wanted to come to Florida to visit me and take a little break from life while she was at it, maybe even put her feet in the sand. She chose the sand option and brought her husband with her. On May 1st we met in Tampa, at the airport. .
We had deluxe accommodation at my friend’s house. We all had our own rooms and plenty of privacy to visit. A hotel wouldn’t have been good. All of our meetings would have been in common areas with other strangers around. The house that my friend Cathy provided for the reunion turned out to be the perfect setting. We talked for hours, catching up. Many of our stories were sad and very heartfelt. Her stories of being mistreated throughout her childhood, never being a priority. My stories of the Missouri prison system and the challenges I have faced since getting out.
But here we are now, a loving family once again. We’ve visited in person many times. Her and her family came over to my parents’ Christmas in July celebration. She is friends with my fiancé and her daughter on social media. Hardly a day goes by without some kind of communication. I know she feels like a priority to me. We will continue to write our beautiful story knowing nothing will come between us ever again.
What now? At trial it was determined that my daughter had no independant recollection of any misconduct. Still to this day, she has no recollection. She only remembers missing me, not understanding why I was suddonly gone. It is not my place to tell her story of tribulations that she endured as a result of my suddon and seemingly permanant departure from her life.
I still have to register. I still walk with a target on my back, under a dark cloud. A normal life remains out of reach. But, there's hope. No matter what a discriminating court opinion says, I have my family back. I only wish people could see me, rather than the monster that a published opinion, crafted only to perpetuate an injustice, would like you to see. Trying to protect my liberal visitation schedule with my daughter was my only ambition. What man, what father wouldn't do that? At the time of the allegations, my accuser, (ex wife) had a close working relationship with various child protection agencies through her employment. Furthermore, the man she left me for, who she wanted to and eventually did move in with was a pediatrition employed with the examining hospital. I had lost this battle the second I resisited her desire to move out of the area.
I've met a lot of people. Those who have taken the time to get to know me respect and care for me. Those who have taken the time to understnad the obvious see the real me and appreciate me as a true friend. The trouble is, we live in a fear based society. We've learned to hate first. We've found pleasure in judgement. It is easier to judge and immediately hate than it is to do a little investigating. My daughter, my alleged victim, investigated. She's found her truth. Now she calls me dad. We talk or text nearly every day.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.