The Bad Nurse Read online

  There was no mention at that point as to why she was no longer working. Later, though, Karri went on to say that she was a little sad that she was not a nurse anymore, but with the way this whole healthcare thing is going, it might be a good thing I’m getting out now.

  Apparently, however, it had not been her idea to get out of health care: However, I must say, it is really disheartening to know that a fifteen second mistake can erase almost ten years of excellent, untarnished nursing service.

  She did not go into any detail about what the mistake was. Karri’s followers, at that time, were not aware of the possibility that her employers might have learned from law enforcement that their excellent employee with the untarnished reputation was under investigation for murder, committed with drugs stolen from her workplace. Fifteen seconds spent in that manner would be quite likely to end a nursing career, no matter how exemplary.

  A check with the Tennessee Board of Nursing revealed that Karri’s license had been revoked at their March 2010 meeting. And in July 2010, the Alabama Board of Nursing noted in the records of that month’s meeting that Karri’s license had been voluntarily revoked. Neither board listed specific reasons for their actions.

  A couple more months down the line, Karri wrote that she and her husband had decided to sell their house (before they lost it, she added in parentheses). The job market was not looking so good for her at that time, she said; and after Karri being out of work for several months, they felt they were going to have to make plans to move to something more affordable.

  If you guys know anyone who is in the market for a house, tell them to give me a call, Karri wrote. She went on to say that although her husband, Jason, had always been so supportive and had never said anything negative, she knew it was hurting him to think of losing the house he had grown up in. Please pray for him, she asked her followers.

  As more time passed, the façade of innocence Karri had been so carefully cultivating began to crack. Rumors were spreading following Billy Shaw’s exhumation and the subsequent murder investigation. Karri started to mention the possibility of upcoming trouble, being careful to use words and phrases that would reinforce the support of her friends. Her blog posts displayed her ability to manipulate her readers skillfully, keeping a tight grip on all those who believed in her innocence and who felt they had so much in common with her as a wife, mother, and faithful Christian.

  We hear the possibility that there is some bad stuff coming down the pike, legally, for me, she wrote, asking for prayers for her future, and more importantly, my children’s future.

  She couldn’t go into details, Karri wrote, but more than anything, I just want everybody to know that whatever happens, I know the truth, I’ve told the truth. She then complained that she wished that the authorities would focus on finding the truth instead of listening to lies from unreliable sources: Definitely, definitely unhappy days for me and Jason, we are trying to keep our kids sheltered from all of this.

  Karri went on to reference several Bible verses dealing with remaining steadfast during times of tribulation: I may lose my worldly possessions, I may suffer, I may even lose my freedom, but I will never lose my faith, the Lord’s love, and the love of my husband and children.

  She would be as Job, she said, standing through the pain, praying for those accusing her of wrongdoing, and she would be restored, if not in this life, she said, then in the next: No matter what happens on this earth, God will one day say to me, as he said to the woman in the Pharisee’s house, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

  CHAPTER 7

  As time passed and the investigation heated up, Karri could no longer spend the majority of her blogging time pretending nothing was happening in regard to the Ider rumor mill and the fact that it was now running overtime about her possible responsibility for Billy Shaw’s death. She posted an unusually long blog entry that was primarily devoted to the impending arrival of the “bad stuff” she had earlier referred to, which was now “coming down the pike” at breakneck speed.

  Karri knew the matter of Billy Shaw’s death was about to be presented to the grand jury and she was well aware of the overwhelming evidence of her guilt, and she seemed to believe that her army of supporters would actually be able to sway matters in her favor. She used that one last blog post as an attempt to cinch her hold on those faithful friends who believed in her with a devotion that bordered on fanaticism.

  Saying that there had been so many rumors “started and spread” about her in the little town during the past few weeks, Karri admitted she couldn’t “begin to address them all.” She added that she couldn’t go into details, but just wanted to say they were “all lies”: I have been accused of something I would NEVER, EVER do for many reasons.

  Karri elaborated that, first and foremost, she loved the Lord, and though she was a sinner, she would not and did not break a sacred Commandment. Second, she said, she loved her family more than anything on earth and would not do anything to hurt them or put them in jeopardy.

  Anyone who really knows me knows the truth by now and I do not hold a grudge against those who have spread these rumors, she wrote. Karri added a thank-you to her pastor for his “message yesterday at church.” She then went on to say that all she asked was for people to speak to her personally before they spoke of things they “really have no idea about.” If they heard someone else speaking of things they knew nothing about, she requested that they please refer them to her.

  Sorry to get into that, but I had to get that off my chest, she wrote.

  Karri also said she wanted to say thanks to her family and friends: [They] have supported me through this mess. If it were not for you guys and the good Lord giving me strength, I think I would crumble into a million pieces.

  Even through the sadness and confusion, she wrote, God had blessed her and her family far more than they deserved. She was grateful to get to spend time with her children, and to have gotten to do so much work at the church, all for Him, she said. Karri then asked for continuing prayers for her family and, strangely enough, for the church’s Vacation Bible School taking place that week: I hope that the Lord will claim some more victories in lives for HIM this week. May the Lord bless you all!

  There was a great deal of response to that post from several of Karri’s close friends and most loyal supporters, her legion of “true believers,” as it were. A long string of comments appeared below the post, most coming within a day.

  One woman wrote that there were no thanks needed. She would stand beside Karri, she said, a thousand times over. You are a precious person and the best of friends, and as you said, if anyone really knows you they would never even entertain the thought that these rumors could even be true.

  Another friend said she admired and loved Karri so much, especially for “looking at this situation as a blessing in many ways.” That, the writer said, was something she was not sure she could do, but because of Karri’s “loving heart” and “kind nature,” Karri could “see the good in this.” The writer said she had learned so much from watching Karri set a great example as a friend and as a Christian. She prayed, she said, that God would continue to pour out His grace upon Karri and her family, and that He would give Karri renewed strength for the days ahead.

  I love you and your family dearly, the writer said, thinking and praying for you all.

  A third writer said she agreed with the others, saying she never, ever believed for one minute that Karri was guilty. She was not capable of doing such a thing, the woman said. Karri was a blessing, she claimed, and “such a sweet, sweet person.” She’d included Karri in her prayers, she continued, praying for her and her family. I cannot imagine the STRESS you’ve been under, she wrote. It’s great that you can see the good in all that you went through. Love you!

  I think about you and your family a lot, another woman wrote. You have many many people that stand behind you and stand up for you, especially in this hard time. All those people, the writer said, knew the truth and knew
Karri’s heart.

  It was just one of the disadvantages of living in a small town: [E]veryone knows your business before you do, the woman continued. One day the truth would come out, she said, and the guilty would be punished.

  It may not be in this life, but God knows, she wrote. It is obvious that God is living in you because I don’t know that I could handle it and still be as happy as you are.

  These comments to Karri’s post were followed by a long string of other, shorter messages from supporters, all mentioning God, blessings, prayers, and unconditional belief in Karri’s strength of character, boundless faith, and shining examples of Christian virtue.

  Those nasty rumors went right over my head, said one; another said what a blessing it was to be around Karri.

  Through these last few months your life has been such a wonderful testimony to your faith!

  As things turned out, this entry (and its responses) would be the last item that Karri posted on the blog site, except for a very short notice left a couple of weeks later that her blog was moving to another address and to please follow her there. When the faithful followed, however, there was nothing to be found at the new site, other than a title banner and a couple of photos of the children. Karri’s future writings would have to be posted on her behalf by others; they would now be coming by way of the DeKalb County Jail.

  Karri Willoughby spent two years in the DeKalb County Detention Center while she awaited her trial for Billy Shaw’s murder.

  CHAPTER 8

  After she was indicted, turned herself in, and was arrested and jailed for capital murder, a very public uproar began between Karri’s large number of supporters and a much smaller number of others in the community who were just as firmly convinced of her guilt. Arguments broke out between the two groups everywhere they met, from Internet message boards to grocery store aisles, with the two sides loudly proclaiming her guilt or innocence.

  Friends and relatives became bitter adversaries because of their differing opinions on Karri’s situation. People who swore that they “knew for a fact” that Karri was innocent made long, fervent comments in letters to the editors of local newspapers. Other vocal writers challenged these opinionated believers, asking them what those facts were and where the information had come from. They demanded to know why this knowledge had not been presented to the authorities, if such facts actually existed.

  One very dedicated group of supporters created a Facebook page, “Truth for Karri,” which was devoted to Karri’s innocence. It quickly gained in popularity with over thirteen hundred “likes” for the page, a number of followers that was much greater than the entire population of the town of Ider. Karri wrote poems and letters and sent them to her husband and friends, who then posted them on the Facebook site on an almost daily basis, keeping the page very active.

  Karri wrote about her usual favorite topics, the same ones she had addressed in her blog, writing about everything from her undying devotion and abiding love for her husband, to items about her religious faith and belief that her innocence would be proved soon, to simple poems to her children professing her love for them. And above all, there were always constant and continual requests for prayer, and descriptions of her personal prayers, which seemed to be offered up on a perpetual basis.

  All these postings, written with her customary manipulative skill, were interspersed with items from her many supporters rallying the troops to call for Karri’s freedom. A huge campaign was begun with the widespread placement of yard signs, so popular in the South during election season. But instead of promoting the candidacy of one public official or another, these signs, which sprouted up by the hundreds all over yards and roadsides throughout the area, proclaimed, TRUTH FOR KARRI.

  Fund-raisers were held in the community to aid her husband, a teacher, and their two small children, and to assist with her legal defense. The war to prove Karri Willoughby’s innocence had begun in earnest. When one looked at Karri’s earlier Internet activity, it was evident that she had been preparing to use her faithful followers to provide public relations and support for herself for quite some time. Now that she had been charged and jailed, she was continuing to do so.

  The main thing that all Karri’s support did, however, was to show the prosecutors and law enforcement working on the case that the easy part of their jobs would be proving Karri was guilty. The difficult task would be presenting the overwhelming amount of hard evidence against her that it would take to convince her fanatical followers that she was, indeed, guilty as charged.

  CHAPTER 9

  The defense attorney who was retained for Karri Willoughby was named Bruce Gardner. He was a very experienced criminal defense attorney from Huntsville and had served for eight years as assistant district attorney (ADA) in Madison County, Alabama. During that time, he prosecuted cases ranging from capital murder to misdemeanors. When he entered into private practice in 1989, he specialized in criminal defense.

  His most high-profile case, prior to defending Willoughby, was that of Heather McGill, a young mother who was tried for murdering her three children by setting their home on fire. McGill was reviled by many and defended by few, almost the exact opposite of Karri’s situation. Gardner won a highly controversial acquittal for her, as well as for another of his clients, Walter Lamont Perry, who had also been accused of capital murder.

  Gardner was assisted in Willoughby’s case by Robin Clem. Clem was a criminal defense attorney who, at the time, was working on several other high-profile cases with Gardner. Together, the two attorneys made up a strong team with an impressive record of success.

  The defense was being met by a prosecution that was just as experienced and successful. Mike O’Dell, DeKalb County’s district attorney, had served as a prosecutor in the county since 1981 and had been district attorney since 1996. He had worked on a large number of capital murder cases and won many convictions in some of the most sensational cases tried in the area.

  O’Dell was assisted by Deputy District Attorney Bob Johnston, who became an attorney in 1994 and served as ADA for ten years, starting in 1997. He became deputy district attorney (DDA) in 2007, and had assisted with three capital murder cases prior to the Willoughby case, all three of which had resulted in convictions.

  While Karri’s legion of supporters loudly proclaimed her innocence, the prosecution was at work compiling the evidence against her. Meanwhile, the defense scrambled to present their client as a veritable angel, falsely accused by jealous and spiteful detractors. In various motions and at her bond hearing, her attorney Bruce Gardner had told the court that his client had “an outstanding reputation for personal integrity, honesty, and truthfulness.” He said his client had taken the propofol from the Chattanooga Surgery Center because Shaw had asked her to do so. Gardner claimed Shaw told his stepdaughter that he needed her help in subduing a bull that he was planning to sell, and claimed he had told her he wanted to use the drug to sedate it.

  The prosecution contended that Karri had been taking money from her mother’s account and had stolen her identity, and that she had also written numerous large checks on the Shaw Saddlery account. After the thefts were discovered, steps were taken by both her mother and Billy Junior Shaw to prohibit Karri from having any further access to the accounts.

  “After being denied further access to the victim’s money,” the prosecution said in its motion for bond denial, “the defendant procured lethal drugs illegally from her place of business in Tennessee. The victim died of an illegal injection of those drugs.”

  The cause of the death had been lethal injection, and the manner of death was homicide, the prosecution said.

  The state also said that Karri should continue to be held in jail without bond, since Alabama state law required that defendants in capital cases were not entitled to receive bond. Judge David Rains knew the law well and agreed with the prosecution; Karri Willoughby continued her stay in the DeKalb County Jail.

  CHAPTER 10

  At her arraignment hea
ring, Karri Willoughby entered a not guilty plea, as expected, and a discussion took place at that time between the defense, the prosecution, and the judge about the details of a trial. Since the court’s docket had already been set for the remainder of 2010, it would be the following year before the case could come to trial and Karri would continue to spend her time in the jail.

  This upset the “Truth for Karri” legion and they sprang into frenzied action, with letters urging Judge Rains to grant Karri’s bail pouring into his office. Almost four hundred people signed an online petition asking that bail be granted in the case. There was this outpouring, despite the highly publicized fact that, in Alabama, the law required that bond was refused for anyone who was charged in a capital crime.

  The Karri supporters were relentless, however; they demanded that an exception to the law must be made in her case. They claimed that there was absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind that she was totally innocent, and so she should therefore be at home with her husband and two small children.

  Start praying and writing letters to get her released on bond, ordered one supporter on a newspaper message board, adding, She has family that needs her at home, not locked away.

  The writer again instructed Karri’s fans to write letters to the court asking for her to be released until her trial, when a jury “will have their say.” The writer also said there were others with motives and means, and that Shaw’s death could have been something other than a murder.

  Don’t let her spend one more day in jail over accusations, the writer said, adding that someone had pushed for Karri to be arrested, and her supporters wanted to know how she became the suspect: [There was] so much more information out there that has not been looked at. Why yell murder when it could have so easily have been something else entirely?