Earlier this week, I found myself regretting that the process of justice moves so slow. It seemed to me the whole investigative process followed by the prosecution phase of the investigation(s) into Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) was taking too long. Then I had to ask myself, “Compared to what?”
Soon, I admitted that my perspective of the length of this process was skewed because of the 30-minute crime shows I have watched over the years. These shows are popular and much of the “forensic” evidence is very interesting. Reruns of these shows feature my favorite narrator- the late Peter Thomas. His voice talent has been a signature feature and fit the show extremely well.
However, in my admiration for the show, I assumed with no basis in reality; that crimes are solved quickly. This is simply not true. What was lost in many of the shows is the fact several of these episodes span many years, if not decades. Not every criminal is caught. Not every criminal receives justice to fit the crime. Some of the accused plead out to avoid the embarrassment of a public trial and get shorter sentences. The fact that these crime shows are 30 minutes with commercials has nothing to do with the difficulty of solving the crime. Continue reading This is not a 30-minute crime show…→
This morning was a cool one in Asheville. I arrived just in time to see Kent Covington and Ramona Hall make their way up the steps and into the U.S. Federal courthouse, Kent in his dark suit and Ramona wearing a dark winter coat. They did not answer questions and there was no skip in their step. They looked solemn. Soon, Kent’s attorney Steve Cash walked up the steps. The plea hearing was on schedule.
Just after 10:00 AM, the bailiff called the room to order. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer presided over this hearing. He was very deliberate and clear. Kent was asked to stand and be sworn in. He also stood during the reading of certain documents. The hearing included Cayer reading documents, asking Covington questions and recording his answers. The documents in this case included the Factual Basis, we reviewed parts of it in a previous post. A “Certification of the Factual Basis” was reviewed and signed by Covington today.
From the Certification:
“…I, Marion Kent Covington, do hereby state, certify, and stipulate that the Factual Basis (#30) filed in this matter all statements therein are true and accurate and had this matter proceeded to trial, the United States would have been able to prove statements in the Factual Basis beyond a reasonable doubt.”
As predicted, the language in the Factual Basis listing Jane Whaley in the paragraph with “conspirators” goes in the court record and in my opinion makes her an “un-indicted co-conspirator.” My views strengthened as the hearing progressed.
The Plea Agreement was referenced. Included in this Agreement was this text:
“#2 In exchange for defendant’s plea of guilty to Count One, the United States agrees that it will not pursue additional criminal charges against the defendant, or Brooke Covington, based on: (a) any criminal conduct that is relevant to conduct in this case; or (b) any criminal conduct that is otherwise known to the United States as of the date of this Plea Agreement, and that was included within the discovery provided to defense counsel in connection with this case.” Continue reading Kent Covington pleads guilty- Brooke will not be charged in this case→
A “Complaint and Petition for Relief for Alienation of Affection” was filed May 15, 2018 in Rutherford County District Court, by Chad W. Cooper. This Complaint outlines various claims against the defendants: Jayne Caulder, David Caulder, Jane Whaley and Sam Whaley, Brooke and Kent Covington, Amy Mattos and the Word of Faith Fellowship (Inc.) (WOFF). The claims include accusations against the defendants that they “willfully, actively, wrongfully and intentionally interfered with the marital relationship” of Chad Cooper and Lauren (Caulder) Cooper.
The file number is -18 CVD 579. All of the defendants having been served, the deadline for answering this Complaint has been moved to July 24th. There has also been a motion filed by Josh Farmer representing WOFF seeking to move the case to Superior Court in light of the requested sum total of “monetary relief in excess of $4,000,000.”
After long delays for one reason or another, the Anderson vs. Anderson custody case began this morning in front of the Honorable Judge Thomas McAvoy “Mack” Brittain, Jr. in courtroom 3 of the Rutherford County courthouse. There was a full day of testimonies from several folks. For this post, I will summarize a few key points and expound on them in the mp3 file included. I am not promising this format from here on out, but I am hoping it will be quicker and a better use of my time. Not sure you would call this an official podcast, but I will do my best to edit the audio to make it pleasant to listen to while including much more information than if I wrote out today’s adventures.
Here is a short recap of a few of the vital issues on the table. Plaintiff Nicholas Anderson filed action against Sarah Anderson after she left the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) February 26, 2016. The son, Aden Brock Anderson first left with Sarah and on a subsequent weekend of agreed visitation for Nick, he did not return the child as promised. March 7, 2016, he filed for divorce and child custody. He first listed he desire for primary care and custody, but also listed a shared custody option.
March 16, 2016; Judge Laura Powell signed a Memorandum of Judgment outlining joint custody and the parameters. Included in this order was the following:
“e. Neither party shall subject the child or allow anyone else to subject the child to abuse, including yelling, shaking, striking or any form of physical abuse.”
I was in the court room that day and felt this was a victory for Sarah. Not a guarantee it would never happen, just open acknowledgment that the Judge was aware it could happen and may have previously. Unfortunately, Judge Powell recused herself February 28, 2017 the day after the first article from the Associated Press outlining allegations of abuse from ex-members.
April 4, 2016- Sarah filed an Answer to Nick’s Compliant. She stated in her motion after telling Nick her intention to not return to WOFF and not allowing their son to return; she was denied access to the marital home “if she would not submit herself to church scrutiny and discipline.”
Also, in this document, under the “Child Custody” section:
“34. That the Defendant has maintained the primary care of the minor child through the date of the separation when the Defendant voiced concerned about the safety of the infant child being subjected to secretive church practices of physical mistreatment in which the Plaintiff was unwilling to intervene and provide protection for the minor child.”
These two points and more were the basis for much of the testimony today. Nick’s attorney, Alan LeCroy from Morganton has a previous commitment on Wednesday. Court is set to resume Thursday morning at 9:00AM.
June 6th of 2017, Judge Gary Gavenus filed an Order in the State of North Carolina versus Brooke Covington trial. The Order declared a mistrial because of documents introduced into the jury room which “tainted the integrity of the verdict.” The Order also recognized the need to “protect the integrity of the trial for the State, the Defendant as well as her co-defendants.” The Court imposed a gag order over several groups of individuals including the jury, attorneys involved and those listed on the “State And Defendant Witness List.” Sandra Norris was included on that list.
Brooke Covington was standing trial based on indictments handed down in January 2015. The charges of simple assault and second degree kidnapping stem from events inside the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) sanctuary on January 27, 2013 in which Matthew Fenner alleges he was beaten and held against his will. Four other defendants in the case include Sarah Anderson, Justin Covington, Robert Louis Walker, Jr. and Adam Bartley. Ms. Covington is the only defendant to stand trial so far in this drawn out case.
The gag order was modified in October of 2017 to allow the State Bureau of Investigation access to the sealed documents and set March 31, 2018 as an expiration date for the entire order.
Wednesday, Sandra Norris spoke on the WOFF radio show on WCAB 590 AM. WOFF takes to the air waves Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 8:30AM. For those not in the immediate listening area, WCAB uploads their streamed version of the show- most days. Continue reading Did Sandra Norris violate the gag order over the Fenner case?→
During 2017, many new people became aware of the ongoing, complex and often surreal drama which surrounds Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). This is a good reason to recap several important events which happened that brought much more attention to the often secretive and closed “church” in Spindale NC.
Starting February 27th, the Associated Press released the first of several articles which detailed abuses inside of WOFF. “Ex-congregants reveal years of ungodly abuse…” These accounts came from 43 survivors who lived inside WOFF and subsequently left at different times. The testimonials covered by this release and the subsequent articles throughout the year, resulted in a proverbial ongoing “indictment hearing” for the WOFF leadership as well as several local and State officials. The AP’s site (here) serves as the central hub for the many articles, videos and audio files unveiled after almost two years of investigation. The information gleaned from survivor accounts, court documents, recordings and intense research served to alert government officials and thus open several investigations into possible abuses, instances of fraud and wrong doings by WOFF in the United States and Brazil.
March 6th – “Ex-sect members tell AP: Prosecutors obstructed abuse cases“- was the next release which told of meetings inside Jane Whaley’s office where two members who served as Assistant District Attorneys in Burke County were involved in coaching members how to answer questions posed by various investigators. Also, present in these sessions was a church member who served as a social worker in Cleveland County. Not long after the AP release, Frank Webster and Chris Back were no longer employed as Assistant District Attorneys and Lori Cornelius decided to leave her position as a social worker for Cleveland County. Continue reading 2017 – A year to remember…→
Rccatalyst.com reported the continuance of the Robert Louis Walker trial earlier in October. A date for the trial to begin was not set. The reason given was “new discovery.” Translated this means new evidence. Assistant District Attorney Garland Byers agreed to the continuance and one has to interpret from that notion that the “new discovery” held some weight and potential effect on the pending trial, possibly a good thing in the long run (longer than ever anticipated).
For background: these ongoing court proceedings stem from incidents on January 27, 2013 in the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) sanctuary in which Matthew Fenner alleges he was assaulted, held against his will and strangled. The indictments handed down in January 2015 were filed against Brooke M. Covington, Sarah Anderson, Justin Covington, Robert Lewis Walker, Jr. and Adam Bartley- all church members at the time of the incidents. After many pre-trial motions during 2015 which included a disqualification of Farmer and Morris as counsel for any of the defendants, Brooke Covington’s trial commenced earlier this year. During the June 6th session, unauthorized documents introduced into the jury room by the jury foreman caused Judge Gavenus to declare a mistrial. In addition, he followed this with a gag order on those involved in that trial either as potential witnesses, attorneys and court officials. The jury foreman, Perry Shade, spent 30 days in jail and was fined $500.00. The Associated Press filed suit to remove the gag order.
Rccatalyst.com also reported Judge Gary Gavenus finally ruled on the gag order he imposed in June. In court documents provided on the Rccatalytst.com website, Judge Gavenus modifies the order to allow the jurors to talk freely to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). He orders the sealed documents surrounding the trial and the documents introduced to the jury held and viewed only by the SBI. He states he never intended the gag order to be permanent and set it to expire on March 31, 2018. Included in the documents is a line by line account of the conversations during the session on June 6th. I found this very satisfying and was glad to know the public could get some understanding for how this all evolved in court. The AP’s motion to immediately lift the gag order was unsuccessful. Continue reading Fenner Case Update: Walker Trial Continued and Gag Order Modified→
