Wrongful Convictions Do Happen

[Dj Nate]

Winston Churchill said, “Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”



Raye Dawn Smith was wrongfully convicted of enabling child abuse in connection with the death of her daughter Kelsey Smith-Briggs aka Kelsey Briggs in an unfair trial in front of a biased jury. We will never give up the fight for her freedom of this wrongful conviction.

“Our love must not be a thing of words and fine talk. It must be a thing of action and sincerity.” ~ 1 John 3:18

Why is Raye Dawn Smith in Prison?

A hate group by the name of Kelsey's Purpose led by Raye Dawn Smith's ex mother-in-law, Kathie Briggs protested, threatened, lied, harassed, and used the media to ensure Raye Dawn Smith's wrongful conviction and imprisonment after the death of her daughter, Kelsey Smith-Briggs who is referred to by Briggs supporters as Kelsey Briggs (that was never her name).

On 3-5-2006 Kathie Briggs said: "Our DA has already stated on camera his case against Mike Porter is strong."

After Mike (Michael) Porter's plea, an article stated: "If it wasn't for the Briggs family's desire to accept the agreement, Smothermon said he would have taken this case to trial." Lance Briggs went to Richard Smothermon and requested Mike Porter be given a plea deal. Mike Porter is serving 30 years for enabling child abuse in an undisclosed location, protected, and he will never have to register as a sex offender.

Kathie Briggs stated 3-5-2006: "We heard another rumor today that a deal could be made for the mother [Raye Dawn Smith]. This is not justice for Kelsey [Smith-Briggs, Briggs] if that happens."

The Briggs family stated they were emotionally unable to sit through a trial for the man, Michael (Mike) Porter, who raped and murdered Kelsey Smith Briggs, Kelsey Briggs, but they protested FOR a trial for Raye Dawn Smith. Why?


Raye's Trial
11 Mar 2009 10:26 am
Some of the jurors in Raye Dawn Smith's case did their duty to the best of their ability and decided, based on the evidence presented at Raye Dawn Smith' trial that she "should have known" Kelsey Smith-Briggs, Kelsey Briggs was being abused by Michael (Mike) Porter and they wanted to sentence Raye Dawn Smith to the shortest possible sentence - one year.

Biased jurors who visited and JOINED the Kelsey's Purpose website, ran by Kathie Briggs, Kelsey Smith-Briggs, Kelsey Briggs paternal grandmother, insisted on the maximum sentence for Raye Dawn Smith - life.

What I don't understand is how a juror who followed the rules could be persuaded to jump from a one year sentence to a twenty-seven year sentence in the span of approximately an hour and a half.

One juror who JOINED Kelsey's Purpose and has supported and spoken on behalf of the paternal Briggs family, Michele Reeves, held up Kelsey Smith-Briggs's, Kelsey Briggs autopsy photos while the jurors deliberated and screamed "this is a life sentence" causing the jurors to make an emotional decision, not one based on fact or evidence.

The autopsy photos were misleading and should have never been allowed in Raye Dawn Smith's trial because as the Physician's Assistant testified - from Raye Dawn Smith's appeal: "No physician was on staff at the Prague Hospital: therefore, ****** Gibson, a physician's assistant, was in charge. Ms. Gibson estimated that Kelsey [Smith-Briggs, Kelsey Briggs] had been down for about 45 minutes when she arrived at Prague at 3:59 p.m. They continued to "Code" Kelsey for another 45 minutes before they called time of death. Ms. Gibson called her time of death at 4:45 p.m. Raye Dawn [Smith] requested that an autopsy be performed because she wanted to know what happened to her daughter. [Mike] Porter, on the other hand, objected to an autopsy being performed. Ms. Gibson testified that Kelsey had two small bruises on her face and one on her shin, which wasn't anything out of the ordinary. She testified that she did not notice any unusual bruising on Kelsey [Smith-Briggs, Kelsey Briggs], and that she examined Kelsey's entire body and turned her over to look at her back. In fact, the first evidence of trauma is post-mortem. The autopsy photographs were misleading because they show post-mortem lividity and trauma caused by medical manipulation, which to a lay person appears to be evidence of intentional trauma or abuse."

Facts in the Case
16 Jun 2009 12:58 pm
Fact - In 1979 Kathie Briggs (Kelsey’s paternal grandmother) gave up custody of her children on the courthouse steps saying, "If you don’t take these children, I’ll kill every one of them." It took her two years to regain custody.

Fact - Lance Briggs (Kathie Briggs’ son and Kelsey’s father) was arrested on May 4, 2001 for slamming Raye Dawn against the wall with his forearm and holding her there by the throat

Fact - On October 22, 2001 Lance entered a plea for the assault and battery and domestic abuse of Raye Dawn

Fact - Raye Dawn was beaten by Lance several times during their relationship. Raye Dawn appeared in public and witnesses saw her at school with more than one black eye.

Fact - Raye Dawn finally left Lance in 2002 after growing tired of the abuse and finding Ashley (the 19 year old girl Lance married after Raye Dawn left him) leaving their driveway when Raye returned home while Raye and Lance were still married.

Fact - Lance broke into Raye's home on two occasions after their break up and destroyed and stole many of Raye's personal items. Kathie later returned some of the items (figurines) she found on their property not knowing Lance had stolen them.

Fact - On August 2, 2002 Lance cussed out a female officer after hitting another vehicle. The officer smelled alcohol on his breath but he was let go.

Fact - On November 9, 2002 Lance was arrested for having outstanding warrants. He was abusive toward the officer and threatened to harm him and his family.

Fact - Kelsey Smith was born on December 28, 2002 after three days of labor

Fact - There was a paternity test to establish the father of Kelsey. Raye prayed it was not Lance.

Fact - After the paternity test established Lance was Kelsey's father, Lance called Raye and said "It (meaning Kelsey) will have my last name." Briggs was later added as a hyphen after Smith.

Fact - Lance (25) married Ashley Lytle (19) on June 14, 2003

Fact - Ashley told everyone that Kelsey was her child and she told Lance's mom that they would not have children of their own, they'd just keep Kelsey

Fact - Ashley published a story in her office newsletter referring to Kelsey as their (Ashley and Lance) little girl

Fact - Lance joined the military and was to be deployed to Iraq for 18 months as of May, 2005. He wanted Ashley to have his visitation and told Raye that Ashley had every right to see Kelsey because she was her "mama"

Fact - Lance actually started threatening to take Kelsey away shortly after he married Ashley. He told Raye on numerous occasions that he would take her to court and prove she was a bad mom

Fact - Ashley and Kathie stalked Raye Dawn. Ashley called Raye’s dying father on a few occasions and told him to tell Raye "Lance called." Kathie was seen on more than one occasion parked outside Raye’s home.

Fact - Raye agreed to give Kathie visitation of Kelsey in 2004 and Lance got upset that Raye was getting along with his mom. Everything was fine until Kathie insisted that Raye put the visitation in writing. When she refused, Kathie took Raye to court and was given visitation.

Fact - In the fall of 2004 when Kathie got visitation and Mike Porter met Raye Dawn, the bruises started to appear on Kelsey

Fact - The daycare worker noted bruises on Kelsey on Mondays after she returned from the Briggs home. Lance was stationed in Missouri during that time but would travel home weekly so visitation was supposed to be with Kathie, but most of the time Kelsey was with Lance and Ashley or just Ashley

Fact - After visits with the Briggs, Kelsey would sleep for several hours the following day

Fact - On January 1, 2005 Raye and Mike Porter picked Kelsey up from the Briggs and noticed a bruise on Kelsey’s ear

Fact - In late 2004, Debbie Hammons (Kathie’s daughter Jeanna’s mother-in-law and Raye’s aunt by marriage) told Gayla (Raye’s mom) that the Smiths should get ready for a custody battle because the Briggs were going to seek custody of Kelsey

Fact - On January 9th, 2005 Kelsey fell out of her crib and broke her collarbone

Fact - On January 14th, 2005 Kathie and Lance had Kelsey for over four hours without a diaper change and discovered bruises on Kelsey’s bottom while giving her a bath at approximately 10:30pm. They took her to the emergency room

Fact - On January 16th, 2005 Kathie refused to return Kelsey to Raye Dawn and Raye immediately went to the police station

Fact - On January 17th, 2005 Kelsey was returned to Raye Dawn

Fact - On January 24th, 2005 the Briggs and their attorney went to the judge with pictures of Kelsey's bruised bottom and asked for guardianship of Kelsey, which the judge granted until the hearing set for February 4th, 2005

Fact - The police investigation turned up no sign of abuse

Fact - DHS said Kelsey had been abused by Raye and asked the court to grant guardianship of Kelsey to Kathie Briggs or they would take Kelsey into their custody

Fact - Kathie was granted guardianship of Kelsey

Fact - Lance was questioned by DHS and he told the interviewer he had never abused anyone. At the time, DHS had no reason to question his claim.

Fact - Although Kathie was granted guardianship of Kelsey, she stayed with Lance and Ashley most of the time

Fact - Kathie lied at the February 4th, 2005 hearing and said she had no knowledge of Lance’s previous charge of domestic abuse

Fact - Lance was in town on the morning of the February 4th, 2005 hearing. Kelsey stayed with him and Ashley the night prior to the hearing. He chose not to attend.

Fact - Once guardianship of Kelsey was given to Kathie, Kathie went to Kelsey’s daycare and snatched Kelsey out of the daycare owner’s arms. Kathie was so rude the daycare owner told her to not return to her property

Fact - At the March hearing, the Briggs complained about Mike Porter and said Raye could have unsupervised visitation without Porter around and the judge issued a court order for Porter not to be around during the visitations. Raye claims she had no knowledge of the court order. However, Kathie knowingly allowed Raye Dawn to have visitations with Kelsey and Mike was with Raye when she picked Kelsey up. Kathie was then charged with failure to protect.

Fact - Raye Dawn took parenting classes and went through several assessments and classes to regain custody of Kelsey

Fact - While Kathie had custody of Kelsey, on three occasions, the DHS workers could not get Kelsey to wake up

Fact - Lance avoided the DHS workers and never met with them. He called once about a bruise and the DHS worker asked him to take Kelsey to them and he said he’d have his mom do it the next day. DHS went to their home to meet with Lance and he wasn't home. His mom said, "It didn’t concern him so he went about his day."

Fact - On May 24th, 2005 Kelsey was with Raye when she got a bruise on her nose and knee. She was running ahead of Raye and looked back and fell. When Raye returned Kelsey back to Kathie, Kathie immediately took Kelsey to the emergency room and said she was there to document the injuries for a custody case.

Fact - While Kelsey was with the Briggs, her hair began to fall out and she lost weight. Kelsey began self-mutilating by biting her arms. The Briggs listed in Kelsey’s obituary "she loved to bite." The Smiths said Kelsey didn’t bite them and supervised DHS visits showed Kelsey bit the Briggs and not Raye.

Fact - On April 14th, 2005 Kelsey twisted her ankle while at the zoo with her aunt Miste. Raye and Miste took her to the doctor and she was diagnosed with a sprain.

Fact - On April 18th, 2005 Raye Dawn married Mike Porter. There is a picture of Kelsey standing on the courthouse steps next to the newlyweds with a sprained ankle. She was walking, but with a limp.

Fact - Kathie had Kelsey from April 18th to April 21st, 2005. Kathie’s aunt, Janice Cotton, said that Kelsey crawled on the floor during that time and didn’t walk and they didn’t think anything about it. Kathie said that Kelsey took four steps in Wal-Mart and didn’t walk again. Kathie did not take Kelsey to the doctor.

Fact - On April 21st, 2005 on Thursday night, Raye picked Kelsey up from Kathie’s and was shocked to find her crawling when she had been limping. Raye took Kelsey to DHS on Monday after she noticed her legs were swollen and hot. DHS told her to go to the doctor who said Kelsey’s right tibia’s injury was consistent with the fall at the zoo but the left leg injury was more recent and could have been a stress fracture. Kelsey’s legs were put into casts.

Fact - On May 2nd, 2005 Kathie took Kelsey to a children’s hospital that is known for saying child injuries are abuse. She told the doctor that Kelsey was being abused by her mom. The doctor said Kelsey’s legs were injured from abuse and took off the casts.

Fact - On May 3rd, 2005 DHS took Kelsey from Kathie and placed her with Gayla Smith, Kelsey’s maternal grandmother. Kathie, Lance, and Raye Dawn were all suspects in the abuse of Kelsey. Mike Porter was never a suspect while Kelsey was alive.

Fact - On May 6th, 2005, Kelsey’s legs were put back into casts. She was unable to walk without the casts

Fact - It was proven at Raye Dawn’s trial, and the attorney general’s office agreed in their answer to Raye’s appeal, that Kelsey’s legs were not broken while she was with Raye Dawn or Mike Porter. Who does that leave?

Fact - Lance had been in Oklahoma weekly throughout April, 2005, even for his birthday party in April. DHS tried to contact him several times and Kathie wouldn’t give a number to reach him. During her supervised visits with Kelsey, Lance would call, but Kathie said Lance didn’t have a phone number that she knew

Fact - Kathie and Raye Dawn were given supervised visits of Kelsey after guardianship was given to Gayla Smith in May, 2005. During the monitoring, Kelsey bit, kicked, scratched, and hid from Kathie Briggs. Kelsey loved on, hugged, and kissed Raye Dawn.

Fact - There was a hearing to decide custody on June 15th and 16th, 2005. During that hearing, testimony showed Mike Porter to be a good father of two and responsible. He had full custody of his eight year old daughter and shared custody of his son who was Kelsey's age.

Fact - DHS said Kelsey could not go back to Kathie Briggs’ home at the June hearing.

Fact - DHS said Kelsey could be phased back into Raye Dawn’s home since she had completed everything they required and cooperated with DHS, unlike Kathie.

Fact - The judge returned guardianship of Kelsey back to Raye and five services watched over her progress (DHS, CHBS, CASA, Kelsey’s attorney, and the DA’s office). Three of the services were in the home almost daily from the day Kelsey went home until the day she died on October 11, 2005.

Fact - Kathie gave up visitations with Kelsey right after the June hearing. Ashley told DHS workers "Kathie didn’t like what you said about her."

Fact - Ashley tried to give DHS the bill for the children’s medical hospital for Kelsey’s legs for DHS to make Raye Dawn pay the bill. DHS stated that Kathie had guardianship of Kelsey at that time and Kathie took her to the doctor, so she would have to pay

Fact - From June 16th to October 11th, 2005, there were 33 visits to Kelsey’s home, even on the day she died

Fact - On August 18th, 2005 Kelsey had a bruise on her cheek. Raye had been gone and Mike told Raye that Kelsey pulled a lamp down on herself. Raye had no reason not to believe him.

Fact - On August 19th, 2005 the Porter family was hit by a drunk driver which totaled their truck. Kelsey was taken to the emergency room but was playing and eating Doritos and drinking Dr. Pepper so after several hours of waiting the nurse said she looked fine. Raye followed up with her family physician. Kelsey had a reddened area around her left eye and a bruise on her forehead, a bruise on the bridge of her nose, and a bruised abdomen.

Fact - On August 29th, 2005 Kelsey had a five hour unsupervised visit with Ashley. This was Kelsey's first unsupervised visit with the Briggs since May, 2005 when Kelsey was taken from Kathie. Kelsey cried all the way to Ashley's home and didn’t want to go. The Briggs and Sigmans took pictures of Kelsey’s injuries from the car accident and the lamp incident and when Kelsey got back into Raye’s car, Kelsey cried and said, "They took my sucker!" Raye stopped on the way home to get Kelsey another sucker.

Fact - Raye Dawn became pregnant with Mike Porter’s child

Fact - Ashley turned in a complaint to DHS about Kelsey’s appearance after the five hour visit, which DHS screened out because Kelsey’s injuries had been documented after the accident by her family doctor and reported to DHS

Fact - Raye thought something was physically wrong with Kelsey because she lost her appetite. Raye took Kelsey to numerous doctors trying to find the cause

Fact - Raye signed Kelsey up for play therapy to try to find out what was happening since the tests came back inconclusive and the doctors had no explanation other than possible separation anxiety after being away from Raye so long while with the Briggs. Raye was told to leave Kelsey for small amounts of time with approved people, Mike Porter included, so Kelsey would know that Raye would return and not be away like when she was with the Briggs.

Fact - On September 8th, 2005 there was a hearing to keep Kelsey from any more visitation with the Briggs. She had been reportedly having seizures (only seen by Mike Porter) and with her loss of appetite, the doctor wanted to keep her in one place, even though Kelsey had only seen the Briggs one time since the June hearing unsupervised. This hearing was just days after the unsupervised visit with Ashley where the Briggs said Kelsey looked like she was dying and took pictures and video. Even though the Briggs were notified of the hearing, nobody showed up to fight for Kelsey or to continue to see her, not even their attorney.

Fact - Lance called DHS and told them he had lied about where he had been. He was in a mental hospital in Fort Benning, Georgia for his drug addiction and mental problems and because Ashley wanted a divorce

Fact - At the beginning of October, 2005 Mike Porter and Raye Dawn bought Raye’s family home where she had grown up. Mike’s credit was bad, so the home was financed in Raye’s name since she had perfect credit. Raye later learned that Mike’s home in Shawnee was foreclosed at that time and his vehicle was later repossessed. Mike gave the appearance of having plenty of money to pay the mortgage and Raye quit working when they married because of what she was going through with the Briggs. Mike had full custody of his eight year old daughter and shared custody of his son who was Kelsey’s age.

Fact - During the last week of Kelsey’s life, Mike Porter changed. He told Raye Dawn, "I hate you sometimes" and accused her of not loving his children as much as she loved Kelsey. He took his son to work with him because he claimed Kelsey was "getting all the attention." During that time, Raye still had no reason to suspect Mike Porter of abuse.

Fact - On October 11th, 2005 Mike Porter left for work around 7:30 to 8am and was supposed to be at work all day. His co-worker testified that he was only at work an hour or two that day at the most. Where was he that day? He had pre-arranged with Raye Dawn that she would pick up his daughter from school so his friend could go to their house to buy some tires. Raye and Kelsey went down for a nap around 2pm. Kelsey was only in a t-shirt because she had just used the bathroom and Raye had only two pull-ups left. Raye woke up at approximately 2:45pm with Mike standing over the bed watching her. She doesn’t know how long he’d been there. She got out of bed and waited to see if Kelsey was going to wake up. Kelsey still slept, so Raye left to get Mike’s daughter. She was gone for approximately 36 to 50 minutes (it was a 36 minute round trip) and when she returned, the ambulance workers were taking Kelsey from the paramedics and her mom was there. Raye noticed Kelsey had a pull-up on. Mike later told Raye he put it on her because "he didn’t need them thinking anything" about him.

Fact - Kelsey was worked on from 3:27pm by the paramedics until they arrive at the hospital and for another 45 minutes at the hospital. She was pronounced dead at 4:45pm.

Fact - The physician’s assistant who called Kelsey’s time of death examined her body and she had three bruises on her that "appeared to be typical childhood bruises."

Fact - Raye Dawn held Kelsey while rocking her after she was pronounced dead and asking "why did God take my baby?" She wanted an autopsy and Mike freaked out.

Fact - Mike "passed out" in the parking lot and was carried inside on a stretcher. He acted strangely and didn’t comfort Raye Dawn. A witness saw him bang his pickup and yell, "She’ll never forgive me."

Fact - Raye Dawn and Mike spent the night with Raye’s older sister. Her sister stated Raye cried all night and didn’t eat or sleep while Mike Porter ate a sandwich and was searching for chips and slept through the night.

Fact - There were two funerals for Kelsey because the Briggs refused to have a funeral with the Smiths. The Smiths were left to pay for both funerals while the Briggs collected two life insurance policies they had on Kelsey.

Fact - Lance called the DHS supervisor and told him he was going to break into his house and kill him and his family and he was going to break into the judge’s house and kill him and his family. Because he called from a mental hospital, the police took the threats seriously.

Fact - During the Smith funeral, there were menacing phone calls to the church

Fact - Kathie stated on her forum the Briggs decided to have their own funeral which they pulled together in a matter of hours after contacting the media.

Fact - Kathie stated on her forum she had to have an additional phone line installed to keep up with all the calls from the media

Fact - The autopsy revealed Kelsey died of "blunt force trauma" with a tear in her pancreas. OSBI investigated.

Fact - When Raye Dawn learned Kelsey had been murdered and she didn’t die of a seizure as immediately suspected, she left Mike Porter. Mike pretended to take a bottle of Tylenol to kill himself (the pills were later found) and he carried a gun with him everywhere he went and threatened to shoot himself

Fact - Immediately after Kelsey’s death, the Briggs launched Kelsey’s Purpose to supposedly draw attention to child abuse while they lied to the public about what happened.

Fact - Mike’s daughter told her school counselor after Kelsey’s death that she saw her dad abuse Kelsey on two occasions until Kelsey threw up, but she said Mike was nice to Kelsey when Raye was around.

Fact - Mike Porter joined the Briggs’ "bashboard" and began emailing with Lance’s sister in December, 2005. Kathie started emailing Mike in January, 2006 and Kathie met with Mike stating afterwards, "I enjoyed our visit." The Briggs and Mike Porter worked to hatch a plan to put Raye Dawn in jail for murder while they worked a plea deal for Mike Porter for enabling child abuse.

Fact - Three to four months after Kelsey’s death, Mike Porter’s computer was confiscated and child porn was found.

Fact - Kathie turned cold in her emails with Mike Porter around the same time the child porn was found and she learned his computer was being searched.

Fact - Kelsey’s body was exhumed in 2006 right after the child porn was found and a second autopsy was done where evidence of a sexual assault was found. Kelsey’s vaginal wall and anus were torn. There was no DNA evidence left by then to test.

Fact - The charge of sexual assault was added to Mike Porter’s charges.

Fact - Lance Briggs asked the DA to give Mike Porter a plea deal.

Fact - Mike Porter pled guilty to enabling child abuse and AGREED to a 30 year sentence of which he will have to serve 27 years.

Fact - Mike Porter will not have to register as a sex offender when he’s released from prison, thanks to the plea the Briggs got for him.

Fact - Kelsey’s Purpose continued to harass and threaten the DA into charging Raye Dawn with murder.

Fact - Raye was charged with enabling child abuse or child abuse after protests outside the courthouse with signs stating "no plea for the blonde bombshell." The Briggs stated they would not accept a plea for Raye Dawn after stating they could not sit through a trial for Mike Porter.

Fact - Kathie Briggs told Mike Porter, the murderer of her grandchild, that the Smiths had snowed him and she didn't want to harm his defense. She said Mike Porter was a "victim of circumstance."

Fact - Kelsey’s Purpose members continued to lie, stating Kelsey’s legs were broken by Raye Dawn and putting pictures of Kelsey in casts and making it appear as if Raye Dawn did it. They continue to lie about Kelsey's injuries to this day.

Fact - Kelsey’s Purpose threatened and harassed officials after Raye gave birth to her and Mike’s son and DHS took him into custody

Fact - Mike Porter was allowed OVERNIGHT visits with his son and daughter until he went to prison and supervised visits with his new son, Blaine

Fact - After DHS took Blaine, Raye Dawn was only allowed supervised visits until the time of Raye's trial. Blaine is still in foster care and the Briggs have filed at least three complaints of child endangerment against his foster care family only because they are distant members of the Smith family.

Fact - At the time of Raye Dawn’s trial, Kathie had posted on at least 20 websites her version of Kelsey’s story along with lies about Raye Dawn. Raye’s story had been reported on 910 times in the Oklahoma City area with Kathie on most of the telecasts. There were 63 youtube videos making the Briggs out to be angels and Raye out to be the abuser and murderer and the Briggs had two billboards (one paid for by Mike Porter) stickers on cars, yard signs, t-shirts, and several rallies, all telling their lies. During that time Raye Dawn and her family were stalked, harassed, threatened, and menaced. There was no love in Oklahoma for Raye Dawn with all four media outlets only reporting what the Briggs wanted them to know. Raye Dawn did two interviews not discussing her case and before June, 2007 there were not articles, sites, or reports from any other source than the Briggs

Fact - In July, 2007 Raye Dawn faced a jury that had been exposed to the Briggs version of the case. The jurors slept during her trial, ate lunch and smoked with the Briggs and the media, and more. After ten days of testimony with no expert witnesses called on Raye’s behalf, Raye Dawn was sentenced to 27 years (same time Mike Porter is serving - coincidence?) for enabling child abuse.

Fact - Mike Porter is housed in an out of state prison under a fake identity for "his protection." He testified against Raye Dawn stating he saw her "punch Kelsey in the stomach" and he didn't report it. The DA told him on the stand, "you know I believe you sexually assaulted and murdered Kelsey." He took a 30 year plea for seeing abuse and not reporting it? Why didn't he want to face a jury? The death penalty wasn't ever on the table against him. If the Briggs think he's so innocent, why not let him go to trial? If Mike Porter was publicly crucified for Kelsey's death, then Raye Dawn would have been allowed to grieve the loss of her daughter and she probably would not have been charged with anything. Apparently, the Briggs only wanted Raye Dawn to be crucified so they allowed Mike Porter to take a plea. Now he can abuse again once he's released.

Fact - During Raye Dawn's trial, the DA offered her a five year plea and then a blind plea if she would plead guilty to spanking Kelsey with a brush and causing the bruises to Kelsey's bottom in January, 2005. Raye Dawn refused to take any plea because she didn't hurt her daughter and would not lie and say she did. She said, "I didn't do it. I won't take it."

Fact - The judge who heard the guardianship case from 2005 wrote a book to tell the true story about what happened to Kelsey. He lost his re-election due to the efforts of the Briggs and Kelsey’s Purpose. They campaigned for his opponent with mailings and calls saying the judge "sent Kelsey to her grave." Lance’s attorney sent a letter to the publisher and claimed he was entitled to all the proceeds from the book. His demand was denied. Proceeds are going to an organization that helps single parent families. The Briggs are still lying about the judge.

Fact - The US Observer (without collecting a penny for the stories) published several true stories about what happened to Kelsey. The Briggs began harassing the paper and threatening to sue. The Briggs claim the Smiths paid for the articles, which is untrue.

Fact - Free Kelsey’s Mom started from a simple blog to raise awareness and a website after I was devastated over Raye’s sentence. From day one I have been harassed and lied about. After I published the emails between Kathie Briggs and Mike Porter on the site and the Briggs and their supporters tried to silence the truth by destroying a woman’s business, attempted blackmail, and her vehicle was hit with bullets and keyed, they took down their "bashboard" part of Kelsey’s Purpose. Now they hide under false names and continue to lie and manipulate young people and those who don’t know anyone involved into continuing the lies.

Fact - Lance Briggs now has two more counts of domestic violence against him after beating up his ex-girlfriend he had been stalking and her friend.

Fact - During Lance's fifth stay in rehab, he filed multiple lawsuits blaming everyone for having a part in Kelsey's death except himself and his family. Most have been thrown out of court.

Fact - Raye’s case is now in the process of her appeal.

Freedom March
22 Feb 2009 2:18 pm
Join us on June 27th, 2009 in your state to march for the freedom of all the wrongfully convicted. Visit Freedom March U.S.A. for all the details. Click "In Your State."

A Valentine from Raye
13 Feb 2009 12:58 pm
Raye sent us all a Valentine. Let's not forget to send her one in return.

On the outside it says "God is Love..." 1 John 4:16 I know this is true - I've seen it in you!

On the inside she wrote:
My Friends,
Can you all believe it's already been a year since I sent you all the last Valentine's Day card? Thank God it doesn't feel that long. I want you all to know that everything you all have done has never went unappreciated. I thank God for you all every night. It's amazing how much truth has come to light & been revealed b/c of YOUR (underlined) voices & support. It's exciting for me to think about each one of your blessing accounts that you all have built up just by the blessing you all have been to my family & I, b/c I believe you all have some huge blessings coming from God. I'm sure that Kelsey is looking & smiling down on each & every one of you. I think it's so cool how God, Kelsey, & her pa-pa got together & brought all of you special people into mine & the rest of my familiy's life. Thank you so much for all of your support, time spent, love, & especially your prayers. You're a wonderful group of people who I'm proud & excited to call my friends.

As Kelsey would say..."Lub you."

Then printed is: Thinking of you and thanking God (double underline) for all the ways you've blessed my life with His love!

Happy Valentine's Day!
Love, Raye Dawn Smith
Kelsey & Blaine's Mommy
Feb. 2009

[NoLimit24_FJ aka Jim]

Only those who were there, involved, will ever know the real truth don't you think? And, sadly, that truth may never come out when two sides are fighting as these two families seems to be doing. In the end, truth will be known when each of their souls flies to another medium.