After my last entry, I received a few comments and emails asking to know more about my # 10 fact regarding what happened to my dad. Normally I would add some sort of lengthy disclaimer before launching into it, but this time, I'm simply going to break it into three parts and let the story speak for itself. All I will add is that in 2000, my mother was contacted by a reporter from The Houston Chronicle who ended up publishing a 13-page article that has resulted in four book and two movie offers. Yes, it is every bit the Texas soap opera and yes...Every bit is true.
My grandfather graduated from Texas A&M with honors and was a top geologist for Shell Oil in the 1980s. After he had been with Shell long enough to learn the ins and outs of the oil business, he started his own and within a few years, Amis Interests was one of the most stable and trusted oil companies in Texas. Before he knew it, he had become a multi-millionaire. As it became more and more successful, he created a Trust to control the exorbitant amount of money pouring in from our productive wells. It was to be left to me, the only child left in the lineage, upon the passing of he and my father or upon my 21st birthday to ensure that I would never have to worry about my CF medical bills being paid or be at loss of an education. I was he and my father's world.
In 1988, my grandfather suffered a massive heart attack and stroke, then underwent two brain surgeries, a quadruple bypass surgery and a balloon surgery. He was rendered an invalid and Amis Interests was automatically thrown into the hands of my father. My dad was blind, had only completed two years of college at Texas Tech and had little knowledge of oil or the business in general, but he managed to run it well. In 1989, the company hit an all-time high and due to the demand at the office, he enlisted the help of a family friend, David Brown, to take care of my grandfather. Brown was an ex-judge of Texas and knew the family well, so he was unquestionably trusted.
Little did my family know that when Brown started caring for my grandfather, he had recently been disbarred from practicing law in Texas for stealing money from the elderly and from charities across the state. Situations soon began to arise though that made my father question Brown's loyalty to our family. There were extended periods of time where Brown and my grandfather would disappear, along with large amounts of my grandfather's drugs, with no forewarning or communication from either. When contact was finally re-established, my near-comatose grandfather would lie that they had gone on vacation and there was no need to worry. Shortly after this happened a third time, my father's secretary found legal documents signed by my grandfather and witnessed by Brown turning all government of our family's assets solely over to Brown...An action my grandfather, in his right mind, would have never even considered. Later, Brown's personal assistant admitted that on several occasions, Brown overmedicated my grandfather and forced him to sign papers giving him complete control of my family's wealth. He often mentally tortured my grandfather when he would resist, refusing to change his clothing for hours when he soiled himself and threatening that if he didn't do as he was told, he would never see me again.
Once this was brought to light, my father immediately filed a restraining order on Brown and asked to be driven to my grandfather's house to protect him. That same afternoon, Brown forced his entry into my grandfather's house and demanded to see him. My father showed him the restraining order, which Brown spit on and claimed didn't apply to him because he WAS the law. He began hitting and kicking my father and a blow to the back of the head sent my dad to the ground. My father reached into his pocket and took out a loaded pistol and unsure of where he was aiming due to his blindness, fired the entire round into the air, hitting Brown once in the neck and twice in the leg. As soon as he was sure Brown was no longer a threat to his father, he made his way to the phone in the kitchen, dialed 911 and told the operator he had shot a man in self defense, that all weapons were empty and to please send help as fast as possible because he feared for the man's life. Then, he waited by his dad's side for the paramedics and law enforcement to arrive.
Brown was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced paralyzed from the neck down. After close scrutinization of the crime scene, two Texas Rangers told my father not to be remorseful and that he had done what any man would be expected to do for his family: He had acted in self defense and protected his father at all costs. They assured him that everything would be handled properly and sent him home with my mother and I.
Two weeks later, the local Police Department called and instructed him to turn himself in within 24 hours or a warrant for his arrest would be issued for the attempted murder of a prominent Texas official.
My grandfather graduated from Texas A&M with honors and was a top geologist for Shell Oil in the 1980s. After he had been with Shell long enough to learn the ins and outs of the oil business, he started his own and within a few years, Amis Interests was one of the most stable and trusted oil companies in Texas. Before he knew it, he had become a multi-millionaire. As it became more and more successful, he created a Trust to control the exorbitant amount of money pouring in from our productive wells. It was to be left to me, the only child left in the lineage, upon the passing of he and my father or upon my 21st birthday to ensure that I would never have to worry about my CF medical bills being paid or be at loss of an education. I was he and my father's world.
In 1988, my grandfather suffered a massive heart attack and stroke, then underwent two brain surgeries, a quadruple bypass surgery and a balloon surgery. He was rendered an invalid and Amis Interests was automatically thrown into the hands of my father. My dad was blind, had only completed two years of college at Texas Tech and had little knowledge of oil or the business in general, but he managed to run it well. In 1989, the company hit an all-time high and due to the demand at the office, he enlisted the help of a family friend, David Brown, to take care of my grandfather. Brown was an ex-judge of Texas and knew the family well, so he was unquestionably trusted.
Little did my family know that when Brown started caring for my grandfather, he had recently been disbarred from practicing law in Texas for stealing money from the elderly and from charities across the state. Situations soon began to arise though that made my father question Brown's loyalty to our family. There were extended periods of time where Brown and my grandfather would disappear, along with large amounts of my grandfather's drugs, with no forewarning or communication from either. When contact was finally re-established, my near-comatose grandfather would lie that they had gone on vacation and there was no need to worry. Shortly after this happened a third time, my father's secretary found legal documents signed by my grandfather and witnessed by Brown turning all government of our family's assets solely over to Brown...An action my grandfather, in his right mind, would have never even considered. Later, Brown's personal assistant admitted that on several occasions, Brown overmedicated my grandfather and forced him to sign papers giving him complete control of my family's wealth. He often mentally tortured my grandfather when he would resist, refusing to change his clothing for hours when he soiled himself and threatening that if he didn't do as he was told, he would never see me again.
Once this was brought to light, my father immediately filed a restraining order on Brown and asked to be driven to my grandfather's house to protect him. That same afternoon, Brown forced his entry into my grandfather's house and demanded to see him. My father showed him the restraining order, which Brown spit on and claimed didn't apply to him because he WAS the law. He began hitting and kicking my father and a blow to the back of the head sent my dad to the ground. My father reached into his pocket and took out a loaded pistol and unsure of where he was aiming due to his blindness, fired the entire round into the air, hitting Brown once in the neck and twice in the leg. As soon as he was sure Brown was no longer a threat to his father, he made his way to the phone in the kitchen, dialed 911 and told the operator he had shot a man in self defense, that all weapons were empty and to please send help as fast as possible because he feared for the man's life. Then, he waited by his dad's side for the paramedics and law enforcement to arrive.
Brown was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced paralyzed from the neck down. After close scrutinization of the crime scene, two Texas Rangers told my father not to be remorseful and that he had done what any man would be expected to do for his family: He had acted in self defense and protected his father at all costs. They assured him that everything would be handled properly and sent him home with my mother and I.
Two weeks later, the local Police Department called and instructed him to turn himself in within 24 hours or a warrant for his arrest would be issued for the attempted murder of a prominent Texas official.
