1.Patrick Sanford — Direct (Part 3)

DONNA ADELSON: Look, I have -- I didn't say this to you before I picked up the phone, but there's a lot of things that we have to do, and we've got a very tight timeframe. So one of them involves taking care of some things for R.A., taking care of some things through Steinberg. It's just -- dad's been on the phone all day.

And Susan was nice enough when I called her. She said, I'm going to gather everything up and I'm going to drive down. So she and Rick got here about, I don't know, ten minutes before you -- you called so that she could work with us because we've got a couple of hours of stuff to take care of for R.A. So working on that and --

DONNA ADELSON: So the psychologist, they want to make sure he doesn't kill himself. So the psychologist finally came, and he said to her, If you leave me here, I'll kill myself. There's no -- no life, no nothing. I'm in a cement block. Let me go back (unintelligible) Stay where I am. You know, please don't leave me here.

And spoke to him for a little bit and she said, No, you're -- you're perfectly fine. I know that. I just have to go back and -- you know, I've got a few of these reports I have to write. Once I get those written and then submit them and then get them approved, you'll be able to go back.

So he said she was going back, like, in an hour, but he said, She better get that thing done, because I'll lose my mind in here. It's all -- it's just all mirrored on the inside. All you see is yourself. The lights never shut off, day or night. Those florescent lights, he says, are on all night. He said, I just want to go back where I was. At least I know people. I can see people. He says, Here, I'm in a box. So he's just --

DONNA ADELSON: She sat down on the couch right there. I was sitting here. And she didn't say, Look, Mom, this is a horrible time for all of us. Charlie's on trial for his life. We're all aggravated. But this is (unintelligible.) Just sat there.

She said, Look, if you're suicidal, I'm going to Baker Act you.

So I said, I'm not suicidal. I'm fine. Are we going to see the boys tomorrow night? (Unintelligible). Now, I'm not suicidal. Do I want to go to sleep and not see my son? I do. Perfectly honest, I do.

DONNA ADELSON: (Unintelligible) look, we have to make a decision at some point. So after speaking to Dan this morning and knowing what they're thinking up there, I don't know if we'll make it out in time. I really don't. But Dan said, You might, or you might get all the way to the airport and they'll stop you.

And that could happen. It could happen. I don't know, but it's worth a try.

DONNA ADELSON: When I said, I just got off with Charlie. He's worried about you. He wants to know -- oh, because I said -- yeah. You never -- we know you never ask anything about your brother.

And she doesn't. And she told me it's because her lawyer said she shouldn't ask.

DONNA ADELSON: No. So I wrote this last night: We know you never ask anything about your brother -- this is 8 o'clock last night -- but we just got off the phone with him, and the first thing he asked was, How's Wendi holding up? I didn't have the heart to tell him that you never called us or asked about him. I just said you weren't up to phone calls right now. Everyone looks to protect you. I bet you've got a lot to think about.

But then she didn't answer. So then I got another call from Charlie. It was 2 o'clock at night. And I said, Just got off the phone with Charlie. He's worried about you. He wants to know why we didn't speak. I told him a lie. I said, We're only speaking with you and Dan right now. I couldn't bear to tell him the truth. Your sister never even called us, is the truth.

She says, this morning -- I thought she'd be racing over here last night.

DONNA ADELSON: Dear Mom, I know you were upset by the verdict, but the anger directed at me is not justified.

I don't know how much anger (unintelligible.) We don't.

I'm not responsible in any way for Charlie's situation. I am not guilty because I did not do anything wrong, and I was not involved in any way with Danny's death.

I didn't say she was.

When I was interviewed by the police and testified in court, I told the truth, as I was required to do. I cannot control how the prosecutor used my statement at Charlie's trial.

Again, I didn't say that.

Also, as you know, my -- I do know -- my lawyer has advised me not to talk to my family or anyone else about this case.

Not about the case, which is true. We've never done it.

I've followed his advice despite your disagreement with this guidance. Please do not text me about this case anymore.

It's not about the case, is it? It's not what I said. It's about her brother and that he wants -- how are you, Wendi? How's my sister holding up?

DONNA ADELSON: Uh-huh. If you have anything further to say about the case, please go through our lawyers. Right now, I have to be singularly focused on taking care of the boys during this difficult time.

So I wrote back, Okay. We have no desire to speak with you about the case. I guess Dad and I are just shocked that you didn't think of coming to see us or even calling us. We are your parents. We are and have always been there for you and the boys. None of what we wrote matters about the case. That's over. I just want you to know how many times Charlie is asking about you. Not only do you not ask about us, but not one question about Charlie, right? We will need to give you some information shortly and we need some business assistance. Please let us know if you can be of any help.

I have a safe here. I want to give her codes. We're going to be gone. I want her to have all this information. I have the -- I have the cemetery property. I want her to see all that. I want her to have all these papers and the wills. I want her to see all this.

So please let us know if you can be of any help. The other thing is the visa, which she would know about the -- no. I said we need -- we need some business assistance. Please let us know --

DONNA ADELSON: If not, we'll try to find someone who can help us. This needs an immediate reply so I can start asking other people for help.

And then she always gets nervous if we want to talk to her. So I wrote, Don't get nervous. Again, nothing -- in capital letters -- nothing about the case. Just would like to show you some business stuff and personal things. If you can't do it, we must find someone who can. I hope you understand that it has nothing to do with the case. There is no more case. And then I wrote, By the way, you say you have to focus on the boys. Have you told them?

So when I got George before, I said to him -- he says, I was over there last night.

I said, Well, I asked Wendi but I haven't gotten any word from her, so did she tell the boys?

And he said, She did.

Now, I know B.A. was very close. He was writing to Charlie all the time. So I said, How are they?

And B.A. is very quiet. He didn't really talk much. He said, L.A. kind of faced it (unintelligible) he's not coming home, never coming back. And so he said it took him ten minutes and he was into basketball, which is fine. He's a child. That's okay. I don't want -- I don't want to see them miserable and upset. That's not my goal. I just want to know, how are they.

So that's when I said earlier to George, because it was technical stuff that I couldn't do on the computer. I think just we were out of it. So I gave the computer (unintelligible) so I said, Can you help me with some computer stuff that I can't get done?

And he was on some business calls, and so he texted me just before, I can be there maybe 5, 5:30. Would that be good?

I said, Yes, but if I can get stuff done, then it's no.

DONNA ADELSON: Yeah, I know you want to bring her up and show her where everything is. If a plane crashed, no one is going to know where anything is or who belongs to what, so I would like her to come up here so she can see it. I don't think that's asking too much. She doesn't live three hours away. Every time she says, Can you do this, can you come here, can you -- everything. How many times do we have plans and "I really can't, I have to cancel, Wendi needs us for this, Wendi needs us to baby-sit.”

So we've been really good nannies, and I guess our job is up because now the boys are older. They can go out with friends and they can do things on their own, so she doesn't need Grandma and Grandpa. Okay. Pretty hurtful. I have one son that I don't speak with, I have one son who's close to being dead, and my daughter, whom I love, is doing this. I don't get it. I don't get it. I said to Harvey, I swear to God, our family was cursed. Absolutely cursed. I don't know how to take care of it anymore.