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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 2016)
Page 14A OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian LOGMAN: Attempts to balance different medications may have pushed her over the edge Continued from 1A appointment until June 15. “She went back home and spent the day there,” Dan said. “When I got back from work at 5, I found dinner prepared and the Slip ’N Slide and shoes and shirts all over the yard.” Vanessa and the boys, though, had vanished. Bethel Assembly of God pastor Tim Van Cleave, who lives nearby and is the Logmans’ minister, told Dan that he had seen Cam’ron, 11, Christopher, 10, and 5-year-old twins Craig and Curtis in the yard playing earlier in the afternoon. Dan called Yellowhawk, but got the clinic’s after-hours service, and then called the Pendleton Police Department, which put out a description of the family’s white Windstar van. Dan, along with dozens of family and friends, looked for Vanessa and exchanged a Àurry of texts to no avail. Later, he learned that Vanessa had found herself in the grip of another delusion. “In her mind, she had gotten a message from her mom to go to Indian Lake,” Dan said. “She grabbed the kids and headed up.” Her mom, Valarie Smith, who works nights at Wildhorse Resort & Casino and was asleep, hadn’t sent a message, but Vanessa was convinced. She headed to the lake with no food, no water, no camping gear and an almost empty gas tank. “She ended up spending the night with the kids,” Dan said. “She progressed into a more full-on delusional state which kicked into full paranoia. She thought she was being chased and needed to get away.” Vanessa was out of gas so Saturday morning around 10 a.m., she and the boys began walking the 20 miles to Pilot Rock despite temperatures around 90 degrees and having no water. After walking about two miles, she waved down Bill Porter and his ex-wife, Brenda Porter, who were traveling in a silver Dodge pickup on East Birch Creek Road. Bill stopped and agreed to give Vanessa and the boys a ride. They scrambled into the back seat. The next thing the good Samaritans knew, according to police reports, Vanessa had pulled a knife from her purse, grabbed Bill’s shoulder and sliced into his throat. The Hermiston man stopped and he and Brenda pulled Vanessa from the truck. They wrestled the knife from her hand. A passerby helped subdue the woman and secure her hands behind her back with a belt. Umatilla County Sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police troopers arrived, arrested Vanessa and booked her into the Umatilla County Jail on charges of attempted murder, assault in the second degree and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. Bill Porter’s wound required 11 stitches. Brenda Porter had minor injuries. About 2 p.m., Dan’s mother-in-law called him to let him know she had the boys. Not knowing any of the details, he rushed to them. “I was informed by my 5-year-olds about what had happened,” he said. “That’s something I’ll never forget.” ——— Peter Davidson saw plenty of bipolar disorder as medical director of the Blue Mountain Recovery Center, a state mental hospital in Pendleton that closed March 31, 2014, Davidson said violence is not uncommon among people with bipolar disorder, though when properly medicated, they are more likely to be victims than perpetrators. “In my world, it’s not unusual at all,” said Davidson, now a consultant to Greater Oregon Behav- ioral Health Inc. Delusional thinking can have other fallout as well. Bipolar individuals have told him they were God. Others have fallen to “There’s so much love in our house. We focus on that. You can dwell in the negative, but there’s been so much positive out of this bad situation. My faith in God has been strengthened.” — Dan Logman, Vanessa’s husband their deaths while thinking they could Ày. One woman with bipolar disorder left her baby on the side of Interstate 5. Medication is a critical and effective way of leveling out mood, he said, though people with bipolar disorder have a dif¿cult choice. They can avoid the manic highs and lows or get stuck in a even-keel, but lackluster, existence. “Life gets dull. They miss the manic highs,” he said. “All of the medications are poisons in one form or another. They stop neurotransmitters from cycling. All have side effects that people hate.” Looking back, Vanessa and Dan suspect that attempts to balance different mood-stabilizing medi- cations in recent months might have pushed Vanessa over the edge, but they will probably never know for sure. Lithium, another mood stabilizer, is currently the main drug in her arsenal. “They try out different things to see what will work. What works for one person might not work for the next,” he said. “It’s a tricky game.” Vanessa saw her psychia- trist from afar. Yellowhawk has an agreement with the Oregon Health & Science University to provide psychiatric care via video feed. Vanessa had seen a different psychiatrist in the past year who had been reevaluating her treatment. Yellowhawk CEO Tim Gilbert said patients with serious psychiatric issues are generally supported by a tripod of caregivers — a behavioral health counselor and primary care doctor (onsite) and a telepsychia- trist at OHSU. “That’s a system we arrived at out of need and for the most part it works,” Gilbert said. “In Eastern Oregon, we’ve got to be creative to get that high level of care. It comes with caveats. It doesn’t work one hundred percent of the time.” Vanessa’s June 3 attempt to get an appointment might have been one of those times it didn’t work. She believes her mental health crisis might have been averted had she been able to meet with a counselor the day before the attack. It’s a moot point now, though, as she is on trial for a serious crime. In Dan’s mind, love will conquer even this devas- tating blow to his family. “There’s so much love in our house. We focus on that,” he said. “You can dwell in the negative, but there’s been so much positive out of this bad situation. My faith in God has been strengthened.” Case in point, he said, was Vanessa’s bail hearing. Around 45 friends, family and fellow members of the Bethel Baptist Church showed up en masse to support Vanessa. Some drove from as far as Portland and the Tri-Cities. “We had the courtroom packed out,” said Van Cleave, who testi¿ed to Vanessa’s character. “There was a lot of support for her. It was amazing.” The pastor said he was Àoored when he originally got wind of the attack. “When I heard about it, I was totally shocked,” he said. “It was totally out of character for her.” Dan raised the $5,000 bail by the next day. Vanessa was soon free. “Now we can walk into the courtroom together with dignity, not by video with her in an orange jumpsuit,” Dan said. “We are able to face this together as a family.” ——— The Logmans think about Bill Porter every day, and are thankful he stopped to pick up Vanessa and the kids. “We want to thank him for what he did. I hope he can see that his act saved our family,” Dan said. “His act of kindness brought this to an end. We don’t know what would have happened if he hadn’t stopped and we’ll never have to know.” On such a hot day with no water, the story could have ended quite differently, he said. “We’re sorry he was injured and grateful that he’s OK,” Dan said. “I see him as a hero because he saved lives that day, truly.” The Porters are with- holding comment for now, until the case makes its way through court. Since she got out of jail, Vanessa said, she has spent time in psychiatric care. She has initiated a healthier routine. She and Dan lift weights and do cardio at Club 24 in Pendleton. Dan keeps four ledgers — one each for medications, exercise, sleep and diet. “We go to the gym every day at the same time,” she said. “I take medications every day at the same time. Routine is important. Even little things can throw me off.” They worry about how their four sons will cope with recent events, but are staying positive. The boys are in counseling and the family is close-knit. “We are probably the most loving family I’ve ever been around,” he said. “We’re not shy on hugs. Our kids hear ‘I love you’ probably 50 times a day.” Pendleton attorney Michael Breiling represents Vanessa. Her next pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 12. ——— Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@eastoregonian.com or call 541-966-0810. Saturday, August 13, 2016 Judge overturns conviction of nephew in ‘Making a Murderer’ MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A judge on Friday overturned the conviction of a Wisconsin man found guilty of helping his uncle kill a woman in a case pro¿led in the NetÀix series “Making a Murderer,” ruling that investigators coerced a confession using deceptive tactics. U.S. Magistrate William Duf¿n in Milwaukee ordered Brendan Dassey freed within 90 days unless prosecutors decide to retry him. The state Department of Justice, which handled the case, declined to comment Friday. The state could also appeal Duf¿n’s ruling. Dassey’s case burst into the public’s consciousness with the popularity of the “Making a Murderer” series that debuted in December. The ¿lmmakers cast doubt on the legal process used to convict Dassey and his uncle Steven Avery in the death of Teresa Halbach, and their work sparked national interest and conjec- ture. Authorities involved in the case have called the 10-hour series biased, while the ¿lmmakers have stood by their work. Dassey confessed to helping Avery carry out the rape and killing of Halbach, but his attorneys argued that his constitutional rights were violated throughout the investigation. Dassey didn’t testify at his uncle’s trial and his confession wasn’t presented as evidence there. Both men are serving life sentences. Duf¿n said in his ruling that investigators made false promises to Dassey by assuring him “he had nothing to worry about.” “These repeated false promises, when consid- ered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey’s age, intellectual de¿cits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey’s confession involuntary under the Fifth and Four- teenth Amendments (of the U.S. Constitution),” Duf¿n wrote. LEHNERT: Ability to relate to others made a good ¿t for the community services of¿cer Continued from 1A resulted in bumping Lehnert from a sergeant back to an of¿cer. Lehnert, 44, began his law enforcement career in his early 20s with the sheriff’s of¿ce before joining Pendleton police. He made corporal in 2003. He also was a member of the Oregon National Guard, and in 2004 he was a platoon sergeant in Iraq overseeing of 30 soldiers. He returned home in 2006 and resumed his job with Pendleton PD. But he found he was in serious debt, he said, and the experiences of war stayed with him. He also brought his military attitude to work, which the ¿le shows drew complaints from some of¿cers. Still, Lehnert said, career advancement was important, and he rose to sergeant. Yet his home life was crumbling and he needed medication to deal with the stress from combat. “I didn’t want anybody to know I was taking medication,” he said. “I was embarrassed and ashamed, so I quit taking them.” Even so, the record shows Lehnert remained a solid criminal investigator. Roberts said those skills, along with Lenhert’s ability to relate to others, made him a good ¿t for the community services of¿cer, a liaison between the police department and public that demanded less on him and his family life. Lehnert said he made a personal apology to Roberts for failing him and the department. Roberts said Lehnert used the demotion to establish the Apartment Watch Program, which involves dozens of property managers and owners to reduce crime. Since then, Lehnert said, he grew as an individual and as a police of¿cer and became a better dad. Pendleton police detective Howard Bowen in 2013 even nominated Lehnert for of¿cer of the year. Roberts boosted Lehnert to corporal in 2014. And in 2015, Lehnert took on the assign- ment of policing nearby Pilot Rock, which struggled with even maintaining a police department. Police Sgt. Charles Byram evaluated Lehnert in July and noted during the past couple of years he demonstrated “signi¿cant growth in con¿dence, matu- rity and responsibility” but still needs to work on “prior- itization and management of duties, responsibilities ... At times he allows himself to get over-extended trying to please everyone.” Roberts has endorsed Lehnert for sheriff. He said Lehnert carries an array of leadership skills and he has earned back his trust and the trust of others in the depart- ment. “I wouldn’t have endorsed him if I didn’t believe he could handle this opportunity,” Roberts said. Lehnert began his career in the sheriff’s of¿ce, he said, and believes it can do better under his leadership. He said he is ready for the onus of shouldering a law enforcement agency that encompasses patrols, a jail, dispatching calls for service and more. But he might not have acquired what it takes to do the job, he said, if he had stayed a sergeant. ——— Contact Phil Wright at pwright@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0833. 3*QPQTGF V 3 Q3DG3C3RCTV3QH3VJG3 E 3 QOOWPKVKGU3YG3UGTXG 3s33)GPGTCN3'ZEGNNGPEG3 H 3 QT3VJG3'CUV31TGIQPKCP3 H 3 QT3VJG3UGEQPF3 E 3 QPUGEWVKXG3[GCT 3s33$GUV3+PETGCUG3KP3 % 3 KTEWNCVKQP3D[36JG3 & 3 CKN[3#UVQTKCP 3s335YGGRUVCMGU3#YCTF3 D 3 [3VJG3%CRKVCN32TGUU 3 13/GFKC3)TQWR3PGYURCRGTU3YGTG3JQPQTGF3YKVJ33CYCTFU3CV3VJG31TGIQP3 ' 30GYURCRGT32WDNKUJGTU3#UUQEKCVKQP35WOOGT3%QPXGPVKQP31WT3HCOKN[QYPGF3 3RWDNKECVKQPU3 CTG3 RTQWF3 VQ3 EQPVKPWG3 C3 VTCFKVKQP3 QH3 LQWTPCNKUVKE3 GZEGNNGPEG eo o eomediagroup.com group 3'CUV31TGIQPKCP * 3 GTOKUVQP3*GTCNF % 3 JKPQQM31DUGTXGT ' 3 CUV1TGIQPKCPEQO 3*GTOKUVQP*GTCNFEQO 3%JKPQQM1DUGTXGTEQO % 3 CPPQP3$GCEJ3)C\GVVG 3%CPPQP$GCEJ)C\GVVGEQO 36JG3&CKN[3#UVQTKCP 3$NWG3/QWPVCKP3'CING 1 3 TGIQP3%QCUV361&#; % 3 QCUV34KXGT3$WUKPGUU3,QWTPCN & 3 CKN[#UVQTKCPEQO 3/['CING0GYUEQO 31TGIQP%QCUV6QFC[EQO 3ETDK\LQWTPCNEQO 3%CRKVCN32TGUU 39CNNQYC3%QWPV[3%JKGHVCKP 5 3 GCUKFG35KIPCN 1 3 WT3%QCUV3/CIC\KPG % 3 CRKVCN2TGUUEQO 39CNNQYCEQO 35GCUKFG5KIPCNEQO 3&KUEQXGT1WT%QCUVEQO