Two Wasilla women remained jailed Wednesday on charges they sexually abused two children in their home during a 10-year period ending in 2003.
A now-adult victim described the situation as an extended family of adopted children living a "cult-like" existence in a sheltered Wasilla home.
Alaska State Troopers said they arrested 71-year-old Shawn M. O'Shea-Grantham and Mailea (Joan) L. O'Shea-Grantham, 40, on Friday on multiple counts of sexual abuse of a minor based on a grand jury indictment.
Charging documents say the women, separately and together, sexually abused the two children between 1993 and 2003. The abuse started when the children were 7 and 2.
Both women pleaded not guilty in Palmer Superior Court on Tuesday.
Sky Johnson, a 27-year-old Anchorage resident, said she's one of the victims.
Johnson said Wednesday she tried for years to get authorities to investigate claims of abuse in the home where Shawn O'Shea-Grantham was raising her and two other adopted children.
Johnson said the home was filthy and O'Shea-Grantham ran the family with threats and intimidation. She said the older woman beat her if she didn't clean the house and deprived her brother of food. She also encouraged her to have sex with men she selected, calling surrogate parenting "the clan way" to make a family, Johnson said.
The children were kept isolated, even from neighborhood kids, she said.
"We were not allowed to attend public school. We were not allowed to go to church consistently. Every single interaction with the community was extremely well-rehearsed," Johnson said. "We were told not to disclose any of the secrets that occurred at home."
I actually have a little inside information on this case.
The women are being held in Hiland Correctional facility, the same place that once housed Dian Palin.
I really don't wish to lump all of the people of Wasilla together, but it was the location for one of the most egregious cases of child abuse that has ever been documented up here by a foster family that horribly abused their children and kept them in cages for years.
All that plus the recent report that half of the women in the town have suffered abuse at the hands of their partners, cannot help but lead one to believe that there is definitely something fucked up about the people living in that area.
Is it any wonder really that they also produced the Palin family?
From what I hear the news is not reporting the extent of the atrocities committed by these tow women, which are so bad that at least one person who heard them threw up in response.
The "authorities" who refused to do anything to rescue those children should also be in jail.
ReplyDeleteABSOLUTELY.
DeleteThe corruption in the Meth Capital of Alaska is a shame and produces corrupt leadership.
'Every single interaction with the community was extremely well-rehearsed"
"We were told not to disclose any of the secrets that occurred at home."
Where did the abusers learn they could get away with these atrocities?
Why are people calling it a meth capital? Meth isn't exactly a rarity. The media should face serious karma for doing that to all the innocent people in Wasilla and associating in entire town with something just because it exists, as it does in ALL Cities.
DeleteDo I associate Obama with the horrific amount of gun violence and crimein Chicago? No. Would you be outraged if i did? YES.
No difference.
ANd STOP for the love of God dragging poor DIana's name through the mud. People who've faced addictions are not bad people. She, as many are, are loving mothers who just have issues - things we ALL have
Gryphen has an issue with lying.
>>Why are people calling it a meth capital?
DeleteLooks like the little troll has her panties in a wad this morning. If the snowshoe fits, wear it, bitch. Gryphen is simply reporting the facts:
Troopers dub Mat-Su area the meth capital of Alaska
WASILLA - The Matanuska-Susitna area is the methamphetamine capital of Alaska, according to Alaska State Troopers.
http://juneauempire.com/stories/030805/sta_20050308002.shtml
You poor little twat, feeling the need to come here and piss and moan about the FACTS that follow Sarah and her fucked up little borough into the ditch. More disgusting, dishonest and criminal reports come out of Wasilla than most other places in Alaska, and that is just how it is, so crawl back under your rock and STFU because, clearly, YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.
I think it was someone in law enforcement that made the statement about Wasilla being the Meth Capital of Alaska. The media did the reporting. Meth Capital of Alaska was/is the authorities perspective?
DeleteIt is not due to the good people of a community. It is the corrupt leadership that allows baby factories or overt drug issues to over take an area. If the good people are afraid to speak up, they can't do anything about the atrocities in their area.
All the more reason to help them expose things like Cathy L. Baldwin-Johnson, MD part and all the others.
"ANd STOP for the love of God dragging poor DIana's name through the mud. People who've faced addictions are not bad people. She, as many are, are loving mothers who just have issues - things we ALL have"
Delete"Loving mothers" do not drag their 4 year old child with them when break into someone's house to rob it so that the mother can buy drugs. "Loving mothers" should immediately recognize that they have addiction problem or are developing a problem but have a greater obligation to take care of their child/children and therefore, avoid drugs. Unless, of course, "poor Diana" was too stupid to know that if she took drugs that it could lead to addiction. Is that the case? She is, after all, Todd's sister and stupidity does seem to run in the Palin family as well as the Heath family.
Yes everyone "has issues" but drug addiction, child molestation or child abuse are not "just issues". Sounds like your message is the usual garbage of "do whatever you want then pray about it and the world has to forgive you no matter how disgusting or horrible your actions were". The Bible that I read as a child, said something like "Everyone, even children will be known by their actions".
"Gryphen has an issue with lying."
I've been regular reader of Immoral Minority since 2008 when Palin was selected by McCain. I've never once discovered that Jesse has lied. But maybe you meant "Gryphen has an issue WITH liars or ABOUT people who lie" such as Sarah Palin? Is that what you meant?
8:05 AM AGREE....... never once discovered that Jesse has lied. It is not in his character.
DeleteAnyone who has read here long enough or knows him can vouch for that.
The repetition about "libel, lies and slander" is a political propaganda machine from Palin paid career fan bots or whatever they are called. It is part of the racket and fraud around SarahPAC. They specialize in false narratives, distractions, misrepresentation and more blunt criminal endeavors.
OH poor criminal Diana Palin. Sorry, but she isn't just an addict, she is a criminal who also endangered her own child by taking the child on burglaries with her.
DeleteNo one dragged Poor Diana's name through the mud except poor Diana.
BTW It isn't lying if someone has been CONVICTED of crimes, that makes them criminals.
There is no libel in saying that drug addict DIana Palin is a criminal that endangered the life of her own child.
6:35 AM Tell that to all of the Minorities who are doing substantial time for drug possession. Gryphen has never LIED, your LIARS are located in the Palin/Heath Klans. How many Church fires and murders are Sarah and Todd connected to? How many Criminal Acts are the Palin Children connected to? Grow up with your Palin Sucking Up.
DeleteDiana Palin was treated very special. She got a break because of her family. Compare her case to others. One is what happened in the matter of Sherry Johnston. It took a special FBI deal to do what they did to her. She was in no way like the hardened criminal, Diana Palin. It was all very unjust as only corrupt community leadership would do.
Deletehttp://juneauempire.com/stories/030805/sta_20050308002.shtml
Delete"Troopers dub Mat-Su area the meth capital of Alaska
Posted: Tuesday, March 08, 2005
By
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASILLA - The Matanuska-Susitna area is the methamphetamine capital of Alaska, according to Alaska State Troopers.
In 2003, authorities uncovered nine meth labs in the area. Last year, the number increased to 42, said Kyle Young, an investigator with the troopers who works with the Mat-Su narcotics team.
Officials with the Office of Children's Services in Wasilla said the problem affects children. The office receives about 40 calls a month from people reporting abuse or neglect involving some aspect of the highly addictive drug."
As a councilwoman and mayor of Wasilla Sarah Palin probably did nothing to combat this problem.
Poor Diana Palin. Her only crime was taking a child with her while perpetrating a crime. It's a badge of honor and excusable, right? After all, it's hard to find a sitter at the last minute.
DeleteI've yet to read a lie from Gryphen. Shame the same can't be said about trolls, and the subjects Gryphen tackles in his posts, especially in the Wasilla area.
I know Gryphen's views on children, child abuse etc etc, what motive is there to lie, and he "religiously" cites his sources and even corrects mistakes when he finds them.
One small improvement for Wasilla areas residents. Sexual assault victims won't have to drive to Anchorage to have a SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) exam. They have been forced to do this 2005, when the SART program at MatSu Regional Hospital was allowed to wither and die.
ReplyDelete"The Valley once upon a time had a SART nurse at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, but that program quietly fell apart.
Emily Stevens, chief nursing officer for Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, said that program was kind of crushed under its own weight.
“You had one person who was forensics trained,” she said. And when that person inevitably got burned out, “the system itself then became burnt out.”"
http://www.frontiersman.com/news/sart-preps-for-local-launch/article_460df0bc-429b-11e3-848f-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=jqm
Everyone knows what is going on.
"Doctor Donn Bennice, who heads Alaska Family Services in Palmer, told the Borough Assembly that currently, sexual assault victims from the Matanuska Valley area have to travel to an Anchorage hospital for forensic examinations. Exams that can take five or six hours, before the victims can go home. That only serves to further traumatize them. And, Bennice says, some victims are simply not reporting rape as a result:
“The numbers have gone down over the last ten years, but we also run the emergency shelter here, and we talk to the women quite frequently. And a lot of them don’t report the sexual assaults, because of having to be transported to Anchorage, because of the length of time it takes to go to Anchorage and then to sit there for the examination. So I think the numbers are actually higher than what is being actually reported. “"
http://www.alaskapublic.org/2013/05/02/borough-group-seeks-valley-sexual-assault-response-program/
Of course Wasilla officials aren't always supportive of victims.
"JO C. GOODE / The Frontiersman / May 23, 2000
ANCHORAGE - Gov. Tony Knowles recently signed legislation protecting victims of sexual assault from being billed for tests to collect evidence of the crime, but one local police chief said the new law will further burden taxpayers.
The governor signed House Bill 270, sponsored by Rep. Eric Croft, D-Anchorage, outside the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) exam room at Alaska Regional Hospital. In attendance at the signing were members of victims advocate groups, law enforcement agencies and legislators....
...While the Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies have covered the cost of exams, which cost between $300 to $1,200 apiece, the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests.
Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon does not agree with the new legislation, saying the law will require the city and communities to come up with more funds to cover the costs of the forensic exams.
In the past we've charged the cost of exams to the victims insurance company when possible. I just don't want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer, Fannon said."
Where were Mayor Palin and her police department during these atrocities? Did she not know of this egregious criminal household, and, if not, why not?
ReplyDeleteShe claimed the difference between a community organizer and a mayor is that the mayor has real responsibilities. Surely, then, she must accept responsibility for what was going on in her tiny city when she was in charge.
We should hear about how many churches there are in Wasilla, and why none of the thousands of devout Christians ever looked after their neighbors. The school system, which just ignored the children, as it did the Palins'. What kind of community is Wasilla?
Sarah, you can try to claim it wasn't your responsibility, but, in fact, this is a stain on your record that'll never go away.
Happy Holidays, Palins. You can try to sell your fantasies of Christmas to your few gullible followers far from Alaska, but the people in Wasilla aren't buying it.
I remember something about the bars staying open late, into the early morning. Bars wanted long hours for their business. It cost the authorizes a lot more money to have drunks and dealers out late to police and they wanted the bars to close earlier. Sarah was on the side of drunks and dealers. She didn't care that the early morning roads were more dangerous. Sarah has always like to be known as 'cool' with drunks, dealers and bars.
DeleteSome sober people have jobs that put them on the roads at all hours. They would prefer no drunks and dealers driving around.
SHE KNEW. She didn't give a rat's ass. She's responsible for horrors the likes of which you and I couldn't even imagine. I'd put her right up there with the world's worse tyrants and criminals.
Delete8:11 Palin has a history of frequenting bars and snorting....too many knew about her...hence her doing nothing when she was the acting Mayor (remember, she actually hired someone to do her job and it wasn't the Toad!).
DeleteI don't see how this is A. a new concept, sadly and B. how this relates to anyone not mentioned in the article
ReplyDeleteYou are sorely desperate to string together ANYTHING just because it's the same town, a town part of a HUGE borough.
This post is DESPICABLE.
Even more so because I see cases worse than this daily in my career as a social worker.
Gryphen, you've crossed a big line. I just don't understand your need to perpetuate a myth.
6:33am Even more so because I see cases worse than this daily in my career as a social worker.
DeleteMaybe because Gryphen doesn't live in your town, he writes about Alaska, his area. If you've seen worse, and choose to make this disgusting crime insignificant with your comment, then do something in your area. Write about it, scream about it, but stop shaming people who write about current events into not publicizing these atrocities.
I LOVED this post. It's gratifying to know that fucked up people that are hurting children are taken down. Nothing despicable about reporting on the facts of the sick and twisted people that live in Wasilla. That borough is corrupt to the core and Sarah Palin has had a hand in most of it. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that she KNEW of this abuse and she ignored it. Since she's a sexual abuse victim herself, she probably thought it was all business as usual.
DeleteGryphen hasn't crossed any line, he's just telling it like it is. You are clearly all spun up and don't know how to conduct yourself when you get confronted with the sickness that lives in your back yard. YOU probably knew about this activity and didn't do anything about it, so now you're just back pedaling and throwing stones to take the attention off of YOU and Wasilla and try to make this be about Gryphen. You poor unfortunate slob.
If there are any decent people in Wasilla, then they should have stopped this. They didn't. They knew, but they didn't care. Shame on them, and you. And if you are a social worker, you need to get your ass FIRED for not helping these poor children when you KNEW they were in such a horrific situation.
People are influence for life by the circumstances and environment where they learn early life experience. Check out Social Sciences http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_science and culture.
DeleteWhy are you defending child abusers? That's what is despicable.
DeleteI am glad for this matter and subject to be aired. Thank you G.
DeleteMore posts like this are necessary. This is an Alaskan's blog. Wasilla is a burb of Anchorage. I come here to learn more about Alaska, Anchorage and the burbs.
Also, too, when you read about others in politics and history you also get a taste of the culture, time and area that made them the person they became.
Ah yes, The moral high ground troll has arrived.
DeleteIt's ok, we're not whactose intolerant.
The woman is named "Shawn"? Has anyone explained to her that Shawn/Shaun/Sean is a MALE name, the Gaelic version of "John"?!?
ReplyDeleteAt least no one named her Track. Like what happens to users arms.
Deleteyes, the borderline-imbecile Sarah Palin just named her kids random nouns, something her full-imbecile oldest daughter continued.
DeleteThis story is horrific and even more sickening because "she tried for years to get authorities to investigate claims of abuse."
ReplyDeletePlease tell us someone is investigating how this happened and looking for other ignored reports of abuse and other victims/abusers.
We know about Linda Lewis Miller, a Court Appointed Special Advocate who reported witnessing the abuse of a foster child to OCS and to then-Gov. Sarah Palin. The abuse was ignored and Lewis was relieved of her duties.
http://sarahsinbox.com/thread/fwd-complaints-came-in-abuse-went-on-2/
My mother has lived in Wasilla for the past decade, in the Settler's Bay condo's. When I read the article this week on this case in ADN, it didn't click until the bottom of the article where it listed the previous places this woman and her "children" lived.
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly certain that the family in the article is the same family that my Mom and her neighbors knew something was going on in that condo, but didn't know exactly what. Also, there was a bigger problem with drug dealers in another unit across the street. They moved out pretty quick when people started asking questions and the police would get called.
The health care workers have a huge bum deal. They are underfunded and understaffed. They have little real support from the state and its agencies that are supposed to help them. Is it no wonder that situations like this happen again and again and little real help is ever available until someone makes it to court?
Don't blame public school teachers for not catching this; since "home schooling" has jumped in popularity, I'm willing to bet there are a lot of silenced and abused children in the entire country.
ReplyDeleteMaybe abusers use homeschooling as a way of isolating children from those that could protect them.
DeleteMaybe? Definitely.
DeleteYes, homeschooling can cover up many things and aid abusers and neglect. That is not to say they are all like that. In Wasilla area, and others, homeschooling may be more for the benefit of abusers and the like.
DeleteIt must be investigated where ever it goes on.
Why has no one investigated Dr. Cathy for allowing a high risk pregnant woman with a DS unborn to fly in severe conditions?
ReplyDeleteMore than Christie's weight, it is extreme. EXTREME ABUSE/NEGLECT. People will comment and talk. MORE SO PEOPLE MUST DEMAND AN INQUEST INTO THE MATTER. Without question Dr. Cathy was part of the abuse and negligence and put Trig Palin in severe extreme danger.
No one in medical or child protection so much as mentions or questions the critical nature of that entire flight with Dr. Cathy as the responsible doctor. She went on to deliver the high risk baby in a hospital that was not equipped. More abuse and neglect.
At least that was the first version of events. The point is that the 'official' story was what it is and no one as much as addressed the violations or dangers and involvement of Dr. Cathy. She has clearly committed crimes and endangered an unborn in a community that covers up her corruption.
With a doctor like Dr. Cathy Baldwin-Johnson (who is willing to participate and sign off on abuse and neglect for one famous child) in the Mat-Su Valley what other crimes is she committing with other children in the area?
Baldwin-Johnson is part of the problem. Not only in Alaska.
DeleteShe inserted herself on the Nation with her fraud for McCain's poorly vetted disgraceful sidekick mess. Alleged to be a running mate.
What a piece of garbage Dr. Baldwin-Johnson was to write a medical statement (lies, fraud). Disgusting criminals, all of them.
Interesting that the trolls are on this post. Why so defensive? Something has struck a nerve.
ReplyDeleteChild abusers and co-dependents go to extremes to protect perpetrators and the corrupt authority that allows and helps
Deletethe child abusing criminals to continue. Since Heath/Palins ran the place for years and did what they do, they have pals that want to continue the myth about Sarah and family friendly farming community. How dare that anyone tell the truth about Wasilla. It reflects on Sarah Palin.
Dr. CBJ is not a high risk OB-GYN specialist but a general practioner who specializes in helping sex abuse victims. So why was Sarah going to her in the first place? Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't that whole charade being investigated? Because children from Wasilla might be abused?
DeleteWhat ever happened to the perpetrators of the other well-known and horrific abuse case in Wasilla? They served their time and were set free. Where are they now?
ReplyDeleteIt's happening everywhere. We had an incident a few streets away, and no one even knew there were kids in the home suffering abuse.
ReplyDeleteIf you see something or suspect something, call the cops.
These kids were malnourished and beaten. People saw them in long sleeves in the summer and no one thought to call. The kids were hospitalized and placed in a good home, but I doubt the emotional wounds will ever heal.
I think crimes against kids are the worst, and the perps deserve life in prison.
I can't wait until CB-J is deposed. These crimes were not only in Alaska.
ReplyDeleteRemember Ken Starr? Now President of Baylor University. Someone he knows well is a confessed child molester. So Ken and his wife (and others including GMA's Charlie Gibson) sent letters of support to the judge sentencing Christopher Kloman (aka Chester the Molester) for his crimes. They didn't think Chester should be locked up for sexually assaulting (remember their good friend Chester CONFESSED and plead GUILTY) his former students.
ReplyDelete"Christopher Kloman, a 74-year-old retired Potomac School teacher who has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting several female students under the age of 14. Kloman received a 43-year prison sentence in October.
According to the Washington Post, Kloman “estimated that he molested girls ‘less than 10 times’” from 1966 to 1985, sometimes by luring them to a isolated location under the guise of helping them with homework. "
The victims were as young as 12 when Kloman attacked them. Ken and his wife think Chester the Molester should have a chance to perform perform community service?
"Since Mr. Kloman has apparently conducted himself in an acceptable manner for more than thirty years, with no other violations, and he has cooperated with the police and accepted responsibility for his actions, we hope the Court will provide leniency in his sentence.
Mr. Kloman is currently repenting for his past sins and will continue to do so if given a chance to serve his community and neighbors. Community service would be a far better punishment than having him languish in jail."
http://gawker.com/he-took-the-time-to-chat-ken-starr-s-plea-for-a-chil-1464516616
Bonus: when Palin's Troopergate attorney Van Flein brought up Ken Starr!
ReplyDeletewww.adn.com/2008/09/02/513137/attorney-challenges-monegan-firing.html
"Our concern is that Hollis French turns into Ken Starr and uses public money to pursue a political vendetta rather than truly pursue an honest inquiry into an alleged ethics issue," Van Flein said in an interview.
"How does he explain the unanimous vote (to pursue the investigation) by the Republican-dominated Legislative Council?" French shot back."
Here is another good Van Flein! Same link.
"Van Flein said several people from the McCain campaign contacted him about the Wooten matter as part of the vetting process, before Palin was announced as McCain's pick.
The lawyer said he thinks Palin will be vindicated.
"We have a governor that exercised her constitutional right to terminate a commissioner. We have a family concerned about their safety. We have them asking what do you do with a trooper ... who might pose a threat.
"We don't have any sex. We don't have any drugs. And there's no blue dress. Nor are there any shady real estate deals here," Van Flein said. "In the big picture, I think people are going to be disappointed that this is not a scandal."
Later in the day, French added, "It's too bad the governor has stooped to hiring a name-calling lawyer. That doesn't seem very open and transparent does it?""
Back in the day the significance of that list that Van Flein so helpfully provided was not properly appreciated.
Delete