Opinion ID: 2517841
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Life History

Text: Defendant was Mary DePriest's only child. According to her testimony, Mary realized at age 13, growing up in Missouri, that she preferred women over men as romantic partners. Mary had' sex for money with Jim Tate, and chose another man, Jack Callison, to father her child. Defendant was born in 1960, when Mary was 17. He grew up believing that his father was Jim (who died shortly after defendant's birth). Defendant did not learn until age 13 or 14 that he was Jack's son. Mary had lost contact with Jack over the years. He died in prison. At first, Mary cared for defendant in her parents' home in Missouri. When defendant was six months old, Mary started staying away from home, and then moved out. She ignored her mother's pleas to be a better parent. Mary explained at trial that she loved her son, but could not raise him properly. She drank and caroused at bars. Between 1960 and 1965, Mary had a series of female lovers. Mary visited defendant during this time. Her visits were sporadic and disruptive. She once arrived at the house bloodied and bruised. Her departures upset defendant. By all accounts, defendant's grandparents gave him a stable and loving home. Defendant called both Mary and his grandmother Mom. Defendant became close to other members of Mary's family. They included his uncles Larry and Jimmy DePriest. Jimmy testified that he shared almost a father-son bond with defendant. Defendant also spent time with cousins Mitchell and David. They were the sons of another uncle, Ronnie DePriest, and his wife Patricia. Defendant participated in family picnics and other outings. As for family tragedies, defendant's uncle, Ronnie, was stabbed to death by his second wife. Ronnie's son David shot himself to death. Meanwhile, in 1965, Mary started serving a 15-month prison term. Her parents, her brother Larry, and defendant visited every few weeks. After her release, Mary lived sporadically with her parents and defendant. She also lived with different female lovers. In 1970, Mary began a serious relationship with Chris (also known as Hazel) Young. Chris had two children, John and Theresa. Because Chris was a stripper who often changed jobs, the couple lived in different places (e.g., Kansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Mississippi, and New Mexico). Typically, the adults would move to the new city first, bring defendant and/or Chris's children to join them later, and then move again in a few months and repeat the process. Between moves, defendant stayed with his grandparents. Mary's mother testified that the nomadic lifestyle disrupted defendant's schooling. She also accused Chris of disciplining defendant too harshly. Chris testified, in turn, that Mary's mother dominated everyone in the family, including her husband and male children. She reportedly waged a tug-of-war with Mary and Chris over defendant. Chris also described gatherings with Mary's extended family as alcohol-fueled and volatile. Mary and Chris sometimes fought verbally and physically, especially while drinking alcohol. Chris and other witnesses portrayed defendant as a quiet, respectful boy. He called Chris Mom, and was close to her children. In New Mexico, Mary and Chris ran an escort and prostitution service. Defendant saw Mary and Chris being arrested outside the business. Subsequently, in 1975, Mary sent defendant to Missouri to live with her parents. Mary, Chris, and Chris's children returned to Missouri in 1976, and lived near defendant and his grandparents. Mary and her brother Larry admitted smoking marijuana with defendant at parties around this time. Two former high school friends of defendant's testified that other drugs were consumed by teenagers and adults on such occasions. Defendant joined the Marines at age 17. According to his sergeant, defendant performed adequately while stationed on a remote Alaskan air base. One of defendant's former high school friends testified that defendant became more aggressive after joining the Marines. During visits home, he smoked marijuana and took LSD. At trial, Mary expressed regret for being a terrible mother, and spending more time with her lovers than with her son. She described herself as manic depressive. Mary and other witnesses did not want defendant to die. The penalty jury heard testimony that defendant was serving a sentence of life plus 57 years for crimes committed in Missouri.