Faces of evil

When a mother has a child - most mothers, I believe - she looks into the face of that child, into their eyes, and all she can see is the work of God in her life, in her arms. She sees hope and promise and perfection. As the child grows, she prays for its safety, health and a good life. She prays that it never wants, is never hurt and that only good things will come in that child's life. It doesn't matter if it's her first child or her tenth (or more). Every new life holds that promise and those prayers in her heart.

Still, we all know that no child grows up free from pain or sickness or temptations. As parents and adults, we didn't make it this far without some heartbreak, various illnesses - some life threatening - or mistakes in judgment. Still, we plan and guide and nurture our children as best we can. We pray to our God for mercy and protection and blessings that our children will grow up to be better people than we are; to have love everlasting and make the world a better place. Thankfully, most children do grow up to be happy, healthy and living good lives their parents are proud of. By the Grace of God, Paul and I have been fortunate with our six children. We pray for them every day, just like other parents do around the world for their children. What we don't pray for is that our childrens' lives turn out like the ones in the pictures below. One newspaper called them the "San Antonio Five". I call them the faces of evil.

"Walking Between The Raindrops" by Mary and Paul Roland on sale now at Amazon.com

"$500,000 by tonight or all you'll need that money for is his funeral." February 27, 2008

That's what the voice on the other end of the phone demanded of my brother-in-law at 6:45AM on Wednesday, February 27, 2008. Paul's been gone just minutes short of 24 hours.Now, we know he's alive. As an added incentive to move quickly, the kidnapper told Tom that Paul was "in a bad way...needs a doctor; maybe a hospital." My stomach lurches at the images of torture and terror that Paul's going through.

Horror turns to panic as the realization hits us that we have less than a day to find HALF A MILLION DOLLARS! Thankfully, a team is growing and assembling in Georgetown, Texas to save the day:

Sergeant Pete Hughey, Detective James Maugham, Texas Ranger Matt Lindemann and First Assistant District Attorney, Jana McKown.

Will they get there in time? Where, on earth, will we ever be able to find that kind of money? Why did this happen?

"Walking Between The Raindrops" by Mary and Paul Roland - An American couple's true story of kidnap-for-ransom in the United States by the most Vicious drug cartel in Mexico - on sale now at Amazon.com.

"No one could have ever invented a story like this. I was especially gratified for their honesty ...", February 22, 2015
By Bridget (Tarentum, PA USA)

"A book of true courage," February 5, 2015
By sharon

"This is a very good book. Follows the victims and suspects from the beginning to the end - seeing the suspect in jail and the victims recovering." February 26, 2015, By Barbara

The worst day of my life - February 26, 2008

7am - Paul kisses me goodbye and leaves. As he shuts the door that connects our apartment to our garage, I step into the shower. It's just another day, same as the last.

10am - My cell phone rings. I think it's Paul but it's someone from his office. He never made it into the office. He didn't call. Somehow, Paul was lost between our apartment and his office just five minutes away.

Noon - Williamson County Sheriff's Office calls me. Opening a missing person report so that Onstar will locate Paul's truck.

2PM - His truck is found but he's not there. His truck is found 20 miles south of where he should have been.

The truck is empty - no wallet, no briefcases, no Paul. All that's left in the truck is his hearing aids; found in the backseat. Hearing aids that tell us, "I was here but someone took me away. Find me."

"Walking Between The Raindrops" by Mary and Paul Roland - An American couple's true story of kidnap-for-ransom in the United States as directed by the most vicious drug cartel in Mexico. On sale at Amazon.com.

Anniversary of Evil

Abduction happened here.


This Thursday, February 26, 2015, marks 7 years since the morning that turned our world upside down and changed, not only the course, but our whole lives forever. It's been said over and over that our lives can change forever in an instant. Most of us, I know I did, smile and nod as if we know what that means. But I truly believe that until it happens to you, we never really understand and, I don't think we really understand "the Grace of God" until we have only survived because of it. At least, I didn't.

I'll be posting several times over the next several days with photos (some never seen here or in the book) some video and excerpts from "Walking Between The Raindrops" to commemorate this infamous anniversary; ending where we are today.

"Walking Between The Raindrops" by Mary and Paul Roland - An American couple's true story of kidnap-for-ransom in the United States as directed by the most vicious drug cartel in Mexico. (Now available worldwide on Amazon.com)

Some reviews -

"Excellent read! This could have happened to anyone." Mark Flickinger
"Incredible true story! Very hard to put the book down." Lance Self
"Incredible story! So well written that I find myself rechecking the locks on all my doors at night. The cooperation of all law enforcement agencies restores my faith in the system. Very impressed with the dedication and capability of Investigative and District Attorney personnel in such a small community." Darlene Miller

Do that which is hard -

http://www.kvue.com/media/cinematic/video/23646863/wife-of-central-texas-man-kidnapped-by-drug-cartel-tells-their-story/

A recent interview on a local news show was a big deal to us even if it isn't to anyone else. I don't like to have my picture taken and I'm much more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it. Yet, this had to be done. We stopped talking about the event years ago with the exception of a random mention when either Bobby or Samantha have come up for parole review or if someone asked about how the book was coming along. Not drawing attention to ourselves has become our normal operating procedure.

Once the book was done and out there, I began to think about the inquiries by the media when this all happened back in 2008 and KVUE was the one news station that seemed to actually care about what had happened to Paul not just the sensational bits. So, I picked KVUE as the news station that I would reach out to and, if they were still interested in a story, I would share it with them. We were so pleased and encouraged by their continued sensitivity and coverage. Quita Culpepper and the people at KVUE 24 are what a professional news team should be.

The interview may be good for marketing, but, the big deal, to me, is that we stepped out of the shadows and into the light. We've done that which is hard to continue to take back our lives and know we can keep going.

"Walking Between The Raindrops" on sale in print and Kindle editions at www.amazon.com.

Heroes, one and all...

Lt. Pete Hughey, a sergeant with the Williamson County Sheriff's Office at the time of Paul's kidnapping, was also the commanding officer who assigned Detective Maugham to lead the case and brought in Texas Ranger Matt Lindemann. I didn't meet him until later in Victim Services. I'd heard his name mentioned when Tom and Matt had described their trip to San Antonio to meet the kidnappers and knew he'd been there doing what he could to help Tom get through the ordeal. Like Sheriff Wilson, he worked behind the scenes to do everything he could, pull in every resource available, to rescue Paul and arrest the people responsible.

I've only seen him a couple of times since then but each time he has been gracious and welcoming and supportive. It was with great pleasure that Paul and I were able to see him and present him with a copy of the book recently as a tiny token of our deep gratitude for everything his office has done for us. I love this picture. It captures the joy of the moment and the great affection that we feel for Lt. Hughey and all the people working in the Williamson County Sheriff's Office.

Heroes, one and all.

This is how they roll...

In writing "Walking Between The Raindrops", one of the most interesting parts of the research and discovery process, for me, was reading transcripts of interrogations, as well as, watching and listening to video of the five arrested criminals being interviewed. Portions of these interviews, the best parts, are in the book. Most of the interviews took many, many hours and were repeated over time, either to corroborate stories or to assist other agencies in specific aspects of their own investigations. Paul told the officers who'd rescued him that there were many more people involved than the three initially arrested or the five here and he was more right than anyone ever expected! Although 5 were arrested, tried and convicted in his case, there were at least 6-8 more people in Texas who were named by these 5 who may have been arrested later on felony charges of credit card theft, auto grand theft and other crimes in other jurisdictions because of the investigative work done on this case. Or, they're still out there - for now. Still others, in Mexico, are either in prison, dead or at large.

I don't know what I expected the first time I watched the interviews. They each had their own "shtick" which Det. Maugham and Ranger Lindemann easily handled. AB was a talker. Bart was the tough guy (in his own head). Samantha played little lost stoner-girl. Bobby played stupid white guy. Jorge tried to play dumb on many levels. Yet, they each rolled, in one way or another, hoping to get out of the trouble they'd so cavalierly landed themselves into. Some of their words are chilling, some are ironic and, in Jorge's case, some are nearly laughable. In each case, "Walking Between The Raindrops" allows readers to sit inside the room and hear their words exactly as they said them.

"Walking Between The Raindrops" by Mary and Paul Roland is available in print and Kindle, in the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe on Amazon.com.

First Impressions

I first met Detective James Maugham on a balmy day in late February some 8 years ago. It wasn't my best moment for making a first impression. I'd been crying - a lot. Our apartment was a mess. My usual polite demeanor was gone; replaced with terror and impatience. Yet, the man who sat across from me in our tiny dining room remained calm and in charge. At the time, I remember thinking he wasn't listening to me that, in fact, he was dismissing me. Looking back with the luxury of hindsight and having recently had access to thousands of pages of reports, I know now that he was not only calm and in charge, but he was listening and, more importantly, he was helping me to focus on the mystery of Paul's disappearance. I only saw him that one day and our paths didn't cross again until we began attending events at the courthouse that related to the case. In "Walking Between The Raindrops," readers will get to know Detective Maugham; a man that I believe is a true hero.

I've never had the right words to express the depth of my gratitude to him. So many people worked together to bring Paul home, but Detective Maugham was the lead person. He ran the show. For a long time, I didn't understand the depth of his dedication to his work. Now that I've gotten to know him a little better, I am proud for the people of Williamson County to have such a man stand for justice on their behalf. Detective James Maugham isn't merely bigger than life. For many of the people he serves, he IS life.

Strong and Beautiful - Jana McCown

It was wonderful to see Jana McCown outside the somber setting of a criminal courtroom and present her with a copy of "Walking Between The Raindrops." The former First Assistant District Attorney for Williamson County graciously wrote the forward to the book. Over the years since the last sentencing hearing, she has become a dear friend and was an early supporter of our writing the book.

Readers will not only get a glimpse of Jana's amazing talent as a prosecutor in "Walking Between The Raindrops," but will see, as we saw, Jana bravely sitting in the courtroom for hours with the same sharp, plastic zip-cuff taken from around Paul's hands binding her hands tightly and uncomfortably behind her and the same red bandanna blindfold that was found on Paul wrapped around her head, covering her eyes to represent to the jury, and everyone else in the courtroom, a glimpse of what it was like for Paul during his captivity. This powerful visual will stay with me forever. No Hollywood courtroom drama could have been as compelling.

"Walking Between The Raindrops" is available in print and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

Inside the interrogation

As we gave Lt. Matthew Lindemann of the Texas Rangers his copy of "Walking Between The Raindrops," we talked about how far we've come together and how much work there still is to keep this kind of crime off the streets of our country. Sadly, it may get worse before it gets better.

Readers of this book will come to know some of the excellent work our law enforcement agencies do, both, in concert with each other and as separate entities. "Walking Between The Raindrops" gives readers an inside seat to actual interrogations of all the suspects and the harrowing confessions. With patience and precision, Ranger Lindemann and Detective James Maugham obtained the critical evidence needed to secure indictments and convictions. I can only imagine how much their work on this case helped agencies across the state and elsewhere to stop other senseless crimes.

"Walking Between The Raindrops" by Mary and Paul Roland is available in print and Kindle versions at Amazon.com.

Celebration

Paul and I met Lance at Hyde Park Bar & Grill recently to present him with a copy of "Walking Between The Raindrops." This is the same place we used to meet to help each other get through the awful first weeks. This time, however, it was a celebration of a great friendship, a friendship that helped to save Paul's life and bring justice to Lance's life.

The attack on Lance and the abduction of Paul touched many lives. Our lives were changed forever. Some lives merely changed course. It destroyed some lives while making other's stronger. A famous line says, "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I don't believe that is necessarily true. I believe that what we do with what 'doesn't kill us' comes down to choices.

Paul and Lance could have chosen to stay victims and hide after the crimes were committed against them. They didn't choose that path. They chose to be survivors and became stronger. I choose to celebrate them!