Messages By: cablekidz

I'm not sure I understand why I find this case so compelling, but I've found myself spending way too much time reading all of the available online news accounts and Circuit Court docket info on it.  I'm amazed that people are attempting to sleuth the "real answer" to what happened based on information the families gave on a one hour television show.   Brandi's dad wrote in to Dr. Phil because he and his family don't believe Brandi belongs in jail.   Daniel's family was probably contacted out of the blue, several years after the death and trial, by Dr. Phil's staff and told that Brandi's family feels Brandi was unfairly convicted and asked if they wanted to also come on and give their side of the story.  I can't imagine the caught between a rock and a hard place position it must have been for them to feel compelled to come on national TV.   And then to have people they don't even know opining whether their son committed suicide or brought his death upon himself somehow.  It's pretty clear to me that prosecutors who had a first hand look at the evidence felt that Brandi intended to kill Daniel.  One article states: "One Nov. 22, 2000 in Clay County I drove my car in a manner knowing that it was practically certain to cause the death of David Mize," Drumheller admitted in a statement made to the court Nov. 21, a day before the anniversary of Mize's death.  Brandi's family, in hindsight, wants to quibble about whether "practically certain" means it was an accident.  Daniel's family, who didn't write the letter to Dr. Phil and attempt to re-write the events,  seems to want people to remember and focus, as the court did, on the "knowing" part. 

  

  

Another issue I see is Brandi's family's compaining about her attorneys.  In Ohio, not just any defense attorney is qualified to handle a death penalty case such as First Degree Murder.  For example, in my rural county there are only two such qualified attorneys.   I noticed in my search that one of her attorney's, William Shull, apparently also defended a guy whose case was on Court TV involving a carjacking in which a child was dragged to death which was going on about the same time as Brandi's case.  Just because your attorney isn't free to devote 100% of their time to your case doesn't mean you were not adequately represented!  Being a cheerleader only buys you perks in school. 

She was obviously going fast enough to kill someone!  Even if you're afraid you aren't allowed to use your car as a weapon.   Please don't tell us you feel it was self-defense!

Face it, none of those kids were ready for adult relationships - they were teenagers in love with the idea of being in love.  I think that's what the show was supposed to be about... making what are in hindsight obviously bad decisions that have lifelong consequences.  

I don't have issues with cheerleaders except that I used to be one in high school.   In retrospect I see now that it was ALL about status as a teenager - non-cheerleaders may not have been looked at as "have nots", but being a cheerleader surely placed you on the "have" list.  I think it goes to the issue of Brandi's family's perception that Brandi has been "wronged" by the legal system - that she had never been in trouble before so she should get a pass on her sole "oops".   

Besides, the topic of the show was "Cheerleader Scandal".   It wouldn't have been so "scandalous" if Brandi wasn't perceived as a squeeky clean cheerleader from a good family who made one mistake in life.

I went there, too.  I was a little disappointed because in the county where I live in Ohio you can also pull up the arrest reports, the probably cause statements the police use to get the arrest warrants.  The 7th Circuit Court website IS cumbersome - I salute you for getting through it if you don't do that all the time!   I was hoping to see a copy of Brandi's police report! 

I'm a little confused as to how many calls there were that night to 911.  Did Crystal actually call 911 while Brandi was there?  At one point I thought when she was talking about dialing the 9-1 and then hearing the crash and dropping the phone that someone had already called 911 once to report that there was trouble.  If Brandi left, returned and sat on top of the hill for even 5 minutes instead of 15 you'd think the police would have responded to the first 911 call.  If they had been there Brandi probably would have returned home instead of driving down the hill toward Daniel & Steph.  Around here police respond to EVERY 911 call - even if someone says during the call "false alarm - no problem". 

Brandi also said that Daniel had told her to come return his stuff because he had broken up with her and wanted his stuff back.  That's why she said she stole her dad's car in the middle of the night and went there - because he was threatening to kill her and her brother if she didn't.  Another question:  Why would Brandi have to push her way into Daniel's home if he was expecting her to bring the stuff over that night?  If he was expecting to come that night to talk he'd have been waiting for her - his sister wouldn't have to make him go outside and talk to her.  And I can imagine why Crystal told her brother to take it outside if Brandi arrived on their doorstep at midnight in a foul mood and he had another girlfriend there at the house.  If Brandi felt she had to push her way into the home of someone who had threatened to hurt her if she didn't bring his stuff over, why wouldn't she dump his stuff outside the door and yell "here it is"? 

I don't have firsthand knowledge, but it seems that Daniel's family was moving on and, if not happy, were at least coping until Brandi's family brought this back to the front burner of their life by going on national TV to tell the world about their little girl who was being unfairly incarcerated.  As victims of crime, at least in Ohio, they'll be notified every time Brandi has a parole hearing and it's their right to attend and, if they so choose, to voice their opinion that she not be paroled.  They don't get the final say in the matter.  Brandi would have probably undergone a psychiatric evaluation when she entered the DOC, the outcome of which along with the inmate's ability to acknowledge what they've done wrong, usually plays a large part in the parole board's decision.   Brandi said her attorney told her to take the plea bargain because it was the only thing to do if she didn't want to spend the rest of her life in jail.  HE apparently didn't think Brandi would win at trial.   

  

There seems to actually be more dysfunction in Brandi's family - it's just hidden under a cloak of respectability.   Brandi says her mom is the stongest woman she knows, yet she's experiencing all kinds of physical disabiilty that she ascribes to her mental stress over Brandi.  Dad blames himself for not waking up.   The brother could only ever talk to Brandi and is now lost without her...even though he says he talks to her nearly every day which I find odd given that she's incarcerated.   A teenager who was an A student now pulling F's and  is sleeping with toy weapons under his pillow to feel "safe"??  I REALLY hope that family is in ongoing counseling.