March 30, 2005
The Web of Lies
Or
How The Courts Killed Terri and Why She May Not* Get An Honest Autopsy
Look this chart over carefully (sources below). You will find that at the hub of connections in the Schaivo Case are George Felos, Judge Greer and the Woodside Hospice, operated by The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast.
Update: For those making amusing but intellectually lazy allusions to aliens and illuminati in regards to this chart, let me sum up the premise of this chart. I'll use as small words as possible for those of you apparently more familiar with crack than I:
Key players in the case have connections
The connections are in the public record
The connections should recuse players from case
That's it... no tinfoil hats, all-seeing eyes, or transporter coordinates required.
UPDATE: Futher clarification on my "position" here.
Plain enough? Now, on to the sources:
The Judge
From Hyscience:
Judges are impartial, right? Not Judge George Greer, the judge that has ordered Terri Schiavo executed by starvation and dehydration, twice.
Our good ole boy judge has worked side by side as county commissioner with Barbara Sheen Todd (county commissioner) for eight years. Barbara Sheen Todd is on the board of, you guessed it, the hospice where Terri Schiavo is kept prisoner by her husband, Michael Schiavo, who lives with another woman that he has two children with.
Also, Judge Greer's fellow judge, Judge John Lenderman is the brother of Martha Lenderman, also on the, you got it, the same hospice board.
Campaign contributions:
Greer allegedly raised one of the biggest war chests ever in a judicial campaign with contributions over $144,000.
The contributors included members of the Michael Schiavo legal team, Hamden Baskin III, $500; Deborah Bushnell, $250; Felos and Felos of which lead Schiavo attorney George Felos is a principal, $250; Gynethe S. Stanley, $150 and $250; Steven Nilsson, $250 and $250.
The maximum contribution allowed by an individual is $500.
. . .
For a complete list of contributors to George Greer?s 2004 campaign, see
http://election.dos.state.fl.us/campfin ... b.asp#both.
The table of Greer campaign contributors at the bottom of this page includes Everett Rice, and Gus [Michael] Bilirakis.
A bio of Greer touching on his involvement in other controversial issues can be found here.
The Feeding Tube As Life Support
Congressman and hospice board member Gus Michael Bilirakis* is co-sponsor of the 1999 Florida house bill 2131, adding a feeding tube in the legal definition of a life-prolonging method.
Consider this time-line:
May 1997 - Deborah Bushnell send a letter to Judge Shames (he was before Judge Greer) saying that the Schindlers should be involved in Terri's care during her final days (since Michael intends to move Terri to hospice and remove her feeding tube).
Aug. 1997 - Felos sends a letter to the Schindler's notifying them of pending action to remove Terri's feeding tube.
May 1998 - George Felos is hired and files a petition in Court to remove Terri's feeding tube.
April 6, 1999 - House Bill 2131 was introduced in the legislature by the Florida Elder Affairs & Long-Term Care Committee to amend Section 765 (Civil Rights) of the Florida Statutes. two weeks later, the legislature Committee on Judiciary recommended that House Bill 2131 should also change the Section 765.101 legal definition of life prolonging procedures to add: "INCLUDING ARTIFICIALLY PROVIDED SUSTENANCE AND HYDRATION, WHICH SUSTAINS, RESTORES, OR SUPPLANTS A SPONTANEOUS VITAL FUNCTION".
Oct 1, 1999 - Senate Bill 2228 (formerly HB2131) becomes law changing Section 765.101 of the Florida Statutes to include the above.
Jan 24, 2000 - Trial begins to decided whether to remove Terri's feeding tube.
Feb 11, 2000 - Judge Greer orders that Terri's feeding tube can be removed.
If you followed the time-line, Felos filed a petition to remove Terri's feeding tube BEFORE the law was changed, and the trial began AFTER the law was changed (and Greer approved removal of the tube). Why is that?
The Sheriff & County offices
Collusion:
Four days before joining Florida's House of Representatives in November, 2004, Everett Rice left the office of Pinellas County Sheriff, a position he had held since 1988 and after 33 years in the sheriff's department.
But before he left office he hired Michael Schiavo, estranged husband and guardian of Terri Schiavo.
The Empire Journal has learned that days before leaving office as Pinellas County sheriff, Rice hired Schiavo, a registered nurse, to work in the Inmates Medical Care Division of the Pinellas County Jail.
The relationship of Rice and Schiavo raises grave questions of alleged impropriety in the Terri Schiavo case and ongoing allegations of conspiracy, collusion and cover-up which have resulted in calls for Gov. Jeb Bush to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the matter and the impaneling of Grand Jury.
Rice's hire of Schiavo came at the same time contentious guardianship proceedings were proceeding in the courtroom of his long-time friend, Sixth Circuit Court Judge George W. Greer where Schiavo was seeking to end the life of his wife by court order of Greer.
And after Rice had repeatedly refused to investigate allegations of abuse against Schiavo.
According to informed sources, neither Schiavo nor his attorney, George Felos, disclosed to the court or attorneys for Terri's parents, Mary and Robert Schindler Sr., of Schiavo's change in employment, particularly in light of the disclosure Feb. 23 that the state's Department of Children and Families [DCF] has opened an investigation into some 30 allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of Terri Schiavo.
According to pleadings filed before Greer by DCF attorneys, Michael Schiavo is the suspected abuser.
The Empire Journal has also confirmed that [Eleanor Centonze*] the mother of Jodi Centonze, Schiavo's live-in girlfriend and fiancé with whom he has two children was employed in the civil division of the sheriff's department from June 18, 1979 until June 25, 1999, some 11 years while Rice was sheriff and at the same time her son-in-law had petitioned Rice's good friend Judge Greer to end her daughter-in-law's life.
[NOTE - JP: Michael Schiavo refers to Jodi Centonze as his 'wife'. The term 'son-in-law' refers to Michael Schiavo. The woman is Jodi Centonze's mother, Michael's 'other' mother-in-law.]
Rice's employment of Michael Schiavo came just weeks after Rice had allegedly unlawfully lent the prestige of his office and the resources of the sheriff's office in endorsement of the reelection of Greer in a televised political advertisement.
Although prohibited by Florida Statutes, Rice and other Pinellas county public officers including state attorney Bernie McCabe public defender Bob Dillinger, allowed employees of their offices to appear in a campaign commercial for Greer which inferred that Greer was "tough on crime" although Greer is an administrative probate judge.
http://www.theempirejournal.com/0223059 ... commer.htmAccording to a sheriff's employee, Sheriff Rice had authorized the use of the county-owned sheriff's car and the appearance of the uniformed deputy in Greer's TV commercial. State law prohibits the same.
In 2003, Rice became the center of controversy in the Terri Schiavo case when Patricia Anderson, then attorney for the Schindlers, filed a motion asking Greer to recuse himself for alleged violations of judicial canons and bias.
Greer has controlled the Schiavo case since 1998.
In her affidavit, Anderson said that Rice had told her that he and Greer had discussed the Schiavo case at a ball game the night previous with Rice without other parties to the matter being present. Greer refused to recuse himself and Rice later denied that he had made the comments to Anderson.
. . .
Rice, as well as McCabe, has been directly involved in the Schiavo case, steadfastly denying requests to conduct alleged criminal investigations of criminal wrongdoing in the matter by Michael Schiavo.
Rice and Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, have also served on the board of directors of the Hospice of Florida Suncoast, the corporation which operates the Woodside Hospice in Pinellas Park where Terri Schiavo is in residence.
Felos failed to disclose his affiliation with the Hospice at the time in April, 2000 when he and Michael Schiavo moved Terri to the Hospice. However, it has since been learned by The Empire Journal that the proper certification for Terri's admittance to the Hospice was never completed and that she was not legally designated as terminal, a requirement to be admitted to a hospice and for her care to be paid for by Medicare.
The federal government has initiated collection procedures against the Hospice of Florida Suncoast to recover some $14.8 million which they say was unlawfully paid to the hospice as a result of fraudulent claims made for Medicare reimbursement for patients that were not terminally ill and therefore not eligible for hospice care, allegedly at a time when both Rice and Felos were members of the Hospice board of directors.
Insurance Connection?
Richard M. Jerger, Jr is a holder in the Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corp. which bought out The Jerger Co, which insured mobile homes.
Raymond Blacklidge is a registered lobbyist in the Florida Legislature, who worked for the Jerger Company. Blacklidge, Business Partner to Richard Jerger, was an Insurance Executive selling mobile home insurance in the state of Florida. Jerger somehow became the Business Partner to Michael Schiavo:
http://www.sunbiz.org/corpweb/inquiry/corinam.html, searching for "Jerger" returns THE JERGER COMPANY, INC. and JERGER & CENTONZE INSURNACE AGENCY, INC. (sic) Both are connected to Richard Jerger. Jerger & Centonze Insurance, Inc. is listed under Jodi's address. Jodi Centonze is Michael Schiavo's "domestic partner" and now mother of his 2 children.
Myopic Zeal:
Senator Jim King, originally upheld the passage of ?Terri?s Law.? (S 12 E)
Board member of Woodside Hospice
Received campaign contributions from Richard M. Jerger, Jr., of Jerger & Centonze Insurance. (Mr. Jerger lived in a different district).
Called his support of Terri?s Law ?The Terri Schiavo vote that I made was probably one of the worst votes that I?ve ever done?
. . .
Note: Richard M. Jerger, Jr., stockholder in Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corp, sold 2902 shares of stock in July,2001 for $102,933? put this in the ?for what it?s worth? department.
Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corp.
http://www.phly.com Designer insurance is all the rage these days, and Philadelphia Consolidated Holding grows its business by stitching together innovative policies. The company and its subsidiaries specialize in designing and underwriting commercial property & casualty insurance for niche clients such as rental car companies (including the insurance they always want to sell you at the counter), not-for-profits , health and fitness centers, and day-care facilities. Specialty lines cover such professionals as lawyers, accountants, and insurance agents. The company also sells mobile homeowners policies, mainly in Florida.
UNVERIFIED SPECULATION: Is there an insurance policy connection between Jerger/Schiavo and The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast via Philadelphia Consolidated Holding? Could the Holding Corp. be covering the not-for-profit hospice and it's directors from liability? I don't know how one would get an answer to that. But if so, what would be the implications?
Note: Put down the tinfoil hats-- I'm clearly NOT making accusations here, just asking questions...
The Hospice
Hyscience:
Mary Laybak, CEO of Woodside Hospice has direct ties to Euthanasia Society of America and Hemlock for Hospice, an organization that seeks to accelerate the dying process. Federal funds may not be used for these purposes.
The Hospice is a federally funded program designed for terminally ill and those whose death is eminent. Terri has been in Woodside Hospice illegally for three years under Medicaid payments, for free, courtesy of, yep, George Felos. Felos combined and conspired with Michael Schiavo to arrange for Terri's "free" stay at Hospice Woodside as part of an "exit protocol" designed to advance Felos' self-perceived messianic mission of "helping" incapacitated people to die by categorizing them as "terminal," warehousing them, and depriving them of therapy and rehabilitation services.
US Dept of Health and Human Services is currently trying to collect $14.8 million from Florida Suncoast Hospice, owed to them since 1997. The squeaki-clean(not) Hospice is accused of patient brokering and several lawsuits filed by Attorney Jonathan Alpert are pending.
(More on Mary and The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast can be found here.)
http://www.cst-phl.com/050224/seventh.html:
"The CEO of Woodside Hospice, Mary Labyak, is a board member of Partnership for Caring, a direct offshoot of the Euthanasia Society of America."
The Autopsy
Florida Medical Examiner Commission search committee "made up of local law enforcement, prosecutors, the public defender and county officials" including Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney Bernie McCabe, chairman of the committee & Bob Dillinger, Public Defender selects Dr. Jon Thogmartin, Pinellas County Chief medical examiner, who will conduct Terri's autopsy.
Thogmartin said Pinellas offered a probable pay increase from his current $125,000. [Outgoing Medical Examiner] Wood earns $145,000.
Thogmartin acknowledged that Palm Beach officials offered him a $10,000 pay raise to drop out of the running.
"But I didn't pull my name out," he said.
So Thogmartin, essentially hired (pending Gov. Bush approval) by the committee headed by Rice & Greer friend McCabe, for a likely salary of $145,000 which, if true, would be a $20,000/yr raise. I'm sure there's no loyalty there...
Judge Greer and Robert Wharrie (hospice board) share the Clearwater Bar Association's (CBA) Probate Panel (almost at the bottom of the page.) Thogmartin is acquainted with the CBA, even being asked to speak to them:
CBA to Examine Jon R. Thogmartin, M.D. at July 26, 2001 Membership Luncheon
Scheduled speaker for the July 26 membership luncheon at the Harborview Center is Jon R. Thogmartin, M.D., District Medical Examiner for District 6, Pinellas and Pasco Counties, since December 2000.
And he'll be impartial?
Update: Bringing other players into the autopsy scene is a positive (and smart) move. An independent autopsy in another location would be better, but what can ya do? I haven't done any research on Dr. Pellan, nor is the neuropathology expert named. These sound like positive developments. I'm sure they're aware the whole world will be scrutinizing the results.
My conclusion: If Terri were on trial for a capital crime with a possible death sentence at stake, all of these authority figures would be deemed as having a significant conflict of interest in the outcome and be removed from the case.
Why are Terri's rights being given less consideration than that of a death row criminal?
---
*Update: Looks like I'm not the only one looking at these characters. I see from the Myopic Zeal cast listing, that I've got some corrections to make to my chart. I'll do so as soon as I have time. Update: Minor corrections made to chart (name corrections). Added new data to chart and listed sources per Myopic Zeal's cast of characters. Update: In the interest of fairness, changed subtitle in light of possibly positive autopsy news & updated Autopsy section.
Welcome BlogsForTerri readers.
Update: References to Scientology have been frequent in comments, given that Clearwater, Pinellas County is the headquarters of the sect. When I first posted, I was not aware of this, nor had I come across evidence indicating a Scientology involvement. I've taken time since then to research it.
While there is a similarity in the cause of death (starvation) behind Terri's death and another woman, Lisa McPherson; the circumstances and the key players involved in the Schiavo case are different. In the McPherson case, it was a woman dying in a Scientology-owned facility with State Attorney Bernie McCabe filing felony charges against the church. In the Schiavo case, McCabe has refused to investigate possible criminal wrongdoing in a case heard by his friend Judge Greer. I have seen no evidence in the public record that the church, its members or its ideology is involved. Searching the St. Petersburg Times (the local paper) for "Scientology" brings plenty of articles in which McCabe and the Sheriff's office are on the opposing side of issues involving Scientology, and it seems unlikely that the county government would make a quick reversal in attitude to join with Scientologists to euthanize Terri. I think Mary Labyak's & George Felos' Hemlock Society tendencies give enough of a euthanistic inclination alone, regardless of the views Scientology may have on the topic.
If it can be shown based on public record that any of the key players have ties to Scientology, I'll report it. However, I was unable to find any, and unless/until that happens, I want to re-emphasize the purpose of this post: To bring attention to the connections in the Schiavo case available in the public record which should have been grounds to remove the majority of the key county officials from the case due to conflict of interest. This post is not intended to promote theories on Scientology, because I have found no evidence which supports those theories.
http://titleofliberty.typepad.com/ttol/ ... _lies.html