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Attack of the.... hairbrush?

There have been many cases where I've read something which has left me with a raised eyebrow. There's always that "one case" with that "one statement" that just never sits right.

Today, while looking for updates on the Raye Dawn Porter/ Smith case, I found such a statement. And, even now... my eyebrow won't drop back into place.

The two key pieces of the puzzling statement include red marks on Kelsey's rear, and a hairbrush. It was concluded that the red marks were indeed caused from the hairbrush- but not in the manner you might think:

Jurors also heard from the former assistant police chief of Meeker, who investigated whether Kelsey's injuries in January 2005 were from abuse. The former assistant chief, Matt Byers, said he and a police sergeant concluded they were not from abuse.

Smith told investigators she didn't know where some of the bruises came from and that she suggested some of the facial bruises came from the same fall from the crib that broke Kelsey's collarbone, Byers said.

He decided Kelsey might have gotten the most suspicious injuries, the red marks on her behind, from falling on a hairbrush he had seen in her room, Myers said.

Byers was called as a prosecution witness but prosecutor Pattye High tried to establish that he hadn't done a complete investigation and that he was biased against the Briggs family, who had reported the injuries.

Byers acknowledged that he may have described the Briggs family as "the village idiots." He also acknowledged he questions if Kelsey's death is even a homicide.


I seriously didn't know that they allowed such dense idiots to carry not only a badge- but a freaking gun too. I'm shocked as hell that this mindless pitiful man hasn't mistakenly shot himself in the foot while attempting to load his gun.

In all seriousness, she was two. And could only have been 3 or so feet tall- could a normal toddler fall have been so forceful that a hairbrush would leave noticeable red marks on her- despite the cushion provided by a diaper and possibly other clothing?

Or, is this likely a better explanation for it:
Raye Dawn Smith's former boss at Lewis Manufacturing in Meeker, Deborah Gilbreath, said Smith was upset because police were investigating her. Gilbreath testified that Smith said Kelsey kept climbing on her while she was putting on makeup or doing her hair and she had swatted the child "through a diaper with the brush."

A former co-worker, Mildred Johnson, said she also heard Smith say that.

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