Mom Beaten: Daughter Speaks Out

March 27, 2012/in murder/by Eyes for Lies

(Revised at 12 CST due to a correction: Fatima says “you” instead of “she” as I had earlier posted).

Fatima Al Himidi speaks out after finding her mother savagely beaten in the family home.

I am immediately struck by Fatima’s demeanor in this video. She covers her eyes by wearing sunglasses which is notable because she is supposedly crying, but more than that, she shows none of the indications of a girl who is sad, or stressed, which I would expect to see both after what she has endured. I don’t see any tears at all running down past her sunglasses. I don’t see any real signs of crying, either.

I also don’t see any fear which I would expect–especially if this killer came into the family home.

Her demeanor also varies notably and is not consistent.

Fatima says,”You took my mother away from me. You took my best friend away from me. Why?”

Why is Fatima giving up hope before her mom is dead — talking about her as if she already passed when she is still alive in this video? Most victims and family members hold on to hope that their loved one will survive until the very last moment, but Fatima doesn’t. It’s notable.

Fatima goes on to rant about whoever did this is a terrorist, and if you notice when she does this, there is no emotional pain in her voice whatsoever. Its more like she is giving a lecture or yelling at a school friend. It really stands out to me.

“You’re an animal, whoever you are. You are not even an animal,” she says.

After which she acts like she breaks down, but it is clearly an act.

Fatima says, “If you were a man, you’d come to her face. You wouldn’t do it behind her back.”

How does Fatima know her mom was attacked from behind? This intrigues me. Is this something investigators shared with her, or did she just guess at this when she found her mom severely injured with a tire iron? I would think with a lot of blood, it would be hard to tell.

I find Fatima’s demeanor odd and notable without question.

Fatima’s mom, Shaima Al Awadi, passed away Saturday from her injuries. Police believe this was an isolated incident.

Update 1:23 PM: A reader has mentioned that Fatima’s culture may affect how she is coming across. This is very valid and people who are knowledgeable about this, please share your thoughts. I do not want to discount how culture can affect behavior. Thank you.
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Kari Bales

March 26, 2012/in Uncategorized/by Eyes for Lies

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When I watch Kari Bales speak out, I suspect a lot of people will likely judge her as cold and callous because we see her smile at times we wouldn’t expect it. Kari’s husband, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, is accused of murdering 17 Afghan civilians, including children.

Kari says without any negative emotions on her face, ““I just don’t think he was involved.” She shakes her head no and is clearly full of doubt that this could be true.

I believe Kari is in denial, which Matt Lauer talks about at the end of the interview. Kari can’t accept that the man she loves could be capable of doing what he is accused of. At times, she almost looks like she could crack up in laughter because its so absurd to her. It’s so over-the-top. She can’t believe it, and doesn’t want to believe it. Understandably. Who would?

Yet in contrast, about one-third way through the interview, we do see Kari fight back true turmoil when she does tear up for a minute. She is quick to gain composure, or MSNBC edited it here. I can’t tell.

Kari is feeling a huge array of emotions right now that I suspect even she can’t make sense of. She is all over the board–overwhelmed emotionally, and when this happens, emotions crop up out of nowhere, as if they short-circuit. She likely will experience a flash of emotions going from sad to happy to angry in a matter of minutes. She likely won’t know which way is up and which was is down.

At this point, I suspect Kari is choosing to repress these emotions as much as she can to cope–to get by or until she can get the facts that give her confidence, and yet the facts may never give her confidence to accept the truth as she so tells us.

I think it is very natural for a wife and a mother to reject the idea her husband could be involved in such a horrible nightmare–even in the face of overwhelming evidence because accepting the truth is beyond devastating to Kari’s life. It is absolutely possible that she may always reject what her husband did (if he is convicted), because to accept her husband is a murderer is a very hard thing for a mother to do when looking at her innocent children.

Water Heater Repairman

March 23, 2012/in Uncategorized/by Eyes for Lies

My mom told me the story of a friend who has lived in a new house now for seven years. Her friend called to tell her that her water heater went out for the third time, and she was shopping around for a new one.

The first guy that came to her house. He was from a well known company in town who advertises heavily on the radio. He told her she needed a new water heater, but what he offered was hair-raising. He offered her a new water heater for $1,400.00, and oddly he said it had no warranty!!

This friend of my mom lives alone so you know she doesn’t need a big water heater, if you think that could justify the price.

I would have told the guy to leave immediately.

Water heaters do not cost that much money, first and foremost. Always check the price of items that you buy, even if you buy it from a professional and have someone else install it. I use a rule of thumb that the most it should cost is double if you include a basic swap installation. More than that, and I immediately ask questions to see if more charges are warranted.

Second, this serviceman was offering this woman no warranty. As we all know, most products today have some form of warranty, so why wouldn’t this item? That’s another red flag.

One way to check this is to look at the product the guy is quoting you and to call the manufacturer. With someone this brazen, I’d love to have called him out on his antics. I am sure you would find out this product typically comes with a warranty, so he was likely selling a second quality product, for one reason or another–and for three to four times the normal price!

Fast forward: My mom’s friend decided to called another plumber (thank god!) and this man came out and said that the water heater she had was still under warranty and that he’d repair it at no charge to her.

Ah. Now it all makes sense!! Guy number one was selling people with warranty failed water heaters new ones. Then he was turning around and taking the old ones, fixing them for free under the warranty terms, and re-selling them to customers–hence why they had no warranty.

Evil little bastard!!!

Life Lessons: Always know the base price of any item you are buying. Know your warranty terms, and keep your warranty manuals. Last, never depend on a service man to tell you what it is!