The Puppet Master

A Woman Is Targeted For Execution. Who Pulled The Strings?

(CBS)  In court, Heather Grossman is about to confront the man she believes was behind the plot to kill her. "I might have to look away, because he still scares me," she says. "Just knowing that he’s there is eerie enough."

Ronnie, 17, is called to testify about the decade-old allegations of child abuse against his step-father, John Grossman.

"The things that you told children's services and social services was the truth or a lie?" the prosecutor asks Ronnie.

"It was a lie," the teen replies.

Ronnie says it's a lie that his father convinced him to tell.

"Did Ronald Samuels tell you the reason why he wanted you to make these allegations?" the prosecution asks.

"Yes, he wanted to take me away from my mom and John," the teen says.

Asked what it was like to see his own son testifying against him, Samuels says, "What did I expect that boy to do after 10 years of being told that his dad did that to his mom? And seeing his mom suffer everyday of her life in that chair."

And now, finally, it was Heather’s moment of truth came.

"I’m not scared of him like I was before. I was afraid to see him at first, but he doesn’t look intimidating now. I somewhat feel sorry for him that he chose to do what he did. And it’s really messed up his life," she says.

"The problems you were experiencing with Mr. Samuels, did they intensify in the latter part of 1996 and into 1997?" prosecutor Johnson asks Heather.

"Yes, they kept getting worse," she says on the stand.

And Heather testifies that her children never complained to her that Grossman was beating them.

The courtroom is hushed as Heather recalls the very moment she was shot. "I tried to scream out for help, but, 'Help' wouldn’t come out. And I don’t remember anything after that," she testifies.

If the courtroom was riveted by Heather’s testimony, the atmosphere becomes electric when Ron Samuels, against the advice of his lawyers, takes the stand.

"Did you have anything to do with the shooting of Mrs. Grossman?" defense attorney Brumfield asks his client.

"I did not," Samuels says. "I wouldn’t want anything like that to happen to her."

He insists he had nothing to do with the murder for hire scheme, saying he did not go to a restaurant to meet Hugh Estees, Geoffrey Pollock and Eddie Stafford.

And he insists that the phone records don’t prove anything.

Samuels claims he truly feels Heather’s anguish, but he insists he’s innocent.

Up until the trial, young Ronnie hadn’t seen his father since the shooting, more than nine years ago. Ronnie tells Roberts he does believe that his father took out a contract on his mother's life.

Asked if there is anything Ron Samuels could say that would change anything, Ronnie says, "Oh, no, not at all, you know? He made his mistake. That’s his doing, you know? He chose it this way."

[roscoezzz]

Ron Samuels really is a PUPPET MASTER. It seems that he wanted to control everything, his wives, kids, money and even what people think of him. He convinced his third wife of he is innocence. He even convinces himself that HE CHOSE THE WRONG WOMEN. But, those women loved him, bore his children etc.,
This sounds cliche, but real life and real people aren''t puppets. All because he lost control, didn''t want to be wrong, didn''t want to lose. He ruined so many lives. For 9 years he caused such grief and pain. He deserves to rot in that jail cell.
I admire his ex-wife who says she is happy after all that''s happened to her. She deserves so much more.

[carolcape]

I remember this matter being on before, but it is good to know this man will never get out of jail. He had everything including money. What happens to these people is unreal. Nobody wins in this case. What a tragedy for these people, especially the wife. How can so many people be so evil to do harm to one defenseless person. You think one of them would have had an ounce of goodness in them to turn him in before they killed this woman. God be with her to help her in the future.

[shoyt_2001]

Truth is in the actions, not the words. If the husband really wanted his ex-wife to be okay, then he would have paid child support rather than spending over half a million to deny it. Then he would have paid for her health care needs rather than fighting them.

He does not care about her, but says he does in the hope that people, including his children, will think well of him.

Idiot. He obviously failed in kindergarten when they teach you to play nice and tell the truth. He was probably selling spitballs in the classroom. His thinking has not moved on from those days.

[bickityboo]

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