Dec. 5, 2007

Murder Victim's Mother Assails Huckabee

Says GOP Presidential Hopeful Shouldn't Be President Due To His Handling Of Case Of Wayne DuMond, Who Killed Her Daughter

  • Play CBS Video Video Victim's Mom Against Huckabee

    Harry Smith talks to Lois Davidson, the mother of a woman who was murdered by the rapist paroled possibly with the help of Mike Huckabee when he was governor of Arkansas.

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  • Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, 2007/1/29 and Wayne Dumond, who was castrated while awaiting trial for rape in 1985, told the Arkansas Post-Prison Transfer Board at a hearing in Tucker prison, Thursday, Jan, 8, 1998 that if he was released, a

    Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, 2007/1/29 and Wayne Dumond, who was castrated while awaiting trial for rape in 1985, told the Arkansas Post-Prison Transfer Board at a hearing in Tucker prison, Thursday, Jan, 8, 1998 that if he was released, a "Christian based transitional home" in Jacksonville, Fla., would help him find a job if he moved there.  (AP)

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(CBS)  The mother of a woman murdered by a convicted rapist after he was paroled while Mike Huckabee was Arkansas governor is now speaking out against the GOP presidential hopeful.

Lois Davidson, whose daughter Carol Sue Shields was murdered by Wayne DuMond after he was released, told CBS News Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith that Huckabee's involvement in the case suggests poor judgment.

"I don't think he did enough background research on Wayne DuMond's life," she said. "And if he didn't do that kind of research, I don't think he's gonna be good for the country."

As CBSNews.com detailed yesterday, DuMond was arrested in 1985 for the rape of a 17-year-old girl who was a distant cousin of former Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton. He was convicted to life in prison plus 20 years, but some members of the media, including New York Post columnist Steve Dunleavy and radio host Jay Cole, suggested that DuMond was innocent and had been railroaded by Clinton.

Clinton's successor, Jim Guy Tucker, reduced DuMond's sentence to to 39 years, making him eligible for parole. When Huckabee became governor in 1996, he said he was considering commuting DuMond's sentence to time served. After the victim and her supporters protested, Huckabee did not do so, but he reportedly wrote a letter to DuMond saying "my desire is that you be released from prison."

Read More About The Case

Soon after, Huckabee met with the parole board, which had the power to free DuMond.

"He thought DuMond had gotten a raw deal," Charles Chastain, a Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, who was on the parole board at the time, told CBSNews.com. "He said he'd been born on the wrong side of the tracks and hadn't been treated all that fairly."

After the meeting, many board members reversed their votes from the previous year, and DuMond was paroled. After he was released, DuMond moved to Missouri, where he sexually assaulted and murdered Shields. He was the leading suspect in another rape and murder when he died in prison in 2005.

The Huffington Post reported yesterday that Huckabee's office was provided letters from women who had been sexually assaulted by DuMond, who warned he could strike again. Before his conviction for rape, DuMond had a record that included attempted sexual assault and involvement in a murder.

Huckabee denies that his influence on the parole board resulted in DuMond's release.

"For people to say that I was responsible in getting him out makes a few presumptions...it assumes I had the amazing persuasive power to go into a board of seven people, all of them appointed by Democratic governors before me and persuade them to do something they didn’t wish to do," he said.

But the mother of Carol Sue Shields doesn't accept that explanation.

"I don't think Mr. Huckabee ought to be president," said Davidson on The Early Show. "I don't think he should be running the country."

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Add a Comment See all 36 Comments
by infidel_us December 6, 2007 5:53 PM EST
Wow....even Mary Jo''s parents never went THAT far!
Reply to this comment
by antoniof123 December 6, 2007 4:24 PM EST
He was convicted to life in prison plus 20 years, but some members of the media, including New York Post columnist Steve Dunleavy and radio host Jay Cole, suggested that DuMond was innocent and had been railroaded by Clinton.

Well, let me see Dunleavy, Cole DuMond you were wrong and Clinton was right. He was not railroaded, he was convicted by a jury of his peers and sentence to life plus 20.
Reply to this comment
by abbe91 December 6, 2007 3:30 PM EST
"Why OBAMA can not be trusted?
--Muslim blood. His father was a Muslim. Muslim%u2019s sons are Muslims for life.
Posted by THEmagic07 at 10:43 AM : Dec 06, 2007"

Given his ties with 911 terrorists, Giuliani is more muslim than Obama.
Reply to this comment
by stopthespin December 6, 2007 11:51 AM EST
I am just an average American Citizen with no ties to politics and I find it quite obvious and pathetic how the drive-by media (and that includes the early show with Harry!)chooses their political targets and their assasination attemps (But the majority of us average people can see right through them and can very easily see through the smoke) Why did Harry ignore the real fact that bill Clinton was the one who actually made wayne dumond parole eligible? I''ll tell you why, Because that fact wouldn''t fit his and the drive-by media''s agenda, and that agenda is to get the Camilian and phony hillary clinton in to the presidency! FACT- bill clinton made dumond eligible for parole before he left office as Arkansas Govenor! Huckabee could not by law over turn dumond''s parole eligible status! Just another mess left behind by the clinton''s for someone else to clean-up and take the rap for. Just another example of the bias and unfair reporting of the drive-by media to fit their own agenda which is sooooo clear to average person, we''re not as ignorant and dumb as the drive-by''s think and it really hurts their credibility. This is why so many of us go to Fox news to get the truth and fair reporting! Why don''t they call hillary to the plate on all of her scams, lies and blunders? We all know the answer to that!
Reply to this comment
by watcher269-2009 December 6, 2007 5:37 AM EST
What, Huckabee a Republican in a Democrat outfit. This is a NON-Story plain and simple.
Reply to this comment
by scarletphd December 6, 2007 3:32 AM EST
...this is part of his past, every candidate has one. I feel bad for this mother but will still vote for Mike as well as everyone else that I have talked to, this does not change anything.
Posted by shingson

Oh the he11 it doesn''''t!!! I think it''''s absolutely vital to understand the decision making processes of these people who want to run our country! What a reckless thing he did supporting (or at least not preventing) the parol of such a sick and violent criminal into society!!! Any decision made in a politicians past should be well understood by voters!! They must ANSWER for their actions, and be held accountable for ALL that they do/did in any office!!!

When I screw up, I can usually make some quick corrections or an aploogy. When a governor screws up, everybody hears about it.
Posted by strut2k

Who gives a *** if you screw up, you are nobody. The GOVERNOR and his screwups effect thousands or millions. They shouldn''t GET to hide.
Reply to this comment
by mruk100 December 6, 2007 1:38 AM EST
I think this will be terrible for Huckabee''s campaign. I don''t know how you can trust his judgement, as the president of the United States, knowing the details of this story.
Reply to this comment
by ucjb December 6, 2007 12:45 AM EST
I can''t trust Huckabee any more.
Reply to this comment
by nyckate December 6, 2007 12:26 AM EST
kansas1946

and at least one women was brutalized and murdered all because of their irrational hysterical hatred of clinton.
Reply to this comment
by nyckate December 6, 2007 12:25 AM EST
This should be the end of Huckabee''s campaign -- afterall not only did he help free a known rapist who turned rapist murderer but now he''s lying about it ...

but then again his main supporters are the same sick twisted fools who still cheer Bush so what can we expect from their teensey inbred minds anyway.
Reply to this comment
by kansas1946 December 5, 2007 11:07 PM EST
Ted Kennedy has killed more women than Mike Huckaberry. Think about it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Infidel_Us
****************************************

Ted Kennedy isn''t running for president.
Reply to this comment
by kansas1946 December 5, 2007 10:40 PM EST
He was convicted to life in prison plus 20 years, but some members of the media, including New York Post columnist Steve Dunleavy and radio host Jay Cole, suggested that DuMond was innocent and had been railroaded by Clinton.
*******************************

An herein lies the rub. Because of hatred for Bill Clinton, and because Huckabee is a reationary, not particulary bright, and has poor judgement, he pressured the parole board to let this guy go, and as a result, one woman was murdered and possibly another. Not the kinda guy I want with his finger on the red button. We already have a loose cannon is the White House now, we sure don''t need another.
Reply to this comment
by denn034 December 5, 2007 8:53 PM EST
That woman has a point. Huckabee''s direct involvement demands the view.
Reply to this comment
by p-syrus December 5, 2007 7:57 PM EST
This case is highly suggestive of the depths that "Republican Clinton Haters" will descend to in order to make a partisan political statement.
Reply to this comment
by infidel_us December 5, 2007 7:50 PM EST
Ted Kennedy has killed more women than Mike Huckaberry. Think about it.
Reply to this comment
by thgdriver December 5, 2007 6:51 PM EST

On now lets make gun control the wedgie of the day someone is running around killing people while they Christmas Shop at the Mall in Omaha. jezzzzzzzzzzzz at least 5 dead

You also support someone like Huckabee, so he could pardon the guy in a few years.

Soft on crime people like you and those you support for president like Dukakis and Huckabee is why criminals know they can get out of prison as easy as the Monopoly game.
Reply to this comment
by pepperp1 December 5, 2007 6:38 PM EST
Looks like the presidential aspiration of Mike Huckabee is coming to a timely end. The mother is not going away, the networks are more than happy to give her a forum.


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Posted by incog-nito at 02:18 PM : Dec 05, 2007
+ report abuse


%u2026%u2026.its over wait to you read the letters begging him not to let this guy out and read some of the loonies beating the drum to let this rapist out and why.
Man swift boating these republican candidates like Huckabee and Rudy is not even required they have done this all to themselves.

On now lets make gun control the wedgie of the day someone is running around killing people while they Christmas Shop at the Mall in Omaha. jezzzzzzzzzzzz at least 5 dead

GUNS DON%u2019T KILL PEOPLE DO, ya right, get these people out of office while we still have a country.
Reply to this comment
by pepperp1 December 5, 2007 6:30 PM EST

Oh the he11 it doesn''''t!!! I think it''''s absolutely vital to understand the decision making processes of these people who want to run our country! What a reckless thing he did supporting (or at least not preventing) the parol of such a sick and violent criminal into society!!! Any decision made in a politicians past should be well understood by voters!! They must ANSWER for their actions, and be held accountable for ALL that they do/did in any office!!!


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You are correct and it is also why their leaders always fail them.

Tap Tap
Reply to this comment
by thgdriver December 5, 2007 6:23 PM EST
All must remember what happened to Mike Dukakis When he supported prison furloughs.
The most controversial criticism against Dukakis involved his support for a prison furlough program. This initiative resulted in the release of convicted murderer William Horton (dubbed Willie Horton by the Bush camp), who committed a rape and assault in Maryland after being freed. A lot of folks think his answer to questions along this line helped cost him the election.

What Huckabee did is not too far removed form the black eye it gave Dukakis.

Reply to this comment
by pepperp1 December 5, 2007 6:21 PM EST
Well there is a great deal out there available from the time and it absolutely indicates the young Governor reacted to the Fringe Looney elements in this country and women died as a result. Where is the civil suit against Arkansas by Jay Cole, a Baptist minister and radio host who was a close friend of the Huckabee family. It also became a cause for New York Post columnist Steve Dunleavy, who repeatedly argued for Dumond''s release, is there not culpability in her death, from these two possibly the Baptist Church? Hey some trial lawyer should give this sweet lady a call.


Takes the Governor off the table for a second look for me but I am sure this will attract many from the Right that want this kind of a puppet leader who does for them and believes he and they are above the law.

And to boot he lied about his involvement, hmmm, must be a party requirement even for a supposed man of God.

Reply to this comment
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