Defense tells shocking stories of Cheever’s youth
Ron Sylvester
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Eureka — Jurors heard jolting stories Wednesday about how Scott Cheever grew up in a household where illicit drugs were common and how his increasing drug abuse led to a rapid decline.
Cheever’s public defenders hope that by understanding Cheever’s life leading up to the killing of Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuels, jurors might consider life in prison instead of the death penalty.
But as Cheever’s trial shifted to the sentencing stage, which continues this morning, prosecutors persistently pointed out one issue: Several in the same family grew up in that environment, yet only one stands convicted of capital murder.
One day after jurors found Cheever guilty on seven counts, including capital murder, prosecutors attempted to show that his violent past is a reason to impose the death penalty.
At least one juror dabbed her eyes Wednesday when Cheever’s mother, Brenda Freisner, took the stand to plead for her son’s life.
Freisner, 43, testified she grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father. She came to love alcohol, too.
“I’ve been drinking forever — ever since I can remember,” she said.
She said she began smoking marijuana at about age 23. She smoked in front of Scott Cheever when he was 6 years old.
At about 14, Cheever began stealing pot from his parents, and Freisner said she decided to give him his own stash. It seemed to calm him down, she said, from being hyperactive.
“I was self-medicating my child,” she said, crying.
Teresa Aikman, Cheever’s aunt, testified that she lost custody of her children because of her drug use. She lived with Brenda and Donnie Freisner in the same house where Cheever was raised with his sister, Brandi.
“What were you thinking, doing drugs in front of your kids?” public defender Ron Evans asked.
“I was brought up that way,” Aikman, 41, said.
By his junior year in high school, Brenda Freisner said she and her son, Scott, were getting high together.
Fred McLain, a counselor and football coach at Madison High, testified Cheever played football and ran track but began dropping out of sports as a senior. Seeing more potential in Cheever than he saw in himself, McLain said, he tried to help the young man get into a community college.
When that failed, McLain told a U.S. Army recruiter to try and interest Cheever in signing up for the military.
McLain testified that the recruiter reported back that when he went to visit Cheever at his home in Virgil, stepfather Donnie Freisner brought out pot and began rolling joints. The recruiter left.
Before long, Freisner said, she and Scott were making methamphetamine together.
She testified she would accompany Scott to the home of their friends, Darrell and Belinda Cooper, where they would make, and take, meth.
The Cooper house in secluded Hilltop, an old oil town that went bust after the 1920s, was where Cheever shot Samuels to death on Jan. 19, 2005, as the sheriff tried to serve a warrant on him.
Despite the constant presence of drugs, prosecutor Lanny Welch asked each witness a similar series of questions to point out that Cheever had good role models available, in his football coach, teachers and friends.
When Cheever’s parole officer, Melissa Purkeypile, testified about his drug problems after he got out of prison the first time, Welch asked:
“Have any of your other probationers who’ve used meth committed capital murder?”
“No,” Purkeypile said.
create (anonymous) says...
Shocking is a mild word for this horror. But can we truly blame upbringing for behavior? The old argument of nature versus nurture often arises, especially in court cases like this when guilty parties are looking for excuses.
At what age do we start realizing right from wrong and refuse to do wrong? Look at all the help this boy was provided outside of the home. Somewhere along the way he had to have received messages of right from wrong. It's clear that he simply ignored it all and a good man is dead because of it.
Lots of people grow up in lousy households like this one, but they get out and do okay for themselves. No excuses!
November 1, 2007 at 5:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hottopics (anonymous) says...
My brother and myself were around it growing up as kids. But NOT by our parents. I grew up and got a life. My brother CHOSE to stayed involved and let drugs and alcohol consume his life. Sadly but my family expects the day when either he will die from it, someone will kill him because of it or he will commit a crime putting him away which is what he needs to get clean.
November 1, 2007 at 8:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jasper007 (anonymous) says...
A very sad story that a respected officer of the law would lose his life doing his job. It is time for Mr. Cheever to step up to the plate and take the punishment doled out by our legal system. Drugs continue to destroy lives. To hottopics: Please do not give up on your brother. I am a recovering addict (cocaine) and although I have been clean for years, there are days that are still a struggle. One day, your brother will DECIDE it is time. To me, it's the only way someone can end this miserable disease. There is help.......God bless you and your brother.
November 1, 2007 at 11:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
I read that drugs cause the vast majority of crime. I'm already telling my toddler that drugs are bad and make people do stuff they wouldn't do otherwise. Hopefully by the time he's exposed to drugs in school he'll not be tempted to try them. I've watched too many people throw their lives away on drugs or alcohol. Cheever had family who were clean who tried to take him and help him out. He had an out but chose not to take it. I doubt this will stop others already on drugs but maybe a few will think twice about starting. We can only hope and pray.
November 2, 2007 at 10:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )