Heather-renee’ skarina In the matter of the death of heather-renee’ skarina To: RAPIDES PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE : DETECTIVE. MIKE STEPHANS RAPIDES PARISH DISTRICT ATTORNEY: JAMES DOWNS RAPIDES PARISH CORONER’S OFFICE: DR. FRANCES BRIAN JR. RAPIDES PARISH GRAND JURY FOREMAN (JANUARY 2006 SESSION) January 10, 2006 My name is Leyona-Ruth Skeen, I am the natural mother of Heather-Renee’ Skarina, who passed away on September 18, 2005 in the home of her natural father, MICHAEL DAVID SKARINA. This letter contains information I feel is pertinent and relative to this case. Some of this may be repetitive to my mother’s earlier letters. This letter also address’s my concerns over the autopsy findings and the ruling given. My hope is that you will read this in it’s entirety and then decide for your selves if this doesn’t warrant a full investigation into all events from the early morning hours of September 17, 2005 until my daughter’s body was found in the home of Michael D Skarina. TIMELINE OF EVENTS AS WAS TOLD TO ME BY DETECTIVE MIKE STEPHANS OF THE RAPIDES PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE: 09/17/2005 APROX 0430 RPSO was called for a domestic disturbance at the home of an unidentified man. My daughter Heather-Renee’ was present at this disturbance. According to RPSO Detective Mike Stephans: Michael, Heather and this still yet to be identified man were out drinking together. When they (Heather-Renee & Michael) went home this man followed them. In Michael’s SWORN STATEMENT, he got out of his vehicle and approached the house, he then realized Heather-Renee’ had left with this man? He then goes to the estranged wives home and gets her to go with him to get Heather-Renee’. Then the 2 men get into an altercation and a fight ensued. The RPSO was called to the scene. Yet no video from the patrol car (s) is available. Heather-Renee’ left the scene with Michael. 09/17/2005 APROX 0530 RPSO was called again to an incident where Michael &Heather-Renee’ were arguing in the truck on the way home and ran off the road, and had a flat tire. RPSO responded again to this scene, and still no video of this traffic incident is available. Heather-Renee’ left again with MICHAEL. 09/18/2005 APROX 1015 RPSO was called again to the home of MICHAEL DAVID SKARINA My daughter was found dead. APROX 24 hrs later her body is found face down, fully clothed and wearing all her jewelry. In Michael’s sworn statement to the police, Heather had stayed in her room, in bed, all day after they finally got home on Saturday morning. He claims she never came out of the room except once to get something to drink and go into the bathroom. Then picked up her dog and cat then went back to bed. * Yet anyone who knows Heather-Renee’ KNOWS she barely slept in anything but a T shirt and shorts or sleep pants and a tank. If she had indeed been in bed ALL DAY why is that she was fully clothed including a belt? * Was she still wearing the same clothes she had on FRIDAY NIGHT into the early hours of Saturday morning? * Where are the clothes that she was found in??? If not the same ones she was wearing on Friday. * The clothing that was returned to the Estate, by Michael under a court order served by the RPSO included the following articles: 1. One red pageant bag 2. One large blue plastic bin with 10 pairs of shoes 2 of which had no mate, the mate to both shoes were found in Heather’s apartment in Vicksburg. 3. One folded pair of pajamas 4. Two Pageant T Shirts 5. Four small sleep shirts, still folded 6. One pair of jeans PURCHASED @ ALEXANDRIA MALL ON SEPT 16, 2005 aprox 6 pm 7. One Pink Polo type baby doll shirt PURCHASED @ ALEXANDRIA MALL ON SEPT 16,2005 aprox 6pm. 8. One New Cami , with tags, of 2 PURCHASED @ALEXANDRIA MALL SEPT 16, 2005 aprox 6pm. 9. Heather-Renee’s small purse containing some change and her cell phone with cigarette case & ID. * NO CELL PHONE CHAGER…??? Where is it? 10. The cats car bed. *Where are RAVEN’s COLLAR , BED and FOOD DISHES ? * Heather-Renee’ took these with her ALWAYS. 11. Two large T Shirts that did not belong to her. 12 One pair of old sweat pants that belonged to Michaels Brother, John. 13. Two T Shirts that belonged to Michael’s son Christopher. We also were able to get Heather-Renee’s Dog, Raven and her Cat Binx returned to us. * WHERE IS THE REST OF HEATHER’S JEWELRY? The police claim that all her jewelry was removed and placed on the dresser in the room in which she was found. We received the Butterfly necklace but none of her other jewelry. She was wearing a RUBY & DIAMOND RING that she never took off, it was a gift from my MOTHER. Belly ring? Not returned. Clothing she was wearing at the time of her death?? *IF HEATHER-RENEE’ HAD BE “OUT DRINKING” WHY IS IT THERE WAS NO ALCOHOL FOUND IN HER SYSTEM? The autopsy says no ALCOHOL not even bi-products??? My questions in regards to the autopsy: In an ON GOING INVESTIGATION is it routine for the CORONER to rule when there is clearly a box on the form for PENDING INVESTIGATION? IF my daughter died of multiple drug use, how is it that: 1. There were NO FRAGMENTS FOUND in either her STOMACH OR INTESTINAL TRACT 2. NO SIGNS OF REGURGITATION, she didn’t vomit… 3. NO ALCOHOL was found, not even bi-products. 4. 3 of the 5 drugs found in her system were PRESCRIBED TO MICHAEL D SKARINA 5. 2 of the drugs found were her own PRESCRIPTION ANTIDEPRESSANT , and SLEEPING PILL. On or about November 21, 2005 Detective Mike Stephans of RPSO told me that this case was still under investigation and he did not know why the coroner would sign off on it, and it could not be changed without a court order. IF THIS CASE WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION IN NOVEMBER AND STILL ONGOING IN DECEMBER WHY DID THEY CERTIFY THE DEATH CERTIFICATE ON DECEMBER 20, 2005 WHEN THE CORONER’S OFFICE WAS WELL AWARE THAT THIS CASE WAS STILL BEING FULLY INVESTIGATED? I feel that this case is very much open and that the coroner’s findings should be subject to closer examination. WHY IS IT THAT A FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST CAN NOT DETERMINE TIME OF DEATH?? I feel that my daughter died sometime on Saturday, and Michael waited to call the police. Why is it that he NEVER CHECKED ON HER… his own words to the police,. IF ANY THING THIS IS A NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE, He has and had no regard for Heather-Renee’s well being and IF HE WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT HER, since he said,” she was despondent and talking of suicide“ , WHY IS IT he NEVER looked in on her for close to 24 hours? If his 10 year old son, Went into the bedroom and saw her in the floor at 7:30 AM why didn’t he wake his DAD UP & TELL HIM SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH HEATHER??? In closing I hope you have taken time to really read this and take it all into consideration. These are legitimate questions that I feel are IMPORTANT TO this case. I am also aware that MICHAEL DAVID SKARINA holds a Commissioned Deputy position with THE RAPIDES PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPT This leads me to believe he is being protected by the badge of the Sheriff’s OFFICE If I am wrong PLEASE do my daughter the justice of getting to the truth, of all the incidents leading up to my daughter’s body being found DEAD in the HOME of her NATURAL FATHER. My Beautiful 22 year old ,daughter had EVERYTHING TO LIVE FOR Thank you for your time in reading this in it’s entirety. I pray this goes before the grand jury and they see that I am not “another one of those mother’s” who thinks their child would never kill themselves. I understand the reality of this and, my daughter had such a life force of her own, she lit up a room with her smile & wonderful humor. My daughter loved her life and life it’s self, she had a new niece she was totally in love with and had a room in her apartment waiting for Emma-Hope. Heather-Renee’ would never leave Emma-Hope with out telling her good-bye…… Please don’t let my grand daughter grow up thinking HEATHER-RENEE’ left her by her own hand. Heather-Renee’ is not here to tell us exactly what happened those last 12- 24-36 hours of her BEAUTIFUL LIFE…. Please help us to do this. Thankfully and with my deepest respect, Leyona-Ruth Skeen Honolulu, HI 96825 Leyona@hawaii.rr.com Leyona@gmail.com