Montgomery's Siblings Describe Sexual Abuse By Stepfather

Oct 13, 05:14 AM

Current Headlines: By John Shultz, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Oct. 13--From a window in the family's bathroom, Lisa Montgomery's siblings could watch her stepfather rape her, they testified Friday.

They took the stand as Montgomery's defense team began presenting its case Friday, the sixth day of the federal death penalty trial against the Melvern, Kan., woman in the 2004 death of Bobbie Jo Stinnett.

Much of the day's testimony painted a picture of what one defense witness called a dysfunctional family, with tales of lies, shifting allegiances and ongoing feuds.

The defense keyed in on the sexual abuse allegations against Montgomery's first stepfather. Montgomery's sister, Patty Baldwin, and mother, Judy Shaughnessy, both testified that he was caught having sex with Montgomery when she was 14.

In a videotaped deposition, the stepfather denied the allegations.

Montgomery is accused of strangling Stinnett, of Skidmore, Mo., in mid-December 2004 and cutting out her unborn baby with a kitchen knife. Authorities caught up with Montgomery the next day at her home, cradling the child. The baby survived.

Her defense team has conceded that Montgomery killed Stinnett, but they maintain she was so mentally unbalanced that she didn't understand that it was wrong. In the coming days, the defense is expected to call expert witnesses to testify to her mental state.

On Friday, Shaughnessy testified that she walked in on her second husband and Montgomery, both naked on the girl's bedroom floor, apparently having sex.

Shaughnessy said she kicked her husband out of the house after that but let him back in a few months later. She eventually divorced him and married Richard Boman, a police officer she had confided in during the end of her second marriage.

Montgomery went on to marry Boman's son, Carl Boman, whom she eventually divorced.

In testimony, the first stepfather's children and stepchildren called him a cruel, physically abusive alcoholic.

Becky Perkey, a child of his from a marriage prior to his relationship with Shaughnessy, told the jury that she saw him beat a young Patty Baldwin when Perkey visited the couple's home as a teen.

"She wet her panties and they both yanked her up and took her to the bathroom," Perkey testified, adding that the couple then stripped the girl and beat her repeatedly with a belt.

"I walked in and asked 'Why?' " Perkey said. "Lisa was sitting down at the table with her head down, her lips were quivering, and she was shaking. ... She was shaking almost as bad as I was."

Both Shaughnessy and her second husband denied ever beating their children.

Montgomery ended up living with that stepfather after her mother's first marriage to John Patterson failed. Patterson, Montgomery's father, testified that he abandoned Shaughnessy and the children after repeatedly catching his wife with other men.

The last straw, he said, was watching two of the men his wife was allegedly seeing on the side fighting in the front yard of his home.

Shaughnessy denied being unfaithful to Patterson.

Shaughnessy also maintained she was a good mother.

"I gave them as best as I could give," she testified.

Montgomery and her mother feuded in later years, according to testimony. Shaughnessy once helped Montgomery's first husband, Carl Boman, move their children away from Montgomery. Montgomery testified against Shaughnessy when the older woman was seeking custody of one of her grandchildren.

Shaughnessy described Montgomery as a smart, bookish child. But she also said Montgomery was a liar and a manipulator. Shaughnessy said she knew Montgomery had lied repeatedly to husband Kevin Montgomery about being pregnant.

"I had talked to her about the fake pregnancies," Shaughnessy said. "But it didn't do any good."

Shaughnessy said she was hurt when she heard the allegations against her daughter.

"I know what it's like to be pregnant," Shaughnessy said. "That was Bobbie Jo's first baby. Lisa didn't have a right to do that."

Earlier Friday, the prosecution had rested its case with information from one of the FBI agents who talked with Montgomery shortly after her arrest.

Agent Mike Oyler testified that Montgomery was rational when he questioned her in December 2004 about the slaying of Stinnett. Montgomery also talked about child-support issues she was having with her ex-husband and about how her ex-husband was talking about seeking custody of their children.

Oyler testified that Montgomery also said she set up an online alias to communicate with Stinnett, saying that Stinnett would not have met with her otherwise, due to past issues.

The trial resumes Monday.

To reach John Shultz, call 816-234-4427 or send e-mail to jshultz@kcstar.com.

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