Here is what happened to me, in three levels of detail.
Though I was obviously victimized for years, I refuse to remain a victim or to be defeated. I am a fighter and survivor, moving on with life despite the embarrassing scam pulled by these Mitchell psychopaths. I hope this encourages others to also fight back against this most heinous crime that often goes unreported.
She was sentenced to 4 years in state prison. He got 1 year in county jail and 5 years probation. Both were ordered to pay full restitution, but have failed miserably. They successfully stole my entire life by isolating me from family and friends for several years.
This site exists to expose this horrible crime in the hopes that it might help someone avoid being victimized, or to help someone pull a loved one out of this trap. Another purpose is to gather further information on these heartless felons in hopes that justice may eventually be served in my case. If you know anything more about my case or these crooks, please let me know.
I had never heard of this con and that is mostly why I fell prey. Since 1984, the phrase "sweetheart swindle" has appeared in the Sacramento Bee only 9 times. All were in 2001 or later and 6 of those were about my case! Sadly, the victim will never know they are in a sweetheart swindle until it is too late.
Notice how the media is careful to omit the word "gypsy". The first article also refers to an earlier Tina John (also a gypsy) case from 2002.
As you read, this probably sounds ridiculous. But, my fiance had me 100% convinced she had cancer and I was her only means of support and hope for life. In my mind there were two possible outcomes: she would beat the cancer and we would live happily ever after, or she would die and I would be left all alone. Either way I would be fine knowing I had done everything in my power to help in her time of need.
Linda knew of a third possibility that she ensured I would never consider: that everything she ever said was a lie.
The chronological history of Linda Mitchell and Tim Witham October, 1999 - May, 2003 by Timothy D. Witham See my GnuCash financial reports for more detailed chronological record of check numbers and amounts that was meticulously logged as they occurred. This, and my actual cancelled checks, will show that Linda successfully convinced me to give her well over $300,000 dollars in cash and gifts for false reasons that she fabricated as a fraud. What you are about to read may seem unbelievable. But you must understand I was deeply in love with my sweetheart, my "Kitty". Linda loved me too, I was her "Puppy" and we knew we would spend a lifetime of love together. In short, I put all trust in her and she became my life's passion. Her life meant more to me than my own life and I was willing to sacrifice and invest all for our relationship and future together. I entirely supported this woman for the last 3 years. This went well beyond my means and required large debts to be inccurred, to save her life so she could marry me and we could live happily ever after as she promised. The entire thing is all a well planned fraud to steal all my money, unless she can prove she had cancer. It all began... October 3, 1999 Met Linda Mitchell at KFC at Greenback and Fair Oaks. I was dressed nice as I stopped there to eat a bite between church services. After beginning to eat, they walked in, ordered and sat down at the table next to me. She said "you look familiar, do I know you?" She introduced herself, her son Ricky and brother Rick. Small talk revealed that she was a widowed interior decorator and I was a single church-going software engineer. I was also a private pilot and had just finished building my own airplane. In other words, they learned I had money. But she wore a skirt and appeared to be the kind of modest girl I might like. We exchanged phone numbers. Week of October 3, 1999 I called Linda a few times and we learned more about each other over the phone. Seemed to get along great. She appeared to be everything I ever wanted. Arranged our first date for saturday. Saturday, October 9, 1999 Met for first date at Olive Garden on Sunrise. Linda was there when I arrived. Her brother Rick was there to drop her off but wanted to talk with me privately. He said "Linda is going through some hard times financially but will be doing fine in 6 to 12 months. She needs a friend that can handle this." After eating we went for a drive and talked in the park next to the zoo in Folsom. She asked "what do you want out of this relationship?" As a strict Baptist Christian, sex is out of the question for me until after marriage. But I was willing to hold hands and maybe even kiss, but she was not willing to kiss until the preacher says "you may now kiss the bride". I resptected that and thought this must be right. October, 1999 We had several dinner dates, all of which I paid for. Eventually, I got my house cleaned up enough to invite her to visit. She never spent a night; would only stay for a few hours. One time she invited me over to their house at 7863 Locher Way where she cooked me a meal. We saw each other 2-3 times a week. She had no car so I would pick her up and drop her off. We talked late on the phone nearly every day, getting to know each other and becoming more "serious". As part of this, Linda dumped some tear-jerking history: that her house burnt to the ground a few months before meeting me and she lost everything. This is why she lived with her brother. The house was uninsured but there was a case pending to recover the loss from the air conditioner repairman that caused the fire. This was the 6-12 months that her brother had mentioned, after which Linda will gain a large sum of money and be very well off. Of course, she failed to prove any of this with an address that I could see. But she had already convinced me she loved me very much and that we would be together. We discussed our future, marriage, kids, and so on. And, remember, the financial situation is temporary until the house case goes through. around November 5, 1999 Linda convinced me she needed a car to get some work. She picked one out of the paper and we purchased a 1997 Ford Explorer VIN 1FMDU35P8VZA69319 with California license plate 3UDN587 from W###### #. J###### by certified check from me to him. At her request, I wrote a letter (copy available) to DMV that the car was a gift from me to Linda and she registered it in her name. Since she had nothing but a car, she also needed gas. She talked me into getting a Chevron gas card so that all she could charge was gas. This sounded reasonable so I got the card in my name and she got to use it at the pump. It remained in the car for her exclusive use. Now she could come and go to see me as she pleased, all paid for. December, 1999 Linda convinced me that during a routine exam with her doctor they found a, probably harmless, cyst on her ovary that needed to be removed by surgery. But she had no insurance. After I begged and pleaded for the estimate, bill, doctor's name, hospital's name, all to no avail, she finally convinced me to pay after much argument. You know, they give a great discount for paying in cash upfront. So she got me to sell stock and go withdraw $35,000 in cash approximately December 6, 1999. I had never seen so much cash in all my life. Meanwhile, I had already made arrangements to travel to ###### to see my family for Christmas. We needed a way to stay in touch. She asked me to get a phone with Verizon so that I could reach her. She always carried the phone and we could now talk anytime. Of course, now I had to pay this bill every month in addition to her gas. But it did work well and she talked to me often. February, 2000 For Valentine's day, I buy Linda a beautiful gold rope necklace from Crescent Jewelers at Sunrise Mall: $285.00. A return visit to the doctor showed they needed to do some tests to determine the problem that had resurfaced: $1,000 on the 8th. Tests revealed 4 radiation treatments were needed to eliminate remaining bad tissues. Cash discounted price only $5,000 each for a total of $20,000! Of course I begged to pay the doctor directly and demanded to see the bill or receipt. She refused. "No honey, that's private, no one can see my medical records! But thank you so much for helping me, you are my best friend". Oh well, it's just money and what better way to spend it than on helping a loved one in need. And I had plenty of stock, with the technology market booming. Remember the house fire? Took all her clothes and Ricky's too. So she begged for a Mervyn's card. I refused but finally got one in my name so I could control it. She referred to it as "my card" as in "Please, honey, let's go shopping with my card!" So we did, to get her some clothes. This card would get used through the years to undeniably document our serious relationship as the statements log all the panties, bras, skirts and so on that I bought for my beloved girlfriend and later fiance. March, 2000 One more radiation treatment needed, just another $5,000. April, 2000 Oops, one more radiation treatment needed, only another $5,000. I am not certain when, but sometime around here they moved out of the house I knew on Locher way. She refused to tell me the address of their new location because her brother didn't want anyone to know. You see, his wife had turned to drugs: she got the house and he got the kids. Now he had to keep the kids away from her and not let her find out where they were. Hmmmm.... Whatever. Linda travels to LA from the 20th to the 24th to visit her dad. He is in bad shape with Alzheimer's. He was in a nursing home down there but went in to a coma and is in the hospital. Her father was a rich man as he owned a lot of stock in Safeway. He owned 2 houses in LA and also had cars there. But he was unable to help Linda because he couldn't even recognize her or talk to her. She had no access to his assets because he never signed for them to have control. But someday, when he dies, she and Rick will inherit everything. Linda promised I would be the first to know when she gets a lot of money this way or through the still pending suit on the house. This is further incentive that our financial losses are temporary; it will all be paid back someday. May, 2000 Final test to make sure Linda is OK: $1,000. Around this time, Linda realizes the financial load is bothering me so she sells the 1997 Explorer for $8,000 to pay part of the medical bills herself. Curious, I calculate the difference in how much I spend on cars vs. Linda: Vehicle Year Bought Sold $/Year Cost =========== ==== ============= ============= =========== my Mustang 1979 2/1987 $1600 2/1999 $450 $95 my Ranger 1990 4/1999 $2800 ? $0 $700 L's Explorer 1997 11/1999 $15000 5/2000 $8000 $14000 (later) L's Exp.Sport 1998 5/2001 $13000 5/2003 $4500 $4250 June, 2000 Oops, yet another final radiation treatment needed. I think of the next several months as the good ones. We grew in love together as I became her "Puppy" and she was my "Kitty" and the medical problems were gone. Ironically, though she again had no car, I saw her quite regularly, at least a couple times a week. Her brother would bring her to the Home Depot parking lot at Madison & Marconi. We talked on the phone often, late into the nights. July 24 - August 13, 2000 I am on sabbatical vacation from work, driving my Ranger to Wisconsin and ###### to visit EAA Airventure and my parents. Meanwhile, Linda is in LA to see her father in the nursing home. around August 26, 2000 My parents are visiting from ###### and meet Linda for the first time. Linda cooks us all a great meal. September, 2000 I decided I have to marry Linda. I began researching diamond rings on the internet. I learned the 4 Cs and became familiar with diamond pricing and started saving for the big purchase. This is a one-time event so I wanted to do it right. I started testing her with questions to get a feel for her tastes in jewelry and the engagement ring specifically. I mentioned I would likely buy a nice $3,000 engagement ring. She didn't like that idea. It won't be pretty enough. It must be real; no fakes! Must be 2 carets! I knew a two caret stone is completely unreasonable. I researched and found a very nice one caret diamond could be found for $5,000. Plus a very nice platinum setting with another caret of smaller stones and tax would add $2,500. So in February, I would finally purchase the $7,500 ring. I said let's go get your finger size at a jeweler. She said I wear an 8. I said I don't think so, that is too big. She said anything smaller hurts, I swear I need an 8. Hmmm... ... November, 2000 Linda needs a partial hysterectomy to remove an ovary. This doozy comes in at a nice even $80,000. The usual arguing about let me talk to the doctor, hospital, see a bill, receipt ensues. Of course she refuses. But that amount is simply not possible. I look at numbers and finally figure a way to get started by taking a loan against my retirement for $34,000. We discuss and she says it must be done. This ends up costing $870 per month for 4 years, but at least I am paying interest to myself. And it turns out to beat the market, a good investment! This bill is paid over the next three months in three huge installments. Why not dump her? I am convinced I love her and she loves me. And I have already invested my life in her and decided to marry her. It's just money anyway, and it's just temporary. I'm not so shallow as to let physical problems keep me from loving someone. It would be cruel to turn on her when she needs me most. So I must help since it is theoretically possible. December, 2000 The second installment of the $80,000 bill is financed by remortgaging my house to come up with $31,000 in cash. January, 2001 The third and final installment for the surgery is paid by liquidating more stock, some at a loss but this comes up with $15,000 to pay the $80,000 bill in full. Man, I have never seen such cash bleeding. I am not happy with all this but can't imagine any other way. I mean, a life is on the line. How can you put a price on life? Soon, she will be on my medical insurance and we'll live happily ever after. Wednesday, February 14, 2001 Linda finally attended church with me for the first and last time at ####### ####### Church in Orangevale. There we were witnessed together by all present including my Pastor ##### #######. I had always said, "if you would just go to church with me, maybe I would ask you to marry me!" Monday, February 19, 2001 Presidents holiday I was home from work and invited Linda over. Started a fire and lit some candles. Knelt down on my knee and asked her to marry me as I presented the ring. She exclaimed "Yes!" and proudly wore the ring. The size 8 she made me get looked way too loose. Sure enough, it would nearly fall off. I said this ain't right; I'll send it back and get the right size. She refused and said "No, I'm keeping this one, I love it!" It was purchased from Blue Nile for $7,515 and appraised locally for $10,500. It is: GIA 11186551 dated June 20, 2000 Round Brilliant 6.53 - 6.58 x 4.06 mm 1.05 carat 61.9% depth / 56% table SI clarity H color no florescence very good polish & symmetry It was mounted in a RG00014205 size 8 platinum setting with princess-cut diamond accents (1 ct. tw). March, 2001 My cousin Mike #### visited me for several days. I took him flying several times. Linda cooked for us and Mike witnessed the shiny ring on her finger. Later, we discovered a crack in the setting as it pinched her. I said it's defective; I'm sending it back to get it replaced. Since it's going back, I'm buying a smaller one. She refused. She said, no, the 8 is perfect. So I sent it back and got a replacement size 8. She had many opportunities to have a ring of the right size but she refused! Meanwhile, Ricky breaks his toe by dropping a weight on it at school. I get to pay for this too: $1,600! April, 2001 Linda and I bumped in to my friend Grant ####### and his girlfriend Julie at Target. Linda proudly showed him the shiny ring and asked if he had heard the good news. We are congratulated on our engagement. Linda visits the dentist for two root canals, cleaning and X-rays: $1,800. Meanwhile she needs hormone shots: one a month for three months at $1,000 each. Saturday, May 12, 2001 Linda and I had lunch at Black Angus near Greenback and Sunrise. We then went to the private party car sale on Rocklin Road near Sierra College. She fell in love with a white 1998 Ford Explorer Sport VIN 1FMYU22X6WUC84342 with California license plate 4JQU002. She begged and pleaded for me to buy it for her. I argued you neeed a more economical one and keep some money for gas. But she won as I finally gave in and bought it, spending all of my tax return money. Met the owners V###### and F####### C##### a few days later at their credit union near Maidson and Sunrise where we paid off their loan and took ownership. As before, linda took a letter from me (copy available) to the DMV where she registered it in her name. Her brother arranged insurance. This Explorer Sport had 64,233 miles at this time. June, 2001 Oh no, the cancer is back! The doctors say they need to do a battery of radiation treatments. Nine is the limit; in no case can anyone handle more than 9 treatments. They will start with five. $5,000 x 5 = $25,000. Here is when I begin going into major debt. I take a $2,400 loan against my life insurance. I get a line of credit with Wells Fargo for a whopping $15,000. I charge $2,300 to my MBNA credit card and liquidate all remaining stock for over $8,000. Ok, now this is getting painful. July, 2001 With all my finances drained and the debts accumulating, I got a second job with ####, a company I worked for in college. This is a flexible part-time job with hours that can fit around anything such as college classes or an 8-5 full time job. I start at a whopping $8 an hour, a tiny fraction of my day job salary in Software Engineering. But I have no way to make any more money on salary, so it is all I could think of to survive. Meanwhile, the five treatments didn't work so we must go ahead with the 4 more of the 9 total radiation treatments. $21,200 total after adding some hormone shots. This is done by taking a second mortgage against the house. Finally, we are done spending money on doctors and hospitals! Now she either lives or dies. After partially recovering, Linda "borrowed" my 35mm camera and the family took a trip to LA from the 14th to the 26th. There, she "lost" my engagement ring. How's that phrase go, "a diamond is forever or 5 months whichever comes first"? She claims it must have slipped off her finger as she threw change in the fountain at Disneyland. That she didn't notice it missing until they were gone. I refused to believe a woman can lose a $10,000 ring without knowing it. She said she called and they clean the fountain every week. She took my diamond paperwork to prove the ring was hers. The ring and paperwork never returned. Neither did my camera. This is also when "Kitty" disappeared. Linda was no longer the same. She began a very slow gradual process of drifting away that was impossible to detect at this time. It also happens to coincide with the point at which I was no longer capable of producing large sums of money. But she was still able to extract $500 a month from here on for the hormone shots that she just had to have to survive. August, 2001 Remember the 9 radiation treatments? That in no case could anyone need more? She needs more! September, 2001 Radiation #11. These last two are paid on credit cards... Saturday October 6, 2001 Linda decided to attend my good friend Bob ######'s wedding with me. She located a nearly $1,000 blue outfit at Nordstrom at Arden Fair. I said, "you know honey, it might be rude to look better than the bride". But that is the only one she would accept and she had no other formal clothes. So I had to buy it on credit. She did look very beautiful. We walked in together and there she was introduced to many of my work friends (Bob, Kevin, Steve, Matt, Doug and more) and they all discovered we were engaged to be married. The date was still not set. This was sad to me because Bob and G##### were engaged nearly the same day as Linda and I and were already happily married 6 months later. Thursday October 18, 2001 I pay for Linda's Explorer head gasket replacement by Walt's Chevron: $1419.05. She had run it out of water and blew the gaskets. Saturday November 10, 2001 Financially ruined, I face the reality that I can no longer afford to fly. I fly my baby N199TW around the Nut Tree airport 3 final times. God I'm going to miss the miracle and freedom of flight. December, 2001 Yet another surgery?! Refusing to pay this one, I only put $1,000 good faith money down to get them to do the surgery. I must figure a way to pay later... January, 2002 Somehow Linda got some of the surgery covered. So we only owe the hospital $10,000! I pay this with another loan against my 401k retirement account. Meanwhile I refinance the house to get rid of some credit card debt and make my interest tax deductible. February, 2002 Our one year anniversary of being engaged. I am sad we're not yet married. Linda always said she wanted a long engagement. I respected that, but this is ridiculous. If we were married, she would be on my excellent medical insurance and none of this nightmare would be happening. She is still showing no signs of setting a date for our wedding. But she promises we will be married. March, 2002 Linda needs an ultrasound test, pills, shot, and also visits the dentist to get 2 fillings. I get to pay it all. At the end of the month she gets radiation treatment #12. April, 2002 Radiation treatment #13. Linda takes a trip to LA. As always, she failed to bring my diamond paperwork and other receipts back. June, 2002 Radiation treatment #14 and #15. As I can not afford $5,000 for each one, the price drops to $2,500. Well, that is cool. Except that I have been overcharged all along! The price appears to be whatever they can extract. Interesting... Man I had doctors. Linda takes a trip to see a specialist in New York. Of course Ricky must go too and I get to pay for two airline tickets. Of course I don't get to see any proof this trip existed. $2,000. They would stay with her aunt (Dad's sister) there. July, 2002 Linda has a $16,000 bank debt that her brother has been paying on. It was caused by Anthony when Linda gave him access to her account. She convinces me to pay this off so she can have good credit to help herself from now on. I get my line of credit extended with Wells Fargo and begin paying towards Linda's debt. It would all be paid by October. In cash of course. No receipts of course. Linda travels to LA from the 2nd to the 5th and again from the 11th to the 15th and yet again from the 20th to the 23rd. I am losing track of what in the world she is doing, but I assume it is to see her sick dad. August, 2002 Linda takes a trip to LA. She begs for money from there and I end up wiring nearly $700 by Western Union. I therefore have a location of where it was picked up. The gas bill reveals other nearby locations so I have the approximate area of interest in LA. Remember those monthly hormone shots? They're now up'd to 2 a month which at $500 each makes the bill $1,000 a month. September, 2002 Linda is in LA. My parents come to visit from ######. I finally tell them that Linda has cancer. That is the reason we're not yet married; she won't marry me until she is better. I think she doesn't want to die and leave me all alone. They are surprised, sad, and finally understand why we're not married. I am so thankful for their visit. I love them so much and wish we didn't live so far away. October, 2002 Linda is in LA for most of the month. She has been sent to a specialist there and spends several days hospitalized. Of course I don't get to know the name of the hospital but Chevron card charges will reveal the general area where she was. I dump the story of my fiance's uninsured cancer and the large financial impact on my friend Mark #########. He asks lots of questions and doesn't believe any of it. He says it is all a lie, that she stole my money and it must stop. Mark begins to snap me out of my nightmare to bring me back into reality. Thank God for Mark! November, 2002 I fly home to see the family in ######. I have a wonderful time with my parents, brother and his wife and kids. They all know about Linda's cancer but none know of the financial load I'm carrying. I hide the pain I am going through and just enjoy the time with them. December, 2002 On the 14th, I buy Linda 4 brand new tires at Big O. Mark and his two boys witness me changing the oil on Linda's white Explorer Sport in my garage. They also say a few words to Linda. Linda and I spend Christmas together. We eat out at El Torito. This is the second time we've been there and it reminds us of a wonderful date earlier in our relationship. We went driving and it was the only place open on Christmas day. Saturday, January 18, 2003 I said something wrong on the phone: "you're not the only one on this planet with problems" because I had to get some equipment to someone before they left town to take care of the death of their mother. Linda breaks up with me over this, throws my phone on the couch, and storms out the door. She returns 10 minutes later to use that phone. Then she calms down and makes up with me. I give her 2 weeks to produce a receipt. Saturday, February 1, 2003 I break up with Linda after she fails her test. For $300,000 she can't even give me one lousy piece of paper. She turns over my Verizon phone and Chevron gas card. Saturday, March 15, 2003 Linda still wants to be my friend. She doesn't want the breakup to be bad. She needs brake work bad and no one will do it. I offer to fix her brakes. I replace the rear discs and all 4 sets of pads for $200. Monday, March 31, 2003 I send the letter receipts.txt (copy available) to Linda with CC: to Rick and Mark. This simply asks for a receipt for all the money I have given her so I have proper legal documentation. I even include an itemized receipt and self addressed stamped envelope so all she has to do is sign and drop it in the mail. This is my last effort to get her to give me proof anything she ever said was true. I CC: her brother so he can help her since she has always failed. Wednesday, April 2, 2003, 4pm I received a very angry threatening phone call from Rick. There is nothing in the letter that should make him angry, unless the money I gave Linda was used for criminal purposes. Then he would have reason to intimidate me to silence me about the money and receipts. I wrote down as much of the coversation as I could remember (available separately). The next day I am driving home from work and notice a large black SUV parked just south of my house around the curve. As I drive by my driveway, I keep going past. The SUV pulls out and follows me: right on Streng, left on Old Ranch, left on Oak. This makes no sense; if you are going northwest, you take Melva not Old Ranch. So they were most likely following me. However, the trafic on Oak was too much and I lost them right there as I was headed toward the police station. Friday, April 4, 2003 Mark thinks I should file a police report. We go do it together and I report the harassing phone call and following. I explain the whole background including the whopping $320,000 I have lost. I hear the report takes 10 days to process when the detective will look at it. I assume I should hear a call to ask more, but that never happens. Sunday, April 6, 2003, 2pm I receive an angry phone call from Linda. The purpose of this call seems to be to threaten and silence me. It is threatening because she says her brother approached Anthony and Anthony wants to know who I am. Anthony is a former friend of Linda. Supposedly a gang member that carries a gun and has stated that if he ever found Linda with another man, he would kill that man. I wrote down as much of the coversation as I could remember (available separately). Thursday, April 10, 2003 I filed a supplement to the original report over the phone to add Linda's call to the report. Tuesday, April 22, 2003 I make several phone calls to Attorneys from the yellow pages. The fourth call is to ####### ###### and he offers to discuss it with me the following day. Wednesday, April 23, 2003 Bill is immediately convinced they are crooks. We have to sue 'em! But we need to work with law enforcement on this first and foremost; these people must be stopped before other victims are taken to the cleaners. Bill will work with me on contingency since I am broke. April 30, 2003 I call the Sacramento Sheriff's office in charge of the area where Linda and Rick live. I talk to a detective P##### there and give him the 5 minute version. He says this sounds like a "sweetheart swindle". He said the fraud must be reported because I am not the only victim and they must be stopped. He said I need to talk to J## C#### who is out of the office until monday. An internet google search for "sweetheart swindle" opens the floodgates to stories and information that sound all too familiar. I learn it is a common Gypsy crime scam that goes mostly unreported and unprosecuted because most victims are old and dead or too embarassed and the Gypsys are very difficult to track. All the plays I have been through are right "out of the book" for this scam! Why have I never heard of this before? Uggghhh!!! See gypsy.txt Monday, May 5, 2003 I talk to J## C#### at the Sheriff's office. She will let me know who to work with in Citrus Heights. I am surprised to hear she knows of the 4448 Arden Way address. On wednesday she says to meet with B#### E##### in Citrus Heights. Monday, May 12, 2003 I meet with Detective Brian ###### at the Citrus Heights police station. He takes the official police report on this incredible 3.5 year fraud.This may be all that was in the actual evidence, since this is when I met with the police. I continued to write...
Wednesday, May 14, 2003 After work I drive by 4448 Arden Way just before midnight. I notice large black SUV parked there. It is license plate 4WIV222. I suspect this could be the vehicle that followed me on April 2. That is the only vehicle there. Friday, May 30, 2003 I am interviewed by Mr. Edgar Sanchez of the Sacramento Bee for his wonderful "Scam Alert" column. This story is so huge the interview takes nearly 4 hours! Thank you Mr. Sanchez for taking your time to be thorough and get the whole story. Now we must wait to get the detective's input. Unfortunately, we have not been able to reach him. Monday, June 9, 2003 I am requested to deliver any and all documentation of losses to Brian by 5pm. I scramble as much of it together as I can, giving him a huge pile of paperwork evidence. June 10, 2003 Article is published on page B2 of Sacramento Bee. Belinda Mitchell is in custody at Sacramento County Jail at 651 I St. She was arrested at 7am for 532PC: taking money on false pretenses and 487PC: grand theft, both felonies. She surrendered quietly with no comment but later was laughing and saying "I'll be out tonight". The detective is requesting bail to be set at over one million dollars. The case will now be filed with the Sacramento County District Attorney's Special Crimes unit. Belinda's X-Ref is: 2933632 I have registered my work number 916-###-#### for auto-notification of her release via victim services at 1-800-491-3064 which I got to from the main jail phone number: 916-874-6752. ####### ###. June 11, 2003 KCRA Channel 3 runs a clip including her mugshot, a KFC and the Arden Way property. My attorney recommends I not speak with media because they could influence public opinion to hinder prosecution. Fox 40 reports "Belinda Mitchell, also known as Kissie John", already confusing her with the 25 year old swindler from last fall. This turns out to be from a mistake in the original Sheriff's release. They also mistakenly said she is being held without bail, but it is actually $350,000. Mon June 30, 2003 Tina asks me about Rick's comments on our engagement. Brian asks me about the husband that died 14 years ago. While on the phone, he gets a call that Rick has been spotted at the courthouse. Within a couple hours, he is arrested there! Rick is X-Ref 1884551. I register with VINE for phone notification of his release. Wed July 2, 2003 Rick and Linda appear in court together, department 62 at about 2:15, dressed in orange with black letters on the back "SAC. CO. PRISONER". Jean mentions an "amended complaint." Rick is postponed to 7/7 9:30 and Linda to the pre-scheduled 7/10 9:30. Rick's attorney is Charlie Bloodgood and Linda's attorney Danny Brace is also present. Basically, the defense is stalling arraignment of them both and failing to bring forth proof of legitimate bail money. Thr July 10, 2003 Rick and Linda appear in court together, department 60. Jean asked for and was granted a consolidation. The case was pushed to 7/30 8:30 D60 when Jean will motion for physical exam of Linda's scars. Wed July 16, 2003 Jean and Tina question me further and give an update. Linda and Rick were married in 1990 in Reno. Birth certificates show her as the mother of all four kids. Rick is the father of the two youngest: Sarah and Donny. Rick and all four kids are receiving SSI for disability. Questioning was about visits to Linda during recovery, details on certain transactions and finally our sex life together, or lack thereof. Wed July 30, 2003 Linda and Rick appear in department 60 at 10:07. They talk to their attorneys through the glass. At 10:15 their case is called. Jean makes a motion for a physical exam of Linda's abdominal area. The defense has no objections, and the exam is granted by the judge. Both Linda and Rick finally enter a plea: Not Guilty. Preliminary hearing is set for August 26 at 8:30, department 4. Afterwards, I go to #### office to pick up paperwork. I swing by 4448 Arden Way on the way home. Blonde Aunt is there with some guy in a small 4-door red SUV and a light blue Jaguar sedan (2PPW075) is parked on the property. Wed September 10, 2003 Jean calls to give me the news: Judge Kenneth #. #### holds both defendants for trial and keeps bail at $350,000 each.My prepared timeline ends here. By this time I have learned that the defense gets a copy of everything I write in the "discovery" process. So I figure it might be best to just leave it at that and not write any more, until after the convictions.
I was on the witness stand at the preliminary hearing for 4 days. I was grilled by defense attorney Charles F. Bloodgood. It was quite entertaining; Bloodgood loved to make a fool out of himself. He thought up some impressive scenarios to try to explain away the defendents actions and to discredit me. But it was all a waste of time so that he could make a lot of money. The Mitchells had no problem holding 3 defense attorneys on retainer for 5 months using my money.
The case proved she never had cancer and never intended to marry me (she had a husband and 4 children the entire time). The court decided all gifts and money I ever gave had been stolen because of her false pretenses used to obtain it.
The defense and the prosecution refused to take the case to trial. They plea bargained and Belinda Mitchell got 4 years in state prison. Her husband Richard Mitchell got 1 year in county jail and 5 years probation. They both were ordered to pay restitution of $470,354 + 10% interest which is the literal amount their crime has cost me (not counting pain and suffering, investment loss, lost years of life, and so on).
Please see my Victim Impact Statements for even more about the devastation caused by gypsy Mitchells. Basically, since 2001 I have lived on $3/day for food. The rest of my income goes to pay the Mitchell criminal debt.
Timothy D. Witham
<twitham@surewest.net>
Time-stamp: "2004-10-13 21:53:15 twitham"