Muse - Kidnapped by a client: the incredible true story of an attorneys fight for justice

Copyright 2019 by Sharon R. Muse

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover photo courtesy of Kevin Bryan with Visual Poet Studios

ISBN: 978-1-5107-3594-1

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-3595-8

Printed in the United States of America

To my heavenly father, God, for rescuing me time and time again. To my warrior of a dad, Richard R. Muse and my lifelong playmate, best friend and worlds greatest brother Richard (Rick) Jesse Muse who both passed before this book was printed. I would have never survived without your influence. And to my Mom, Bonnie L. Muse, who showed me what it looks like to walk in faithespecially when it is hard. My sister Lisa, for being a constant support. Im blessed beyond measure.

Honorable Robert G. Johnson, Circuit Judge for the 14th JC and later a Court of Appeals Judge, and to my jury. Combined you gave me my life back. There are no words to adequately thank you. Codell and Vickie Gibson and David Roe. Your willingness to intervene in an act of violence quite literally saved my life. Jeff Ballard, your intelligence and strength helped me navigate the most terrifying moments of my life and may have saved my trial. Steve Schroering, your expertise and friendship carried me through. Amy Lusk, you stood in the gap when I couldnt do it myself. God sent each of you to protect me. Thank you for doing it.

Everything good that comes from this story is because of you.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

911 CALL

DATE: April 7, 2006

BOURBON COUNTY

TRANSCRIPT EXCERPT

DISPATCHER: Okay. Whats going on?

MALE CALLER: Im not sure. I just pulled up. Theres a woman hereshe ran into the road [with her shirt down]. She was screaming and asked for help, said she didnt know where she was. Said shes a lawyer and this guy was a criminal or something. I just pulled up on this.

DISPATCHER: Okay. Whats going on out there now?

MALE CALLER: Let her tell you.

MS. MUSE: This is Sharon Muse. Is this...

DISPATCHER: This is State Police, honey. [Are you injured?] Do you need an ambulance?

MS. MUSE: I dont know, I dont know.

DISPATCHER: Okay, Sharon. Just take a deep breath for me, okay, honey?

MS. MUSE: Im so scaredhes going to kill me.

DISPATCHER: I know, honey. Youve got other people that are there with you right now, right?

MS. MUSE: Yes. But he is still here, please hurry.

DISPATCHER: Okay. Weve got a trooper on his way to you, okay?

MS. MUSE: Do you know how close they are? Please hurry. He keeps trying to get around these people to get to me. I want him away from me. I cant fight him off anymore; hell kill me if he can get to me. Please hurry! He is getting close to me

[Muse to Morrison] You need to stay away from me!

DISPATCHER: [in background operator to trooper on radio: You got an ETA?] Okay Sharon. Weve got them on their way, okay, honey? Theres a trooper whos coming out there to you whos going to take care of all of it. Are there other people there with you still? Sharon? Sharon? Honey, are you there? Sharon?

It doesnt matter if you get away, he said. Im going to kill you. It may be tomorrow, it may be next year, but Im going to kill you.

I believed him then. I believe him now.

I barely survived the first time he came for me.

Why did he come for me?

I dont know. It isnt possible for the mind of the rational to understand the mind of the obsessed. At no point in this story will you say, Oh, of course. Thats why he planned to kill her. That makes sense.

Crime can be random. Mine wasnt. This crime was born, nurtured, and fed in the depths of the mind of an evil and twisted predator.

I never saw it coming.

I first met Larry Morrison years ago when I successfully helped him navigate a legal matter. Once the case ended, I did not think of him again. He eventually landed in prison for the same charge with a different lawyer. He went in disturbed and came out evil two and half years later. He inexplicably fixated on me, plotting my rape and murder as he obsessed in his prison cell. Which brings me to this case, my case, The Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Larry Morrison in which I was not his lawyer. I was his victim.

I take umbrage when Im labeled a victim. I will not allow it to become my moniker, though it is my title in this legal drama. But it makes me feel as if Im weak. My strength is one of many things this man has taken from me, along with my dignity and pride. But Ill take it back.

Ive made it my job to make sure he doesnt see the light of day again. No one else is keeping watch. Each day of incarceration for him is a day of life for me. Despite multiple witnesses, plenty of physical evidence, and a terrifying crime scene, Morrison was not charged with a number of crimes that would have added to his potential sentence. He tried to rape me, yet he was never charged with attempted rape. He told me he was going to kill me and did his best to slit my throat, yet he was never charged with attempted murder. After he was arrested, he was almost released due to a clerical error.

Procedural errors, data entry errors, and apathy are just as dangerous as murderous psychopaths, it turns out. If I werent a lawyer savvy in the institution of law and if I hadnt been relentless in advocating for myself, Id probably be dead right now. Or he would be, since I embraced something I called proactive self-protection. But well get to that later.

I was shocked by the reality of how the system works, the system Ive spent my life serving. I came to realize the criminal justice system is, in actuality, the criminals justice system.

My story is a crash course in safety, forgiveness, and criminal law.

I had to learn these things the hard way. It almost cost me my life.

Dont dismiss this. Learn from it.

I, too, said, This cant be happening to me. I was wrong.

Larry Morrison is not the criminals real name. I choose not to give him further notoriety.

PART ONE

THE ATTACK

CHAPTER 1

NO?

COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY

v.

LARRY MORRISON

DIRECT EXAMINATION OF SHARON MUSE

[BY ASSISTANT COMMONWEALTHS ATTORNEY, MR. EARLY]