Leslie Ghiglieri - The Decision to Kill: A True Crime Story of a Teenage Killer and the Mother Who Loved Him

THE DECISION TO KILL published by:

WILDBLUE PRESS

P.O. Box 102440

Denver, Colorado 80250

Publisher Disclaimer: Any opinions, statements of fact or fiction, descriptions, dialogue, and citations found in this book were provided by the author, and are solely those of the author. The publisher makes no claim as to their veracity or accuracy, and assumes no liability for the content.

Copyright 2022 by Leslie Ghiglieri

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

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ISBN 978-1-957288-34-5 Hardcover

ISBN 978-1-957288-33-8 Trade Paperback

ISBN 978-1-957288-32-1 eBook

Cover design 2022 WildBlue Press. All rights reserved.

Cover Design / Interior Formatting by Elijah Toten

www.totencreative.com

Acknowledgements

Thank you to my beta readers who generously gave of their time to read my manuscript and offer suggestions. I am grateful to each of you.

Sherri Beeler, Allyson Elmore, Debi Hassler, Sarah Hyman, Gina Jones, Nancy Lee Lane, Mel Neilitz, Karissa Quant, Erica Schwam

To those who edited my work. Vickie Reierson who got me on track in the beginning and encouraged me to stay the course. Suzanne Ray who edited and re-edited many pages. Your persistence reassured me that someone was by my side to the end. Nancy Lee Lane who offered helpful editing suggestions and held my hand through computer frustrations. You are a good friend.

And to my husband, Andy Ghiglieri, from the beginning you supported my commitment to do this project for Cherie. You read chapters and offered ideas for improvement. Most of all, you reassured me to keep going when I felt discouraged. I couldnt have completed the book without you.

Thank you Donette for your patience with my incessant questions at all hours of the day. You welcomed me into your home and always treated me with respect for my mission with your mom and were friendly to me. I appreciate your willingness to open the door to events that were traumatic for you and answer questions with candor. You are an exceptional woman.

Dedication

To Cherie

A woman I admired for doing what she believed was right despite her own feelings. Thank you for the privilege of documenting your story.

Prologue

In February of 1986, my then future husband Andy and I attended a sweetheart banquet in a quaint brick restaurant in the Southern Oregon town of Grants Pass. The small church we went to had organized the event and, soon after we entered the bistro, we were seated at a table with a couple neither of us knew. Their names were Don and Cherie Wier. I wish now that I would have known then how our lives would intersect over the next thirty-five years. I would have paid closer attention to the conversation Andy and I had with Don and Cherie that night. My recollection is of an enjoyable evening shared with a warm and friendly couple who caused us to laugh and made us feel as if wed always been friends. I remember leaving that night thinking how glad I was that wed been seated with them. I cannot help but wonder, when looking back, if theyd mentioned trouble with their sixteen-year-old son and I hadnt paid attention. Probably not. I never could have imagined that these many years later, I would be writing a book sharing intensely private details of Don and Cheries lives.

Andy and I married in 1987 and moved thirty miles away to Jackson County in 1989. I remember seeing Cherie several times over the years, but it wasnt until October of 2016 that our reunion would take a very special turn.

That fall afternoon, I was looking forward to attending the womens get-together Cherie was hosting outdoors on her picturesque property along the Applegate River. An invitation to visit the grounds was a treat in itself, the surroundings breathtaking and the atmosphere serene. We would sit outside, of course, and the opportunity to reconnect with friends would be a bonus. I sat near my dear friend Sharon, and we talked about old times and mutual acquaintances. The discussion drifted to comments about the almost magical quality of Cheries property and then to the subject of Cherie herself. As we marveled at all that Cherie had overcome in her life, Sharon commented that Cheries personal story would make a fascinating book. Something stirred in me at that moment and I felt drawn to act on my friends observation.

That same day, after everyone had left, Cherie and I stood in her kitchen discussing the story of her life. For more than twenty years, shed been passionate about the idea of a book chronicling her experiences that might bring hope to others going through struggles similar to hers. I told Cherie I would document her life story if she would let me, but I admitted I had no experience writing professionally. Id always wanted to write a book, I told her, remembering Id first had the desire when I was in the fifth grade. Cherie was seventy-six and I think she realized, after waiting so many years, that this might be her last chance to see her vision become reality. She said she would trust me to do it. That afternoon, Cherie and I entered into an agreement that would bind me to her and consume me with her story for the next five years. I was nave about the scope of the task but prayed that my diligence would compensate for my lack of experience.

Over the next three years, I visited Cherie as often as I could. For months at a time, we would meet weekly, having lunch at her home, talking about her life. I recorded our interviews and took notes, knowing I couldnt rely on my memory to recall the volumes of information we covered. When she became sick with an unknown illness, I visited her in hospitals in Grants Pass and Medford and when the need for emergency surgery sent Cherie to Portland transported by Mercy Flights, I rode along. For the duration of the flight, I watched with amusement as Cherie flirted with the handsome young paramedic in charge of her care. We traveled in a Lear jet with two paramedics and two pilots to the Oregon Health and Science University, where we stayed for five days. Everywhere we went, she introduced me to people and told them we were writing a book together. I wish Id made a list of the names of those individuals who requested a copy when the book was finished. I sat in the background, wanting only to keep her company and let her know she wasnt going through this journey alone. I couldnt help but be awed at how naturally she spoke with people she met and how quickly she engaged others in conversation. She had a gift for connecting with strangers.

I considered my promise to complete this book an irrevocable commitment to someone I loved and admired. I can say with confidence that these pages tell a true story. The content comes from personal interviews I conducted, newspaper articles, police interviews and reports, psychiatrist reports, and other official documents. Where letters are incorporated, I have quoted portions verbatim without correcting grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors. I deliberately avoided drawing conclusions and simply presented the facts, allowing readers to form their own opinions. I read 350 letters and extracted the sections I found pertinent. There are gaps in time when letters werent exchanged. I cannot account for what went on during those periods. There was no documentation of telephone conversations, though there was reference to them in a few letters. Several early readers of the book asked for more information about Donette. Out of respect for her privacy, I have included only those incidents she felt comfortable sharing with me.