Gera-Lind Kolarik - Prisoners of Fear

GERA-LIND KOLARIK has been a journalist in Chicago since 1976 where she was a police reporter with City News Bureau and a freelance reporter with the former Chicago Daily News. She has also worked as a news assignment editor for the CBS and ABC television affiliates for ten years. She received an Emmy Award in 1984 for Best Spot News Reporting and was nominated in 1985 for an Emmy as a producer in an investigative reporting series. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors; Sisters in Crime; Association for Women Journalists; International Crime Writers Association; Mystery Writers of America; Society for Professional Journalists; International Press Club; and the Chicago Newspaper Reporters Association.

Kolarik is also a contributor to Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, Chicago Magazine, and the American Bar Association Journal. She is a frequent speaker concerning the role of journalists in reporting women-related crime stories. Prisoners of Fear is Kolariks third book. She has previously written Freed to Kill (1992) and I Am Cain (1994), both published by Avon Books. Kolarik lives in Chicago.

In the past year, stories involving stalking by spouses and domestic violence have been extremely topical. To investigate and objectively re-create the lives of two people leading up to a tragic conclusion is difficult, and finding information and people to talk to is not easy.

Special thanks to Liz Mitchell, book editor of Todays Chicago Woman, who first called me with this story idea and impressed upon me the importance of writing a book like this from both sides.

I thank psychotherapist Kate Couris, of Partners in Psychiatry, in Des Plaines, Illinois, whose work with the victim program STAR was helpful to me in my interviewing of people involved in the case.

For Connie and Waynes family members and friends, a book like this is painful as well as healing. Special thanks to Chris and Al Musetti, Jane, Tom, and John Krauser, Steve and Ken Chaney, Tammy Braithwaite, Jo Anne Hicken, Loretta Wagner, Jackie and Joan Mudd, Cathy Sullivan, Diane Tarver, Susan Melton, Kathy Hoshell, Letty Pacheco, Cheryl Answorth, Jill Jozwik, Donna Rubenstein, Ken Thrasher, and David Walters.

Many agencies became involved in the criminal case of Connie and Wayne Chaney and their representatives spoke openly to me about not only their roles, but also their feelings. I am grateful to Judge Sheila OBrien, attorneys Dennis Born, James Kissel, Karen McNulty, Mark McNabola, John Galarnyk, John Collins, Lee Howard, and Wayne Shapiro. I thank also private investigator Jeff Mills, director of Life Span (in Des Plaines) Leslie Landis, counselor Vicky Poklop, and coroner of Kane County, Illinois, Mary Lou Kearns.

Many police departments played a major role in helping me to investigate and obtain documents in this case. Were it not for the help of Commander Al Freitage of the Des Plaines Police, many people would never have granted me interviews. Special thanks to Des Plaines officers and detectives: James Prandini, Randy Atkin, Robert Weirick, James Ryan, Ron Sharin, Mike Lambeau, Robert Schultz, Terry McAllister, Bill Spyrison, Larry Zumbrock, Kevin OConnell, Angela Burton, Tim Veit, and Norman Klopp.

I also thank former Cook County Sheriff police captain Frank Braum, along with Mark Caridei, Paul Cagle, Robert Arrigo, and Commander Len Marak.

Special thanks to my photographer and good friend Sharon White, whose ideas made the photos, and to Wein James and Dariel Eklund, who spent hundreds of hours transcribing my many interviews. Without you both I may never have finished this book.

Dawn Wilsons husband, Christopher, was taken back into custody on the day he was released from jail. Because he had written to Dawn from jail, he was charged with violation of protective orders. In a jury trial he was found innocent. Wilson, who spent a year wearing an electronic monitoring device, did not contact Dawn or their daughter, Christie. Eventually, he began a relationship with another woman.

Dawn appeared on a number of syndicated talk shows, and was the focus of an article in Family Circle magazine.

Donna Chaney was awarded the ten thousand dollars bond she had put up for Wayne. A Cook County circuit court judge ruled that in the interest of fairness the money should be returned to Chaneys family.

However, the state attorney appealed, and the decision was reversed. Appeals court Justice Carl McCormick wrote, Donna Chaneys hardship in having to repay borrowed funds does not ameliorate the risk she knowingly assumed, nor is it a legal justification to divest the state of its right to judgment mandated by the bail bond.

As for the lawsuit filed by Connies family against Donna Chaney and the state attorneys office, all counts were denied by Judge Kathy Flanagan.

Thomas and Sarah Krauser are still in the process of adopting Max, who often talks of the moments he enjoyed with his mother and father, saying I remember when Mommy did that with me, or Daddy used to take me there.

When Max is old enough they feel that a book about what happened and how it happened will help Max to better understand his parents and to know that Connie and Wayne loved him.

December 24, 1976
Des Plaines, Illinois

All her life Connie Krauser remembered fondly the Christmas seasons of her childhood. Each year when yuletide came to Des Plaines, Connies mother hung a huge evergreen and holly wreath on the front door. A magnificent Christmas tree was erected next to the fireplace in the living room by the large patio window and everybody took a hand in the decorating. The smell of baking cookies filled the air. Eggnog was poured, drinks were served, neighbors were greeted. Currier and Ives could hardly have painted a more wholesome picture than that of the Krausers celebrating the holiday.