What About Chris’ Wife?

One of the most frequent questions that we get asked about Chris’ case is “What happened to Chris’ wife Emily?” This tragic story only becomes more tragic when we tell Emily’s side of the story.
On the morning of Adeline’s death, Emily woke up early and fixed Chris breakfast before he left for work. After Chris headed off to Fort Cambell to report for duty, Emily relaxed for a bit before it was time for their two baby girls to wake up. Sometime before 7am, Emily mixed the formula for the babies and then went to get them for feeding time. To her horror, she discovered that Adeline had pulled a dehumidifier cord through the rails into her crib during the night. Adeline’s whole body became entangled as she played with and then began to struggle with the cord. The weight of her helmet only made matters worse as the cord wrapped around her arm, chest and then her neck and made it hard to breath. When Emily walked into the room that morning and saw Adeline in that condition, she frantically began to administer CPR and simultaneously dialed 911. When the paramedics arrived, they took over the care of Adeline and rushed her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Emily was left behind with Caroline and frantically called Chris at Fort Campbell to tell him what had happened. When the police arrived, Emily discovered that they had not come to help or comfort her. The police had only come to snatch away her remaining baby girl and to destroy her life as she knew it. Emily was hauled away to the police station where she was interrogated for hours all alone as she grieved for both of her baby girls.
Held in the interrogation room for hours, Emily, in this state of traumatic grief, cried and cried and fell into a state of despair. The police told her that they had evidence that she had murdered Adeline. They told her they found a pubic hair on Adeline (which later turned out to be dog hairs), and they said they knew Adeline had been sexually assaulted (which also turned out to be false). They told her that they knew for sure that she had killed her own baby girl! The interrogation tapes show Emily vehemently defending herself and Chris for hours against these accusations.
In the end, Emily was broken by the police as they used the same methods that they used to break Chris. Emily agreed to divorce Chris and to do whatever else that the police and DA commanded if only she could have the opportunity to fight for the right to see Caroline again. After Emily was released from the interrogation room, she immediately began the process to divorce Chris and to fight to get Caroline back. After months of fighting, she finally did regain custody of Caroline and 18 months later she finalized the divorce.
And now, to add insult to injury, the DA has subpoenaed Emily to testify at Chris’ trial under the penalty of having Caroline snatched away from her for a second time. None of us can even remotely understand the unmitigated pain and trauma that Chris and Emily have experienced at the hands of these lawless police officers.
There are no words.
Emily has confirmed to Chris’ family that she does not believe that Adeline was raped and she does not believe that Chris killed her. But she has also acknowledged that she will say and do whatever the police and DA command inorder for her to be able to keep Caroline. Caroline is the only person that can connect her to her old life that the police stole from her. Chris understands and respects Emily’s decision.
Our prayers are constantly offered to God on behalf of this sweet couple, as they are pitted against one another by the men and women of our corrupt and lethal justice system.

-My name is Jacob Conway. I am Chris’ brother. I was there at Adeline’s funeral, and I cried with Emily. I talked with her; she asked me to be a pallbearer. I saw the body. I carried that little casket. I have never witnessed a more pitiable scene in all of my life and I hope that I never will again. I urge our supporters to contact your elected representatives and demand a change in policing tactics so that no other families have to suffer the way that Chris and Emily have. Thank you.