Sunday, March 18, 2007

Greene could face death penalty

Lisa Louise Greene could face the death penalty if convicted of setting a fire that killed her two children. On Friday a superior court judge approved a motion filed by the Cabarrus District Attorney’s Office making it a capital murder case.

Greene’s defense attorneys also requested bond for Greene. That motion was denied.

Ashlie Shanley, Cabarrus County assistant district attorney, described Greene as a woman tired of raising her two children, and who started a fire at her Midland home to suffocate them with carbon monoxide.

The children suffered from asthma and were afraid of fire, Shanley said.

When the fire started, Greene shouted through the closed bedroom door and told the children to stay on the bed and wait until she came with help, she said.

Greene, 40, was charged Jan. 13 with two counts of first-degree murder, and one count each of first-degree arson, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The charges stem from a Jan. 10 fire at 10925 Candilara Lane in Midland that killed Greene’s two children, 8-year-old Addison Brooke Macemore and 10-year-old Nathan “Daniel” Macemore.

More than 20 of Greene’s family and friends were in the courtroom.

Lisa Dubs and Robert Campbell, Greene’s court appointed

attorneys, requested bond for Greene. Long denied the motion after Dubs presented her case and Greene is being held at the Cabarrus County Jail.

Dubs said she was able to find at least seven cases in which an individual charged with a capital murder case was released on bond. One of those cases was in Cabarrus, she said.

During the bond hearing, Dubs played the 911 tape from the night of the fire at Greene’s home.

As the tape played, Dubs placed her arm over the shoulder of Greene, who sat crying in the courtroom wearing a green prisoner’s uniform.

Her relatives also cried as they listened to the tape of Greene screaming for help after a neighbor called 911.

Dubs said that the night of the fire, Greene fell asleep in her chair and that many witnesses could testify that Addison and Daniel liked to use candles in their room.

Dubs said that a smoke alarm woke up Greene on the night of the fire and she tried to reach her children, but couldn’t.

Dubs said that one report states that during the fire all Greene could say was, “‘Go get my kids’ and ‘Where are my kids?’”

She said Greene was taken to NorthEast Medical Center where she was treated for smoke inhalation.

She also said that Greene had a third-degree burn to her foot. That was a discrepancy from the prosecution’s records that showed Greene only had a minor burn.

Shanley alleged that Greene’s motive for the murder was that she didn’t want to have children and couldn’t find a man to be with because of having children.

But Dubs said Greene, despite being a single mother, had a support system that helped her raise her two children.

Greene’s mother, Dale, testified Friday.

She said Lisa Greene was a photographer who would travel to various schools and take yearbook photos. When Lisa Greene was gone, she would often watch the children.

“I watched Daniel and Addison when she was at work. I’d put them on the bus and I’d watch them when they got off the bus,” Dale Greene said. “I was there a lot with them.”

Dubs also said that the day of the fire, the children’s bookbags were packed for school, they had snacks and signed papers ready for the next day.

“Those are not the actions of a careless mother,” Dubs said. “They are certainly not the actions of a mother planning to kill her children.”

Dubs said there was no motive for Greene to kill her children because there was no insurance policy on the children and there many family members who could aid with child care.

“They were healthy, normal children without any signs of abuse,” Dubs said.

Dubs said Friday that she may file a motion to submit statements made by Greene the day she was arrested.

Shanley stated that Greene told detectives she placed a blanket on fire outside the door to the children’s bedroom. The blanket caught the bookcase on fire and she then closed the door.

Shanley said Greene then went to sit in her recliner chair as the smoke began to build.

“Doing nothing to help these children,” Shanley said.

Shanley said Greene then went outside and waited, not expecting her neighbor’s dogs to start barking, which alerted Greene’s neighbor that was something was going on.

The neighbor called 911.

“Witnesses will say she did not make one move to get up and save her kids,” Shanley said. Shanley said Greene did ask for her car to be moved so it wouldn’t be burned in the fire.

Dubs said some of the statement’s Shanley was citing were made by Greene to deputies the same day she was arrested.

That was also the day she was preparing to attend her children’s funeral as well as using tranquilizers to stabilize her emotions. Dubs said the statements Greene may have made were done so under duress.

Dubs also said that when an attorney was contacted by Greene’s family, he was not allowed to sit in on the interview. Shanley said Greene never requested an attorney during the interview.

“Those statements are very suspect,” Dubs said. “She was called to the sheriff’s office the day that she was to start receiving (guests) for her children’s funeral.”-Michael Knox