Former Friends: Greene called her children a 'nuisance'

CONCORD – Daniel Macemore put his head down and looked ashamed as he sat in a barber’s chair after he heard his mother, Lisa Greene, say she “would give her kids away if people wouldn’t get mad at her,” a former friend of Greene’s testified Monday.

Wendy Lucas, a 14-year friend of Greene and hairstylist for her family, testified that one month prior to the January 10, 2006, fire that killed her children, Greene said her boyfriend didn’t want children and she wanted to get rid of them.

Lucas was one of two former friends of Greene, 42, to testify Monday that Greene was tough on her children and repeatedly said she didn’t want them. Greene is charged with two counts of murder and arson, and could face the death penalty if found guilty.

Lucas testified that on December 13, 2005, one month before the fire, Greene visited her salon, Salon 2000, and seemed “agitated” when she made the statements about giving her children away.

Lucas testified that Greene told her over the course of the previous three years that she “wished she’d never had them” while in the presence of the children.

Lucas testified that Greene was angry that her children had “ruined her body” and were a “nuisance.”

She also said that Greene once told her that she would rather her children be “dead than to let (Darren Macemore, the children’s father) have custody.”

Lisa Dubs, Greene’s attorney, angrily objected, saying that Lucas had never previously made that statement to police or the district attorney, and Judge Robert Bell had it taken from the record.

Dubs issued more than 20 objections during the questioning by Assistant District Attorney Ashlie Shanley.

“You remembered (these statements) all those times you were interviewed but didn’t think it was important until now?” Dubs asked during cross examination, and Lucas said she was unsure of when she remembered those statements being made.

Lucas had trouble remembering dates of specific times that Greene made these alleged statements to her but said several other women in the salon heard the statements made by Greene. Lucas testified that Greene would visit the salon every six to eight weeks in 2005, and would frequently make comments about disliking her children and her parental responsibilities. After being aggressively questioned by Dubs, Lucas changed her testimony, saying that Greene may have only entered the salon two or three times during 2005, but she was unsure.

Misti McCaskill, who testified first on Monday, said that Greene was “extremely critical” of her children and “never said a good word about them in public.” McCaskill said that Greene called her daughter Addison Macemore, 8, a “fat, chunky, little pig.” She testified that Greene called Daniel, 10, who had a learning disability, “stupid,” and on one occasion said her children were dressed like “hobos” and she was embarrassed to be around them.

McCaskill testified that she and Greene became “good friends” in 2003 and bonded over their love of motorcycles. McCaskill began testifying on Friday and was brought back for cross-examination on Monday.

McCaskill testified that Greene had ended their friendship by not returning phone calls six months prior to fire, and she was unsure of her state of mind leading up to death of her children. She added that Greene had originally told her that she loved her children, but later called them a “nuisance” and would “take them back if she could.”

Dubs asked McCaskill if she knew how Greene acted with her children outside of her presence, and she said she didn’t know.

A suspected gas leak, which was later found to be falsely reported, emptied the Cabarrus County Courthouse for nearly one hour Monday, interrupting testimonies.

Court proceedings will be halted the rest of the week due to the Thanksgiving holiday and will resume Monday, Nov. 26, at 9:30 a.m.

-Josh Lanier