The Misery Machine - The Case of Macy Grace Ditty

Starting point is 00:00:00 Macy Grace Diddy was born on December 14, 2012 to parents Jeannie and Kevin Diddy. She was born with Ancola Glossia, often called being tongue-tied, which meant a band of tissue prevented free movement of her tongue. Doctors were able to fix it with a simple surgery while she was still an infant. Macy had curly brown hair, brown eyes, and a big, bright smile. She was an energetic and happy baby who loved spending time with her family, chasing butterflies and playing with her dolls. Her great Aunt Shelley Smith nicknamed her

Starting point is 00:00:33 Mixy, Trixie, Fairy Pixie, and described her as a sweet, beautiful, and curious little girl. Macy loved the movie Frozen, swimming in the pool, and her Aunt Shelley's dog Bourbon. Videos posted online showed snippets of a life filled with love. In one, she gave her uncle a whole lecture in baby talk, waving her hands in the air and giving him a stern but unresolved. unintelligible talking to. In another, she played with her dad, stealing his ball cap and then putting it

Starting point is 00:01:03 back on his head. A clip recorded at an amusement park showed her joy during her first ride on a ferris wheel, and in one taken before bedtime on an ordinary night, a smiling and laughing Macy looked at the camera and said, night night and blue kisses at the camera as if she was saying goodbye. People who knew Jeannie as a girl said she was difficult and described her childhood is unstable. She liked to be the center of attention and didn't mind lying and manipulating to get her way. Her parents divorced when she was young and when she was 10 years old, she decided she would rather live with her dad. Her Aunt Shelley said this was the first time she remembered Jeannie using lies and manipulation to get her way. She fueled arguments with her mother, father, and other family

Starting point is 00:01:46 members in order to make her mother so upset that she would send her to live with her father. Growing up, she attended at least two high schools in Pennsylvania. After she graduated, she graduated from Stroudsburg High in 2011. She was looking for discipline and direction in her life, so she decided the best option for her was to join the military. But it was hard to leave her past self behind. During basic training in Missouri, she got her whole unit in trouble by taking her blanket with her on fire watch and then falling asleep. Fellow cadets remember her seeking attention and causing drama. In 2012, she married Kevin and moved with him to Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Later that year, she got pregnant and decided it was time for her to leave the army.

Starting point is 00:02:26 Kevin was deployed overseas during her pregnancy, so he wasn't home when Macy was born at the Womack Medical Center, but he was able to return home when the baby was just a few days old. Jeannie had been close to her Aunt Shelley for many years. When Macy came along, Shelley visited North Carolina and helped her with a baby, and FaceTime called every morning after she returned back home. Macy loves spending time with Aunt Shelley and Uncle Bobby, and they had several visits with her over the next couple of years. When Macy was still a baby, Jeannie worked at a gym, a car dealership, and an oral surgeon's office. She also worked hard to lose the baby weight and get back into shape. Kevin was still deployed overseas and this time he was in the UAE and he tried to

Starting point is 00:03:08 keep in touch with his baby girl via Skype called. But being apart was difficult and the couple was struggling. There were rumors that Jeannie was dating other men and they soon decided to divorce. Now, always looking for attention, Jeannie often posted short videos of Macy online. Most showed the toddler smiling and acting adorable, but not all of them. One showed her having an angry tantrum, stomping her feet, and yelling in baby talk. She wasn't speaking clearly, but the caption on the video said, Macy doesn't like to share her mommy. In another video, it showed Macy wearing a pink onesie standing up on her mother's nightstand.

Starting point is 00:03:44 She was clearly being naughty, but despite where she was, she wasn't in any real dain. She was grinning at the camera and off-camera Jeannie could be heard saying, Macy Grace, do you want to get grounded? Do you want to get a spanking? You're bad. Do you think you're funny? Macy doesn't seem to understand the threats. She's still not old enough to talk, but she crawls back down off the nightstand. Though Jeannie does nothing to harm the baby, it's chilling to hear her call Macy bad and threatened to spank her for exploring her environment and as well as letting a baby stand up on a night's stand where she could fall and easily hurt herself. Macy Grace.

Starting point is 00:04:25 You want to get grounded? I guess spanking? You are bad. Get off my nightstand. You think you're funny? Meanwhile, Jeannie was focusing on a new hobby, competitive bodybuilding and weightlifting. In 2014, she placed 11th in the bikini division

Starting point is 00:04:58 of a bodybuilding contest in North Carolina. In December of that year, of that year, she also left Macy with her aunt for the whole month while she was, according to Shelly, off doing Jeannie things. Still manipulative and dramatic, she didn't let Kevin know where Macy was, so he couldn't even talk to her on her second birthday. Aunt Shelley and other family members were concerned that Jeannie would drop Macy off and leave her there for long periods of time, but they were grateful that they got to spend time with a little girl. Anytime they suspected anything might be wrong, Jeannie would explain it away or cut off contact, using excuses to distract them.

Starting point is 00:05:36 She said Jeannie's lack of patience or ease at letting Macy have many babysitters or her relaxed behavior letting her child spend months and weeks away from home with my family or her nana and her father's family bothered us. But we got to spend the time with Macy. When we would ask about the bruises or the lack of communication, we would get, she was sick or didn't feel or was having a sleepover at the babysitter's house the bruises explained away by Macy's growth in development. As the family, you believe the person you love. They thought Jeannie was a strict parent but never saw anything that made them think she'd actually hurt her little girl. A few of Macy's babysitters commented online saying they had been concerned by Jeannie's parenting

Starting point is 00:06:22 or lack thereof. One said, Macy was always neglected in her care. And another agreed, recalling that Macy often looked dirty and unkempt because her mother didn't bathe her or brush her hair. A woman who worked at the daycare in the gym where Jeannie worked said she remembered Macy being dropped off at the gym by a babysitter and then staying at the gym's daycare until it was time to go to bed so Jeannie didn't have to watch her. She said she reported Jeannie to CPS but nothing ever came of her report. Other friends tried to talk to Jeannie about their concerns, but she refused to listen to any criticism. Instead of trying to become a better mother, she'd make up lies, cut anyone who had the nerve to say anything out of Macy's life and her own, and move on to a new babysitter. On March 3, 2015, Jeannie posted a photo of Macy sitting on the floor of the apartment crying.

Starting point is 00:07:15 The attached message she wrote, when your child covers your house with toothpaste while you're in the shower and then gives attitude and tells you know. Below in the comments, Jeannie wrote, she's going to know what a sore feels like. like by the end of the day. I'm about to break out the wooden spoon. By this time, Kevin and Jeannie were separated, and Jeannie liked to say that she was raising Macy as a single mother. Kevin was still overseas in Dubai at the time, but Jeannie didn't like being alone. Though it isn't clear when the pair met by spring of 2015, Jeannie began dating Zachary Kiefer, even though he was still married to his wife, Lisa, with whom he shared a young daughter. Zach was much older. He was 31 to Jeannie's 22. He had already spent 12 years in the Army as a Special Forces Senior Medical

Starting point is 00:08:01 Sergeant. He also worked as a paramedic for First Health of the Carolinas and owned his own personal training business, where he helped people prepare to compete in bikini and other bodybuilding competitions. Around the same time in April of 2015, Jeannie re-enlisted in the Army was assigned to the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade at Fort Bragg as a specialist. She and and Macy were living at the Stone Ridge Apartments in Fayetteville, just a few minutes away from base. On November 30th, Macy was not feeling well. Jeannie texted her boyfriend Zach several times complaining that Macy had diarrhea and all the dirty diapers she had been having and the accidents she was having as well. She mentioned in one text that she hit her toddler, saying, and I quote,

Starting point is 00:08:43 that she lit Macy up. The next day, on December 1st, Jeannie took her to see pediatrician Dr. Forrest S. Whitaker at Womack Army Medical Center. A short video taken that day showed Macy smiling, but looking sleepy and a little listless. Her coat covers her up, and either her arms or her neck were visible, but she had no visible bruises in the video itself. Jeannie told Dr. Whitaker that Macy had been vomiting and had bad diarrhea. He said he examined Macy and saw no injuries on her at the time of her appointment. She was talkative and seemed normal except for her tummy troubles, and he diagnosed her with

Starting point is 00:09:19 infectious gastroenteritis and colitis, which was likely caused by a stomach bug or something that she ate. Later that day, Jeannie continued to talk to Zach through a number of texts. She told him she had a headache and felt like she was going to throw up because of the smell of Macy, adding, I'm about to lose it. She complained that the baby was still sick and kept needing her diaper change. She said she forced Macy into a cold bath and had scared the toddler to the point that Macy ran into another room and hid in a closet from her. When she found her, she told Zach, and I quote, I'll give her a reason to be scared, the little bitch.

Starting point is 00:09:53 tired of dealing with the baby, she said she gave her a large dose of melatonin and made her stand in the corner until she fell asleep. Later, though, she would tell officials that Macy went to bed at 9 p.m., slept almost 12 hours to 9 a.m. the next morning, woke up briefly, ate a banana, then went back to sleep around 10 a.m. She didn't initially tell officers that she gave a large dose of melatonin to Macy to make her fall asleep. Or into Zach, none of these disturbing text messages were delivered to him, and he didn't hear from her until the next morning when she called to ask him to come. come over and check on the baby. Now, Jeannie has told many, many stories about what happened on the morning of December 2nd. The stories changed depending upon who she was talking to and what she thought she could make them believe.

Starting point is 00:10:38 A little before 10 that morning, Jeannie originally said she called Zach, who, remember, was a trained paramedic and asked him to come check on Macy because she was sick. Sometime after he got to the apartment, Zach claimed he heard Macy making strange noises. When he went into her room, Zach said Macy was vomiting through her nose and her limbs were flailing involuntarily as if the girl had been deprived of oxygen. Zach said he tried to clear her airway

Starting point is 00:11:05 and placed her in the recovery position and he told Jeannie to call 911. Jeannie was cold and calm on the 911 call, but not exactly helpful. The dispatcher had to redirect her several times to get the information she needed and it took almost a minute from the start of the call for Jeannie to get the important part.

Starting point is 00:11:26 Macy was barely breathing. Finally, Jeannie said, I just need an ambulance. My daughter has been sick for the past couple days and whatnot, and she was just taking a nap. She's home on orders from her doctor, and she's unresponsive right now. She's barely...

Starting point is 00:11:41 She's breathing very light. She started puking in her sleep and started choking. When the dispatcher asked if Macy was unconscious, Jeannie didn't answer the question. After more prompting, she said, you can see her breathing, but she's not responding to me. She also said Macy's eyes were like slits in that. She woke up for a minute and was only reacting to pain.

Starting point is 00:12:03 When the dispatcher wanted to explain CPR, she told her she was outside the apartment in an area with a better cell phone reception, but Zach was doing that right now. He's a paramedic. The dispatcher said she understood, but she said she still legally had to explain the procedure and needed Gini to be next to Macy when she did so. Once she went into the apartment,

Starting point is 00:12:23 Zach told the dispatcher that Macy started puking in her sleep and nobody heard it until two minutes later and that he had already cleared her airway and put her on the floor. A few moments later, the first responders arrived and took over. They noted that Macy was cold and unresponsive and they rushed her to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Her core body temperature was only 92 degrees, well under the normal 98.6,

Starting point is 00:12:48 and the staff immediately began warming her up. As her temperature rose, bruises became visible all over her small body. Doctors there realized she had suffered a severe brain injury and transferred her to UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, where she was placed on life support. Staff also notified the police and CPS. Both agencies launched an investigation. Now right away, the holes appeared in the story, Jeannie and Zach were both telling.

Starting point is 00:13:17 They both said she had been wearing pajamas that morning while throwing up, but she arrived at the ER in a brand new dress with the price tag still attached. Her hair was carefully braided and nothing in their story explained when that could have happened. She had bruising on her neck and injuries that looked like a handprint and fingernail marks. She was missing a large clump of hair and had more scrapes on her head, and her brain was badly injured. By this time, doctors knew the injury could not be survived. Jeannie called her Aunt Shelley to join her at the hospital.

Starting point is 00:13:50 She got there, she thought it was odd that Jeannie met her in the lobby instead of upstairs in Macy's room. The nurses would not let Jeannie alone in the room with Macy and CPS and police were already there investigating, but Aunt Shelley had not yet realized that they suspected Jeannie had done something to Macy. Shelly recounted the moment she entered Macy's hospital room and everything changed. She said, I walked into the room and all the breath left my body. I dropped my purse and I fell to the floor. All I saw was this poor little girl who used to be so full. of life, laying there, lifeless. They had her head and her neck supported. They had her arms

Starting point is 00:14:26 down at her side and hospital blankets up to her neck. She said she asked Jeannie, what happened to this baby? Jeannie stared out the window with her back to her aunt. She didn't reply and wouldn't even look at her. Shelly said, she lifted up the blankets and began to look at Macy's poor little body, black and blue. On her little piggies, you could see the black and blue marks on each of her little bones on her right foot. The lumps and bruises up her legs. All I saw was a child who could have been drugged through the street by a wild animal. The circle of her face was untouched. She kissed Macy's head and tried again to talk to Jeannie saying, I need you to tell me right now what happened to the baby. Jeannie said she was sick and implied that injuries were from paramedics and doctors. Shelley

Starting point is 00:15:13 told her that sounded crazy. Shelly said, you did this. You did this to her. She said Jeannie told her to get the fuck out. Though they had been close for decades, everything had changed between them from that moment on. She said, the day this phone call came to me from Jeannie. I was the first call. I was who she wanted to be there with her. Our relationship changed once I saw that baby with my own eyes. Jeannie died that day, and Macy the next. I mourned the loss of them both. Macy is gone. Jeannie is gone. And the lies are so many and so deep, it's almost like I never knew Jeannie at all. The Red Cross contacted Kevin and were able to rush him onto a flight home. Doctors kept Macy on life support until her dad could get there.

Starting point is 00:15:59 Sat with her, held her, gave her one last bath. She was removed from life support and died on December 4th. Now normally, the next part of the story is when the arrests happened, but Jeannie, as always, had to be dramatic. She and Zach started to go fund me, allegedly for funeral expenses, until friends and family realized Kevin's military benefits included insurance to cover the costs. They reported the campaign, but before this site could address the potential fraud, Zach took it down. No one has ever explained what happened to the $6,000 collected before it was removed.

Starting point is 00:16:35 Jeannie also tried to have Aunt Shelley and Macy's father, Kevin, barred from attending the funeral, but her efforts ultimately failed. She wanted to dress Macy in a sleeveless black dress and bedazzled headband, but the funeral director refused to allow Macy's bruised arms to show in the casket. And Jeannie showed up over an hour late to the funeral because she had to get her hair done. Despite her efforts to make it all about Jeannie, the family held a beautiful service for Macy at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Chapel in Fort Bragg on December 21st, 2015.

Starting point is 00:17:09 Two days later, she was buried at Sandhill State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake North Carolina. Police questioned both Zach and Jean. as well as questioning Kevin and Zach's wife Lisa. After police talked to her, Lisa alleged that Zach held her hostage for five hours, beat her, and severely injured her. She claimed he punched her, body slammed her into a bathtub, held a gun at her, and threatened to kill her multiple times. She tried to call 911 twice, and he ended the calls before she could summon help. Harnett County sheriffs arrested him and charged him with first-degree kidnapping and several misdemeanors, including interfering with a 911 call. He was released.

Starting point is 00:17:48 on $17,000 bail. He also left the military in December of 2015, but the army wouldn't confirm it had anything to do with his charges. He and Lisa officially separated and Zach moved into an apartment with Jeannie at the same Stone Ridge apartment complex, though in a different apartment than the one she had lived in with Macy. Jeannie sold many of Macy's items on Facebook marketplace, including a frozen bed set because she said she couldn't stand seeing them. In January of 2016, she hired a photographer named Sunny Joe to conduct a bizarre photo shoot that made headlines across the country and around the world. Sonny offered something called the One More Time Photo Package, in which he would take

Starting point is 00:18:26 photos of the living and Photoshop images of their loved ones into the new photos. He came up with the idea after his dad passed away from cancer. He said he found some comfort when he photoshopped his late dad into one of his pictures. It kept his memory alive and it made Sunny feel happy. He said, it is a way for people to see their loved ones for the last time. Even though they aren't there, loved ones know they are watching. He had done the same for at least a hundred other clients when Jeannie had contacted him. She said she was grieving her two-year-old daughter's daughter's favorite story. As for what happened, she told Sunny that Macy had choked

Starting point is 00:19:03 to death after eating a banana. Moved by her story, he said, I wanted to give her another chance to see her baby that she will never see again. He did a photo shoot at the cemetery and actually created several commemorative photos in which the ghostly figure of Macy sits and stands next to her mother near her grave. Jeannie posted them online with the message, Sunny Jo did some amazing work for me of my angel and I. Soon, Sonny found out that Jeannie had used his services to create an aura of innocence around her. He said, I called the detective in charge of the situation, and I find out that she wanted these photos just to lie to the public to cover up what she did so she can look like the grieving

Starting point is 00:19:41 mother. Knowing that she used me and she used this to possibly make herself seem innocent, that's the worst feeling in the world. Macy's family was furious when they saw the photos. Her grandmother, Tina Goodwin, Kevin's mother, said she was mocking that baby's death. She honestly thought she was getting away with that baby's death. She showed more attention to that baby and her death than she did while she was alive. Outrage family members shared the images online and soon news outlets found out that Jeannie was a suspect in her daughter's murder. The images she thought would show how innocent she was only backfired and made her seem even more guilty. However, she and Zach were still free.

Starting point is 00:20:23 Finally, on March 23, 2016, the medical examiner finalized and released the autopsy report. Macy's death was ruled a homicide and arrest warrants were issued the next day. She was arrested on March 24th and he turned himself in a few days later. They were both charged with first-degree murder as well as negligence. C.A. and held without bond. Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West vowed to get justice for Macy saying, it's a tough

Starting point is 00:20:49 case, you know, this child did not die of natural causes, and it's heart wrenching to think that this could happen to a young child this way, and we are going to do everything we can to see that justice is done in this case. Once it became clear to Jeannie that someone was going to get in trouble for Macy's

Starting point is 00:21:06 death, she began to change her story. First, she said Zach had hurt Macy. She said he actually came over earlier than they originally said and babysat her for a little while when she went to a doctor's appointment in Fort Bragg. Police did track down records showing she signed in at the office, but no record that she stayed for an appointment with any doctor, nurse, or any other staff member. She said the baby was spined before she left,

Starting point is 00:21:30 but in distress when she got back home a half hour later. The timeline doesn't make any sense, but she told the story anyway. She told officers Macy fell down the best. bathtub a few days before she died. Though she initially said that she fed Macy a banana that morning, she also said that she didn't, that Zach had fed her a banana while she was at her appointment. She told several other friends and family members both versions of that story. She said Macy's lung collapsed, Macy ate rat poison, that she had the same blood disorder as her aunt, even though they were only related by marriage. She also told police that she was afraid of Zach and that he had

Starting point is 00:22:08 been committing DV against her, even though competition bikini photos taken around the time showed no evidence of any injury. Though it was not admissible in court, police administered polygraph tests to both of them. Zach passed his, but Jeannie failed hers. Zach maintained a single story, said he showed up that morning to help and tried his best to save a dying girl, but charge of DV against him didn't make him look good, especially because his ex-wife said she'd been injured in the head and neck just like Macy had been. early in 2018, Jeannie was offered her first plea bargain.

Starting point is 00:22:42 She agreed to plead guilty to accessory after the fact of first-degree murder and testify against Zach at his murder trial. But in March of 2018, the DA's office abruptly and unexpectedly took away the plea deal. D.A. West announced his office had a conflict of interest and recused themselves from the case. No details regarding the nature of this conflict have ever been released. Cases were handed over to the North Carolina Conference of District attorneys and DA Julie Wolf Hijazi took over. She offered both Jeannie and Zach new plea deals, but neither pleas were accepted, so she continued to prepare for trial.

Starting point is 00:23:17 In early of 2019, Zach's DV case against his ex-wife Lisa went to trial, and he was found not guilty. Though Lisa had claimed to be seriously injured, medical reports didn't seem to support her claims. There was no evidence of intracranial hemorrhaging and no fractures to her skull or spine. Some have suggested Lisa may have pressed charges because she was angry when she found out Zach was cheating on her with Jeannie, but no one has been able to prove that suspicion, so it is all hearsay. A few months later in November, Diajazzi announced that the new medical evidence that had come to light showed Macy's injuries occurred 12 to 24 hours before the 911 call, well before Zach visited the apartment that morning. All charges against Zach were dropped. Surprisingly, many of Macy's family members agreed with this decision. They thought Zach was innocent and that Jeannie was using him to get away with murder.

Starting point is 00:24:10 Zach was released after serving 44 months in jail. After his release, he said he wanted to focus his energy on being a good father to the daughter he shared with Lisa. But his most recent updates on his social media seemed to indicate he's no longer part of her life. Jeannie's trial began on March 9th, 2020, presided over by Superior Court Judge Stanley Carmichael. Her public defender Bernard Conlin tried to convince jurors that Zach was the one who hurt Macy and that Jeannie only lied because she was afraid he would hurt her.

Starting point is 00:24:38 D.A. Hajazi dismissed his claim and argued that Jeannie was the only one responsible for Macy's death. The DA summarized her case saying, too many injuries, too many stories, too much indifference. The DA called several witnesses who observed Jeannie at the hospital while Macy lay dying. Nurse Michelle Smith testified saying, just from past experience, most of the time parents are really distraught when something traumatic has happened to their child. mom didn't really show any emotion. And a nurse practitioner who met to discuss discontinuing Macy's life support on December 4th testified the Jeannie seemed, I quote, for lack of a better word, happy.

Starting point is 00:25:16 Several nurses and doctors testified that Jeannie said, well, I guess that makes me a bad fucking mother when she was told Macy wouldn't survive her many, many injuries. The testimony from the medical examiner's office was painful to hear, but offered a glimpse into the last hours of Macy's life. She had received at least 30 blows to the head, and these blows had happened between 12 to 24 hours before the 911 call, meaning the beating had happened hours before Zach had even visited the apartment. During the autopsy, they found the remains of a single chicken nugget inside of her tummy,

Starting point is 00:25:56 but no sign of the banana that Jeannie allegedly may or may not have fed her. A large clump of her hair had been ripped out, and police found it in the bathtub drain. She had extensive scalp hemorrhages and multiple impact sites on the outside of her head, along with bleeding in both sides of her brain that was worse on the left side. Her brain had also swollen a condition called cerebral edema. There were several wounds inside of her mouth, including a cup between her gums and cheek, a one-inch-long bruise and a quarter-inch bleeding wound likely caused by her own teeth when she was hit on the head. She had a cut behind her ear, a swollen neck, and soft tissue injuries, cuts, bruises, scabs, scattered all over her body.

Starting point is 00:26:45 There are marks on her skin consistent with being hit with an object like an electrical cord, and internally, she had multiple small, healing liver lacerations. She was also suffering from acute pneumonia, which often happens to patients kept on a ventilator. Her cause of death was blunt forced trauma, but the medical examiner couldn't rule out smothering or drowning based on the state of her lungs. According to Aunt Shelley, Jeannie didn't cry or show any emotion during the testimony about the injuries Macy suffered. When Zach was questioned about their relationship, his answers moved her to tears.

Starting point is 00:27:21 When asked if they were dating or engaged, Zach denied anything serious, saying, that Jeannie was, and I quote, just a piece of ass. Hearing that comment, Jeannie sobbed out loud. Dei Hijazi was able to convince 10 jurors that Jeannie was guilty, but two jurors did not agree. The dissenting jurors believed in physical discipline for children and struggled to understand

Starting point is 00:27:42 how Jeannie's hands could be considered deadly weapons. Without a unanimous verdict, Judge Carmichael was forced to declare a mistrial. After the mistrial, everyone associated with the case changed. The DA left her position. and was replaced by Lisa Coltrane. Jeannie's public defender stepped down in disgrace and was replaced by Malaya Kimri, and the new judge appointed was Superior Court Judge James Floyd Ammons Jr.

Starting point is 00:28:06 Jeannie was still in jail on a $300,000 bond, but she wouldn't remain there for long. April of 2021, she was offered a new plea deal for second-degree murder, but she declined it. She said she would only plead to lesser charges of felony CA with intent, hindering a police investigation and accessory. When asked accessory to what, she would not answer, and she said she would rather go to trial. Her next trial was scheduled in November of 2021, but a few days before it began, her new attorney filed a motion asking the court to force the DA to allow Jeannie to accept the first plea deal she was offered in 2018, which meant she would be let out with time served. Judge Ammons thought Jeannie was the true victim, and he approved the motion. While DA Coltrane appealed to a higher court, the judge also lowered Jeannie's bail amount.

Starting point is 00:28:52 and released her from prison on an unsecured $25,000 signature bond, less than 10% of her original bond a few days before Thanksgiving. She is still free as of the time we recorded this episode. The order to enforce her first plea deal was overturned by the higher court in June of 2024. DA Coltrane has not dropped charges against her, so new trials should be scheduled in the coming months. Family is eagerly awaiting another chance to hold Jeannie responsible in court. In an interview after the mistrial, Macy's grandma, Tina Goodwin, said,

Starting point is 00:29:25 we will fight for our last breath until this baby gets the justice she deserves. Both grandma and Aunt Shelley are worried that Jeannie will hurt someone else if she remains free. It seems they have good reasons to be worried. After Macy's funeral, Jeannie continued to cause pain and drama any way she could. Macy was buried at a military cemetery, so her dad and mom's name and rank should be both listed on her head. Instead, according to Aunt Shelley, Jeannie convinced officials that she needed protection from Kevin, and he was told he wasn't allowed near her.

Starting point is 00:30:01 When she went to the meeting to order Macy's headstone, she cried to the staff and said Kevin didn't care enough to pick out the headstone for his daughter. But in truth, he was advised to stay away from Jeannie and couldn't attend. Without Kevin there, Jeannie arranged for only her name to appear on the stone. The couple finalized their divorce at the end of 2022. Not long after, Jeannie started going by a new name, Jenna, and started dating again. An online dating profile she posted reads, I've been through hell.

Starting point is 00:30:35 I have a past, but I have a present and a future. I'm upfront and honest, and I don't want someone who is not understanding. Let's do shit together, be partners. But I'm just going through changes right now. In addition to changing her name, Jeannie has also tried to change. change her appearance through lip injections, cosmetic tattoos, and other cosmetic procedures. In November of 2023, Jeannie had another baby girl because she was never found guilty of a crime. She has custody of the toddler. In April of this year, Aunt Shelley posted a message to the

Starting point is 00:31:09 Justice for Macy page that explained her fears. The message was written as if she was talking directly to Jeannie, and it read as follows. You live as if Macy didn't exist. You conducted your whole second pregnancy as if it was your first. The questions you asked like you had no idea what it was like to be pregnant. The way you now behave as a mother, it's such a fine line you walk between being who you truly are and pretending you're a stupid idiot who doesn't know how to appropriately dress a baby to being the crazy woman screaming. This is my effing child. How many babysitters have we been through, just like Macy? How many daycares? Just like Macy. While Macy's justice is the most important, you do have another little girl who definitely did not ask for you to be her mother. We dedicated this page

Starting point is 00:31:56 to CA awareness. We can only hope that someone with common sense and the judicial capacity to either take S from you before something bad happens or they find her father who hopefully wants to take her from you so she can have a normal unbeaten life. Jeannie, Jenna, Jenny, Josie, Jackie, jerk off, whatever your call name is today, I am always watching you. Since Macy's death, Aunt Shelley has been advocating for Justice for Macy and still misses the little girl terribly. She runs the Justice for Macy Facebook group, which we will link below. She attended Jeannie's trial and keeps up to date on every aspect of the case. She marks every birthday and holiday without her Mixy, Trixie Pixie Fairy,

Starting point is 00:32:37 even got a tattoo honoring her niece. She believes she gets little signs from Macy, like when the song Girl Crushed by Little Big Town comes on the radio where the movie Frozen comes on TV. She also feels like Macy sends her pennies from heaven. whenever she finds loose change. She said, standing in the kitchen, I hear a ting, and there's a penny. Uncle Bobby stood right there. Then I get out the broom and begin to sweep, only to find a dime and another penny on the

Starting point is 00:33:01 floor in the living room. I see you, Macy. I feel you so close. I know you're okay for this is how you let me know. She posted the following messages to Macy online. It's been a long time. Everyone moves on. Everyone mends.

Starting point is 00:33:14 But those who truly loved you, we're still holding on to your whole self. We talk about you daily. We think of you a thousand times a day. We celebrate your life and still mourn your death. We just want you to know that if wishes were kisses, you'd get a million. If wishes were hugs, you would be covered in them. If wishes were a lot of things, you would still be here. You see, there is never a day when your name doesn't get spoken.

Starting point is 00:33:40 There is never a day that you are not missed. There's never a day I don't wish. Missing you now more than ever.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Macy Grace Ditty

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