[2][9][16] Astrid Heppenstall Heger performed medical examinations and took photos of what she believed to be minute scarring, which she stated was caused by anal penetration. She and her granddaughter successfully sued the parent of one child for slander in 1991, but the plaintiffs were only awarded $1 each, according to the, . The McMartin Family Trials: The Letter That Started A Firestorm, Uncovered: The McMartin Family Trials Premieres Saturday, July 27th, The McMartin Family Trials: Defense Attorney Danny Davis Describes Ray Buckey, The McMartin Family Trials: Judy Johnson's Allegations Spark The Investigation, Uncovered: The McMartin Family Trials Video Tapes, Uncovered: The McMartin Family Trials First Report, The McMartin Family Trials Bonus: Ray Buckey, The McMartin Family Trials Bonus: Children's Testimony, The McMartin Family Trials Bonus: Nationwide Panic, The ensuing trial of McMartin owner Peggy McMartin Buckey and her son, Ray Buckey, would last for nearly three years. Afterward, she applied to have her teaching credentials reinstated, but it was initially denied. [44] It was only after the case that coverage of the flaws in the evidence and events presented by witnesses and the prosecution were discussed. Rife with accusations of Satanic rituals, animal sacrifices and child sex abuse, the McMartin Preschool case was one of the most infamous criminal trials of the 1980s. Pvt. Some sources state that at that time, Johnson's son denied her suggestion that his preschool teachers had molested him, whereas others say he confirmed the abuse. In The Devil in The Nursery, Margaret Talbot for The New York Times summarized the case: When you once believed something that now strikes you as absurd, even unhinged, it can be almost impossible to summon that feeling of credulity again. The second trial opened on May 7, 1990, and resulted in another hung jury on July 27, 1990. A lot. The recordings of the interviews were instrumental in the jury's refusal to convict, by demonstrating how children could be coerced to giving vivid and dramatic testimonies without having experienced actual abuse. Stan Coffle 1 Episode 2005. Her controversial techniques have inspired new protocols in child psychology. Arlene Ross 1 Episode 2004. In response, prosecutors and investigators began "abandoning their tape recorders and notepads" and a manual was produced for investigating child abuse cases that urged prosecutors and investigators not to record their interviews. Here are eight of the key players from the McMartin family preschool trials: The first accuser, Judy Johnson, went to the Manhattan Beach police and claimed her two-and-a-half-year-old son had been sexually abused by Ray Buckey, which led to the criminal investigation of McMartin Preschool. The following procedure is obviously an unpleasant one, but to protect the rights of your children as well as the rights of the accused, this inquiry is necessary for a complete investigation. She was indicted in March 1984 and remained in custody for two years. Evidence of Johnson's mental illness was withheld from the defense for three years and, when provided, was in the form of sanitized reports that excluded Johnson's statements, at the order of the prosecution. Lexile Reading Level: F&P/Guided Reading Level. McMartin died in 1995 at 88 after suffering a series of strokes, according to The New York Times. It was also reported that "Children described entrance and exiting tunnel in triplex yard exactly where tunnel and exit were found. After their suspension was granted P.C. is under investigation for any ACT! Died at the expense of those who believed Buckey was questioned, but it initially... 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