Raye Dawn Smith Gets 27 Years for Death of Daughter, Kelsey Smith-Briggs
In Oklahoma, Raye Dawn Smith, 27 will get 27 years in prison for the 2005 death of her two-year-old daughter, Kelsey Smith-Briggs. The judge found Smith guilty enabling child abuse.
Kelsey suffered multiple injuries including a broken collarbone, broken legs and bruises. Kelsey’s stepfather, Michael Porter, abused her for months and Smith did nothing to stop him.
Porter finally sexually assaulted and murdered little Kelsey. He’s serving a a 30-year prison term for enabling abuse, not murder or sexual assault.
There’s a lot of family drama in this case since Smith blames the Briggs family, namley Kelsey’s grandmother Kathie Briggs, for filing false charges and possibly abusing Kelsey. She even had the audacity to look at her and say, “Kathie I forgive you.”
I agree with Briggs - Raye Dawn Smith is demented. Thank god she’ll be put away for a long time and won’t get out until after she goes through menopause.
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May 22nd, 2008 at 7:28 am
OK! So I pretty much have had enough of reading these stupid comments people keep leaving….. I am going to post this one last time and be done with it. The ONLY victim of this situation was KELSEY, she is gone. She died while in the care of her MOTHER. Her dad could have been in Iraq, he could have been at the freaking Bermuda Triangle, it doesn’t matter! Kelsey died in the care of her mother, the credibility of her father does not have ANYTHING to do with that at all. This comment above mine: Jeez… I don’t know what school you go to, but you might want to learn how to write and type correctly before turning in your report. I commend you for caring for your kids as well as your nephews and niece, that is very respectable, but seriously, NO ONE who can call themself a mother would ever miss the many “red flags” that showed Kelsey was being abused. The state fucked up which is lousy and downright pathetic but her own mother not knowing her baby was being hurt??? PLEASE! NO ONE IS BUYING IT! PLEASE USE YOUR BLEEDING HEART FOR RAYE DAWN FOR SOMETHING MORE PRODUCTIVE AND REWARDING!
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:05 am
anyone read raye dawn’s letter? don’t hear any guilt or remorse from her at all for leaving kelsey with porter. Just a bunch of “poor me” and excuses. Sounds like she is saying that DHS should have never been involved or should have dropped the case because she had done everything they asked. They KNEW something was going on that is why they didn’t drop it, they just didn’t know exactly what. Just like she KNEW something was going on. As she states in the letter she was enrolling her in therapuetic classes to see becasue she wanted to find out who was hurting Kelsey and later goes on to say she had no idea basically…contradiction??
link to letter
http://www.kokh.com/newsroom/features/brittens_blog.shtml
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:34 pm
yes you are right Kelsey was a victum. She is no longer here, and won’t be back. I support her mother, NOT because I was abused when little thank you very much, because I have looked in this case from any view the mother or father. It took me months and months of research, and heck I just live down the road to sort through facts and false allegations. Its amazing what you can find when you start pi in’ someone. Kelsey died while in the care of her STEP FATHER not her MOTHER. Her she was just fine when dhs was there, she put Kelsey down for a nap, Mike came home and Raye went to get Whitney, and that is when MICHAEL LEE PORTER KILLED KELSEY!!! According to osbi reports he doesn’t know how hard when or how often he pressed on her trying to get her awake, now that is a bunch of bull. Yes the credibility of Kelsey’s father Lance Robinson-Briggs does count, perhaps you are not educated about how often he was in Oklahoma when most of this was going on, did you know Lance NEVER showed up for one court hearing, not one even when he was in town. Seems to me he didn’t care or he could have saved that child to. Like I stated before Raye had a lot of people watching her, dhs was there within an hour of Kelsey dieing, and Kelsey was just fine, but I guess with Kelsey’s legs getting broke at Kathie’s, and all the agency’s watching Raye and Kels, Raye was supposed to be the ONE to know because she was the mom. Well sexual predators are SILENT KILLERS!!! Maybe some of you did not know that after Kelsey died Whitney, Mike porters daughter went to the counselor, here is the school notes:
8:47am 10-17-2005 – …MP’s daughter had a little drink left so we went to my office so she could finish. I offered her a cookie which she took. MP’s daughter said something about they thought her dad was the one who hurt Kelsey. This was the second time she had brought this up. I asked her if her dad had ever hurt her. She said no. I asked her if he had ever hurt her brother. She said no. I asked her if she had ever seen her dad hurt Kelsey. She hesitated then said yes. I asked her if she wanted to tell me about it. She said yes. She told me of the time she heard Kelsey getting a spanking. So she went upstairs and looked in the doorway to find her dad spanking Kelsey “real hard.” She said he spanked her so hard it left her bottom “real red.” She added, he spanked her until she threw up. MP’s daughter also observed that when her dad went downstairs he did not tell anyone that he had spanked Kelsey or that she threw up. I told her it must have been hard to see that. Seh told me that when people were around her dad, he was nice to Kelsey. But, when no one was looing she said her dad was mean to Kelsey, I asked MP’s daughter how she saw these things. She told me that her dad did not know she was watching. She told me Kelsey had lots of bruises when she was with her dad. I told her this must of been really hard to keep such a secret. I also said to her that this must be a lot for a little girl to bear. After a short pause, Whitney told me once she heard a loud thump outside. She went to the back door, and saw her dad hitting Kelsey’s head on the brick wall. I asked her what she did next. She said she went outside and asked her dad what he was doing. He told his daughter that Kelsey was bout to get sick. I told MP’s daughter there are many people that thought it was Raye Dawn that was hurting Kelsey. She told me that the baby cried for Raye Dawn. MP’s daughter said the baby craled to Raye Dawn and clung to her leg and cried for her. I felt like MP’s daughter was concerned about Raye Dawn. I told her that these days they have DNA testing and they can tell who did what. I asked MP’s daughter if she felt better telling someone what happned. She asked me if her dad would find out. I told her she would be protected when that time came. I asked her if she was ready to go back to class. She said yes, and I walked her to class.
(NOW YOU TELL ME HOW RAYE KNEW IF EVEN WHITNEY SAYS SHE DIDN’T KNOW)
May 27th, 2008 at 5:58 am
So I said I was not going to post again, but I lied! Dallas, you are freaking killing me. Did you attend the same school as mandaturner? Your typing skills and overall wording of your comments show your inteligence. Once again let me remind you that this site is called Parents Behaving Badly. You are in the wrong place. This website is not for morons to just come and post some ridiculous crap trying to convince people that Raye Dawn is innocent. NO ONE CARES! Sorry you were abused as a child “thank you very much” (Whatever the hell you meant by that) if it would make you feel cooler I will send you a T-shirt but enough already. You want to post alleged school counselor notes? Maybe you should proof read that shit before you post it. Doesn’t seem too credible to me. But that is beside the point. This is not the place for you to be inspector gadget. Read all the entries on this site and see how many children are getting abused and/or killed by their parents, grandparents, aunt, uncles, and friends. These are all tragedies. These poor kids are hurt and they can’t even defend themselves. The people they should count on the most have either hurt them or let them down. That is what Raye did to Kelsey. The bitch is lucky she is sitting in jail getting to breathe air and eat three meals a day. THERE IS NO EXCUSE. Raye failed her daughter. She deserves to be punished. Maybe she wasn’t the one who served Kelsey that final blow, we will never know (apparently you know everything that happened), but she is guilty of allowing her daughter to be harmed. Add whatever stupid BS you want, it is what it is. BTW I am an uneducated hillbilly, but I know BS when I see it.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:40 am
If you leave your baby w/a person and on more than one occasion that child ends up bruised, it’s not your duty as a parent TO KEEP YOUR CHILD AWAY FROM THAT PERSON???? Let that whore rot in jail I say.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:01 am
you are so right!!! (as I know you already know) It was her duty to keep her child away from any person who could have been doing this. DHS did fail, but that is not what is being debated. I have yet to hear Raye Dawn express any guilt or regret for leaving her child alone with Porter on that day or any other day. When my child begins showing the symptoms that Kelsey did you can better believe that my child will not be leaving my side and I will not NEED any man who I so much as suspect as hurting my child. I feel like I am in the twilight zone when reading these posts defending Raye Dawn’s actions. IF she is so innocent she could at least say, you know what I was STUPID for trusting Porter with my daughter and I feel guilty for that…but NO! she wants to actually defend herself? It’s not like everything was going fine and one day all of the sudden he murdered Kelsey…she suffered and EVERYONE saw it. That is why we all blame Raye Dawn for not protecting that poor baby. You who defend her act like there were no warning signs…you should all be ashamed of yourselves. Even Porter’s family think he is innocent. God will take care of him…since we obviously can’t handle that in our system. Her letter makes me SICK with all of her excuses…EVEN IF SHE IS COMPLETELY INNOCENT and anyone with half a brain can see that she is not…then as a mom she should express some sort of regret, shame, or guilt and she doesn’t. SHE IS A PSYCHO who fell in love with a socio-path.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Honey i dont have to no body nothing on here, by the way, I am NOT here to try and get votes for raye, I was simply stating my thoughts about this and how i am. did i ever once tell you or ask you to be for raye dawn? i think not. lmao yeah i posted them notes from whitney’s school, damn if they are wrong guess the ones on kelseyspurpose is wrong cause that is where i got them from. yeah you see i am a member of both families and its funny all the stuff people throw. Glad i could make ur day of posting “from the hills”. Now smile!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 28th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Ha! You did make my day Dallas, you once again proved how much of an idiot you really are! This is turning into one of those back and forth comment situations and it doesn’t need to go any further, but I did want to repost some of the following comments YOU yourself have left on this message board. You see, you obviously have some serious issues with yourself, you don’t even remember things you said previously that totally contradict your last comment.
“I can assure you Raye never seen this coming in a million years. I don’t know her personally, but I sure hope i am there when she walks out of that prison”
“Seems to me Kathie Briggs or her psycho side kicks are at it again!
Please dont believe everything you hear or read, you all have no clue what Kelsey did or did not go through.”
“Did you all know the so called “good grandma kathie” told dhs in 1979 to take her kids or she would kill them. did you all know that in 2005 kelsey was removed from kathie’s care because that is where she had gotten her legs broke and did NOT have medical attention until her mother’s visit and her MOTHER took her to dhs and the er NOT the briggs family”
” yeah you see i am a member of both families and its funny all the stuff people throw”
WTF?! So you don’t know Raye but you are part of her family? Both sides of the family right, but you are dropping gossip slamming the Briggs? You are a certified nutball. You said YOURSELF, please do not believe everything you hear or read…. You should take your own advice. Are we supposed to believe you? You are very credible. Hope your PI business has great success! LOL Stupid must run in the family! Thank you, you did make me smile because you are a joke!
May 28th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Dallas,
I don’t understand a word you said in that last comment. But anyone with half a brain can see that Raye didn’t do all she could to protect kelsey and by looking at your grammar and how you defend this “innocent mom” you do not have even half of one. You say that she didn’t enable or know about the abuse because she “wasn’t there”?? then, why in her letter does she say that she had enrolled Kelsey in a therapuetic school to try an find out who it was??? did you read her letter? It was nothing but excuses and BS to fill up some paper to say “POOR ME!”. Awww, poor Raye Dawn…she left her child alone with a nut job. Poor little thing! Any decent human being would feel some resposibility for this happening to their own child. Helll, I feel like shit when my son bumps his head and I am not there to catch him. Does she ever say she should have done this or that, or damn there are a lot of things I could have done differently??? HELL NO!!! Dallas, you say you would have believed Porter’s excuses?? I am worried about your children or grandchildren. I am not really sure of what you were trying to say in your last comment. I don’t really understand any of it except for the part that say’s you are part of both families? I understand it, I just don’t get it. Maybe you need to read some other things besides what is written about this case. You would be surprised what you could learn
May 28th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
First of all I meant “both families” website not “both families” as being a member!! lmao i don’t have a pi business if you reread my comment with that in there i said when you “start pi’in” someone.
Second of all if u think I am that stupid guess you are to because you keep responding to a so called “stupid person”…that is to funny.
Thirdly, I stand behind anything I say and you believe what you want and i will do that same, i never once said for you to believe the way i do, i am simply stating how i feel about the case.
now if this isn’t the reason then why comment? it sure in the hell isn’t to fight between stupid people…lmmfao
May 29th, 2008 at 5:52 am
I keep commenting back because you are a dumbass and you are annoying me with your stupid attempts to make people support a child abuser. You know, even if Raye Dawn had a glimpse of hope at having some type of evidence that would clear her, moronic people like yourself have made it worse for anyone to even want to believe she was “innocent”. All of the Raye Dawn supporters I have seen are phony ass finger pointers. You want to bash the Briggs side of the family and point out things that have nothing to do with Kelsey and the day she died. Raye Dawn and Mike Porter were there, not you, not Lance, not Kathie. Get a grip. So you are a member of both “families” meaning the websites? Wouldn’t that make you a two-faced person? If you truly believe what you do about the case and can leave comments on here bashing Kathie and the Briggs, why would you be a member to BOTH websites? Kinda wack if you ask me. Guess you just like to start shit. You obviously came on this website to share your opinion, not to mention dropping links to Raye’s supporters website, but you are a member of both right? You are not here to change anyone’s opinion, merely stating how YOU feel about the case. Your antics are lame. Please look back on your comments from May 3rd. You really seem genuine. I have a hard time believing that you are in your thirties, my eight year old can throw sentences and paragraphs together better than you do. BTW the thing about your PI business, I was being sarcastic, leave it to someone of your inteligence to take it seriously. Basically I was making fun of you, because your PI skills suck.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
lmao you are so funny and guess that little comment at the time made you feel SO BIG. You are a joke, i maybe belong to both sides of the families sites to get all the info i can about the case, not to educate myself on one side or the other. I don’t blog or comment on either I read. They both claim to have the “true” documents, however both sites have different ones so it evens out having to search the web. You can cut me down, call me names, make fun of me…haha do what ever you damn well please cause I don’t give a rats ass. Just shows how Mature you really are. Have a good one!!!
May 30th, 2008 at 9:12 am
I’ve read plenty of sites on both sides of this story, including the mothers’ “free me because I was ignorant as to who was abusing my daughter or if she was even being abused at all” site. I had to turn off one video because it showed a picture of the two monsters and this poor baby. Words were written on the screen about how the babies’ legs were broken four days after that picture was taken. Before I became a parent, I familiarized myself with the signs of abuse in children (both physical symptoms and mental ones), and by this childs age I had given my daughter the names of her private parts and taught her about the difference between good touches (hugs and kisses and love) and bad touches (only on her level of understanding so it wouldn’t scare her). Saying I’m stupid after the fact does not alleviate her responsiblity to protect this child. All I had to read was “two broken legs” to know that my child would have been long gone from this man and the grandmother (if she realy suspected her, which sounds like the blame game to me and I don’t buy that grandma did anything to this baby). I would not have cared if I had to go to a woman’ shelter to do it, but I would have gotten away. Mr. Porter (is that right?) needs to be charged with murder and child rape and Ms. Smith needs to be charged with child neglect and accesory to murder.
May 30th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
as you are correct the baby’s legs were broken 4 days after that pic, but according to the dhs and court reports it says that the child was at the home of kathie briggs, this is why kelsey was taking from mrs briggs and placed at gayla’s under protective services, cause the preditor for the broken legs is “unknown”.
June 1st, 2008 at 2:45 pm
OOOOOOO, I didn’t know that. My point is that as a mother, if I suspect child abuse by anyone in their world (both my girls are near to Kelsey’s age), than my children are going nowhere near the suspected abuser(s). If it could be my boyfriend, he would be out of the house and out of my life. If it could be grandma, than grandma is only allowed supervised visit with me present if at all. If it could be my husband, than he could understand and seperate for a while for the good of his children with supervised visits or leave for good and have supervised visit. It wouldn’t matter because the minute I suspect anything and it is confirmed by proof like broken bones, everybody who wants to be in my childs life is going to live by my rules until I know my babies are safe. Nobody that could even remotly be responsible is not coming near them.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:01 am
I am a mom of a 3 month old little boy ,and i have been doing plenty of research on this case,
i have a myspace that is only for the facts it does not state my opinion on the case becuase i have seen all the pages that say whos side they have taken, and i for one want to take Kelseys, but because there is so many comments on here of people bashing others for what they believe to be true
LET ME FILL YOU IN
YES there are over 50 emails between Mike Porter and Kathie Briggs were she clearly states that she just wants “that little hussy put in jail for murder”.
YES raye dawn should have payed a little more attention to her surroundings
YES it would be hard to do so with all the caos
YES Kathie Briggs and several other withnesses lied in there testimony.
YES Kelsey died of blunt force trauma to the abdomen with the whole the size of grown mans finger
YES she got into a car accident that would explain alot of the suffering the little girl had to endure
YES she was murdered and abused the last 9 months of her life
YES kathie briggs gave up her own children when she said “if you dont take theese kids away from me,im gonna kill them myself”
if you wish to know my opinion go ahead and email or if you wish to just talk to me
feel free to get it off your chest
July 14th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Give it up – Raye Dawn is trash who didn’t give 2 shits about her little girl. If you don’t have it in you to protect your children, you’re not worth the air you breathe on this planet. She outta be sterilized.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:43 am
It’s too bad that this poor little girl had to live such a horrble short life. At least she’s in heaven and away from the monsters that hurt her.
Prison isn’t good enough for them.
They need to be “fixed” so that they can’t have any more children.
It’s totally a shame that these families are blaming each other. The lies that are being made up are huge. I don’t know why people won’t just get a life and quit blaming others for Kelsey’s death. She’s not coming back and the two responsible are in jail. I don’t think that Raye Dawn Smith should be allowed to have another trial. That is wasting tax payers money and for nothing. If she wants another trial, the judge should make her family TOTALLY responsible for all the costs involved. I personally don’t want my money going towards anything to do with anymore trials concerning this poor girls death. Enough is enough.
Take responsibility for what you have done.
I just read on another site where you can order a DVD of Raye Dawn’s life. Who in the world would want that? She’s not a celebrity? Is she trying to be? Her own family doesn’t want the sorry story of her life. We know it, she’s been in jail before but for a shorter period of time. She has made her bed, now she needs to lie in it.
January 5th, 2009 at 4:13 am
I have been so totaly shocked about this whole story since i heard about it , which was a few years ago. I think that Raye Dawn Smith is just as much to blame as Mike Porter. She was what i like to call an enabler. How can any mother not see all the signs. If my daughter so much as has a little scratch on her when she comes back from her Fathers place i get my other family members to look at it. It should be a mothers first instict to protect her child, and when you see that your child has bruises and marks on her then it is your duty as a mother to further investigate it. I think that this Story is sickening. I dont think that Kelsey Briggs was put on this earth to put the word out and make people more aware of child abuse. I think that she shouldnt have been negkected to begin with. And that the DHS should have done their job properly from the beginning and then this wouldnt have happened. I have got lots to say about this. and You will be seeing more posts from me in the future. For the time being. Kelsey Briggs You Are An Angel Now. RIP lil one.
January 20th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Raye Dawn’s GUILTY. Period. What I don’t understand is why she’s whining and saying that Kelsey is being “exploited” and “used” for personal gain by law makers and politicians. Is this lady SERIOUS?
January 30th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
My daughter wants to marry a man who has been convicted for domistic violance & child endangerment (Joesph Henry Claxton Jr). She left my grandson’s father when she found out she was pregnant .He is fighting for his rights. PLEASE LORD PROCTECT MY LIL BUDDY .GARRETT
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:01 pm
I’m so glad that the monsters that killed little Kelsey are in prison. There’s no rhyme nor reason why they had to take their anger out on that little child. Rumor has it that the family is trying to get another trial. Hopefully Stephen Jones, Raye Dawn’s attorney will take the family’s money and run with it. There is no need for her to have another trial. Next time she will get life in prison. Next time, more will be told in the court, if there is a “next time” for Ms. Smith. Kelsey will get her time to talk. Next time.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:00 am
Dallas is a BIG FAT TROLL. PERIOD. Dallas, if you can’t handle kids, then you should’ve kept your legs closed at all times! I don’t even understand why that vile fat whore so-called mom named Raye Dawn Smith refused to keep her stinking legs closed at all; it’s probably as if she was probably a willing sex machine and liked to open her legs everytime she got pregnant, perhaps.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:52 am
My question is, if the Briggs are so innocent, then why were they emailing and trying to set up meeting with the man who actually DID kill their granddaughter/neice. That is totally unexcusable to me. Conspiring with that monster just because you didnt like mom? Thats crazy! And why is it that HE, the actual killer, gets protection and sent away where no one knows where he is? Why doesnt Raye get the same thing?
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:06 pm
If the Briggs were so innocent…..of what? The Briggs didn’t kill Kelsey and didn’t allow someone to do it either. Raye Dawn was offered the same protection by the Dept of Corrections, she just didn’t take it.
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Well everyone wants to point fingers and blame at Raye Dawn… why not point some fingers in other directions too? Did the records not show that Kelsey broke her legs while in the care of the Briggs? How do we know there werent other things going on over there? Yeah Porter killed her, but how can you say that they didnt allow it? Everyone allowed it if you want to get techinical about it. The courts allowed, DHS allowed it. They felt there was no concern so they put her back in the home. Why are they not in prison… Yeah Raye is mom and yeah maybe she does deserve punishment. We can all sit and say all day long that we would KNOW if something were happening to our child, but the truth is we MIGHT not. So just for the fact that she “should have known” (and yeah thats why she was found guilty) she gets as much time as the man that actually killed the little girl?? What about all these parents you read about on here that BEAT their children to death, that admitted to it, that have been found guilty of it, are getting sentences that are riduculously light… Probation for intentionally starving your baby… but yet she gets 27 years because she “should have known”. I don’t claim to be an expert at this case nor do I claim to have ALL the facts, but I have done some research and I am from where they are from. Read the emails between the Briggs and Porter. Its disgusting. WHY WOULD YOU EVEN CORRESPONG WITH THE MAN WHO KILLED KELSEY?
But I am not on here to argue with you or anyone else about the subject, obviously it wont do any good. Any story like this from my area upsets me. No child should have to live their life, or lose their life, because someone abuses/neglects them. And I will say that if she DID know what was going on and did nothing about it (which I dont think is the case) then yeah she should be locked up.
February 15th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
I totally agree with Samantha. Why would KB email and even entertain the idea of Michael Porter donating money for signs and buttons for Kelsey when she knows full well that he is the one who killed her granddaughter. She admitted she knows he killed Kelsey. Then her and her family members start emailing and setting up private meetings w/ him. The Briggs are full of it. Alot of the things they said were lies and in my book when you lie once you have to keep on lying. Maybe Raye Dawn should have seen the wolf in sheeps clothing but KB had alot of access to Kelsey and she was saying it was Raye not MP who was abusing Kelsey. She loves being a celebrity doesn’t she?
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:37 pm
It’s so evident that Raye Dawn and Mike were the ONLY ones there when she was killed. They both know who did it. One of them did it and the other one knew what was happening. We will NEVER know which one did it. Everyone knows where Mike is. It’s on the computer if you’re smart enough to figure it out. Just look. Yes, it’s too bad that they didn’t put Raye Dawn somewhere in another state just like they did Mike so that No ONE would know where she is too. She needs to get out of Oklahoma. She’s too close to home. Too close to her home town, being less than 25 miles away is entirely too close. She’s keeping her family stirred up and broke all the time. Enough is enough. Let the dogs lay where they have fallen.
March 21st, 2009 at 12:26 pm
So I can tell you why the Briggs emailed and met and befriended mike porter, because Kathie wanted to see Raye fall. She had tried her hardest those last 9 months to make rayes life hell, rip Kelsey from her home, stalk, call false reports, lied to DHS, lied to her son…. must I contiune. Kathie has a hand in kelseys death wither she will admit it or not. Who cares the only thing that matters now is the truth and the truth will preveil no matter the legnth of time that passes. Raye did not know Mike was the one hurting Kelsey not in Jan, feb, march, april, may, june, july, aug, sept. NOW that the Briggs are outta the picture and not being shifted from DHS to kathies back to Rayes then to DHS then to Gaylas…you get my point. It was not until the end of august early sept that raye was finally able to FOCUS on kelsey. At that point she was not keeping kesley locked away to be abused but attending dr appts. Enrolling kelsey in play therpay. FOLLOWING drs orders to leave kelsey alone with others for her separation anxiety after being away from raye for so long. It was not until a few weeks before kelseys death that she “was staring to watch him”….the famous saying, so to speak. Kelseys health was not getting better, Mike was starting to act odd,
that is when she thought something was up….NOT THAT HE WAS BEATING HER TO DEATH. So everyone can say to let the dogs lay. But this woman is not guilty of the crime she is serving time for. Im sure if that was your daughter, sister, cousin mom or friend. YOU WOULD NOT JUST LET THE DOGS LAY THERE. its ppl like you that make a mountain outta an ant hill….just like kathie briggs did, now look where that got her….kelsey is gone bc the actions/or lack of, everyone took including the state of OK. You cannot look at all the facts in this case and not see something is wrong, does not fit right?????? Use your brains all…..wake up!!!
June 5th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
I personally new raye dawn! Nd I kno she wud never ever ever allow sumthing lyk this 2 hapn to her children! She luvs her kids. I hope she gets her appeal nd gets out soon!!! I’m prayn 4 u raye… Nd I miss u!
June 12th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Why are some people trying to defend Raye Dawn, those so-call site, freekelseymom and truthaboutkelsey are nothing more than biased, twisted and lied. She knew what was happing and did nothing
June 12th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
a guest… How do you KNOW that?
I for one dont think she knew. The courts didnt know, DHS didnt know, read Bridgetts comment just a couple above your’s…
Oh wait, Im sure you are part of the Briggs family or something, just trying to get more people to bash Raye Dawn…
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:30 am
Oh really Samantha?
If DHS didn’t know as you and those who support Raye Dawn Smith claim, then why did the state of Oklahoma just recently settle the case with the father of this child for $525,000?
Why did the agency that employed a caseworker that was suppose to document everything and keep the higher ups informed of Kelsey’s condition have to pay $100,000?
Kelsey’s father Lance, on behalf of Kelsey’s estate, settled with the federal court to a total of $625,000 for DHS’ failure of this precious child.
That is the maximum amount available to be awarded in such a case as this.
So you tell me how DHS didn’t know?
The settlement proves without a DOUBT that DHS did know. DHS made many mistakes and are in part responsible for what Kelsey endured.
Raye KNEW Samantha!
In the 2nd OSBI interview conducted on October 27th, 2005 Raye stated that she and her mother Gayla started to become suspicious of Porter before Kelsey’s murder.
Raye even stated that the Briggs’ suspected Porter of abusing Kelsey since the very “beginning” when abuse to Kelsey was first confirmed in January 2005.
Raye was confirmed the perpetrator of Kelsey’s abuse by DHS.
So Quit lying for her and Quit confusing people!
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:57 am
Im not LYING for anybody.
Im not going to sit here and argue with you about this. Obviously there are 2 sides to every story. And anyone else on here will tell you that I would be one of the first to throw the book at them if I really thought, or had any proof that she KNEW what was happening. Sure if she had suspicions she should have gotten her daughter away, but you saying that is the first I have heard of that. I have read the court transcripts and all that other stuff about that case and nothing says that. Hell for the longest time I thought she was actually the one who killed Kelsey. But then I heard about all the shady shit the Briggs did and started looking into it.
I dont claim to know everything, never did claim that. But I am entitled to my own opinion about it so dont sit there and call me a liar for stating it!
Clear this up for me… how is it that Kelsey’s legs were broken while in the care of the Brigg’s yet Raye Dawn gets the blaim for that?
Why did the Briggs correspond with the “man” accused of killing their grand daughter?? Was it so important to get Raye Dawn in prison that they stooped that low as to work with Mike Porter on that??
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:51 am
First of all the official documents and testimony from Raye’s trial prove Kelsey’s legs were NOT broken in the care of
the Briggs’ they prove they were broken in the care of her mother!
Have you really read and researched….
The trial notes?
The OSBI interview transcripts?
The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth’s Confidential Report?
The documented facts on Kelsey’s leg injuries…
Lance Briggs was on his last leave home from April 4th – April 11th, 2005 before being deployed to Kuwait within the next
month. Lance left town on April 11th, 2005 to go back to his base. Kelsey was fine when Kelsey was sent back to her mother
for visitation on April 12th, 2005, this is confirmed on all accounts.
In those 2 days of being with her mother Raye, and having contact with Raye’s boyfriend, Michael Lee Porter (whom was court
ordered since March 2005 to NOT have contact with Kelsey during Raye’s visitation’s with her) Kelsey’s right leg was broken.
In the OSBI interview conducted with Miste Smith (Kelsey’s aunt/Raye’s sister-in-law) Miste stated that Kelsey had
complained about her foot on the night of April 13th, 2005.
The next morning on April 14th, 2005 Miste went over to Raye’s house to pick up Kelsey as she was taking Kelsey
with her to her daughter’s (Kelsey’s cousins) school field trip to the Zoo.
While at the Zoo Kelsey started limping on her right leg. Miste called Raye at her work and told her that, “Kelsey doesn’t
want to walk on that foot.” Raye told Miste to come pick her up from work so they could go get Kelsey’s injury documented
because Raye had to take Kelsey back to Kathie later that evening. Miste went and picked up Raye from work and they took
Kelsey to the doctor telling him the story of Kelsey tripping on her flip flops.
Due to the flip flop story the doctor only x-rayed Kelsey’s right ankle.
The Doctor diagnosed Kelsey with a sprained ankle and gave Raye a note with instructions that stated, “Rest Right Foot,
Walk As Tolerated”.
Kelsey’s right leg was already fractured at this point according to the Orthopedic expert Dr.Sullivan that testified at
Raye’s trial, the x-ray of the ankle would have been too far down to detect the fracture of the tibia.
Miste, along with Raye’s cousin Sarah Winter went with Raye to drop Kelsey off with Kathie at the ballfield, she handed
Kathie the Doctor’s note that stated, “”Rest Right Foot, Walk As Tolerated” and told Kathie to make Kelsey walk on it.
Why? So the injury would get worse in Kathie’s care?
That night when Kathie and Ashley took Kelsey home they noticed bruising on Kelsey and called the DHS hotline to inform
them of Kelsey’s “ankle sprain” and the bruising they found on both of her thighs and back.
The social worker told Kathie and Ashley to keep Kelsey overnight and to inform Raye that she needed to bring Kelsey to
the DHS office in the morning which was April 15th, 2005.
Dr.Sullivan’s timeframe of Kelsey’s left leg being broken was between,
April 15th, 2005 and April 18th, 2005 as best as he could narrow it down based on the bone’s callous.
Kelsey was in Raye Dawn Smith’s, Michael Lee Porter’s, and other Smith family member’s custody on those days.
Even Raye’s attorney stated this in his opening arguments.
Raye dropped Kelsey off with Kathie on the afternoon of April 18th, 2005, after she married Michael Lee Porter earlier that
same day. Kathie had Kelsey 3 (24 hour period) days from April 18th – 21st, 2005, during that timeframe Kelsey tried walking
at Wal-Mart, took 4 steps and said “Can’t”. Kelsey also tried taking a few steps outside of the school where Kathie was
picking up her other grandchildren. Kelsey was still having trouble walking. Kathie was concerned so she took Kelsey inside
the school and discussed Kelsey’s sprained ankle with the school nurse.
Raye picked Kelsey up on the afternoon of April 21st, 2005.
In both Raye and Porter’s OSBI interviews they state that in the days following getting Kelsey back from Kathie that they
made Kelsey walk on her legs that entire weekend.
Kathie didn’t force Kelsey to walk the three days Kelsey was with her because, the doctor’s note stated,
“Rest Right Foot, Walk as Tolerated.” Kathie let Kelsey, “Rest her Right Foot” and she didn’t force Kelsey to walk, when
clearly Kelsey could not tolerate it. Kathie followed the instructions by the Doctor on the Doctor’s note.
Why did Michael and Raye force Kelsey to walk on her legs, while Kelsey was obviously in pain?
Kelsey’s legs got progressively worse in Raye and Porter’s care over the course of
4 days, from April 21st – April 25th, 2005.
Raye then had her mother Gayla Smith go with her to take Kelsey to the DHS office on Monday April 25th, 2005 where Raye
showed the staff Kelsey’s legs which were red, swollen, and hot. Kelsey would not stand and wimpered in pain.
Raye told the DHS workers that she picked Kelsey up from Kathie’s in that same condition, 4 days prior. DHS told Raye to
take Kelsey to the hopsital immediately! Kelsey was then diagnosed with two spiral leg fractures.
If Kelsey’s legs were in that bad of a condition when Raye picked Kelsey up from Kathie’s 4 DAYS PRIOR from that DHS office
visit like Raye claims then:
1.) Why didn’t she take Kelsey to the hospital that day she picked Kelsey up? There is no excuse!
2.) How could Raye and Porter have forced Kelsey to walk on her legs that entire weekend? Kelsey could barely even stand
in the DHS office!
Raye’s claim to DHS that Kelsey was in that condition when she picked her up from Kathie’s, does NOT coincide with the
testimony/evidence or statements she and Porter have made, specifically their statements to the OSBI.
Based on the false information given to DHS by Raye about Kelsey’s condition when she picked Kelsey up from Kathie’s, and
based on Raye pointing her finger at Kathie, and, based on the weak timeframe given to DHS by the doctor of when Kelsey’s
leg injuries occurred, DHS couldn’t pinpoint a specific perpetrator, so DHS listed Raye and Kathie as suspects.
What evidence/testimony do you have that proves Kelsey’s legs were broken in the home of the Brigg’s as you claimed?
July 21st, 2009 at 1:02 am
Ok well let me start off by saying this. Until you have seen the evidence and read the court file, don’t believe everything you have heard. There is no and I say no hardcore evidence to convict this mother of anything. The grandmother did in fact break the childs legs as there is plenty of evidence to support that. The Step father took a chicken shit way out and pled out knowing that he was looking at hard core years for what he has done. The state of Ok. just settle with the briggs family for 625,000 dollars because they know that they are the ones who let kelsey down, not her mother. DHS is the one that released the child to her mother. Mom has never admited to doing anything to harm the child. This case will make it to appellet court and the state will be forced to see the truth and Raye Dawn will be free at once. But remember I am a paralegal student required to research the case and find the evidence in the case the proves either way, and so far with the stacks of paper work i have to go through I can tell you that you folks are off on the wrong page somewhere. You don’t know the facts to the story
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Monica – Until you have seen the evidence and read the court file, don’t believe everything you have heard.
You are right about one thing don’t believe everything you have heard!
Monica why don’t you tell us where the evidence and court files are that you are referring too?
All the documents and court files I have read prove that Raye enabled the abuse of her daughter.
Monica – There is no and I say no hardcore evidence to convict this mother of anything.
You are incorrect, there IS plenty of evidence to
support the charge Raye was convicted of, “Enabling Child Abuse”.
Monica – The grandmother did in fact break the childs legs as there is plenty of evidence to support that.
I advise you to retract this false statement. There is NO evidence whatsoever to prove Kelsey broke her legs at Kathie’s home.
Quite the contrary! Please read the timeline of the leg injuries posted above. These are the FACTS based on the official documents and testimony from Raye’s trial. If you were really going by the official documents instead of uncomfirmed speculations and hearsay then you would KNOW this. Anyone can state “there is plenty of evidence to support” this and that, but to be credible one must provide the “evidence”.
Monica – The Step father took a chicken shit way out and pled out knowing that he was looking at hard core years for what he has done.
No, he took the plea of “Enabling Child Abuse” which was 5 years more than the first plea offered to him for “manslaughter.”
Just like Raye Dawn Porter-Smith, Michael Lee Porter states he won’t admit to something he didn’t do.
Monica – The state of Ok. just settle with the briggs family for 625,000 dollars because they know that they are the ones who let kelsey down, not her mother. DHS is the one that released the child to her mother.
Oklahoma DHS system DID fail Kelsey, BUT so did her mother! DHS recommended a “phase in” program for Kelsey, so DHS could make sure Kelsey was being placed in a safe enviroment, free from abuse. The corrupt Judge disregarded DHS’ recommendation and placed Kelsey immediately back home. 4 months later she was beaten to death at home. Who delievered the fatal blow to Kelsey is still unknown. There were only 2 people Porter and Smith, around Kelsey during the timeframe the injuries were inflicted.
Monica – Mom has never admited to doing anything to harm the child.
WRONG! Two different co-workers of Raye’s testified that in January 2005 Raye told them she spanked Kelsey with a hairbrush on her diaper. Kelsey was confirmed to be abused.
She had 29 bruises and abrasions all over her back, bottom, and legs. She also had a broken collar bone and facial bruises.
Raye was determined to be the perpetrator of the 29 bruises and abrasions per DHS.
Porter hasn’t ever admitted to harming Kelsey either, not directly only indirectly by admitting to witnessing Raye abuse Kelsey and not reporting it, “Enabling Child Abuse”!
Monica – This case will make it to appellet court and the state will be forced to see the truth and Raye Dawn will be free at once.
The appeal is already being reviewed by the Oklahoma Criminal Court of Appeals.
No word has come down as of yet.
Monica – But remember I am a paralegal student required to research the case and find the evidence in the case the proves either way, and so far with the stacks of paper work i have to go through I can tell you that you folks are off on the wrong page somewhere. You don’t know the facts to the story.
Nice try at convincing others of your “expertise” Monica. Please share this alleged paper work you have. From your post, I gather that YOU are the one who does not know the “FACTS”!
July 24th, 2009 at 3:31 am
Ok so I have gotten some grief from I am sure family, and thats ok. I am sorry that I post that it was a fact the grandmother did it. That was not my intent and thought I had corrected it. But the evidence in noway points to raye dawn. The state didn’t even see the child abuse, they placed the child in her home and aloud her to continue being a parent.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
WOW ARE YOU GUYS KIDDING ME? YOU GUY ARE POSTINGS COMMENTS AS IF YOU ARE ADULTS BUT ARE YOU REALLY ACTING LIKE one?
THIS POOR BABY DIED. A REALLY SHITTY DEATH. IF YOU MORONS WOULD DO YOUR DAMN RESEARCH YOU WOULD SEE THAT SHE DIED OF BLUNT FORC TRAUMA TO THE ABDOMEN. THE HOLE THAT WAS CREATED THAT EVENTUALLY KILLED HER WAS THE SIZE OF A GROWN MAN. THE ONLY THING RAYE IS GUILTY IS NOT NOTICING HER SURROUNDINGS AND NOT FOLLWING HER GUT.
the briggs family. all of you bastards FAILED KELSEY just as much as everyone else. dont preech about how you did everything you could becuase yu didnt, all you assholes wanted was a pay off and in the end you guys got it huh. how much is the settlement for?
RAYE DAWN AND HER FAMILY ALSO FAILED KELSEY BY NOT NOTICINGTE SIGNS.
BUT IS IT WORHT HE SECOND BABY TO SUFFER FOR HIS MOMMY BEING IN JAIL FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE BECAUSE SHE IS YOUNG AND NIEVE?
THIS IS AN OUTRAGE AND I HAVE BEEN A PROUD SUPPORTER FR AWHILE.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
SORRY FOR ALL THE MIS WRITINGS MY KEY BOARD IS MESSED UP.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Ok so for all you people who seem to have an opinion about all this, you guys really need to think before you randomly post things.
Fingers are to be pointed at both families, how could you not know what is going on with your child, as a mother who is not with my daughters father anymore i always check her out at bath time when she gets back from her dads to see if anything is going on on her! as a parent it is your responsibility to protect your child so both families are at fault here!!!!!
And also we should be pointing fingers at the child protection people(or so they call themselves) because they are a organization meant to protect children from this type of thing happening! and as well as that jusdge who granted her to be back with her mother, maybe he/she shouldve looked further into this matter!
September 4th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
It is obvious that Raye Dawn should have not been convicted of abuse but she should have done more to prevent child abuse in her home. It is my opinion that the only thing she is guilty of is choosing bad men. I do think that she deserves some punishment for not protecting her child but she did not deliberalty harm her daughter.
The Mother in law from hell Ms. Kathie Briggs, now thats a scary hot mess if I have ever seen one. she is obviously trying to hurt Raye dawn in any way possible. and she obviously tampers with the truth anytime possible.
It is so tragic that this little girl was abused and killed by her stepfather. He deserves life. The mom, not so. In a sense she is a victim herself.
Its Kathie Briggs that should be arrested. she has caused so much controversy and dishonesty in this case. She is a looser and her son is discusting. Why did they lie about where he was when this child was killed? It is a fact that Briggs continues to abuse women by beating them.
September 4th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
we had a case like this in West Palm Beach. Some illegal jamacin guy killed a little boy while the mom margarette sicone was at work. she got jail time and he fleed. Her friends all said that Margarette new that her boyfriend Junior was hitting joshua but she was also afraid that he would hit her. DCF did nothing. the beautiful boy was killed.
September 12th, 2009 at 11:06 am
I don’t have enough knowledge of the case to argue as you others are but I will say that as a mother, if I thought my child was being abused by my husband he would be one sorry sucker. Also, if my in laws had any kind of custody of my children and I thought they were being abused there, I think I would sleep in my car in front of their house watching their every move.
We are our children’s advocate and I would be on ANYONE who I thought was harming my children so much they would be afraid to breathe wrong!!!!!!!!
September 18th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
did anybody wonder where the bruises came from???????????????????
September 29th, 2009 at 2:42 am
The pictures that Kathie Briggs has amassed are a showcase of every scrap and scratch, every bump and fall that a two year old can do over an 8-month time span and culminate with the results of an auto accident. The photographs that Briggs has plastered anywhere she can find a flat surface are from what she even called “a very active child.” Even the blood vessel burst in her eye was a direct result of the auto accident.
September 20th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Oh my goodness…From the hills, u have hit the nail on the head and thnx for that.DallASS is talking a pile of crap abt what MPs daughter should have told his accomplice Raye this and that.When u have a child, have NTEREST in ur child, Love ur child and u r connected with ur child and u r INTO ur childs life, u do not need anyone to point out SIGNs to u…what happen is Raye whatever loved MP to death and REFUSED to accept that he was responsible in anyway for Kelseys discrepancies. She preferred to convince HERSELF it WAS ANYTHING or ANYONE else responsible for Kelsey excepting Mike Porter. She was afraid to lose him, so afraid that she winds up in the same place with him now.What an ASSHOLE of a woman. She is just too damn Pretensive and I dont care what any of her BLIND FOLLOWERS claim or feel for her…she is just a freakin murderer as Mike Porter, the number one love of her life!!!
September 29th, 2009 at 2:39 am
Kelsey died on October 11, 2005. Raye Dawn left home that day to pick up her step-daughter from school. She left Kelsey in the care of her step-father, Michael Porter. After a more than 45 minute round-trip, Raye Dawn returned to find Paramedics frantically attempting to revive Kelsey.
DHS reports that Kelsey’s mother was very active in Kelsey’s life and cooperated with their requirements unconditionally. Raye Dawn even reportedly quit her job to concentrate on Kelsey’s well-being. She lobbied to enroll Kelsey in a “play therapy” program in an effort to determine if anything outside of a medical condition was happening to her daughter. Kelsey’s mother received authorization for that program in the mail the day Kelsey died.
Despite the lack of any evidence showing Kelsey’s mother having had warning of such a vicious attack, a jury convicted her on the basis of Kelsey’s death. The DA asked the jury to find her guilty solely on contested evidence and the fact that Kelsey’s step-father committed the act. Raye Dawn is now appealing a 27 year sentence for a deed she did not commit and no evidence shows she allowed.
http://www.usobserverok.com/archive/edition1-07/kelsey-smith-briggs.htm
December 13th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
They are both in prison with longer sentences than most murderers recieve.
Raye Dawn will serve the full amt of time or the 80 or 85 percent that is mandatory. Stephen Jones will take all the money he can get and she’ll still be stuck in prison where SHE BELONGS!