(Witness for the Prosecution)
Direct Examination by Prosecutor Rael Rubin:
"Did you notice any other behavior [of your daughter] in the evenings?" [the mother had testified that her daughter suffered from nightmares and bladder infections when she was enrolled at McMartin.]
"She masturbated a lot. And we noticed, that she danced a lot, scantily clad. We discouraged this."
"Did you notice any strange behavior in [your son]?"
"He looked extremely pale."
"Did he ever come home with clothing that didn't belong to him?"
"Yes, he came home wearing somebody else's clothing, with his own clothes in a bag. We were told that he had had an accident...."
Cross-Examination by Dean Gits:
"Taking you back to the time when you took your children to McMartin, what was the reputation of the school?"
"The reputation was excellent. I checked it out myself."
"Would it be fair to say you were satisfied that it was a good preschool?"
"Yes. I was very close to Virginia."
"During the four years your children attended the preschool did you observe anything improper at the school?"
"I wondered why a twenty-year-old male was there with these children."
"Did you know he was the son of Peggy and the grandson of Virginia?"
"Yes, I did."
"And you were concerned about the fact that a twenty-year-old male was a teacher?"
"Yes, it was of some concern to me."
"Did [your daughter] have any terrible reaction to the school?"
"Not at that time."
"On a number of occasions [your son] was pale. When was that?"
"Toward the last year he was there."
"Did you take him to a doctor?"
"He was always taken to a doctor for regular checkups."
"Were you told that everything was okay?"
"Fine. "
"During the time [your daughter] attended the school, did she ever say anything bad about the teachers?"
"I can't remember."
"You received a telephone call from a friend whose children attended McMartin?"
"She told me she got a letter from the Manhattan Beach Police Department. "
"After hearing that, did you believe Ray Buckey could have touched kids?"
"I thought it was a definite possibility."
"You didn't question the kids?"
"No. We talked to each of them and the responses were all negative."
"Did you notice any anxiety or fear?"
"I don't remember."
"You told us [that] after talking to them you were satisfied that nothing happened?"
"Yes.... "
"Did [your daughter] indicate to you that kids were being molested?"
"No. "
"Did Melinda ever indicate to you that kids played naked games?"
"No."
"Did you believe kids were molested by Ray Buckey?"
"Yes."
"Did you believe that the CII had the power to determine whether children had been molested?"
"Yes."
"You spent the whole day at CII?"
"Yes. "
"And when Kee came out she told you that Melinda had been molested?"
"I don't know if that was the word she used but the sense of what she said was that they had been molested."
"Did Kee tell you that it was important to be supportive of Melinda?"
"Yes."
"How long was [your son] with Kee?"
"An hour and a half."
"After an hour and a half Kee came in and told you the same thing she told you about [your daughter]?"
"Yes."
"And she told you to be supportive, same as [your daughter]?"
"Yes."
"You and your husband watched [your son's] tape?"
"Yes."
"You took the children to Dr. Cheryl Kent?"
"Yes."
"How long?"
"About a year."
"Did you attend meetings at community churches?"
"Yes."
"How many times?"
"Maybe ten. "
"And you had conversations with parents after CII?"
"Yes."
"It was the talk of the town, right?"
"Yes. "
"As you walked out of CII you were absolutely convinced that your children were molested?"
"Yes...."
"Did you see Ray and Peggy arrested on television?"
"Yes."
"And you all got together, and would it be fair to say that the occasion was a party to celebrate the arrest of Ray and Peggy?"
"Yes. "
"Were refreshments offered to the kids?"
"There was food for everybody."
"Were you present at home when Lael Rubin and Gusty Bell talked to [your daughter] on two occasions?"
"Yes."
"Was the purpose to go over [your daughter's] testimony for answers in court?"
"Yes."
"What was the length of time of these meetings?"
"Two or three hours."
"Were transcripts provided?"
"Yes.... "
Cross-examination by Daniel Davis:
"If you would, tracing the things most affecting your state of mind as to the belief that your children were molested, can you remember anything before the letter of 1983?"
"It caused me to start asking questions I should have started asking long ago. "
"Did anything occur before you received the letter that led you to believe that molestation had occurred?"
"I did not think of sexual abuse...."
"Do you feel that [your daughter] was molested at that preschool when she went back to visit in 1982?"
"I definitely feel she was molested. Not necessarily in 1982."
"Was it because of anything you saw at the preschool?"
"No."
"And you definitely feel that [your son] was molested?"
"Yes."
"Anything you saw at the preschool that indicated that?"
"No."
"What made you feel that James was molested?"
"He told me."
"What did you observe that was out of the ordinary at the preschool?"
"I noticed he was a male. . . . It seemed strange someone his age would want to be working with children...."
"[Your daughter] was interviewed in February 1984?"
"Yes. "
"And she had a medical examination by Dr. Astrid Heger?"
"Yes."
"And she was interviewed by Lael Rubin and Det. Bell on May 8, 1985, and testified in the preliminary hearing in May and June 1985?"
"Yes."
"The investigation focused on Ray Buckey?"
"Yes."
"And the police were asking parents to make inquiry of the children?"
"Probably. "
"No one else was named?"
"Correct. "
"And you began to believe. . ."
"Yes."
"After CII, were more people than Ray Buckey implicated?"
"I don't remember."
"From the time [your daughter] went to McMartin to the time she was interviewed by CII was about a six-year lapse?"
"Yes. "
"Did the kids tell you what they noticed at the school?"
"They didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Ray liked the children."
"Did you feel, when you saw the [CII] video, that you saw evidence of molestation?"
"I believe so."
"Little dolls made you feel. . ."
"It wasn't dolls. It's things she said. Body language. She became frightened."
"Do you recall the Ray doll?"
"Yes."
"Was it a large, black doll?"
"I don't remember."
"Were you convinced of molestation?"
"I was convinced both were molested. Everything fell into place."
"You did not see the entire tape. . . ."
"That's correct."
"You saw excerpts queued up, the latter part of the video?"
"I don't recall."
"Did you see your daughter and son explain on other portions of the tapes that they heard about it from parents and others?"
"I don't remember."
"Did Kee suggest that all the kids interviewed had been molested?"
"They did tell us that the kids have been molested."
"When you picked up your preschoolers in the afternoon, did you ever see the 'lookout' game played?"
"I wasn't aware of it."
"Your daughter told you about the 'lookout' game. What recollection do you have about that?"
"She told me the kids had to play and let Ray know, run in and tell Ray when children were picked up."
"When you picked up your kids, were there some adults there?"
"Yes. "
"Was Ray Buckey there?"
"Different places at different times."
"When you picked up your children, were other teachers there?"
"Ray, and Betty was there, too."
"Did you see Virginia?"
"Yes."
"In what particular locations did Virginia locate herself?"
"In front of the school, usually in her wheelchair...."
"Was there a time when special prayers were made at a community church for the children involved in this?"
"Yes."
"Did you also attend meetings at your church?"
"Yes."
"Who was there?"
"Families of the children attending the preschool...."
"You indicated that sometimes you were late and sometimes you would come early. Did you see anything that looked like molestation?"
"No. "
"Would it be fair to say that your belief in molestation is based just on things you heard?"
"No. It was based on what my children told me."
"Did you ever go there and find out that you were locked out?"
"No."
"Did you ever see any evidence that children were being molested?"
"No."
"When you went to CII, did you do anything to inquire into the credentials of the people?"
"Objection. "
"Sustained. "
"And Dr. Heger found that she had been molested?"
"Yes, she did...."
"When did you see blankets on the classroom windows?"
"In the afternoon when I picked up the children. "
"Did you think there was anything unusual about that?"
"No, I thought it was for nap purposes."
"You indicated that your children went back to the school together...times when you were shopping?"
"Yes. "
"You believe they were molested during those times?"
"Yes...."