A Corrupt Silver Bullet Divorce with Criminal Consequences
BACKGROUND – Daniel Joseph Dreaden married Jessie Marlise Armenda Moore on March 14, 2015. We had 2 daughters, our first was born August 22, 2015 and our second was born February 21, 2017. My wife, Jessie and I both joined the Army together in 2014. Upon finishing our training she moved in with me from Florida. Throughout our marriage I would learn from my wife that she was Schizophrenic and had been abused by her mother Jeannie Spataro growing up. I enjoyed being a supportive husband to what I thought was a happy family. I worked as many jobs as necessary and Jessie stayed home with the children. Our marriage had ups and downs. We would then move to smyrna. I would eventually work at Military
Funeral Honors. I thought, even though my work schedule seemed hectic, as long as we worked hard and kept at it things would get better. My wife started school at MTSU. I thought we had a happy marriage…I was blind to the truth of who I was with and what she was capable of.
EVENTS – July of 2019 – My wife, Jessie Dreaden left for annual training with, our joint Army National Guard unit, 777th Support Maintenance Company. I did not accompany her during this 2-week annual training because I had my Basic Leadership Course the following month, preparing to become a sergeant. I would later confirm that this is when her affair with Michael Parker Vanhusen seemingly started. End of August 2019 – When I returned from my training at the end of August 2019 things between my wife and I seemed strange. She was currently enrolled in college at MTSU and had been for the last year.
October 2019 – She had told me she needed time away and started telling me she was spending time with friends from her school she had met through a military college group. She spent nights away with these friends leaving me to take care of our girls. The nights quickly became more often. She started spending multiple days at a time away from home, saying she was staying with her friend’s from college or brother in Chattanooga. Saying she just needed space. I did my best to be as understanding as I could, hoping she would get the time she needed and come back home. The time she spent at home things seemed to get better till she’d leave again and return and things would feel strained again. I continued to care for our daughters and keep them from worrying. She would tell me at times that she felt like she wanted a divorce. During this time I had been trying to find a marriage counselor, and I did end up getting one.
November 2019 -She agreed to see the marriage counselor, and we began sessions with Leslie Ross with
Chapel Hill Counseling.
Middle of December 2019 – We spent the day as a family going to Lowes and making trains and picking out little Christmas trees. She stayed over that night. The next morning she accused me rape. My head spun. I couldn’t believe it. She denied having anything to do with it or having any memory of the night before even though I told her exactly what happened. At this point she said it was over and she was moving out and staying with her friend from college. She then left. I’d later find out that she had gone to her lover, Michael VanHusen’s house.
March of 2020 – My wife volunteered for active guard Covid 19 orders with the National Guard. She spent the night over at the house before the orders started and told me she would consider letting me my pending charges I could not be hired. I asked my lawyer how I was supposed to provide for two minor children without the ability to get a good job, and he responded that he didn’t have an answer. I was under siege, my assets dwindling and my options narrowing. I did not want to lose custody of my children, they needed me and I kept them safe, happy, and healthy. I was also investigated by child
protective services, multiple times, who came over the house and left after my daughters and I answered all their questions and showed them the house.
October 2022 – After much postponement, court was finally set for December 13, 2022. During the months leading to trial the district attorney, Matthew Westmoreland, offered to reduce my alleged charges to a misdemeanor. According to my lawyer this was unheard of with the charges I was accused of. John David Cunningham was also given an offer of 30 years. Both of us continued forward, to assert our innocence of all charges. The DA would also request from the court that talk of the affair be barred from the discussion using Rule 412. IN addition to testimony of any counselor be barred, which would
include our marriage counselor, Lesley Ross, LPC-MHSP- Therapist, as well as my army one source provided counselor, Meshon Dugan. The testimony of lawyers as well as police officers, such as Detective Andrea Butler, were proposed to be barred, as well. And finally, the transcript from our Civil Court hearing with Judge Scarlet was not to be allowed to be discussed.
CRIMINAL TRIAL – December 2022 – After receiving the shocking rulings and information about what could and could not be discussed I opted for a bench trial. My thinking was Judge Turner knew my wife’s true motive. Judge Turner had read my family court transcript at the previous bail hearing. When I was going through this process it did not occur to me that Judge Turner was the individual who did not allow the evidence. This limiting of evidence was also present in John David Cunningham’s case. This creates a situation where both sides are unable to be heard equally. It is done to create a situation where the evidence at trial seems to favor the state, then when the retrial is denied the rare few who did not accept a plea deal usually do not have the financial capability to appeal. During trial my ex wife testified and was found to be not credible. Andrew Nowiki, a friend of mine, who I texted about the situation and his Fiancee Jessica Mitchell, who’s family I had been unofficially adopted into by her mother both testified against me and were found credible. I had stopped talking to either of them previously, not wanting them to be in the middle of my ex and I, as Jessica had become a good friend of my ex wife.
They were cold and distant on the stand, testifying in a way that hurt me to my core. Detective Andrea Butler was allowed to testify because my lawyer got her certified as an expert witness. Detective Butler said under oath that all my ex’s behavior was “normal” for a victim. Which was in complete contradiction of the original prosecution’s declined documentation. Which stated that her accusations couldn’t be believed because my wife slept in the same bed with me multiple times after the accusations. Detective Butler would not go into detail on the stand about why prosecution on my case was declined originally.
Judge Turner stopped my lawyer from questioning her further. Saying she was done and had answered enough. Eventually with nothing but hearsay, Judge Turner would declare me guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. I was immediately sent to jail.
SENTENCING – February 13, 2023 – Judge Turner said he wished he had a magic wand to make this all go away, those poor girls, I was obviously a good father. Even thanked me for my service. When given the information that my ex was going on a deployment that she volunteered for, Judge Turner said he was unfamiliar with the military process, and decided in his opinion that she had been rehabilitated to the point of that day in court. Even though she testified in front of military personnel, there on my behalf, that she had depression and PTSD. She would begin her deployment that day, leaving our children with her mother. Due to this incarceration I received a dishonorable discharge. I was in the Army for over 10 years. It meant a great deal to me. I lost all my benefits and was unable to complete my medical discharge. I took pride and comfort in my ability to provide grieving families closure and support in their time of need. This discharge was hard fought by my direct command and my JAG representative. My ex would proceed to take my girls and dogs from my house the day I was taken away. My bills went into arrears, I lost my car to repossession, and my house due to my ex forcing me to sell it.
July 20 , 2023 – Upon released I had nothing. I was now a sex offender. I had nowhere to go and had to abide by rules designed for people to fail. I would move in with some friends into their apartment in Smyrna, TN. My probation officer approved it. My ex mother in law called the complex and my probation officer out of nowhere and tried to get me evicted. She got my address off the sexual offender registry I was now a part of. My probation officer told me it was clear that this woman was “malicious and out to get me”. I would eventually be told by my probation officer it would be wise to leave, as
Metro Police somehow became involved. So I did, and my two roommates were evicted due to “harboring me” and said I was disturbing the other residents, which was in no way true. We could have brought this to court due to discrimination and mistreatment of my roommates, but one roommate paid the money they were charged by the apartment complex out of fear. Had I any idea that my friends could be hurt from my situation, I would never have stayed there.
November 2023 – I again had nowhere to go. Currently I am homeless. My ex and her mother want me to
stay destitute and helpless. They want this appeal to pass and me to be unable to do anything about it.
Keeping my children and keeping me struggling to survive.
February 2023 – After over a year of being unable to contact my children in any way I was able to see
them. I was worried they would have been brainwashed to hate me. But they came running to me. My
heart melted. I would do anything for them. They told me they didn’t believe the terrible things they
were told. I also learned they hadn’t been to a counselor or dentist since I last took them, over a year
ago. My ex didn’t do any of this so she could care for the children, she did it because she wanted to be
cruel.
I am currently Appealing. My Criminal Lawyer Joshua Crain has stated he is unable to assist me further
with this process. I am in contact with Patrick T. McNally. He requires $65,000 to take the case. This is an
obvious silver bullet divorce. Please don’t let Jessie Parker get away with this. I’ll keep fighting till my
dying breath for my girls. They need me and I want to see them grow up.
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