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Terra.Anatolia
  • 7 hours ago
Transcript
00:00A shy girl's sheltered life splits wide open when she's forced to grow up fast.
00:12It's going to be okay. I'm right here next to you.
00:14When I first found out that she was pregnant, I was terrified.
00:19When the one thing she loves most is taken from her, she nearly falls apart.
00:25I miss my kids every day.
00:26She meets a kindred spirit.
00:30I think he was just looking for some sort of happiness.
00:35But when his demons emerge, she has to choose.
00:40He totally turned into someone else.
00:43Run or fight.
00:46She was just like a psycho.
00:51Not all fairy tales have happy endings.
00:54When love goes wrong, a woman can do the unthinkable.
01:0016-year-old Tamara Quincy is starting her first year at a Native American boarding school in Oregon.
01:17It's the first time the shy teen's been away from home.
01:21From Alaska to Washington to Montana, a lot of the Native Americans went to school there.
01:28I really enjoyed it.
01:31Tamara grew up on a tiny reservation in rural Montana, 40 miles from the closest town.
01:36Overwhelmed by so many new faces, Tamara feels lucky that her older sister is also at the school.
01:45She introduces Tamara to her friends, including a handsome young man named Leo.
01:50Hey, Leo.
01:52Come here.
01:53Hey.
01:54This is my sister, Tammy.
01:56I'm Leo.
01:57She's a little bit shy.
01:59Can you show her around campus?
02:00Yeah, I'd love to.
02:01Awesome.
02:02Well, have a good time.
02:03Yes.
02:04Bye.
02:04Um, so are you for your own lunchtime?
02:11Okay.
02:12Yeah?
02:13Yeah.
02:13All right.
02:14I'll see you then.
02:14Okay.
02:15Later.
02:16Bye.
02:17Leo and Tamara click instantly.
02:20He was just a really nice person, outgoing, friendly.
02:24He was very kind-hearted.
02:26What do you call a cow with no legs?
02:30Leo's drawn to Tamara's quirky sense of humor.
02:33Ground beat.
02:34She told bad jokes.
02:37You know, she tried to be funny.
02:39That's the worst joke I've ever heard.
02:41I played along with him.
02:43We got along really well and just kind of hit it off.
02:47I'd always figured I'd go into fishing one day.
02:50Leo hails from a family of commercial fishermen in Washington State and also grew up on a reservation.
02:56The two relate to their similar upbringings and soon become inseparable.
03:01She was really honest to me.
03:03She said what was on her mind and that's what I liked about her.
03:08But she was my best friend.
03:09And like many close teenage friendships, Tamara and Leo share more than just secrets.
03:19We'd break the rules and we would sneak out and meet after hours.
03:24When they're caught, they're reprimanded by one of the teachers.
03:29I can recall him saying that, you know, if you guys keep this up, you're going to wind up pregnant.
03:34I can remember her laughing.
03:37We were young at the time, you know, 17.
03:39So we didn't care.
03:41We thought it was kind of funny.
03:44Dr. Casey Jordan studies criminal behavior.
03:48Tamara is a sheltered, naive girl who has not had very much exposure to the world outside of her reservation.
03:55Now that she's away from home, she's able to assert her independence.
03:58But she's also prone to making some very bad choices that could shatter her innocent view of the world.
04:08A few months later, at the start of the spring semester, Tamara wakes up too sick to go to class.
04:14I didn't feel good. I was getting really sick.
04:17Don't worry, you're not sick.
04:19But it's not a stomach bug that she's suffering from.
04:23You're pregnant.
04:25Do you remember the moment when they told you the news?
04:27I start crying, and I told him I was really scared.
04:31When I first found out that she was pregnant, I was terrified.
04:38It's going to be okay.
04:40I'm right here next to you.
04:42We're both young, and we really didn't know what to do.
04:45But he was supportive about it.
04:47And he said he'd be there for me.
04:50Tamara's parents are strict Catholics, and she knows they'll be furious.
04:55Hello?
04:56Hi, Mom.
04:57Hi, sweetie.
04:58I have something to tell you.
05:03I'm pregnant.
05:05She just said that she wasn't happy about me being pregnant, and I need to go home.
05:10This is a disaster.
05:11I'm sorry.
05:12Because I pretty much embarrassed her.
05:15Her mother was trying to be strict with her.
05:17She wanted to make appearance to everybody else.
05:20And Tammy just kind of disappointed her.
05:22How did you feel about going back home to Montana?
05:27I didn't want to.
05:28And you had to drop out of school?
05:30Yes.
05:31When school administrators hear about Tamara's pregnancy, they expel Leo.
05:39The soon-to-be father has a choice to make.
05:45Return to his family in Washington or join Tamara in Montana.
05:50We decided that I was going to go and stay with her and her family.
06:01Hi.
06:03Leo.
06:05Tamara's parents are relieved that Leo's stepping up to the plate.
06:08But they make it clear they're not happy about the couple's decision to have a baby out of wedlock.
06:14Come on in.
06:16Your room's in the back.
06:19They had put us two double beds in there.
06:23They tried to keep us separated.
06:25Were you thinking that you might want to be with this guy for the rest of your life?
06:28No.
06:29I didn't think that way.
06:30I was too young.
06:32My plan was just to try to finish out school and move off the reservation.
06:36So I can go to college.
06:39But for now, the young couple makes the best of things.
06:44Those beds were eventually pushed together.
06:46And pulled apart every day, of course.
06:56Even though Leo's willing to take responsibility for the baby, he isn't ready to call Montana home.
07:04Immediately, I know I didn't like it.
07:06I knew that that's not where I wanted to be.
07:09What I wanted to be was a commercial fisherman.
07:12And I wasn't anywhere near any water in Montana.
07:18At the end of the summer, Tamara gives birth to a boy they name Mark.
07:22Was your family kind of over the embarrassment?
07:25Oh, yeah.
07:26They spoiled him.
07:28And they helped me out a lot with him.
07:35Even though they're thrilled with their new grandson, Tamara's parents are still determined
07:40to see the young couple tie the knot.
07:42She would look great in that.
07:44I just remember they were planning a wedding.
07:49And I said, I'm not getting married.
07:51And they said, yes, you are.
07:53I don't want to get married.
07:54I said I was too young.
07:55You just don't understand.
07:57But it was set up anyway.
08:01So they pretty much told you you had to get married?
08:03Mm-hmm.
08:04Because it's the Catholic way.
08:08Despite their hesitations, after a casual ceremony, Leo and Tamara settled into married life.
08:14Oh, my wedding day, I was nervous.
08:17You're so beautiful.
08:19Couldn't even say my vows.
08:20My dad was saying them for me.
08:24Even though they weren't gung-ho about marriage, they're very much in love.
08:29I believed at the time that I was going to be with her the rest of my life.
08:33I thought we're going to be together forever.
08:36That's the way I felt at the time.
08:38I loved her.
08:41And I know she loved me.
08:44But life on the rural reservation is rough for Leo.
08:49Most jobs go to the people in the local tribe.
08:53And the young father struggles to find anything stable.
08:57I worked on a pig farm for a while, and that was really hard work.
09:01But, you know, that was basically the only opportunity of work I had over there.
09:06Being forced into a marriage is not a guarantee of a happily ever after for Tamara and Leo.
09:11They are still kids, but they're already struggling with this grown-up challenge of just trying to make ends meet.
09:18And once all that puppy love wears off, this relationship is going to face some very serious obstacles.
09:23Late spring is the start of fishing season in Washington.
09:30Determined to focus on his fishing career, Leo lures Tamara to the West Coast.
09:35I told her that we're missing out on me making any sort of money.
09:42And she did agree.
09:45In Washington, the couple moves in with Leo's parents.
09:52While his family looks after their son, both quickly find jobs in the fishing industry.
09:58I start working out a fish hatchery.
10:03Can you describe the kind of work you were doing?
10:06It's called spooning fish.
10:07You just open them, you spoon all the guts and everything out of it, and just move it down the line.
10:14It's not glamorous work, but it's a decent living.
10:21Leo's finally working as a fisherman.
10:23But it means he's out at sea for weeks at a time.
10:27What is it, Ben?
10:29It's only going to be for a couple of weeks.
10:32We had some stability.
10:34I thought maybe this is where both of us were going to stay the rest of our lives.
10:39But some unexpected news is about to shatter the newlyweds' plans for their future.
10:45I tried to give her an ultimatum.
10:53I tried to get the best of my friends.
11:0119-year-old Tamara Quincy and her husband Leo are living a simple but peaceful existence in Washington state.
11:09But some unexpected news is about to catapult their lives into chaos.
11:14After months of working in a fish factory, Tamara's suddenly revolted by the smell.
11:29So one day you're on the conveyor belt line, spoon and fish, and you feel sick.
11:33Yeah.
11:33But the smell of fish never made you sick before.
11:35Oh.
11:37And what was it?
11:39It was being pregnant.
11:39What's up, Ben?
11:45I don't have a lot of time because I'm on break.
11:47This time, Leo's not so supportive.
11:51Are you serious?
11:52He didn't like the idea that I was pregnant again because, you know, we're still young and I want to be another child to take care of.
11:59Horrible.
11:59When she told me that she was pregnant again, I remember that I was more of a, oh, no, type thing.
12:08We're struggling with one kid.
12:10How are we going to make it happen with two?
12:12But Leo has a deeper reason for being upset since he's been away at sea.
12:18How do I even know it's mine, huh?
12:21Trying to say it wasn't his.
12:22He was trying to say it was some other guy's.
12:24I've never even had any relationship with it.
12:27After thinking about it, I guess I counted up the months and realized that maybe I'm just being a butt.
12:40I know that hurt her a lot.
12:44I'm sorry for your pain.
12:47Look, we'll make it work.
12:49Leo quickly comes around.
12:51But his accusation does serious damage to their relationship.
12:58See you later.
13:00Against Leo's wishes, Tamara decides to move back home to Montana to have the baby.
13:06She takes their son Mark with her.
13:10Leo stays behind in Washington.
13:12In my head, I just thought that you just need to stay here because there's nothing back there.
13:18You won't find a job.
13:19You won't find nothing.
13:20Hey.
13:28Hi, Leo.
13:30Separated by 700 miles, the couple's already fragile relationship disintegrates.
13:35I wanted to know if you were going to be here when the baby is born.
13:40Well, it was supposed to be just a separation for a while.
13:42You know I can't leave in the middle of the season.
13:44I tried to give her an ultimatum.
13:47At least here you can find work.
13:50You know, we can't do this.
13:51And I never thought about it through her eyes.
13:56We'll talk about this in a couple days, okay?
13:57Six months after moving home, Tamara gives birth to another baby boy.
14:09She names him Troy.
14:11I think the kids should stay with me.
14:19One year later, Leo files for divorce.
14:24It's probably for the best.
14:27The split is amicable.
14:28Bye.
14:29Bye.
14:30Bye.
14:31I wanted her to be happy.
14:36And apparently, being with me wasn't making her happy.
14:43Tamara's heartbroken, but she decides to bury her heartache and focus on her future and getting
14:51her GED.
14:52I always wanted to be a nurse, take care of people who were sick or handicapped.
14:58And that was always my dream.
15:03Over the next few years, Tamara has a third child from a casual fling, a daughter she
15:11named Sally.
15:14Shortly after the birth, Tamara makes a bold decision.
15:18Against her mom's wishes, she and her kids move to a town 80 miles away, where she enrolls
15:24in a nursing program and quickly finds a night job at a nursing home.
15:32It's her first time living alone and supporting herself.
15:36And it's not easy.
15:37Kids, I'm home.
15:38Time to get ready for school.
15:41I'd go and shift about 10 at night and get off about 6 or something in the morning, enough
15:49time to make it home to get my kids up for school.
15:52Three kids and working full-time and trying to go to college around your work hours.
15:58Yeah.
15:59That would crack the best of people.
16:00Oh, yeah.
16:01It was a struggle.
16:02Then I'd sleep.
16:03And by the time my kids got home, I tried to get up so I could do their homework and feed
16:07them.
16:12Despite her hectic schedule, Tamara excels both at school and at her new job.
16:17I loved it.
16:18I was doing really well.
16:20My teacher was very pleased with me because I was an A-B student.
16:24It would make you feel much better.
16:26She was always good at what she was doing.
16:28Any kind of job she had, she was always good at it.
16:31It's great that Tamara is finally focusing on her future, but she's also burning the candle
16:38at both ends.
16:39And no matter how hard she tries to make it work, Tamara is not doing herself or her kids
16:44any favors by shouldering this burden all alone.
16:48But by summer, the pressure of balancing work, school, and family starts taking a toll on
16:55Tamara and the children.
16:58It started really affecting their homework and also their eating habits.
17:04I had food all the time.
17:06I just didn't have time to cook.
17:08Tammy, wake up.
17:21Money's tight and her mom makes Tamara an offer she can't refuse.
17:25I think it's too much for you right now.
17:28Why don't you let the kids come with me for the summer?
17:31She said, well, I come up here to help you out so you don't have to have a babysitter.
17:35I said, oh, okay, and I thought they were going to go have a good summer out there where
17:39they didn't have to be home all the time while I work.
17:42As much as Tamara hates the idea of being away from her kids, it's a relief.
17:50But just a few days later, Tamara gets some news that sends her life careening out of control.
18:05After nearly caving under the pressure of raising three kids on her own, Tamara Quincy thinks her prayers
18:19are answered when her mom offers to take them for the summer.
18:23But just a few days later, she receives an unexpected letter from the Department of Family Services
18:29that changes everything.
18:32I get a letter from the DFS stating that somebody was making remarks that I wasn't a good mom.
18:39I wasn't taking care of my kids.
18:42And I was drinking a lot.
18:48Tamara can't imagine who would have filed the report.
18:51So I went up to the DFS department and I went in there and I just started talking to this lady
18:56and I said, who would do such a thing?
18:59Do you know when Annette Quincy?
19:02That's my mother.
19:04Well, she's the one that made the report on you.
19:09Excuse me, I have to take this call.
19:10Tamara's dumbfounded.
19:12Hello, DFS.
19:13This is Rose.
19:14How can I help you?
19:18She calls her mom, demanding an explanation.
19:22Hello?
19:23How can you take away my kids?
19:26Tammy.
19:27Tammy, calm down.
19:29She said, because you needed help.
19:30No, I don't.
19:31I got custody of them.
19:33And if you come on the reservation, I will have the cops pick you up.
19:37Every time I see you, you're drunk.
19:40Is that true?
19:41Were you drinking a lot?
19:42No.
19:43I didn't have time to drink.
19:45And so, I mean, that's what really upset me.
19:48But others who know Tamara claim she's prone to hitting the bottle.
19:53She drank a lot.
19:54I wouldn't say blackout drunk, but I would say drunk.
19:58Drunk enough to know that she's inebriated and can't drive.
20:03Your mom petitioned to the tribe that she should be made legal custodian of your children?
20:08Apparently.
20:12According to Tamara, the tribal council sides with her mother.
20:17The tribe granted her custody?
20:20As far as I know, that's what happened.
20:23Tamara feels betrayed by her family and the tribe.
20:28It's really hard to know exactly where the truth lies.
20:31Petitioning to have Tamara's kids taken away from her is really harsh.
20:35But you have to wonder why her mother would go to such extremes.
20:40Did Tamara have a drinking problem that she just isn't willing to admit?
20:45She spirals into a deep depression and drops out of school.
20:50It tore me up.
20:53It totally tore me up and I just lost it.
20:56I just start drinking.
20:59You were seeking solace in a bottle.
21:02I just didn't know where to turn to or what to do.
21:04I miss my kids every day and I couldn't understand why she would do it.
21:08And it still hurts.
21:09Tamara's determined to win back her kids and her mom's trust.
21:17She pours her energy into her job and saves every penny she can.
21:22Every month, she sends money to her mother to prove she's being responsible.
21:27So you would try to regain at least a line of communication with your mom so you could speak to your kids, right?
21:32Yes.
21:33I was helping her out with them anytime they needed anything.
21:36I'd make sure I sent money home for her.
21:38Hi, Troy.
21:39How's school, buddy?
21:41It's good, Mommy.
21:42I'm on the soccer team.
21:44She eventually started letting me talk to them and they were able to call me.
21:47Okay, hold on.
21:48I love you.
21:50Hi, Sally.
21:51It's Mommy.
21:52How are you?
21:53I'm good, Mommy.
21:54I just lost my first tooth and the tooth side gave me a quarter.
21:58It was really hard, you know, because they really missed me and they couldn't understand.
22:02I couldn't even tell them why.
22:07In 1998, Tamara's offered a part-time job at an elder care home near the reservation where her kids have been living with her mom.
22:16They told her that I'm coming home to see them and she was good about it.
22:22Her mom agrees to let her live with them, but only until she finds her own place.
22:28It's the moment Tamara's been waiting for.
22:30And that was the first time I got to see my kids, probably in a two-year period.
22:35Hey!
22:41Tamara hasn't been back on the reservation since she left nearly six years earlier.
22:46Hi, baby.
22:49I missed you.
22:50I missed you.
22:51I missed you.
22:52I missed you.
22:56Her sister catches her up on some mutual friends.
22:59She learns that one of her old classmates, a former football player named Marvin, is also going through a custody battle.
23:06Marvin.
23:10When Tamara reaches out to Marvin the next day, they make plans to meet up when he gets off work.
23:16Way to hustle.
23:18Hey, Marvin.
23:19Hey, Tammy.
23:20No time, no see.
23:22He was the athletic director.
23:25He had a big heart.
23:27All the kids at the school looked up to him and they respected him.
23:33I can't remember the last time I actually laughed.
23:36When we start talking, he was feeling down and he was depressed because apparently he was going through a lot with his ex-wife and he wasn't able to see his sons.
23:45It's good to see my kids.
23:47He would tell us that I just can't handle being away from my kids.
23:52We'd just tell him, you know, just hang in there and I think he was just looking for some sort of happiness.
24:00Tamara relates to Marvin's struggle.
24:03There's an instant connection.
24:07Tamara starts spending evenings at Marvin's house with his sister, Anna Lee, and niece, Shaniqua.
24:16I like hanging out with him.
24:17He's very musical.
24:18He liked to sing a lot and play the guitar.
24:22Sometimes we'd go outside and we'd sit there and they were always laughing, talking.
24:27After just a few weeks, Marvin asked Tamara to move in with him.
24:32We spent all this time together.
24:34She accepts.
24:36She's felt pressure to move out of her mom's place anyway.
24:41It seems like a good idea, at least to them.
24:45Did you feel like you were in love with this guy and thinking maybe...
24:49I don't know.
24:51I can call it so much love.
24:52I think I felt more, I'm sorry for him.
24:54I felt maybe I just needed to be there for him.
24:58Just because Tamara understands what Marvin is going through doesn't mean she has the power to heal him.
25:04Playing the rescuer could easily backfire on her.
25:08Tamara claims once her boxes are unpacked, her new man quickly becomes a monster.
25:14You're telling me that the outside world would see this big teddy bear, fun guy, but behind closed doors he was still upset and angry about things.
25:25Mm-hmm.
25:28He tried to be happy, but there's a lot of things built up in him.
25:34According to Tamara, one day in August after meeting with his ex-wife, Marvin is angrier than ever.
25:41He was really upset, really mad.
25:44Do you think that's fair?
25:45Answer me, do you think that's fair?
25:46It's not, but I'm sorry, I can't do anything...
25:49I tried to talk to him and he said, you'll never understand. It's none of your business.
25:55Don't tell me to calm down.
25:56Calm down, Marvin.
25:58Stop it!
26:00He just started beating me up. Got on top of me and I couldn't move.
26:02After a whirlwind romance, 32-year-old Tamara Quincy moves in with Marvin, her boyfriend of two months.
26:22But according to Tamara, the shotgun relationship is quickly torpedoed by some serious demons.
26:32Come on, Marvin!
26:33Turn me in again!
26:34You got that?
26:35What?
26:36Don't you dare tell me what to do!
26:38Do you understand me?
26:42After he beat me up and then he got up and walked out the door and left.
26:47I didn't know what to do.
26:53Tamara claims that a couple of hours later, Marvin comes back to beg for her forgiveness.
26:59I'm sorry, baby.
27:02You know that's not me.
27:04Despite being terrified by the attack, Tamara says she feels bad for him and forgives him.
27:11I love him.
27:13I thought I could change him.
27:15I thought I could help him.
27:17I kept it in my head that I could.
27:19Tamara's fixer mentality is dangerous because it gives her false hope that she can cure Marvin's behavior.
27:24But the cold, hard truth is that if a person is abusive now, only a few months into the relationship, it's only going to get worse.
27:33And Tamara claims instead of going away, the abuse quickly ramps up.
27:40How often were you getting beat?
27:46At least twice a week.
27:47Get back in here!
27:49And all of a sudden, he'd explode.
27:51And you never knew what would set him off?
27:53Mm-mm.
27:54What's going on?
27:55But Marvin's sister, Anna Lee, and niece, Shaniqua, tell a different story.
28:10Listen to me!
28:11Tamara, calm down.
28:12What's wrong with you?
28:13See?
28:14Never ever witnessed any abuse on his part.
28:17Not even, like, an abusive word.
28:21Nothing.
28:22Look at me, you idiot!
28:24In fact, they say that if anyone's getting aggressive, it's Tamara.
28:29One time I was visiting with them and they were drunk.
28:32And she got mad at him because he spilled something on the floor and she started calling him names.
28:37Sloppy Pig and things like that.
28:40The sober version of her was quiet.
28:43She kept to herself.
28:44But as soon as she had alcohol in her, then she would change.
28:49She was loud.
28:50This is none of your business!
28:53Obnoxious.
28:54Mouthy.
28:55Why do you put up with this?
28:58Shaniqua repeatedly tells Marvin to ditch his girlfriend.
29:01She's not right for you.
29:02I tell him all the time.
29:04You need to find somebody else.
29:06He was probably scared to be left alone again.
29:09That's my theory anyway.
29:11That's why he put up with the abuse.
29:14Maybe he loved her.
29:16Maybe he really did love her.
29:18We may never know who the aggressor really was in this relationship,
29:22but this isn't the first time someone has called out Tamara on her drinking.
29:26The reality is they probably both behaved very badly towards each other.
29:31And one of them has to leave before it's too late.
29:38So where have you been?
29:39I haven't seen you in a long time.
29:40Tamara claims that when she confides in her friend Donna about Marvin's abusive behavior,
29:45she learns he's got a history of anger issues.
29:50I think his ex-wife had to put a restraining order on him.
29:53He hits me?
29:55I'm not surprised.
29:57His divorce was really messy.
30:00And then we had to go to anger management.
30:03It sounds like the system was trying to get him help.
30:05But why do you think it never had any sticking power?
30:08I don't know.
30:09I wish in my heart and soul he would have been able to get help.
30:13Because I knew he needed really severe counseling at one time.
30:16He had a lot of issues.
30:19Over the next year, Tamara continues to work part-time as a caregiver
30:24and visits her children every week.
30:27Were you thinking in terms of maybe someday soon,
30:31I can have my kids back full-time and I won't have to just see them at my mom's house?
30:35Mm-hmm.
30:37Yeah.
30:38You were pretty sure you'd get custody of them again.
30:41You'd go over to the house and see him.
30:43When he'd let me.
30:45Hi sis, how's it going?
30:47She claims Marvin does what he can to cut her visit short.
30:51It's for you.
30:55Hello?
30:57I'd say hi to everybody and he'd call and say,
31:00come back home now.
31:02So I didn't get a chance to sit down.
31:05That was Marvin.
31:07I gotta go.
31:09But the kids will be here any minute.
31:11I can't wait.
31:18Tamara keeps hoping things will get better.
31:21He'd try to talk nice to me.
31:24That he would never put his hand on me again.
31:27He promised me he'd get more counseling.
31:29And I'd fall for it.
31:30I'm sorry I lost my temper, babe.
31:33But she claims that after almost two years together, Marvin's still full of empty promises.
31:39You know people are going to say, Tammy, you're the strong independent woman.
31:44You're the woman who didn't even want to get married when you were pregnant.
31:47You went to college.
31:48You got your CNA.
31:50You're working two jobs.
31:51You've got your babysitting covered.
31:53You know, where's that strong independent Tammy now?
31:57Why are you putting up with this?
31:59I don't know.
32:01I don't know how he got me so down.
32:03My self-esteem just went.
32:05He made me believe that I was no good.
32:08So you're telling me that he not just beat you, but he tore you down psychologically?
32:13What would he say to you that would make you feel so bad?
32:16That I was fat and ugly and nobody would want me, even if I left him.
32:19In December 2000, Tamara tells Marvin she wants to spend the holiday with her kids.
32:30For the first time in their relationship, Marvin agrees to have them over.
32:35Say Merry Christmas.
32:37Merry Christmas.
32:39Oh, come on.
32:40The evening starts off picture perfect.
32:43I was counting my babies and they were having fun.
32:46They were giggling.
32:47They were thanking me.
32:48He started putting his hand in.
32:51Merry Christmas.
32:52It seems like a Christmas miracle.
32:59Until suddenly, Marvin's dark side comes out, full force.
33:04This isn't fair.
33:06How come your kids are here and mine aren't?
33:11On the blue, he said, when after your kids can be here and I can't see mine for Christmas.
33:16Is that fair?
33:17Everything's gonna be okay.
33:18No, everything's gonna be okay.
33:19Because your kids were happy, opening their presents, full of joy.
33:23And he wants to steal this moment from you by saying it's not fair that you have your kids with you on Christmas and I don't have my children with me.
33:29Mm-hmm.
33:30This is fair, look.
33:31Tamara claims Marvin becomes threatening in front of her kids.
33:34Let me see him.
33:35It's okay.
33:36It's okay.
33:37Please stop.
33:38No, I'm not gonna stop.
33:39Stop!
33:40Don't tell me what to do in my house.
33:41He started coming towards me and I grabbed the phone.
33:42I called my brother.
33:43I said, come and get me now.
33:44And I want my kids to see me beat up by him.
33:48Rick, I need you to come now.
33:51I'll explain later.
33:52Come now.
33:57Christmas is over.
33:58Get your coats!
33:59Just stop.
34:00Stop?
34:01We need to stop.
34:02You ruined it!
34:05Yeah, Christmas is over.
34:06Merry Christmas!
34:07And he started throwing things around in the kitchen and I told my kids to run outside and wait.
34:12Go!
34:13Go!
34:14Get out of here!
34:15Merry Christmas!
34:17Minutes later, Tamara's brother Rick comes to the rescue and drives Tamara and her kids to her mom's house.
34:24What were you feeling at that moment?
34:26I was hurt.
34:27I was mad.
34:28I just couldn't believe that he would do that.
34:31Taking it out on me because he couldn't see his kids during my Christmas.
34:35He threw the food and started yelling.
34:38Marvin's violent behavior cuts Tamara to the core.
34:42Back at her mother's house, she tells her family she's leaving Marvin for good.
34:47I need to get away.
34:49Tamara fears that confronting Marvin in person will lead to a vicious fight.
34:53She decides to sneak out of town and stay with a friend until Marvin's had a chance to cool down.
35:00Were you afraid that he would follow you?
35:02Oh, he would.
35:03He's hurt me quite a few times in the relationship.
35:06He's went to the point where he was going to kill himself or he was going to kill me.
35:11Her brother offers her a ride that night.
35:16At 4 a.m., Rick and Tamara take off.
35:23On the way, she convinces Rick to stop at Marvin's house so she can grab some clothes.
35:29That's a good idea.
35:30It's fine.
35:31He's probably passed out.
35:32But Marvin's family suspects Tamara and her brother were plotting something much more sinister.
35:37Wait here.
35:38Alright.
35:39I'm going to go around back.
35:41I think her and her brother really had something, like, planned.
35:45In my head, I just think that they knew what they were going to do.
35:52Is Tamara sneaking away or making sure Marvin's never able to lay a hand on her again?
35:5833-year-old Tamara Quincy is living with a man she claims has been viciously abusing her for the last two years.
36:20With the help of her brother, Rick, she's finally devised a plan to escape.
36:25While Rick waits outside Marvin's house, Tamara quietly enters to collect her things.
36:32What do you think you're doing?
36:36She claims Marvin immediately flies into a rage.
36:40Oh, your things.
36:41I took the salt and pepper shaker and he threw them at me.
36:45He missed me.
36:46Get your things.
36:47Kevin!
36:48What are you doing?
36:49All that glass went over on top of me and he said he was going to beat the F out of me and he was going to kill me.
36:56It's going to be your head.
36:58Tamara's terrified, but she's too close to freedom to back down now.
37:04I was scared.
37:05I was frightened.
37:06I didn't want him to touch me anymore and I was scared he'd get a hold of me.
37:09Then I grabbed that knife and I held it up and I said, you're not touching me anymore.
37:13And he stood in front of me and I said, no more.
37:16You're not going to touch me.
37:17You're not going to use me anymore.
37:18I'm tired of it.
37:19Then, according to Tamara, Marvin does something completely unexpected.
37:24And he just didn't even say nothing.
37:27He just kind of went that quick.
37:30Didn't look like he stabbed himself.
37:33Why would he stab himself?
37:40He probably didn't even intentionally mean to.
37:43I think he was just going to try to play like, you know, suicidal.
37:46Were you going to stab him?
37:47No.
37:48No.
37:49I just wanted to get the heck out of him and I didn't want him coming around and trying to grab me back by the hair and put me on a gun.
37:53Put me on the ground to beat me again.
37:55But Marvin's family claims that Tamara meant to stab him all along.
38:00There was no way that he would have been able to stab himself like that.
38:12And I kept saying, how could he do that to himself?
38:16You know, like that's not possible.
38:19I'm done.
38:20There's no doubt in my mind that she murdered him.
38:27Rick rushes in, sees Marvin collapsed, and calls 911.
38:49Minutes later, an ambulance arrives.
38:56Oh my God.
38:57The first EMT to enter the house is Marvin's niece, Shaniqua.
39:02Holy , that's my uncle.
39:05That's what my reaction is.
39:08He is in the doorway, covered in blood.
39:13And he was just laying there in a puddle of blood, turning purple.
39:17Okay, Marvin.
39:18Marvin, stay with me.
39:19Marvin, stay with me.
39:20All right.
39:21Trade positions.
39:23Tamara appears looking dazed.
39:26What the hell did you do?
39:28Tell me what happened!
39:30She had like this gloss over her eyes.
39:33I can't explain it.
39:34It's like a look that is unexplainable.
39:37There was darkness in her eyes.
39:40She acted like I wasn't even there.
39:43Tribal police arrive and question Tamara.
39:46Ma'am, you need to tell me what happened here.
39:49I don't know.
39:53Miss, what happened?
39:55I don't know.
39:57I don't know.
39:58He stabbed himself.
40:00You lying bitch!
40:01My uncle would never do that!
40:04I had to get held back by the police officer.
40:07You would never do that!
40:09Police let Tamara ride with Marvin in the ambulance.
40:13I just kept praying.
40:15Praying he'd be okay.
40:16And I'd cry and that was about all I could do.
40:20By the time they get to the hospital, Marvin has died from his wounds.
40:27Tell me what happens the moment when the doctors come out and you see that look on the face.
40:34Please tell me he's going to be okay.
40:36He's come out and told us that you couldn't save him.
40:41He lost too much blood before he got to the hospital.
40:46I don't know what happened.
40:49All I remember is kept staring at her feet because his blood was all over her white tennis shoes.
40:55And I kept asking her, how did he get stabbed then? Who stabbed him?
40:59I don't know. I don't know what happened.
41:02I don't know.
41:03I'm sorry.
41:04What happened, Tamara? You weren't there. Tell me what happened.
41:07She just kept saying, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
41:11Due to the seriousness of the crime, the case is outside the jurisdiction of the tribal police and it's handed over to the FBI.
41:20They later speak with Tamara's relatives.
41:23And he told me that they talked to my family members and the family members said he was abusive.
41:29And that if I wrote a statement saying that I stabbed him, then I'd get out of it and I wouldn't have to go to jail.
41:35Nevertheless, she's ultimately indicted for murder.
41:39Were you shocked?
41:40I was very bad shock. I couldn't believe it.
41:44After talking to a lawyer, Tamara takes a plea deal.
41:48He said if I take it to trial, I'd get 10 to 25 years max.
41:54The charges are reduced to voluntary manslaughter and she's sentenced to three years in federal prison.
42:01No, I don't think that was a fair enough sentence at all.
42:06She took my brother's life. She should have got life.
42:11Let me just clarify. Do you think it was self-defense or an accident?
42:15I don't know.
42:18Because I know I didn't stab him.
42:21There was no way, shape or form that I would have wanted him dead.
42:25I just wanted him to leave me alone and get away from me.
42:28So much of Tamara's story just doesn't make sense.
42:32I mean, why would Marvin grab the knife and try to kill himself?
42:36There were only two people in the room when it happened and one of them is dead.
42:41Hindsight is always 20-20.
42:43And in Tamara's case, it's just full of regret.
42:49Fifteen years after Marvin's death, Tamara claims she's finally found the man of her dreams.
42:54My husband's been supportive, very supportive.
43:00The couple lives in rural Montana, miles away from the reservation and the ghosts of her past.
43:07In a long run, I'm saved now, I know that.
43:12He can't touch me.
43:14You know, I can enjoy my kids now.
43:16Now I've got grandkids I can enjoy.
43:20I feel bad that he's gone.
43:23I can't take that back.
43:26But no more abuse.
43:29No more hurt.
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