Casey and Sandy Parson's Interview With Salisbury Post
Casey and Sandy Parson's Interview With Salisbury Post
Casey and Sandy Parson's Interview With Salisbury Post
http://www.salisburypost.com/interactive/video
August 9, 2013 (PART 2)
Casey Parsons: No, she's- she just wanted to stay with Nan. And I- in and out of the
hospitals and- even back in September when she would come home and in November when
she would come home, she always wanted to go back. She was ready to go back the very
next day after she come back. And, she loved Nan's. She always wanted to go to Nan, if it
wasn't going she wanted to call her. She was always ready to go. And, when I go in and out of
the hospital, that would be the first place that she wanted to go back was instead of going to
my moms and staying, or staying with her older brother and sisters, it would be, "Can I go
stay with Nan while you are in the hospital?" That was a four hour drive, we always didn't get
an advance notice- I'm going to be in the hospital. It might be emergency room and then get
put in. And, so we agreed, "Okay, we'll do that, but- you can stay." There was- we weren't
ready to do no permanent signing over or anything like that. I just wasn't ready to do
something like that. Um, because I would feel like I lost her at that point and she wasn't going
to come back. But, she was happy and she loved Nan. I liked Nan. I really did. She's a very
sweet lady.
Reporter: But, at some time you have to- as the adoptive parents, make a decision that it's
okay for her to stay with Nan.
Casey Parsons: Mhm.
Reporter: AndCasey Parsons: We did that in February. We let her know it was okay. We trusted Nan fully. I
mean, I trusted Nan with even my other kids, not just Erica, if that was the case. If she- I
needed her for that. Uh, Nan was just a lady that- she was sweet. And Erica always had good
to talk- in September, when she come back, November- Erica loved this lady with her whole
heart. She loved her to death.
Reporter: At what point did the conversation go from "I'm having fun here and I think I want to
stay." What were those conversations like?
Casey Parsons: "Let's talk about it later." I kept trying to delay that. Thinking- I always would
think that she get there and get a little bit tired and want to come back. 'Cause, she has little
brother and sisters and stuff and she'll miss us and she'll want to come back. She'll come
back, and, um, then I knew that she was- she loved it and she was happy. And, she was really
truthful about wanting to stay. And, she was 14 years old right then. She was like a week from
being 14 and with everything going on with the medical situation and everything, I thought it
would be a little more stable and better for her actually to stay there. She was- she loved it.
She loved it.
Reporter: Did you discuss with Nan that you wanted her to stay there because of your
medical issues?
Casey Parsons: No, I don't think that I actually told Nan. I don't remember saying anything to
Nan- I want her to stay because of the medical- no. It was mainly always Erica wants to stay.
Can she stay? And of course, it was always, well at any time that we wanted her to come
back, she'd bring her just like that. That was always done.
Reporter: Did the two of you have a conversation about- okay, at what point do we say, okay
to this lady's house and that every bit of that except for- I'm assuming going to the lady's
house, was a lie. They never got in touch with Asheville until just actually the other day when
he was on the news and he actually said on the news, "This is the first time I've heard about
this." And, we thought that they had all knew about this. All the law enforcement up there. We
thought an Amber Alert had been put out for 200 miles. That wasn't done on the 30th. That
had never been done.
Reporter: Had you all- yourselves, your family, been to Asheville or contacted Asheville law
enforcement yourselves?
Casey Parsons: No. I mean, I don't- to me, Erica, up until that, was fine in Asheville, living. Ithere was no threat. She's not missing. I thought Erica was just living up there and having fun
and being a kid. So.