Through years of daily, dedicated, and thorough research, Jody Ortiz has worked tirelessly to bring truth to the spin created by the local media on a high profile case in Oklahoma. Kelsey Smith Briggs was raped and murdered in 2005, and Kelsey's mom, Raye Dawn Smith was then wrongfully convicted of enabling child abuse with a 27-year sentence with no chance of parole after facing a jury that had been tainted by biased members of the media. Kelsey's stepfather, Mike Porter, though charged with sexual assault and murder, was given a 30-year plea for enabling child abuse at the request of Kelsey's paternal family, the Briggs. In advocating against what Jody Ortiz believed was an injustice, Ortiz has in turn, suffered from mental and verbal abuse, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, stalking, hacking into her personal e-mails, attempts to destroy her business, threats of violence, false accusations, bullet holes in her truck, her home burglarized, and the harassment of her friends. All of this in an attempt to quiet her voice of truth and her passion for speaking what she fervently believes is a personal vendetta to destroy justice and sway public opinion. As told by Ortiz in her own words, you will feel the crippling fear that overtook this private citizen and see exactly why we often aren't presented with the full picture of an event as it unfolds. In the end you'll ask yourself, would I have the courage to do this for what once was a total stranger? We believe you will. And you will see that ultimately, truth does set you free. For law and media professors: This book includes testimony, investigative interviews, and a motion for a new trial. It covers the case from the time of the child's murder to the ongoing appeal for a new trial for the child's mother. It includes a discussion of both law and media responsibility in a high-profile case. More about the book at http: //www.BoundinScorn.com.
Jody Ortiz is a wife and mother. She is currently working as a freelance and ghost writer. In her spare time, she has volunteered as a Girl Scout leader, delivered meals for Meals on Wheels, and volunteered with St. Vincent de Paul where she delivered food to those in need and developed a database to keep track of donations. Jody's recent exposure to wrongful convictions has led to her position on the board of Raye of Hope, an Oklahoma based organization that gives a voice to those who claim to be wrongfully convicted. Jody is also on the Board of Directors for Survivors in Action, a nationwide non-profit advocacy group that supports victims of crimes including domestic violence, identity theft, elder abuse, cyberstalking, stalking, child abuse, rape, and sexual assault. Although the overwhelming amount of hate Jody has received on a daily basis from her attackers paralyzed her for over two years, through encouragement from her family, her strong faith, and loving supporters and friends, Jody learned to face her fear and her harassers head on and reclaim her life through telling her story of survival to the world.
