Assault and Battery?
Like sands through the hour glass so are the days of Kent Hovind's life. Even the trashiest Aaron Spelling drama has nothing on this episode.
Hovind was involved in altercation between Trudy Owen (a tenant) and himself. A significant contribution was also made by Maury Adkins, an associate of both parties. Hovind was arrested on August 15, 2002 but eventually the case didn't go to trial.
I won't pass judgment as to who was at fault.
All of the information below is already in the public domain. Hovind's statement comes from a mass emailing he released on December 15, 2002.. Owen's response was posted on a Creation/Evolution bulletin board on April 24, 2003. The two statements below have been segmented for alignment but have not been edited; all text is complete and in the same order as presented by each party.
| KENT HOVIND | TRUDY OWEN |
| Now that the
case is over, and my name is cleared as of 12-9-02, I can talk about what
really happened in regard to the false “Assault and battery” charge
against me several months ago. The atheists that have circulated vicious
stories about me own [sic] me an apology but I won’t hold my
breath waiting for it. They really hate the message I bring since it
convincingly demonstrates the truth about a Creator who has authority over
them as well as the entire universe. II Peter 3:1-5 describes these people
very well. One would truly have to be “willingly ignorant” to believe
they came from a rock!
[Correction in original] |
To all of you who have been following the Assault Charges that were brought against Kent Hovind later last year, I (Trudy) am posting a public response to his formal complaint filed with [State Attorney] Mr. Golden. |
| I, Kent E
Hovind, have a lease with option to buy on the two-bedroom house located
at 100 Cummings Road, Pensacola, Florida State. On or about June 1st,
2002, I rented the house to Maury Adkins, an elder in the Creation Science
Evangelism Ministry (CSE). On June 15th, Trudy Owen moved in the house at
100 Cummings with Maury. Maury still had his office and many household
items at his other residence, a mobile home one block away at 116A
Oleander Street.
|
I did indeed move into the house at 100 Cummings road in June and was under the impression that Hovind was buying the house from Mr. Weaver (J.R., as I knew him) and due to close any day. In July I was told by Maury that Hovind and J.R. had closed the deal and Hovind was now the landlord. Hovind states he rented the house to Maury (an elder in CSE) but I was told he was renting to both of us as Maury was due to move in during August. Rent receipts were made out to me. |
| On July 19th, I drove to Tennessee to help Trudy’s son, Christopher James Kehui (hereinafter Chris), move to Pensacola, along with his young son and expectant wife, Lynn. They were to move into Maury’s former residence, the mobile home at 116A Oleander Street. That residence needed some electrical work to be done, so I said they could visit with Maury and Trudy at 100 Cummings for a few days. Most of their household items were put into the mobile home. | Yes, Hovind did drive to Tenn. to move my son and his family to Pensacola.
Maury and I were suppose to go get them. The day we were suppose to leave Hovind had a court case on the county issue and when he and Maury returned
I was told by Maury that Hovind was going to TN because his attorney advised him to get out of town for the night. (this was not true...one of
their many lies...I will later explain.) And yes, my son and his wife were
told they could move into Maury's former residence and were unable to because once they moved to Pensacola. Maury made every excuse why they
couldn't. (More lies.) As far as Hovind saying he told my son and his wife
they could visit a few days...he never told me or them that! He may have told Maury but, it was because of Maury and the lies he told that resulted
in my son and his family having to stay at the house with us. Maury made a
bunch of empty promises to them before coming down including a place to live until they got settled.
|
| On August 14, 2002 I spent several hours talking with Maury and Trudy Adkins trying to resolve their domestic problems. Trudy had thrown Maury out of the house and was very irrational in her behavior. Trudy was determined to leave Maury but was worried about not being able to make it financially without Maury’s support. Neither she nor her son Chris had worked or even sought work during the time I have known them, to my knowledge. She said she needed money to support her children. I told her that I understood but the fact remained that since I was buying the house and had rented it to Maury not her that she would have to leave, not him. I told her I would help get a place for her to live until this was settled. I told her that Chris and family should have moved out weeks ago, since I had only agreed to let them stay a few days. She told me the A/C was not working in the trailer so they had not moved yet. I told her I would help fix that also, but she was going to have to work this out with Maury or leave, since it was not her house. Trudy recited a list of accusations against Maury, which we talked through one by one. By the end of the conversation, Trudy realized she had been mistaken about most things on the list, and she had lied to Maury and I about others. For example: she said, “Maury is a convicted felon on parole and he has a gun in the house.” The truth is that her son, Chris, had the disassembled parts to a shotgun along with most of his other belongings, in the mobile home we were fixing for he and his family to move into. To my knowledge, Maury does not have a gun in the house or even own a gun anywhere. When pressed about her lie, she finally admitted we were right. Trudy seemed satisfied with most of what was said, so I took her and Maury back to 100 Cummings and had hopes all would work out. | The domestic dispute Hovind refers to…well, that’s the day all the lies
finally made sense. I finally discovered what was being hid. I found out that Maury was a career criminal (as his parole officer refers to him.)
Almost everything Maury had told me about himself was a lie. He’s a professional con and has a rap sheet going all the way back to 1977. When I found out the man was on parole I immediately called his parole officer to
find out why. Get this….I didn’t know about her (parole officer) and she
didn’t know about me! Maury had even conned her!! See the picture…that’s
why he could not go to Tennessee (on parole and could not leave state without permission) and that’s why my son and his wife could not move into
Maury’s supposed former residence. Hovind stated himself Maury still had
belongings there and of course he did because his parole officer had no knowledge he wasn’t still living there and she paid him regular visits! His
parole officer was quite surprised to find out the information I had supplied her about the residence issue and other issues. I was quite
surprised to find out information his parole officer supplied me.
Hovind and Maury were furious I called his parole officer and both tried to
silence me as I started to put pieces of a puzzle together. Hovind even told me “Do not talk to anybody, not even my wife.” I refused to be
silenced. And yes, I was angry that my family was used and manipulated and
lied too by two con men!
|
| That afternoon,
I spent time fixing the A/C units at the mobile home myself, since the
landlord was taking so long and Chris and his family were long overdue to
get out of 100 Cummings. I then took Chris to the mobile home to show that
him it was ready for him to move into. I told him I would help him move
right away.
Later that evening, since my house at 29 Cummings is right next door to 100 Cummings, I could see that Maury and Trudy talked for several hours, and I prayed all would be resolved.
|
|
| Maury left for
central Florida early on August 15 to do some research for my ministry.
Around 8 a.m. that morning Maury called me to tell me that things were
worse and Trudy seemed determined to get me into trouble since I had not
taken her side against him. Maury stated that she was talking out of her
head, saying that Maury and I were destroying files and that I was
laundering money at CSE. Neither of these is true. To my knowledge, I am
not now, nor have I ever been, involved in any criminal activity. She had
called Maury’s parole officer and the IRS to try to get him in trouble.
I told Maury that I thought it would be best for me to look for a house in
town for Trudy and her two daughters to move into until things settled
down. He agreed.
|
I personally witnessed Maury loading
files and belongings from his trailer on the morning of the 15th and then he left town. And, as far as I and his parole officer know hasn’t returned
as of yet. He’s currently on fugitive status. (This can be verified at
http://www.dc.state.fl.us/Absconder/search.asp type in Maurice Adkins) Did I call the IRS? NO. Maury may have told Hovind such but it’s a LIE. In fact, after I moved the IRS tracked me and paid me a phone call. |
| At about 9:00
a.m. August 15, I drove to Escambia Christian School where Trudy had
enrolled her two children and talked briefly with Frank C. Thomann, the
Principal. I asked him if he knew of any houses in the area I could rent
for Trudy, so that the girls would be close to school. Having been a
school principal myself for years I also told him there were a few
problems Maury and Trudy were having that may affect the girls and asked
him to pray for them and to be understanding, if they were unstable or if
their schoolwork was affected during this time. I then called several
realtors and collected a list of possible rentals.
|
I have to laugh when I read Hovind’s
holier-than-thou attitude and his supposed genuine concern for me and my children by going to their school
principal and asking for prayer. What a joke! I suppose he had the same concern when he called my child a “demon-child!” |
| On the afternoon of the 15th I received a phone call from Maury stating
that if I didn’t shut up I would be hurt. I stated, “are you threatening
me?” He said, “no, but you will be hurt if you don’t shut up.” I said, “so
you are threatening me.” He said, “no, it’s not my thing it’s Dr. Hovind’s”
and he hung up the phone. I called the police and then called Maury’s parole officer. She informed me to call the police. I stated I already had.
Deputy Burk arrived and took a statement. While he was at our home Maury’s
parole officer called and asked if the police had arrived. I stated they had. She requested to talk to Deputy Burk. They spoke. Deputy Burk
attempted two times to speak with Hovind at CSE and both times was told two
different stories of why he could not speak with him. Deputy Burk informed
myself, my son, and daughter-in-law that Hovind would be given a warning not to come on the property. We were also informed by Deputy Burk that
Maury’s parole officer requested we come to her office right away. Deputy
Burk was insistent we leave and go right then so he escorted us out of the
house.
My family and I were further enlightened at the parole officer’s office and after the visit felt it in our families best interest for safety reasons to vacate the area as soon as possible. We returned to the home and began to pack.
|
|
| At about 2:00
p.m., Maury called me again to ask for my help. He said Trudy was
desperate for money and wanted $500 for moving expenses and asked if I
would go next door to his house to give it to her. At Maury’s request, I
walked over to his house to give the money to Trudy and offer to show her
some of the houses I had found for her near Escambia Christian School.
Trudy and I talked for a few seconds through the storm door, and then she
opened the door for me to show her the receipt. Paul Jewell, who works in
our ministry, was driving by in a golf cart and witnessed Trudy open the
door to talk with me. Our ministry has several buildings and we often use
golf carts to make deliveries between buildings. I stood in the doorway
holding the storm door open, while she stood holding the main door. I read
the receipt Maury had dictated to me and wanted her to sign and she became
hostile saying she would not sign any receipt.
[Paul Jewel is also Hovind's son-in-law] |
Later Hovind did show up at our door. At this time I was more
concerned about Maury and still had doubt in me that Hovind could be physically harming so I answered the door. Hovind did offer me money and
asked me to sign a statement. I refused stating “I did not want any of their money and I did not trust either of them.” Hovind stated he was my friend. I said, “no you are not” and proceeded to close the door. It was at
this time Hovind became aggressive and violent. At no time prior to Hovind
lunging through my door was any part of his body in my house. His claim that I was slamming the door on his foot and face is a LIE! My son and
daughter-in-law were there and witnessed the whole encounter. The police asked us each to account for what happened and our stories matched. The
police report stated the facts. One thing the police report does not tell is about my daughter-in-law being pregnant and how this affected her and the baby (the baby spent 10 days in ICU after birth) and how my one-year old grandson was witness to Hovind’s attack traumatizing him so severally
that for months after anytime someone came to the door he would scream.
|
| Trudy’s son,
Chris, had been out of my line of sight, but when I stepped in I could see
he was sitting at the far end of the kitchen table about 20 feet away
around the corner and his wife, Lynn, was seated at the table facing away
from the front door. When Trudy said she would not sign any receipt. I
said, “Trudy, Maury said not to give you any money unless you sign a
receipt. I am your friend. He asked me to come because he and I both want
to help you.” She said, “You are not my friend.” I said, “Yes, I
am and I am a friend of your family. I paid to get the A/C units fixed for
Chris to move into the trailer and I have a list of houses for you to look
at right here. I want to help get this resolved. I have the money Maury
asked me to bring.”
To my great surprise, she then went into a rage, started screaming and began to slam the door on my foot and face, so I instinctively blocked it with my foot and hand and pushed back to prevent having my face and foot hurt. I continued talking calmly and holding the door with my foot and hand. When she backed off, I stepped part way into the foyer and said, “Trudy, this is my house. I rented it to Maury and I want to help get this settled.” Trudy had backed up several feet into the kitchen. At that point, Trudy’s son, Chris, who is about 100 pounds heavier than I, began cursing and swearing and came racing across the kitchen, grabbed me and began to pick me up to throw me out the door. I said, “Chris, what are you doing? I am your friend and I’m trying to help!” He then pushed me out the door, across the porch (about 10 feet) and threw me down the steps. I cut my right arm, twisted my right ankle and fractured one of my left ribs on the bricks as I fell. At no time did I strike back at him or show any aggression to him other than to struggle to maintain my balance and protect myself as he shoved me. When I recovered, I sat on the steps and called Maury to relay the events to him. He said, “Call the sheriff and have Chris arrested.” Paul Jewel drove by again and saw me outside on the phone. The entire incident lasted only about two minutes. I called the sheriff to come diffuse the situation, then I walked next door to work in my ministry and await the sheriff.
|
When Hovind slammed the door open and came flying through it lunging at me
my son did what any son would have done if he felt his mother was in danger…he jumped in between Hovind and I and demanded Hovind leave our home. Hovind refused. My son warned him again to leave. Again he refused. My son then picked him up and removed him to the porch. And yes, he did
throw him out the door in the process. Once Hovind was out the door my son closed the door and locked it. I had already been on the phone with the police.
I laugh at Hovind’s once again holier-than-thou attitude about how I was screaming at him and slamming a door on his foot and face and yet he was talking calmly. Can you smell the stench from the odor of lying?! His face was beet red and his eyes were ready to pop out of their sockets as he was screaming at me “Now you wait a minute, I own this house..” (another lie I later found out by the owner himself.) In fact, I was at the bank closing out my account when one of the girls who work there had gotten wind of the situation and informed me that Hovind did not own the house but her friend’s boyfriend did. She then proceeded to call her friend. A few moments later the owner of the house walked in the bank with an eviction notice. Hovind had called him and asked him to serve an eviction notice on me. After talking with me J.R. stated he could not give me the eviction notice. He said he had wondered if I had realized what I was getting in too. Obviously I had not otherwise, I would have never gotten involved with that mess. |
| When the
sheriff’s deputy, David Carl Burk #312, arrived about 30 minutes later,
he talked to Trudy and Chris first. It took me about five minutes to
finish what I was doing and then I went over to the house. When I arrived
to tell the sheriff that I wanted to press charges against Chris for
battery, to my great surprise, the sheriff forced me over to his car where
he handcuffed me and told me I was being charged with breaking and
entering, burglary and assault and told me to get into the back of his
car! It was obvious from his actions that he had already acted as judge
and jury and found me guilty as can be seen from the opening paragraph in
his report below. He did not want to listen to my side of the story and
even threatened to spray me with mace, if I did not get into the back of
his car. I yelled for my wife and son to come over and help and under
duress and coercion got into the back of his sweltering squad car. The
second officer who arrived on the scene told my wife, son, son-in-law and
daughter that this looked to him like the people in the house had a set up
to get me. Some time later, Officer Burk finally allowed me to tell him my
side of the story, but he said Trudy, Chris and Lynn all said I had broken
into the house and was violent and aggressive and he would not press
charges against them.
|
|
| I explained to
him that at no time was I violent or threatening to anyone in the house,
nor to the officers on the scene, nor would I be, as anyone who knows me
well will testify. The record will show that both Trudy and her son,
Christopher have a history of mental problems and violence. It is my
belief that they have conspired to cause harm to Maury, me and my ministry
in the hopes of getting money. The fact that they packed up everything in
the house, including stealing many things from Maury, and left immediately
after this incident reveals some of their real character. Maury is
pressing charges for the theft and Trudy and son Chris appear to have fled
the county.
It is obvious that the reporting officer saw none of the events described in the report and is taking the word of two people with a history of violence and mental illness. It is my sincere belief that the report is deliberately worded to make me look guilty and make officer Burk’s unnecessary arrest look justified. No one in the house was ever touched or threatened in any way except me.
|
Hovind’s claims that we set him up for his money is absolutely absurd!! If
I wanted his money we would be in court today as my family suffered emotionally, physically, and financially. We chose to leave the situation
and try and put it behind us. I am not a criminal, never have been, do not
have a criminal mind and was scared out of my wits by the information I had just learned about a man I thought I knew (Maury) and a ministry I thought
was above board. I find it interesting that I supposedly ripped Maury off and he is pressing charges against me for theft. Hum….a fugitive…a man in and out of prison for many years of his adult life for ripping people off….owing thousands of dollars in restitution….pressing charges against me for theft! Check my criminal history…you won’t find one! The odor gets stronger by the minute!!!! Oh and I might add here…check my son’s criminal history also ... you won’t find one! |
| Now to answer why the case was dropped. My son and his family relocated to
another area so my son could pursue a career with the police department. The state felt it would cost to much to bring him and my daughter-in-law
back for trial. Also, my son having a new baby who had a rough start in life and he being in the pursuit of a new career he was not wanting to have
to come back. As for me, when Mr. Golden (state attorney) called asking what I would like to do about the case I stated I would like to put the
whole situation behind me. The situation was physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially draining. I have been faulted by some for not
pursuing justice but my emotional and physical well being was more important to me because of my children. This chapter in our lives needed to
be put behind us. Having a muscle disease that can raise havoc sometimes, especially in stressful situations, I did not feel the situation was worth
sacrificing my health which in turn would cause more suffering and heartache for my family. “Vengeance is mine saith the Lord.” Justice will
be served!
|