Michael Volpe Investigates Podcast The Impromptu: Episode 73 an Interview with Greg Lee
Greg's mom, Shirley Butler, is trapped in guardianship: a victim of Pulaski County, MO Public Administrator Loretta Rouse.
Greg Lee said a family squabble over his mom, Shirley Butler, led him to take bad legal advice.
Greg and his sister were fighting over the care of his elderly mother in 2019, when his mom asked that Greg not fight with his sister over their mom’s care.
Greg told me that he then went to a lawyer, who advised him to put the case into guardianship and have an “independent third party” appointed.
That, Greg was told, would reduce the conflict.
This happened in 2019, and the conflicted continues today.
This seems to be a central scam in guardianship.
I witnessed in Orange County, California Judge David “Waste of Space” Belz make a similar argument.
“The public code is really clear on a couple things. When there is a lot of conflict internally- within the beneficiaries and the parties are basically affected by the trust- the public policy says the courts duty and responsibility is to bring in someone independent.” Judge Waste of Space stated.
In guardianship- or conservatorship as it is called in California- the goal for the system is to seek or create conflict so that “independent third parties” are appointed.
These “independent third parties” are paid handsomely, and their real goal, upon appointment, is to drag the case out for as long as possible, all while continuing to bill.
In this case, Greg told me that the attorney reached out to Loretta Rouse to bring her into the case.
Rouse is the Public Administrator for Pulaski County, Missouri.
{Check out the previous article I did on Rouse}
The Public Administrator is an elected position in Missouri in each county.
The Public Administrator, “established in 1880 by the General Assembly, State of Missouri, as an elective office, such election to be held every four years. The Office follows the statues in the Probate Code, to carryout the duties and responsibilities of the office,” according to the website of the Missouri Association of Public Administrators (MAPA).
Rouse quickly had herself added to the case.
Rouse, as a public office holder, did not charge much, but she did have Ralph Muxlow appointed as her attorney.
Greg told me the costs of Muxlow and others who were appointed has exceeded $100,000.
I reached out to Muxlow and Rouse by email but received no response.
Carrie Williamson was appointed as Shirley’s attorney.
Carrie then acted less than zealously in her representation of Shirley.
I spoke with attorney Todd Wilhelmus, who is representing Greg, about a motion he filed in August 2023.
In that motion, Wilhelmus argues that Carrie Williamson acted more as a prosecutor than as Shirley’s attorney.
Williamson had Rouse appointed as a GAL on an emergency basis; Rouse, Greg told me, then testified at a subsequent hearing- purportedly as an expert- arguing for the need to place Butler into guardianship due to a dementia diagnosis.
Rouse is not a doctor, and she should not be allowed to testify as an expert this way. Yet, this seems like a pattern with Rouse: check out the hearing below.
In Wilhelmus motion, he also noted, “Ms. Butler's first wish is to live at home with her son, but if that is determined to not be in her best interest, Ms. Butler is interested in moving to the Dixon Nursing & Rehab center.”
Both of those requests were ignored.
Instead, Butler is in a full-time facility where the costs are so high that Shirley can’t afford to pay them.
As such, her personal and real property have been sold off: in particular, her home.
Greg told me the home was sold under market value.
I reached out to Williamson by email but received no response.
Ms. Clark declined to comment on the record when I reached her on her cell phone.
Greg told me that prior to his mom being put into guardianship her needs were met without breaking the bank on her finances. He believes most of the costs associated with this guardianship are unnecessary.
Meanwhile, Butler has largely been isolated from her son.
That motion was filed on January 26, 2021, and it’s not the only time Greg has come to the court to ask to have his ordered visits be enforced.
Despite going to court for more than two years asking for help, Greg told me that he has yet to have a hearing on his motions.
He said the last time he saw his mom was in May 2023, and Rouse routinely acts to block his visits.
If you ask Rouse, Greg is the problem. Check out the video below.
At one point, Rouse accused Greg of kidnapping his home in a hearing. As Greg showed, he did an open records request for any police reports related to this purported kidnapping, and he was provided no records.
Post Script
This is the second of at least four stories on the Pulaski County, Missouri guardianship system. Please check out the fundraiser for this campaign and help me provide maximum exposure and increase that number.
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