1 00:00:01,367 --> 00:00:04,166 NARRATOR: When Sean Scott meets Wendi Ellis in high school, 2 00:00:04,166 --> 00:00:06,467 it's love at first sight. 3 00:00:06,467 --> 00:00:08,467 SEAN: She was a cheerleader. 4 00:00:08,467 --> 00:00:13,266 She was very pretty, especially those amazing blue eyes. 5 00:00:13,266 --> 00:00:15,166 NARRATOR: With Wendi by his side, 6 00:00:15,166 --> 00:00:19,467 Sean strives for an elite military career. 7 00:00:19,467 --> 00:00:22,367 SEAN: I had been accepted by West Point. 8 00:00:22,433 --> 00:00:25,367 DANIEL: West Point is the country's most prestigious 9 00:00:25,367 --> 00:00:26,767 military academy. 10 00:00:26,834 --> 00:00:28,567 Very few people actually make it 11 00:00:28,567 --> 00:00:29,934 all the way through and graduate. 12 00:00:32,700 --> 00:00:36,266 NARRATOR: But Wendi's demands put Sean on the defensive. 13 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,166 WINIK: You're talking about a guy that won two bronze stars, 14 00:00:40,233 --> 00:00:42,367 and he's thinking everything's okay on the home front. 15 00:00:42,367 --> 00:00:45,667 She could very much damage his entire career. 16 00:00:45,734 --> 00:00:47,367 He could be court martialed. 17 00:00:47,367 --> 00:00:50,767 I was terrified of what was going to come next. 18 00:00:50,767 --> 00:00:53,934 NARRATOR: And the final assault is devastating. 19 00:00:54,967 --> 00:00:56,867 DANIEL: You never think that a person 20 00:00:56,867 --> 00:00:58,734 could be capable of something like that. 21 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:01,367 The enemy was not abroad. 22 00:01:01,367 --> 00:01:03,967 The enemy was in his own household. 23 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,066 [theme music playing] 24 00:01:22,900 --> 00:01:25,266 I was born in Toccoa, which is 25 00:01:25,266 --> 00:01:28,433 also a Cherokee word for "the beautiful." 26 00:01:30,100 --> 00:01:31,133 It's a small town. 27 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,967 So you see everybody, especially from middle school 28 00:01:34,967 --> 00:01:38,467 through high school, almost every day. 29 00:01:38,467 --> 00:01:41,867 NARRATOR: Sean Scott grows up as a devout Southern Baptist in 30 00:01:41,867 --> 00:01:46,266 the small town in Georgia where his parents meet in 1973. 31 00:01:47,367 --> 00:01:51,166 SEAN: My mom got pregnant, and they got married out 32 00:01:51,233 --> 00:01:55,367 of a sense of obligation to their Christian faith. 33 00:01:55,367 --> 00:01:59,867 They got divorced, and my mom met Don the next summer. 34 00:02:00,767 --> 00:02:03,667 The gentleman that I call my dad, 35 00:02:03,734 --> 00:02:07,867 Don Scott, adopted me in 1981, 36 00:02:07,867 --> 00:02:10,367 and I always felt like 37 00:02:10,367 --> 00:02:12,767 he dearly loved me. 38 00:02:12,834 --> 00:02:15,867 Dad never made me feel any different 39 00:02:15,867 --> 00:02:18,734 from the rest of the Scott family. 40 00:02:20,367 --> 00:02:23,667 NARRATOR: Don marries Sean's mother, and eight years later, 41 00:02:23,734 --> 00:02:25,467 Sean's half-brother, Daniel, is born. 42 00:02:25,467 --> 00:02:28,867 When I was very little, Sean and I were very close. 43 00:02:28,934 --> 00:02:31,100 He was my childhood hero. 44 00:02:31,100 --> 00:02:34,567 Sean was this rock star. 45 00:02:34,567 --> 00:02:37,567 Everyone knew who he was. Everyone liked him. 46 00:02:37,634 --> 00:02:39,967 Everyone was always wanting to talk to him. 47 00:02:39,967 --> 00:02:41,467 He was on the football team 48 00:02:41,533 --> 00:02:43,467 that was the number-one football team 49 00:02:43,467 --> 00:02:45,967 in the state for many years. 50 00:02:45,967 --> 00:02:50,166 I wanted to do nothing more than to be Sean. 51 00:02:55,100 --> 00:02:56,967 NARRATOR: As he nears his junior year, 52 00:02:57,033 --> 00:02:59,266 Sean starts thinking about his future. 53 00:02:59,266 --> 00:03:01,967 He has huge aspirations for college, 54 00:03:02,033 --> 00:03:03,266 but his mom is an artist, 55 00:03:03,266 --> 00:03:05,834 and his stepdad is retired from the Navy. 56 00:03:06,967 --> 00:03:09,867 SEAN: And both my mom and dad sat me down and said, "Look, 57 00:03:09,867 --> 00:03:13,767 "son, we're concerned that if you're gonna go to college, 58 00:03:13,834 --> 00:03:16,367 "you're gonna have to figure out how to finance it yourself, 59 00:03:16,367 --> 00:03:19,767 because we don't have the means to help you." 60 00:03:19,834 --> 00:03:21,367 So I started looking for all 61 00:03:21,367 --> 00:03:23,166 the schools that had cheap tuition. 62 00:03:23,166 --> 00:03:27,467 And then I landed on the United States Military Academy 63 00:03:27,467 --> 00:03:32,467 at West Point, and tuition per semester was $0. 64 00:03:32,467 --> 00:03:34,967 I'm like, wow, 65 00:03:34,967 --> 00:03:37,367 that's gonna be easy to afford. 66 00:03:37,433 --> 00:03:39,166 NARRATOR: But West Point is the most prestigious 67 00:03:39,166 --> 00:03:41,166 military academy in the country 68 00:03:41,233 --> 00:03:43,634 and extremely difficult to get into. 69 00:03:44,900 --> 00:03:47,867 So I spent a lot of time from 70 00:03:47,934 --> 00:03:53,367 10th grade on in the guidance counselor's office. 71 00:03:53,367 --> 00:03:59,166 That's how I came into Trish Ellis's circle of awareness. 72 00:03:59,166 --> 00:04:02,767 NARRATOR: Trish Ellis, a bookkeeper at the school inside the guidance 73 00:04:02,834 --> 00:04:06,467 department, is the wife of a prominent pharmacist in town 74 00:04:06,533 --> 00:04:08,533 and the mother of Wendi Ellis. 75 00:04:10,667 --> 00:04:15,166 SEAN: Wendi was very outgoing and friendly, 76 00:04:15,166 --> 00:04:17,066 smiling all the time. 77 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,100 She was a cheerleader. 78 00:04:21,100 --> 00:04:25,367 I do remember Trish Ellis, Wendi's mother, being very, 79 00:04:25,367 --> 00:04:27,467 very much supportive of Sean. 80 00:04:27,467 --> 00:04:28,867 I believe that she saw that that 81 00:04:28,867 --> 00:04:30,667 would be very promising for her daughter. 82 00:04:32,867 --> 00:04:34,367 [school bell rings] 83 00:04:34,367 --> 00:04:36,667 SEAN: Trish stops me one day and says, "Hey, 84 00:04:36,734 --> 00:04:39,367 "Sean, Wendi is struggling in Algebra. 85 00:04:39,367 --> 00:04:41,266 "Do you mind tutoring her? 86 00:04:41,266 --> 00:04:42,567 And we'll be happy to pay you." 87 00:04:42,567 --> 00:04:44,667 I'm like, "I'll do that for free. 88 00:04:44,667 --> 00:04:46,233 I'll pay you to do that." 89 00:04:48,467 --> 00:04:52,367 Wendi pretended to be struggling to learn 90 00:04:52,367 --> 00:04:54,567 and not be able to understand it. 91 00:04:54,567 --> 00:04:59,367 She would bat her eyes at me, which, like, really excited me. 92 00:04:59,367 --> 00:05:04,166 I was just mesmerized by the radiant blue eyes 93 00:05:04,166 --> 00:05:05,567 that she had. 94 00:05:05,567 --> 00:05:09,133 I really enjoyed the interaction with Wendi. 95 00:05:13,166 --> 00:05:15,467 NARRATOR: During the last semester of his senior year, 96 00:05:15,467 --> 00:05:19,266 Sean notices that Wendi is absent from school. 97 00:05:19,266 --> 00:05:22,367 I passed Trish's office, and I said, "Hey, Trish, 98 00:05:22,367 --> 00:05:25,266 "I haven't seen Wendi in school in like two weeks. 99 00:05:25,266 --> 00:05:26,266 Is she all right?" 100 00:05:26,333 --> 00:05:29,367 And she says, "Oh, well, it's pretty sad, 101 00:05:29,367 --> 00:05:31,667 "but she's in the hospital down 102 00:05:31,667 --> 00:05:35,166 "near Atlanta for a eating disorder -- 103 00:05:35,166 --> 00:05:37,467 bulimia and anorexia." 104 00:05:40,166 --> 00:05:43,734 NARRATOR: Sean decides to show support for Wendi and visits her. 105 00:05:45,066 --> 00:05:48,834 When I came in, she looked pitiful. 106 00:05:50,900 --> 00:05:54,066 When she saw me, she just lit up. 107 00:05:54,133 --> 00:05:59,133 Her eyes got wide, she was like, "Sean! You came to see me." 108 00:06:00,567 --> 00:06:03,567 And that just got me, right -- 109 00:06:03,567 --> 00:06:04,867 right there. 110 00:06:04,867 --> 00:06:08,967 It's probably the initial seed that made me 111 00:06:08,967 --> 00:06:13,033 ask her to go with me to our senior prom. 112 00:06:17,100 --> 00:06:19,567 NARRATOR: Sean is delighted when Wendi recovers 113 00:06:19,634 --> 00:06:21,533 and agrees to go to the prom with him. 114 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:24,767 SEAN: The night before my prom, 115 00:06:24,834 --> 00:06:28,567 I got home, and there was all this paperwork laid out. 116 00:06:28,567 --> 00:06:31,166 There's a set of orders with my name on it, 117 00:06:31,166 --> 00:06:35,166 and there's instructions to coordinate travel to 118 00:06:35,166 --> 00:06:36,667 West Point. 119 00:06:36,667 --> 00:06:39,266 I was so relieved. 120 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,266 The next afternoon, I picked up Wendi. 121 00:06:45,266 --> 00:06:47,066 We took pictures, 122 00:06:47,066 --> 00:06:49,166 and then we were off to dinner 123 00:06:49,166 --> 00:06:52,567 and then to the high school gymnasium. 124 00:06:52,567 --> 00:06:54,667 NARRATOR: The news of Sean's acceptance into 125 00:06:54,734 --> 00:06:57,333 West Point spreads throughout the dance. 126 00:06:59,266 --> 00:07:02,166 SEAN: Herb and Trish Ellis were chaperones, 127 00:07:02,233 --> 00:07:04,867 and they looked like they were overjoyed. 128 00:07:04,867 --> 00:07:07,867 Wendi said, "Oh, everyone is so proud 129 00:07:07,867 --> 00:07:10,767 of you, and I love you so much." 130 00:07:10,767 --> 00:07:13,100 You know, that night, I probably said 131 00:07:13,100 --> 00:07:15,266 "I love you" so that she would kiss me again. 132 00:07:25,266 --> 00:07:28,166 NARRATOR: Sean and Wendi grow closer, 133 00:07:28,233 --> 00:07:31,000 but once he's at West Point for his freshman year, 134 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:34,667 Sean's schedule is regimented from sunup to sundown. 135 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:37,333 SEAN: We were busy. 136 00:07:39,500 --> 00:07:42,166 Every time we went to the pay phones 137 00:07:42,166 --> 00:07:44,567 for the privilege of a very brief phone call, 138 00:07:44,567 --> 00:07:47,266 my number one priority was to call Wendi. 139 00:07:47,266 --> 00:07:50,133 My second priority was to call my parents. 140 00:07:53,667 --> 00:07:56,066 NARRATOR: Wendi tells Sean she is still struggling 141 00:07:56,066 --> 00:07:57,367 with her eating disorder, 142 00:07:57,367 --> 00:08:00,567 but being in New York makes it hard for him to help her back 143 00:08:00,567 --> 00:08:02,667 home in Georgia. 144 00:08:02,734 --> 00:08:04,767 SEAN: When I was home on leave, 145 00:08:04,767 --> 00:08:08,166 Wendi asked me if I would go to one of 146 00:08:08,233 --> 00:08:10,233 her psych appointments. 147 00:08:11,900 --> 00:08:14,867 I was wholly and consciously aware that 148 00:08:14,867 --> 00:08:19,433 Wendi had long-term mental health challenges. 149 00:08:21,767 --> 00:08:24,567 I believe that the protective nature of Sean would 150 00:08:24,634 --> 00:08:28,367 draw him to try to help someone like her. 151 00:08:28,367 --> 00:08:30,266 She's beautiful. She's well known. 152 00:08:30,266 --> 00:08:31,367 The family is well known. 153 00:08:31,433 --> 00:08:32,500 She has a problem. 154 00:08:32,567 --> 00:08:35,467 So naturally, a protective person like that would want 155 00:08:35,467 --> 00:08:38,333 to try to shelter that person and help fix them. 156 00:08:44,300 --> 00:08:47,767 At West Point, the years in the calendar seem to fly by, 157 00:08:47,767 --> 00:08:50,967 but every day seems like it's an eternity. 158 00:08:50,967 --> 00:08:56,166 So in order to help make the experience tolerable, 159 00:08:56,166 --> 00:09:02,767 there are a series of milestone events that include a speech, 160 00:09:02,767 --> 00:09:07,734 a ball, a dinner, and one of those is called 500th Night. 161 00:09:10,867 --> 00:09:14,367 NARRATOR: The event takes place during Sean's junior year, and Wendi's 162 00:09:14,367 --> 00:09:17,734 parents drive her from Georgia to New York to celebrate. 163 00:09:18,867 --> 00:09:24,266 SEAN: They allowed Wendi and I to have some private time alone. 164 00:09:24,266 --> 00:09:28,467 Wendi and I enjoyed a wonderful night, and I was 165 00:09:28,467 --> 00:09:33,166 really excited and proud to show off my girlfriend 166 00:09:33,166 --> 00:09:34,967 from my hometown. 167 00:09:34,967 --> 00:09:38,634 It was just like a night of joy and excitement. 168 00:09:41,767 --> 00:09:44,667 NARRATOR: With only one more year till Sean's graduation, 169 00:09:44,667 --> 00:09:47,100 the future looks bright, if they can 170 00:09:47,100 --> 00:09:49,433 get a handle on Wendi's health issues. 171 00:09:50,266 --> 00:09:53,867 SEAN: One day, we were out shopping together, 172 00:09:53,867 --> 00:09:57,533 and she just fainted right there in the store. 173 00:09:59,667 --> 00:10:04,166 She refused to have an ambulance called. 174 00:10:04,233 --> 00:10:06,667 She said that she had diabetes. 175 00:10:06,667 --> 00:10:08,266 [distant groaning noise] 176 00:10:08,333 --> 00:10:10,133 I had no clue she had diabetes. 177 00:10:12,767 --> 00:10:16,100 Wendi Scott is a very manipulative woman, 178 00:10:16,100 --> 00:10:18,767 and she's very dangerous. 179 00:10:18,767 --> 00:10:22,066 She craved attention and affection from others, 180 00:10:22,133 --> 00:10:24,867 and she went to any length to get that. 181 00:10:24,934 --> 00:10:26,767 Now I don't know what to believe. 182 00:10:31,467 --> 00:10:34,166 NARRATOR: Sean Scott is at West Point when he finds out 183 00:10:34,166 --> 00:10:35,667 that his girlfriend, Wendi, 184 00:10:35,667 --> 00:10:38,066 has another serious health complaint. 185 00:10:39,367 --> 00:10:41,867 When I found out that Wendi had diabetes, 186 00:10:41,934 --> 00:10:44,166 I was very concerned for her health. 187 00:10:45,100 --> 00:10:49,367 She told me that the insulin that she had, 188 00:10:49,433 --> 00:10:51,567 she did not get from a doctor. 189 00:10:51,567 --> 00:10:54,567 Her father got it from his pharmacy that 190 00:10:54,567 --> 00:10:57,533 he worked at and gave it to her. 191 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,767 Only once did I actually see her inject herself 192 00:11:02,834 --> 00:11:03,967 with insulin. 193 00:11:05,467 --> 00:11:09,767 I loved her, and I wanted to be a support to her 194 00:11:09,767 --> 00:11:13,033 and to help her in any way that I can. 195 00:11:15,567 --> 00:11:17,867 DANIEL: Sean seemed happy with Wendi, 196 00:11:17,934 --> 00:11:21,367 but there was always something about her that made me 197 00:11:21,367 --> 00:11:22,734 feel uncomfortable. 198 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:26,767 It was just always that -- 199 00:11:26,767 --> 00:11:31,333 that little feeling in me that just made me feel... 200 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:34,333 unsure about her. 201 00:11:36,467 --> 00:11:38,867 NARRATOR: By Sean's third year at West Point, 202 00:11:38,867 --> 00:11:42,667 his relationship with Wendi has evolved -- however, 203 00:11:42,667 --> 00:11:47,567 he suffers a devastating loss in his family in April 1996 204 00:11:47,567 --> 00:11:50,233 when his stepdad becomes seriously ill. 205 00:11:51,100 --> 00:11:53,967 SEAN: I made it home on emergency leave from West Point 206 00:11:53,967 --> 00:11:55,567 just in time. 207 00:11:56,767 --> 00:12:00,066 DANIEL: I remember Sean opening the door to the ICU in 208 00:12:00,066 --> 00:12:02,166 his uniform from West Point 209 00:12:02,166 --> 00:12:05,734 and running through the ICU to my father's side. 210 00:12:08,900 --> 00:12:10,867 And then I was taken out of the room. 211 00:12:10,867 --> 00:12:12,166 But I remember looking back 212 00:12:12,233 --> 00:12:14,533 and seeing Sean sitting there, holding his hand. 213 00:12:16,100 --> 00:12:19,266 SEAN: I was holding his hand when he took his last breath, 214 00:12:19,266 --> 00:12:22,266 and I held onto it until, uh, 215 00:12:22,266 --> 00:12:25,333 I felt, you know, the warmth leave. 216 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:30,133 [flat line beeping] 217 00:12:33,467 --> 00:12:34,867 NARRATOR: The next year, 218 00:12:34,867 --> 00:12:36,767 Sean's stepdad's absence is felt 219 00:12:36,767 --> 00:12:39,266 at his graduation from West Point. 220 00:12:39,333 --> 00:12:42,433 But Sean is able to celebrate with Wendi and family. 221 00:12:43,667 --> 00:12:45,867 SEAN: My mom, my brother, 222 00:12:45,867 --> 00:12:50,867 Herb, Trish, Wendi's grandparents, came and attended. 223 00:12:54,667 --> 00:12:57,834 I was full of pride and exuberance. 224 00:12:59,367 --> 00:13:01,867 I had people in my hometown that were there. 225 00:13:01,934 --> 00:13:03,967 I was gonna get to shake hands 226 00:13:03,967 --> 00:13:06,867 with the President of the United States. 227 00:13:06,867 --> 00:13:09,233 It was just a great day all around. 228 00:13:13,467 --> 00:13:16,166 NARRATOR: A few days later, Sean and Wendi drive from 229 00:13:16,166 --> 00:13:20,233 New York to Georgia to elope, without family present. 230 00:13:21,867 --> 00:13:23,266 SEAN: Wendi and I got married in 231 00:13:23,266 --> 00:13:27,834 a tiny little chapel on June 3rd, 1997. 232 00:13:28,700 --> 00:13:32,367 My best friend, Joe, was my best man, 233 00:13:32,367 --> 00:13:35,266 and he brought along his wife. 234 00:13:35,333 --> 00:13:37,000 Wendi was over the top. 235 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:41,100 She acted as if she was about to faint. 236 00:13:41,100 --> 00:13:43,000 She did not focus on me. 237 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,433 She had a hard time getting through her vows. 238 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,233 So that part was kind of bizarre. 239 00:13:54,367 --> 00:13:57,967 We had made plans for a honeymoon, 240 00:13:58,033 --> 00:14:01,767 and we drove straight through the night to Myrtle Beach, 241 00:14:01,767 --> 00:14:03,667 South Carolina. 242 00:14:03,667 --> 00:14:08,066 Wendi was not interested in any physical intimacy, 243 00:14:09,300 --> 00:14:13,266 and she said that she was feeling physically ill, 244 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,266 and that was a great disappointment. 245 00:14:18,266 --> 00:14:23,166 But, to me, that was not as important as abiding by 246 00:14:23,233 --> 00:14:27,000 my vow to love, cherish, and care for her 247 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:28,734 in sickness and in health. 248 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:31,667 I was okay with that, because there 249 00:14:31,667 --> 00:14:35,667 are higher priorities than my own carnal satisfaction. 250 00:14:35,667 --> 00:14:42,367 ["Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Bach playing on organ] 251 00:14:42,433 --> 00:14:43,467 Ready! Front! 252 00:14:43,533 --> 00:14:45,467 NARRATOR: A year later, in 1998, 253 00:14:45,533 --> 00:14:47,767 after taking the U.S. Army Engineer 254 00:14:47,767 --> 00:14:48,967 officers course, 255 00:14:48,967 --> 00:14:51,467 Wendi and Sean moved to Columbia, Georgia, 256 00:14:51,533 --> 00:14:53,533 just a few hours from home. 257 00:14:54,767 --> 00:14:56,867 My first permanent duty station in 258 00:14:56,867 --> 00:14:59,834 the Army was Fort Benning in Georgia, 259 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,667 and we went and did fun things by ourselves 260 00:15:04,667 --> 00:15:06,367 and with other people, 261 00:15:06,367 --> 00:15:08,367 my West Point classmates included. 262 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:12,567 NARRATOR: Later that year, 263 00:15:12,567 --> 00:15:16,066 Hurricane Mitch devastates Central America, and Sean is 264 00:15:16,066 --> 00:15:18,967 deployed as part of the Army Corps of Engineers. 265 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,266 When Sean returns to Fort Benning, 266 00:15:22,266 --> 00:15:24,834 he finds Wendi in a health crisis. 267 00:15:28,567 --> 00:15:31,467 SEAN: Wendi had gotten a referral to an oncologist, 268 00:15:31,467 --> 00:15:33,467 because there were some irregularities 269 00:15:33,467 --> 00:15:35,467 in her bloodwork. 270 00:15:35,467 --> 00:15:40,767 She told me, "Oh, my God, Sean, what if I have cancer?" 271 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:45,066 And then the oncologist broke the news to me 272 00:15:45,066 --> 00:15:48,000 that he felt, in his professional opinion, 273 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,367 Wendi had leukemia. 274 00:15:50,367 --> 00:15:53,066 [quiet sobbing] 275 00:15:53,133 --> 00:15:54,433 I couldn't believe it. 276 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,834 It was just... 277 00:15:58,867 --> 00:16:01,233 another shock. 278 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,433 I never shaved my own head, but I helped her shave hers. 279 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,533 I rarely cried. 280 00:16:14,700 --> 00:16:18,266 I definitely cried tears that dripped on her head 281 00:16:18,266 --> 00:16:20,333 while I was helping her shave it. 282 00:16:21,500 --> 00:16:26,767 She was so grateful, and we had intimate contact 283 00:16:26,767 --> 00:16:30,567 that we hadn't had in months or maybe even in years 284 00:16:30,634 --> 00:16:31,734 at that point. 285 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:39,166 NARRATOR: Wendi tells Sean that she wants 286 00:16:39,166 --> 00:16:40,967 to do the treatments on her own 287 00:16:41,033 --> 00:16:43,533 so as not to distract him from his work. 288 00:16:44,567 --> 00:16:47,166 She said, "I've found a specialist that 289 00:16:47,233 --> 00:16:50,767 "can treat me right here at the hospital. 290 00:16:50,767 --> 00:16:54,667 "You can just drop me off in the morning, and then 291 00:16:54,667 --> 00:16:56,667 I'll find a ride home." 292 00:16:56,667 --> 00:16:59,667 While she was going to chemotherapy, 293 00:16:59,667 --> 00:17:03,967 there was less strange behavior, 294 00:17:04,033 --> 00:17:07,233 and all the other antics faded away. 295 00:17:10,467 --> 00:17:13,166 NARRATOR: Wendi starts her treatment, and Sean 296 00:17:13,166 --> 00:17:15,967 believes that all is going well until one day, 297 00:17:15,967 --> 00:17:18,100 he is summoned to a meeting with some other 298 00:17:18,100 --> 00:17:20,233 Army spouses at Fort Benning. 299 00:17:21,467 --> 00:17:25,166 SEAN: It was a historic home of a colonel, 300 00:17:25,233 --> 00:17:28,467 and Wendi was sitting there, and, uh, 301 00:17:28,533 --> 00:17:32,567 she looked up at me, had a very nervous look on her face, 302 00:17:32,567 --> 00:17:34,066 and was very fidgety. 303 00:17:35,867 --> 00:17:37,467 You could have heard a pin drop. 304 00:17:38,500 --> 00:17:42,767 One of the spouses said, "We have 305 00:17:42,767 --> 00:17:46,867 "discovered that Wendi does not really have cancer. 306 00:17:46,867 --> 00:17:48,734 "She's been lying to us, 307 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,834 and we've all been deeply hurt by this." 308 00:17:54,900 --> 00:17:57,266 I couldn't say anything. 309 00:17:58,467 --> 00:18:00,166 I was filled with rage. 310 00:18:05,266 --> 00:18:07,967 NARRATOR: Second Lieutenant Sean Scott has been told 311 00:18:07,967 --> 00:18:09,767 by a group of Army spouses 312 00:18:09,767 --> 00:18:13,667 that his wife, Wendi, is faking having cancer. 313 00:18:13,667 --> 00:18:17,266 SEAN: I was just devastated, embarrassed. 314 00:18:17,266 --> 00:18:19,333 I felt sick to my stomach. 315 00:18:20,300 --> 00:18:23,967 I couldn't say anything except, "Thank you 316 00:18:23,967 --> 00:18:27,967 "for bringing this to my attention. 317 00:18:27,967 --> 00:18:30,333 I am so sorry that this happened." 318 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,367 I learned that one of 319 00:18:34,367 --> 00:18:38,166 the church community saw her at the hospital. 320 00:18:39,300 --> 00:18:43,467 She just walked around like a normal person, and she wasn't 321 00:18:43,467 --> 00:18:46,767 behaving like she would behave at church, where 322 00:18:46,834 --> 00:18:51,567 she would present as if she was deathly ill and unable to 323 00:18:51,634 --> 00:18:55,333 perform activities of daily living on her own and need help. 324 00:18:59,100 --> 00:19:00,867 NARRATOR: But how did Wendi trick 325 00:19:00,867 --> 00:19:04,867 her oncologist into a leukemia diagnosis? 326 00:19:04,867 --> 00:19:06,767 SEAN: I was finally coming to grips 327 00:19:06,767 --> 00:19:10,133 with an escalating pattern of behavior. 328 00:19:11,100 --> 00:19:17,767 I believe Wendi figured out how to manipulate her body 329 00:19:17,767 --> 00:19:20,867 so that her bloodwork came back 330 00:19:20,867 --> 00:19:25,266 such that more than one medical provider was 331 00:19:25,333 --> 00:19:27,233 convinced that she had leukemia. 332 00:19:28,567 --> 00:19:31,567 DANIEL: He had worked very hard to get to where he was, 333 00:19:31,567 --> 00:19:35,166 and he had a very promising career ahead of him. 334 00:19:35,166 --> 00:19:37,166 The situation that she put them in 335 00:19:37,233 --> 00:19:39,934 could very much damage his entire career. 336 00:19:42,667 --> 00:19:47,667 SEAN: I was committed to her, because I considered marriage 337 00:19:47,734 --> 00:19:51,233 my bond with Wendi and with God, 338 00:19:52,300 --> 00:19:54,567 and I wasn't going to give up on that, 339 00:19:54,567 --> 00:19:58,467 and I was determined not to get a divorce. 340 00:19:58,533 --> 00:20:01,266 I decided that I was gonna monitor 341 00:20:01,266 --> 00:20:03,767 and control her behavior as best I could. 342 00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:13,567 NARRATOR: For the next two years, Sean focuses on the demands 343 00:20:13,567 --> 00:20:17,066 of his career and spends less and less time with Wendi. 344 00:20:17,900 --> 00:20:20,266 In April of 2002, he is notified 345 00:20:20,266 --> 00:20:22,166 that Wendi is in the ER 346 00:20:22,233 --> 00:20:25,133 because of a complication related to her diabetes. 347 00:20:28,900 --> 00:20:31,333 SEAN: The physician on call was present. 348 00:20:33,100 --> 00:20:37,467 After the whole cancer thing, I knew from then on 349 00:20:37,533 --> 00:20:39,467 that she was faking. 350 00:20:39,533 --> 00:20:43,467 She found some new docs who didn't know her back story. 351 00:20:43,467 --> 00:20:47,266 I said, "Look doc, I respect what you do, and I just want you 352 00:20:47,266 --> 00:20:49,667 "to know that I know without a shadow of a doubt 353 00:20:49,667 --> 00:20:54,266 that my wife does not have diabetes, never has." 354 00:20:55,667 --> 00:20:59,266 He paused, looked at me in the eyes for a second, 355 00:20:59,333 --> 00:21:01,000 and said, "Okay, 356 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,767 would you like for me to put her on a 72-hour hold?" 357 00:21:04,834 --> 00:21:06,567 I came in and told her that she was 358 00:21:06,567 --> 00:21:11,767 going to a psych ward, and she was livid. 359 00:21:11,767 --> 00:21:14,066 She was throwing objects at me. 360 00:21:14,066 --> 00:21:15,867 She was yelling at me. 361 00:21:20,900 --> 00:21:24,667 NARRATOR: And Wendi has one more bomb to drop. 362 00:21:24,734 --> 00:21:28,367 SEAN: A nurse came in and said, "We got your blood results." 363 00:21:28,367 --> 00:21:29,934 Wendi was pregnant. 364 00:21:36,367 --> 00:21:38,767 NARRATOR: On December 13th, 2002, 365 00:21:38,767 --> 00:21:42,667 Sean and Wendi's daughter is born with hydrocephalus, 366 00:21:42,667 --> 00:21:45,667 a condition that will require multiple surgeries. 367 00:21:47,567 --> 00:21:49,867 SEAN: When our daughter was born, 368 00:21:49,934 --> 00:21:52,767 Wendi's behaviors regarding her own health 369 00:21:52,834 --> 00:21:54,000 just disappeared. 370 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,166 It was like magic. 371 00:21:56,166 --> 00:21:59,100 I found out that I was deploying. 372 00:21:59,100 --> 00:22:03,000 I was amped and energized and excited to 373 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:07,233 exercise my leadership in the role of company commander. 374 00:22:12,100 --> 00:22:15,266 NARRATOR: Sean is deployed to Kuwait but gets emergency 375 00:22:15,333 --> 00:22:17,066 medical leave to return to the U.S. 376 00:22:17,066 --> 00:22:18,967 in March 2004. 377 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,967 I was back in the States in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for 378 00:22:25,033 --> 00:22:28,166 the first of a series of brain surgeries 379 00:22:28,166 --> 00:22:31,634 for our daughter at UNC Medical Center. 380 00:22:36,767 --> 00:22:41,266 My personal belief is that the hydrocephalus condition, 381 00:22:41,333 --> 00:22:46,433 which was diagnosed as Chiari malformation, was congenital. 382 00:22:48,567 --> 00:22:53,567 In 2004, my daughter began developing symptoms from 383 00:22:53,634 --> 00:23:00,166 vomiting to abnormal eating behavior to constant diarrhea. 384 00:23:00,166 --> 00:23:03,166 NARRATOR: Sean is now stationed at Fort Detrick, Maryland, 385 00:23:03,166 --> 00:23:05,066 so that the family can be close to 386 00:23:05,133 --> 00:23:07,567 Walter Reed Medical Center, where their daughter 387 00:23:07,567 --> 00:23:09,066 is a frequent visitor. 388 00:23:10,100 --> 00:23:13,467 The doctors were unsure as to what exactly was wrong. 389 00:23:13,533 --> 00:23:17,467 They were pursuing the option of leukemia, and they were doing 390 00:23:17,467 --> 00:23:19,467 everything that they could to help her. 391 00:23:19,467 --> 00:23:21,100 NARRATOR: Over the next three years, 392 00:23:21,100 --> 00:23:23,367 Sean and Wendi pull closer together. 393 00:23:23,367 --> 00:23:26,667 Wendi is no longer faking health issues and gives birth 394 00:23:26,667 --> 00:23:29,967 to a son who is underweight but otherwise healthy. 395 00:23:29,967 --> 00:23:31,467 At Walter Reed, 396 00:23:31,467 --> 00:23:35,266 the doctors cannot determine the cause of Sean's daughter's 397 00:23:35,266 --> 00:23:36,767 ongoing symptoms. 398 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:42,567 SEAN: My daughter underwent hundreds of diagnostic procedures. 399 00:23:42,567 --> 00:23:45,767 The spinal tap, that's an extremely painful procedure, 400 00:23:45,834 --> 00:23:47,867 and it was gut-wrenching, 401 00:23:47,867 --> 00:23:52,166 heartbreaking, to be present and in the room with her. 402 00:23:55,166 --> 00:23:59,767 NARRATOR: In June of 2007, Sean gets a call from Wendi. 403 00:23:59,834 --> 00:24:02,433 There's gonna be a multidisciplinary team meeting, 404 00:24:03,767 --> 00:24:07,867 so all the specialists along with the primary care manager 405 00:24:07,934 --> 00:24:09,767 meet in a room with the parents, 406 00:24:09,767 --> 00:24:15,266 and one of the lead GI physicians laid a bombshell. 407 00:24:17,467 --> 00:24:19,667 "There are levels of magnesium 408 00:24:19,667 --> 00:24:23,734 "in your daughter's system that I cannot account for. 409 00:24:25,100 --> 00:24:30,266 So that tells me that either you," pointing at me, "or you," 410 00:24:30,333 --> 00:24:31,967 pointing at Wendi, 411 00:24:31,967 --> 00:24:35,266 "or both of you have been giving your daughter 412 00:24:35,266 --> 00:24:37,066 magnesium of some form." 413 00:24:39,266 --> 00:24:41,166 And Wendi confessed on the spot. 414 00:24:41,233 --> 00:24:42,467 "I did it." 415 00:24:42,467 --> 00:24:45,166 And I looked at her in front of all these people. 416 00:24:45,166 --> 00:24:46,934 All I could say was, "How could you?" 417 00:24:50,900 --> 00:24:53,867 DANIEL: The place that you have to be mentally 418 00:24:53,867 --> 00:24:55,767 to do something like that 419 00:24:55,834 --> 00:24:57,934 to an innocent little child... 420 00:24:58,867 --> 00:25:00,634 you would have to be evil. 421 00:25:03,767 --> 00:25:06,967 NARRATOR: Sean Scott's four-year-old daughter has undergone dozens of 422 00:25:06,967 --> 00:25:10,533 medical procedures for various health issues since her birth. 423 00:25:12,266 --> 00:25:15,634 His wife, Wendi, has now admitted to poisoning her. 424 00:25:16,567 --> 00:25:19,233 The state takes custody of the Scott children. 425 00:25:20,867 --> 00:25:22,667 SEAN: Anger doesn't even come close. 426 00:25:22,667 --> 00:25:25,100 It's more like rage. 427 00:25:25,100 --> 00:25:29,266 I was shocked, stunned, sickened, saddened. 428 00:25:29,266 --> 00:25:34,667 I drove Wendi home, and she cried, and she blabbered on to 429 00:25:34,667 --> 00:25:39,867 me about how we still have to stick together as a family. 430 00:25:39,867 --> 00:25:41,567 And I just looked at her, and I was like, 431 00:25:41,634 --> 00:25:43,667 "Will you shut the [bleep] up?" 432 00:25:47,100 --> 00:25:50,033 Or I was gonna wreck the car and kill both of us. 433 00:25:53,100 --> 00:25:54,667 AGENT SMITH: In June 2007, 434 00:25:54,667 --> 00:25:57,367 I received a call from Fort Detrick 435 00:25:57,433 --> 00:26:00,166 advising me that they had just received a call from 436 00:26:00,166 --> 00:26:03,367 Walter Reed, and they believe they had a child abuse case. 437 00:26:05,500 --> 00:26:08,767 They advised that the mother of the child had been 438 00:26:08,767 --> 00:26:11,567 confronted by the doctor and actually admitted 439 00:26:11,634 --> 00:26:13,767 that she had been poisoning her child and that she was 440 00:26:13,834 --> 00:26:15,834 withdrawing blood from the child, as well. 441 00:26:17,266 --> 00:26:19,367 I knew about Munchausen by proxy, 442 00:26:19,367 --> 00:26:22,367 what they call today factitious disorder by proxy. 443 00:26:22,367 --> 00:26:24,467 And immediately, it triggered into my mind 444 00:26:24,467 --> 00:26:26,433 that I may have one of those cases. 445 00:26:27,266 --> 00:26:28,767 In a Munchausen by proxy case, 446 00:26:28,767 --> 00:26:30,567 the person themself is Munchausen, 447 00:26:30,634 --> 00:26:33,367 and they cause their own illnesses 448 00:26:33,433 --> 00:26:35,667 or injuries to gain attention. 449 00:26:35,734 --> 00:26:37,867 And normally, it's when they can't get attention for 450 00:26:37,934 --> 00:26:40,233 themselves anymore that they move on to a child. 451 00:26:43,567 --> 00:26:45,867 NARRATOR: Agent Smith calls FBI headquarters 452 00:26:45,934 --> 00:26:47,734 to talk to a profiler. 453 00:26:48,867 --> 00:26:50,066 AGENT SMITH: I knew that I was gonna 454 00:26:50,133 --> 00:26:52,767 have to approach this interview differently. 455 00:26:52,767 --> 00:26:55,867 The behavioral analysis profiler told me to make the interview 456 00:26:55,867 --> 00:26:59,367 completely about her, to not talk about her children 457 00:26:59,367 --> 00:27:01,166 and the things that she did to the child, 458 00:27:01,166 --> 00:27:03,567 but to talk about how it affected her 459 00:27:03,567 --> 00:27:06,166 and how it made her feel. 460 00:27:06,166 --> 00:27:08,867 Just focus the entire interview on Wendi. 461 00:27:10,867 --> 00:27:12,567 I walked in -- the chaplain was there, 462 00:27:12,634 --> 00:27:14,233 and Wendi Scott was there. 463 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:17,634 You're expecting a monster. 464 00:27:18,867 --> 00:27:20,667 But, in fact, she actually looks like a little 465 00:27:20,734 --> 00:27:22,567 child herself. 466 00:27:22,567 --> 00:27:25,767 She comes across very innocent, very naive, 467 00:27:25,767 --> 00:27:27,767 someone that you wanna protect. 468 00:27:27,834 --> 00:27:29,767 Wendi showed absolutely no remorse 469 00:27:29,834 --> 00:27:31,133 during the interview. 470 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:38,066 I realized that I did, in fact, have a Munchausen by proxy case, 471 00:27:38,066 --> 00:27:41,567 that she was truly injuring her child to gain 472 00:27:41,567 --> 00:27:43,266 attention for herself. 473 00:27:43,266 --> 00:27:45,367 And so my goal at that point was 474 00:27:45,367 --> 00:27:47,433 to get as much evidence as I could. 475 00:27:49,667 --> 00:27:53,634 I was able to get consent from Wendi to search the house. 476 00:27:55,367 --> 00:28:00,367 The home that the Scotts lived in was in a very nice area. 477 00:28:00,367 --> 00:28:03,266 The house was very organized and clean, similarly, 478 00:28:03,333 --> 00:28:05,166 so was the victim child's bedroom. 479 00:28:05,166 --> 00:28:07,166 It was a beautiful bedroom. 480 00:28:07,166 --> 00:28:09,767 It looked like she cared very deeply for this child 481 00:28:09,834 --> 00:28:11,734 by the way that the room was presented. 482 00:28:12,567 --> 00:28:14,867 I spoke to the team leader of our evidence 483 00:28:14,867 --> 00:28:17,367 response team that went directly to the kitchen 484 00:28:17,367 --> 00:28:20,266 trash can, and sure enough, at the top of the trash can 485 00:28:20,266 --> 00:28:21,634 was a large bottle of milk and magnesia. 486 00:28:24,166 --> 00:28:26,467 And I saw a red HAZMAT box, 487 00:28:26,467 --> 00:28:28,867 the type you find in a doctor's office where you put 488 00:28:28,867 --> 00:28:30,967 expended syringes in, 489 00:28:31,033 --> 00:28:33,734 and inside were five syringes with blood in them. 490 00:28:40,667 --> 00:28:42,967 I actually took the photo books to 491 00:28:43,033 --> 00:28:45,233 see if they told any type of story. 492 00:28:49,767 --> 00:28:54,333 I was able to see things such as the child had straight hair, 493 00:28:55,500 --> 00:28:58,467 and I saw that Wendi had taken pictures of 494 00:28:58,533 --> 00:29:01,066 this victim child when she was putting curlers in her hair. 495 00:29:01,066 --> 00:29:03,367 I later interviewed the doctors at Walter Reed. 496 00:29:03,367 --> 00:29:04,867 They all described her as looking 497 00:29:04,867 --> 00:29:08,266 like Shirley Temple, who had curly hair. 498 00:29:08,333 --> 00:29:10,266 She wanted her daughter to look adorable 499 00:29:10,333 --> 00:29:12,567 and all the doctors to fall in love with her 500 00:29:12,634 --> 00:29:16,100 to be the cutest kid on the floor, if you will. 501 00:29:16,100 --> 00:29:18,867 Wendi would do the child's hair in advance 502 00:29:18,934 --> 00:29:20,967 the night before, and then she would 503 00:29:20,967 --> 00:29:23,266 do something to the child to induce the symptoms that 504 00:29:23,266 --> 00:29:26,066 resulted in her bringing the child to the hospital. 505 00:29:26,066 --> 00:29:27,967 So it showed premeditation. 506 00:29:27,967 --> 00:29:30,767 I did learn through my investigation that Wendi 507 00:29:30,767 --> 00:29:34,367 herself had feigned illness at a previous base. 508 00:29:34,367 --> 00:29:36,867 She claims she had leukemia. She was in a wheelchair. 509 00:29:36,934 --> 00:29:39,767 She'd shaved her head, she even shaved her eyebrows. 510 00:29:39,767 --> 00:29:42,467 Literally had everyone absolutely convinced 511 00:29:42,533 --> 00:29:43,767 that she had it. 512 00:29:43,767 --> 00:29:47,166 She figured out a way to cause those type of symptoms 513 00:29:47,233 --> 00:29:48,967 in herself, and she was trying to do 514 00:29:48,967 --> 00:29:51,367 the same thing to her daughter. 515 00:29:54,867 --> 00:29:56,467 NARRATOR: Sean must now prove he is 516 00:29:56,533 --> 00:29:59,634 a fit parent to regain custody of his children. 517 00:30:01,266 --> 00:30:03,367 SEAN: I had a court date immediately. 518 00:30:03,367 --> 00:30:05,867 I had to hire my own attorney. 519 00:30:05,934 --> 00:30:08,166 WINIK: It was really devastating to him, 520 00:30:09,100 --> 00:30:13,166 but he picked himself up and began to make 521 00:30:13,166 --> 00:30:17,934 sure the children had a stable, safe place to be. 522 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,367 NARRATOR: The evidence, timing, and Sean's record of 523 00:30:23,367 --> 00:30:26,834 conduct eventually exonerate him from suspicion. 524 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:30,934 ANGEL: Sean Scott had been serving his country, 525 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:35,100 only to find that the enemy was not abroad. 526 00:30:35,100 --> 00:30:37,467 The enemy was in his own household 527 00:30:37,467 --> 00:30:39,567 nearly killing his child. 528 00:30:39,567 --> 00:30:42,166 When the victim and the younger sibling 529 00:30:42,166 --> 00:30:44,667 were in Sean Scott's custody, 530 00:30:44,667 --> 00:30:48,867 they immediately started improving -- the symptoms that 531 00:30:48,867 --> 00:30:52,166 the child presented with at Walter Reed Medical Center 532 00:30:52,166 --> 00:30:54,467 never, ever recurred. 533 00:30:54,533 --> 00:30:58,767 after convincing a judge that I was a fit parent, 534 00:30:58,767 --> 00:31:01,066 I got legal custody of my children. 535 00:31:04,967 --> 00:31:07,667 NARRATOR: The case goes from FBI jurisdiction during 536 00:31:07,667 --> 00:31:08,667 the investigation 537 00:31:08,767 --> 00:31:11,967 to Maryland state prosecutors as they prepare for 538 00:31:11,967 --> 00:31:13,567 an indictment. 539 00:31:13,634 --> 00:31:15,166 ANGEL: Agent Smith reviewed with me 540 00:31:15,233 --> 00:31:17,867 the information she received from Dr. Delormier, 541 00:31:17,867 --> 00:31:21,467 the attending physician at Walter Reed Medical Center. 542 00:31:21,467 --> 00:31:24,266 This woman was causing her child 543 00:31:24,333 --> 00:31:27,000 a near death medical condition. 544 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:31,867 The symptoms progressed to dramatic blood loss to 545 00:31:31,867 --> 00:31:34,867 the point where, on three different occasions, 546 00:31:34,867 --> 00:31:38,066 that the child had to be transfused. 547 00:31:38,133 --> 00:31:41,867 Dr. Delormier testified that the child could very well 548 00:31:41,867 --> 00:31:43,467 have died with the amount of blood 549 00:31:43,533 --> 00:31:46,367 that was taken from her system. 550 00:31:46,367 --> 00:31:49,567 It was dangerous enough that, as a prosecutor, 551 00:31:49,567 --> 00:31:53,266 I had to make sure that she never had contact with that 552 00:31:53,266 --> 00:31:57,667 child again, with her younger child, or with any child. 553 00:31:57,734 --> 00:31:59,367 That was my focus. 554 00:32:02,300 --> 00:32:06,667 NARRATOR: On November 16th, 2007, Wendi Scott is indicted 555 00:32:06,667 --> 00:32:09,066 on 15 charges. 556 00:32:09,066 --> 00:32:11,867 She was charged with at least two counts 557 00:32:11,867 --> 00:32:13,767 of first-degree child abuse, 558 00:32:13,767 --> 00:32:16,667 second-degree child abuse, first-degree assault, 559 00:32:16,667 --> 00:32:19,533 second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment. 560 00:32:23,467 --> 00:32:26,767 NARRATOR: On March 13th, 2008, Wendi Scott 561 00:32:26,767 --> 00:32:30,066 pleads guilty to first-degree child abuse. 562 00:32:31,867 --> 00:32:33,867 ANGEL: In exchange for dismissing 563 00:32:33,867 --> 00:32:35,467 the remaining counts, 564 00:32:35,533 --> 00:32:37,867 the defense agreed that, at sentencing, 565 00:32:37,934 --> 00:32:40,567 the parties would be free to argue as to what 566 00:32:40,567 --> 00:32:42,367 the appropriate sentence would be. 567 00:32:43,500 --> 00:32:45,767 NARRATOR: Wendi's sentencing hearing takes place 568 00:32:45,834 --> 00:32:46,900 two months later. 569 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,667 When she first came into court, she was just fluttering 570 00:32:51,734 --> 00:32:53,367 around, smiling, 571 00:32:53,433 --> 00:32:55,967 you know, talking to people. 572 00:32:56,033 --> 00:32:59,667 It was clear she wanted to be the center of attention, 573 00:32:59,667 --> 00:33:03,066 but she did not testify during the sentencing hearing. 574 00:33:06,867 --> 00:33:08,967 When the state presented testimony, 575 00:33:09,033 --> 00:33:11,266 principally from Dr. Delormier, 576 00:33:11,266 --> 00:33:15,567 he was so incensed by this whole incident 577 00:33:15,567 --> 00:33:18,967 and what that child had suffered 578 00:33:19,033 --> 00:33:21,667 because of the blood loss levels, 579 00:33:21,734 --> 00:33:25,066 the myriad of tests that she had had to undergo, 580 00:33:25,066 --> 00:33:28,467 the radiology she was subjected to. 581 00:33:28,467 --> 00:33:29,867 His testimony 582 00:33:29,867 --> 00:33:34,634 went to the permanency of the injury to that young victim. 583 00:33:37,900 --> 00:33:40,567 The defense, they were arguing that 584 00:33:40,567 --> 00:33:43,266 she didn't intend to hurt the child 585 00:33:43,266 --> 00:33:45,066 and the only reason she was doing it 586 00:33:45,133 --> 00:33:48,066 was because of her own mental disorder. 587 00:33:49,166 --> 00:33:51,567 She had been diagnosed with a borderline 588 00:33:51,567 --> 00:33:53,166 personality disorder. 589 00:33:53,166 --> 00:33:55,667 One of the manifestations of that was 590 00:33:55,734 --> 00:33:59,967 the fictitious disorder and fictitious disorder by proxy. 591 00:34:00,100 --> 00:34:03,000 But she knew that the blood she was withdrawing was 592 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,867 causing the child to be transfused at least 593 00:34:05,867 --> 00:34:07,066 three times. 594 00:34:07,133 --> 00:34:09,867 And for her to say that she didn't know that 595 00:34:09,934 --> 00:34:13,667 what she was doing was causing harm is just not defensible. 596 00:34:15,367 --> 00:34:17,100 NARRATOR: Concerned that Wendi will present 597 00:34:17,100 --> 00:34:18,767 a further risk to her daughter 598 00:34:18,834 --> 00:34:20,567 if she gets a light sentence, 599 00:34:20,567 --> 00:34:23,266 the prosecution presents surprising evidence 600 00:34:23,266 --> 00:34:25,667 that her disorder is deeply rooted. 601 00:34:27,100 --> 00:34:28,967 Even while on bail, Wendi had 602 00:34:29,033 --> 00:34:32,266 been exhibiting classic factitious disorder behaviors. 603 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:37,867 She decided to get a job, and while she was there, 604 00:34:37,867 --> 00:34:41,266 I discovered that she was faking cancer and diabetes. 605 00:34:42,367 --> 00:34:44,667 She would go on her lunch break and sit 606 00:34:44,734 --> 00:34:47,133 in her car on a 90-plus degree day, 607 00:34:48,266 --> 00:34:51,367 and then passing out and that the ambulance would be called. 608 00:34:52,867 --> 00:34:57,166 She submits a request to this employer requesting time off, 609 00:34:57,166 --> 00:34:59,467 saying that she had lymphoma 610 00:34:59,533 --> 00:35:03,667 and that she needed to go for chemo on a weekly basis. 611 00:35:03,667 --> 00:35:08,667 She was engaging in this very type of behavior even at a time 612 00:35:08,667 --> 00:35:12,066 where she was participating in counseling and under 613 00:35:12,133 --> 00:35:15,767 the supervision of a psychiatric professional. 614 00:35:15,767 --> 00:35:17,266 She was doing this again. 615 00:35:18,367 --> 00:35:22,467 NARRATOR: This revelation seals Wendi's fate with the judge. 616 00:35:23,867 --> 00:35:26,667 ANGEL: The judge sentenced her to 15 years 617 00:35:26,667 --> 00:35:28,967 of active incarceration 618 00:35:29,033 --> 00:35:31,634 and five years of supervised probation. 619 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:37,467 I had finally come to the realization that 620 00:35:37,533 --> 00:35:39,867 she was never gonna stop doing this. 621 00:35:41,100 --> 00:35:42,767 NARRATOR: Sean takes off his wedding ring, 622 00:35:42,767 --> 00:35:47,333 files for divorce, and visits Wendi in jail one last time. 623 00:35:48,867 --> 00:35:51,266 Within a couple of seconds of visiting her, 624 00:35:51,266 --> 00:35:53,834 and she looked down, and she held my hand, and she said, 625 00:35:55,100 --> 00:35:57,033 "Why did you take off your ring? 626 00:35:58,100 --> 00:36:00,100 "Someone will fall in love with you. 627 00:36:01,166 --> 00:36:02,767 You can't do that." 628 00:36:02,767 --> 00:36:05,000 So I was just like, "I'm sorry." 629 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:07,433 And she was like, "I think you need to go." 630 00:36:12,266 --> 00:36:14,467 NARRATOR: After 11 years of trauma, 631 00:36:14,467 --> 00:36:19,066 Sean is free to find love with a new partner and discovers 632 00:36:19,133 --> 00:36:21,367 there is light at the end of the tunnel. 633 00:36:21,367 --> 00:36:25,166 My brother and Sean worked together at Walter Reed. 634 00:36:25,166 --> 00:36:27,567 We were both going through divorces about 635 00:36:27,567 --> 00:36:29,867 the same time, and we were friends. 636 00:36:29,867 --> 00:36:32,367 I wanted to help Sean 637 00:36:32,367 --> 00:36:35,533 primarily because I knew what a wonderful man he was. 638 00:36:37,567 --> 00:36:40,166 As a mother, it's an overwhelming story to hear. 639 00:36:40,166 --> 00:36:41,967 It still hurts to this day. 640 00:36:44,100 --> 00:36:46,367 I felt terrible for him, because it was a lot. 641 00:36:46,367 --> 00:36:49,767 And as a mom, like, our kids are close in age. 642 00:36:49,767 --> 00:36:53,433 So it really, um, hit home. 643 00:36:54,767 --> 00:36:57,467 Our friendship grew more and more. 644 00:36:57,467 --> 00:37:01,000 Once his divorce was final, it was 645 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:02,467 an instant connection. 646 00:37:05,066 --> 00:37:10,533 Sean's children needed a lot of healing and love and support 647 00:37:11,667 --> 00:37:13,367 due to 648 00:37:13,433 --> 00:37:16,367 the damage that was caused by Wendi Scott. 649 00:37:18,166 --> 00:37:20,667 NARRATOR: In 2010, Sean and Rachel marry 650 00:37:20,667 --> 00:37:22,667 and blend their families. 651 00:37:22,734 --> 00:37:25,567 Rachel becomes the loving and protective mother 652 00:37:25,567 --> 00:37:27,767 Sean's kids have never known. 653 00:37:29,467 --> 00:37:32,066 RACHEL: While Sean was deployed to Afghanistan, 654 00:37:32,133 --> 00:37:35,834 Wendi submitted a request for reconsideration. 655 00:37:36,867 --> 00:37:41,767 She wanted to reduce her prison time, and we feel that 656 00:37:41,834 --> 00:37:45,266 she coordinated that request in knowing that Sean was 657 00:37:45,266 --> 00:37:46,667 in Afghanistan, 658 00:37:46,667 --> 00:37:49,934 and so I attended that request. 659 00:37:52,266 --> 00:37:55,000 It was probably the most terrifying day of my life, 660 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,867 because I really didn't want to see Wendi in person. 661 00:37:57,867 --> 00:38:01,266 But I was also proud to speak on the kids' behalf, 662 00:38:01,333 --> 00:38:03,634 because he was obviously not able to be there. 663 00:38:04,767 --> 00:38:06,867 NARRATOR: For the first time since her arrest, 664 00:38:06,867 --> 00:38:08,734 Wendi takes the stand. 665 00:38:16,467 --> 00:38:19,867 ANGEL: She obviously presented a very positive 666 00:38:19,867 --> 00:38:22,467 picture of her accomplishments. 667 00:38:27,300 --> 00:38:31,567 Not one mention was made about the child. 668 00:38:31,567 --> 00:38:34,066 She knew that her counseling would not be 669 00:38:34,133 --> 00:38:37,767 successful if she was not able to be honest. 670 00:38:37,834 --> 00:38:41,433 So I asked her, "Tell me what you did to your daughter." 671 00:38:46,867 --> 00:38:50,266 ANGEL: And she was very taken aback by that. 672 00:38:50,333 --> 00:38:52,367 The defense, of course, objected to it, 673 00:38:52,433 --> 00:38:55,066 and the judge wanted to hear the answer, too. 674 00:38:55,066 --> 00:38:57,634 She hemmed, and she hawed. 675 00:39:05,767 --> 00:39:09,100 And I don't think she ever really did answer my question. 676 00:39:09,100 --> 00:39:11,266 I just said, "I have nothing more. 677 00:39:11,333 --> 00:39:12,934 I don't have any more questions." 678 00:39:16,867 --> 00:39:19,667 RACHEL: And then I read a victim impact statement. 679 00:39:32,100 --> 00:39:35,066 And part of that was I had said 680 00:39:35,066 --> 00:39:38,567 that his daughter had her feeding tube removed, 681 00:39:38,634 --> 00:39:41,433 and as I was saying that, there was a cheer from... 682 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:45,467 Wendi like, "Yay!" 683 00:39:45,467 --> 00:39:48,367 Thank goodness I had the DA and the FBI agent on 684 00:39:48,433 --> 00:39:51,166 both sides of me, because I think I would have done 685 00:39:51,233 --> 00:39:52,467 something mean. 686 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,367 She did this to her daughter, and I'm the one that, 687 00:39:57,367 --> 00:39:58,767 along with Sean, 688 00:39:58,767 --> 00:40:02,867 we got rid of it and reached that milestone together. 689 00:40:02,867 --> 00:40:05,066 The damage and the harm that she did 690 00:40:05,133 --> 00:40:09,166 to an innocent little girl is just baffling. 691 00:40:09,166 --> 00:40:10,634 I think it's evil. 692 00:40:29,567 --> 00:40:31,166 NARRATOR: Wendi loses the appeal for 693 00:40:31,166 --> 00:40:34,233 a shortened sentence and serves her full term. 694 00:40:37,166 --> 00:40:39,567 RACHEL: Sean and the kids are in a much better place. 695 00:40:39,567 --> 00:40:42,767 We all had to do the hard work together as a family. 696 00:40:42,767 --> 00:40:46,567 One of my proudest moments was to be by his side 697 00:40:46,567 --> 00:40:49,567 when he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, 698 00:40:49,634 --> 00:40:53,166 because his career was almost destroyed because of Wendi. 699 00:40:55,100 --> 00:40:58,266 All four kids were at the ceremony, and, of course, 700 00:40:58,266 --> 00:40:59,967 I cried, [laughs] 701 00:41:00,100 --> 00:41:03,433 but it was just a very special day. 702 00:41:09,567 --> 00:41:13,000 NARRATOR: Sean is a proud and intensely private man, 703 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,066 but he tells his story to warn others. 704 00:41:17,100 --> 00:41:20,367 SEAN: I'm at peace with it now. I'm okay. 705 00:41:20,367 --> 00:41:23,100 I cherish and I appreciate the love 706 00:41:23,100 --> 00:41:26,867 and support that my wife and my children 707 00:41:26,867 --> 00:41:29,767 and my extended family and all my friends have 708 00:41:29,767 --> 00:41:32,066 given me to be able to get to the point. 709 00:41:33,166 --> 00:41:37,867 My purpose and mission will be to help somebody out there 710 00:41:37,867 --> 00:41:40,867 who's doubting themselves -- take action. 711 00:41:40,934 --> 00:41:44,767 Don't hesitate, seek help -- if you got doubts or questions, 712 00:41:44,834 --> 00:41:46,867 talk to somebody. 713 00:41:46,867 --> 00:41:49,266 NARRATOR: Sean is joyful in his new life 714 00:41:49,266 --> 00:41:53,000 and has high hopes for the future of his children. 715 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:55,567 They're strong, resilient children. 716 00:41:55,567 --> 00:41:57,000 I'm very proud of them. 717 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:58,367 They're gonna go on to do great 718 00:41:58,367 --> 00:42:00,300 things in their own right out there.