Opening Statements Begin In Bobbi Parker Trial

Ricky Maranon, News9.com

MANGUM, Oklahoma -- Opening statements began this morning in the case against former prison warden's wife, Bobbi Parker.

She is accused of helping convicted killer Randolph Dial escape from the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite back in 1994.

After an early morning delay, the defense made three motions to dismiss the case. One of those motions mentioned that 13 of the key witnesses in the case have died between the time of the trial and when the escape occurred.

The judge threw out the rulings, swore in the jury, and the prosecution began opening statements.

The prosecution says it hopes to discredit the claim that Parker was kidnapped by Dial, but they claim that the trial will show evidence proving Parker fell in love with Dial and began "A Decade of Deception as Samantha Deal". Samantha Deal is Parker's alleged false identity she gave herself while she was allegedly living as Dial's wife while on the run.

The prosecution showed the jury everything Parker and Dial owned together on the Texas chicken ranch they were found at.

A few of those items were photos of Dial and Parker being baptized together followed by a love letter Parker wrote to Dial saying she wanted them to be together for eternity in heaven.

The defense says Dial was a psychotic man who was addicted to porn and smoking marijuana, and it was in the 1970s he became obsessed with prisoners of war and how to manipulate them.

The defense went on to show evidence that doctors both in the department of corrections and in Tulsa said that Dial is a very manipulative man who likes to trick and deceive people into giving him what he wants.

The defense's argument continued to show a chronological outline of how a psychotic and manipulative Dial who manipulated his way through a corrupt and broken Oklahoma corrections system, and eventually put him on a crash-course to kidnapping Bobbi Parker outside of her home.

Parker's attorney also brought up evidence that showed that Parker had similar features, such as a very long hair braid, to a woman Dial loved back in the early 90s, and it is because of her features, Dial kidnapped Parker.

The defense says on the day of the kidnapping, Dial laced a pitcher of tea that Parker was drinking on her front porch with a drug similar to that of date-rape, and then kidnapped her and took her to Texas.

Because of time, the defense will have to continue its opening statements tomorrow at 9 a.m.

Parker's attorney said today that she will testify in the case as a witness for the defense about what happened to her and the content of her character.

While the prosecution ended its statement saying Parker was a mistress to an inmate, the defense began its opening statement by saying Parker is a faithful wife to her husband who is the deputy warden of the prison Dial escaped from.

Many in attendance at the trial are friends and family of Parker, but some spectators were in attendance. Some spectators have brought down campers to live in while the trial continues.

They expect the trial to be as long as it took to find a suitable jury for the case (7 weeks). The prosecution has already stated it will call over 9 witnesses ranging from Texas rangers, a former TV reporter to an inmate currently serving time for murder at a correctional facility in Lawton.

If Parker is found guilty of helping Dial escape, she could face up to 10 years in prison.