"Mean Nadean"

This tale of a bully and her motherly love will leave you wondering what’s in the drinking water out here in Gans, Oklahoma. It’s been said by many mothers, including myself, that we would do anything for our children. I would like to point out that not all mothers are bullies. This was a woman so mean in high school they called her “mean Nadeen”. How much of a bully was she?

The woman we speak of, also had the very ill-fated honor to be the third woman to be executed by the state of Oklahoma in the year 2001. She was sixty-one years old and looked like a little old grandmother. When she was led off to die it was a rather sad scene. The thought of someone’s grandmother getting a lethal injection! Friends, do you hear the reaper’s sad song of woe? Does it not pull at your heart strings? Before I tug too hard. Let’s talk about how she got to the death chamber in Oklahoma.

It was the morning of July 4th, 1982. It was going to be a good day for fireworks. That morning Cindy Baillee was looking forward to some fireworks of her own. She didn’t know the fireworks she was going to witness that day was to include the end of her life.

Cindy was at a motel in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. That morning Greg smith, his current girlfriend, Teresa Baker, and his mother Lois Nadine Smith, all arrived at the motel to “talk” to Cindy. I will say Nadine was armed as were her companions. “Talking” in Oklahoma was like telling someone, “I’m just going to visit with them.” Sure, visiting was another way of saying, “I’m going to ripe their head of and shit down their throat in real time, if I don’t get interrupted first.” Yep, it was to be that kind of “Talk.”

Cindy was Greg’s ex-girlfriend, dear Friends. It appeared to not end very well for either party. Apparently, Cindy made some death threats. There was a rumor that I can’t say was proven, she was looking to hire someone to kill her ex-boyfriend. With 1980’s helicopter parent Nadine in charge of her overgrown son, it wasn’t going to go as planned. Friends, people are stupid when they are young. They grow out of it, most of the time. Provided they live long enough to do so. Oklahoma grows a special kind of stupid as Nadine demonstrated for her son and his girlfriend. Besides, she had taken the overprotective parent a little to far. It wasn’t a job for Mother to come charging in, it was a job to notify Barney Fife of the local Sheriff's Office This of course in the 1980’s Oklahoma was going to get as much attention as someone actually reading a book in this state, that’s not a pop up.

The group forced Cindy to get in the car. They questioned her the entire car ride. Friends, do you think they chose a commonsense place to carry out these sinister deeds? Maybe choose Nadine’s residence or that of Greg’s instead? No, my Friends, Nadine, was in charge and decided to go to her ex-husband’s house out in Gans, Oklahoma. She considered this was the best spot for these dark, unlawful activities. So far, not building the best traits of a grandmother.

During the trip Cindy denied rumors she had arranged to have Greg murdered. Cindy was not completely unarmed either, it’s too bad Nadine found it first, even though the odds of Cindy actually making an escape was zilch or zero. Folks, she was buried up to her beautiful eyes. Cindy had a Knife in her purse, not a very big one. It was enough to cause damage; it was very unfortunate how it was used. It was used to stab her in the throat after she was choked repeated. Nadine’s brutally knew no limits when it came to her baby.

Jim and Robyn Smith were both home when Jim’s ex-wife arrived with two accomplices and a hostage. Nadine had a gun and the train had already left he station. Robyn left soon after the four arrived, the trouble, like a stink of a skunk had a whole pack spray all over.

Nadine force Cindy into a chair. Remember Cindy’s neck was already injured from where she was stabbed by her own knife. In the court documents it makes distinction that it was a recliner, I’m sure they noted this for a specific reason. According to court records, witnesses testified Nadine taunted Cindy with the pistol. She was intent on playing mind games with the woman that dared to try and harm her child. However, Nadine testified on her own behalf.

Nadine stated Theresa, the current girlfriend was the one who’d done all the shooting. Interesting how the worm turns when she wants to protect herself or her baby boy. She immediately threw the new girlfriend under the bus. Theresa became expendable the moment she became the new girlfriend. Too bad Nadine didn’t come with a warning label. Oh, wait, she was not really all that nice of a person if her nick name was “Mean Nadine.” I mean how to do you top that, right?

Nadine tired quickly of the mind games and fired one shot into the chair beside Cindy’s head. After a few minutes she fired five shots into Cindy. These shots were center body mass in the front. She slid out of the chair onto the floor, quickly forming a pool of blood. Nadine was stepping on Cindy’s throat, and she stabbed Cindy in the throat. These were additional stab wounds. The chest wounds and the stab wounds were both considered to be the possible fatal wounds, according to court documents. Forgive me, Friends, but all these events can sometimes end up a little out of order in multiple retellings. It’s the worst game of telephone ever.

Nadine stood over Cindy; she fired three more shots into Cindy. Friends, this was a gruesome find for the Chief of Police of Gans, Vernon Barnes. And let’s not forget about poor Jim. It’s his house all this murder has happened in. Nadine decided he wasn’t leaving and held him prisoner in his bathroom. It’s a good thing Robyn left when she did. She had enough head on her shoulders to get some help and not just let the situation continue to play out, even if it was too late for Cindy by the time help arrived.

Think for a minute about how vindictive Nadine was that day. What was she going to do to the new bride of her ex-husband? Nadine had been replaced by someone less, well, homicidal. Let’s face it, she had a temper and was letting it have free reign. She started out “protecting” her grown son. But what was her mind going to do next?

Friends, Mean Nadine was convicted December 29th, 1982. She testified on her own behalf only to state everything she did she blamed on Teresa. It stood to reason that she needed a scapegoat. She was already getting rid of one bad girlfriend what was one more. This was a sick kind of Jealousy.

Greg received life in prison with the possibility of parole. He had every chance to make this stop at anytime and he let it continue. He started and encouraged this road they took and now he sits still paying the price in a prison in Oklahoma.

A prime example of when a parent just can’t let go of helicopter parenting. Cut the cord and let them learn. Also, this was a terrible way to get to know the possible future mother of her grandchildren. Nadine just couldn’t see the writing on the wall.