a legal kidnapping
From the producer of Surviving R. Kelly
+ Emmy-Award-Winning SpringHill
Saraya Age 13
70%
of children entering the juvenile justice system have a MENTAL ILLNESS, the majority of which is often undiagnosed.
America's broken correctional system is penalizing children and teens for infractions spurred by a mental health crisis.
THIS IS THE STORY of
SARAYA REES
Saraya Rees
is a 13 year old biracial girl who grew up in Coos Bay, Oregon. Saraya exhibited symptoms of disturbing hallucinations as a child and after experiencing years of racist bullying at her middle school, Saraya's symptoms of mental instability were exacerbated to self-harm, depression and suicide attempts.
Saraya's parents took her to weekly therapy for 2 years with no improvement. After careful consideration, Saraya's parents & pediatrician made the decision to put her on a mood stabilizing, antidepressant, Zoloft, which caused Saraya's erratic behavior and mood swings to dramatically increase. Then on July 3rd, 2019 when Saraya's parents called her pediatrician concerned, they could only get through to the on call pediatrician who told them to
stop her medication
abruptly
The on call pediatrician told Saraya's parents to monitor her closely and to call the Coos Health and Wellness Crisis Line if they notice any suicidal or abnormal behaviors.
Saraya & Her Family : Shannon (Mother), Manny (Step-Father) Pyper (Younger Sister).
Saraya was supposed to be taken to the hospital not the police station. Notice how she is talking to herself ... how was mental health not considered at all ?
3 DAYS LATER
On July 8th, 2019, Saraya's step- father woke up at 3:30 am, found Saraya in a state of psychosis, and knew something was wrong. He then woke up Saraya's mother and they called Coo’s Health & Wellness crisis line as they'd been told to do. However, mental health crisis intervention never came...
instead the wellness center
sent the police
Armed officers entered the family's home and arrested Saraya. While in a state of manic psychosis, Saraya verbally stated that she wanted to “light her house on fire with her family inside.”
She was 13 Years Old
Even Though She Never Lit a Fire
SHE WAS CHARGED WITH 5 COUNTS OF ARSON
Even Though She Never Committed a Physical Crime
SHE WAS CHARGED WITH 3 COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE
THE series
A Legal Kidnapping
In showcasing the injustice of Saraya Reese, this multi part series will explore the mental health and criminal justice crisis the country faces - it’s a pandemic of its own. We will specifically look at a racist system in Coos Bay, Oregon where Saraya’s case was tried and convicted. This is a story about how one teenage girl has and will affect millions of others.
Our series shares exclusive family videos, body cam tapes, police footage, audio recordings and cinematic captures of real time events since her arrest. This archival will be mixed with cinematic verite and interviews to piece together this profound story of injustice.
The Kidnapping
Episode 1
The series opens with eerie footage of the town of Coos Bay, Oregon and POV footage from inside the police car as we hear Saraya’s mother, Shannon’s, 24/7 emergency hotline call. You hear Shannon’s grave concern for Saraya and our viewers are gripped by what is happening.
“A LEGAL KIDNAPPING” TITLE RESOLVE
Saraya Rees is a biracial girl living in a historically racist coastal town in Oregon. At 13 years old, she was taken off her antipsychotic medication, cold turkey, by a pediatrician. Even after exhibiting years of mental instability including self-harm, depression and disturbing visual hallucinations. It was a holiday weekend, and Saraya’s normal doctor was out of town. A different doctor, with very little grounds for reason, instructed Shannon that Saraya should “just stop taking it”. Three days later, on cue for mania/psychosis timelines, is the moment that changed their lives forever. At 4am, Saraya’s step-father and mother found her sitting on their living room floor surrounded by a small amount of gasoline. While in a state of manic psychosis, she verbally stated that she wanted to “light her house on fire” with her family in it, but she never lit a match or had a lighter.
We see bodycam footage of the police arriving at the scene. Turns out the “24/7 emergency line” actually reroutes the calls to a third party company in Canada during non-office hours that sends the police instead of mental health professionals. Saraya’s parents are under the impression that they are there to help transport Saraya safely to a mental health facility. The officer walks into the living room and explains to Saraya in front of her parents that they are detaining her and not arresting her and asks if she knows the difference. But when he takes her outside, out of earshot of her parents, he states her Miranda rights and arrests Saraya. This is the first legal action that leads to Saraya being “illegally kidnapped”.
The BodyCam Footage. Notice how the police man lowers his voice when he is Mirandizing her 🤢
Here, we transition back to tell the viewers who Saraya is. A young, happy, creative girl who moved to Coos Bay with her mom years earlier. Shannon wanted her daughter to have a simple small town life, but didnt know how racist Coos Bay is. We learn that there’s a “No N****** Zone” sign at the town’s most popular beach, and Black men have been chased with rocks thrown at them with no help from the local police.
Saraya endured severe bullying as someone who didn’t look like everyone else she grew up with including incidents where teens told her she was so ugly she should kill herself and called her the N word. Finally, after a full year in therapy with little to no improvements, Saraya’s parents and doctors decided to try antidepressants. However, her behavior became increasingly erratic, even attempting suicide - the medication wasn’t working.
Back to the scene in July 2019, we see Saraya in the back of the police car saying nonsensical things - clearly in a state of psychosis. Here, we take a moment to contextualize what it's like to be in a state of psychosis, and the type of disconnect from reality that takes place as a result.
The ambulance arrives on scene to check on Saraya, the only woman on the scene (a female paramedic) asks the officer if this “is a 5150 situation” (an involuntary hold for someone in a mental health crisis). She can clearly tell this is a young child, who is in some sort of manic state and is making efforts to do an evaluation of Saraya. But the officer replies “No. We're not doing any of that.” This is the point the police officer took matters into his own hands and decided this was a criminal act and took Saraya to the police station while her family was still under the impression that she was going to the hospital to receive medical attention - we hear the police officer repeatedly tell Saraya’s parents “we are getting her the help she needs.”
In the interrogation room, we see Saraya still in a state of psychosis - talking to herself and looking at people in the room who aren’t there. Making strange noises. Shannon arrives at the station and sees her in the interrogation room, when she ultimately realizes “Wait, are you arresting her?” That was the last time Shannon could see or speak (not even a phone call) to her daughter for over three weeks.
Shannon was devastated. We learn that the cops called Child Protective Services on Shannon and her husband seemingly blaming them for the condition that Saraya was in. For the next eight months, Saraya’s parents were not privy to any legal information and effectively lost their custodial rights. They could only watch from afar as the system took control of their daughter. Five days after the arrest, with no investigation or psych evaluation taking place, the DA offered Saraya a plea deal for the charges of 5 counts of arson - even though she never lit a fire - and 3 counts of attempted homicide and was transferred to Oak Creek Correctional facility.
This young biracial 13 year old with no option to speak with her guardians, was left on her own at a facility that is in the country’s 99th percentile for sexual assault and harassment by the employees of the facility.
What happened to innocent until proven guilty? How is this possible for 13-year-old child, who has documented mental health struggles?
July 8
The incident + Arrest
July 10
Parents lose custody ;
CPS investigates
July 13
Saraya is offered a plea deal.
She went from bad to worse. With no parental guidance in place, Saraya was assigned Criminal Defense Attorney Kate Dyer, who admitted to Saraya’s parents that this was “not her area of expertise and took the case pro bono.” For many obvious reasons, this is problematic but we also learn that Kate Dyer is in the middle of a lawsuit against the DA of this case.
Dyer advised Saraya that if she pleaded guilty, the ADA Karen McClintock would reduce her charges and potentially get out of the facility sooner. Saraya was a victim of sexual harassment while at the detention center and was desperate to get out immediately to a safer environment so she agreed with Dyer’s advice. So a 13 year old, with no parental guidance and little understanding to what she was agreeing to, pleaded guilty to a crime she did not commit - the reduced charges were 2 counts of attempted homicide in the first, 1 count of attempted assault and they dropped the arson charges.
We finish episode 1 in a cinematic recreation of the courtroom with audio of the judge beginning the sentencing hearing.
Structure
series
The System That Failed Her
Episode 2
We open where we left off in episode 1, in the courtroom of the sentencing hearing. We see Shannon arrive out front and the tension is mild thinking that Saraya will be released and given leniency for pleading guilty at the advice of her lawyer.
“A LEGAL KIDNAPPING” TITLE RESOLVE
The audio from Judge Megan Jacquot begins - Saraya is sentenced to 11 years in juvenile prison at the ADA’s request… “And I will impose commitment until her 25th birthday.” Shannon is hysterical in the courtroom and the exhausting fight of getting her daughter back begins.
Saraya is transferred to a juvenile prison.
Douglas county juvinile center did a hymen check on her 14th birthday. 14 is the age of medical consent in Oregon.
Saraya told her lawyer she had sexually harassed in co-ed spaces here. 🤢
Meanwhile a 17 year old boy in nearby Winchester county took an AR15 and shot in his own home after his mother took his cell phone away. He was charged with mischief. In another Coos County case, a white woman with mental health issues stabbed her mother to death and was charged with murder in the second degree. However, instead of jail time, she was sent to a mental health treatment facility in Salem, OR.
The world is starting to learn about Saraya’s case. The viral campaign begins #JusticeForSaraya - TikTok and Instagram videos flood the feeds. Millions of people are now involved, hoping to help raise awareness and get Saraya out. Shannon is out on the streets joining protests and speaking about Saraya’s story. ADA Karen McClintock is bombarded with calls from citizens across the country and starts to hide behind DA Paul Frasier.
Enter Paul Frasier ☠️ - as the DA in Coos County, he’s overseen Saraya’s case. In the face of all the backlash from citizens all over the country, he remains steadfast and says he’ll never reopen the case.
Frasier had his own legal woes several years before, his son was convicted of raping a 13 year old girl but was only sentenced to 3 years of probation with the promise of an expunged record. His father being the District Attorney may have played a role in the leniency of that case.
Also, in February 1999, his two oldest sons, Robert and Ben, were on a double date. While driving home they allegedly hit a patch of water and the car hydroplaned off the road.
Ben broke his hand, but tragically Robert and Ben’s dates both died. The cause of the accident was deemed “hydroplaning” but others have accused his son of drunk driving.
Frasier also wrongfully imprisoned Nick McGuffin for 10 years for a crime he did not commit and was recently released in February 2020. The Innocence Project stepped in and proved the state did not disclose that they had found another man’s DNA in evidence and that the state tried to pin it on McGuffin.
He spent 9 YEARS IN PRISON for a CRIME HE DIDN'T COMMIT. He was exonerated 8 months after Saraya's arrest & charged by THE SAME DA.
Frasier has a history of corruption and dishonesty that is an important layer in Saraya’s story. Now we learn more about the details of Saraya’s attorney’s lawsuit against Paul Frasier.
All the while, we see the police mishandling the evidence in Saraya’s case. Filing things incorrectly and delaying psych evaluation. Saraya was not seen by a doctor until 3 months after her arrest. Eric Morell, a highly respected child psychologist is the one assigned to do her eval and says Saraya’s case is “one of the most exhaustive he’s dealt with in his career” and he doesn't’ feel confident in making a decision. Instead, he recommends a residential inpatient program where he can continue to monitor her. He goes on to say, “A great deal of effort was expended to discern and extract the true ‘signal’ in the face of so much ‘noise’ The task was not easy, and I am not entirely comfortable or satisfied with the results. Nonetheless, counsel and the court need at least some understanding of matters from a psychological perspective, and I will attempt to provide them as faithfully and consistently as I am able.” The justice system did not take this into consideration and pushed her case forward.
It becomes clear that the police are not equipped nor properly trained for mental health crisis calls. This begs the question: on the site of an incident, who decides what is a crime and what is a mental health crisis? With the current social unrest, we are noticing a common theme: don’t send cops to mental health calls. We investigate how our country is building crisis response teams, passing laws that protect our mentally struggling children, and highlight cases that deserve the attention of Americans who leave each episode with a clear message: you can create change from the comfort of your home for those youths wrongfully convicted of a crime as a result of mental illness.
Notice the paramedic trying to assess Saraya for mental health ... Why don't medical professionals have authority over police in obvious mental health cases?
Several lawyers, including those from the Innocence Project, told us it's unheard of for a DA to make public statements about a juvenile case.
The DA went on to unusually release a public letter and appeared in a newscast discussing the case. This statement was released directly after public support for Saraya was increasing. The statement cites many aspects of Saraya's story as "facts" though there is zero legal proof.
He went on to say that Shannon and Manny were “victims” of Saraya’s planned “arson and intent to murder” and falsely claimed she poured gasoline all over them and the house. In fact, she poured gasoline on a small patch of carpet in the living room that was later removed and taken into evidence. Saraya maintains that she never intended on lighting a fire and that the poured gasoline was a cry for help. She was a young adolescent girl dealing with mental illness. But because her parents (who never pressed charges) were considered “victims” in the eyes of DA, Frasier moved forward with pressing charges.
- The family did NOT spend the night in a motel.
- There was no strong odor. Saraya's mom, a smoker, was smoking at the front door while on the phone with Coos Health and Wellness, unaware of the gas on the floor. She wouldn't have done this if she smelled gas.
- The fire department was called after Saraya's mother discovered the gas and informed Coos Health and Wellness. They responded because any amount of gas was poured, not due to any odor.
- The fire department only opened the windows in Saraya's parents' bedroom and removed the window AC unit for safety.
Saraya is now at Oak Creek Correctional Facility, a facility that tested twice the national average for sexual assault in their facility. We give more background on the facility - ie: over 75% of girls who enter Oak Creek have a previously diagnosed mental health illness. Saraya’s situation goes from bad to worse. Here is where she was physically abused by another inmate, leaving her bloody and bruised. As a young teen, the compound trauma is mounting for Saraya while Shannon is working feverishly to get her out. Even in the face of all of this, Saraya remains a model inmate according to the facility’s staff. She skipped a grade in her education and received straight A’s the entire time she was there.
As Shannon makes steps forward, things take a few steps backwards. Saraya was told by her P.O. that she would consider an early release to a residential mental health facility but her parole officer, Diana Pedregon, will not consider a transfer out of the prison until Saraya has “accepted accountability.” She wants Saraya to confess to a crime she didn’t commit. That’s her only way out. To lie. Why is this person who is supposed to advocate for her, refusing to hear her? Refusing to fight for her? The system has never considered Saraya’s psychosis to be part of the whole incident and case proceedings.
As the advocacy around Saraya grows louder, the punishments grow larger. Backlash is looming as light is being shed on the situation and Saraya continues to be a victim. Meanwhile, Saraya celebrates her 15th birthday behind bars. And Kelsey and team set up a “Mothers In Mental Health '' march for Saraya’s cause. Shannon comes to Los Angeles where she speaks with Amber Riley of Glee fame to help spread the word on getting rid of prison’s for children.
Wyatt starts to become a voice of reason. Wyatt is Saraya’s former prison team manager that eventually was fired for what many believe is being too loud an advocate for Saraya. We see Saraya’s dispositional review hearing at the end of 2020. The judge asks the Oregon Youth Authority what specifically Saraya needs to do to move into an inpatient facility…
The Aftermath
Episode 3
We start back at Saraya’s dispositional review hearing where the judge asks the Oregon Youth Authority what Saraya needs to do to be released from the impatience facility. Her probation officer had no specifics other than for Saraya to admit to her crime and finish her trauma work. We reveal emails that we have between Saraya’s therapist and Shannon that shows completion of treatment. It’s clear they’re holding her beyond what's needed.
“A LEGAL KIDNAPPING” TITLE RESOLVE
A glimpse of how traumatizing it is for young children to be kept in these facilities.
Adjudication processes are skewed; often basing judgment on prison availability & sentencing suggestions from an arbitrary group of community leaders which carry inconsistent outcomes for youth’s future depending on where they live.
In the current juvenile prosecution system, mental health has no defense. We show the range of “defenses” we offer for adult criminality (crimes of passion, insanity pleas, incompetent to stand trial, etc.) as compared to the nuanced mental illnesses that often surface during adolescent years without any acknowledgment in legal proceedings, e.g. psychosis, mood disorders, identity disorders, et al.
Many detained juveniles in need of care do not receive services. Moreover, with overcrowding and a large number of mentally ill youth in detention centers, episodes of injuries, suicides, and other adverse health effects are increasing rapidly. Prisons for kids are high crime areas with a great deal of social isolation -- a situation that often creates more trauma than reform.
Here, the Oregon Innocence Project connects Saraya with a new lawyer - enter KO Berger, a fierce Juvenile lawyer most respected in OR. The Oregon Innocence Project connects Saraya with a new lawyer. New Lawyer enters: KO Berger. A fierce Juvenile lawyer most respected in OR.
Her presence is immediately felt at Saraya’s next hearing. Judge Jacqout made it very clear she believes Saraya is a brilliant young girl with a bright future and feels Saraya has made tremendous progress. So she placed a time limit on the Oregon Youth Authority with getting Saraya into a residential treatment facility aka no more ever-changing benchmarks for Saraya and full focus can be on getting her into the right outpatient facility that can help her heal. The OYA now has a timeline to meet!
While in the hearing, Saraya asks the media to continue filming and cover this moment “so this doesn’t happen to another child ever again.”
KO helps to convince the Program that Saraya should be allowed to finish the rest of her “punishment” in treatment. They agree and say they have to wait for a bed which takes several months. Finally, on October 5th 2021 (more than 2 years later), Saraya was transferred to a treatment facility where they immediately determined the prison system put her on a cocktail of medications. They had to immediately begin weaning her off. After some ups and downs of balancing meds, working through the trauma she went through, she finally was released into her mother’s custody in December 2023. Shannon finally got her daughter back.
Saraya is officially off parole as of May 14, 2024
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