MEG'S TOWNHOUSE
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
Commander Meg Austin places the last of the plastic bags filled with groceries from the Navy commissary ont op the counter in the kitchen in her townhouse. Instead of her Navy service uniform, she wears a dark blue overcoat and khaki pants. She takes her Nokia T-Mobile cellular telephone from one of the pockets in her overcoat. Turning the phone on, she checks for her voice mail.
She hears a message from JAG Headquarters. The headquarters is staffed seven days a week; on weekends it has a "skeleton crew" of two lawyers and six paralegals and other support staff.
"Commander Austin," says a voice, "Soory to bother you this weekend, ma'am, but a Master Chief Henry Lindstrom called for you. He said that he was arrested last night abnd he's at the brig in the Jacksonville Air Station."
Meg continues to listen to the message, and then hangs up the Nokia cell phone. She walks to a phone hanging in the kitchen and dials the number for the Jacksonville Naval Air Station. She asks to be transferred to the brig.
"This is Commander Austin from JAG," she says. "I would like to speak with Master Chief Lindstrom on a secure line. Is he there?"
"Yes, ma'am," replies the petty officer in charge of the brig. "The secure line has a separate phone number, I should give you that."
"Okay, then," replies Meg. She then writes down the number given to her by the petty officer.
"Commander Austin," she hers a few minutes later.
"Master Chief Lindstrom?" asks the commander.
"Yes, it's me, ma'am," replies Master Chief Petty Officer Henry Lindstrom. "They arrested me for kidnapping Sasha!"
"Listen, Master Chief," says the Navy lawyer. "Don't say anything to anyone else. I'll request that you be released. I'm here fopr you."
"What...what if they try to take her away?"
"We'll deal with that, Master Chief."
ooooooooooooo
DAY 7
1348 ZULU
JAG HEADQUARTERS
FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA
"A general court-martial is being convened for Master Chief Petty Officer Henry Lindstrom," says General Cresswell, standing behind his desk in his private office. "He is accused of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, unlawful detention, and of forgery."
"General," says Meg, "Master Chief Lindstrom called me after he was arrested. He asked that I be his attorney."
"Very well, Austin. Commander Turner shall prosecute. Dismissed."
"Aye aye, sir."
oooooooooooo
1807 ZULU
NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
"Sure is a lot warmer here than at headquarters," says the Navy lawyer as he enters one of the buildings in the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida.
"You'd better enjoy it while you can, Sturgis," says Meg. "This case will be over today?"
"And why would that be?" asks Commander Sturgis Turner. A former submarine officer, he went to law school and became a lawyer at Navy JAG headquarters since 2001.
"You'll find out when we meet the judge."
The two Navy lawyers enter the small office which serves as the chambers for the Navy judge who will adjuicate the case. The judge, a captain, sits behind a desk. Meg and Sturgis introduce themselves.
"First of all, I have no prior connection to this case," says the judge. "I have read about it in newspapers; I have not formed an opinion on the guilt of the accused."
"Your Honor," says Meg, "I wish to file a motion to have all charges dismissed."
"On what grounds, Commander?" asks the judge.
"Sir, Master Chief Lindstrom was accused of being an accesorry to kidnapping fourteen years ago. The statute of limitations has expired for that. And the forgery he is accused of happened twelve years ago and the statute of limitations also expired."
"Interesting, Commander Austin. You're a very skilled lawyer. Commander Turner, do you have a reply?"
"Yes, sir, I do," replies Sturgis. "The statute of limitation for kidnapping had not run out because the kidnapping ended just last week."
"Explain."
"The accusations allege that Master Chief Lindstrom held Alexandra Galvin in his cusotdy for the past fourteen years. In fact, since she has not been returned to the custody of her parents, the kidnapping is still going on."
"Your Honor," says Meg, "Alexandra Galvin was not being held against her will."
"The court will make findings of fact, Counselor," replies the judge. "The charge of violating Article 123, forgery, is dismissed. The charges of Article 81, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, Article 78, accessory to kidnapping, and Article 97, unlawful detention, remain for this court to resolve."
"Sir, I request a continuance to investigate these charges," says Sturgis.
"You have three days, Commander."
"I request an Article 32 hearing, sir," says Meg.
"You are in your rights to do so," replies the judge.
The two lawyers leave the chambers and the building.
"Sturgis," asks Meg, "did you do this because you think the master chief is guilty, or because it's warmer here in Florida?"
"Both," replies the commander.
Meg decides to start following up on witnesses for the defense. She knows of one potential witness, stationed right at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station. Walking through the base under a cloudy sky, she arrives at a small office, decorated with a Naval Academy recruitment poster and a Jacksonville Jaguars pennant.
Inside the office is a man dressed in a Navy service uniform, his stripes identifying him as a lieutenant commander. He immedaitely stands up at attention.
"How may I help you, ma'am?" asks the lieutenant commander.
"I'm Commander Meg Austin from JAG," says Meg. "You counsel incoming midshipmen, correct?"
"Lieutenant Commander Cody," says the man, introducing himself. "Annapolis, Class of '93. I'm normally a surface warfare officer, ma'am; I served on a ship that provided support for the Iraq invasion. I'm currently on shore assignment as a blue and gold officer. I assist applicants in the application process and follow up on their status."
"And have you hard of Sasha Lindstrom, Commander? Was she one of your clients?"
"Yes, ma'am. Her ROTC instructor, Commander Matilda Shepard, referred her to me.A bright student, excellent ROTC evaluations; sghe has the potential to be an outstanding midshipman. I was in Navy Junior ROTC before going to Annapolis."
"and were there any family problems you know about?"
"No, ma'am."
"Are you familiar with the case?"
"I got the results of the background check from the Naval Academy Admissions, and besides it was on the news. It was on the news. I never knew she was that missing girl. Of course, if she was never Sasha Lindstrom, then that poses a problem in her getting into the Academy."
"How so?" asks Meg.
"Applicants to the Academy require a nomination from an official source to attend," explains Commander Cody.
"And nomination sources are there?"
"I helped her apply to every possible nomination source. I applied for nomination from the local congressman and Senators Nelson and Martinez, from the Navy's ROTC program, and from the Vice President and President of the United States. She was nominated by the President."
"And what is the catch? Does it have to do with the fact that Sasha Lindstrom is not her real name?"
"The Presidential nomination is availablke only to children of active duty or retired servicemen," explains Cody. "She got this nomination under the presumption that Master Chief Henry Lindstrom was her father. But if he's not even her legal guardian, her nomination would be void."
"So she won;t be getting into the Academy?"
"Unless she's adopted by an active duty serviceman, she won't get in."
oooooooooo
2114 ZULU
NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
Meg hears the telephone ring inside the guest quarters that the base had provided for her.
"Commander Austin here," she says.
"Commander, this is Barbara Lindstrom," says the voice.
"You're Master Chief Lindstrom's wife?" Meg had given the number of her guest quarters to Master Chief Lindstrom.
"Yes," replies Mrs. Lindstrom. "I got a summon from the Sheriff's Department."
"And what is it about?"
"We have to appear in family court. It's Sasha, they want to take her away."
"I'll go over there and we'll discuss it." Meg hangs up the phone.
ooooooooooooooo
DAY 8
1448 ZULU
DUVAL COUNTY COURTHOUSE
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
The Duval County Courthouse is home to the Duval County Court, which handles state and county court cases in Duval County, Florida. The courthouse is located on Bay Street in downtown Jacksonville, not far from the banks of the St. John River. Aside from handling criminal and civil litigation, it also has a drug court and a family court. On this parrticular day, rainclouds rain huge droplets of water on the courthouse and the rest of the city.
Inside the courthouse, Master Chief Lindstrom waits inside the lobby with his wife and the girl he called Sasha, the girl he believed to be his granddaughter. For the past fourteen years, he suspected that something like this might happen. He can still recall having to obtain a forged birth certificate so the girl can go to school, so she can have a future.
And now her future hangs in the balance.
"I wonder if they're here," says the girl. "My parents?"
"How do you feel?" asks Meg, wearing an overcoat over her service uniform. "Meeting them for the first time in fourteen years."
Meg looks around, and then sees a familiar face. A woman wearing a black overcoat over a gray coat and gray skirt. Her black hair is tied in a ponytail and eyeglasses frame her face.
"So we meet again," says Meg.
"It has been over six months, Commander," says Kelly Reed, who is an attorney. "My career took off after that whole thing about finding that girl a kidney. I'm here representing David and Catherine Galvin."
"Another case to add to your resume, perhaps?"
"Representing family cases are my favorite, ever since I went around tracking a new kidney for that girl Angela."
'How is she?"
"She is doing well. But anyway, let's get back to the point. For the past fourteen years, the Galvin family wondered what happened to their little girl. Now I want to get them closure."
Meg glances at the couple standing near Kelly Reed. A man and a woman, both in their mid-forties, with red hair. The resemblance to the girl is prominent.
"Excuse me," says a Duval County Sheriff's Department deputy. "The next hearing will resume."
And they all enter the courtroom of the Duval County Family Court. Meg and her client sit on the left side of the courtroom while Kelly Reed and the Galvins sit in the right side.
A woman with tightly-curled hair as black as her robe sits on the judge's bench. Behind her is the seal of the State of Florida. She reads some papers in front of her.
"Let us begin," she says. "This petition, jointly filed by David and Catherine Galvin, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, seeks the return of their daughter Alexandra, who was kidnapped fourteen years ago and has been living with Henry and Barbara Lindstrom, currentrly residing here in Jacksonville. They also seek an injunction prohibiting contact between the Lindstroms and their daughter. Oral arguments may begin."
"Your Honor," says Kelly Reed, "fourteen years ago, Catherine Galvin took her children shopping. That was the last time she saw her daughter Alexandra. The police searched for her, but the trail went cold. The first Thanksgiving, ther first Christmas, it was rthe hardest for them. Every time her birthday came up they wondered where she was. For fourteen years they lived with this uncertainty of whether or not their daughter was dead, or worse. The affadavits I have sent to you show that Alexandra Galvin is alive and well. She belongs with her rightful parents, David and Catherine Galvin. Furthermore, Henry Lindstrom is facing kidnapping charges from the Navy. I ask you, your Honor, to grant an injunction requiring Alexandra Galvin to move with her lawful parents and to prohibit Henry and Barbara Lindstrom from getting within fifty feet of her or contacting her by any means."
"Has the girl Alexandra been going to school here?" asks the judge.
"Yes, she has," replies Reed.
"And it is her senior year here. Would that not place an undue burden on her education?"
"Your Honor, Davids and Castherine Galvin need to catch up with their daughter after fourteen years."
"Doesn't she have friends here? Would taking her awayt from the friends she grew up with be fair to her?"
"That is not the point, your Honor. It was not fair that David and Catherine Galvin had to spend fourteen years wondering where their daughter was."
"I have no further questions for you," says the judge. "The counselor for the defendant may begin arguments."
"Your Honor," says Meg, "there are few legal issues which have no easy answer. And unfortunately, this is one of them. All of us here, including my two clients, can sympathize with the plaintiff's situation. But you have to remember, your Honor, that for the past fourteen years, the Lindstroms were the only parents she ever knew. Sasha was the only name she ever knew. They provided for her food, housing, medical care, and education. She is about to finish high school this year, and as you have stated, removing her from here could disrupt her education. Returning her to the Galvins, who live far from where she atrends school and made friends, is far from her best interest."
"Counselor," asks the judge, "are Henry and Barbara Lindstrom the legal guardians of Alexandra Galvin?"
"No, ma'am," replies the commander.
"And isn't it true that Henry Lindstrom obtained a forged birth certificate to cover up the fact that the girl was not his daughter?"
"I can't answer that; attorney-client privilege."
"Furthermore, did not the Lindstroms move four times in the past twenty years. In fact, they moved here to Jacksonville only three years ago? Records hsow that the girl presumed to be their daughter started Tyler High School the spring semester of her freshman year."
"She lived with them since she was five. She may have moved from place to place, but home is whom you're with."
"And what of the kidnapping charges against Henry Lindstrom? Is it appropriate for the victim of the kidnapping to live with the accused while he is on trial?"
"The key word is accused," says Meg.
"I have heard enough," says the judge. "this court finds that David and Catherine Galvin do indeed have lawful custody of Alexandra Galvin. However, as has been pointed out before, Miss Galvin is in the spring semester of her senior year in high school. Removing her at this point will be disruptive towards her education. I will therefore, rule that she be allowed to stay with a local family willing to accept her, and under supervision from this court, until her high school graduation. And there is also the issue of the kidnapping charges against Henry Lindstrom. Until the charges against Mr. Lindstrom are resolved, this court hereby issues a temporary restraining order against Henry and Barbara Lindstrom from getting within fifty feet of Alexandra Galvin and from contacting her by any means except their attorney, Meg Austin. This injunction takes place tomorrow."
The judge then bangs the gavel.
"What now?" asks the girl whose name is Alexandra.
"We'll call your friends' parents and ask for arrangements for you to live with them," says Barbara Lindstrom.
"I..I hate this!"
"it's okay," says Henry Lindstrom. "It will only be for a while. I don't need to be sent to the brig for being in contempot of court. You understand that."
"Master Chief, I assure you that I will be looking out for her," says Meg.
ooooooooooooooooooo
1802 ZULU
HOLIDAY INN AT JACKSONVILLE AIRPORT
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
The Holiday Inn Jacksonville Airport provides lodging near the Jacksonville International Airport, with over four hundred guest rooms. The lobby adjoins a gift shop and a restaurant.
Kelly Reed waits inside the lobby with her two clients, David and Catherine Galvin. They all sit around a round plastic table. She looks at her watch, and then she looks up. She sees a man dressed in a Navy service uniform. She waves to him.
"So you've come," says Reed.
"Commander Sturgis Turner from JAG," says Sturgis. "I'm prosecuting Master Chief Lindstrom for his role in the disappearance of Alexandra Galvin."
"I'm Kelly Reed, their attorney," she says, shaking his hand.
"I'm David Galvin," says the red-haired man wearing a burgundy sweater and blue jeans. "This is my wife, Catherine."
"Mr. and Mrs. Galvin," says Sturgis. "I know this is difficult, but I would like you to answer some questions about this case."
"We'll be glad to cooperate," says Mrs. Galvin.
ooooooooooooo
2050 ZULU
Meg approiahces the front door of the single-level house in Jacksonville. A man with curly black haier answers the door.
"How may I help you?" asks the man.
"I'm Commander Austin from the Navy JAG," says Meg. "you know, Navy lawyers. Is a girl who was known as Sasha here now?"
"Yeah," replies the man. "Her dad..Mr. Lindstrom called me and told me what happened. The girl they were raising belonged to someone else. She's just staying with us 'till she finishes school this summer."
"I would like to talk to her."
The man takes Meg through a hallway into one of the bedroom,s which is painted blue and decorated with typical girl stuff. Alexandra Galvin, the girl who had been known as Sasha Lindstrom, is inside with a girl Meg recognized from before.
"Hi, Commander," she says, obviously sulking even as she plays the video game Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, which is displayed on the screen of a Zenith color television.
"Are you doing all right?" asks Meg.
"I'm alive, if that's what you mean."
"Maybe I should leave you alone," says her friend Tania.
"It's okay; I'd like you to be here," replies Alexandra.
"Your..the Lindstroms are doing as good as they can be expected. I'm visiting to see if you're all right."
"Well, ma'am, I'm not," replies the girl. "I mean, I learn that I'm not whom I thought I was, and I was taken away from my real family."
"How do you feel about that? About going back to your real family?"
"I know that those people are my parents," says Alexandra. "But I don't feel like they are my parents. I don't feel like they are my family."
"You must wonder how they feel. About them wondering what happened to you."
"Yes, I do, ma'am. And I don't like it. To have someone you care about disappear like that. I remember when my dad, I mean, the guy I called Dad, being deployed out to sea. I sometimes wondered how I felt if the ship were to simply disappear."
"Listen, there's not much point about worrying about what you can't do. Just go to school and do all your homework and stuff."
"Ma'am," asks Alexandra, "does all of this, about me not being Sasha Lindstrom, does it mean I won't attend Annapolis?"
"Sasha, uh, Alexandra," says Meg, "there is a lot of competition for openings in the Academy. So many more are rejected, just like I was a long time ago. I do know that wherever life sends you, you will excel."
"That's just code-speak for I'm not attending."
"You are very perceptive," says Meg. "which is why I am confident that you will succeed."
They are interrupted by someone. Mefg looks and recognizes her as NCIS Special Agent Paula Cassidy.
"Oh, Agent Cassidy," says Meg, "what brings you all the way here?"
"NCIS has re-opened the Stephanie Lindstrom murder case," replies Cassidy. "I'm here to ask a few questions."
ooooooooooooo
DAY 9
1405 ZULU
NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE
The Artilce 32 hearing for Master Chief Petty Officer Henry Lindstrom begins in this courtroom. He stands with hsi attorney, Commander Meg Austin.
"Master Chief Petty Officer Henry Lindstrom, you are charged with one count of Article 81, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, one count of Article 78, accessory to kidnapping, and one count of Article 97, unlawful detention," says the judge. "How do you plead, Master Chief?"
"Not guilty," replies the master chief.
"Defense requsats an Article 32 hearing," says Meg.
"Granted," replies the judge.
"Your Honor," says Sturgis, "I am ready ot start my case."
"Call you first witness then," says the judge.
"Your Honor," protests Meg, "I have not had time to investigate the witnesses."
"This is an Article 32 hearing, not a trial," says the judge. "This is only an evidentiary hearing to determine if evidence exists to support the charges. Think of it as an opportunity for discovery. We will begin."
"then the government calls Bill Hogan to the stand," says Sturgis.
A man with tightly-curled black hair walks to the witness stand. He is dressed in a suit. He then takes the oath.
"Mr. Hogan, are you a detective with the Cedar Rapids Police Department?" asks Sturgis.
"Yes," replies Bill Hogan. "for twenty-three years."
"Detective, did you ever work on cases involving missing children?"
"Yes, I have."
"And did you investigate the disappearance of Alexandra Galvin?"
"Yes, I have. It was the one case I worked on where the missing child was never found until now."
"How did you get involved?"
"I interviewed her mother at the mall," says the detective. "I asked her about where she lived and worked and whom she lived with. We did background checks on her and her husband, went over to her house to dust off fingerprints. I also looked through mall security videos. We followed every lead, we even turned up the heat on some suspected child predators. We found nothing."
"No further questions," says Sturgis.
"Detective, were anty fingerprints found in the mall or at the Galvin residence matching that of Henry Lindstrom?" asks Meg.
"No," says the detective.
"When was the first time you ever hear dof Henry Lindstrom?"
"When I came here and met Commander Turner," says Detective Hogan.
"So during your investigation, you never suspected Henry Lindstrom of kidnapping Alexandra Galvin."
"No, I did not."
"No further questions."
"The government calls Catherine Galvin to the stand," says Sturgis.
Catherine galvin takes the stand and is sworn in.
"Mrs. Galvin," says Sturgis, "How long have you known Alexandra Galvin."
"Three years, since she was born on August 20, 1988," replies Mrs. Galvin.
"Describne the daty she disappeared."
"We went to a mall in Cedar Rapids," she replies. "I was shoping for clothes for her big sister. I let go of her hand when I went to the food court to get something. When I turned, she was gone. I called out for her. After I looked around, I informed mall security. They kept looking around, but they couldn't find her. Ever since that day, David and I...we kept waiting to hear from the police, wondering what happened to her."
"Giovernment Exhibit A, copy of the birth certificate of Alexandra Galvin, Government Exhibit B, photographs of Alexandra Galvin taken from the galvin residence, Government Exhibit C, a report on missing children," says Sturgis, ", and Government Exhibit D, photographs of Alexandra galvin taken from a photo album in the Lindstrom residence. I have no further questions."
"Mrs. Galvin," says Meg, "I understand how hard this must be. But did you ever see this man sitting next to me at the mall where your daughter disappeared?"
"I can't say I have," replies Mrs. Galvin.
"So you are not certain that you have seen him."
"No, I am not."
"No further questions."
"Court will recess for two hours," says the judge.
ooooooooooo
1622 ZULU
"When did you discover that one of the candidates for Annapolis was a missing child?" asks Sturgis.
"We ran the fingerprint check," says Special Agent Paula Cassidy. "I saw on the swcreen thast one of the fingerprints matched that of a missing child listed on a Missing Children's Database. We pulled the file for the applicant and we called the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. We spoke with Commander Austin, who is Master Chief Lindstrom's attorney."
"Was the fingerprint you checked come from someone applying as Sasha Lindstrom?" asks Sturgis.
"Yes," replies Cassidy.
"And it matched the fingerprint sample identified as thast coming from Alexandra Galvin, right?"
"Right."
"Government Exhibit F, the application form for the girl who was presumed to be Sasha Lindstrom, including the copy of a borth certificate known to be a forgery. No further questions."
"Special Agent Cassidy," says Meg, "isn't it possible that the fingerprint you checked did not come from the applicant known as Sasha Lindstrom?"
"I don't think it's possible," replies the NCIS special agent.
"But NCIS did not do the live scan for this."
"Live scans are performed at local police departments. The electronic scan is then submitted to the Academy, which is then submitted to us."
"But some fingerprints could have been mismatched along the way, right?"
"Possibly."
"Nio further questions."
"The government rests," says Sturgis.
"the defense rests," says Meg.
"Court will adjourn until tomorrow morning," says the judge.
"Now what?" asks Master Chief Lindstrom.
"We wait," replies Meg.
ooooooooooooooo
DAY 10
1409 ZULU
Master Chief Lindstrom stands inside the courtroom with his attorney, awaiting the ruling on his Article 32 hearing. His is very alert, with his blood pressure up.
The next few minutes are tense for him.
The Navy judge then sits on the bench. Evertyone rises.
"I have looked through the affadavits submitted by trial and defense counsel and read transcriopts of the testimony," says the judge. "There is no evidence that Master Chief Lindstrom conspired with anyone to kidnap Alexandra Galvin. Therefore, I dismiss the Article 81 charges of conspiracy. However, there is evidence to suggest that Alexandra Galvin was living with Master Chief Lindstrom and his wife for fourteen years although they did not have legal custody. Therefore, I recommend that Master Chief Petty Officer Henry Lindstrom be tried by general court-martial for Article 78, accessory to kidnapping, and one count of Article 97, unlawful detention. Jury selection begins Monday."
Lindstrom's heart that beating rapidly, his blood pressure rises, and he is short of breath. He places his hands on the table. It trakes a while for the master chief to regain his composure.
"I'm being court-martialed?" he asks. "What now?"
"We go to jury selection," says Meg.