The Aftermath of My Roanoke Nightmare: A Lana Winters Special
(official interview transcript)
Lana: Cole Paterson – a name synonymous with tragedy and reclusion. He is best-known for coming forward with a harrowing story that would destroy most people. Just last year, he agreed to a television interview sharing his experience at the infamous Roanoke house in North Carolina, known as My Roanoke Nightmare. Following its broadcast, he gained massive media attention with the show becoming the rage amongst many in the country. Now, just weeks after his tragic passing, his mother, Abigail Loring-Paterson has come to speak with us, as questions still remain in the minds of many.
First, Mrs. Paterson, I have so many questions for you, and a lot to learn as well. Your story made me come out of retirement just to learn more about this entire situation. But first, I need to ask how you are before we get into any details.
Abigail: I am fine. It's been hard, but…I'm doing fine. My daughter is still distraught over the events, which she has every right to be. I got sole custody of my granddaughter, Caroline. She is still so little.
Lana: Is Caroline Cole's daughter?
Abigail: She is. Cole and Barbara's daughter.
Lana: I cannot imagine how hard it will be for her to grow up without parents.
Abigail: She has me and God, that's all that matters.
Lana: I see. Most of all, I can't imagine how you must feel, knowing you have lost your son and, from what I've heard, your daughter in-law as well. Is that correct?
Abigail: -sniffles- Yeah…s-she passed, too.
Lana: Tell me to slow down, if things get a little too heavy to share.
Abigail: I'm fine for now. It's mostly…just…letting everything that's happened sink in. For real.
Lana: Let me ask you something. Why did you choose to talk to me above anyone else? I know you've been hounded with people from Entertainment Weekly, People, and even shows like Good Morning America.
Abigail: Because I know you are going to set the record straight, and ask the right questions to get the truth from me, from my point of view. I only know so much about Cole's experiences, but I myself can't imagine what he went through. I'd have been dead, for sure, if I lived at that house.
Lana: Can you tell us what made him move away from you and your daughter to North Carolina to begin with?
Abigail: It was after my second cousin, Charles, passed. I was quite surprised to learn that, well, Cole inherited the entire Loring fortune. Charles was like the patriarch of our family, and he was so wealthy. My side is of old Southern blood money. The Lorings came to America from Scotland during or after the Civil War…or before. Don't remember. But…our founder in this country made something of himself and for his family. It's been passed down since. Cole inherited everything, and he felt in his heart it was God's will he move forth and find his bliss elsewhere, to settle down and whatnot.
Lana: You know your family history and lineage. How old was Cole when Charles passed?
Abigail: Twenty-three. But Charles was eighty-nine. He had many health problems in life.
Lana: Have any other members in your family been of help? How are they handling the loss?
Abigail: Not very well. My brother Lucas was furious, though. He's been…well…obligated to help my daughter, granddaughter and I during this time. He's taken Charles' place in a way. A little background on the Lorings. We are all fundamentalists. We take the Bible into account, and to a tee. Lucas is just another zealot in my family. He's said that Cole is in hell, as is his wife. It's been very unkind.
Lana: I am terribly sorry, Abigail.
Abigail: It's how they've always been. I remember my third-cousin David, who was Charles' son, died. I was younger obviously, maybe about 17? Yup, 17. If anything, they're treating Cole worse than they did David after he died. The disrespect is absolutely terrible. See, in a fundamentalist family like ours, we take the Bible to a tee, and that includes things like suicide. It isn't talked about even as an option, nor a joke. We believe the body is a gift from God, it should never be treated as anything but. Cole, because he…went out like he did, has been vastly disrespected as another black sheep.
Lana: Did David commit suicide?
Abigail: No. He died in a car wreck. But I remember Charles said a lot of bad things about him, that he was into satanic practices and was, in all, a pastor's worst nightmare.
Lana: So, Mrs. Paterson, enlighten us a bit. How did you react when Cole came back from North Carolina? What was your initial reaction?
Abigail: Shock. Especially since he brought a woman with him. Barbara. She and him got married just a few months after. It was a weird relationship, very short in the premarital stage. Barbara needed to join our church and congregation so Cole could get married.
Lana: It is to my understanding that Barbara, when she was pregnant, was out with Cole and some people recognized them. It was the first time she was seen out in public, even though they'd heard of her from the interview.
Abigail: Ah, that day, Cole came home upset. It was pretty ugly -nervous chuckle- not my son, but the situation. Barbara was about 6 months along, so she had a belly on her. They'd gone to Lexington for the day. There's a mall there. Cole wanted to spoil her for a bit. And sure enough, some kiddies recognized him from the show and asked him repeatedly for autographs. Barbara was trying to be cordial, but Cole took them both out of there. I can see why. And when he came home, he had a meltdown.
Lana: Did he see a psychologist?
Abigail: Yes, he did. Weekly. This same one diagnosed him with PTSD. Gave him a bunch of meds. Being Christian like we are, I didn't fully agree with it, but at the same time, he needed the help. Church wouldn't have done nothing. But we went every Sunday.
Lana: About how long after returning to South Carolina did he decide to seek professional help?
Abigail: Oh, I don't remember. I think… -tsk tsk tsk- it was about…three or four weeks after? My guess. But the doctor had a reputation in the area. I supported him, Barbara supported him, we all did. Yet he complained during his episodes that nothing was helping.
Lana: The pills?
Abigail: Yeah, the pills, the appointments, everything. And we went to church every Sunday. I can honestly say Cole's faith was tested with this ordeal. From my perspective, it just made him all the stronger. But the strength was…-tears up- too much.
Lana: -hands her a tissue box, from which she pulls one and wipes her eyes- are you alright?
Abigail: -nods- I'm fine…I just miss him. A lot. Dearly. I miss Barbara, too -sniffles into the tissue- she was a weird girl, but a good girl. I'd grown to love her like a second daughter. She could cook better than me, for Pete's sake.
Lana: -sighs- how do you suspect Cole was a stronger person and Christian even though he violated his religion and killed himself?
Abigail: -bites lip and looks down with a frown, sniffling whilst shaking her head-
Lana: Mrs. Paterson?
Abigail: I can't answer that. I don't know why.
Lana: Can you tell me how you felt first seeing your son and daughter in-law dead on the floor?
Abigail: Bear with me.
Lana: Certainly.
Abigail: -cluthes the tissue- I walked into the house, and a…an odor punched me square in the face. I was…too absorbed in finding out where it was coming from. You know how you follow your nose when you smell something? Well, I let my nose lead the way...and…-voice cracks- I walked into to see…C-Cole…him first. H-His face was destroyed… -wipes tears and whines-
Lana: Destroyed? I heard that his autopsy results were released.
Abigail: Released? I never…
Lana: They were released, Mrs. Paterson. I'm not sure if you were aware.
Abigail: By who?
Lana: The coroner.
Abigail: -looks at Lana with her eyebrows raised- I never…agreed to that…
Lana: It's made public now. Could you reveal to us the exact causes of death of your son and daughter in-law?
Abigail: -sighs- I…I am upset by this. I never agreed to have this released -sighs tearfully, wiping her eyes- but…if you insist…I have no choice.
Lana: I read the reports before this interview, and I saw that their causes of death were different than expected. Cole was…
Abigail: -cuts in- shot himself through the mouth. He died instantly. Also, his jaw was disconnected from the impact… -wipes her eye, sniffling- some of his hind teeth were missing, too. They found those in his mouth in pieces, little fragments.
Lana: And Barbara took her own life as well.
Abigail: Yes. She did. When I saw her, I was…-tears up- even more horrified.
Lana: Her official cause of death, well, there were two according to what I read. Asphyxia and exsanguination from a slit throat.
Abigail: Yes…I-I was so…what's the word I'm looking for…I was so…-voice cracks- good heaven, I don't know…it was so much to see at once.
Lana: You were horrified, you said.
Abigail: Yes, yes, I was, but it was beyond that. There was blood everywhere on her side and a gash that was so doggone big I'd have sworn her head was going to fall off -pauses- I remember seeing a note on the floor. By the time I had gotten there, it was covered in blood. Wet with it, too. It hadn't even dried much.
Lana: Yes, I read there was a letter left at the scene. Can you tell us what it said?
Abigail: Well, considering you have asked questions you already know the answers to, I don't really see the need to. You already know what was in the letter. All 3 or 4 pages of it.
Lana: I just want to gain some insight on what was meant in the letter. You're right, I do know the basic idea of what was written, but I know the audience also wants to know the details.
Abigail: -sighs- Barbara wrote a letter, as you all know, and it was a suicide note. As to be expected. But…I saw a side to her in the letter I never did see before.
Lana: Explain what you mean.
Abigail: Barbara always seemed very gracious. I grew to love her. But it was the writing that…threw me off. A police officer gave me a chance to read it after…you know, everything was cleaned out in the house. I saw…a rather selfish side to Barbara, aside from…her…death… -sniffles- because she…w-wrote about being free from everything. I did not think she was unhappy. Cole always treated her well. Though they did have fights here and there, it never escalated enough to a point where I thought she would be unhappy as a part of our family. She wrote about...only marrying my son because she wanted to be free from her family.
Lana: Tell us more about the part of the letter where she confesses to helping the Butcher.
Abigail: -sighs briskly- I…I don't know what you mean.
Lana: From what I read, the letter has a part where Barbara wrote about setting out traps to inhibit the movement of victims for the Butcher, the one who victimized Cole during his time at Roanoke. Barbara had been forced, it says.
Abigail: -shakes head- no comment.
Lana: She had a sister Sarah, correct?
Abigail: S-She mentioned her in passing but she never came up in conversation.
Lana: And she has been dead a year, it said.
Abigail: All I knew was that she had a sister who died in that house. I don't know how, either, and frankly don't want to know. End of story.
Lana: -nods- well, let me ask you this. You said the house has since been cleaned up from the incident that brought you here to this interview. Tell me, are they buried yet? Have you held their services?
Abigail: Our church would not hold the service because they were suicide deaths -tears fall, wipes her eyes- still going as far as treating the family horribly for how they went out -sniffles- it's like…how can people who preach love be so…unaccepting, and…cruel? It's…baffling, to say the least.
Lana: I can imagine that being very difficult.
Abigail: It has been. We can't catch a break. It's been disgusting, absolutely disgusting, how the media can make millions off someone's misery. Two people, in fact. Barbara, I didn't know her as well as I did my son, but I can only imagine the horrors she had seen growing up in that area. Just being near the house.
Lana: Can you tell us your opinion on something?
Abigail: What?
Lana: Do you think, in your own reasoning, it was the unwanted media attention Cole got for My Roanoke Nightmare, or was it the psychological distress that led him to take his own life?
Abigail: -shrugs- I-I cannot speak to that. I'm not my son. But if I had to give an honest answer, I would say it was both that contributed. Before they died, w-we were visited by Sidney Aaron James.
Lana: At your house in South Carolina? He's the producer and the holder of the interview, right?
Abigail: Yes, he was, and boy, he was a rude, unruly son-of-a-gun. That Sunday, we'd been coming home from church services and Cole pulls near the house to see a really, really expensive car parked there with Sidney standing outside it. Cole was really angry at this, not only because he was in our driveway. Barbara was gracious and welcomed him in, and from there, I was in the living room minding my business. Then I heard Cole yelling and I saw him dragging Sidney out of the house. Afterwards, he came and told me that Sidney had insulted him and insulted Barbara.
Lana: I remember when Sidney Aaron James came forward with that story, but it never came to light that he would sue Cole for any back injuries caused by being hurled down the front steps of your home.
Abigail: I say my son was in the right. I raised him to be in the right. Sidney was wrong doing what he did. Cole only wanted to go forward with his story as a therapeutic experience, and Sidney outright exploited it. It's disgusting and vile.
Lana: That's interesting to say, considering the reboot was never released to the public. It was mentioned, but never released. It was finished just 2 weeks ago.
Abigail: Oh?
Lana: -leans forward- it is said Sidney was found dead along with his production team, as well as any actors who returned to the set. They were all gruesomely murdered.
Abigail: -leans back in her seat- Cole warned him.
Lana: I-I'm sorry, what did you say?
Abigail: Do I stutter? -louder- He WARNED him. He warned him he'd die going back there. But did he listen? No. He didn't. That's his fault.
Lana: Please don't raise your voice.
Abigail: I am so angry at the fact that my son's death is being exploited because of y'all being selfish! It's NOT FAIR! It's disgusting! -rises from her seat and faces the camera- God is going to get all you when you least expect it! It's God's will that y'all SUFFER for putting my family through this! All Cole wanted was an outlet to heal himself, but all you gave him was unnecessary attention and -continues yelling at the camera-
Lana: W-We'll be right back after this commercial break.
A/N:
THANK YOU to all of you who stuck around for this story! I know not many of you read it, but I'm sure it will pick up. FF needs to update the "Worlds" section to include "Roanoke". Seriously. Plus this season was pretty experimental so I needed to follow suit.
Also, you'll find this interview IS NOT on my Wattpad because it takes an eternity to edit on there, unlike FF. So...you've been redirected for a reason. Don't get mad! ;)
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