I feel I must come forward on WS now as the trial is ongoing - I was married to Karyn for 6 months in 1992 when Raven was 11 - I am posting the entire letter I wrote to the Durham PD when I first learned (2008)of janet's death on WS. I would swear under oath that everything in my letter is true. I am once again amazed how casual (testimony) Karyn is in mentioning Raven's cheating, etc. This is completely in character for her as (IMHO) one of the most dysfunctional mothers I have ever known and I have known many -here is the letter dated JUne 4, 2008:
To: Det. Shawn Pate June 4, 2008
Durham, NC police department, Homicide division
Re: Janet Abaroa homicide case, April 2005
To Whom It May Concern:
I have recently become aware of the tragic homicide in April of 2005 of Janet Marie Abaroa and that her husband was Raven Abaroa. Given the facts that the case is still under investigation and that I was once married to Ravens mother, Karen Abaroa, while Raven was about 11 years old, I want to offer some Abaroa family background information regarding that time frame. I lived with Karen and her four children, Jacob, Raven, Derek and Shiloh for most of the year 1992, being married about the last 6 months. I was the primary financial support during that time, even helping Karen get off of the LDS church welfare system before we were married. Two of my own children also lived with us for various periods during that time.
Because of the violent nature of Janets death, I believe my observations of some of the behaviors of Karen and her children, including Raven specifically, as regards to how they expressed and dealt with feelings of anger could possibly be pertinent to the ongoing investigation. I want to also categorically state that I believe anyone accused or even merely suspected of any crime whatsoever should always be presumed absolutely innocent until legally proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
My first general observation was that, in my whole life, I have never known a set of children who exhibited such a variety of negative behaviors. I also have never known a set of children who received so little discipline and consequences from their mother for said behaviors. My main generality was that Karen and all her children, when angry at anyone, anywhere for any reason were at the very least, vocally loud and abusive and at the worst, physically abusive. I witnessed dozens of incidents between the Abaroa children when they were yelling extremely loudly and hitting each other. I also had personal knowledge of them fighting physically with my son who was about 15 at that time but small in stature for his age. If he was ever asked to make a statement of fact regarding the physical abuse of the Abaroa children he has assured me recently he could. I also had personal knowledge of at least one incident of Ravens older brother Jacob angrily striking his mother Karen. However, Karen would not give him any significant consequences nor would she let me impose any ( I was the legal stepfather at the time). Only when I reported it to his father, Sherman Peters, was Jacob reprimanded and disciplined.
Of further significance was the fact that, on several occasions (at least 4) when Karen and I were arguing, she herself struck me physically in a violent, screaming manner (I never retaliated). These arguments were inevitably about my request for her to instill some system of discipline on her children for their bad behavior. I was not only concerned about how they expressed their anger but also the incredible number of times they (the boys primarily) misbehaved or were literally disruptive in their respective schools. It seems exaggerated, but I state categorically that it was an almost daily occurrence that one or other of the schools officials called or otherwise notified Karen that either Jacob, Raven or Derek had been fighting, talking disrespectfully to their teacher or had been noisily disruptive in their classroom. I also personally witnessed their many disruptive behaviors during our church meetings.
Also of relevance I believe was the documentable fact that the boys had all stolen money and property from Karens parents so many times that her parents put locks on every interior room and cabinet door in their house and absolutely would not let any of her children be alone in their house unless the parents themselves were home.
All the children, including Raven, seemed to me to be either bi-polar or had some sort of psychological syndrome for which I had no explanation or personal understanding. To my observation during the year I lived with Karen and her children , they all seemed to have two distinct personalities. They could behave in an intelligent, creative and genuinely humorous and charming manner, and then momentarily exhibit the aforementioned violent expressions of anger, both verbally and physically. It got the point with me that I became increasingly concerned about my own physical safety if I tried to control them and I began locking my bedroom door at night. Towards the end of our relationship, Jacob and Raven both stole money from me, and tellingly, Karen only got them to admit it and then simply returned the money to me. When I asked her what consequences she was going to impose on them she simply told me I got my money back and it was over.
It also became increasingly apparent to me that Karen was completely obsessed with keeping her children living with her and that she would inevitably discourage any discussion or movement towards any of them living with their father Sherman, whom they all seemed to like and respect at that time and who was the only person I knew in their life who would discipline them and whom they would respond to. I believe this unhealthy (in my view) obsession was at the root of her unwillingness to impose any real consequences for their increasingly negative behaviors.
My relationship with Raven specifically was a diochotomy. When he and I occasionally conversed one on one, he often spoke intelligently in a calm manner. I also remembered that he did relatively well in school. In relation to his older Jacob, Raven seemed significantly more mature and serious about studying and getting good grades. In this context, it initially surprised me how negative and violent on occasion he could be with very little apparent incitement. Unfortunately as time went on I discovered to my dismay that this polarized behavior was the norm for Karen and her children.
I can summarize my involvement with Karen and the Abaroa children as one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I entered into the relationship with totally altruistic goals , thinking I could provide a role model and help her develop her children along with my own. How wrong I was. While my own five children have grown up to be college graduates (three with honors, one at the top of his class) and all having accomplished careers, I was not prepared to deal with the incredibly dysfunctional personalities Karen was developing in her children and the general dysfunction of the entire Abaroa family, the specifics of which could fill a book. Suffice it to say that even though they were official Mormon church members in name, they were completely atypical of any other LDS family I have ever know before or since.
I will categorically state that I do not know who murdered Janet Abaroa. However, I can also state this tragic incident is within the parameters of potential possibilities I feared and foresaw based on my year of closely interacting with the Karen Abaroa family .
This letter is only intended for the use of the Durham,NC police department and the Christiansen family members of Janet Abaroa
..
Michael James Whisler
