Former Ripley County resident involved
Florida couple plead guilty to abusing children
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

The Dollars - John, 59, and Linda, 52 - have pled guilty to crimes committed against their adopted children in a Citrus County, Inverness, Florida courtroom last week. The couple each received a sentence of 15 years imprisonment to be followed by 15 years probation.

Richard Buxman, supervisor of the State Attorney's Office, noted that the Dollars will be required to serve a minimum of 85% of their total sentence. They have already served nine months incarcerated, leaving them to actually spend 12 years in prison.

The State Attorney's Office released information to the press stating they had taken everything into consideration before agreeing to the plea agreement. The information stated, "It is the consensus of the experts involved in evaluating and treating the Dollar children that it is not in their best interest to testify in any capacity about matters related to their abuse and that for some, the simple act of talking about the abuse is tantamount to reliving it." It further read, "While life in prison may be justice when one considers the defendant's actions and the degree of abuse they inflicted, forcing the children to be involved in the criminal court process is not justice for the victims according to the mental health experts and treatment providers associated with these children....these children deserve the opportunity to begin the healing process."

The Dollar case unfolded earlier this year and gained national attention. It was soon noted that Linda Dollar was originally from Ripley County, having graduated from South Ripley High School as Linda Bowling and lived at New Marion as a child.

The crimes the married couple are accused of include malnourishment to the point of stunted growth, using electric shocks or cattle type prods on the children, pulling their toenails out by pliers, bondage by chains or locking plastic strips and their feet struck by hammers. They each faced up to 150 years in prison under Florida law for these crimes. The couple had seven adopted children under their care.

According to Ripley Publishing Co. files, the Dollars were originally charged with five counts each of aggravated child abuse, after five of their seven adopted children told authorities they had been tortured and starved. The children were removed from the Dollar's home on January 27, 2005, when a full fledge investigation began.

The Dollars left their home in Beverly Hills, FL, and landed in Utah, where they were captured by police. They were extradited back to Florida where they were held without bond until last week when they pled guilty on Thursday, September 15.

Detective Lisa Wall of the Citrus County Sheriff's Department, was the detective assigned to the case. In correspondence with The Versailles Republican, she noted that "It was definitely in their (the Dollars) best interest to plead out since they had Tennessee, Hillsborough, FL and Polk, FL, waiting to get their hands on them to add additional charges."

She further noted, "They (the Dollars) got off easy, but it was worth it for the kids."

In an earlier interview the detective said she was hopeful the couple would plead out so the children wouldn't have to be further traumatized by a jury trial, which would be public.

In a prepared statement to the court, Wall noted her life had been forever changed as a result of this case. Originally, she referred to the images of the children as something you would see in a concentration camp. Their weights were so terribly below normal, they were skeletal, according to Wall.

All of the children were placed in foster care through state agencies. Wall thanked the agencies for their help in this case and said, "given the cards they have been dealt, they continue to do a tremendous job and my hope is that one day these children will be able to live happy, healthy lives even with the setbacks they may encounter along the way."

An older sister who had moved out of the home, Shanda Shelton, was thanked for stepping up to support her brothers and sisters.

Wall commended the Dollars for "having the compassion to not put your children through any more heartache or sorrow...I thank you for teaching something of God to your children because as a result, this is what ultimately stopped the cycle that had become a part of you and your children's lives."

A prepared statement from Wall further noted, "Had I not reminded your children that they had been sworn not only to me but to God to tell the truth, they would have kept that secret that had bonded you all together. You would have been able to carry on your destructive path, which surely would have been a death sentence to one if not more of your children."

The Dollars, who are self-proclaimed religious people, at first maintained their innocence, saying they had done nothing wrong. In an exclusive interview with The Versailles Republican from a detention center in Lecanto, FL, they both said they were not guilty of the crimes they had been accused of. Both are well educated and have taught other children as well as their own in a private school they operated in Tennessee. They both have extensive backgrounds in religious aspects and have served in a number of capacities in churches they have attended.

Detective Wall concluded her written statement with, "Regardless of what your sentence is, you will be accountable for your actions to a higher power than me or this court. I can only say that it is clear to me that you must now know how your children suffered living in a small closet for the last five years of their lives. How they suffered with limited access to food and love. The only difference now between them and you is that they are finally free."

Wall says while the case has been put to rest, she hopes the children can go on to live somewhat normal lives, but knows for a fact, her life has been forever changed from the proceedings surrounding this case.