Lora Cable's Murder

I left out an incident in the courtroom that Sherry asked me to share. Some may know that the judge cleared the courtroom one day because the victims family & friends became enraged & very vocal. What you may not know is that Riddle was routinely brought into the courtroom via the gallery or audience entrance instead of the prisoners entrance at the front of the court . On the particular day- Riddle entered walked by Loras sister & mother- smirked, then blew a kiss to the sister.

First let me say, I appreciate Lora Cables mother trusting me with such difficult information. I’ve known Sherry for about 20 years but have only rekindled that relationship in the last year. I will do my best to convey as accurately as possible the inadequacies & inaccuracies of the recent media reports.

The attorney’s statement remains of great concern to those who know the murderer, Tim Riddle. Riddle was not a well-spoken man; he had a limited education & most believe his attorney did not read a statement written nor spoken by Riddle. Most suspect it was her statement on his behalf. But all are aware Tim refused to stand & make his own statement. The only time Tim ever stood to face the family was the hearing before this last, when the judge ordered him to speak. Other than that, Tim sat quietly, rolling his eyes or shaking his head in denial when facts were read into the record. During hearings he would often smirk or smile at the family clearly conveying he had neither regrets nor concern for their sorrow. Riddle had no regrets for what he did- only regrets that he didn't’t get away with it. Anyone saying differently either lacks facts or a conscience.

Just as important as the fact that the attorney’s statement was incredibly misleading is the fact it conveyed Tim in a quasi-victim role. Nothing could be further from the truth. While Tim’s father was a cruel man, Tim made his own choices, including his routine alcohol & marijuana use. The media portrayed Tim as an alcoholic who struggled with drug addiction. Simply put, Tim drank & smoked pot. He was not a crack head, didn't’t do meth, but instead his choice was alcohol & violence. He felt better abusing animals & women. He was known to be arrogant, rude, abusive, slovenly & a vicious drunk.

Tim lied or his attorney misrepresented the truth when she read that Tim said he “lost everything.” He was lazy. He never held a job; his mother purchased a vehicle for him which he promptly crashed within a few weeks. He never worked to own his home, he never even paid rent. He lived off the kindness of others & when kindness ran thin he threatened, stalked & abused. Sometimes when Lora would tell him to leave, he would refuse; the police would be called but after taking him away- they would release him & Tim would return to hide in the woods & fields surrounding Lora’s home. The truth is Lora did try to work with the system to remove Riddle from her life. She had photos taken of bruises, requested personal protection orders three times, appeared at court hearings, called family & friends for support. She removed guns from her home; moved on with her life & was hoping for the best. Yes, her kindness endangered her life, judges knew it, law enforcement knew it, Lora knew it. But Lora did the best she could. While judges & law enforcement continued to return a dangerous man to the community.

When Riddle attacked her, she did not cower, she fought back. She kicked Riddle out the last time and allowed a female friend to move in. It was the female friend who kept a gun in Lora’s house and who gave that gun to Tim and allowed Tim to spend the night in Lora’s home that night when Lora wasn't’t home. No one knows why the friend was so careless- some say stupid. Others claim worse. Her name is Shawana. Most think there’s a special place in he!! for her.

Tim tried to claim he was drunk that day- too drunk to know what he was doing. But he drove to the dollar store to get WD40 to clean the gun, and then drove to purchase bullets. It’s all on video. He was not “falling down drunk”; after cleaning the gun he loaded it, and then drove up to Lora’s mother’s home. Sherry normally sits on her front porch & is convinced Tim was “looking to kill her”. She is sure Riddle simply headed to Moffett Cemetery to simply turn around – but in an effort to intimidate, he left bullets on the graves of two cousins so Sherry would know he’d been looking for her. Riddle was simply mad at Lora for moving on & wanted to hurt Lora for hurting him. But, when he didn't’t find Sherry he headed to Lora’s place of work. Came in & shot her in the chest; as staff were diving to take cover, he shot her again in the head & then to be sure he had completed his task he came around the desk, through the staff door & walked closer to be sure he could kill her. His final shot was a second shot to the chest. Then he left.

He never thought to take his own life, he thought of how he might be able to claim he was insane, or under the influence or in some way not accountable for the murder. He blamed his parents, he blamed alcohol but most don’t know that he tried to blame Lora. He spent months claiming she was a bad person, a druggie & the family endured horrible agony as the defense attorneys insisted that Lora had contributed to the incident through her own drug use. The truth is, like most of us Lora needed a few prescription drugs. But her “tox screen” showed nothing illicit as Riddle was claiming. When Riddle failed to smear his victim & cast her as a druggie, he moved to claiming he was mentally ill. But psychiatric exams simply showed him to be violent, not mentally ill. The only time Riddle actually admitted his guilt was immediately after his arrest in a video confession. That’s the same confession Riddle wanted thrown out. So no Riddle did not care about the family, he did not cooperate; he lied, he played games & he tortured the family with his smirks & grins during hearings.

In the end the media reported the attorney’s statement as if it were accurate & fair. Somehow Riddle was transformed from a violent beast to a remorseful soul who had cooperated to spare the family additional sorrow. The only reason Riddle took a plea deal was because he black mailed the family who had wanted the death penalty. If they wouldn't’t take a lesser plea then Riddle would continue to work to drag out the case now almost 2 years old. For those who don’t know the family endured Riddle’s tortures every few months. Let’s be clear- everyone is entitled to a fair trial, but Riddle worked to delay as long as he could. Healing couldn't’t even begin when every 2-3 months the family endured the smirking monster seated a few feet away in the courtroom.

I personally don’t blame him- prison is not for short little, smart mouth, cowards who have made their way by bulling & abusing people. I’m sure Riddle is scared to be in prison. I’m just as sure the first time he smarts off he’he will be missing teeth & servicing those select few dominant beasts that aren't’t as easily intimidated as pets & women. Sherry tells me she will be gone before Riddle comes up for parole in 20 years. I’m told he was a bully in the county jail but those days are over where they take murderers. But should he make it 20 years, Gina, Lora’s sister assures me she will be at the parole hearing- and this time there won’t be an attorney to read off an eloquent statement. I don’t know if Riddle will able to endure the painful, humiliating acts that come with submitting to bending before those stronger than him over the course of 20 years. I don’t even know if he’ll be able to sit long enough to participate in the hearing or that he will still have teeth to speak. But when that day comes I don’t think he will look at the victim’s family & roll his eyes & smirk. I imagine he will have longed wished he’d taken the death penalty. As far as Riddles family, neither mom, dad nor sisters sent a card, spoke a kind word or expressed regrets to Lora’s family for what Tim had done. Sherry and Gina will read this report. If they want me to add additional information – I will. Unless they ask, this will be my last report or comment on the murder. Thank you for listening to the families story. Tami