Marie Walsh: A Tale of Two Lives

Summary

The Moth Podcast Summary: "Marie Walsh: A Tale of Two Lives"

Introduction

In the April 1, 2014 episode of The Moth titled "Marie Walsh: A Tale of Two Lives," host Dan Kennedy introduces a compelling narrative by Marie Walsh. The episode, recorded live in New York City in 2012, explores themes of identity, resilience, and the profound impacts of unexpected life events on family and personal life.

Mistaken Identity and Sudden Arrest

Marie Walsh begins her story by recounting a seemingly ordinary day that quickly spiraled into chaos. While at home, she receives a call from a man working in a neighbor’s yard, informing her of potential property damage caused by a fallen branch. Upon meeting him, the man presents a badge and a mug shot of Marie from her youth, mistakenly identifying her as Susan LeFever.

Marie Walsh [03:19]: "I knew at that point that the two worlds that I had been living had finally collided."

Marie, a woman who had lived under the name Marie Walsh for 33 years, finds herself abruptly thrust into the identity of Susan LeFever. She explains that as a teenager in Michigan, she had led a typical life—listening to rock music, attending community college, and working at a department store. However, a night out with a friend led to a wrongful arrest during the early days of the war on drugs.

Marie Walsh [05:10]: "My parents were very angry. I'd been raised in a very strict Catholic home and had always been told that it was better to die than embarrass your parents."

Despite maintaining her innocence and refusing to provide names to the police, Marie is pressured by her family, including her prominent attorney uncle, to take a plea deal. Reluctantly, she pleads guilty, only to face a harsh sentencing far beyond what was expected.

Marie Walsh [07:45]: "I thought there must be a mistake."

Sentencing and Prison Life

Marie is sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison, a verdict that shocks her and leaves her bewildered. Her only solace comes from a visit by her grandfather, who urges her to escape.

Marie Walsh [11:30]: "You only option is to escape this prison."

Overcome by despair and the prospect of enduring decades behind bars, Marie decides to flee. She describes the harrowing escape, fraught with fear and desperation, culminating in her reunion with her grandfather and the beginning of a new life in San Diego under a new identity, Marie Day.

Escape and Rebuilding Life

In San Diego, Marie builds a new life, marries Alan, and has three children. She emphasizes the challenges of keeping her past a secret, fearing that any exposure could dismantle the life she painstakingly constructed.

Marie Walsh [14:20]: "So years later, when I met Alan, I knew that I couldn't tell him. I didn't ever want to have to leave him."

Marie navigates her dual existence cautiously, constantly aware of the threat that her past might resurface and destabilize her present.

The Past Catching Up

Marie’s fears materialize when law enforcement resurfaces, searching for her under her original identity. Faced with the dilemma of revealing her past to her husband and risking her family’s stability or continuing to hide, Marie chooses to stay silent, hoping the authorities would eventually cease their pursuit.

However, the situation escalates when police arrive at her brother’s house in Arizona, intensifying the pressure and forcing her to confront her past. The intrusion leads to her being rearrested, resulting in a media frenzy that embarrasses her family and highlights flaws within the legal system.

Marie Walsh [16:30]: "It was nothing that they had done. And so I just stayed put and decided to prepare my family the best I could."

During her time back in Michigan’s prison system, Marie endures isolation and a year-long separation from her family. Eventually, her case is reevaluated, revealing no evidence to convict her, and she is released.

Conclusion and Reflections

Upon her release, Marie reflects on the immense risks her grandfather took to help her escape and the unintended consequences that followed her attempt to create a better life. She expresses a poignant wish that her grandfather could witness the resolution of her tumultuous journey.

Marie Walsh [17:05]: "I only wish that he were around at that day to see that it all had turned out all right."

Marie’s story underscores the complexities of identity, the fragility of personal reinvention, and the enduring impact of family legacy. Her narrative is a testament to resilience in the face of relentless adversity and the profound longing for closure and peace.

Notable Quotes

• Marie Walsh [03:19]: "I knew at that point that the two worlds that I had been living had finally collided."
• Marie Walsh [05:10]: "My parents were very angry. I'd been raised in a very strict Catholic home and had always been told that it was better to die than embarrass your parents."
• Marie Walsh [07:45]: "I thought there must be a mistake."
• Marie Walsh [11:30]: "You only option is to escape this prison."
• Marie Walsh [14:20]: "So years later, when I met Alan, I knew that I couldn't tell him. I didn't ever want to have to leave him."
• Marie Walsh [16:30]: "It was nothing that they had done. And so I just stayed put and decided to prepare my family the best I could."
• Marie Walsh [17:05]: "I only wish that he were around at that day to see that it all had turned out all right."

Final Thoughts

Marie Walsh’s "A Tale of Two Lives" is a gripping true story that delves into the unforeseen consequences of a single moment and the profound effects it can have on one's entire life. Through her storytelling, Marie invites listeners to reflect on themes of identity, family, and the pursuit of redemption amidst overwhelming odds.

Transcript

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[Dan Kennedy]

Use the code Moth welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. The Moth is supported by makers 46, a handcrafted bourbon that begins as fully matured Maker's mark, but then makers 46 is finished longer inside barrels containing seared French oak staves and only during the cool winter months when bourbon matures more slowly. The result is a more complex taste highlighted by bigger vanilla oak and and caramel flavors. [e-mail] Makers 46 Bourbon whiskey 47% alcohol by volume Distilled in Loretto, Kentucky, reminds listeners to drink responsibly. Okay, now let's get to this week's story. The story you're about to hear by Marie Walsh was told live in New York City in 2012. The theme of the night was home for the holidays, family gatherings and ungatherings. And this is a story about, really how a seemingly very normal family life can take a surprising turn. Here's Susan Marie Walsh.

[Marie Walsh]

I was home one day when I received a call from a man who was trimming the trees in the neighbor's yard next door. And he asked me to come out in front to see if there was any damage from a branch that had fallen in my yard. And so I went outside, and as I approached him, he pulled out a badge and said, are you Susan LeFever? And I said, no, I'm Marie Walsh. I was Allen's wife, Katie, Maureen, and Alan Jr. S mother. But I hadn't been Susan LaFever in 33 years. But then he pulled out a mug shot of me when I was 19. And I knew at that point that the two worlds that I had been living had finally collided. As a teenager growing up in Michigan, I had listened to Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, worn paisley print dresses and fringe suede jackets, all choices that drove my parents crazy. I also went to a community college and folded clothes at a department store. By most accounts, I was a pretty average teenager. And until one night when I went with a friend to a pizza place, was a guy that I'd only met a couple times, a friend of my ex boyfriend. And suddenly we were surrounded by police and arrested. When they interrogated me a little later, they said that it wasn't me that they wanted. This was the early day of the war on drugs, and they said, we just want some names. But I didn't have any names to give them. My parents were very angry. I'd been raised in a very strict Catholic home and had always been told that it was better to die than embarrass your parents. And we're supposed to make them proud, not bring the family down. My uncle was a prominent attorney in town, and he said that I should take a plea deal, that I'd been offered to plead guilty and I would get probation for one year. So I was very reluctant to do this. I hadn't done anything wrong. But my father also said that my mother was quite ill and that an embarrassing public trial would make her feel worse. So I finally gave in. I decided to just do what I was told for Once. And so I pled guilty. And then I went back to the court and stood before the judge expecting probation. And he looked down at me and said that he wanted to send a message to the public. And he sentenced me to 10 to 20 years in prison. So I was shocked more than anything, more than sad that would come later. But the time was just stood. I couldn't figure out what had gone wrong. I'd done what they told me, and I just. I thought there must be a mistake. Nonetheless, the next day, I was sent to a prison in Detroit. And I thought, I can't survive this. But then part of me didn't want to survive it. I didn't want to survive. I didn't want to live. My uncle now said that since I'd pled guilty, I couldn't appeal my sentence. So I was a little. I was devastated for. Kind of depressed, I guess I was just sort of for months. And eight months later, I received a visit from my first visit, and it was my grandfather. And he said, you only option is to escape this prison. And when I got up off my chair, this is my grandfather, who was a very respected man from a very prominent family in Detroit for many generations, and he'd never broken the law in his life. And here he was telling me to escape from a prison, and he would help me. So I was stunned again. And he said, if you make it over the fence, I'll be there waiting for you. So I was terrified of the idea of escape. But I'd heard stories about people getting caught on the fence and caught in the barbed wire or shot while they're trying to get over it. But I was more terrified of staying in this prison, this place, for 10 to 20 years. So early one morning, I was on my way to a prison job, and it was still dark. And under the COVID of darkness, I bolted for the fence. And I ran, started climbing up the fence, and when I got. And I threw some clothing the best I could over the barbed wire, jumped to the other side, my feet hitting the frozen ground, my hands were all bleeding, I noticed. But I just had to. I knew I just had to keep running. It didn't matter. I just had to start running and keep running. I ran and ran until I felt like my heart was going to burst through my chest. But I just had to keep going. I heard a helicopter overhead after a little while, and all I could think of was, I hope they shoot me. I don't want to go back. And I kept running. Finally, the day started getting a Little brighter. And I could see my grandfather's car at the edge of the woods just like he'd said. And it was a welcome sight. And I jumped in the backseat and he took off. I just. My heart was pounding at every intersection, but I was just every moment away. Getting further from the prison just felt elated. He drove about 30 miles to his house and I looked at it. Looked strange. Every other time I'd been to his home was growing up. Almost every holiday we'd spent at my grandfather. And the house, big house, had been filled with all my many cousins, my brothers and sisters. But today it was eerily quiet. A little while later my parents arrived and I was shocked to see my mother was in a wheelchair now. And we hugged, thinking we might never see each other again. And she slipped $200 in my hand. Two weeks later, I arrived in San Diego in the middle of the night. And when I woke up, it was to a glistening pastel colored world. And I decided I was now Marie Day. I'd left Susan behind in a cold, wintry Michigan. I started immediately to build a new life and I got a job and roommates and made new relationships and. And sometimes I'd get so comfortable with people that I would reveal my experience and instantly regret it that they now knew when it came out that they now knew this. So I feel like I knew I had to distance myself from whoever I had told. So years later, when I met Alan, I knew that I couldn't tell him. I didn't ever want to have to leave him. So Alan and I got married, were married and had three children and started to build a new life together. I had lived a life that I had dreamed of, that my grandfather would have been proud of. I knew the fear never left me knowing that even the slightest mistake, a minor traffic ticket and I might be pulled back into this terrible world, terrible place. So I just was very careful. But then one day a relative called and said that the police were calling around and looking for me, asking if I was still alive and if they had heard from me, if I was alive. And everybody said that I wasn't because almost no one that I had gotten in touch with knew my address. And we'd hoped that this was a formality that the detective would go away and quit looking for me. But he kept on and month after month and about a year later, I got another call and five police cars were at my brother's house in Arizona. And they're banging on the door, yelling for him to answer the door and I knew that I had a decision to make. Do I tell my husband about my past and uproot the family? And my son was 15 and in high school just started. And I said, I don't want to do that to him. I said that I felt like I'd be running like a wild animal. I thought, I can't do this to my family. It was nothing that they had done. And so I just stayed put and decided to prepare my family the best I could as far as having the kids cook and do their laundry. I even planted succulents, a plant that my husband couldn't kill if I happened to. The worst case happened. And then here I was finding myself looking at my mugshot in my front yard. And at that point, I knew that my long run from the law was over. The detective asked me to go in the house to leave my valuables. And I took off my wedding ring. The first time in 23 years. My daughter was there. Katie, she was 19. The same age that this all happened to me started when everything started. She ran over and was crying, knowing something was very wrong. I tried to comfort her. Then I had to call my husband. He was at work, and he was. The words prison escape and 10 to 20 years fugitive took him a moment, but he. He's an accountant. Of course. When he recovered a few minutes later, he did go into a protective mode and said, we'll get through this together. So I was transported back to Michigan in a cage in the back of a truck. My hands and ankles were chained tightly to my waist for 24 hours a day for almost two weeks. And when I got there, there was a media frenzy about my case. And not only my family was embarrassed, but the Michigan prison, the legal system, was also embarrassed about the details of my case. And the guards seemed to be incited. Some of them felt a little incited by the media attention and singled me out. Not letting me. First thing was not letting me use the telephone like other inmates. So I wasn't able to call home or call an attorney for many weeks. My husband didn't know where I was for more than a month. He had no idea. I stayed there for a year, waiting for a hearing. It was a year that I didn't have. Able to touch my children, able to hug them. Holidays went by, came and went. My oldest daughter graduated from college, birthdays. Finally, I did get my hearing. It was made clear that there was no evidence to convict me in the first place, and I was given a release date. Soon after that, my husband and friends met me on my release day, met me at the gate. There was a helicopter overhead. This time it was to shoot news footage, not bullets. So as I walked out, my husband leaned over and said, it's over. It's finally over. As a fugitive, I'd always looked forward, always planning my next step. It wasn't till I stopped running and was able to look back that I realized how much my grandfather had risk, how much, what an amazing impact that he'd had on my life. And I only wish that he were around at that day to see that it all had turned out all right. Thank you.

[Dan Kennedy]

Marie Walsh is the author of A T Tale of Two Lives and a TV movie based on her book will be out this year. She's an avid hiker, tennis player and she's been a long time activist for the organization Common Cause. She lives in San Diego with her husband and three kids and listeners in Michigan. We have a show coming up on the road we wanted to tell you about. The Moth main stage is coming to East Lansing, Michigan. That's going to be Wednesday, May 28th. For tickets and for a list of all of our tour stops that are coming up, just visit themoth.org Our podcast.

[Marie Walsh]

Host, Dan Kennedy is a writer and performer living in New York and author of the new novel American Spirit. Available now.

[Dan Kennedy]

Thanks to all of you for listening and we hope you have a story worthy week. Podcast audio production by Paul Ruest at the Argo Studios in New York. The Moth Podcast and the Radio Hour are presented by P prx, the Public Radio Exchange, helping make public radio more [e-mail].