Chappaquiddick on Bayou St. John – New Orleans, La.

Michelle M. Haensel Memorial Web Site

STATE OF LOUISIANA

vs.  

CHRISTOPHER C. NABORS, MD, DDS, PhD (LSUMC '95)

Victim: Michelle M. (Shelly) Haensel  

Letters Written to Judge Dennis Waldron in Support of the Convicted Felon

The following individuals sent letters to the district court judge, the Honorable Dennis J. Waldron, before the February 15, 1996 criminal sentencing hearing. The letters described Dr. Nabors character and medical skills. Most letters urged leniency in the sentencing. The letters were not requested by the trial court or submitted in response to a subpoena. The letters were not requested by the New Orleans District Attorney, the LSU Medical School or Charity Hospital. Many of the individuals stated in their letters that they sent the letters at the urging of the convicted felons attorney, John Wilson Reed, Esq. Thirty-six letters were written by health care professionals (MD, DMD, DDS, RN, DA, OA). These letters stressed the author's connection to the LSU Medical System, Charity Hospital (the institution controlled by LSU Medical School), and the convicted felon. The New Orleans Medical Community did their part in attempting to keep their convicted felon out of prison.

The individuals who wrote letters to the judge on behalf of their convicted felon friend certainly had a right to do so. There is no intent to malign their character or integrity by listing their names on this web site. However, many of the individuals sent their letters on public institutional letterhead in an attempt to influence the judge with their institutional positions. Copies of these letters are linked to this web page for viewing by their authors, peers of the authors, and the public. On March 10, 1997, the New Orleans Times Picayune newspaper published a letter to the editor identifying the medical professionals who used public letterhead for their letters.

The trial court judge considered each and every letter, the facts of the homicide, the Splash Truck, and the actions and inactions of Dr. Nabors before, during, and after the homicide. The letters met with complete failure. In open court on February 15, 1996, Judge Waldron promptly administered the maximum incarceration penalty permitted under Louisiana law without benefit of probation, parole, or reduction of sentence duration. This was the first case in Orleans Parish in which the maximum sentence was administered with no suspended time. The authors of the letters who are medical professionals, some being psychiatrist, could benefit from Judge Dennis Waldron's words during the sentencing:

"To him whom much is given, much is expected."

   1. Michael T. Aleo, MD

2. Robin C. Ardoin, DDS

3. Donald R. Bergsma, Jr., MD - LSU Eye Center, Professor of Ophthalmology

4. Michael S. Block, DMD Dental School, Assistant Dean

5. Lori Brannon

6. Amy Brooks

7. Michael D. Brown, MD

8. Martha E. Brown, MD

9. E. D. Brastins, DMD - Associate Professor

11. Christine Bugas, MD

12. Daniel A. Burns, DDS - Charity Hospital (Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery)

13. Andrew K. Chang, DDS, MD - LSU Dental School

14. Jennifer Cilino, RN - Charity Hospital (Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery)

14. Douglas W. Cook, MD

15. Helena Costales, MD

16. Michele Corkern

17. James R. Cummins

18. Kathy Turan Davenport

19. Gretchen Dimeling - LSUMC/Charity Hospital

20. Barbara Dimeling - LSUMC/Charity Hospital

21. Gregory C. Dowd, MD, - Neurosurgery - LSUMC

22. James R. Douglas, Jr., MD, PhD, Chair - Dept of Anesthesiology, Ochsner Hospital

23. Gregg Falk, DDS - Charity Hospital (Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery)

24. Jean Friday, MD –Charity Hospital

25. W. Scott Griffies, MD - LSU Medical School - Asst. Professor of Psychiatry

26. Michelle Hebert

27. Richard F. Howes, MD - LSU Medical School, Director Pediatric Dept.

28. Mildred L. Jones

29. Samantha Junius, RN

30. Virginia & William Kearney

31. John N. Kent, DDS - LSU Dental School, Boyd Professor and Head

32. Daniel H. Kim, MD

33. Kenneth E. Kratz, PhD -LSU Medical Center, Professor of Anatomy

34. Cheryl F. Krugh

35. Jack Kruse, DMD, MD

36. Fred A. Loe, DDS - LSU Dental School, Assistant Clinical Professor

37. Martin C. Marion, DMD

38. Lesley A. Meng

39. Kimberly Meng, DDS

40. Laurie F. Moeller

41. Francine Morrison, MD - Louisiana Dept. of Hospitals, Psychiatrist

42. Eric D. Nabors, MD

43. Christine C. Nabors

44. Christopher Nabors - Orleans Parish Prison

45. Craig Neil, DDS - Charity Hospital (Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery)

46. Patricia Paulson, RN - Charity Hospital (Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery)

47. Austin G. Phillips, Jr., Ochsner Clinic

48. Emily Sevin, RN – LSUMC/Charity Hospital

49. Christopher A. Scheiner

50. Gregory R. Shilling

51. Dennis St. Clair, LSU Dental School - University Administrative Specialist

52. Anna M. Steed

53. Richard F. Sullivan, DMD

54. Marian Carney Nabors

55. Jerry Talbot, RN

56. Carol Thouron

57. Bruce V. Updyke, PhD, Professor of Anatomy, LSUMC

58. Curtis A. Urraro, DMD, MD - Charity Hospital

59. Cheryl C. Vega

60. Billy Williams, DA - Charity Hospital (Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery)

61. Robin Williams, OA

62. Elaine Wood

63. William H. Wood, DDS, MS - LSU Dental School, Associate Professor

64. John B. Yazdan

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