Son's hatred for adoptive mother documented
DOG3
Son's hatred for adoptive mother documented
Associated Press, 03/31/98 21:01
BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) - Letters read in court Tuesday demonstrated teen-ager
Joey Bader's hatred for his adoptive mother. Addressed ``Dear Psycho,'' one
said he wanted to give her rat poison for Mother's Day.
Seth and Vicki Bader's adopted son says he was present when Seth murdered Vicki
in August 1996, eight months before her body was found in Maine.
Seth Bader, 38, a Stratham lawyer, is charged with first-degree murder. He is
accused of killing Vicki because she was about to get custody of the couple's
only biological child, 3-year-old Sam. Joey Bader, now 15, has told
investigators he helped his father bury Vicki.
Seth Bader's lawyers say Joey and Seth's then-fiancee, Mary Jean Martin,
conspired to murder Vicki, 34, and blame it on Seth.
In another letter sent to Vicki by Joey and adopted son Matthew, Joey told her
to get a job so Seth wouldn't have to support her and threatened to ``duplicate
the Oklahoma City bombing'' at her house in Exeter, if she didn't send Seth
money.
Lawyer Heidi Boyack, who represented Vicki Bader in the custody battle over
Sam, testified Tuesday that Vicki ``very strongly urged'' her husband to adopt
8-year old Matthew and Joey.
On Monday, prosecutor Joe Laplante told the Rockingham County Superior Court
jury that Seth Bader made Joey hate Vicki by telling him she tried to poison
Sam.
But defense lawyer Mark Sisti said Joey is ``as cold-blooded as a North
Atlantic cod.''
He said that in the months before Vicki's death, Joey plucked the feathers from
her two parakeets and roasted them alive to harass her in a scheme orchestrated
by Martin.
Prosecutors said Vicki Bader drove to her ex-husband's home the day she was
killed to drop off Sam. Called inside, she was shot in the head by Seth Bader,
prosecutors say.
They say he and Joey buried the body in Waterboro, Maine, bought clean clothes
and went out to dinner. Prosecutors say Joey only turned against his father
later, after the two had a fight.
Bader says Martin and Joey killed Vicki, then framed him.
But Michelle Walsh, Bader's housekeeper from January 1995 to March 1996, said
Bader repeatedly said he wished his ex-wife were dead so he could save $35,000,
and often complained about her.
Walsh said she quit after Vicki found a pipe bomb in her mailbox. Walsh had
cleaned Vicki's home twice and said ``the battle had just gotten out of hand.''
Walsh said Martin also complained about Vicki getting money from Seth.
Bader's lawyers say Martin and Joey framed him, and read notes from Vicki
saying Bader warned her Martin was dangerous and would try to hurt her.
But prosecutors said a month after Bader called Martin ``psychotic,'' he went
on vacation in Florida with her.