THEREVEAL@11ALIVE.COM. >> A COMMENT HAS BEEN STOP BY A
MARIETTA MOM.
MARIETTA MOM. SHE SAT DOWN TO SPEAK ABOUT THE
TERRORIST ATTACK THAT KILLED
HER SON AND THE CONMAN THAT
TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE FATHER
MARINE'S MEMORY.
MARINE'S MEMORY. >> I WAS DEVASTATED.
>> HE WAS THREE YEARS OLD WHEN
HIS MOTHER FIRST TOOK HIM TO
DISNEY.
DISNEY.
DISNEY. >> HE JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A
BLAST.
BLAST.
BLAST. >>
BLAST. >> EVERY SUMMER THE VACATION
DESTINATION REMAIN A BLAST.
>> WAS THERE EVER A YEAR THAT
HE SAID I AM TOO OLD?
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. THAT WAS OUR THING.
THIS IS WHAT GIVES ME
HAPPINESS.
HAPPINESS. >> HE WAS CHOSEN SERVICE MEMBER
OF THE DAY AFTER JOINING THE
MARINES IN 2015.
KATHY AND HER SON HAVE NEVER
BEEN BAD.
BEEN BAD.
BEEN BAD. >> I HEARD ABOUT 10 OR 15 POPS.
I NEVER KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO
TRIGGER IT.
TRIGGER IT. >> IT WAS 11:01, JUST ONE WEEK
LATER SKIP SENT THIS TEXT
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. >> IT SAYS ACTIVE SHOOTER.
I AM AWARE?
HE SAYS HERE.
>> HERE WAS THE US NAVAL
RESERVE IN CHATTANOOGA.
>> HE WENT BACK TOWARD THE
GARAGE AND YELLED ACTIVE SHOOTER
IN AN EFFORT TO GET EVERYONE TO
SAFETY.
SAFETY.
SAFETY. >> BUT SKIP WOULD NOT MAKE IT
OUT ALIVE.♪ [ MUSIC ] ♪
>> LOOKING FOR A WAY TO HONOR
HER SON AND PUT THE DONATIONS
MADE IN HIS NAME TO GET USE SHE
REACHED OUT TO A CHARITY THAT
SEEM TO EMBODY THE THINGS HER
SON LOVE MOST.
>> HE WHAT WANT TO SEND AS MANY
OF HIS FRIENDS, HIS BROTHERS
AND THEIR KIDS TO THE VERY
PLACE HE LOVED.
>> KATHY WILL DONATE MORE THAN
$135,000 HOPING TO DO JUST THAT,
THAT OCCURRED IN -- THAT
ACCORDING TO THIS COMPLAINT
SIMPSON WILL USE THAT MONEY
INSTEAD TO PAY HIS OWN WAY,
PURCHASE A CAR, GROCERIES, EVEN
PAY THE TAX BILL FOR HIS EX-
WIFE'S SEX SHOP.
>> WHAT HE SPENT THE MONEY ON
WAS TWICE AS HUMILITY.
>> FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SAY WE
HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH OF THE
MONEY WAS SPENT, THE
WITHDRAWALS SIMPLY SHOW UP AS
CASH.
CASH.
CASH. >>
CASH. >> YOU ARE TAUGHT TO BELIEVE
MARINES DON'T LIE.
IT IS PART OF THE CODE.
>> LOOK AT THE TATTOO ON HIS
ARMS, TELLING DONORS HE WAS A
RETIRED MARINE MASTER SERGEANT.
JASON WHO SERVED IN THE RAINS
HIMSELF AT HIS DOUBTS.
>>'S RESUME WAS PRETTY STOUT,
BUT HE WOULD LOOK ME IN THE
EYE.
EYE.
EYE. >>
EYE. >> THEN A TIP FROM A FRIEND WHO
HAPPEN TO LIVE IN SOME SENSE
HOMETOWN THAT LED THEM TO
CONFRONT SIMPSON ABOUT HIS
BACKGROUND, INVITING HIM TO
THIS BAR AND GRILL WITH A LOT
OF THEIR OWN.
A CHECK FROM A LARGE DONOR.
>> HE DENIED EVERY BIT.
>> STILL COMMANDS KATHY DROVE
TO SOUTH CAROLINA LOOKING FOR
PROOF.
PROOF.
PROOF. SHE FOUND IT BURIED IN AN OLD
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE. SIMPSON WENT AWOL. HE WAS FOUND
DRIVING.
DRIVING.
DRIVING. >> HE WAS GOING DOOR TO DOOR
ASKING PEOPLE FOR MONEY OR
SOMETHING THAT DID NOT EXIST.
>> KATHY TOOK HER FINDINGS TO
THE FBI AND 11 ALIVE.
THAT IS WHAT WE FOUND A TRAIL
OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL CASES
LIKE FRAUDULENT CHECKS AND
BUSINESS PROMISES NEVER
FULFILL.
FULFILL.
FULFILL. WE ALSO FOUND MARIA, SHE SAYS
SIMPSON RAISE MONEY IN HER
SON'S NAME AFTER HE DIED OF
BRAIN CANCER, BUT MOST OF IT.
>> DON SIMPSON WAS THE MARINE
THAT WENT THERE SO THAT HE WAS
READY FOR HIS FUNERAL.
>> KATHY WELLS OFFENDED A
FUNDRAISER FOR A TERMINALLY ILL
DAUGHTER OF ANOTHER MARINE.
THAT FAMILY DENIES EVER SEEING
A DIME.
A DIME.
A DIME. THERE MARINE CREWS THAT SIMPSON
MADE ILLEGAL WITHDRAWALS FROM
THEIR BANK ACCOUNT.
JACK HUGHES, A VIETNAM VETERAN
SAID HE WAS JUST ONE MORE FACE
USED ON A GOFUNDME PAGE TO
DECEIVE DONORS.
DECEIVE DONORS. >> THERE ARE A LOT OF VETERANS
OUT THERE WHO NEED WHAT HE SAID
HE HAD TO OFFER.
HE DIDN'T COME THROUGH WITH ANY
OF IT.
OF IT.
OF IT. >>
OF IT. >> SIMPSON WHO IS NOW BEHIND
BARS STILL MAINTAINS HIS
INNOCENCE.
INNOCENCE. THESE PEOPLE BEFORE YOU AND YET
IT WASN'T UNTIL YOU THAT HE WAS
STOPPED.
STOPPED.
STOPPED. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK WAS THE
DIFFERENCE?
DIFFERENCE? >> SKIP.
>> SKIP.
>> SKIP. >> KATHY SAID SKIP STORY
GENERATING ENOUGH MONEY AND
MEDIA INTEREST TO THROW
SIMPSON'S ACTION INTO THE
PUBLIC EYE.
PUBLIC EYE. FROM HEARTACHE TO HUMILIATION
KATHY SAYS SHE PUSHED ON AND
HONOR OF HER SON. HE HAS BEEN
GONE THREE YEARS NOW.
HIS CLOTHES STILL HANGING IN
THE CLOSET, HIS SHOES STILL
LINE THE BAD.
>> THIS IS HIS HANDWRITING.
IT SAYS I LOVE YOU, MOMMY.
LOVE, SKIP.
LOVE, SKIP. >> REBECCA, HAS JOHN SIMPSON
RESPONDED?
RESPONDED? >> HE STILL MAINTAINS HIS
INNOCENCE.
INNOCENCE. WHEN I FIRST STARTED REPORTING
HE EMAILED AND HE CALLED TO
DEFEND HIS ORGANIZATION.
HE SAYS MARINES AND MICKEY HAVE
HELPED DOZENS OF FAMILIES.
WHEN I REALLY PUSH FOR PROOF
THAT IS WHEN HE STOPPED
RESPONDING.
RESPONDING. IT COULD BE A PART BECAUSE
EARLIER THIS YEAR HE WAS
CONVICTED OF SEXUAL BATTERY ON
AN UNRELATED CASE AND SENTENCED
TO NINE YEARS IN PRISON.
>> HAS SKIP'S MOTHER BEEN A --
ABLE TO