Help Shep Rebuild #you'vegotafriend

 

 

These last 3+ weeks have been rough on Shep and on his family & friends. While you and I were networking, making Facebook pages, searching the highways, looking for ideas of where he might be – all of us desperately worried as we knew only the bare minimum - Shep himself was concussed, hurt, fighting through amnesia, and in jail (read on for these details) thinking no one cared.

 

It’s a mind-boggling story of worry, hurt, loss, and pain, with a large dollop of confusion and some malfeasance/ignorance by hospital staff and the police. The story is below, but first:

 

Now we know Shep is home. Shep knows he has a cadre of people who love him and care deeply for him. And I know from reading the Facebook page that all of Shep’s people, who spent hours and days worrying, are eager to help him in any way possible.

 

Here, with this GoFundMe page, is one way to help Shep rebuild.

 

This ‘go fund me’ site is my doing. Honestly, I’m not sure how comfortable Shep is with the whole asking for help thing. I am totally sure that he would not do this fundraising himself. But I am also sure that his community will support him. We want him back dancing, playing music, working with wood, driving something (van is kaput) and living a good, healthy life.

 

 

And to have that life back, in this day and age, takes $. That’s why I am here asking you to chip in whatever you can – from $1 on up. The amount I am asking is aspirational, and it is 100% my figure, not Shep’s. He is not a greedy fellow, and money is not what motivates or drives him.

 

But, read on – below is the story - written by Shep, abridged by me.

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Hello all you lovely people.

 

First, the most succinctly complete account of what happened is in the email letter I sent to the lawyer I've chosen to represent me in Tennessee. It is slightly edited, but here we go:

 

Hello Sir,

 

I am John S. Berryhill (Shep), I live in Alexander (Asheville area), North Carolina. I need your services. My first court date is January 4th in Sumner County, Gallatin, Tennessee, so time is of the essence. I assume it is likely that continuation will be necessary, giving us more time to prepare, but my situation is so bizarre that it is possible that it could be resolved by dismissal right away.

 

On 12/2, while working (I am a freelance carpenter/woodworker), I fell off an extension ladder, perhaps 18 feet, to a framed but not decked deck, hit the joists, fell through to the ground, and lay there unconscious and bleeding before my client found me.

 

I broke two ribs, smashed my head hard, nearly severing an ear, had a hard concussion, and cuts and bruises all over my body.

 

My client took me to Mission hospital, where I was for six hours, getting x-rays and lab work done, but then they inexplicably let me go. There was no thought of keeping me for observation. I walked out of the hospital by myself.

 

My client took me back to his house in Black Mountain and let me drive away, although he and his wife entreated and pressured me to stay, which I don't remember.

 

I have no memory of the fall, transporting (except for one brief moment in his back seat), time in the hospital (except for one brief moment telling them I should be at the VA hospital), or the driving I did.

 

But apparently, I headed towards home on I-40, and just kept driving west until I was pulled over near Gallatin, Tennessee, at 5 am. I have no idea how I accomplished that. I was non compos mentis.

 

My next memory is getting pulled over. I was charged with evading arrest (I continued to drive for over two minutes after she put her lights on. As soon as I became aware I was being pulled over, I pulled over), and a DUI (I didn't know what time it was, where I was, and was slurring my speech.

 

Her assumption that I was illegally impaired (I was not under the influence of alcohol or any drugs) instead of in need of medical attention, even though I had blood and a bandage on my head, is astounding. Her affidavit claims she gave me a field sobriety test, which I do not remember, and on which I scored fairly low in impairment. I have no memory of blood being taken for testing.

 

I was taken directly to jail and have no memory of appearing before a magistrate. I was held in the Sumner County jail from about 5 am, 12/3, to 2:30 am, 12/23.

 

Even my jail ID bracelet photo shows blood and a bandage on my head.

 

I was not allowed to contact the outside world. All of my several attempts to contact people I knew were through the generosity of other inmates. Finally, my cellmate from quarantine was released, and he took my list of people to Facebook and made contact.

 

Within 12 hours after my people knew where I was, my bond had been posted and they had shown up to get me.

 

Unbeknownst to me, I had been reported missing on 12/4. A team of Buncombe County sheriffs and detectives had been searching for me. My client was investigated, and his property searched, as foul play was suspected.

 

My phone was found in the back seat of his truck, where I had ridden to and from the hospital. I had sent, but don't remember, two texts from the hospital, which helped my friends know something was wrong. My nephew flew in from Texas to help, and actually discovered the phone.

 

Another friend came from Ohio to help lead a private search effort, as the sheriffs are overwhelmed. A Facebook page was created, 'The Search for Shep Berryhill' , with hundreds of followers. Both Fox and MSN made news clips about me which were aired statewide.

 

I am 60 years old, a veteran. This was my first offense, and my first time in jail. I am hoping that the charges will be dismissed when we prove that I had a concussion.

 

I am fairly poor. I have abandoned my van, as it is not worth the storage charges from Dad's Towing. My wallet was stolen, if not by the cop, by employees of Dad's while it was in their impound lot. At present I have no ID, bank card, VA card, etc. If my cash had been taken with me to jail, as they are supposed to, I would have had money in my commissary account, enabling me to send messages.

 

Replacement documentation, a full check by the VA hospital, legal pressure from the VA to release Mission's documentation, etc. are tasks I need to address immediately, before court.

 

I hope to get my phone back tomorrow from the Buncombe County sheriff's property office, but at present I have no phone. I do have my computer, I had not taken it with me, and access to wifi, so until I get my phone email is the best way to reach me, and I will check it frequently.

 

I hope to be in touch with you soon.

 

Thank you,

Shep Berryhill

 

 

 

 

I wrote that last night, the 27th. Addendum since then: I got a lot done today. I had a phone consultation with the lawyer, and the case has already been continued to March 22nd, which gives us more time to assemble documentation and a case.

 

I got my phone back today from the Buncombe sheriff's property office. It took two trips to Verizon to get it reconnected, but now I have my phone.

 

I saw the head detective who managed my missing person case. She told me that eight sheriffs and I think two detectives put 600 man hours into looking for me.

 

I went to the VA hospital and started that process.

 

I have a list of things to do there, some documentation, some legal assistance, and some medical.

 

I hardly noticed it in jail, that's such a different, harsh, and degrading environment, but since getting out I notice significant mental/neurological symptoms, so I want my brain thoroughly examined. I am also still in significant pain in my ribs, and there is a clicking in my chest when I breathe deeply, which could be the ribs not having knit yet, but I learned today that it also could be the cartilage between them having been torn.

 

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Wicca here again –

If you’ve read this far, here is why we talked Shep into letting us create a GoFundMe site:

 

Besides direct damages, like losing his van and a month of earnings, it will be at least another month before Shep is physically able to work again, and then it will be midwinter.

Midwinter is not the busy time for a freelance carpenter/woodworker .

Shep now has legal expenses, and transportation expenses.

 

So please, give what you can. Any help given will be so greatly appreciated.

(Even though when you click to donate GoFundMe defaults to my name as the recipient, I promise you everything goes only to Shep!)

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And finally, in Shep’s words:

My heart is spinning as much as my head. I had sunk to a depth of despair and loneliness before this happened. Then sitting in jail for three weeks I felt completely abandoned and desolate. Then when I get out, I learn about the missing person manhunt, the sheriffs and detectives, the news stories, all the people worrying and grieving, and all of you on it. I am astounded at the scope of people in this world who love me.

 

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I will never agree that jail was 'good for' me. But my reaction to it includes valuable growth lessons. It gives me new perspective on appreciating life, and not wasting what time I have left.

 

 

 

 

James Taylor - You've Got a Friend