Beautiful Exit: The Bunny Ranch Murders

Trial Pt. 2- La'Tasha McKinney-(Emerald)

ADA  Johnson: One last thing before you step down Mrs. Cartier, Was your husband involved with Ms. Lewis?

Charmaine: Define Involved?

ADA Johnson: Romantically!

Charmaine: I highly doubt their interaction or involvement as you put it was romantic in any form. But to answer your question, yes they were involved.

ADA Johnson: And you were okay with that, the fact that your husband's mistress was living in your home?

Charmaine: Cameron was a lot of things but a mistress she was not, the two of us had an understanding and unfortunately I failed to hold up my end of the deal.

ADA Johnson: And what was your end of the deal?

Charmaine: To protect her! I knew the issues she had and I was supposed to do more to protect her from him, the outside world, and ultimately herself.

ADA Johnson: No further questions your honor!

DA Thomas: I have a few questions!

Judge Jones: Proceed!

DA Thomas: Mrs. Cartier, you said that your end of the deal was to protect her, Correct?

Charmaine: Yeah!

DA Thomas: You and Ms. Lewis were close?

Charmaine: Yeah we were, She was like my little sister. I remember when she first came to the ranch she wasn't the person that she was when she died. She was different, very different.

DA Thomas: How so?

Charmaine: She was shy and would always stay cooped up in the room reading or listening to old records. We shared a room for a little bit before I married Nicoli. She told me all about her life back in Tulsa and how her mom would do things to her. She felt hopeless, and the ranch was the only thing that kept her from going over the edge.

DA Thomas: And when did her personality start to change?

Charmaine: It changed after she started filling out. Don't get me wrong she was in all sense of the word a woman but when she turned 19 she started to look more like a woman. Not only did he notice it but so did the others in the ranch.

DA Thomas: did your husband make it a habit of messing with the girls in the house?

Charmaine: Certain ones, but Cameron and I were the only ones that were his favorites.

DA Thomas: How did he feel about Ms. Brown, or rather Natalie?

Charmaine: For the first year he didn't even know she existed. It wasn't till the fight that he realized she was there. And when he laid eyes on her...I knew there would be problems.

DA Thomas: Fight and Problems!

Charmaine: Zora and Sapphire got into a huge fight because she took her into the Bunny Room and on top of that she had her dancing. When we finally broke up the fight, he saw Natalie. He looked at her like she was a brand new shiny car.

DA Thomas: Do you think that he wanted Ms. Brown?

Charmaine: Look at her, who wouldn't want her! Therein lies the problem, When he saw her he began to treat Sapphire and I like shit. He thought Natalie was going to be his new meal ticket.