Genre: Non-fiction
Title: Eye Contact {The Mysterious Death in 2000 in Maine of Kassidy Bortner, and the Wrongful Conviction of Chad Evans in New Hampshire}
Author: Morrison Bonpasse and Chad Evans
“A Riveting Story of Unfairness and a Cry for Justice“
‘Eye Contact’ is an enthralling story of the sudden death of a precious tiny soul, Kassidy Bortner, and a man wrongly convicted of murder. The reader must keep an open mind while reading, and make his or her decision based on the facts provided in the case. The problem is, the prosecutors in this case have misinterpreted the facts to the degree that you will question their every move. Our Judicial system has been under extreme scrutiny in the past few years – and with good reason. Groups such as the ‘Association in Defense of the Wrongfully Convicted’ are a non-profit group dedicated to identifying, advocating for, and exonerating individuals falsely accused of a crime. Sad to say, the numbers of wrongfully convicted cases are growing at an alarming rate. ‘The Chad Evans Wrongfully Convicted Committee’ is a New Hampshire non-profit corporation dedicated to the exoneration of Chad Evans.
You will read the full chronology of accidents, injuries, and bruises that little Kassidy sustained leading up to her death. There are many. The reader is introduced to the accused, Chad Evans, in the beginning, and will read in his own words what he recalls happened that ill-fated day. You will read about how the media exploited the case in the news – an act all too often being played out in our society. You will read how the investigators for the town of Kittery, Maine, the city of Rochester, New Hampshire, and the police hastily made the assumption that Kassidy’s death was a homicide.
The focus of the investigation is assembled. The key players are Chad Evans, boyfriend of Amanda Bortner, mother of Kassidy, Jennifer Bortner, aunt to Kassidy, and Jeff Marshall, boyfriend of Jennifer Bortner. You will read the autopsy findings of the chief medical examiner for Maine, Dr., Margaret Greenwald, and how they differ from the nationally renowned pathologist, Dr. Michael Baden’s report, as well as countless transcripts, links, and testimony from multiple players in the case.
Moreover, this book is about a cry for justice; the search for truth where a court case riddled with such inaccuracies, false assumptions, and an obscure blatant lack of the defense team to try this case in an appropriate and suitable manner – we are left shaking our heads, and by all accounts, from what I have read, has put an innocent man in prison fighting for his life.
November 9th, 2000, twenty-one month old Kassidy Caitlin Bortner, died under mysterious circumstances. ‘Eye Contact’ was written with the objective to reveal new evidence and testimonies that will exonerate Chad Evan’s, as well as, Amanda Bortner, to bring to light the travesty of justice in this case and to seek out the real cause of Kassidy’s death.
You, the reader, will have to read and come to your own conclusions as to Chad and Amanda’s innocence or guilt in this heart wrenching case. I will end my review with a quote taken from a line in ‘Eye Contact’ – a pivotal statement made by Nineteenth century U.S. Senator Daniel Webster of New Hampshire, “There is nothing so powerful than the truth, and often nothing so strange.”
Review by Barbara Watkins
Title: Eye Contact {The Mysterious Death in 2000 in Maine of Kassidy Bortner, and the Wrongful Conviction of Chad Evans in New Hampshire}
Author: Morrison Bonpasse and Chad Evans
ISBN# 13-9780983798507
