Parallel Timeline – Kim • Velda • Michael • Dean
Real-time sequence of events as they actually unfolded, showing who knew what, when,
and how the danger around Michael emerged independently of Dean.
- Living her life, meets a new boyfriend: Michael.
- Starts dating him before any drama with Dean and Velda really explodes.
- Married to Dean but stressed, unstable, and under CPS pressure.
- Travis is already in CPS care; she doesn’t have physical custody.
- Dating Kim. A stranger to both Dean and Velda.
- No history yet with the family or the CPS case.
- Trying to keep stability: work, housing, and emotional support for Velda.
- Already dealing with CPS, but has never heard of Michael.
- Lets Velda come over and stay/hang out.
- Thinks she’s helping a friend who needs space.
- Goes to Kim’s as an escape from the marriage (cheating pattern).
- Uses this visit as cover while she’s stepping out on Dean.
- Is at Kim’s house as her new boyfriend.
- Meets Velda for the first time through Kim.
- Not present at Kim’s, not involved in this meeting at all.
- Doesn’t know Michael exists yet.
- Sees Velda around Michael at her place.
- Doesn’t yet fully grasp how deep the danger with Michael goes.
- Gets caught cheating / stepping out.
- Panic, shame, fear of losing Dean for good.
- Now aware of Velda’s vulnerability and marital instability.
- Files away that she’s in crisis and emotionally exposed.
- Confronts the cheating and fallout around it.
- Still hasn’t interacted with Michael firsthand.
- Continues in a relationship with Michael, but tension is building.
- Still thinks she’s just in a rough relationship, not a dangerous one.
- Returns to Dean apologizing and asking to work it out.
- Agrees to counseling and trying to stabilize her life.
- Still officially “Kim’s boyfriend.”
- Now aware of Velda as a potential new target.
- Accepts Velda back and pushes for counseling and structure.
- Still no direct involvement with Michael.
- Feeling uneasy with Michael’s behavior.
- Listening to her friend’s read on the situation.
- Tells Kim: “Michael is dangerous. You should leave him.”
- Interprets his behavior correctly — this is a moment of clarity.
- Acting in ways that set off alarms: control, aggression, instability, threats.
- Has not yet threatened Dean directly.
- Not present for any of Michael’s behavior at Kim’s place.
- Only hears about him indirectly through what Velda and others say.
- Breaks up with Michael because of Velda’s warning and her own discomfort.
- Her actions confirm: she believed Velda’s interpretation of danger.
- Has clearly identified Michael as dangerous, even if her motives are mixed.
- Doesn’t fully realize she has just testified against her future self.
- Feels rejected and exposed when Kim leaves him.
- Shifts his attention and anger elsewhere.
- Still not in direct contact with Michael.
- Still focused on holding the marriage and life together under CPS pressure.
- Backs away from Michael, out of the relationship.
- Still doesn’t fully see the coming storm for Velda and Dean.
- Vulnerable: stressed, under CPS, marriage shaky, self-worth low.
- Becomes the new focus of Michael’s attention and manipulation.
- Targets a married, vulnerable woman: Velda.
- Begins pushing boundaries and inserting himself into her life.
- Still outside this new dynamic, not invited, not consulted.
- Has no control over how deep Michael pushes into Velda’s world.
- Now clearly understands Michael is unstable and vindictive.
- Her earlier breakup looks more and more like self-preservation.
- Caught between her earlier warning and his current attention.
- Starts to fracture under the tension, manipulation, and fear.
- Threatens Dean directly for the first time.
- Shows his true nature as a predator and aggressor.
- Finally becomes aware of Michael as a direct threat.
- Up to this point, has never seen his earlier behavior firsthand.
- Out of Michael’s orbit; a witness to his instability and to Velda’s warning.
- Could corroborate that Velda identified the danger before Dean was involved.
- Mentally unstable, under heavy CPS and social pressure.
- Starts contradicting her own earlier truth about Michael and about Dean.
- Operating in the background, influencing and destabilizing Velda.
- Never properly examined or understood by CPS.
- Becomes the primary focus of CPS scrutiny despite not creating the danger.
- Marked as a “problem” while the actual predator remains off their radar.
Key insight: Velda correctly identified Michael as dangerous to Kim
before he ever directly targeted her or threatened Dean. Kim acted on that warning and left.
CPS, however, remained focused on Dean and largely ignorant of Michael, despite the fact
that Velda’s first clear, unpressured read of the situation pointed straight at Michael as the real danger.