Parker 'not myself' in taped phone conversation

LaFAYETTE, Ga. -- The day before Theresa Parker disappeared, her husband said he was in shock about his divorce and still distraught about his father's death a couple of weeks earlier.

"I'm not myself right now. If it wasn't for my medications that I'm already seeing a shrink for (I might be worse off)," former LaFayette police officer Sam Parker said in a phone call to Mrs. Parker's friend and co-worker Rebecca Brown.

The taped call was played in Walker County Superior Court on Thursday as part of Mr. Parker's murder trial. He is accused of killing Mrs. Parker, a Walker County 911 operator who last was seen on March 21, 2007. He has pleaded not guilty.

Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Parker worked together at the 911 center and were close friends, Mrs. Brown testified Thursday.

The day before his wife disappeared, Mr. Parker called Mrs. Brown at work, a conversation recorded as part of the 911 Center's regular protocol.

On the tape, Mr. Parker told Mrs. Brown that his wife was moving out and the couple were getting divorced. He asked her if Mrs. Parker was seeing anyone, and Mrs. Brown said her friend wasn't the kind of person to have an affair.

Mr. Parker's public defender, David Dunn, has alleged that Mrs. Parker had affairs with Shane Green, a former Walker County sheriff's deputy, and her 911 Center co-workers Jerry Holder and Curtis Creekmur. All three denied any affairs in testimony this week.

Mr. Parker told Mrs. Brown on the tape he caught his wife "red-handed," but he didn't elaborate.

Many witnesses testified earlier this week that Mr. Parker thought his wife took another man with her on a visit to Gatlinburg, Tenn. He got a copy of her hotel reservation and thought it proved two people stayed in her room, they said.

Witnesses also testified earlier that on March 21, 2007, the night Mrs. Parker disappeared, her husband boasted about spending much of the night with his friend Christy Bellflower, whom he described as a busty blonde.

On the tape, Mr. Parker told Mrs. Brown he suspected for some time that his wife was having an affair and that Mrs. Parker had wanted a divorce for a while. But later he said he thought the marriage was in good shape, despite past reports of domestic violence between the couple.

"I thought we were doing great," he said during the call. "Evidently not. I don't know what happened."

When Mrs. Brown asked Mr. Parker if he was OK, he said, "I don't know."

In testimony, Mrs. Brown said she thought it was strange for Mr. Parker to call her and that she thought he was digging for information about his wife.

Doug Woodruff, another of Mr. Parker's lawyers, reminded the jury that Mrs. Brown was Mrs. Parker's close friend and that her testimony came from someone upset that her friend was missing.

He also asked Mrs. Brown to admit that it was typical to have mixed emotions during a stressful time such as Mr. Parker was having and that he didn't sound drunk during the call.

Mrs. Parker's mother, Claire Carruthers, also gave tearful testimony Thursday morning, relaying threats she said Mr. Parker had made.

"He said he was going to kill us and bury us and they'd never find us," Mrs. Carruthers said in a raspy voice.

When Floyd County District Attorney Leigh Patterson, who is prosecuting the case, showed the 70-year-old LaFayette resident a photo of Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Carruthers broke down.

"That's my daughter," she said between sobs.

Mr. Dunn later asked her why she never reported the incident to the police.

"He was the police," she replied. "It wouldn't have done no good."

The trial continues today in Walker County Superior Court.