Court Says Faylene Grant Victim of Manslaughter

Faylene Grant was clearly a troubled woman. She felt she was getting direct guidance from God but she was also being confused by her ex-husband who was a masterful manipulator.

Jay Schadler and Shana Hildebrand have written an article as an ABC News post titled "Jury Finds Doug Grant Guilty in Bizarre Bathtub Drowning" that reports the odd events surrounding the death of 35-year-old Faylene Grant.

The situation is bizarre but mainly it's sad.

It starts with Faylene and Doug Grant marrying in 1993. Both had been married before and both had children. Finally both were of the Mormon faith.

They got married and Doug spent a lot of time on the road and had many affairs. These indiscretions ultimately led to a divorce.

Doug met a very young girl 19-year-old Hilary Dewitt. They fell in love and he was on the brink of asking her to marry him when Faylene called him and said she had gotten a message from God to forgive him and remarry him.

He broke off his relationship with Hilary and ultimately re-married Faylene in Las Vegas.

It was at this time that Faylene somehow began to think her death was imminent. In fact she went so far as to write letters to Hilary asking her to take care of her children when she died.

Doug and Faylene took a second honeymoon. While standing 1,000 feet up from the bottom of a canyon, Faylene apparently slipped but came away with no injuries. Even though that was disputed by authorities Faylene backed it up.

After going home, two days later, Faylene Grant would be dead. According to her husband he awoke to find her drowning after she had been given pain medications. However, he didn't call 911 rather he called his friend Chad White who is a Physician's Assistant who had previously given her pain medications. Doug said Chad performed CPR but Faylene ultimately died.

Even though the death was initially called an accident, four years later Doug Grant was charged with murder.

Ultimately prosecutors didn't think they could win a first-degree murder charge so they opted to get Grant on manslaughter charges. He awaits sentencing. The guilty finding adds codicils that allow for harsher punishments to be added.

Some jurors said that Doug Grant was simply a manipulator and "scumbag."

Couples who individually have some problems can come up with concepts that are erroneous. In my city there has been an occasional murder of a child because the child wouldn't "settle down."

This sad case seems to be a situation where a troubled woman was manipulated by a guy just trying to get what he wanted.

References:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/2020/Story?id=7241417&page=1
http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stories/phoenix-local-news-033109-grant-conditions.8e728f64.html