A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention (48 page)

Some of the most powerful and personal experiences came only from a single source and, perhaps, necessarily so. For instance, Don Linton’s revelations about the sexual abuse he suffered came from him. In numerous lengthy, emotional conversations, I came to appreciate the veracity of his experiences and emotions and could find no reason for him to exaggerate. If anything, it was a risk for him to share his past. I admire his courage. That is true, too, for Tony Baird, whose tearful discussions of his childhood accident were courageous and raw, and I am indebted. Same goes for David Greenfield and his own challenges growing up. In the case of Terryl, and her childhood, I felt I needed to apply a particularly high standard because she is such a central part of the story. Much of her account of her childhood comes from her. In the spirit of the highest standards of journalism, I matched her accounts with her diary of her childhood, which she provided. I also corroborated her stories by interviewing people who were close at the time with Terryl and her family. I did not do these things because I doubted Terryl in any way. In fact, as I came to know her, I discovered someone with a sense of ethics and dedication to truth rivaling those I find among the finest journalists I have come to know. Terryl’s mother declined to be interviewed, though I obviously tried to reach out to her—through direct email, and in overtures made through Terryl and her little brother Mitchell. Mitchell, who graciously agreed to be interviewed, asked that his current situation be excluded from this story. Through Terryl, I was privy to emails written by her older brother Michael that corroborated some of the events Terryl described. In some cases, it was difficult to put together the precise dates and chronology of events from her childhood and I made my best judgment by combining the interviews with Terryl and her friends and family’s friends, with the diary accounts, and with some photographic evidence.

With one exception, which I will note a bit farther down, there can be no fiercer advocate than Terryl Warner.

I received extensive cooperation from Jackie Furfaro and Leila O’Dell. They invited me into their homes, and, even more powerfully, into their thinking and emotions. I am deeply indebted to these two proud, strong, courageous women, and to their families. They have experienced loss no person should ever experience, and they have persevered.

From the first time that I met Reggie, I was astounded at his openness. He told how he felt and what he’d done, and he told me when he couldn’t figure out what he’d done, or why, or how. Reggie was and is an open book. And even though he can be shy, he does not crave attention and would rather be doing a lot of things besides talking. His openness reflects what I can only describe as a shame and sorrow and desire to redeem himself that goes deeper than I’ve personally witnessed in any person under any circumstance. This is why he is the fiercest advocate I can imagine. He desperately wants no person to do what he has done. He has gone down on his knees and begged. But I hope he will rise up, and heal. Virtually every person I met on this journey—from his own family, of course, to Terryl, to Judge Willmore—want to see Reggie find peace. I share the same hope for Reggie.

Reggie, I hope that, in some small way, the contribution you have made to this account adds sufficiently to the portfolio of your testimony so that you can forgive yourself.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

F
OREMOST, THIS BOOK WOULD
not exist without the cooperation of dozens of people who shared their lives, often in intimate and exquisite detail. To all of these people, I offer you my most humble thanks. You put your faith in me, and this process, and I am indebted beyond my ability to express.

Specifically, thank you to Leila and Megan O’Dell and to Jackie Furfaro and your family for giving so generously of your time, and your innermost feelings, to allow the chronicle of this tragedy.

My thanks to John Kaiserman for a patient and detailed recounting.

Thank you to the men and woman of Utah’s law enforcement community, including Bart Rindlisbacher, Scott Singleton, and Kaylene Yonk, who graciously shared their process, expertise, and much about their own lives. Prosecutors Scott Wyatt, Tony Baird, and Don Linton patiently outlined the legal processes, their approach, and, in the case of Mr. Baird and Mr. Linton, deeply personal histories that, crucially, explained some of the ways their own experiences helped shape the outcome of the case. Thank you.

Thank you to Judge Thomas Willmore for your time, personal reflections, and terrific insights about the law. And thank you for similar insights and personal accounts from Utah legislators, notably Stephen Clark and Carl Wimmer. Thank you to former ambassador and governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., and to former congressman and secretary of transportation Ray LaHood, for your insights and leadership on distracted driving. And thanks to safety advocates David Teater, Barbara Harsha, and Bill Windsor.

Thank you to Jon Bunderson, Reggie’s attorney, and Gaylyn White, Reggie’s counselor, who provided time, insights, and, with Reggie’s permission, access to your notes.

Thank you to the numerous top scientists who painstakingly explained difficult concepts and in some cases their personal stories: Dr. Daniel Anderson, Dr. Ruthann Atchley, Dr. Daphne Bavelier, Dr. Nicholas Christakis, Dr. Susan Forward, Dr. Marc Galanter, Dr. Daniel E. Lieberman, Dr. Alan Mackworth, Dr. Earl Miller, Dr. Michael Posner, Dr. Marc Potenza, Vicky Rideout, Dr. Gary Small, and Dr. Jason Watson. My deep thanks to Dr. Anne Taylor Treisman, a pioneer, who illuminated the early days of neuroscience through a prism of her own experiences. A special thanks to four scientists who made complex, cutting-edge science accessible through their lives and work: Dr. Paul Atchley; Dr. Adam Gazzaley (and to Jo Fung), Dr. David Greenfield, and Dr. David Strayer. Simply, this book would not have happened without your cooperation. A key contributor to my understanding of the science, and a world-class scientist, Dr. Clifford Nass, died far too young. We mourn your loss.

My thanks to Terryl Warner and to her family, husband Alan, and to Jayme, Taylor, Allyssa, and Katie. You all shared well beyond the call.

My thanks to Mitchell Danielson for making the time, and entrusting me with your story.

Thank you to the people of Tremonton, including Dallas Miller, Jason Zundel, and to Van and Lisa Park.

I wish to offer my deepest thanks to Mary Jane and Ed Shaw. You opened your lives and home, shared our hopes and fears, and the rawest emotions from a terrible tragedy. Thank you to Phill Shaw.

Thank you to Reggie. Per my author’s note, you have laid yourself bare to me, and the world. As an author, as a citizen, I say: thank you; you have suffered enough, and done enough.

Thank you to the extraordinary team at William Morrow/Harper Collins, led by publisher Liate Stehlik, a true author’s friend. Thank you to my superb editor, Peter Hubbard, and to the creative and energetic marketing and publicity team, Shelby Meizlik, Andy Dodds, Tavia Kowalchuk, and to Julia Black and Adam Johnson. Thank you to the national sales team for terrific support, and to Trina Hunn for great care.

Thank you to my great friend and agent, Laurie Liss, at Sterling Lord Literistic.

Thanks for terrific research and counsel to Sophie Egan, Lois Collins, and Sean Hales.

Mom and dad, you are tirelessly supportive. Thank you.

I can never repay the friendship and brotherhood of Bob Tedeschi, a sage who counseled me with compassionate wisdom in this process as he has in many adventures.

My undying thanks and all my love to my beautiful wife, Meredith Barad, a brilliant sounding board and patient listener, and to our magnificent children, Milo and Mirabel. I love you, always.

INDEX

The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific entry, please use your e-book reader’s search tools.

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 283–84

Aagard, Douglas, 300, 302, 304–5

abstraction, and the brain, 33

addiction:

and anticipatory link, 196

and attention science, 146

to behaviors vs. substances, 197, 350

comorbidities in, 197–98

disconnect between attitudes and behaviors, 128, 351, 375–76, 378–79, 380, 383–84

to drugs, 194, 195

external forces in, 351

to gambling, 197, 198

and interactivity, 196

and multitasking, 145–46

and technology, 5, 128, 140–41, 144, 166–68, 170–71, 192–99, 214–15, 285–86, 351, 369–70, 373, 380

use of term, 194, 197

Yale study on, 193–94, 197–98

airlines, in-flight connections on, 369

Akerson, Daniel, 371

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), 348–49

Allen, Brian, 39, 40

American Academy of Pediatrics, 260–61

Anderson, Daniel, 177–78

Anhder, Craig, 97

anticipatory link, 196

April (friend of Terryl), 130–31, 134, 149

AT&T, 67, 103, 181, 190, 366, 367, 370

Atchley, Paul, 165–71, 217, 221–22

on attention limitations, 221, 350–51

on decision making, 219, 377

early years of, 142

and intelligent design, 139–40

on multitasking, 145–46, 165

on restoring the brain, 376–77

on technology outstripping brain capacity, 100, 142–43, 144

on technology’s attraction, 141, 145–46, 166–68, 171, 192

on the value of information, 167, 169–70

and World War II pilots, 100

Atchley, Ruthann, 140

ATK Systems, 15, 21, 22, 39–40, 58, 258

attention:

bottom-up, 102, 105, 107, 108, 169, 177–78, 215, 216

control of, 62–63, 120

distraction vs., 35, 69, 70–71, 101, 108, 216–17, 229

diverted by information, 108, 199, 216

in high-level functioning, 34–35

inattention blindness, 275, 369–73

and information overload, 120, 144, 219, 339, 353

inside the brain, 334

loss of, 5, 33, 108–9

and magic, 71, 101, 106–8

and manipulation, 177

and neural networks, 103, 120

as organ system, 120

reduced attention spans, 217–19

selective, 62–63, 121

and television, 4, 175

therapy for, 284–85

top-down, 105–6, 107, 108, 169, 177–78, 216

and young people, 217–18

attentional inertia, 178

attention filter, 104–6

attention science, 4, 32–35

and addiction, 146

and aging, 229

and aviation studies, 4, 5, 99, 101, 122–23, 126, 219

and behavioral studies, 357

and brain studies, 32–35, 105–6, 119–23, 218, 221, 228, 334

cocktail party effect, 62–63, 69, 103

and driving, 123, 229, 322

emerging principles of, 105

legal application of, 269–72

and multitasking,
see
multitasking

and performance, 269–72, 322–23

and reaction time, 64, 104, 119, 120

and technology, 4, 119, 126, 218

and video games, 122

automobile accidents:

anecdotal evidence in, 204, 220–21

causes of, 25, 209, 252, 271

cell phones involved in, 25–26, 97, 164, 267, 271, 284

criminal negligence in, 202, 223, 254, 277, 313–14

disconnect between attitudes and behaviors, 128, 283–84, 293, 351, 375–76, 378, 380, 383–84

Distracted Driving Summit, 321–24

drinking and driving, 25, 209, 228–29, 271, 277, 281, 282, 284

and drug use, 203, 292

and enforcement of tough laws, 282–83

and manslaughter, 211, 223

negligent homicide in, 202–4, 208, 211–12, 223, 236, 243, 266

public education about, 281–82, 284, 303, 324, 349, 374–75

reckless behavior in, 202, 211–12, 223, 224, 283–84, 297–98, 375

and seat belts, 281–82, 283

teen drivers in, 25, 86

texting and driving in, 25–26, 86, 203–4, 210–13, 271, 272, 298, 301–4

automobiles:

and attention science, 123, 229, 322

and cell phones, 86, 124–26, 127–28, 169, 212, 228–29, 276, 282, 283–84, 298, 373, 380–82

and decision making, 219–20

and infotainment systems, 371–72

and multitasking, 127, 369–73

and safety issues, 281–84

safety legislation for, 191, 282

safety technology in, 37–38, 124, 281–82, 283, 371

and texting,
see
texting and driving

aviation studies of attention, 4, 5, 99, 101, 122–23, 126, 219

Babbage, Charles, 65

baboons, research with, 198–99

Baird, Tony C., 116–18

as motorcyclist, 204, 224–25

and Reggie’s case, 117–18, 155–56, 180–81, 201–4, 209–10, 223–26

and Rindlisbacher, 116, 117–18, 155–56

and Singleton, 180–81, 202

and Terryl, 207, 209

ballistics, 63

Bavelier, Daphne, 127, 360

behavioral psychology, 104

behavioral science, 102, 128, 357

Bell, Alexander Graham, 67

Bell Telephone Company, 67

Benioff, Marc, 337

Bernstein, Dan, 199

Biberstein, Maggie, 165, 168–69

Bishop, Briana, 13, 159, 182–88, 208, 243

Bishop, Steve, 183–84, 185

blood-brain barrier, 195

Booth, John Wilkes, 172

brain:

anterior cingulate cortex, 120, 338

complex tasks and introduced errors, 66

and decision making, 33, 219–20, 353–55, 377

dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 120

and drugs, 195, 203

evolution of, 34, 68

executive control neurons in, 120

gray matter in, 33

hippocampus, 322

information processed by, 104, 144

limitations of, 63, 100, 124, 216, 352

and memory, 120 322–23

and multitasking, 121–22, 127–28, 144, 145–46, 322–23, 334

parietal lobe, 119

and physical environment, 102

prefrontal cortex, 120, 339, 360

restoration of, 376–77

reward areas of, 169–70, 171, 195–96, 217