Uncle gets custody of Gattuso's 3-year-old daughter

Amanda G.
11/19/2009 9:51 PM

Kennedy is where she belongs! I myself had only met Dr. Gattuso once through the dental community, and the little i did meet him, he was a good man! And people are not only responding because we are from ND, we have morals and believe that justice will be served! Kennedy needs to be protected and the Gattuso family will do just that!

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Carol S.
11/19/2009 1:51 PM

m.j. -- Valerie did type up the letter to Philip. She could do many things as long as she was sitting down or lying down. She got tired really easy. Regan never said anything about the letter because they did not want to drag that out unless there was a need to and now there is. From what I know it was signed by Valerie and also signatures of two witnesses. Regan has not been in contact with her father or her mother since this happened. She did not want to risk losing Kennedy. Yes, she does still love her father but in no way condones what he did. It is a very traumatic emotional situation that only God and help heal.

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Jan G.
Fargo, ND     11/19/2009 8:31 AM

I am so happy the Kennedy went to the Gattuso family. If and I mean if, the letter is legit I am sure Valerie was not contemplating that he father would allegedly hire someone to kill her husband. Can u imagine Kennedy growing up and finding out it was her grandfather that killed her father, and that she was being raised by the family that cost her her parent. This way the family of Gattuso can bring up Kennedy with tender loving care, she will still know about the other family and perhaps have a relationship with the, but she will know she is safe.

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Jan T.
11/19/2009 7:39 AM

How many people who have commented personally knew the Gattuso family Valerie and Phillip?? I think most of you are writing just because you are from ND. No one has kept any of these people from seeing Kennedy all along. No one came to see her. I believe God has a plan and it will be put into affect soon. I pray that when it truly is revealed, it hasnt been quite yet, both families will except what has passed. I continue to pray for both families, but especially for little Kennedy for being uprooted over and over and over. But please if you truly care about the little girl, dont say bad things about her aunt, her grandmother, and forgive me too, or Roy Gattuso and family. Gods Will is going to be seen very soon and it isnt what has transpired yet. So those that are Christians, please pray for Kennedy.

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Anne S.
11/19/2009 2:46 AM

J R Y.... even if a funeral is a confusing event, she still should have been brought here for his family to have the opportunity to help her process the loss of her father. It was more traumatic to have had Regan zip her out of Fargo and then, not even bring her back here to allow her siblings and relatives a chance to grieve with her. When her mother died, was she removed immediately from all of her mother's relatives? It is the adult's responsibility to help her process in a healthy manner, what is going on in her life and she should be placed in trauma play therapy.

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Anne S.
11/19/2009 2:38 AM

No matter how many times you throw out the "lived with Regan the past 20 out of 26 months" argument, does not make it a factor for custody! Do any of you understand how irrational your "logic" sounds? I guess the fact that she also lived with her dad means nothing? The fact that a supposedly intelligent woman "wrote" a letter not to her husband who was the legal custodian, but to her sister leaves those of you from Oklahoma looking naive. Even if she really did manage to type that letter weeks prior to her death, why was it not delivered to her father at that time? Anyone with half a brain, would have had an attorney present when they "typed" such a letter and that attorney would have had her state legitimate facts about Philip being an unfit parent. Even then, those "facts" would have to be proven in a court of law in order to terminate a parent's rights.

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J R Y.
11/19/2009 12:26 AM

I was at the funeral of Valerie Gattuso and Kennedy did not attend it. I'm sure it was for her benefit not to be around so many people crying and grieving. I am sure a 3 year old can't possibly understand death, and would possibly be traumatized. And yes, Valerie did write a letter to her sister about Regan raising Kennedy when she died. I knew of this happening before Valerie died last Spring. I feel deepest sympathy for the Gattuso family, and my heart goes out to them. But please do NOT spew hate and attack Regan Williams when you don't even know her. And just because someone says something in her defense, don't attack them either. This is a horrible tragedy and all of the families involved need our prayers, especially little Kennedy. Regan is not crazy, psychotic, or anything else that has been posted about her here on this website. She has a very strong bond with her niece. She raised her from the time she was about 16 months old until she was almost 3. She truly does love her, and is not obsessed. Why can't anyone see that instead of judging her for what her father did? And by the way, I think what he did was terribly WRONG and yes, he should be punished for it. But not Regan or Kennedy.

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m j.
11/19/2009 12:10 AM

Julie and Carol....what was Val's state of mind when she "typed" that letter...I have my doubts that she could have typed anything on her death bed...according to the caringbridge site she was to weak to do anything. I'm sure that is why Regan Williams never pursued it when Mr. Gattuso was living it would have been thrown right out of court....lucky for her that he can't defend himself now, Huh? Does anyone else find it funny that her dad is now waiving extradition to ND and will be here at the end of the week and she's staying here til this "custody" case is settled. I am a reasonable person I feel for Mrs Williams I'm sure she feels loss for her sister and now her dad and her niece, however, If I were the judge I would never give custody to her either, her father killed her brother in law...it just isn't right.

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Barb E.
Fargo, ND     11/18/2009 9:27 PM

Just because the mother's family managed to keep her to themselves this long, it doesn't MAKE the aunt her "Mommie"...

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CL M.
Fargo, ND     11/18/2009 9:21 PM

Wow............. I think it had to be a relatively SIMPLE decision to have Regan relinquish custody of Kennedy to Phillip's brother, Roy. After all, how could ANYONE think the best place for an orphaned child would be the home of the murderer's daughter? Thank God the judge saw fit to right that mistake. As far as visitation is concerned, I think it's remarkably generous of Roy to make that concession. If it were me, I would want to cut off ALL ties to the Kirkpatrick family. God bless the Gattusos.

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