(Epcot, lake buena vista, Florida) 04/22/2010 Earth Day
“Sleep Assault: Husband ordered out of bed”
>. There are rays. There are sea turtles. It’ s amazing in here. Juju?
>. Sam, that’s fantastic. You sound like a cross between Sam champion and Darth Vader. But I subconsciously take breaths with you each time. Fantastic, Sam.
>.I know. Don’t make me laugh.
>. Sorry. All right. Stay safe. We’ll see you back in a bit. We have to change gears. There’s this fascinating story I need to tell you about. We’ve heard about the bizarre things some do in their sleep. Talking, walking, eating, even driving without waking up. But what if you commit a crime while suffering from a sleep disorder? It’s tore one family apart and landed an Oregon husband in jail.
>.It was 4:00am in the morning. Without warning, Adam Kearns attacked his wife, Randi.
>. My son has night terrors. My husband woke up. He started yelling at me. I couldn’t reach him. It was like he was asleep and I didn’t understand what was going on. All of a sudden he beat the @$*# out of me.
>. And perhaps most shocking, Adam, she says, appeared to be sleeping during the attack.
>. He’s half-asleep. It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s never been abusive to me in my whole life.
>. Adam was arrested for felony domestic abuse, and ordered to stay away from Randi, a charge his wife is fighting.
>. He’s not a violent man. He’s never hurt me. He’s never made me feel afraid.
>. The legal system disagrees. While Adam can see his three sons, the judge has barred contact between the couple for two months.
>. I was told that I wasn’t allowed to console her or hug her or have any contact.
>. They couldn’t even talk to each other when their son underwent search for sleep apnea. And ever our interviews had to be done in separate locations.
>. My wife and I have been married for ten years. And we’ve spent maybe one, two nights apart in that ten years. And this is too months. Trying not to break down. But I can’t help it. This is destroying me.
>. Feeling alone, Randi didn’t know what to do. Until an episode of “Dr. Oz” stopped her in her tracks.
>. I’m hitting her.
>. And I was screaming to get him to wake up.
>. Just thought to myself, that’s the same thing Adam has.
>. Sleep disorder specialist say being startled in a dream-like state can trigger primal, violent reactions, as we’ve reported on ABC.
>. We see kicking. We see punches. We see biting. We see rage reactions.
>. Adam says he’s been diagnosed with R.E.M. sleep disorder. The couple’s convinced this should clear Adam’s name. We asked Dr. Oz this may explain what happened that night.
>. I think that couple has a very strong case. Because R.E.M. disorder is not a mechanism problem…this is not ...aaa gonna .... to escape justice. This is very wired problem..... We know it occurs. We know it’s not rare.
>. This is causing more damage to my family than anything that could have happened that night.
>. But the Oregon prosecutor says the law exists for good reason.
>. The point is, we’re trying to stop domestic violence. Once we get evidence of these crimes, our goal is to hold people accountable for the assaults and the other tings that have occurred inside that home. And also, help these victims get out.
>. My main concern is getting home so I can be the two things that I am. And that’s a good father and a good husband. And that’s it.
>. Adam will be back in court on May 5th. And the couple hopes this may be the end to their nightmare. Although, they worry the case may drag on for several more months or worse.
>. The punishment absolutely does not make sense. For them to keep us apart, it’s tearing up our family.
>. You know, I asked Adam, how could the authorities be sure that he and his wife weren’t just coming up with the sleep disorder excuse. He said they haven’t been able to talk to each other for two months. Coordinating their stories would be impossible. And points on 911 tapes you hear, she repeatedly says he’s asleep. Now, he’s a devoteddworted family man. And usually he use to be a couch of little league. this year, because of the expense, they couldn’t afford the little league dues. Tell us what you think about this story. Weigh in. go to abcnews.com. we have lots more coming up. George has “The Morning Mix.” Stay with us.
