Prosecutors are asking that the mother of the man charged with killing Chattanooga Police Sgt. Tim Chapin be given the maximum possible sentence, calling Kathleen Mathews an evil manipulator who encouraged Jesse Mathews' criminal endeavors.
Sentences within the guideline range are asked for his father, Ray Vance Mathews; sister, Rachel Mathews, and her boyfriend, David Poteete.
Guidelines call for the parents to get up to almost 28 years in federal prison. The sentencing range for Rachel Mathews is 120-139 months and for Poteete is 112-129 months.
Prosecutors are seeking consecutive sentences against the defendants.
State prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Jesse Mathews for the officer slaying following a pawn shop robbery in Brainerd last April.
Sentencing is Monday at 9 a.m. Judge Sandy Mattice, who will set the sentences, has put down notice that he may go outside the recommended sentencing range based on evidence in the cases.
The sentencing has been moved to the larger courtroom on the third floor of the Federal Building.
Prosecutors said Kathleen Mathews knew her son was commiting armed robberies and advised him on the best way to carry one out without being caught.
They said in one conversation Jesse Mathews told his mother he had nothing to live for and that he "ought to rob his way across the country."
Prosecutors said in another conversation they discussed the possibility of robbing the Walmart in Ooltewah and Kathleen Mathews "incredibly advised him that his plan put him too much at risk and that he ought merely to take money from the cash register."
They said Jesse Mathews and his parents had visited the pawn shop Mathews would later rob several weeks before the holdup and the fatal shooting.
Kathleen Mathews noticed during the visit that the employees wore guns in holsters and likely had a silent alarm. Prosecutors said she was "casing" the store for a robbery.
Kathleen Mathews was part of the chain of events that led to Sgt. Chapin's death, it was stated.
She "undeniably contributed to the robbery of the pawn shop and the death of Sgt. Chapin by virtue of her numerous actions in aiding and counseling Jesse Mathews regarding the commission of armed robberies - both before and after they occurred," the sentencing memorandum says.
Prosecutors said of Kathleen Mathews that her "repeated, consistent course of manipulative behavior resulting in violence - largely unaddressed by her formal criminal history - is the primary factor which removes her case from the heartland of the sentencing guidelines and warrants an upward departure pursuant to" a section of federal law.
She has a prior felony conviction of voluntary manslaughter in Florida in which she participated in the robbery and murder of a victim.
The memorandum says Kathleen Mathews "assisted someone who committed a very public act of robbery and execution of a police officer - an officer who eschewed his own safety and well being to run toward a deadly situation and criminal actor which threatened innocent victims of the public. The officer, Tim Chapin, in a remarkable demonstration of courage and devotion to duty, confronted the evil that the defendant had helped foist onto an unsuspecting society in the form of her son. An officer of great integrity, he de-escalated his own use of force when he believed that the threat from the defendant's son had diminished only to fatally realize too late that Mathews was armed with yet another hidden firearm he had stolen from Colorado and brought to Chattanooga, where he was harbored, protected and even actively assisted by the defendant. The public in East Chattanooga and throughout the country watched in horror as Mathews gunned down a beloved officer in cold blood.
"Sgt. Chapin's funeral brought mourners from across the nation - including police officers from Colorado Springs, from where Mathews escaped. This horrifying outcome - facilitated by the defendant - has the nation watching and wondering if the nation will stand up and protect these 'sheep dogs' like Sgt. Chapin who have sworn to protect the 'sheep' (innocent citizens) from the likes of the 'wolves' in the form of the defendant."
Prosecutors said Kathleen Mathews "demonstrates no respect for the law - even now."
They said Kathleen Mathews "continues to act with impunity - shedding any proper notion of civilized remorse in a twisted and perverted self-promotion, self-absorption and narcissim. The letters she has written from jail to other members of her family show a dark and disturbing glimpse into the twisted mind of the family's criminal manipulator."
She said in one letter written to her son from the jail that nothing was said on the news that police "were trying their best to kill you."
In one letter, Kathleen Mathews said she hopes the Chapin family will not be allowed to testify at the sentencing hearing "but you never know. They are well connected, hell they probably even know the judge."
She said, "Yes, I too, have questioned as to why it is that a cop's death is given priority over a construction worker, a teacher, a housewife, even a banker. When a cop puts a uniform on each day he assumes the risk. . . but most cops do have a connection to city hall."
She said she is going to ask that the courtroom be cleared for the sentencing hearing, saying it makes her mad that members of the Chapin family show up for each hearing "and sit there and stare hatred at us. We have nothing to do with those people and I don't think it is right for them to show up in court every time we go. They want to make it about more than it is. "
In another letter, she says to her son, "So your chosen profession is not what resides within the limits of normal. . . but it is far from being a cold-blooded murderer."
She told her son, "If I were you I'd also be mad as hell. . . at the cop! I've thought on this for a long time now. . . you do one thing that p---es people off and they want to hold it against you for forever!"
Prosecutors said Kathleen Mathews "personifies evil, and her influence over those who are weaker-minded than she is remarkable."
They said Ms. Mathews was aware that her letters at the jail were being read by authorities.
There are 67 pages of her letters attached to the sentencing memorandum in the court file.
A profanity-laced letter written by Rachel Mathews to her brother from the workhouse is also attached.
Attorney Aubrey Harper said Rachel Mathews was "brain-washed" by her mother.