A view of the humble dwellings near Munday
where Crabtree (Hammer) family live
By Bob Weaver
A 61-year-old Munday, Wirt County father, Randy Lane Hammer (Crabtree) and his two sons, Paul Randolph Hammer (Crabtree),
25, and Thomas Rex Hammer (Crabtree), 23, will be make a first appearance in a Wirt County Magistrate Court today on multiple sexual abuse charges of a female member of their family, who is reportedly now 17.
Read THREE WIRT MEN CHARGED WITH INCEST OF FAMILY MEMBER - Father Accused Of Sex With 12-Year-Old Daughter, "Task Force" Makes Arrests At Munday
Community members are speaking out about what they call a tragic breakdown of systems that protect children.
Al Hogan, Director of Helping Hands Crisis Ministries & Al's Barn (shown left) said "Together with so many care-giving people from all over, our hearts were touched by the six children, very well mannered, polite and helpful to all, these kids were abandoned by our state and totally ignored and allowed to be brainwashed and forced to live in defiance of our laws that protect all children."
"Many departments of our government were notified by myself and many others, but instead of help, we were told that Randy Crabtree (Hammer) claimed he was living within his constitutional rights to live as a common man."
Hogan said Randy Crabtree (Hammer) cited different passages of the constitution, his research leading him to believe that if his children needed no birth certificates or Social Security numbers, which meant "The children don't exist, exempt from most laws that govern the welfare and well being of our children.".
He said, "As far as I know, not one of the kids, attended pubic schools," although the system was notified.
Hogan said the children at times lived in tents with no water, electric or heat, the community often supplied them with clothing and food.
"We all gave money, trailers, wood stoves, four wheelers and tons of other things to help them. I never dreamed I would see this in the USA." Hogan said.
Hogan said, when complaints were filed with county and state officials, they would come to check on the children's well-being.
"I think they got baffled by Mr. Crabtree's exhortations of his so-called constitutional rights," he said.
"These children lost their ability to learn how to live and the rules of life. Our state failed them. If action was taken on the very first complaint, these children would have a home, and would have been put in school," Hogan said.
Randy Crabtree was reportedly a member of the Freemen Society, a group that believes that statute law is a contract, and that individuals can opt out of statute law, choosing instead to live under what the group calls "common" (case) and "natural" laws.
"These kids have been brainwashed, living a lie," Hogan said,
"May God help them now," he concluded.
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