Less than a stranger

She said it was abuse. He said it was manipulation. By the time a Denton court got through with this messy custody battle, a good mother would lose her kids forever.

A A A Comments By Thomas Korosec Thursday, Apr 10 1997

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Then, just as abruptly, they sold it in November 1995 and moved to Dallas.
"We couldn't stand going by that courthouse," Katherine says. "And the kids' house was on our beaten path. We needed a new start."

Today, Katherine is getting some work as an actress in industrial films. Mark is a nutrition products salesman. And with the prospect of a new trial, Katherine has, for the first time in three years, tacked up a few snapshots of the kids on a bulletin board next to her bed.

Cindy Lamb, a longtime friend of Katherine's whom she met through their work with animals, says she doubts whether Katherine wants to start anew with the abuse allegations. "She just wants a relationship with those kids," Lamb says.

In stubborn allegiance to what she has said all along, though, Andrews says she is ready to "present our evidence again."

Her petite voice belying a resolve not to back down from anything, she explains, "The game plan is to renew our relationship and bring 'em home again, where they wanted to be. They were harassed for two years, and they never changed their story. Deep down inside them, they know what the truth is.