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DSS
Also Culpable in Murder of Social Worker on Cape Cod
The 6½-year search for the shooter of DSS social worker, Linda Silva, came to an end Thursday when 39-year-old construction worker, Paul DuBois, was arrested in Branson, Mo. Silva was gunned down on Sept. 12, 1996 in a parking lot in Provincetown. No witnesses ever came forward despite the fact that the in-town location was busy and, at the time of the shooting, 7:30 p.m., the area was still in daylight. Prior to the shooting DuBois had been involved in a lengthy, bitter custody battle with his ex-wife which began with their split in 1993. Over several years the couple became entrenched in the childish, but all too common cycle of mudslinging, filing complaints and cross-complaints against one another for neglect and poor parenting of the children. After years of fighting in Barnstable Probate Court, DuBois was the party who initially called DSS to make complaints about his ex-wife's parenting of their two children. Linda Silva was the DSS social worker who was assigned to investigate the case. Although it has not yet been verified, it is possible that the DuBois case was in front of Judge Shirley Lewis, who was the chief judge handling divorce/custody cases in Barnstable Probate Court during the time period that the DuBois case was ongoing. Judge Lewis became notorious for her extreme bias and actions against men. A former police officer whose divorce was before her attempted to place a car bomb in her vehicle, and a very public movement to impeach her was frequently covered in the area newspapers. Not surprisingly, DSS supported Lisa DuBois allegations against her ex-husband, but off-handedly dismissed Paul DuBois' concerns about his ex-wife's treatment of their children. Not only did DSS dismiss his concerns, they charged him with "abuse" for making false, "unsubstantiated" allegations. DuBois had initially been granted joint custody on the condition that he not miss three consecutive visits. Although it would not be possible to prove in any court of law, this type of ruling is certainly open to abuse if the mother prevents the fathers' visitations, then reports to the court that he missed them. For ten months between December 1993 to August 1994 DuBois moved to Virginia and did not have contact with the children. Lisa DuBois filed for sole custody. Upon his return to Massachusetts DuBois filed three abuse and neglect complaints against his wife with DSS. It found all of his concerns without merit and charged him with abuse - not of the children, as he hadn't been allowed to see them, but for filing "false, unsubstantiated" complaints against his wife. DSS accused him of trying to "micro-manage" his children's lives. I have never heard of this charge being acted upon before, even though it is a tactic commonly used by women against their children's fathers in custody battles. Again, predictably and right on schedule as soon as DSS takes a woman under their wing, a 209A was filed against DuBois. Shortly thereafter, in August of 1996, with the help and expertise of DSS, sole custody was awarded to the children's mother. One month later Linda Silva was shot and murdered in a Provincetown parking lot. Before the murder of Linda Silva, Paul DuBois was also accused by DSS of being "obsessed with controlling his children." I can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, it could be possible that he was obsessed with loving his children and, at that time, before the system pushed him over the edge, he was only guilty of wanting to be a dad. Nev Moore is President of Justice for Families, P.O. Box 1560, Cotuit, Ma. 02635 |
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