There are many ways to show support for a friend.
But Priscilla Bigford, Crystal Browning and Derrek Pauley never imagined they would one day show their support for their dear friend Daryne Gailey by sitting in a courtroom, staring at the woman who allegedly ended his life by slashing his throat.
‘I need to know that it’s going to be dealt with,? said Browning while standing outside 52-3 District Judge Lisa Asadoorian’s courtroom in Rochester Hills. ‘You can’t let a murderer walk free.?
Gailey’s mother, Sylvia Marie Majewska, is accused of murdering both him and his infant daughter, Charley Lillian Hendrick. He was 29 and she was 7 months old.
Their bodies were discovered on Nov. 23 in Gailey’s Oxford Township home on Kintyre.
‘Daryne deserves justice and so does Charley,? Bigford said. ‘This should have never happened.?
‘This is my best friend. He needs justice and I need closure,? said Pauley, a 2001 Oxford High School graduate who was close to Gailey for 16 years.
Bigford, Browning and Pauley sat silently in the courtroom as a shackled Majewska, 65, of Addison Township, was brought in to face the judge, who ordered her to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
There wasn’t much sympathy for Majewska among the trio.
‘She’s just an evil person,? said Bigford, who knew Gailey for 15 years.
Bigford described Majewska as ‘a person.? She said her mother, who worked with Gailey at the Kroger grocery store in Lake Orion, had witnessed Majewska ‘belittling? her son in public.
‘I didn’t care for her much because of the way she treated him,? said Browning, who knew Gailey for 12 years.
Browning described Majewska’s behavior toward her son as ‘degrading.?
‘She’d be very kosher with everybody else. It was different when she got to him,? she said. ‘I didn’t like that, so whenever I saw her, I avoided her.?
That being said. Browning had no idea that Majewska would one day stand accused of killing her own son.
‘I never thought it would come down to murder,? she said. ‘I knew that she was controlling, but I never thought that this was how it was going to play out. I really thought Daryne was going to outlive all of us.?
Pauley agreed that Majewska was controlling and angry, but he said it must also be remembered that she was ‘very helpful? when it came to managing her son’s finances and caring for his daughter.
‘She got him his house,? he said. ‘Everything that Daryne got (for) Charley was from her.?
Majewska had guardianship over Gailey, who was developmentally disabled. According to a divorce judgment dated Nov. 3, 2014, Gailey was granted visitations with his daughter every other week, but they had to be supervised by Majewska or ‘another competent adult of (her) choosing.?
Pauley noted he often helped settle disputes between Majewska and Gailey.
‘Every time her and Daryne got into an argument, she would call me,? he said. ‘I just don’t understand why she couldn’t give me a call again. I had my phone.?
Whatever the outcome of Majewska’s case, one thing is certain, nothing will ever bring back Gailey and his absence has left a large hole in his friends? lives.
‘I’ve never met a better a friend in my life,? said Browning, who met Gailey when she worked at Kroger. ‘No matter what time of day, I could call him for help or someone to talk to and he was there.?
Gailey was ‘like a big brother? to Browning. ‘He always looked out for me,? she said. ‘He wouldn’t let me walk to my car by myself.?
‘He was instantly your best friend,? Bigford said. ‘He was a wonderful guy and a very proud dad.?
Bigford described Gailey as a ‘caring? person who was ‘always happy? and ‘never had a bad day.?
Browning agreed.
‘He never got upset about much,? she said. ‘He was always happy. You could always count on him to make you smile.?
‘As a woman, you’d walk into a room and he would make you feel like the most beautiful girl in the world, even if you didn’t have makeup on or your hair done,? added Browning.
‘Daryne was a gentle soul,? Pauley said. ‘He was always willing to help out anyone and everyone. He’d give you the shirt off his back if he could. There wasn’t a mean bone in his body.?
As good a friend as Gailey was, he was an even better dad.
‘Daryne was a wonderful father,? Pauley said. ‘He was very attentive. He was very caring, very loving.
‘I was with him the first time he ever got to meet Charley. His whole body just lit up like there (were) angels around him. He was so happy and I was proud of him for being a good dad. He worked his butt off (for his daughter) . . . Being a father just came natural to him.?
Pauley noted the news reports that cited court records indicating Gailey had a mental age of 14 to 16 years old are ‘a bunch of crap.? He said Gailey’s life and level of independence showed that he ‘overcame? his disability.
‘He had some disabilities, but he wasn’t what the (media made) him (out) to be,? he said. ‘Daryne was a very well-educated man. He knew a lot.?
‘He was a good guy,? Pauley added. ‘I just love him and miss him ? both of them.?