“My daughter didn’t disappear. She was taken from me—by a court system that refused to look at the truth.” — William H. Sewell

Introduction: Love Lost in a Legal Labyrinth

William Sewell wasn’t an absent father. He was a loving, involved parent who shared holidays, dinners, and beach trips with his daughter Dema—even after separating from her mother, Leslie Tannery Sewell. They remained cooperative and cordial. That is, until family court and attorney Donnie Gamache intervened.

Now, William has been mostly erased from his daughter’s life, and they are trying to completely erase him. What happened wasn’t the result of abuse or neglect. It was the result of legal manipulation, false allegations, and a system that places profits above children.

This is the story of how a once-intact father-daughter bond was shattered—not by trauma, but by procedure.

Parental Alienation in Action

Since Leslie was granted sole custody in a temporary hearing based on her claims and Donnie Gamache’s deceitful actions, William says their daughter Dema has been emotionally manipulated and pressured into distancing herself from him.

“She won’t talk to me when her mom is around. Leslie stands over her during phone calls, pressuring her. She wants off the phone in seconds.”

William describes numerous examples of parental alienation, including:

• Leslie falsely claiming William never paid child support
• Contacting and intimidating William’s character witnesses so they wouldn’t testify
• Using the court to remove parenting time while pretending to offer more
• Pressuring Dema to reject communication and visitation with William

When William brought these issues to the court’s attention—through affidavits, text messages, and documented behavior—he was ignored.

Ignored Evidence, Real Harm

Leslie, an advanced nurse practitioner and osteopractic business owner, presents well in court. But according to William and multiple notarized witness affidavits, Dema has suffered serious harm under her mother’s care:

• A broken leg while with her mother
• Over six separate dog bites from four different dogs
• Several bug bites were left untreated and were bleeding or heavily bruised.
• Exposure to alcohol, reportedly provided by Leslie

William submitted photographic evidence and signed statements from witnesses attesting to these injuries and behaviors, but no authority acted—not DSS, not the GAL, not law enforcement.

Jason Wheeler, the GAL assigned to the case, admitted to William privately that the investigation was complete and both parents were fit. But the report remained open, and committed any of William’s evidence or statements. The fees continued. And the court never revisited the evidence.

Emotional and Psychological Toll

The impact on William has been devastating. He’s suffered from anxiety, loss of income, and depression. He lives with the daily trauma of being erased from his daughter’s life, and the institutional betrayal of knowing no one in power will help. This is what family courts do to good parents. They emotionally and psychologically destroy them, and then use it against them during proceedings.

“I’m not perfect. But I am a good dad. And they’ve made me out to be a monster just because I’m poor and not politically connected.”

The toll on Dema is equally concerning. Parental alienation is a form of psychological abuse that can lead to:

• Anxiety and depression
• Low self-esteem
• Identity confusion
• Long-term trust and relationship issues

All of this has been reported. None of it has been addressed.

Law Enforcement and DSS: Silence or Complicity?

When William filed reports with DSS, investigator Kaneisha Gilson validated his concerns and referred him to the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office. There, he met with Sergeant Baker—who had just gotten off the phone with attorney Donnie Gamache.

William says Baker dismissed his concerns and told him, “It’s legal for parents to give their children alcohol in South Carolina.” No action was taken.

From process servers breaking into his home to intimidation tactics by opposing counsel, William has faced what many call state-sanctioned parental alienation.

Conclusion: Not Just a Father’s Pain—A Child’s Loss

This is not just William’s story. It’s Dema’s story too. The story of a child robbed of the right to know, love, and be loved equally by both of her parents.

Family court is supposed to act in the best interests of the child. But when lawyers are incentivized to create conflict, and judges ignore the evidence, families are not protected—they’re dismantled.

William Sewell’s case is a warning. Parental alienation and manipulation are not only real—it’s being facilitated by the very institutions meant to prevent it.

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This is Part 4 in our ongoing series, “Court of Ruin: The William Sewell Files.”
Justice doesn’t happen by itself. We build it — or we let it rot.
If you have a case in Dorchester County, SC you would like to share, please contact us.

All claims in this article are based on the personal experiences and allegations made by William H. Sewell. This article includes opinions and reporting based on interviews, court documents, and publicly available information. Donnie Gamache and any other named parties are presumed innocent of any wrongdoing unless proven otherwise.