Court Docs Shed Light on Slain Blogger's Relationship with Daughter

Blogger Dennis Lane, whom police say was killed in a plot orchestrated by his 14-year-old daughter, was an involved parent whose goal was to help his daughter be more independent, according to court documents from a 2008 custody case.

Morgan Arnold is being held on murder charges along with Jason Bulmer, Arnold's 19-year-old boyfriend, whom police say stabbed Dennis J. Lane to death inside his Ellicott City home on May 10. Lane was Arnold's father.

Police said that for two months Arnold and Bulmer had been discussing killing Lane, a well-known blogger and real estate agent.

Documents from a 2009 custody hearing provide a snapshot of Arnold's temperament, depicting a young girl who doesn't quite fit in, but whose father was trying to determine how best to help her.

As part of the findings in the custody case, a clinical psychologist, Cynthia Wilcox, diagnosed Arnold with Asperger's syndrome and mood disorders.

Asperger's syndrome is considered to be one of the mildest forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Wilcox said she found that Arnold was frequently nervous, was uncomfortable in social interactions and suffered anxiety at school.

Lane dismissed Wilcox as Arnold's psychologist after he said he felt he was being left out of Arnold's therapy process in 2009, according to the court documents.

The court documents indicate that Lane attended every parent teacher conference for his daughter, that he would help her with homework and that he believed the most challenging part of raising her was teaching her to be independent.

Cindi Arnold, Morgan's mother, described her daughter as a special needs child who was hyper sensitive to others and enjoyed immersing herself in online communications through social media and the building video game Minecraft, according to the Baltimore Sun.

The court documents describe instances in which Morgan Arnold would pretend to be an animal by barking, charging or roaring at other people.

In a school questionnaire filled out by Lane, he described Arnold's strengths, saying she was accepting, smart and had a sense of humor, according to the report.

He is quoted as saying what he liked best about Arnold was that she "is the sweetest person. She cares deeply about many things."

When Cindi Arnold was asked the same question, she was quoted as saying, "Everything! Her subtle sense of humor, her concern for animals, her unique perspective on the world."

Wilcox said that Lane expected more emotional sturdiness from Morgan, while Cindi Arnold was more sensitive and comforting to her daughter when she was overwhelmed.

At the end of the "Findings of Fact" in the custody case, the court wrote, "Her parents have been able to work together in the past to meet her needs. A problem arose last fall that started with [Cindi Arnold] changing the schedule and ended with [Lane] firing the therapist. As a result, the parties no longer get along with one another, no longer cooperate, no longer communicate, and Morgan no longer gets therapy."

In Cindi Arnold's interview with the Sun, she said her daughter met Bulmer playing Minecraft, then at Mt. Hebron High School. Arnold said the two were both emotionally below their age levels, according to the Sun.

"My entire focus is on loving my daughter and just holding her in my thoughts and my heart with absolute and total love," said Arnold to the Sun reporter.

A call placed to Arnold on Monday was not immediately returned.

Bulmer and Arnold are being held without bond. According to charging documents, Bulmer stabbed Lane to death on May 10 as part of a plan devised by Arnold to kill Lane and his significant other and then run away to California.

Bulmer and Arnold were arrested after police found them inside Lane's home in a second-floor bedroom.

Arnold is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing on May 24 and Bulmer is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 7.

Related Articles:

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- Ellicott City Blogger Killed at Home
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- HoCo Bloggers Type Tributes to Lane