"Hi, Mom. Give us a call, okay?"<p>Even in the bitterest divorce cases, angry ex-spouses usually agree on one thing--the welfare of their children. Mary Jean Pearle, a Dallas antiques dealer, never dreamed that her precious daughters, Faith and Liberty, would be anything but safe when she dropped them off with their father. John Battaglia, a successful accountant and ex-Marine, had at times been vicious to her--but always gentle with the girls.</p><p>Listening helplessly through the phone, Mary Jean heard Faith plead for her life. . .and then the heart-rending sound of gunshots.</p><p>Updating her classic account of this unthinkable crime with the latest stunning developments from Death Row, veteran crime writer Irene Pence recounts an unforgettable saga of violence, betrayal, and tears.</p><p><b>Case seen on 20/20</b></p><p><b>Includes Sixteen Pages Of Dramatic Photos</b></p><p><b>Unthinkable Sacrifice</b></p><p><br><br> John Battaglia said hello and it grated on Mary<br><br> Jean to hear her ex-husband's voice.</p><p><br><br> "Hi, John," she said lightly. "I got a message that<br><br> the girls wanted to ask me something."</p><p><br><br> "Yeah," he said, and Mary Jean could hear the<br><br> echo-like sound that always accompanied his punching<br><br> of the speaker phone button.</p><p><br><br> "Ask her!" John's voice pounded. "Ask her," he repeated<br><br> in a louder, harsher voice.</p><p><br><br> "Mommy?" Faith stammered. She was noticeably<br><br> crying and her voice sputtered in short sobs. "Why<br><br> do you want Daddy to have to go to jail?"</p><p><br><br> Mary Jean could feel her body temperature climb.<br><br> "Oh come on, John, don't do this to them."</p><p><br><br> Then Mary Jean heard the screams that will forever<br><br> haunt her. Faith cried out, "No, Daddy, don't!</p><p><br><br> Oh please no, Daddy. Don't do it. No, no, no!"</p><p><br><br> Over her daughter's piercing cries, Mary Jean<br><br> heard the blast of a gun. "Run, babies, run!" she<br><br> screamed. "As fast as you can, run for the door!"</p>
