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National Structured Settlements Trade Association

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When benefits are properly structured, not only the principal invested, but also the investment income, are tax free to the injured party. Structuring payments can avoid loss of public benefits.

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Cash settlement squandered

“Jones' mother and stepfather were killed in the 1996 ValuJet crash in the Florida Everglades, and O'Donnell said Jones got a substantial settlement. ’He blew the money almost as fast as he got it, mostly on drugs,’ O'Donnell said.”

From the Associated Press RANGER, Ga. Jan. 8 — A jealous ex-husband shot three former in-laws to death and strangled his infant daughter, then kidnapped three little girls and fled in a stolen sport utility vehicle, authorities said Thursday.

Police launched a manhunt across the Southeast for Jerry William Jones, who allegedly abducted his two daughters and a former stepdaughter. The girls were feared to be in great danger.

"I need him back in the jail. The way he's treated these people, I want him bad," Sheriff Jerry Davis said, holding up Jones' mug shot at a news conference.

The victims were found dead in two homes down the street from each other in this rural Georgia town 55 miles north of Atlanta.

Authorities said Jones, 31, has been on the run since Wednesday afternoon, so he could have driven far from Ranger. Jones has a long criminal history, including convictions for burglary and auto theft.

Jones called his ex-wife, Melissa Peeler, late Wednesday and told her of the killings, adding that he would "start killing the kids one by one" if she alerted authorities, according to her brother-in-law.

Peeler was in Oregon visiting her boyfriend and had left the children with her parents and sister. She notified police after getting the phone call.

Peeler's parents, Tom and Nola Blaylock, were found shot to death in one home. In the other house, authorities found Jones' former sister-in-law, Georgia Bradley, shot to death, while Jones' 10-month-old daughter by Peeler, Harley, was apparently strangled.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman John Bankhead said the crime scenes indicated that the killer was "very methodical."

"This wasn't quick. He clearly took his time," Bankhead said.

Authorities said the motive appeared to be jealousy over his ex-wife visiting her new boyfriend.

Jones was divorced from Peeler. Her brother-in-law David O'Donnell said that Jones was constantly threatening violence and that Peeler had been trying to get away from him.

"He says all the time, he'll kill you, he'll kill me or whoever," O'Donnell said. "He's an idiot, just a crazy person."

The missing girls are Peeler and Jones' children Brandy Jones, 4, and Tammy Jones, 3 and Peeler's daughter from a previous relationship, Brittany Phelps, 10.

O'Donnell said he thought Jones would head for Florida, where his brother lives. O'Donnell said Jones often went to his brother for "security and money."

Jones' mother and stepfather were killed in the 1996 ValuJet crash in the Florida Everglades, and O'Donnell said Jones got a substantial settlement.

"He blew the money almost as fast as he got it, mostly on drugs," O'Donnell said.

Authorities believe Jones, who was in and out of prison in the 1990s on various theft charges, was driving a 1991 red or maroon Ford Explorer.

"We've had him in our jail and we're fixing to put him back in our jail. We're going to put him back on the chain gang he was on," the sheriff said.

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Structured settlement ensures secure financial future

Kyle Greene’s Story

Kyle Greene was riding a bicycle next to his mother on a bike path in Sacramento, Ca, when a semi tractor trailer jumped the curb and ran him down. His spinal cord was severed at C-1, most of his bones were broken, and his throat was badly damaged preventing him from breathing. His subsequent hospitalization and recovery is a story that is nothing short of a miracle. It was predicted that he would not survive the first night in the hospital (he did). It was predicted that he would never speak again (he can). It was predicted he would never walk again (he does). He had nine operations and years of physical therapy, and his recovery is truly a miracle. Case: There were eight defendants in the subsequent lawsuit. Kyle’s father, Roger Green handled the matter for his son. Roger is a successful professional in the health insurance field. Through his corporate counsel, he made contact with, and subsequently hired a highly regarded trial lawyer to represent Kyle in the litigation. Structured Settlement: Roger made the following points:

	He was vaguely aware of the structured settlement option, but not particularly disposed to it initially.
	He was appalled at the way he was treated by seven of the eight defense counsel in the course of depositions. He mentioned that one lawyer “pointed a finger at him” and demanded to know if he had taught his son to ride a bike.
	He noted that his anger at this treatment resulted in some intransigence on his part in the settlement process. He later suggested that he otherwise might have settled for “about two million dollars less.”
	He has high praise for the lead defense attorney, who he says made him believe he wanted to see that the right thing was done for Kyle.
	He said his settlement choices boiled down to 1) cash, 2) a trust, or 3) a structured settlement. He said the efficiency of the structured settlement was the first thing that attracted him to that option. He said he feared what money managers would ultimately charge for the same thing the annuity provider was prepared to do for free. He said the security issue was next, and again the structure rose above the other two choices.
	When asked specifically about the role the tax treatment played in his decision, he volunteered that in addition to the tax free nature of the payments, most of Kyle’s expenses were medical, which were deductible. Those tax deductions “more than offset” the tax on the earnings on his cash accumulations, allowing him to build a substantial savings for the future.
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In the Hands of a Troubled System; A Woman Questions the Guardianship of Her Disabled Son

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