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5 Reasons The Cleveland Serial Killer Case Flew Under The Radar
New York, 2:57 PM
Thu Dec 10
68 posts in the last 24 hours
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5 Reasons The Cleveland Serial Killer Case Flew Under The Radar |
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11/07/09
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11/07/09
It seems ludicrous. Discounting police incompetence, indifference, abuse of power, and plain old bad luck (they can't be everywhere, all of the time), how can we expect the police to protect us--wait five minutes for them to show up when an ex is threatening to torch our house---when seconds count?
And after this and the Jaycee Dugard case (and incidentally, Jeffrey Dahmer...one of his victims had been drugged, escaped, and was wandering down the street naked when a mother and daughter found him, called the police about someone who looked like a victim of SOMETHING, and the cops laughed it off when Dahmer showed up to collect his "lover"), how can anyone trust the police to deal with violent crime?
Where's the line between an honest, tragic mistake, and plain old incompetence?
No wonder people are terrified and confounded by sex offenders.
Some of them are labeled "sex offenders" for something that doesn't pose a threat to people (statutory rape between a 19 year old guy and a 15 year old gf), some of them abuse family members (not to minimize familial abuse, but admittedly, it's logically less frightening than random crimes to the public), but then some of them are people like THIS. Where the fuck were the people who were supposed to monitor this guy? Should he REALLY have been out of jail (I ask that b/c I'm sure there are plenty of former rapists who, against my own instincts and despite my disgust, are not re-offending....yet).
No wonder mayors pass half-baked, counter intuitive ordinances driving people labeled "sex offenders" from living within city limits.
The police and the parole officers here were fatally incompetent.
These cases make me feel helpless. I'm shocked when the authorities give a shit and luck favors them with evidence so that they're actually able to investigate and prosecute someone like this fruitfully...these assholes weren't even trying, but they still have the badges. What is a frightened taxpayer supposed to do? #clevelandserialkiller
11/07/09
My co-worker repeated this one the same day and same time this story broke. Serial Killing is viewed as strictly being a middle-age, white, American male phenomenon.
Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo, Wayne Williams, Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo, Huang Yong, Magdalena Solis, Catherine Wood, Belle Gunness and many, many more would give lie to this belief. #clevelandserialkiller
11/07/09
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They'd never call themselves white supremecists, and likely never use a racial slur, at least not in public. But it's a level of antipathy towards African-Americans that translates to just not giving a damn when 11 (ELEVEN) black women go missing and end up stuffed under some ghoul's porch.
It reminds me of Columbine, which was an awful event, but living in Chicago at the time twice as many kids were getting killed EVERY YEAR in the Public Schools. But the media here just shrugged, called it "gang-related" ran a school picture of some 14 year old and called it journalism.
Post-racial America? My fat Irish ass. #clevelandserialkiller
11/07/09
I'm not trying to undermine the horror of the two girls who were murdered, and I'm a white middle-class girl myself (well, with a few more years on the clock), but I hate how we only hear about the most 'sympathetic' victims, as it just underlines the lack of sympathy for any victim where a faulty attribution can be made against. #anthonysowell
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In addition to the creepy connotations you point out, the term doesn't even make a lot of sense. It's short for co-educational, referring to the novel concept of non gender segregated schools. Even if it were notable to point out that someone is a student at such an institution, that someone could be either sex. #anthonysowell
11/07/09
11/06/09
"Complained" is totally the wrong word for this. #anthonysowell
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I was sentenced to one year of probation, during which I was also required to go to bi-weekly counseling sessions (paid for out of my own pocket). I had to report to my probation officer every month, submit to random drug testing, and submit to random searches of my home. He would occasionally cruise by my house, call to see if I was home, and check on my whereabouts.
It seems like a violent offender could have been kept under better control if probation and law enforcement officers were concentrating on the worst offenders, or those exhibiting suspicious behaviors, rather than hassling someone who unintentionally bounced a check for $350. #anthonysowell
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America clearly has it's priorities wrong. Seriously. #anthonysowell
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And add to this that Cleveland has been devastated by the foreclosure crisis - many homes in the inner city are vacant and stripped of anything of value. So if there aren't many people in the neighborhood, or if those who are in the neighborhood are scared to go out because there are no lights and drug dealers hiding out in empty homes or stealing pipes and even concrete front steps (that actually happened at one east side house), it's easy for things to go unnoticed. #anthonysowell
11/06/09
When I was working at the DA's office and interviewing our police witnesses, so often we wouldn't have ANY evidence of an assault unless it ended in homicide, because only then were they required to call detectives and take photos collect evidence. So often, our victims would tell us that the cops laughed at them when they showed up. Most memorably a guy tried to douse his girlfriend in gasoline and light her on fire -- after he'd stalked her and vandalized her car and apartment, which she had reported to the police. Yet, when the cops show up even though she is screaming and crying, they laugh, and don't even bother gathering her soaked clothing, or the gas can or ignition source, or even make a great effort at finding and arresting the guy until he shows up in court on another warrant.
It's almost like black people from bad neighborhoods just don't exist. Unless they give each other a high five or something- then they'll promptly be arrested on suspicion of selling drugs, and held in a jail cell even when no drugs are found after a search.
It's enough to really make me want to work for the PD, because the police don't seem to give a shit about helping victims of violent crimes anymore, but are more interested in the easy drug bust, or maybe high-profile white girls are missing shit, if their commander tells them its important.
11/06/09
11/07/09