Recently, our local media has been full of the reports of a murder that was particularly heinous, atrocious and cruel. These three words are used in the law to justify sentencing a person to the death penalty, but they are absolutely accurate in describing this case. Let me note at the outset that I am not a proponent of the death penalty. My reasons are simple; I cannot abide by absolute punishments being inflicted by imperfect systems. Far too many men have been released from death rows in this country, not based on technicalities of the law, but on the grounds that they did not commit the crime for which they were sentenced. However, that is another post.
In the case to which I refer, the victim was the ex-wife of a man with whom he had a child. The child is two years old. The ex-husband rented a house, bought power tools, pool acid and Rubbermaid-type tubs. He then came from another state, under the guise of visitation with his daughter. He convinced the wife to come get the daughter late at night whereupon he killed her (apparently in the presence of the daughter). He then took the ex-wife's body to a remote location, where he cut her up into sections with the power tools, put them in the bin(s), poured acid in the bins and then buried them. Oh, and just to try to make sure she couldn't be identified, he had cut off her fingers with a pair of pruning pliers and pulled her teeth out with a pair of pliers. He may have thrown these parts into a canal where there are an abundance of alligators.
I was aghast, as would be any normal or even moderately abnormal person. Viewed from a purely technical standpoint, it was actually well-planned, but like most criminals, the idiot talked to the police; talked himself into getting arrested and charged, so the crime will not go unpunished, whether it will be punished to the extent it should be is yet another question. Suffice it to say, he probably would have gotten away with it had he kept his mouth shut!!
On an emotional level, beyond being appalled, I also ask, "How can someone hate someone so much that they would do that to another person....Let alone the mother of their child?!?" I am not sure I could ever understand this. About the only thing that could possibly make this worse would be if it would be proved she was alive during the beginning parts of this. That goes beyond even my considerably high tolerance for violence, pain and suffering.
I cannot even begin to imagine what this woman could have done to this guy that would justify this, even is his obviously warped mind. I am stuck explaining to myself what I tell people everyday; I am trying to figure out a rational explanation for irrational actions and behavior. Unfortunately, that is the best I can do, because I cannot understand it or even wrap my head around the concept. Does that make me ignorant? Lacking empathy? It may, but I am not sure I ever want to be able to understand how this guy could do what he did. If I did, I would be very worried about myself It is said that the police have to be able to think like a criminal to solve the crimes they commit. If that is true, it is no wonder the police can get pretty odd after a while. Anyone that can, in any way, understand these actions, has to be a little (a lot?) off center. I am pretty "off center" myself, and I have not a clue. I just shake my head and sigh.
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