Comments on: Most Reported Details in the Standard Robbery/Murder FALSE

By: G

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:18:55 +0000

Assuming the police arrived and found someone shot twice in the legs and (what looked to be) twice in the head, it would seem reasonalbe for them to make a preliminary judgement that the person was shot “execution style” (i.e., at close range, intentionally). The scenario where the victim gets shot twice in the legs intentionally, and then gets fatally hit in the head by a bullet that flew through a closed door, seems much less likely.

By: COCO

COCO — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:31:58 +0000

Hold on for a sec, guys. Maybe it’s not bad policing – maybe it’s bad witnessing or …something else? The story of the witness in the cabinet and an execution-style murder sounds a bit…well.. SUSPICIOUS. I don’t think the police made it up. I have a feeling that they reported what was told to them by the witness. “Don’t shoot the girl”…the “girl hid in a cabinet”…”execution-style” I have a feeling that the police will start checking more carefully into witness statements before issuing their own statements. First it was the thug black guys, now the police. I say how about the girl?

By: live apt fire

live apt fire — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:02:08 +0000

Paula’s right. The details do matter. One version is sensational and cold-bloodedly chilling . The other is stupid and cold-bloodedly reckless. Either way, of course, the perps need to be caught and put away permanently. But the fear in the community is based, to some extent, on the details.

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:23:43 +0000

I’m with Paula on this one.

Though the new details of this crime are still terrifying and tragic, and to those that knew and loved John Henderson must still now go through life without him, to the general public there is a difference between ruthless robbers that shoot people in the legs and those that execute their victims. Both are terrible, but one is certainly more terrifying than the other.

In terms of the APD and some assertions made here…I don’t see why they would purposefully report the wrong story just to come out two days later with an embarrassing retraction. I would say it was just sloppy.

By: Paula

Paula — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:47:05 +0000

Oh c’mon, folks. Cut me some slack here. As I said, it doesn’t at all change the seriously tragic fact that someone died. This was horrible no matter what. Nor did I ever hint that it changed how I felt about how the perpetrators might be dealt with (although please note that the law does traditionally differentiate between degrees of murder; whatever degree this crime counts for is up to the jury to decide).

But, for better or worse, those false, lurid details did affect me in a visceral way (which is what I guess the APD were intending). When I learned they weren’t true, I was relieved, albeit still horrified. I apologize if I didn’t say it eloquently enough.

By: David

David — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:42:18 +0000

Paula, I agree some of the more lurid parts of the story weren’t true, but I don’t find any of it reassuring. The guy was still shot in the legs twice and that can be lethal. And he was still killed by a shot in the head regardless of it being done on purpose or not. These thugs should be treated and tried no differently than had they shot him in the head point blank.

By: bb

bb — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:49:43 +0000

No, but the apd is blowing up the details to show the need for less cutbacks on the force. So why not leak horrifying details of a crime to inspire people to post on the blogs!

By: MM

MM — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:18:10 +0000

Umm – who cares what was reported!! A person is DEAD. Is this going to change how you view the animals who committed this crime???