Musings on criminal justice...

[sarahmichelef]

This probably hasn't made national news (although the case was on America's Most Wanted a while back), but this week Buffalo area law enforcement officials made an arrest in a string of rapes & murders - going back all the way to 1981.  The accused has been known as the "bike path rapist" because the first murder and one last spring both took place on the Ellicott Creek Bike Path.  Possibly more - I'm a bit hazy on the details.  They're reporting that Sanchez's DNA is a 100% match in several of the cases.  It's very much a BTK-type situation (though way, WAY less twisted) of "Oh, he was such a nice guy, I can't believe he'd be the one to do such a thing."

Anyway, I have two observations/thoughts:

1. The first murder victim was UB student Linda Yalem.  She was murdered while out running on the bike path, and for the last 17 years there's been the Linda Yalem Safety Run to promote public safety for runners & walkers.  Assuming that Sanchez is, in fact, the man who raped and murdered her, he has some serious cojones.  Why?  Because in 1996, he ran in the memorial race.  Again, that's assuming that he is, in fact, the guilty party.  Which brings me to #2.
2. WBFO is of course doing a lot of coverage of this.  And today they were interviewing people in the UB community, many of whom were saying things to the effect of "Oh, I'm so relieved.  I'll feel so much safer going out walking now."  Well, pardon me, but I do not have 100% faith in our criminal justice system.  I'm not unconvinced that they've caught the guilty party, but remember: innocent until proven guilty.  Mistakes do get made.  And all cynicism about the system aside, just because one person has been caught doesn't mean that there aren't other potential attackers out there.  The world is not a safe place.

Comments

[nazrynn.livejournal.com]

As if the case of the Washington Intern, Chandra Levy, being found in Rock Creek Park with her walkman, jogging shoes, etc. found with her remains is not proof enough of this. I know the circumstances around the case pointed back at someone else on the White House Staff, but... My older brother used to live in Georgetown, and I've driven past the park.

With all the hills and valleys and shrubs in there among the trees, I can see why it's not the place to be when alone and/or after dark. Same could be said for Central Park and most other public places that are badly lit and not well-patrolled.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

They ALWAYS find someone to say something like "He's such a nice guy, I can't believe it." Or, as Harlan Ellison put it:

"He's such a good Christian boy. Went to church on Sunday, always sent half his paycheck to his mother. I don't know why he killed 147 people and sent their private parts in a mailing tube to his senator, but he's a good Christian boy."

Of course, it turns out later that the quiet, regular guy has a huge collection of pornography in his garage, tells anyone who'll listen that women are the bane of his existence, and exhibits a variety of odd behaviors ranging from petty theft to impaling turtles on sticks for shits and grins. So he really *wasn't* a quiet, regular guy, just someone who was very good at presenting a facade to the world....

[irihs.livejournal.com]

As the girlfriend of a public defender, I can say that 1. There are more where he came from, and 2. No, some of them are obviously assholes.

Of course, I just don't trust media coverage about crimes anymore, after seeing the way some of Alex's cases have been incorrectly reported in our paper. And I don't just mean matter of opinion stuff (though I thought journalists were supposed to be neutral, which they aren't), but actual massive factual errors that have the potential to change public opinion on the case, the defendant, the lawyers, and the workings on the criminal justice system in general. (Then again, maybe I should be optimistic, and hope that it's just our local coverage that is so full of holes and errors.)

[etainmbw.livejournal.com]

I can't believe the line "oh, I feel so much safer already".... I don't care what century you come from, there has always been a danger to women traveling alone, especially in deserted areas. The lady with the above quote is living in a state of denial. I grant that we would all like to feel and be "safer" but safety can and has been an illusion. Alertness may save your life. Not always, true, but it's better than being willfully blind and pretending that sexual predators don't exist. *okay, rant over*