Our community has been fairly free from crime for the past few years, but we've had our tragedies too. Seven years ago a child was kidnapped and murdered on her way home from school. The forest area was one that Leiya had sometimes used when walking home from Jr. high... It is a road I will use on my way home from the supermarket. That crime has never been solved and annually it makes national news as the police continue to investigate. For the first year or so each family was questioned a number of times... what car we drive, where the adults were on that day... We were warned about going out alone or walking in the forest and questioned about eccentric neighbors (this did not make for great community relationships.) There are still posters taped to buildings and telephone poles asking for information. Our lovely, quiet country town is marred by this terribly sad crime. Because of it, the system began of an adult (the parents take turns) walking the groups of children to and from school. Most of the elementary school children no longer remember why they have to be careful.
I do hope that the community can prevent similar occurrences of the small animal crime which often leads to larger crimes...
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress
can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.
Mahatma Gandhi
6 comments:
last year, in october, a little girl disappeared on her way to school about 6 miles from here ... there is not a happy ending to the story ... the only positive thing about it is the perpetrator (a 17 year old mortuary sciences student) was turned over to the authorities by his mother ... sometimes evil people skip over small animal crime and go right to murdering and mutilating helpless children ... and even though it has been only a few months, my grandchildren have already forgotten why they aren't allowed out of our sight ... it can happen anywhere and we have to do what we can to keep our children safe...
Crime, violence and sick, twisted minds can show up anywhere. But it seems so much worse close to home. Six miles from here, just before Christmas, a man shot & killed his ex-girlfriend & her fairly new husband, then set the trailer they lived in on fire. An eye witness positively identified him. Fifteen miles in the other direction a man in the midst of a divorce lost it and went to school demanding his children. The teachers refused so he went to the convenience store talking crazy & making threats then went home to his farm, set his semi-truck on fire and started ramming his buildings with a farm tractor, then went and started ramming his neighbor's buildings, eventually ramming a State Patrol car. When the officer shot him he gave up. Just this past week there was a drug raid on a house just barely outside of town. Crazy world. No community has a monopoly on either peacefulness or crime. Please be very careful yourself when out an about.
I remember years ago there was a kid who began with killing and mutilating
animals and ended up killing a younger child. My daughter's neighborhood is having a problem with all the car's tires (except at one house) being slashed. One of her neighbor's had theirs (all four tires) slashed twice, just after getting new ones. Everyone suspects the crazy lady whose car was untouched but there is no evidence and no one saw her. I am glad there are no guns here.
That's really sad. :( :(
Tanya,
I will be praying for you to be able to say words which build up and heal. I know my friend reads this blog, too. So we will pray that the atmosphere of fear will not prevail. Instead that through you and others there, you can show them there is One in whom they can trust.
Sandy in the UK
Very disturbing! I think it is well known that someone mutilating animals is a first step to more gruesome crimes. I hope the criminal is quickly found. It never hurts to be cautious with the children and I'm glad your community has continued to escort and protect them to and from school.
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