Poll: Media's Explanation of Murderous Behavior

[ElanthianSiren]

In 1999 my best friend, Jenn was murdered.

On Monday, police announced a long-overdue arrest in the case; unfortunately, that arrest came with the death of another one of my friends, Heather, her sister, Lisa, and her 3 year old daughter, Avery.

I didn't know this guy, but it seems Jenn and Heather both did.

The media circus is now in on it, saying "Oh he did it because he played that dungeons and dragons game!" "Oh he did it because he was in love with each woman and she wouldn't have him!" "Oh he did it because he was practicing witchcraft!" etc etc etc.

How about, he's a nutjob who needs to die? Nobody's gone that avenue yet sadly. Anyway, your vote goes up top and links on the case go here:

http://www.nbc10.com/news/4324018/detail.html

http://www.nbc10.com/news/4324500/detail.html

http://kyw.com/Local%20News/local_story_086031151.html

[Jazuela]

I read the first and third link...the first didn't say he killed them because he played D&D or was in Wicca. It only said that he -did- play D&D and that they were all in a group that practiced Wicca. It was more like - "this is one possible connection that explains why they even knew each other enough for him to think about killing them in the first place."

It looked more like the media was explaining how they knew each other..that this wasn't a random killing of some nutjob who didn't know who his victim was.

I understand your anger, and I am very sorry for your loss. It really is a tragedy when someone is murdered, no matter what the reason.

I just don't see the media blaming it on either D&D or Wicca, but just pointing out that "this is how they might have known each other."

[ElanthianSiren]

Originally posted by Jazuela
I read the first and third link...the first didn't say he killed them because he played D&D or was in Wicca. It only said that he -did- play D&D and that they were all in a group that practiced Wicca. It was more like - "this is one possible connection that explains why they even knew each other enough for him to think about killing them in the first place."

It looked more like the media was explaining how they knew each other..that this wasn't a random killing of some nutjob who didn't know who his victim was.

I understand your anger, and I am very sorry for your loss. It really is a tragedy when someone is murdered, no matter what the reason.

I just don't see the media blaming it on either D&D or Wicca, but just pointing out that "this is how they might have known each other."

Actually, John and Heather worked together at the Acme :) I think that must have been in another article though; since heather and jenn were friends, that is the connection, I believe.

At the time of the first murders though, Heather was living with the father of her baby, so murdering was probably out.

I appreciate your kind words though. The whole media attention to it just sort of hit home like the Collumbine shootings being blamed on music. I think the media, (and the humans that we are), often will try to find some sort of link for unacceptable/unexplainable behavior. Unfortunately, I also think they're/we're generally wrong in our assessment, but I wasn't sure if that was a majority opinion.


-Melissa

[Snapp]

I'm sorry about your losses. :( I don't see them directly blaming D&D and being Wiccan, but it is really odd that they would mention it at all as it seems irrelevant to the murders. The guy was a psycho... I really doubt the girls' spiritual beliefs and hobbies were to blame.

They do say that he met her working at Acme, by the way.

:wtf:

That's terrible, I'm sorry.

My take on this is if you do have some kind of biological predisposition, and/or a serious personality disorder, the probability are that some environmental factor could spark an individual with a defective brain into violence & murder, whether it be D&D, Sesame Street, a talking dog, or a Beatles song.

[Apotheosis]

http://www.detnews.com/2000/wayne/0008/16/d03-106136.htm


not to interfere with your original post that much, but this story is related to a group of wiccans who I associated with during some of my formative years age 16 - 18..

you could kinda see the signs coming, but by the time of the incident, i had mostly dis-associated myself with that group..

I am sorry that you lost your friend, that is a sad thing.

[Caiylania]

How horrible :( How is the family handling it?

[4a6c1]

People need to rationalize things for themselves so life make sense. Media is no different, and sometimes they feel like its they're responsibility to do it for everyone else. Even they're job. Ionno. Just a maybe to think about. :shrug:

[ElanthianSiren]

Yswithe: If a man slays his wife, he doesn't deserve his children IMO. It blows my mind that a legal justice might even consider letting someone interact with their children after he/she murdered the other half of those children. Insane. :?: :?: :?:

It makes me very sad to see so many people touched by so much violence lately. That aside, this guy couldn't have been a true wiccan. Personally, I lean toward agnosticism, but I believe one of the major tenants of witchcraft is to harm none.

Caiylania: Heather's family is devestated and keeping to themselves. Her dad was the one who found all three bodies, and he is just... indescribable right now :( I think I would be too though. It's amazing to conceive that three people can be there, then one day just not be there anymore. My prayers to whatever go out to them; I'm sure their pain must be indescribable.

Jenn's family was always very resentful of the fact that she rejected the catholic dogma and her upbringing therein, so I suspect that's where the whole "Witches did it!" theory originated. As far as I know, her mother has still requested that none of her friends (and her boyfriend that found her body) visit the grave, so we respect that wish, and we don't speak to her either.

-Melissa

[xtc]

My condolences.

To quote Media Baron Conrad Black "I am not in the business of reporting news, I am in the business of selling newspapers". I think that speaks volumes on media reporting.

It is like violence in Canada. Over the past 30 years violent crime has consistently gone down, but reporting of violent crime over that time period has increased by 500%.