Community Chat

[Irshgrl31201]

There was not enough evidence and too much reasonable doubt to convict this man. Sadly though I have seen people sent to prison with even less evidence. 

[sophiamarie]

I watched the 20/20 episode and will watch Dateline later today.  I think the boyfriend did it too.  Who else would kill a child unless it was for revenge and I think he got his revenge.  So, he wore gloves or something.  Who knows - maybe he's had experience and knew exactly how to hide his DNA/fingerprints????  

[LilacTree]

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@Lucky Charm wrote:

I feel sorry for the woman, that she lost her husband at such a young age.

I can't imagine the anguish of knowing how horrifically her son died, to be sat on like that and smothered. 

But they said something about her and the defendant.  7 months.  Was that how long they dated?   Lived together?  Knew each other?

That isn't a long enough time to know someone, to give them a key, to trust them around your children.

This I know, I would never live with someone if I had no desire to be married to or have children with them.  No way.  No way!

That's me, not her, I know.  My children would be more important than anything.  Wouldn't matter if I had all girls or all boys.  Wouldn't make a difference if they were tots or teens.  Any minor child is impressionable as to what their mother does.

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@Lucky Charm

One of the men I dated made an inappropriate remark TO ME about one of my girls.  That was the last time I dated him.  My girls were all mid to late teens at that time.

My children were still in grammar school after my first divorce, and not that much older after the second divorce.  I did not start dating again until they were in their mid-teens.  I do understand your point though.

[Mrsq2022]

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@Maudelyn wrote:

RE: Living with boyfriends while a single mom

Some women have few choices.  Some will live with men because it's another paycheck or access to a vehicle.  Some just feel they can't be alone.

I try not to judge because I've not been in a situation where I was faced with not having enough money to feed my kids.  I did not see the program, but I'm responding to the comments about living with men when you have small children.

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I totally understand this, but I would personally choose a cramped studio apartment with my babies over a male roommate or new boyfriend sharing a bathroom and sleeping quarters with my young children.  I was always very protective of my children when they were young (not helicopter mom style, but wary of their interactions with other adults). I wouldn't allow my daughter to be babysat alone by an adult or teenage male.  My gut told me to avoid that situation no matter what.  

As a teen, my friend and I were treated inappropriately by her moms live-in boyfriend, and I am aware that I am jaded by that. I would never, ever have put my girls into that situation as kids or teens.  Home should feel safe, and always better safe than sorry.

[kivah]

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@occasionalrain wrote:

I didn't  have a favorable opinion of the mother. Three boyfriends plus two husbands isn't  the behavior of a mother who puts the welfare of her children first. 

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The mother's first husband died - and she remarried. Had another son with the 2nd husband. Unfortunately, that didn't work out. Many women can't be alone. She was very credible ---- but very foolish.

[hoosieroriginal]

Once again, I think the police came to a rush of judgment.  I do not believe the boyfriend was guilty.  There was no physical evidence against him.  If I was on a jury for this case, my vote would have been NOT GUILTY.  The police were under pressure to find someone and they chose him.  I'm curious as to whether he will stay living in this town or move somewhere else. 

[occasionalrain]

This was a predominantly  white community, a black man would have been noticed leaving his car and entering the building, it was only 5pm, then again returning to his car after exiting the window. 

More than likely it was someone living nearby or a former tenant who still had a key. Garrett encountered him in the apartment, recognized him and the intruder panicked and killed him. It's  the only reasonable explanation.

The x was educated as were his friends, the mother was not. He may have been unhappy losing the benefits but this relationship was never going to become anything serious. 

[chrystaltree]

I started out thinking that he probably did it but as the whole, unembellished story came out, I don't think he did it.   The mother admiting at trial that their break up was not nearly as dramatic or confrontational as she previously claimed.  They were on cordial terms and she even slept with him after they broke up.  And it came out they he never laid a hand on her boy when they were together.  He wasn't someone known to have an anger problem or mental health issues.  There was no reason for him to kill a child.  There was plenty of reason for him to lie to the police.  After his absolutely abysmal and in human treatment by the police, he knew they were in "blame a black man" mode.  They started down that road almost immediately and from there on, they only worked at pinning the crime on him.  They never tried to solve the crime.  The worst example of tunnel vision.  I think it might very well have been some other man the mother put in her bed.  Some unstable guy, a one night stand.  She's one of those women who can't make a marriage work.  She goes from man to man.  That's fine if the woman is single.  But when you have kids, you can't do the live in boyfriend thing. 

[chrystaltree]

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@ROMARY wrote:

All in all, thank goodness for our present justice system.  I'm now pondering what would happen to all of us as a society if the 'beyond a reasonable doubt' requirement would no longer exist.  Something to think about. 

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      Our present system doesn't work quite so well for black men.  If that man had a trial by jury, he'd have been quilty.  It would have taken the jury 30 minutes.  He only got justice because his lawyers opted out of a jury trial.  I thought that was a brilliant move.