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True Crime: Truth AND Justice
On Being a Thoughtful True Crime Consumer
June 13, 2024
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I have no background in anything approaching a legal education so I rely on lawyers going over legal documents as I consume true crime. I also listen to those who have a proven track record in covering cases fairly. In my opinion, anyway. 

In an opinion piece on Fox News, a couple of podcasters who are or were prosecutors admonish viewers/listeners of this genre. In doing so, they've chosen some of the most problematic cases to use as illustrators. And here is where that record scratch effect resounds in my head as I read. Let's take a look:

Richard Allen - accused of murdering Abby Williams & Libby German

In Delphi, Indiana, Richard Allen, the accused murderer of thirteen-year-olds Abby Williams and Libby German, is preparing for trial. On February 13, 2017, the girls were brutally slain on a public hiking trial not far from their homes. Allen has placed himself on the trail at the time of the murders. Police have forensically linked him to the scene with a bullet that matches a gun he owns, and he has reportedly confessed multiple times to multiple people. But evidence is no match for a shocking story, well told.

Factually, nobody knows where the girls were actually killed. They are presumed to have been on the Monon High Bridge before they were discovered in a nearby forested area. Sometime after this area was released by law enforcement, an unspent bullet was found buried in the ground. This has allegedly been linked to Richard Allen via much disputed tool mark evidence. Allen has been housed in the department of corrections for Indiana, also known as prison, rather than held in a local jail. It is while within these confines that he's supposedly confessed, not in actual documented police interviews. 

Allen didn’t kill the girls, according to his attorneys. Rather, they were sacrificed by white supremacist members of the neo-pagan religion of Odinism, aided by a cover-up orchestrated by law enforcement. While one might expect that waking the echoes of the satanic panic would meet with derision, certain corners of the true crime world loved it.

The pagan angle was actually explored by law enforcement early in the investigation. This information was not turned over to the defense during discovery. So it appeared that the prosecution was gatekeeping information which isn't allowed. Personally, my brain just said, "WTF" regarding this odinism stuff until Allen's second set of lawyers, briefly appointed by the judge, also brought the idea up. This is when my interest was piqued. Although it was more about the fact that the judge fired a set of court appointed attorneys who then fought to continue the case pro bono. There was a hearing held by the supreme court of Indiana to have them reinstated. None of this was mentioned by the opinion writers, though.

Recently, Allen’s true crime supporters launched a legal defense fund, advertising it with the hashtag "Justice for Abby and Libby," the names of the girls Allen is accused of brutally murdering. As of this writing, more than 700 people have donated in excess of $40,000 to the cause. 

What's been left out is that the judge refuses to approve funds for Allen's defense team to hire experts. In fact, last I heard, the lawyers themselves have not yet been fully reimbursed. Our consititution guarantees a fair trial for all those accused, even men who've allegedly killed young girls. They are also presumed innocent which you'd think supposed prosecutors would understand but it seems not. For this and the other two cases mentioned in this opinion piece, it's shocking how many apparent legal/law enforcement commentators downplay these rights. Keep this idea in mind as we continue on.

Karen Read - accused of murdering boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe

In Boston, Massachusetts, the trial of Karen Read drags on. The former financial analyst and professor stands accused of striking and killing her Boston Police Department boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her Lexus. Read maintains her innocence, but true crime bloggers, YouTubers, and podcasters didn’t need a trial to decide what they thought had happened. O’Keefe was murdered by a fellow officer, and law enforcement was framing Read to cover it up. One popular blogger named Turtleboy—Aidan Kearney in his non-true crime life—became so convinced of Read’s innocence that he launched what prosecutors claim was a campaign of harassment and witness intimidation. While Read stands trial for murder, Kearney now faces at least 16 felony charges himself.  

I am currently watching this trial and it's shocking just how screwed up this investigation was. People who were reading through filings and watching hearings already knew some of this. This is what Kearny has been covering for awhile now. Massachusettes seems to have a law that labels what citizen reporters do as "witness intimidation." It might behoove certain legal representatives to read through some court documents. Just a suggestion.

Brian Kohberger - accused of murdering 4 Idaho college students

It seems all of the opinion writers' wrath is aimed at a Tik Tok psychic who's made wild claims against a local university professor. The professor is suing the so-called psycic. There may well be problems with the state's case in this instance, too, but those are not mentioned in the article. Neither are the 4 students' names: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.

I'm supposing that what sticks in the craws of those writing the opinion piece for Fox News is that the defense attorneys for all three cases seem to absolutely believe in their clients' innocence and are fighting hard for them. However, EVERY defendent is constitutionally guaranteed the right to zealous advocacy which is highlighted beautifully in these examples, IMO. I've learned much watching those covering these cases and have a new found respect for defense attorneys, especially those appointed by the state. Is this idea what is truly bothering the writers?

While I do agree that some of those covering True Crime are exploitative and certain documentaries/docuseries are sensationalistic, many are not. And the more we learn about our justice system, the better, IMO. When seeking justice for victims, it means convicting the right perpetrator. And doing it in the proper way, not by underhanded means.

Blackstone's Ratio says, “the law holds that it is better that 10 guilty persons escape, than that 1 innocent suffer.” Every lawyer commentator I follow believes this doctrine to be true. If a prosecution cannot withstand bright light being shone upon it, we're right to ask questions. Our US justice system should also be able to withstand the same. And I think that those that work or have worked within this system and have become content creators do their watchers/listeners a disservice if they refuse to shine a similar light. I also think this is much of what defines a thoughtful true crime consumer.

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Jennifer Coffindaffer is Tired, Poor Thing!
The sham trial of Karen Read

Former (supposed) FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer says some ridiculous things on X regarding the Karen Read trial (amongst others). This one caught my eye yesterday:

Let's break it down:

The Top Ten Reasons why I can't Wait for the Karen Read trial to be over:

1-Tired of all the dissent in the True Crime Community. 

Most of those in the "True Crime Community" realize that, at the very least, the investigation was sorely lacking thus engendering feelings of a whole shit ton of reasonable doubt. People who truly believe Karen Read is guilty should be mad as hell at disgraced former trooper Michael Proctor yet they're not. I find this incredibly odd. It's almost like they agree with his whole "pin it on the girl" strategy.

2-Tired of trying to explain that there is 0 proof that an ATF Agent (who has his job and was not reprimanded in anyway much less accused of murder), a 30+ year Boston Police Officer (featured on Boston's Finest and retired with distinction about 2 years After the crime), a dog (sent to Vermont months after the crime due to a fight she had with another dog), and a minor (not even worth mentioning) Murdered John O'Keefe and brilliantly threw him in their front lawn.

So, stop trying to excuse ... er, explain stuff regarding people you don't even know. Higgins is on desk duty (last we heard, anyway), Brian Albert has a history of beating people up, a dog whose owners called the poor girl "it" and made her disappear the night of the incident only for her to reappear then end up being "rehomed," and a thug in the making. Btw, it's curious that you, of all people, knew where Chloe supposedly was when even the defense team didn't. The rest of us learned during her "mom" Nichole Albert's testimony well into trial #1. Another oddity, IMO.

3- Tired of listening to Alessi. 

I'm so sorry that Alessi is too smart and well spoken for some to understand. Personally, I'm tired of Hank Brennan's incessant whining. 

4- Tired of watching Karen Read's courtroom antics. 

No idea what you're talking about here. Do you mean her being an active and valued member of her own defense team?

5- Tired of reading all of the dribble from those who haven't watched the trial but pretend they have.

I think the word you're looking for is "drivel" and those who rebut you probably *have* watched the trial, you just don't like their viewpoints. Many also probably watched some, if not all, pretrial (especially for this second trial). I certainly have. The CW's own ME said Ofc O'Keefe's injuries were inconsistent with a motor vehicle strike. What are we even doing here?

6- Tired of the podcasters flushing truth for viewership.

Same girl, same but opposite. I'm tired of those that have flushed their integrity in order to push the CW's false narrative. However, I'm glad to weed out those who apparently lack critical thinking skills.

7- Tired of the Blogger's filthy mouth and lies. 

So don't watch/listen to him or read his articles. Easy fix, right?

8- Tired of Watching the Fan.

Agreed.

9- Tired of a simple Occam's Razor Domestic Violence case being made into a Cecil B. Deville drama fest.

I'm tired of people who think that cops running a crappy investigation is A-OK as long as whoever they deem to be the "bad guy" gets put away. I'm also tired of people shitting on our US Constitution and using the Bill of Rights to wipe their ass.

And number 10: Tired of watching a spoiled one continue to mock the death of a wonderful soul named John O'Keefe.

Nobody finds humor in the death of OFFICER John O'Keefe. Many see the tragedy in that some of his fellow brothers in blue didn't give him the honor he was due by conducting a proper investigation, exploring all avenues, in order to figure out what truly happened to him. Instead, he was just "a man," "the guy," and, ultimately, the victim. He's not even referred to as a Boston Police Officer in much of the CW's case. 

I will continue to advocate for justice in this case because it's the right thing to do.

Justice means not trampling over someone's rights. It means recognizing shoddy police work. It means not rushing to judgement. It means a thorough and proper investigation. It means not resorting to trickery in an attempt to secure a conviction. It means not ignoring inconvenient truths. 

This trial has brought to light how some DA's offices along with their local law enforcement sometimes works to railroad innocnt people. As attorney Mark Bederow likes to say, they're supposed to be the good guys. With Karen Read, we're seeing that's not always the case which is pretty eye opening, IMO. I have learned to take a closer look at how cases are investigated and garnered even more appreciation for the role of defense attorneys. Like many others, I've come to understand that the government does not generally have our best interest in mind. Sometimes they need their feet held to the fire. We can learn much from criminal defense attorneys Bob & Ali Motta (Defense Diaries), Andrea Burkhart (Andrea Burkhart), Ian Runkle (Runkle of the Bailey) and Natalie Whittingham Burrell (natalielawyerchick) as well as former prosecutor Emily D. Baker (The Emily Show). I would be remiss if I did not mention Attorney Melanie Little for complete covereage since pre-trial 1 and Peter Tragos (Lawyer You Know) for his unbiased and nuanced coverage. These are just a handful of lawyers on social media that are covering and/or commenting on this case. Those worth following point out the myriad of issues and just how much reasonable doubt there is.

FREE KAREN READ

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Commonwealth of MA vs Karen Read retrial
The more things change the more they stay the same.

Those of us who sat through the interminable first trial of Karen Read had some tempered hope when an outsider, defense attorney Hank Brennan, was brought into for this retrial. That this newly appointed special ADA would look through the evidence and ask Michael Morrissey WTF he was thinking when he brought charges against Karen. Or, at minimum, recognize the overreach of the second degree murder charge. These hopes were dashed when Brennan switched from wanting a fair trial for Karen to wanting one for the Commonwealth of MA (CW).* He seemed determined to dig deeply into the federal investigation of the investigation of the death of Officer John O'Keefe but not in the direction that those of us on the FKR side hoped he would. He completely ignored the exculpatory information provided by the feds in a 3000+ page Touhey report. Instead it seems he did his level best to figure out what the government had on the Norfolk County DA's Office (NCDAO). When he failed at that, he attempted to discredit the defense in as dirty a way as possible: Make it look like they were colluding with the FBI or, at the very least, their experts from ARCCA who opined that John was not hit by Karen's car and Karen's car was not damaged by hitting John.

Hank Brennan and James
James "Whitey" Bulger and Hank Brennan

Did I mention that Hank Brennan was on the team that unsuccessfully defended James "Whitey" Bulger, infamous Irish mob boss and murderer? And that he cried at his funeral? I personally did not know this when he was first appointed but it makes sense now. Who better to defend the NCDAO than a mob lawyer? That's how those in the know were describing him from the beginning. I though that nobody could be worse than DA Michael Morrissey and his corrupt crew: ADA Adam Lally & ADA Laura McLaughlin. Boy was I wrong! Lally mumble fumbled his way through the first trial, using "what if any" so many times I wanted to smack my head into my keyboard. Droning on about the snow and high top tables and shoveling aprons until I thought my ears were gonna bleed. Then along came Hank Brennan and his incessant whining. Suddenly, I missed Lally, which I didn't think would ever be possible. Speaking of, has anybody else noticed that Lally turned into a real prosecutor under Hank's tutelage? Suddenly he's loud, clear and concise with his questioning although he's been relegated to the most minor and most boring of witnesses. 

Hank Brennan, Adam Lally and Laura McLaughlin
Hank Brennan, Adam Lally and Laura McLaughlin

Brennan has been running this trial like a defense attorney trying to trip up witnesses during cross examination. In other words, his presentation does not seem to be linear (what follows is not necessarily in order): EMS first responders, Kerry Roberts, more EMS first responders, Sara Levinson (who was inside 24 Fairview that night), Ian Wiffen & Jessica Hyde (the CW's two cell phone experts), Jennifer McCabe, retired Canton police dept. Sgt. Paul Gallagher (who arrived after John O'Keefe was transported to the hospital), Yuri Bukhenik (lead investigator Michael Proctor's supervisor and partner). Oh, and the two passangers of the vehicle that arrived and left 34 Fairview during the time Karen Read was outside in her Lexus waiting to hear from John O'Keefe (but not the driver for whatever reason). MST Nicholas Guarino also took the stand a few times to enter John's & Karen's cell phone evidence. Notably absent were any police officers that first responded to the scene, the lead investigator and the medical examiner, all of which are generally standard witnesses in a criminal case.

Jen McCabe

Jen McCabe, an early witness in this retrial, received a glow up from the last trial. She mostly remained cool, calm and collected during her 3 days of testimony. She and most of the EMS personnel that testified earnestly stated that their memories have gotten better over time. You would think that people even tangentially involved in law enforcement would know that this is patently untrue. However, I guess it's as true as Trooper Paul's grasp on physics in his "accident reconstruction" for the last trial that had poor officer John O'Keefe bouncing off of his head and pirouetting onto the lawn of 34 Fairview on that fateful morning. Hopefully their new expert, Dr. Welcher of Aperture, has a more cogent argument.

A bunch of physical evidence has been presented but there doesn't seem to be any logs attesting to their provenance. Plainly said, there doesn't seem to be  any chain of custody on anything. The scene at 34 Fairview was left unsupervised from before 8 am until after 4 pm that day. John's clothing was discovered on the hospital floor (which makes sense), loaded into a paper lawn & leaf size bag by Bukhenik and Proctor, rode around in their car most of the day, then laid out on butcher paper at the NCDAO. It was logged into evidence six weeks later and two pieces were ensconced in plexiglass between the first and second trial. John's shoes, one of which was found at the hospital with the other found on the lawn of 34 Fairview, both seemed to end up in property bags identifying the latter location. A recess was called to address the problem then, magically, the second shoe was pulled out of a bag that said it was from the hospital. It also seems that Proctor just filled out evidence bags with either his or Bukhenik's names as he saw fit. There were no crime scene services (CSS) photos of the 47 pieces of tail light that "revealed themselves" over a good 3 weeks. A bunch had no pics at all. There was no sketch made of what was found where at the crime scene. It was never even established exactly where John O'Keefe was found, much less orientation or any kind of measurements. 

This case is an absolute clusterfuck and, so far, the prosecution has not proven a damn thing, IMO. We're over 3 weeks in and the jury has not heard what John's actual cause of death was determined to be. In this way, Brennan's bunny hop approach resembles Lally's slogfest in trial 1. Emily D. Baker has some excellent daily briefs if you want to follow along.

Remember: The truth does not change. Data doesn't lie, people do! FREE KAREN READ

*The US constitution only guarantees a fair trial for those accused of crimes not for the bodies accusing them.

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"A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats" FKR
Feed your soul, not the trolls

I write not to just inform people but also to express my frustration, fear, even anger. I'm generally not an angry person but my capacity to endure foolish behavior is at almost nil. I'm old, I don't have time for that shit. 

Recently I spent the day watching Dean Schneider and his Hakuna Mipaka lion pride down in South Africa. His interactions with them touches my soul. The vlogs of the building of Brian Barczyk's LegaSea Aquarium and Reptarium are a never miss for me. I also enjoy Rocky Kanuka of "sitting with dogs" fame who is in dog rescue in California. I find animal rescue, preservation and conservation uplifting. And people who follow true crime absolutely need to take time out for anything that feeds their soul because, for the most part, true crime is not that.

The next day I come back to X and the first two stories are about incidences where children were killed. Then I see that infighting amongst Karen Read supporters (AKA Free Karen Read or FKR) is ongoing and seems to be escalating. The former are as heartbreaking as the latter is infuriating but both are why I need to take more frequent breaks. The "old guard" (OG) of FKR seems to be taking pot shots at newer creators. Ironically, I just released my first video after a 1 1/2 year hiatus which happens to be about Karen Read. So guess which category I fall into? I'm no "Video Jesus," not even close - my videos are amateur at best but I do like to dip into editing more than recording. It fulfills a creative need in me that I had to temporarily abandon while dealing with a new puppy. I got my first prolonged break from that duty this past weekend and I jumped at the chance.

I prioritize protecting my peace so I approach X very cautiously, only reading those I follow and have notifications turned on for. The first step I take in disengagement is to turn off those notifications. Next would be unfollowing then, if necessary, muting. I'm sure my mute list is formidable because I also mute those I've never followed. Blocking is the last step and I pretty much only block those that block me first. 

As I stated in the beginning: I'm old and don't have time for this shit. These days I rarely indulge in X spats. I'm more apt to take a few passive/aggressive swipes from afar. While I enjoy having followers/viewers my self-worth is not tied to them. My blog articles and sometimes subsequent videos are expressions that are necessary to me. I only write/record when I feel compelled to do so. This is the lens that I use when observing other people's works. It's a shame that some feel the need to denigrate others rather than giving them the same grace, especially when they're on the same damn side. This denigration is akin to "gate keeping" which I find highly distasteful and somewhat disgraceful. All this does is feed the trolls and make you look like idiots which stains the whole FKR movement, IMO. Remember, "a rising tide lifts all boats."

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