Revealed

I ran across an article in New York Daily News that really unsettled me. I think our society has sunk to such a low point that it can not see clearly through the mud and muck that it finds itself swimming in.

Just recently a horrible crime occurred. A well known and respected man was living a double life. During the day he was a radio newsman in New York- one of the top radio markets in the world. Off hours it seems he might have been a bit off course in his life.

Seems this gent had a thing for young boys. He apparently trolled for illicit relations on Craigslist and made plans to connect with and pay $60 to a 16 year old kid for a night of drug induced rough encounters.

The next morning the reporter was found dead in his bed, bound and sporting 50 knife stab wounds to the neck. Tragic, and very sad. So very sad that this man lost his life.

However, what really unsettled me were the words that poured out about the reporter- words that if thought about, reveal either careless emotional outpouring that glorifies someone in their death, or a detachment from of what is good, right and noble in how people live their lives.

A close friend of the slain man said “I really wish people knew George the way we knew George.”

My immediate response was- I really wish YOU knew George the way we all found out George really was so that maybe you could help him. Or get him to someone that could help. I mean, here’s a 47 year old man chasing down young boys for sex. Ugh.

Or this statement: "We are devastated by the loss of George. He was truly a caring person who loved and was loved by all he met. He loved New York and its people, particularly his Carroll Gardens neighborhood. The outpouring of support by his friends and neighbors is a blessing to us and a testimony to his character."

OK- was totally tracking with this throughout the entire first sentence. Yes, loss of life is always devastating. But then it goes sideways with the very next words- “he was truly a caring person.” Really? I mean, REALLY? Caring in how he was like a wolf consuming young boys?

And then- “the outpouring of support…is a blessing to us and a testimony to his character.”

Come on now- could not a few better words be found? Testimony to his character? His character turned out to be on display in his bed the day he was found dead. Internet listings for sex with kids, bound and stabbed in bed, drugs in the house.

Click here to read the articles:
March 25th story
March 26th story

Confirmation, Finally, For John And Revé Walsh

In 2006 I had the distinct pleasure of working for 3 very fine people. Julie and Bill Clark (Julie is the founder and creator of The Baby Einstein Company) and John Walsh.

Together, Julie, Bill and John launched a child safety company named The Safe Side, focused on creating fun and informative safety videos for kids.

During that time I worked closely with Julie and Bill to launch the company, and communication with John was infrequent. Mostly faxes to his home as he doesn’t like to use email.

On one occasion I was able to spend some quality time with John during an extended dinner at the hotel we were all staying at in Washington DC. We were attending the annual National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Hope Awards benefit and congressional breakfast where John was keynote speaker.

During dinner he shared all about the horrible experience he and his wife Revé went through in the immediate aftermath of Adam’s abduction, the challenges he faced working with local law enforcement, and his certainty, though the police would not confirm it, that Ottis Toole was responsible for the crime. The announcement yesterday by police that the case has been closed and Ottis Toole confirmed as the abductor and killer of Adam is a much needed “period” to the awful chapters to date in their life. John said yesterday though that there’s not really closure. His mission and life’s purpose is still ahead of him.

I will never forget that dinner with John- It was heart wrenching listening to him recount the details (I kept thinking what I would have done had it been one of my four precious kids). Both the pain he showed as he told the story, and the determination that flowed out of him to have the case closed and to do everything he could to prevent another family going through what he went through was very motivating. I left that time together wanting to brandish a sword and chop something or other off every child abuser I could find.

Officer Birdhunter

A few weeks ago my 5th grader, L, took a much anticipated field trip with her classmates to a place called Exchange City, where each day, young students experience the responsibilities and opportunities of citizenship in a free enterprise system. It helps young people discover, investigate and become productive citizens in a life-size replica of a real city. The students operate the stores, bank, post office, radio station, snack shop, newspaper office and city hall-all outfitted with modern office equipment and business supplies. During the Exchange City experience, students learn first-hand what it takes to create a business, run a newspaper, supervise employees and hold elected office, as well as personally earn and manage money.

All that is well and good, but first the students need to actually GET to Exchange City to start their adventure. On the day my daughter’s school was to visit they had some difficulty getting there on time.

The day started as students piled into a couple buses headed for Nashville, excited about their assignments at the City. There were newly elected mayors, judges, policemen, shop owners, newspaper writers and more. L was so excited and nervous she could barely sleep the night before.

The bus pulled out of the school, and started the 45 minute journey to Exchange City. Not much later, the caravan came to a sudden and unexpected stop.

I remember many years ago being invited to go with a friend and his family out for the day, and experiencing darkened car windows for the first time. Do you remember when they first came out? If you were a kid then, you probably remember the fun it used to be making silly faces or waving at people walking or driving by knowing they couldn’t see you, and laughing your butt off. No? So maybe my friends and I were just goofballs.

The school buses used on this day to transport the precious and innocent children, 5th and 6th graders all, to Exchange City had SLIGHTLY tinted windows. Just enough to make the more adventurous kids feel safe to taunt and tease traffic, while not quite hiding their antics from below. It seems a small group of 6th grade boys in the lead bus thought it would be fun to practice their shadow puppet versions of birds at other drivers. The bad kind of birds. When they saw an approaching police car, two boys dared another to send a bird-message to the policeman. The “brave” boy took them up on the dare.

Inside the police cruiser, coming up alongside the bus on the highway, was an officer trained to keep one eye on the road, and another inspecting his surroundings. He looked up at the students in the back of the bus, saw the unconventional wave, and then turned on the lights and siren.

The policeman pulled the bus over, and after it and the second bus following it stopped, he jumped out of his car and boarded the bus. The driver and teachers on board were surprised and confused, having no idea why they were pulled over. The policeman said two words as he boarded the bus and stomped his way to the rear- “excuse me.”

The driver, teachers, and innocent front-of-the-bus students watched with great interest and bewilderment as officer Bird Hunter, with hands on hips, arrived at the very back of the bus and shouted with great gusto “I know you flipped me off" pointing at one of the boys, "I want to know right now which of you other boys were involved. Tell me right now.”

Any bravery or bravado the group of boys in the last row might have had never had a chance to shine. The identified transgressor broke down crying and confessed, pointing a more appropriate finger at his accomplices. The officer returned to the front of the bus and chatted with the group of teachers seated there, insisting that the boys be returned to school and suspended. The principal was called, and after the officer was assured the boys would be picked up from Exchange City shortly after arriving, he left without another word and pulled away.

The school's vice principal personally drove to Exchange City to pick up the three boys. The somber and lecture-filled trip back must have been loads of fun.

L and her other classmates completed the fun day, returning home to relay the details of the trip to Michelle and I. A friend of ours that was a chaperone on the trip filled in the many details a 5th grader would naturally miss- like about 80% of the story.

At dinner I asked L what she learned from the incident, expecting a mature and thought-filled response about kindness to, and respect for others, proper behavior, etc, etc. Her initial response was not quite on the mark- “I guess if you’re gonna do something like those boys did, make sure there aren’t any policeman around.”






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Commit Murder, Get A Puppy

Donald England, 45 year-old husband and father was sitting in his car at a Shawnee Mission, KS strip mall parking lot waiting for his wife to get her hair cut. He was sitting patiently in his convertible when John Manard and his friend Michael Yardley randomly chose Donald's car to steal.

A struggle ensued as two 17 year-olds fought Mr. England for control of the car. A shot was fired, and Donald's life ended with a .45 caliber bullet to the chest. Mrs. England, walking out during the heat of the fight, watched as her husband fell to the ground and the murderers sped off.

John Manard and Michael Yardley were sentenced to life in prison, and Donald's family was devastated.

Good news though- John Manard got a new puppy dog!

Prison inmate benefits like private visits with wives and girlfriends, cable TV, sports equipment, libraries, DVD collections and internet access is old news. What's the hottest trend in the world of prison perks? Pets.

Toby Young, the 48 year-old president and founder of Safe Harbor, the brilliant program to rescue unwanted dogs and give them to unwanted felons, befriended John Manard after meeting him as part of the program. She is married, but I guess likes bad boys in addition to good dogs.

On Feb. 12th of this year, Toby hid John Manard in an empty dog crate, and provided an escape for John. The police report did not indicate if she provided food and water as well.

The two travel companions were captured not far from here- in Chattanooga, TN- on Feb. 24th. This past Wednesday, John pled not guilty to the charges stemming from the escape. In July, Mrs. Young pled guilty to aiding and abetting aggravated escape and trafficking contraband and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. If John is convicted, an additional 10+ years could be added to his current life term, and no doubt the caring and compassionate judge will switch him to cats. Smaller cages.

Enough already. 3 healthy meals a day, water, sink and a toilet, two-ply and a nice daily walk in the sunshine picking up trash on the side of the road. Let’s try that.







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