I'm not trying to defend the guy's actions, but the police totally pulled this one out of their ass.
Yes, he poured gasoline on his car, but they blithely gloss over the fact that he also stabbed himself and slit his wrists - which would tend to indicate a predilection toward suicide.
I can understand why they are taking this tack, because it can make the difference between life without parole, or a visit to Mister Toasterchair (for all your death row cleansing needs!) for the guy.
I agree with akirafireheart though - I think life with no chance of parole would be better than a quick death.
He did thos actions after he saw the wreck. Maybe he was feeling guilty at what he had done, and the fact there were three trains involved and not just one that smashed his SUV to pieces. Also those woundswere not life threatening, from what I remember. Make it look like he wanted to commit suicide.
He may have wanted the train to hit the SUV, have it burst into flames and have his wife think he died in a "horrific" wreck and he could come out and say, "No, honey, I jumped clear just in time."
But with the timing of the trains, and the fact it was a push-pull set being operasted in the push mode, everything went horrifyingly wrong for his plans, and 11 people died because he wanted to make his wife feel bad.
Just my take, and I think the police are right in charging him with what they did.
Since there was indeed intent, this is an instance (or, in this case, 11 instances) of first-degree murder. Since the suspect did show remorse toward the victims, they’d probably give him 15 years to life imprisonment.
There were eleven deaths, though, and perhaps the jury will want the suspect to serve the sentences concurrently, which means he won’t be out of prison until the year 2170. That is, if he lives that long...
So if he is convicted, his life is over, regardless of what happens.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2005-02-18 06:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-18 06:49 pm (UTC)Good to see it's charges of murder, though, since with that kind of motive, murder is what it is.
Lizard Rat out.
Watching this Train Wreck of a story in New Haven CT
no subject
Date: 2005-02-18 06:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-18 07:32 pm (UTC)Yes, he poured gasoline on his car, but they blithely gloss over the fact that he also stabbed himself and slit his wrists - which would tend to indicate a predilection toward suicide.
I can understand why they are taking this tack, because it can make the difference between life without parole, or a visit to Mister Toasterchair (for all your death row cleansing needs!) for the guy.
I agree with
no subject
Date: 2005-02-18 07:50 pm (UTC)He did thos actions after he saw the wreck. Maybe he was feeling guilty at what he had done, and the fact there were three trains involved and not just one that smashed his SUV to pieces. Also those woundswere not life threatening, from what I remember. Make it look like he wanted to commit suicide.
He may have wanted the train to hit the SUV, have it burst into flames and have his wife think he died in a "horrific" wreck and he could come out and say, "No, honey, I jumped clear just in time."
But with the timing of the trains, and the fact it was a push-pull set being operasted in the push mode, everything went horrifyingly wrong for his plans, and 11 people died because he wanted to make his wife feel bad.
Just my take, and I think the police are right in charging him with what they did.
no subject
Date: 2005-02-18 08:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-02-19 05:17 am (UTC)Since there was indeed intent, this is an instance (or, in this case, 11 instances) of first-degree murder. Since the suspect did show remorse toward the victims, they’d probably give him 15 years to life imprisonment.
There were eleven deaths, though, and perhaps the jury will want the suspect to serve the sentences concurrently, which means he won’t be out of prison until the year 2170. That is, if he lives that long...
So if he is convicted, his life is over, regardless of what happens.