Pie in the sky?
Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 3:35PM The term “pie in the sky” originally meant to be a promise of heaven while continuing to suffer through living in the material world. It was coined by Joe Hill in a song written by him in 1911. Joe was a Swedish-born itinerant laborer who migrated to the United States in 1902. The Web site The Phrase Finder described his songs as radical as he fought for labor organizations. “The phrase appeared first in Hill’s ‘The Preacher and the Slave’, which parodied the Salvation Army hymn ‘In the Sweet Bye and Bye’. The song, which criticized the Army’s theology and philosophy, specifically their concentration on the salvation of souls rather than the feeding of the hungry, was popular when first recorded and remained so for some years.”
You will eat, bye and bye,
In that glorious land above the sky;
Work and pray, live on hay,
You’ll get pie in the sky when you die.
Today, pie in the sky can allude to many things, such as asking for more than you end up with or expect, for that matter. You may ask for the sky and end up with pie, which is better than nothing. It reminds me of an experience I had while selling advertising for a newspaper many years ago. Ed Mack, now gone, was the editor. He was also a member of the Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce and very active in the Hunterdon County YMCA, volunteering many hours of his personal time.
Ed and I got along great. A wall about 7 feet high is all that separated the editorial department from advertising and my desk sat closest to the line of demarcation. The ceiling was high, so we could hear each other as one side got stories and the other sold ads.
One afternoon, Ed came over to my side with an idea. Bear in mind, in the world of newspapers, in particular, a common argument prevailed and it probably still does to this very day. The Advertising Department pays the salaries, we’d cry, while the Editorial Department would adamantly point out that its news that sells a newspaper and without news, there would be no newspaper. In the end, those key points were muted by the mere fact that, either way, we had jobs, and that’s what mattered most. Today, it’s not so easy.
Ed knew that I was a member of the now defunct Flemington Area Jaycees. On this particular afternoon, he wanted to know if I could get a band of fellow Jaycees together to man phones at the telephone company, which had already given its permission to do so. It was a simple request. The intent was to ask for donations from members of the Y and the general population in order to build the first installment of a large complex that was in the works, an Olympic-sized swimming pool to the tune of $150,000. He knew I was an officer of the club and, with mild coaxing, that I could easily table the idea at our next meeting. Sure thing, I said, and to fast forward, about 8 or 9 of us showed up to sit in open booths at the phone company the following month. Ed was the man in charge and he gave us stacks of 3” x 5” filing cards with the names, addresses and phone numbers of potential donors. My close friend, Frank Foran, was and still is a top-notch sales rep, and he was in fitting form for the occasion.
Of course, we all focused on the cards we had. Initially, I called people and introduced myself as a member of the Flemington Jaycees and that we were proudly supporting the YMCA in their effort to bring our area a large and highly professional educational and recreational sports facility. We all know the Y. All of Hunterdon County would shine because of it. Perhaps you saw it written up in the newspaper? Oh, yes, of course you did. Well, the first leg is the swimming pool and we need to raise $150,000. Could you please help out by donating $50 toward our goal? No? How about $25? No? Yes, I understand times are tough. [Gee, that was back in the late 70s.] OK, well, thank you, and if you can ever help, please call me at the newspaper and I will make sure you are contacted by the right people. That meant Ed, whose office was a mere stone’s throw away from my desk.
After about a half-dozen disappointing phone calls begging for money, I got zero results and I thought about it. I had to change my tune or I would end up a major flop to the man who was directly under the publisher, my employer. This wouldn’t sit well with Bengt Gaterud, the sales manager, either. I rewrote some of the lyrics. I had my eye in the sky for pie in the sky.
Hi, I said, as I gave the same opening spiel with the hundred-and-fifty grand price tag. There was no need to change that, but when they asked me how much I was expecting them to give, it wasn’t $25 or $50 I requested. Instead, I asked for $2,000. Yes, $2,000 would be great. Of course, they exploded with raw emotion.
“Two thousand dollars?!!! You gotta be nuts! I can’t afford anything like that!”
“OK, how about a thousand?”
“You gotta be kidding me?”
“No, I’m serious. How about fifty?
“Fifty, you got it.”
And with that change in tactics - the rapid-fire subtle suggestions, I ended up making the second-most money of the night and it was a huge success. Of course, Frank made the most, and no one expected less from him. He’s that good.
The next morning, Ed and I purposely crossed paths. He thanked me and the fellow Jaycees. I asked him how well we did. He said it was huge, a lot more than he figured. He told me one other thing.
“I don’t know what you did, Dave, but I gave you a list of deadbeats. I didn’t expect you to make any money at all, but you came in second. I gave you that list because you are a salesperson for this newspaper. I wanted to see what you had in you. You really surprised me.”
OK, now you may think I’m strutting my stuff, but I’m not. As long as I’ve known Frank, he’s encouraged me to go into sales. When he’s 95-years-old and I’m 90, I can hear him in his decrepid, soft and gravelly voice, “Dave, you need to go into sales.”
I never will. I’ve found my niche; it’s writing, and there’s a point to my story - the case against Casey. I constantly hear from people who think she deserves the death penalty, but won’t get it. Some people think she should get life without parole so she can live out her days in prison, wallowing in the memories of her precious daughter and what she, herself, could have become in life. Some people don’t think she’s guilty of murder, but none of that is my point. To use the old cliché and cut to the chase, the state has requested the death penalty. Does the state seriously intend to execute her? You bet, or it wouldn’t have been placed on the table to begin with. This ain’t no dress rehearsal, as my old friend Tom Corkhill always said. This is the real deal, only there is a ‘what if’ formula here, just in case. Because of the death penalty, the jury must be made up of people willing to sentence a person to death. It doesn’t automatically mean they will, but means they might be more prone to finding her guilty. The odds increase exponentially with a death qualified jury and the state knows it. There’s the sky, but will the aim be too high?
In the end, the defense is going to put on a much better show than originally anticipated by us, the general public. Perhaps, in all their seasoned wisdom, the state knew that as time went on in the sweet by and by, things would get tougher. Today, with the recent addition of several more well-seasoned defense attorneys, please allow me one more cliché. I think that, from now on, this is not going to be a piece of cake for the state.
Dave Knechel | tagged Bengt Gaterud, Ed Mack, Edward Mack, Frank Foran, Hunterdon County Democrat, Jaycees, Joe Hill, YMCA | in Ann E. Finnell, Capital Punishment, Casey Anthony, Caylee Anthony, Charles M. Greene, Cheney Mason, Dave Knechel, Death Penalty, Dorothy Clay Sims, Frank George, Human Interest, Jeff Ashton, Jose Baez, Linda Drane Burdick, Linda Kenney Baden, Marinade Dave, Marinade Dave’s Caylee Anthony Posts, Newspaper, State Attorney's Office | Share Article 
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Reader Comments (48)
AMEN, Dave, you got that right! Though it will be interesting to watch and see if the state stands on what they have already secured or if they will scurry around a bit to give themselves a boost. They have been a little smug in my view, while the defense has been digging and digging. It just seems odd that such well respected attorneys would want to step into this case if they did not find some loopholes in what they know the prosecution will be presenting. I don't see how they can get an acquittal but as you example, ask for the sky, get something better than nothing at all. I do believe if it does end up she gets the death penalty unanimously, there might be a few jurors who may later rethink what they did. It's like we are looking at, who else could have possibly done it, but Casey, so she takes a stand at that point as you so well painted the picture "BUT IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, NOBODY WOULD EVER BELIEVE ME. Does that thought come from thinking Cindy and George are really gonna be pissed. They are never going to believe THIS, Oh, my God, I need a zannaxida! There are a lot of cards in this deck!
So which do you think are going to be the best sales group, prosecutors or defense. Not gonna say, are you? One more question, can the state add more prosecutors ?
Dave,
I have been worrying about the death sentence for quite a while now. I really believe Casey did kill Caylee but with no definite murder evidence it is appearing to me to be an uphill battle for the state. And now to hear your take on it really has me worried even more. I don't want to see her aquitted just because a juror might not want to convict her with the possibility that she would be executed. I think that LWOP would be a satisfactory sentence and I think it would be possibly an easier case for the state to win. And I don't think Baez would be getting so many pro bono bozos wanting to help the team.
Dave,
When O.J. was on trial for the murder of his wife and Ron I thought that no one in their right mind would aquit such a perfectly guilty person! Every thing pointed to him as being the guilty one. And when he tried to put that stupid glove on and it did not fit I just wanted to scream at the t.v. that if the damn leather glove was soaked with blood and then it dried of course it would have shrunk!! But his circus team beamed like it was the second coming of God.Since that trial I have had a very negative opinion of defense lawyers, and with the Bozo in charge that opoinion is getting stronger.
Hi Dave - Great post!!! Sometimes I get somewhat worried but I do think she will be found guilty. I truly believe that the prosecutors have good people behind them also. My fear is that the people they will use tend to give the facts and not stretch the truth like the defense team. I also have a negative opinion of defense teams because they tend to create a circus and not stay with the truth. Even in the trial for the murders of the doctor's wife and daughters the defense was blameing the police for not getting there soon enough to save them instead of the killers who were killing them. I have faith the prosecutors and their team will know the tricks of the trade and be ready. LWOP is what I hope she gets.
The jury will deliberate for 7 hours, and return with a guilty verdict.
Hi, New Puppy - I think the state was very sure of itself before changing the penalty to death. Despite there not being a time or cause of death, enough evidence exists when added together, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The puzzling part is how the state plans on presenting it and now, how this defensev team plans on diffusing it. It's shoring up to be a decent trial. I do think it would be very interesting if Casey blurted out (only if convicted, mind you) that it was an accident! What would the jury do at that point? Would her history of lies change the weight of deliberations? I don't know, but like I said, it will be a fascinating case.
Thanks.
DEBRA JEAN MILKE was 25 when sentanced to death for the murder of her 6 year old boy in Arizona in 1989 .A roomate of hers shot her child in the desert an told the police she aked him to do it.She allegedly confessed to a detective although there was no recording an she deneid ever makeing the confession.There is a mountain of evidence against Casey compared to Debra Milke I dont think theres a problem for the prosecution getting a conviction.Although personaly I dont want her to receive the death penalty.Thanks for the great post Dave,
Why worry, Carole? We have no control over it, and if you think it's an uphill battle for the state, guess again. The evidence only points to one person. Granted, most of it is circumstantial, but that never convinces a jury to acquit based on that alone. Also, a juror would not acquit based on the death penalty because it's a totally different phase. The judge will instruct the jury to decide based on the evidence before it, not on whether she deserves to live or not.
Yes, OJ was guilty, in my opinion, but there are major differences between then and today. This prosecution is not made up of bumbling oafs, and we have a judge who is nothing like Ito.
Thank you, Nika1. Exactly... this prosecution has lots of good people behind them and by their own rights, each one of them has exceptional credentials. Of course, no one is perfect, but watching them live and up close, I sense they are one smart bunch.
To be honest, you'd be surprised what judges have to say about both sides. The defense attorneys are not always bumblers. Trust me on that one, and prosecutors have been known to bend the law to the point of snapping. That's just to put things in perspective, of course.
That's an interesting prediction, Dave. 7 hours. We shall see, but I may hold you to it.
Hi, ecossie possie. I have stated many times that I am not for the death penalty, and I have my moral reasons, but it is the law in Florida and I can't change it. Did you ever see the movie The Life of David Gale? It's a true account, too. Look up his name and you'll understand.
The case of Debra Jean Milke is new to me. I think I'll take a look into it because the whole thing smells like a dead rat. Thanks for passing that name onto me and also for enjoying the post.
Yes Dave I have seen that movie. Im sure you will be interested in Debra Jean Milkies case especialy the alleged confession obtained by detective Delgado. I think his name was if memory serves me corect.
Detective Saldata... that's who it was. Yes, ecossie possie, I will look into it. I don't know when, but I will, especially if you poke me once in a while to remind me. That David Gale movie was very interesting.
When they pick a death penalty jury, one of the questions will be, "do you believe in the death penalty?"
How can we be sure that the potential juror is telling the truth when they say, "yes, I do." I'd like to see them all hooked up to a polygraph machine when they answer the questionnaire.
I have come in contact with some bloggers/commenters, who are hell bent that Casey is innocent. They do not want her to be found guilty and face LWOP let alone the DP. Period. No matter what evidence you put in front of these people, they will not accept the fact that Casey murdered her child.
All we need is just one person on the jury with like thinking.
This is far from an open and shut case. All the time Cheney Mason is with the defense team, I am going to remain skepticle. Mason is not the type of attorney/man who will accept defeat. He is the one who is reaching for the pie in the sky and expects to take control of the whole bloody universe.
Good post Dave!
Hi, Snoopy - I guess the court will have to assume the potential jurors are telling the truth. I would also think that after so many years of screening people, there is a good system in place to screen out the riff raff and liars. I would guess it to be some sort of psychological questioning.
Bear in mind that there will me a number of alternate jurors, and if one of the original 12 turns out to be a rogue, that person can be replaced if it comes down to issues of integrity. I just don't see that happening, though.
I must admit that Mason is a sneaky guy, but I don't mean that in an illegal way. He's smart and shrewd. I don't know if Sims and Finnell would have joined the team without him, but that's also because he adds weight to the team. Figuratively.
Thank you, Snoopy.
Yes Dave, you are exactly right when you say "why worry, we have no control over it". I think I got a little too enmeshed with this whole thing and had to sit back and just think, wait a minute, it's God that has said vengeance is mine.
I greive for baby Caylee. As far as Casey, I follow to see how the wheels of justice turn on this one.
George and Cindy, who knows? I don't know how I would react if I lost someone like Caylee. I do know that I do things every week that make me look foolish!
Hi, apeach123 - I think we are all guilty of doing something foolish every once in a while, and it takes a good person to admit it, so you must be good people. We have no control over what transpires in this case. Some people have written the judge letters and that's just plain stupid because he can't do anything with them other than turn them over to the clerk of courts. His job is not to understand the public's opinions and he can't be tainted by letters. Anyway, it shows you that, although we may be foolish to a certain degree, we aren't THAT foolish.
Thanks,
Dave
Hi All! If Cheney is such a good lawyer (and I believe he does have a good track record according to comments) why does he act and say such inane things? I never heard of the guy before this case but to me he comes across like a bumbling, rambling clown. Is this his normal operating mode? Was he always like this on his cases?
Also why do you think the State is so pursuant of the DP? Why would they not make it LWOP and make the case so much easier to try? I'm not for Casey getting the death penalty either. This case will go down in history as one of the most bizarre.
Patti O~~I agree with you that Mason appears to come across like a bumbling , mumbling something or other. He thinks he has charisma and did you notice when he talks, he raises one eyebrow, a definite sign of arrogance. Don't let his bumbling along fool you. He is a clever one and has more than a few aces up his sleeve.
If the state went for LWOP, then the choices for the jury, in the penalty phase, would be LWOP or Aggrevated Manslaughter.
I hope the DP stays on the table so a guilty verdict will get her LWOP, at least.
Dave~~after reading the beginning of your post, I think you would have made a great person to work in the collections dept of a business. Let's say a client has an overdue account of $200. You could call them up and give them 15 days to remit $400 or you would turn them over to Dun & Bradstreet. I can guarantee you would get that two hundred. When I worked for a newspaper, lawyers were the worst ones for being delinquent in paying their bills. You can't imagine the excuses they gave for non-payment. Yes, Dave, maybe Frank is right. You missed your calling. You should be in sales.
I agree with the idea the prosecution went for the death penalty so they could get the lwop at least. Some jurors I imagine might be of the same opinion as one supervisor I once had who said "no one gets the perfect score" . They'd think "The prosecution can't get everything they asked for with that evidence so let's knock it down to the next level". But they couldn't have even put the death penalty on the table at all if they and the court thought the evidence wasn't there.
Carole, I was once put into the position of being questioned onstand by a defense lawyer as slick as they come and Cheney Mason reminds me so much of him. It was a drunk driving case I witnessed. When the cop said he checked to see if anyone had any injuries and might need an ambulance, the lawyer asked where he got his medical experience. The cop said he was trained in first aid and the lawyer asked if that made him qualified to detect unseen injuries. When it came time for me to be on the stand I said the same thing.. that I looked into the truck to see if someone was slumped over and might need an ambulance. When the lawyer asked if I was trained in the medical field I just said "no" and it gave him nothing to jump on. Cheney Mason's cross-examination of Lee was exactly the same. If Lee had even mentioned seeing his dad at any point Mason would have jumped on it and made it seem George was the originator of the "awful smell" idea. He's one slick defense lawyer and his experience shows even through all his "good ole boy" bumbling. As for Baez I would like to see him come to court at least once without a chart he has "worked out".
I remember watching the Milke case on youtube I think, but when I went looking for it it wasn't there. It was part of one of those news programs like 48 hrs Mystery, or Cold Case Files. I think what she had going against her was the fact the roommate wasn't bright enough to have thought of getting rid of her little boy by himself. The detective most certainly was fishy and to not keep a record or even record a "confession" is mind boggling.
Hi, Patti O - I don't know why he acts the way he does, but could he be like Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau? A bumbling idiot who always solves the crime? Just kidding, but behind that facade is a seasoned veteran or else he fudged his way through a highly respected career. I can't explain it.
In my opinion, and as Jeff Ashton proclaimed loudly in the courtroom, he believes Casey taped Caylee's mouth while she was still breathing. That's why the DP is on the table.
Hi, Snoopy - My problem with sales is I'm too honest. I wouldn't want to sell someone something they don't need, and in some cases, sales reps become nothing more than monthly order takers. I liked selling advertising because I could tailor a design to fit the business, and I knew enough about art, size and placement to be quite effective. Once again, I didn't oversell. As for collections, forget it. I'm way too much of a softie to make monetary demands on someone.
That's interesting about lawyers. I've heard that before in other fields, that they're slow to pay their bills. I remember doing design work for one many years ago and he took the full 90 days to pay, which isn't fun for a freelance artist. At least, that was his excuse, but I did go back again and again once I knew I would eventually be paid.
Hi, Connie - Certainly, the state had nothing to lose by seeking the death penalty, and if they get it, it's a no hitter. The least they expect is a win of some kind; that being LWOP, so it was an obvious choice once the remains were discovered.
I'm going to have to look into that Milke case.
Time or Cause of Death. Dave in your very best investigative mind, do we know how many women have received the DP with no Time or Cause?
If we look at the Scott Peterson trial, it had the same odds. The jury did convict. I think it will really depend on who makes the jury pool. That will be a critical part of the case in my opinion. Scott Peterson was actually hated by the jurors, and in particular, Strawberry Shortcake. Now you would think that women might have leaned towards innocent because there was no weapon, no DNA, no timeline. But they had a living witness who became the star witness for Lacey and Connor. That was the poor innocent girlfriend. Without her the State didn't have a chance of DP.
In Casey's trial, I believe that the best witnesses for the DP conviction will oddly be George ,Cindy and Lee. They have tied themselves into prior statements that when deliberated by the jury, will bring the common sense unanimous opinion. That even her family had every reason to believe it was Casey who did this to Caylee. There was no Zanni, there was noone else who had the motive to kill the little girl. No boyfriend, no Nanny, no unpaid drug dealer , no Roy Kronk, no volunteer. Nope. MOTIVE will be the sure fire winner. I don't believe they have to be convinced of the time. It will be a trail from the abandoned car to the house to the 30 days where Caylee and Casey were no longer living. Casey was living the life of a single, using her phone and lies of deceipt to cover her tracks for as long as possible. If the Prosecution can prove her statements to be lies, her actions of single life as motive and her disappearance to be part of the coverup, the jurors will convict. I pray that it will not be a hung jury. I pray for justice for Caylee. I pray for the day when Caylee will be free of the energy this has provoked in some not so nice human behaviours.
Great post Dave. I didn't want to be wishy washy about my ideas. I could be proven completely wrong. I should never underestimate good Lawyering.
Weezie - I'll be back in a short while to answer you. I've got an art project to deliver. Sorry for the delay.
Dave: I keep forgetting. But I don't get a message sent to me to click on for further comments on a particular post. I click below but it does not give me anything. I know when Andrea does a post I always get an email requesting I click on the subject so that I will get everyone's message to read? I used to get that from you? Not sure why it's happening? Just thought I would let you know cause I have to come back in every time I want to catch up. Weezie
Hi Dave! How are you my friend? Keep up the great articles! Dave....can you please email me, or post here, the address for this BAB'S Blog? I would really appreciate it! Thank you much! Bye!!
To me, this will be a piece of cake. IMO, the defense is playin to the camera, and the public they are playing to will not be the jurors. I am always amazed at how many here in Orange County know next to nothing about this case, so they are wrong to think whichever county their jurors come from will know. All those jurors will need to hear is the 31 days missing, no call, game over
Ya got that right mchl454. Up here in Jacksonville, only 2 hrs away all we got on the news was a little line about the lawyer joining the team. We don't get the interviews or the court replays or reports, none of the documents, nothing that they have down there in Orlando. Mainly because this isn't a local case. All the media coverage is local for the most part, so I think Judge Perry will get a fair jury just from visiting another area. Baez mentioned he didn't want Jacksonville as an alternate location or the jury to be pulled from here. I have a feeling it's because they're more apt to get a jury who will convict up here. Jacksonville is a high crime area that isn't easy on crime in the courts.
As a mother and a grandmother I think if they get even one woman on that jury they'll hear that 911 tape and that Casey didn't report her missing for 31 days along with the bug reports and they won't necessarily need the trunk smell - very few mothers would not report a missing child regardless of who was threatened. Add that in with the pictures of her partying and they won't need much else. They can debunk the science all they want - what it comes down to is "if this was your child missing what would you do?"
Oh geez, I'm slow. I just noticed all that pretty kudzu surrounding Dave in the topper is the place they found Caylee's little body. I'm creeped out now.
Sorry, Weezie, I may be late, but I didn't forget you. Everything you wrote makes perfect sense. No evidence points to anyone else but Casey that I can see. What George and Cindy stated very early in the investigation will force them to be held accountable. That was recorded and sworn to. Whatever they said to the media is hyperbole, which is never intended to be taken in the literal sense, and in their case, they can't be reliable when addressing the public.
Right now, there is one woman on Florida's death row. Tiffany Cole was sentenced on 03/06/2008 for 1st-degree murder in Duval County. There's been a total of 17 females sitting on death row throughout the years; 13 white, 3 black, and 1 Latina. The state's female population ranks 3rd, behind Texas (19) and California (18). Only 2 females have been executed in the state since 1976. On June 29, 1972, the US Supreme Court ruled in Furman v. Georgia that the death penalty amounts to cruel and unusual punishment because juries impose sentences arbitrarily. The decision overturned all existing death penalty laws and death sentences. On July, 2, 1976, the Supreme Court held in Gregg v. Georgia that under the state's new two-stage trial system, the death penalty no longer violates the Eighth Amendment, and execution became legal again. Since 1976, two women on Florida's death row have been executed - Judy Buenoano on March 30, 1998, and Aileen Wuornos on October 9, 2002.
Remember, the two-stage trial system, known as bifurcated trials, separates the trial into 2 distinct trials, the guilt phase and the penalty phase.
Weezie - The problem is that this site is not hosted by WordPress. This one I have to pay for, and if there's one thing lacking in the setup, it's commenting. I might try an outside source and incorporate it here, but I don't want to lose the comments I already have. Hopefully, I can come up with a viable solution. Meanwhile, this is it.
Hi, Venice - I will e-mail it to you. No way will I publish it here.
Hi, mchl454 - I've mentioned before that there are an awful lot of people around here who don't follow the news on this case for various reasons. I talk to people. However, there seems to be an underlying theme and it, sort of, gives away their subconscious thoughts, "Oh yeah,m that one. Has she been found guilty yet?" So, even though they don't pay attention to it, do they have a predetermined judgement related to her guilt? Good question.
Yes, Connie - That is the location. I want to remind people what happened there.
Dave: Thanks for that information on the DP cases. It struck me as interesting because of the number of white women who did crimes so terrible to warrant the pinnacle of sentences. I remember Aileen Wuornos and the movie about her too. If ever there was a woman who deserved that penalty, it was her. I wonder how the jurors will wage the 2nd trial factor. Do you think because of Casey's look of innocence, pretty girl approach, that they would vote NO to DP?
That is if she is found guilty. It has already started with her appearances so far. Very tailored shirt, pants, long hair down or up in a bun. The fake tears, the coy smiles. I don't know, for me it's kind of a toss up. Appearances are very deceiving. The nightclub photos may be very valuable in disputing her current appearance. I agree with you about the State going for DP in this case. You can't just fling your desire for DP without a lot of evidence. Imagine if Equisearch agreed to search the water laden area where Caylee's remains were eventually found? I don't think they could have asked for DP. If there is any star in this we might want to thank TIM MILLER. He made the correct call. Those bones would have been buried forever. Casey would have had her trial and she would likely have been released by now!!!! God, what a thought.
Thanks Dave for all that you do.
By the way, I did get a couple of emails from this post, but not yours. STRANGE.
Yup, Weezie, if she's found guilty. By the time the trial starts, Casey will look like a well manicured, timid and almost virginal librarian wallflower with very little makeup.
Aileen Wuornos was a badazz. She asked the state to expedite her execution. Get it over with.
Had Caylee not been found, the state would have had to work harder to find her guilty of murder, but I absolutely feel the stench of rotting body parts in the trunk will not be able to be denied by the defense. The jury is going to believe that, so if no body did exist, that still would be enough evidence in my opinion, especially with all the rest they had back then or they wouldn't have charged her with first-degree murder. With the other charges, I guarantee she wouldn't have been out by now. Not in a long stretch.
Thanks, Weezie. I appreciate your compliment. By the way, send me the strange e-mails you were sent. There's some mentally retarded trolls out there hell-bent on destroying other people's lives.
Dave; just to let you know I was referring to other people's comments on your posts. I always get mine back, but never yours, and sometimes I will get an occasional comment from your posts from someone else.
There has never been anyone bugging me or taunting me that I know of!!!
I did get an email warning me that someone posted my Facebook over at Snoopy's place but I never followed up on it cause what can I do about it anyway? If they want to slander me that's ok. As long as they don't show up on my doorstep literally, then I'm fine. You see we have gun laws up here, so I wouldn't have much protection, unless I had mace or a baseball bat! I know you have been through hell and back with these morons. I'm sorry for that. It can be really disturbing when threats are made. Dave, look at it this way. They must be so jealous of your writing skills, the following you have and that they have become friends of yours. This need to tear down your walls didn't succeed. I'm sure they are trolling for their next victim. It's what they do. That's all. Very emply sould. I feel sorry for them. Keep plugging away Dave. Your work is important as are your friends.
Thank you very much for being a good friend, Weezie. Those morons keep trying, but so far, no one has come after me. By the way, we have gun laws in Florida, too, and they are nothing like Canada's.
I will keep on plugging.
Just a little trivia but I went to high school with Aileen Wournos. I didn't know her other than who she was but I remember her being one of the greaser girls from the poorer neighborhood. This was in the early 70s where I tried to fit in the trendy hippie crowd wearing micro minis, boots, fringe leather vests. We spent money on looking mod and the cool styles. You could tell Aileen had no money nor a good upbringing. I really think the trauma of her childhood made her who she became and I feel greatly sorry for her now that I know her true story. Casey on the other hand was a pampered pet.
That's very interesting, Patty. Wournos was a sad case, but I think it was more than just her upbringing. Look at how some kids leave the ghetto and become successful in life. If she had been born into a middle class family, my guess would be that she still would have been a killer. Serial killers are a different breed altogether. Sure, we can feel compassion, but she had a bad seed in her.
Still, it's interesting that you knew her and recognize what may have helped push her over the edge.
Mentioning how Casey looks in court reminded me of a remark a lawyer made in a case I was watching on one of those primetime crime shows. When the interviewer mentioned how different the accused looked in court the defense lawyer said "She looked a lot different didn't she? I paid a small fortune for that makeover!" lol. They do what they can to manipulate then gripe about the prosecution trying to influence public opinion. Even Eileen Wournos got a makeover. They'll want Casey as far removed from those pictures as possible in appearance.
Absolutely, Connie. Casey is a pretty woman and what the jury will see is a beautiful girl so far removed from the ugliness of murder. It's like throwing a cheap Earl Sheib paint job on a clunker.
With Casey it looks like he's going for the innocent librarian like Casey said in one of her letters.
She wore glasses at one of the hearings. The glasses were made with lenses that had no visible sign of correction. Plain old straight glass.
Oh man with all the hate stuff you get I hope that phone number is a business line only that does nothing but take messages! I went through a phase of changing my phone number regularly because I gave it to one .. count them ONE person online that I counted as a friend. It took a while but I finally narrowed it down to who was giving it out. It was more of a situation where someone would say "where is Connie? Is she ok? I haven't seen her in a while" and whammo out my phone number would go ( which btw is private, unlisted, un EVERYTHING). I have changed it so much even my relatives can't find me until I call them.
Hi, Connie - I've gotten a few calls on that number and yes, they now go directly to voicemail. I have a different home number I would never give out on the Internet. My parents have gotten a couple of unknown hang up calls, too, on their phone number. They are elderly, but the trolls don't care.
Sorry you went through it. In my parent's case, there are laws to protect elderly people from abuse, but even so, nothing will stop their obsession with me.