This is true, but our own perception lies to us as well:
public perception on crime
Ct is referred to specifically with NH and Maine in one section. Unless each of us personally counts each and every crime in our state it is always possible that errors, by mistake or on purpose, have been made somewhere, but for now I will use the figures which seem consistent from publication to publication.
Does it make this crime any less horrifying? Absolutely not, but the present numbers don't back up the claim overall.
@2manyhorses, I'm glad to debate this topic until the cows come home purely on the basis of the statistical presentation of the CT crime stats but in a separate thread on crime and not on this thread as imo its a distraction to the tragedy of JFD.
Frankly my preference is for the FBI statistics but even the FBI has pages and pages of caveats around their own presentation of macro crime stats for the US. Its a minefield imo and even with extensive background in math and statistics (that I sadly have) it is difficult to analyse. I realise you are well intentioned with your desire to put the 'facts' out on this thread and I truly applaud that goal. Issue though is that these days 'facts' along with the 'truth' arent quite that clear sometimes and sadly imo crime stats fall into this category. But, we can agree to disagree of course if you choose to rely and trust the CT stats but I sadly do not accept those stats or their methodology. C'est la vie!
For what its worth, strongly suggest going back 10 years and then 20 years in CT and seeing how even the CT presented stats stack up to the ones that are touted today by CT GOV. and AG (BTW I'm sending you on a snipe hunt here as this task is made virtually impossible by the 'adjustments' over the years to the underlying statistics so don't waste your time as academics have been trying for years and I don't thing they can agree on anything on the topic - sorry!). Very different story imo and sobering even with the imperfect stats imo. Gun violence and prevalence of guns in everday life in CT is another stat that is tough to track given the number of illegal firearms.
My area of personal (not professional) interest and philanthropy is DV which is how I came to follow the tragedy of the murder of JF by FD/MT/KM and possibly others. DV is grossly underreported but in parts of CT even on a REPORTED basis is up over 40%+. NCPD Police Chief called DV a hidden crime but I don't think its hidden anymore as most people know someone that has been sadly impacted by its horror.
IMO crime statistics are best followed on a micro and not macro level as crime is experienced personally and usually quite close to home.
My HUGE disappointment with Judge Randolph and his oddly stated self described 'job description' in his sentencing IMO sadly sent an absolutely CHILLING message to victims of DV who are working to separate from their abusers or who are working to coparent with a known abuser.
@Seattle1 I believe spoke about this issue and I can say from following other DV cases in CT that what Judge Randolph did WAS UNUSUAL. I am not sure why he did it and perhaps he did it for reasons of his perception of it helping to preserve the appeal. But, I've seen Judges let loose on abusers, liars and perpetrators of DV in CT and I've not seen these cases reversed on appeal. Make no mistake, just because MT was the mistress of a DV abuser DO NOT THINK THAT SHE DIDN'T PARTICIPATE in DV activities targeted at JF and her children FOR YEARS! Frankly I've never thought that FD was any different from MT - they are simply two sides of the same coin and it makes me sad that Judge Randolph didn't see this quite as clearly as I do.
The sustained cruelty and frankly evil of MT is not to be underestimated and her lack of remorse (despite her penchant to 'fake cry') is imo suggestive of a psychpath. The somewhat related issue is that I absolutely think that MT family know and understand quite clearly who their daughter/sister/aunt etc. is as a human being as they have watched her life choices closely over many years. How could they not? I think it was this inevitable knowledge by the family about MT that makes the Press coverage of them as a group beyond offensive and the claims of "innocence" simply farcical. At this point I think them all best simply tuned out as imo they should carry a PSA warning as being "dangerous to mental health"! Judge Randolph and all the other Judges erred greatly imo in not imposing a gag order on the MT case YEARS ago as the family and friends commentary from MT has been focused on victim shaming and blaming and has been horrific. Shame on Judge Randolph and the sleeping Victims Advocate for the State of CT for not shutting this down ages ago to protect the Victim/s! Shameful.
I sat in on a group therapy session yesterday for a group of 6 DV survivors, all of whom had children, and all they could talk about was the MT sentencing outcome. All these individuals had followed the JF case from DAY 1 and are local to Stamford, understood well the psychological abuse that JF endured for years until she could safely remove her children and many also understood well physical abuse AS WELL AS the THREAT of physical abuse. As the session went on, under the guidance of a certified social worker who was trying to keep things on track, things unravelled quickly and most in the group simply started to weep about how the MT case ended with a light sentence as a couple knew that they could have been murdered just like FD murdered JF with the assistance of MT and KM.
The sentence imposed on MT scared them and frightened them due to the message it sent in their view to those that directly assist known DV abusers aren't treated the same as the actual murderer (even though in many respects they are worse than the actual murderer). The other line of commentary that was interesting was the responses of people to the body language of Mama Troconis and her daughters to the commentary from the friends and family of JF. Multiple people also brought up the disrespect from MT attorneys who alternately were reading papers, rolling eyes and smirking or staring into space when the Victims presented their testimony. It was shameful and disrespectful in the view of all the conversation participants and didn't go unnoticed.
Most these folks well understand that abusers have their enablers and their assistants that make DV sometimes a multi person family situation. MT was very much viewed as one of these 'enablers' who didn't have to know JF to have had a PROFOUND IMPACT ON JF anyway. Schoenhorn and MT made a big deal about how MT didn't know JF. These women well understood understood that MT didn't have to know JF at all as it wasn't necessary to know her in order to participate in torturing and tormenting her FOR YEARS. I could go on and on about the comments of these brave souls but I won't as its making me cry yet again but I think you get the jist of what I'm trying to describe here. The people in the group all said they cried to hear the children talk about lying to their mother about about MT AND HER DAUGHTER about their presence at 4JX BECAUSE MT COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO LEAVE AND FOLLOW THE COURT ORDERS.
So many in the group session experienced similar issues but thought MT and FD having their children LIE was quite simply evil. They also all sadly saw the role that MT daughter played in circumventing Family Court rules and thought this was evil as well and they were very disappointed to not see MT daughter stand up and give testimony to her role as an enabler for FD and MT in circumventing Family Court guidelines and they were offended by her chattering on and on about skiing etc. when JF will never be able to go skiing with her 5 children EVER! MT daughter is a victim but in the view of these women she was either a knowing or unknowing ENABLER of FD and MT and this very much bothered them.
MT and Schoenhorn did everything in their power during the trial to NEVER MENTION THE NAME OF JF and they did everything in their power to DEhumanize the victim in the forensic analysis discussion by referring to her DNA via reference to an inanimate object namely the infamous TOOTHBRUSH. Make no mistake that this was all done intentionally and Judge Randolph allowed ALL OF IT. SHAMEFULLY WRONG by Judge Randolph to have allowed this. The Court should have heard the name JF EVERY SINGLE TIME her blood or DNA was mentioned yet instead Judge Randloph thought the proper approach was to refer to her as a TOOTHBRUSH. It was a true WELCOME TO CT COURTROOM MOMENT IMO!
MT was intimately connected to JF and her 5 children and didn't have to know her in order to inflict harm both directly and indirectly. Sadly I don't think Judge Randolph got this message as I frankly don't think he understands much about DV even though he has been on the bench I believe per
@Seattle1 for a good long while.
Sad times for victims of DV in CT based on this sentencing result imo. I do wonder if some of the leaders of large DV organisations in CT will speak out? We shall see but I wont hold my breath as its a fragile community at best imo.
MOO