I am new and only signed up to post a few things. Not only am I a resident of Brunswick, I am a resident of the mobile home park and knew most of the victims in this nightmare.
I have seen the awful post at other sites, from responses from countless online newspaper articles to the TOPIX site.
Perhaps I can give a more human perspective to them, rather than the "white trash derelicts" that I have seen them being portrayed as. :furious:
Rusty was a very hardworking man. He worked both for Aero Instant and for the mobile home park itself. He was the "glue" for the family, and was often the only one supporting the family. He enjoyed fishing and camping. He was also very good father. When other parents may have shunned a disabled child, he went the other way - Micheal went wherever he did. He included Micheal in everything, from a quick trip to the store to a camping or fishing trip.
His son Micheal was born with Down's syndrome. He had undergone several surgeries, from heart surgery to having his hips replaced. He was a good boy that could be loud and get overly excited at times, but he was happy. Rusty had said that due to Micheal's medical condition(s), he would more than likely have a short life span and he wanted to do all he could to make his time good. Micheal was truly an innocent victim.
His son Junior was a shy young man, hardworking and very respectful to others. He always had a kind word to say, a smile on his face, and loved to go fishing. He did the best he could to help his daddy, from working to helping with Micheal.
His daughter, Michelle I only met a time or two, but she was such a pretty girl, mannerly, respectful and seemed to be a generally happy girl. She also enjoyed going fishing with her daddy.
I only met Rusty's daughter Chrissy briefly 1 time, so I can not say anything about her. I have met Byron, Chrissy's son, a couple times. He seemed to be a happy child, the typical curious and rambunctious 3 year. I have never met Chrissy's boyfriend, Joseph West. I have never met Rusty's sister, Brenda Falagan.
Guy Sr. was a man that had had hard knocks it seems his whole life. He was basically abandoned (his words, not mine) by his mother at a young age. He was raised with Rusty, so even though there may not have been actual "blood" relations, they were like brothers. A few years ago, he was working in a tire shop and a tire he was working on exploded. The injuries were very bad, yet, he recovered and went back to work. The injuries left him with a speech problem and an odd way of walking and holding his head. He had been working as a truck driver, but with the economy the way it is, he was laid off. He also worked when possible with Aero Instant. He was a joking, good natured man who loved his family. He was a good brother, uncle and father.
Guy Jr has always been a respectful young man towards me and my family. He seemed to genuinely love his family, especially his dad. I feel he is being portrayed in the wrong light. Yes, coming home at 8 am may sound odd to some, but in actuality, it is not uncommon for young people his age. I do not condone drug use, but again, and sadly, it is not that uncommon in his age group. As for the charges against him, who can say what our unthinking reactions would have been if faced with the same horror he faced alone that morning.
This family deserves better than what media coverage they are receiving.
As a friend to some of the victims, I can kind of understand the lack of information being released. Who knows what they (law enforcement) know? Perhaps they feel if info is released, it may hamper the investigation, thereby hampering the hopefully fast prosecution of those responsible.
But, as a resident of the mobile home park, I really think there should be something more - some way of easing our minds, of letting us know whether we need to all be afraid or if we can rest a bit easier. It is not a morbid curiosity to want to know more, it is simply for our own peace of mind.
