I sort of agree. Coming from an LE standpoint, I thankfully never had to work on something like this, plus, they wouldn’t have given me a lot, if any investigative details as a VA. I generally worked at crime scenes and other VA’s followed up as the investigation progressed and then the court VA’s pick them up from there.
I met people on their worst possible days and gave them the worst possible news.
I always knew and was conscious of the fact that their lives were going to change from the moment I was let in their door, or hospital room, or wherever I was requested to go and I was sad and cognizant of the fact I was going to be the bearer of awful news and change the course of their lives forever.
I was charged with many death notifications and I was given very few details, but after the notification, I was happy to sit as long as they wished me to.
I also was requested on scene at an unattended death, or any death, suspicious or not to talk with family members, friends, roommates, etc…, whomever found the body.
I also spoke to many live victims and survivors and even witnesses to terrible things could request our presence.
I felt like the grim reaper at times, but I also think my job was important because yes, I was meeting people on the worst days of their lives, but I was also there and trained to comfort them and hold space for them for however long they needed… and I was happy to do that. It became too hard and because I did it around where I grew up, I became paranoid I would come on scene to someone I knew and it started to really bother me.
I chose the job because I’d want someone to be there if I needed on my worst day and someone had to do it, so, if not me, then who?
I completely understand as much as I can, Kaylee’s family public grief. What he said about it basically being bad press for the town and college and that “they” (not sure who they are but I have an idea and I don’t think it’s really LE at all) don’t want him hanging up posters because the entirety of the case could scare prospective students away… — As a human, knowing what he said is probably right, I can understand why he thinks maybe some people are trying to suppress the case is not out of the realm of possibilities. It makes a lot of sense logically.
I can’t say I wouldn’t do what he’s doing and start screaming from the rooftops. I mean, what does one do when something like that happens? I’ve been around a lot of victims, but never a crime like this. I cannot imagine there’s a good answer or solution to this, either.
I think the PD needs to offer him some kind of compromise and trauma/grief counseling. He could really say something’s that could hurt the integrity of the investigation. IMO, he needs to be heard more by them and I understand that maybe it’s a sort of nuisance because I also believe that LE 100% cares and are absolutely doing their best… I mean, if they’ve done their due diligence so far and have come up with nothing, then, unfortunately right now, they have nothing… You can’t get blood out of a turnip. You don’t know what you don’t know. That’s just a fact but I’m sure they know a lot more than they did and it’s not for a lack of trying.
It’s a very difficult situation for both sides. I believe her father when he said maybe some people (and I personally don’t think it’s LE, it’s sounds to me more political pressure) don’t want to keep the media spotlight on the town. It tracks it with my sensibilities especially if that’s their economic backbone. I don’t know how to reconcile those two juxtapositions and make both sides better trust the other but I think someone has to try with SG because he’s not going to stop. So someone, somehow needs to come up with a solution.
IMO, this idea about not wanting to have the media spotlight and the previous comments by some like the Mayor stating it was a “Crime of Passion” invariably makes people believe they’re not in danger of it happening to them. And maybe that’s why we have all this back and forth with target or not targeted messaging. IMO, it does seem a little like LE is getting pressure to ease the public tension and fright when maybe the public might have every reason to be at least alarmed.
IMO, this is not a crime of passion. A killer doesn’t bring his own weapon to an unmediated stabbing spree.
I don’t know. This of course are all just thoughts I have after really thinking about what he said and my own work with previously helping victims.