Legacy, I think the group has kicked over every rock possible on this case and come at things from about every angle possible. Without the arrival of some DNA evidence or some far out forensic technique none of us have even heard of, I am at my wits end how to "solve" this case.
But I keep circling back to a few salient points.
1. Everyone seems to have their "favorite" as the killer. Most likely candidates are one of the Blaires or Nichols. The problem is they are all dead.
2. ECSO and the "long arm of the law" around that time totally proved itself to be a bunch of incompetent, insensitive, half-wits......with few exceptions, like Estrada.
If I had my way, the most likely killers would be rounded up and staked to anthills. But they are already dead.
If I had my way, virtually everyone in Eddy County law enforcement during the early 1960's would be fired, disgraced and run out of the state. But they are either all dead or long since gone from the scene.
The only good news in this case is that MOST of the techniques and procedures for dealing with a major crime have changed. In other words, most of the things that have frustrated this case so terribly have been corrected nationwide...at least in theory. Every city wants a really sharp, high tech police force until they get the bill for what it will cost to produce one. Ultimately most of the police deficiencies can be traced back to city/county budgets that cannot or will not pay for it. This is not a voter friendly project and what politician doesn't think of their own re-elections? So, law enforcement suffers...as do their victims. But still we can rejoice that a LOT of improvement has been made the last 50 years.
So I ask myself, "What good can we realistically do?" The killers are dead. The bungling LEO's are mostly dead. There's really no one to punish or disgrace. There is really nothing we can productively do.
And I'm not telling Sunshine anything she doesn't already know. She figured this out for herself before I ever showed up. I think I have yet to surprise her with anything. To say she has been thorough and persistent would be an understatement.
So where do we go?
My idea is "we go public" in the biggest, loudest, most visible way possible.
Why? What point is this if everyone is dead?
Let's just call it a tribute to Patty and Mattie. I'd like the nation to know their story. We can't convict anyone. We can't punish bungling LEO's. But we can tell the story of a tragedy that has gone on almost 5 decades now. Hopefully the story of Patty and Mattie will show EVERY future survivor of such a crime what they can and can't do...and what they must demand from the LEO community before the loss of their loved one gets swept under the rug by budget starved police departments. I think this whole thing is a shocking story with more twists and turns than a Mexican road race.
Sunshine has written a book about the whole mess and done tons of research. But I know enough about the "literary game" to know that rarely does a first book by an unknown author sell over 10,000 copies. And this is just enough to cover publisher printing costs...which is why publishers aren't just begging everyone who can form a sentence to write a book and send it in. Truth is most new books do NOT sell even half this many copies. We only hear about the rare exceptions.
But I don't see SS's book as worthless or a hopeless cause. Far from it. What she has compiled SHOULD be a author's dream.
Thus my latest goofy idea is that SS begin contacting every TV series, every MAJOR writer of crime stories, etc that we can think of. Suggest to them that they form an alliance (CONTRACT) with her to co-produce and market this story.
I've given this a good bit of thought and can think of a lot of things that deflate my own tires about this idea. But nothing ventured; nothing gained.
And we MIGHT be able to pull this off easier than it sounds.
For example: Just Thinking lives in the same city as a very, very good up-coming new crime writer with about a dozen books to his credit. His name is Jeff Abbott and I've read most of his books already. He's GOOD. Just what if he would grant JT two minutes of his time to plant the idea of just what we are thinking of in his mind. And all the guy has to do is pick up the phone and call Sunshine. Instantly he is connected with the mother lode of research, photos, information AND the person who has lived it! To my way of thinking that is finding a bird nest on the ground for any writer.
Another sharp new writer on the way up like a rocket is C.J. Box in Wyoming. He also has about a dozen books to his credit. Guess what? My brother has a casual acquaintance with Mr. Box.
All we need is two or three minutes of their time. They will be interested or not.
Who else does our little group know? Anyone here know a hot published author? TV producer? Movie script writer?
All we need is to land one of these big fish and suddenly the case has NATIONAL exposure.
I wouldn't suggest such an idea if Sunshine were looking to launch her own writing career or dreaming of "making it big." But neither of those are her motives. This is for Patty and Mattie and I can't think of a better way to tell their story to the nation.
Comments by all MOST welcome. Rip this idea to shreds if you can. If I'm trying to fly a lead balloon here, let's expose it NOW and save everyone any lost energy. If anyone has a better idea or some new angle how to do such a thing....GO FOR IT.
My ideas are not sacred...not even to me.
