I've told about this incident before, but this is probably a good place to mention it again: a few years back, we had a serial killer operating in our little corner of central Massachusetts. He was killing prostitutes from a nearby city and dumping them along rural roads. They eventually arrested the person likely responsible for the killings, which have stopped, but while the investigation was going on, it was pretty tense and scary.
At one point, a name was leaked--someone who had been arrested for a violent incident during a paid sexual encounter. The woman escaped and went to police. Of course we were all sure this was the guy, but they had to release him for lack of evidence. So here he was going about his business. Public reaction was fury, of course, and it got out of control. Somebody attacked him (as he was leaving his house to go to work, if I'm remembering right), beat him up, put him in the hospital with a skull fracture.
Trouble was, it was the wrong guy. Different man with the same rather unusual name. He nearly died and I'm told he still has concussion symptoms that make it difficult for him to hold down a job.
So please be careful when you're looking for clues. Double and triple check. Not everyone is as thoughtful as we are here and mistaken identity can have real and tragic consequences.
