GUILTY CT - Barry James, 59, stabbed to death, Fairfield, 28 Aug 2006

[Old Broad]

Several detectives went to Edington's house yesterday and examined a window panel that they took from the scene. It wasn't immediately clear why.
Edington was released yesterday after posting a $1 million bond in Bridgeport Superior Court.

He hopped into a car loaded with luggage and rode off.

No one was at the family home yesterday, and his whereabouts were not clear.

Edington's wife could not be reached for comment.

Neighbors, however, said James - who lived with his parents - had problems with alcohol, shouted obscenities at neighbor- hood children and even went outside in the nude.


This is from the link above, makes me wonder if the neighbor was getting in through the baby's window?

OB

 

[Jeana (DP)]

IMO there's still much more to this story we need to hear.
From what's been said the father already was upset about the neighbors behavior and they were on alert about him acting strange. I can't imagine he would have been allowed to be around the little girl so how did he get to her?
I'm wondering if the fact the father is a lawyer has anything to do with his judgement at the time? He probably knows more than the average person how people accused of crimes can manage to weasel out of something and how the system can turn things around where the victim (his daughter) would become victimized again. Even tho he's not a criminal lawyer he's probably more "in the know" on how things can be turned around and twisted by some to save their client.
It was not wise of the mother to tell him over the phone but I have no doubt she was not thinking clearly, was probably hysterical and quite irrational at that time. The man was right next door. If it had taken more time to get to him he may have cooled off enough to look at it differently and seen he wouldn't be helping his family by being sent to prison and losing his career.

OB

I don't think that he took the time to rationalize it that way. I think he heard that his little girl was sexually molested and he snapped and did what he did immediately. I don't think there was enough time for contemplation of legal ramifications.

 

[SewingDeb]

Several detectives went to Edington's house yesterday and examined a window panel that they took from the scene. It wasn't immediately clear why.

snip

This is from the link above, makes me wonder if the neighbor was getting in through the baby's window?

OB

It does make you wonder!

 

[Details]

There's got to be something more. If the guy was getting in the kids window - then the reaction makes sense - but if it was just exposure, non-contact stuff, that doesn't really fit.


I'm not saying it was the father, or anything other than that there is something else here - we have an obvious missing piece, and that was one possibility that fit in. The 'victim' getting in through the window and molesting the kid fits quite well as well. Although why didn't the wife take the kids to the hospital, or call the police - that's the odd bit. But if he was getting in through the window, that does explain the run off and go stay with family.

But a guy who was the neighborhood nut, molesting the kid in some way that has to have happened in front of other people who were already wary of him (thus, it could only be exposure and dirty words), triggering enough of a reaction to cause this kind of violent murder, while not anything that caused the mother to call the police or go to the hospital - there has to be another piece.

 

[Bobbisangel]

When the mother called the father she said that the neighbor man had "molested" not "exposed himself." In my mind there is a world of difference.

 

[southcitymom]

I'm interested in the trip the lawyer and his wife took. Why did she call him from out of town to tell him this news? Did she just happen to be out of town when the 2-year-old brought it up? Did the wife have the slightest idea that her husband would do something so brutal?


Still waiting to hear from the wife!...

 

[Old Broad]

Fox News mentioned this case early this morning on the Line Up. There was a hint to something happening in the past with the father having a problem in the past, something to do with an abortion clinic. I haven't been able to find any links yet.

OB

 

[luthersmama]

Fox News mentioned this case early this morning on the Line Up. There was a hint to something happening in the past with the father having a problem in the past, something to do with an abortion clinic. I haven't been able to find any links yet.

OB

It was in the NYTimes article. He was a student at Finger Lakes Community College and trashed a Planned Parenthood display.

 

[southcitymom]

It was in the NYTimes article. He was a student at Finger Lakes Community College and trashed a Planned Parenthood display.

Sounds like this attorney has some anger problems - particularly around issues regarding his perceived protection of children. I wonder if he was abused in his past.

I find it a bit over the top to trash a Planned Parenthood exhibit, just as I find it over the top to stab someone to death based on a phone call from your wife regarding the alleged abuse of your child.

This is just my opinion. While I understand the obviously huge emotions that beset this man in both instances, his actions show that HE may well be a danger to society.

 

[SewingDeb]

Sounds like this attorney has some anger problems - particularly around issues regarding his perceived protection of children. I wonder if he was abused in his past.

snip

I had the same thought. If he was abused, it would explain his uncontrollable rage. Still not make it right, but more understandable.

 

[luthersmama]

Here's a story about a mom who took a better approach and tracked the guy down while talking to police:

http://www.local6.com/news/9775035/detail.html

 

[BillyGoatGruff]

Well, I don't think we know that the dead guy's behavior was sexually inappropriate. We know he was drinking more, struggling with that.

I mean the only "proof" we had that the dead guy exposed himself inappropriately is the word of the guy that stabbed him to death in the middle of the day. I'm not willing to take that guy's word without back-up.

There were TV intervieiws with a couple of neighbors who corroborated the exposing himself on the front yard story.

 

[BillyGoatGruff]

Several detectives went to Edington's house yesterday and examined a window panel that they took from the scene. It wasn't immediately clear why.
Edington was released yesterday after posting a $1 million bond in Bridgeport Superior Court.

He hopped into a car loaded with luggage and rode off.

No one was at the family home yesterday, and his whereabouts were not clear.

Edington's wife could not be reached for comment.

Neighbors, however, said James - who lived with his parents - had problems with alcohol, shouted obscenities at neighbor- hood children and even went outside in the nude.


This is from the link above, makes me wonder if the neighbor was getting in through the baby's window?

OB

My thoughts exactly.

 

[luthersmama]

He still shouldn't have stabbed the guy, but this explains some of the background:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/09/12/enraged.dad.ap/index.html

 

[southcitymom]

He still shouldn't have stabbed the guy, but this explains some of the background:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/09/12/enraged.dad.ap/index.html

Thanks so much for the update on this sad, fascinating case. Even if the murder victim in the case turns out to have been a molester (and I still don't think we have enough information to determine that - we may never), I so wish the father had handled it differently.

Blessings to all the families involved.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

He still shouldn't have stabbed the guy, but this explains some of the background:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/09/12/enraged.dad.ap/index.html

So what they're trying to say is that he repeatedly creeped into her room at night?

 

[Amraann]

I am only sorry the father will have to go to prison.

 

[luthersmama]

So what they're trying to say is that he repeatedly creeped into her room at night?

Beats me!! How he could have gotten near her is the big mystery, imo. I don't think that is the sort of neighborhood where everybody leaves doors and windows unlocked all night. A prior post said the police had taken away "a window panel". I don't know what that is, either. Maybe more news tomorrow.

 

[christine2448]

Beats me!! How he could have gotten near her is the big mystery, imo. I don't think that is the sort of neighborhood where everybody leaves doors and windows unlocked all night. A prior post said the police had taken away "a window panel". I don't know what that is, either. Maybe more news tomorrow.

Are we sure it's the window panel from her house and not the victims they are speaking of? The lawyer feller that attacked the flasher guy went through his window and attacked him, I just thought maybe we were confusing this?

 

[southcitymom]

Beats me!! How he could have gotten near her is the big mystery, imo. I don't think that is the sort of neighborhood where everybody leaves doors and windows unlocked all night. A prior post said the police had taken away "a window panel". I don't know what that is, either. Maybe more news tomorrow.

I am pretty sure the window panel referenced was from the murder victim's house.