GUILTY SC - HT, 4, Johns Island, 13 Feb 2018 *Arrest*

[Henry2326]

Why do you use the word "clever"? None of that stuff you listed necessitates intelligence. And for someone with mental problems, a lot of things you think are easy, are actually difficult.

Sarcasm

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[Reba]

That was my first thought when they said he had just gotten out of prison. He may be institutionalized and can't deal with freedom, so he did enough to ensure he would spend the rest of his life behind bars.

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Then why run and hide with a 4 year old? Beating and nearly killing the mother would have been enough. He could have turned H over not long after he took her for the additional charges. I really believe this man had a connection in Birmingham to sex traffic this little girl. And I’m afraid it happens much more than we realize. I read through the Missing Persons thread here on WS and my heart breaks for how many children go missing without a trace and are possibly sold into that life of horror.


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[Elainera]

I believe he may have just been overwhelmed with the real world and wanted to go back to prison, he then made the decision to commit a crime.


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I thought the same!

 

[JazzTune]

Why do you use the word "clever"? None of that stuff you listed necessitates intelligence. And for someone with mental problems, a lot of things you think are easy, are actually difficult.

As one who worked in a professional capacity with the mentally ill for 15 years, ( and who will always be dear to my heart, ) I don't think MissMalowe was minimizing the plight of those with 'mental problems' at all.

I think I know exactly what she meant, and I agree with her.

We've heard nothing that indicates Thomas Evans did not know what he was doing or was not in contact with reality. In fact, his actions showed quite a level of goal-seeking behavior, which does indicate a certain level of intelligence.

Therefore, we don't do him any favors to insinuate he should get a pass on his criminal behavior.

I'm totally supportive of help for mental health issues, especially substance abuse, and addiction.
However, we can't force that help on anyone.

In my opinion, he didn't avail himself of the mental health services available, not because it was 'difficult' but because he didn't want ​that help.

That is the operative word here. WANT.

Unfortunately, there is no therapy or pill that can do that...


JMO

 

[Henry2326]

As one who worked in a professional capacity with the mentally ill for 15 years, ( and who will always be dear to my heart, ) I don't think MissMalowe was minimizing the plight of those with 'mental problems' at all.

I think I know exactly what she meant, and I agree with her.

We've heard nothing that indicates Thomas Evans did not know what he was doing or was not in contact with reality. In fact, his actions showed quite a level of goal-seeking behavior, which does indicate a certain level of intelligence.

Therefore, we don't do him any favors to insinuate he should get a pass on his criminal behavior.

I'm totally supportive of help for mental health issues, especially substance abuse, and addiction.
However, we can't force that help on anyone.

In my opinion, he didn't avail himself of the mental health services available, not because it was 'difficult' but because he didn't want ​that help.

That is the operative word here. WANT.

Unfortunately, there is no therapy or pill that can do that...


JMO

Well stated...,

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[JazzTune]

I love this. I'd also love to have one with a genuine gun shot sound going off to go with the barking dog.

Locked and loaded, huh? I guess that might work if it really was someone intending to break in, but maybe not so appropriate for the evangelizing church members who are known to go door-to-door. Oh my...

I just want the person on the other side of the door to believe there is a big dog here. Not that I'm over the top... ( Even though I really AM. Lol.. )

 

[Amonet]

When they said he gave his real name when he was approached by the officer, I also wondered if part of him wanted to go back to prison.

As for mental health issues, I agree that it's not always simple to ask for help or to go looking for it. A person is likely to have heard things like "pull yourself together", "it's all your fault, you're a failure", they might have tried to get help in the past and not got anything effective and they might now have major trust issues. Finding the wherewithal to say "I need help" can be hard, getting the right help can be harder.

I don't really see how that has any bearing on someone getting out of prison and breaking into a home and terrorizing a woman and three babies, beating the woman half to death and kidnapping a toddler. I don't see it as a reason or an excuse. I see it as a reason for not trying to get help but I don't see it as a reason to do something like this. I think things can get complicated. I can see how one bad choice can lead to another and so on until someone's in so deep they don't know how to get out and turn things around.

This guy sounds like he wasn't having a great time in prison. But maybe in there he felt like a big man and on the outside he felt like a small piece of nothing that didn't fit, didn't have the skills to go straight and would have had difficulty finding employment. I suppose his perspective of what happened to him in the past 2 weeks could be very different from our perspective...walking in a man's shoes is very different from looking at that man and judging him from the outside. I don't see any of that as an excuse for what he's done to that family. He made a decision to break into a home, if he hadn't expected someone to be there, he had the chance to walk away, but he chose to terrorize and beat a woman who hadn't done anything to him! Nothing that can have happened to him in his life can ever justify those actions.

 

[jjenny]

So which is it? Random or targeted? Lol. I know they mean it was random, but it is worded funny.

Randomly targeted to be a victim. Seems clear to me.

 

[Stunned]

Marking

 

[JazzTune]

When they said he gave his real name when he was approached by the officer, I also wondered if part of him wanted to go back to prison.

As for mental health issues, I agree that it's not always simple to ask for help or to go looking for it. A person is likely to have heard things like "pull yourself together", "it's all your fault, you're a failure", they might have tried to get help in the past and not got anything effective and they might now have major trust issues. Finding the wherewithal to say "I need help" can be hard, getting the right help can be harder.

I don't really see how that has any bearing on someone getting out of prison and breaking into a home and terrorizing a woman and three babies, beating the woman half to death and kidnapping a toddler. I don't see it as a reason or an excuse. I see it as a reason for not trying to get help but I don't see it as a reason to do something like this. I think things can get complicated. I can see how one bad choice can lead to another and so on until someone's in so deep they don't know how to get out and turn things around.

This guy sounds like he wasn't having a great time in prison. But maybe in there he felt like a big man and on the outside he felt like a small piece of nothing that didn't fit, didn't have the skills to go straight and would have had difficulty finding employment. I suppose his perspective of what happened to him in the past 2 weeks could be very different from our perspective...walking in a man's shoes is very different from looking at that man and judging him from the outside. I don't see any of that as an excuse for what he's done to that family. He made a decision to break into a home, if he hadn't expected someone to be there, he had the chance to walk away, but he chose to terrorize and beat a woman who hadn't done anything to him! Nothing that can have happened to him in his life can ever justify those actions.

Well said, Amonet. I agree with much of what you've written. But I believe it's critical to make the point that there is little connection between those who may have trouble accessing community services with those who commit this type of violence.

I can say from working with the mentally ill ( adult in-patient, locked psychiatric unit of a regular hospital ) that the absolute majority are never violent. Never a threat to other people.

In general, they are a danger to themselves only, often because their illness prevents them from knowing how to take care of themselves. Not able to see the big picture, etc.

Not an absolute. People with Schizophrenia have killed others during a psychotic break because they heard voices telling them to do so. That is not an excuse on their part. They really did hear those voices, in my opinion.

What I see here in this situation ( my opinion only ) is a man without a conscience. People like this commit horrible violence against others because they truly have no feelings for other people.

Total lack of empathy. They're called Sociopaths.

People like us, with good intentions have a difficult time understanding it. So we tend to project our own reasoning and logic to explain their actions. We believe these people must be misunderstood and have not been given a fair shake by life. While some of that may actually be true, our sympathy will not change their situation at all.

We could hold these people's hands and walk them right through every single mental health service available. We could do ALL the work, but it won't change them.

Though it may be hard for me to convey this distinction in the written word here, it was always crystal clear to me when I was dealing with one who had no conscience. In their minds, people exist for them for one purpose and one purpose only. Their own.

They have no desire to be 'gentler and kinder.' We may feel sympathy for why they ended up as Sociopaths, but our sympathy is not going to help them.

I hate to come across as so pessimistic but those without a conscience ( Sociopaths ) cannot be fixed.

It is also my opinion that a person who beats a stranger almost to death, in front of her three small children, and kidnaps one of them, ( with intent to sell her, in my opinion ) IS a Sociopath.

The ones most needing sympathy are all of the T family, especially H and her mother...

ETA: Not meaning to imply that you don't have sympathy for the victims too. I know you do! Sorry if that was poorly worded. Didn't mean it to come across that way...


JMO Only...

 

[Steelslady]

I thought the same!

Same here. He gets three meals a day and a cot, medical care, he doesn't have to work for a living.

 

[Steelslady]

You have trumped my paranoia preparations!!! I shall find this barking dog immediately! I need one, too!

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Word of the wise- just don't pick the barking dogs singing "Jingle Bells."

 

[Steelslady]

Then why run and hide with a 4 year old? Beating and nearly killing the mother would have been enough. He could have turned H over not long after he took her for the additional charges. I really believe this man had a connection in Birmingham to sex traffic this little girl. And I’m afraid it happens much more than we realize. I read through the Missing Persons thread here on WS and my heart breaks for how many children go missing without a trace and are possibly sold into that life of horror.


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I think it's a combination of both. He found something he could do to get involved in that he knew would get him behind bars again real fast. What better way than to pick a woman with little ones, beat her up, kidnap that sweet darling, and try to sell her for sex trafficking, just in case he needed cash until found and arrested.

 

[Steelslady]

As one who worked in a professional capacity with the mentally ill for 15 years, ( and who will always be dear to my heart, ) I don't think MissMalowe was minimizing the plight of those with 'mental problems' at all.

I think I know exactly what she meant, and I agree with her.

We've heard nothing that indicates Thomas Evans did not know what he was doing or was not in contact with reality. In fact, his actions showed quite a level of goal-seeking behavior, which does indicate a certain level of intelligence.

Therefore, we don't do him any favors to insinuate he should get a pass on his criminal behavior.

I'm totally supportive of help for mental health issues, especially substance abuse, and addiction.
However, we can't force that help on anyone.

In my opinion, he didn't avail himself of the mental health services available, not because it was 'difficult' but because he didn't want ​that help.

That is the operative word here. WANT.

Unfortunately, there is no therapy or pill that can do that...


JMO

Excellent post, Jazzy! :clap:

Often times, after they leave a mental hospital, they don't follow up with their therapy and medications. Many of them think they're "cured" because the medication is working well for them- you can't get it through their heads that they NEED this medication to stay healthy and strong mentally. This happens often with schizophrenics for some reason- they just believe in their minds that they are fine and the medication is a waste of time and money. They have plenty of excuses for not taking the appropriate drugs for their condition, but boy oh boy, do they have plenty of time and money to do recreational drugs without an issue, and then they wonder why their mood is low again, start getting paranoid and suicidal and other awful symptoms occur. I've seen this happen with several individuals over the years, and family and friends end up worried and stressed out because they know it's a matter of time before they'll be bringing them back to the hospital.

They also don't go to get their blood levels checked- that is a must for a mentally ill person. It's how doctors know if you have enough medication in your system to function normally daily, or if you need more or less. Even if that person is feeling fine and dandy, they still need to have these levels done.

They get angry at family and friends who try to help them by bringing them in to get help. Yet they hate those same family members when they get frustrated and start walking away because they just can't keep on trying to help them, when they won't help themselves.

It is rather sad and tough to watch for both the individual as well as their family and friends. Many friends end up walking away eventually, and family keeps hoping and trying to help their loved ones, often causing a lot of upset in their lives because mental illness is tricky and unpredictable. One day, a person can be fine and happy, the next day, suicidal or extremely depressed.

 

[flute4peace]

I have a bit different take on this. I don't rhink this was a premeditated anything. I think he was desperate for money for a fix, saw the young vulnerable woman/easy target & went for it. She fought back, he snapped & beat her. Probably grabbed the girl on the way out the door as an afterrhought.

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[MissMalowe]

Why do you use the word "clever"? None of that stuff you listed necessitates intelligence. And for someone with mental problems, a lot of things you think are easy, are actually difficult.

clev·er
ˈklevər/Submit
adjective
quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; intelligent.
"a clever and studious young woman"
synonyms: intelligent, bright, smart, astute, sharp, quick-witted, shrewd; More
skilled at doing or achieving something; talented.
"he was clever at getting what he wanted"
synonyms: skillful, dexterous, adroit, adept, deft, nimble, handy; More

Clever does not simply mean a high level of Intelligence. (Both terms are also relatively subjective so making an argument to either support or disprove either is rather moot)

To be clear, you used the term intelligence, I did not. The terms I used were clever and resourceful.

The quality of being clever or having the "skill to do or achieve something" is not limited to only the legal & intelligent activities of someone with a good moral compass. A con man, for example, is only as successful as he is clever (at deceiving people)

I am in agreement that for people suffering from certain mental illnesses, some tasks may be more difficult than others or need to be completed in different ways.

However, all that is known about this man and his "mental problems" is his claims that he has them. We do not know his current diagnosis, previous diagnosis, if those diagnoses even occurred or if he simply came to his own conclusion that he had "mental problems."

Furthermore, he was quoted as saying he was treated for drugs and alcohol in prison. There was no mention of his having received treatment/medication for mental health, which is also available.

I suspect his not seeking care or treatment for his "mental problems" since his release was likely due to his simply not feeling it was a priority; other things were of more importance to him and a plethora of additional reasons, rather than an inability to attain transportation, a lack of local resources, or a monetary issue.

My apologies if my lack of sympathy of his taking himself to the T family's home to commit heinous crimes instead of taking himself to the county health department was not stifled by his having mental problems which may or may not have made such trip "actually difficult" has in some way offended you.

My intention was not to offend you personally. My thoughts on this matter, as well on many other cases here at Websleuths come from a background of having personally worked with inmates while they were incarcerated in both the federal prison system as well as the United States Disciplinary Barracks; to include those whom were dealing with a variety of different mental illnesses in varying degrees and both medicated/treated as well as unmedicated/untreated.

 

[DexterMorgan]

I think it's a combination of both. He found something he could do to get involved in that he knew would get him behind bars again real fast. What better way than to pick a woman with little ones, beat her up, kidnap that sweet darling, and try to sell her for sex trafficking, just in case he needed cash until found and arrested.

Wooow. I dont know. Because child kidnappers are frowned upon in prison.

I think robbing banks until you get caught would be a safer as well as lucrative way to go back to prison.

The guy was hiding in the woods with a child inside his car. So he definitely had no finances to hideout. Jmo Steels.

 

[Gardener1850]

[h=1]Kidnapping suspect involved with deputies two days before alleged kidnapping[/h]

The man suspected of kidnapping 4-year-old HT had a run-in with Berkeley County deputies two days before the alleged kidnapping.

Around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office deputies made contact with Thomas Lawton Evans, 37, who deputies saw walking along Harristown Road in St. Stephen with a gas can, according to a sheriff’s office report.

Lawton told deputies that he ran out of gas and a local church had given him cash and a gas can. Lawton said he was waiting on a family member to pick him up. Deputies ran his license. It came back suspended. Lawton did not have any pending warrants, so he was released, deputies said.

That Sunday morning, deputies were called to the area across from Mendel Rivers Road in St. Stephen regarding a suspicious black Honda Civic. The car was resting on the side of the road. Deputies ran the tag which belonged to a Boiling Springs woman.

Authorities in that area were told to conduct a welfare check on the Boiling Springs address.

When Berkeley County deputies arrived to Mendel Rivers Road, a neighbor said he saw a white male walking through yards toward St. Stephen. Local residents approached the male who said he was looking for gas.

The man was eventually determined to be Lawton.

Authorities said they followed proper protocol when they made contact with Lawton.

“He wasn’t wanted. His license was suspended. However, he wasn’t driving the vehicle. We couldn’t charge him with that. It’s kind of a catch-22 there,” said Berkeley County Major Jeremy Baker.
“We never saw him driving the vehicle,” he said.

https://www.journalscene.com/news/k...cle_84d9f1b4-13f3-11e8-b74a-83eade2c7d0f.html

 

[MissMalowe]

Lawton told deputies that he ran out of gas and a local church had given him cash and a gas can.

So, either:

A) Someone from church happened to have an empty gas can in their car, gave it to him along with cash and said farewell?

Or

B) Someone from church drove to the closest gas station or store to purchase him a gas can, but instead of filling it up right there at the gas station (or driving nearby to one to fill it up) they returned to the church with an empty gas can and gave him cash for gas instead?

I definitely understand NOT driving a stranger to a gas station then back to his car because that might not be safe (obviously very unsafe in this case considering who it was) but wouldn't people who are kind enough to either get or give a gas can and cash also fill it up for him or fill it up for him instead of giving him cash? Something just seems slightly odd.

I'm thinking that gas can and cash were possibly "acquired" from someone's home & garage. Not sure though, just seems odd.

 

[thorpedo]

Locked and loaded, huh? I guess that might work if it really was someone intending to break in, but maybe not so appropriate for the evangelizing church members who are known to go door-to-door. Oh my...

I just want the person on the other side of the door to believe there is a big dog here. Not that I'm over the top... ( Even though I really AM. Lol.. )

In the early 90s I had motion sensor things on my front and back doors that sounded like German shepherds. One of the best purchases I ever made.