Thursday, April 26, 2007
Musings about the Halbach tragedy
I've been following this trial closely since I heard on the news that Teresa had gone missing. That was Halloween 2005 and it's been emotional roller coaster since. You can't help but feel for the Halbach family. They unwillingly got pulled into what is their worst nightmare--the loss of a beloved granddaughter, daughter and sister. Their poise and courage in the last two years has been amazing and is a testament to their faith.
The courts and prision system failed Teresa Halbach
Steven Avery was a convicted felon long before he ever met Teresa Halbach. He was a convicted felon before he was accused of rape charges, found guilty, and then found innocent by DNA. Why do we allow sick people like this out of institutions (prison, mental health facilities or otherwise) without proper supervision? We do it because we don't have the willingness to pay for our prisions, or we don't have the willingness to lock people up and throw out the key. There are people that blindly believe people can change their ways. But Avery was different case, he could never change.
In 1981, when Avery was 18 years old, he and some friends broke into a bar and stole some beer, change and a couple of sandwiches. He served 10 months in Manitowoc County Jail and was given 5 years of probation. Months later after his release, he doused a cat in gasoline and lit on fire. He found guilty of cruely to an animal and served another short sentance in the same jail.
But then it gets stranger. Sandra Morris, Avery's cousin, had complained to police that Avery would expose himself in his front yard as she drove by. It would come to a head when Avery tried forcing Morris off the road at gunpoint, and tried getting her into his vehicle. She would eventually get away. Avery admitted it to police and was given a six year sentance for endangering the safety of another person.
There was a patter of sociopathic behavior even before he was accused of rape and attempted murder in 1985. Grated nearly 18 years in prision would change worldly views, but he had a pattern of illogical behavior before that sentance.
Brendan Dassey, Avery's nephew, was also on the same track as his uncle. His only problem he didn't break into a bar and steal beer and money, he assisted in the murder of an innocent woman. Like his uncle, he is mildly mentally retarted, and probably doesn't know how to comply within society. His inability to comply, ultimately led to his decision to help, not stop his uncle from killing.
There are defined social norms. We can debate to what extent they are, but the reality is there is an expect way that people should live in this country. Avery never operated under those social norms. It seemed to a certain extent he wasn't expected to. From his parents, to his education, and to his lack of understanding of how the world works, Avery never understood why people get freaked out by him.
At some level, there has to be a complete mental health exam and see whether these inmates are mentally capable of re-entering society. While I would think that most released are capable of entering into society, there are some that aren't. And that is what we need. When Avery was exonnerated, he was released the next day. No one questioned whether he was mentally able to intergrated into society. They just let him go.
The bigger question is what do we do with people like these. How to we prevent another tragedy like this one? It is quite simple. For Avery, we as a society should have locked him up and threw away the key. He continually shows no remorse for anything, including his actions and his past. It is one thing to go to prision and say that you didn't do it, but you typically show some level of compassion to the victims. He never did.
These people do not belong in our society. There is no rehabilitation. He didn't find God and ask for forgiveness. He didn't try to do something good out of his years in prision and help further the Innocence Project. He never showed that he could be an asset to society.
Instead, he killed an innocent, young woman full of potential. The system failed Teresa. I pray to God that there will not be another.
Labels: Avery Trial
