If you're a regular here, particularly in the SMHRB you know that I am one of the regular Mr. Fix-Its on here.
I have had the pleasure to have done just that for about 32 year now. I have learned and earned an extensive range of knowledge about fixing all sorts of things.
I had originally written a diary intending to be posted on Saturday Morning Home Repair Blog. This is not the diary I had in mind.
Some things I just cannot fix.
2 Killed In Apparent Home Invasion
Investigators Search For Clues In Titusville Slayings
POSTED: 6:17 am EDT July 22, 2009
UPDATED: 12:31 pm EDT July 22, 2009
TITUSVILLE, Fla. -- Police in Titusville are looking for clues after an apparent double homicide on Wednesday morning.
The crime happened along WC Stafford Street. Police said they believe that victims Andrea Richardson, 36, and Krystal Marie Pinson, 25, were targeted.
Investigators gathered evidence overnight and remained at the scene during the early-morning hours.
Witnesses at the scene said some people barged into the home and opened fire, killing the couple inside.
A search is under way to find the gunmen.
"I just don't understand it," Richardson's aunt Mattie Richardson said. "I just know too much killing is going on."
Yes, Miss Mattie, way too much.
Okay folks, I have never posted a single picture of me let alone one of my kids on the internet- that is my ugly self in the middle, those gorgeous young folks are my kids. This was the last picture we took together, July 4th. The beautiful girl on my left was Krystal, the Krystal in the story above.
A great writer I am not. My only hope is that I can get across my point well enough to compell even one person here that may be, or know a victim of abuse to seek out help.
2:00 A.M. Wednesday my wife and I were awaken by frantic pounding on our front door. You have to understand that for some time now we have feared that our daughters ex would show up here at our house- so I answered the door gun in hand.
It turned out to be two of Krystals friends, they had hurried over to tell us that she and a friend of hers had both been shot and killed nearby just minutes before.
And so began my nightmare.
A few hours ago my wife and I finally got to see her for the first time. The first thing I thought was of a day just a few weeks ago seeing her asleep on our couch, she truly didn't look any different. As if all I had to do was say "hey baby girl, wake up" and all this shit, this fucking nightmare would end.
Her funeral is in a couple of hours and she'll be buried up in Atlanta on Monday.
About a month ago she was in hiding here. We were waiting on a call back from the police who were supposed to pick her up and drive her around Orlando to find a house she knew him to be hiding at and point it out to them. they told us specifically NOT to go drive by it ourselves. She knew where the house was but didn't know street names, ect. It was the third day of waiting. She and I were sitting on the back porch and noone else around, I told her we could head over ourselves, she point it out, drop me off at the next corner and go home. I was serious, I just wanted to rid this world of this piece of shit and be done with it. She wanted to give the police involved the benefit of the doubt I suppose. It dawned on us that we could travel virtually down the streets and find the house on Google Earth. Which we did.
Amazingly she was able to identify the house in question, that was immediately relayed to the law enforcement involved. If I recall correctly, it was the next day when they raided the house in question.
Why were they after this motherfucker? Well, funny you should ask.
Seems he had committed an extremly violent armed home invasion in Volusia county, this one to be exact:
Three men beat and poured scalding water over a Holly Hill resident before stealing a Rolex watch, cash and other pricey jewelry from the man's home, police said.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/...
There are other things to that story that were not reported, we're talking one sick puppy.
They raided the house. Her info proved to be dead on the money and the following was "breaking news" enough to actually break into regular broadcasting:
http://www.topix.com/...
There is no doubt that he had been there very recently and even found his i.d. inside the house after they raided it.
There is a lot of shit to this case, including the highly racial/drug slant/statements by the press that literally poisoned the case and brought out some of the most hideous comments on their (Florida Today) website, reminding me of the rabidity we all witnessed on the Palin campaign trail last fall. Putrid.
There were a lot of mistakes made.
The biggest mistake made was counting on the police for her protection, period. That was my job. I should've hadn't insisted she and I take that ride. He'd have probably been there, and hell, I am a very good shot. I should have followed my own instinct and hunted him down and wasted his sick ass. Period.
I wouldn't have to worry about where he was like I did when he slipped through and got away. What were we supposed to do, just hang tight? Amazingly We never heard from the police again after the raid of that house. The last time she got away from him he found her and tossed her in the trunk of her car for the ride home.
Enough of that shit.
I should have and could have done more but I didn't. I mean hell, I tried but sitting here at this moment I know that I didn't try enough. I could have done more, to claim otherwise would be an outright lie. I fucked up. Badly.
I cannot fix this.
You cannot fix me.
What you can do for me may very well be the hardest thing you will ever do. Tough shit, do it anyway.
Get involved.
Be a voice for one silenced, stand up for someone beaten down, say something that needs to be said, be there where you haven't been before, step up for those being stepped on, ask questions, demand answers , stand up but never never ever stand by or stand down when you know you are witnessing spousal abuse/violence. DO something. Get involved.
These women are our mothers, our sisters, and daughters. This shit has to stop. If you have to take the law into your own hands to stop it, do so- I would much rather be sorting out my legal problems right now and have the satisfaction of knowing that I truly did do everything I possibly could have for her than I can ever have putting her in the ground.
http://www.ndvh.org/
Domestic Abuse Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE
Krystal couldn't stand country music and I've never been into it myself but I heard this song years ago and I cannot think of another more appropriate. Somehow I just know she'd love it. http://www.youtube.com/...
If you have found this diary disturbing, good, I am glad you are bothered, I hope all of you are profoundly disturbed by it, you should be. We all should be bothered enough to act each and every time we are made aware of any woman in a violent relationship situation. I cannot fix this. I cannot fix her. I cannot help my baby girl anymore, but you can yours. Do so.