Bigotry Based Bullying - Examining Five Cases Where Autistic Teenage Boys Were Victimized

Introduction

                After reading the recent ice bucket prank incident, I noticed a trend in bullying situations where autistic teenage boys were targeted.  The following episodes are within the past year and there was a pattern in the criminals’ behaviors.  All perpetrators videotaped their own evidence, thus self-incriminating.  None of the perpetrators were charged with hate crime, however every victim was targeted for their autism, or the aggressor was aware of the victim’s mental differences. 

                The following section describes each of the five cases.  Then attributes of these cases are collated into two tables in the analysis section.

Case 1:  Bay Village, Ohio; September 2014

                Bullies coaxed a 15-year-old boy with autism to participate in the “Ice Bucket Challenge” for raising awareness to ALS.  They had him strip down to his boxer shorts, and stand in front of a garage.  Instead of ice water, the perpetrators poured a bucket of urine, feces, spit, and cigarette butts onto him.  They had videotaped it with the victim’s phone and uploaded it to Instagram. 

                 Aftermath:  The bullies are under investigation.  The victim approves of having the video online to raise awareness of bullying children of special needs.

Case 2:  Okeechobee, Florida; August 2014

                Aaron Hill, age 16, was invited to a party where an adult, Evadean Lydecker, gave the teens alcohol.  Hill felt sick from drinking whiskey and needed to lie down.  When he woke, he was ordered to go outside and fight.  Hill was unwilling.  Then, one of the other teens, Andrew Wheeler, age 18, came inside and started beating, kicking him and knocking his head into the wall.  He also dragged him across the floor by his hair.  Hill was curled up on the floor, protecting his head, and screaming.  This segment of the conflict was recorded on a partier’s phone.  The other partiers witnessed and laughed at the victim.  The adult, Lydecker, was outside, and refused to intervene because she believed Hill deserved it.

                After the infamous video clip ended, Wheeler forced Hill outside and choked him till unconsciousness.  The police found Hill lying in the middle of the road.  He told them he had been beaten and forced to walk to his current resting place.

                Wheeler was proud enough to post the video on his Facebook account, and the video went viral, causing public moral outrage.  The police found it during their investigation.

                 Aftermath:  In an interview with police, Wheeler claims Hill was fighting the girls, refusing to leave, and that Hill tried to punch him.  He said he wanted to record the incident, and that it only showed the latter half of the conflict.  This is not worth believing.  With Hill on the ground, crying, it is not plausible that he just instigated a fight.  If Wheeler wanted to record evidence of himself being victimized, he would have waited for Hill to supposedly try hitting him again.  He was not trying to catch someone in the act of violence.  He wanted to record his own violence, a one-sided fight with an autistic boy.  Then he uploaded it on Facebook, which only further showed he was proud of his actions.
                Wheeler also claimed he was going to drive Hill home.  Apparently strangling him and leaving him unconscious in the middle of the street was “driving him home.”  Wheeler had been called to come to the house and drive Hill home, or was this a preconceived excuse to cover the other possible reason they called Wheeler, to beat up the kid?  Hill denied Wheeler’s claims against him.
               Wheeler was charged with Child Abuse Without Great Bodily Harm, and Lydecker was charged with corrupting minors.  Even if Hill really did get aggressive and black out, he was under the influence of alcohol provided by Lydecker.  If Lydecker never gave the teens alcohol, this situation could have been avoided.

Hate Crime or not a Hate Crime?

                                Wheeler’s story sounds like a conflict unrelated to Hill’s condition, but it is in Wheeler’s best interest not to admit to hate crime, which would give him more years in prison.  However, how did the internet know the victim was autistic?  Did Wheeler label the video that way, or did someone else disclose that information?  One girl in the background called Hill a baby for crying.  Wheeler uploaded a one-sided fight more likely to impress his peers with his so-called fighting ability, rather than promoting awareness to the conflict that supposedly occurred.  His video seems to be an expression of arrogance; domination over a perceptively weak male.  Although, Wheeler never slurs “retard” or any suggestive epitaph, part of his pride is in fighting someone who is disadvantaged, literally on the floor.  Would he do this to someone without special needs?  At this point, it is unknown.

Case 3:  Columbus, Georgia; August 2014

                Four gang members attacked a 17-year-old boy who went to their high school, with full knowledge that he had a disorder.  Jarvis Tatum, Saul Jackson, another juvenile, and another member called, “Junior,” forced the victim on all-fours in the middle of a basketball court in a park.  They kicked him until blood came from his mouth.  Then the thugs took his wallet, cellphone, and his clothes.  They had stripped him down to his boxers, and left the victim to walk home in that state.  One of the gang members video recorded the entire incident and uploaded it onto Facebook, which was anonymously reported, leading to Tatum, Jackson, and an unnamed juvenile’s arrest.  Junior was still to be apprehended.

Case 4:  Southern Maryland, March 2014

                 Two girls, age 17 and 15, forced their 16-year-old autistic classmate to do sexual acts with their dog.  They threatened him with a knife to his throat, kicked him in the groin, and dragged him across the floor by his hair.  They eventually took him to a nearby pond, and forced him to walk on the icy pond.  He fell through the ice, and the girls did not help him out.  They videotaped the whole exploit.

                The victim was noticeably autistic, and his parents told the police he had “diminished mental capacity.”  There was no way the perpetrators did not know.  Lauren Bush, 17, and the other juvenile had previous abused the victim on a number of occasions.  The autistic boy did not understand that they intended ill will to him, and perceived the girls as friends.  They took advantage of his poor judgment in character and continued harming him until this incident.

                Aftermath:  Lauren Bush was charged as an adult for first and second degree assault, false imprisonment, and solicitation for child pornography.  The other juvenile was charged with same offenses and referred to the State Department for Juvenile Services.

Case 5:  Melcher, Iowa; November 2013

                 Levi Null, a 13-year-old boy with Asperger’s, was physically and verbally abused in a video recorded by his bullies at Melcher-Dallas High School.  The video was uploaded online, and it showed Null being taunted over his condition and punched in the face.  The teachers seemed careless for letting the bullying happen.

                Aftermath:  This story is televised on the news, and numerous parents react online to defend the bullies.  The bullies were disciplined at school, the video was eventually deleted, but the principal, Josh Ehn, did not believe that any bullying took place in the video.  He also said that it’s the students’ responsibility to resolve bullying issues.  That explains why the teachers turned a blind eye.
                The parents and legal guardians of the bullies supported the cruelty.  Levi Weatherly, one of the bullies’ parents, stated, “I would say three-fourths of this stuff he brings on himself and probably a fourth of it is bullying that shouldn’t be going on.”  Jamie Harrison, the uncle of the physical abuser, was proud that his nephew punched Null for calling him a “nasty name.”  It’s not an eye-for-an-eye.  It’s a punch for a word!

Analysis

Before examining the incidents, it is important to understand the socio-economic surroundings for each case; Table 1.  In Table 2, the incident information is collated to enable visual comparison.

Table 1

                Each incident happened in a different state in America; Ohio, Iowa, Maryland, Georgia, and Florida.  Bullying that targets special needs children is widespread, whether it’s in Southern states, the Midwest, or the East coast.  Most of the locations were middle class suburbs with relatively low crime rates.  Columbus, Georgia is an exception, since it is a large city with high crime rates.  The perpetrators were not only the victim’s classmates, but they represented a gang, calling themselves, “The Street Celebrities.” 

Table 2

                These incidents are fairly recent despite anti-bullying programs.  This trend could be a direct reaction to society’s anti-bullying attitudes, or indifference to what society thinks.  The former implies rebelling against the progressive ideal, and the latter implies that anti-bullying programs have been ineffective.

                All the victims were males between ages 13-17 who had some form of autism.  Since these disorders are scaled in a spectrum, not every person’s autism is alike.  Some were low functioning enough that their condition was noticeable, but a student’s Asperger’s was still known to his harassers regardless of how high functioning he was. 

The perpetrators were teenage classmates or grown adults.  Despite age, they all had one common attribute, pride.  Their pride led to their self-incrimination by providing their own video evidence.  They were proud of their actions enough to video tape themselves committing the crime, and then to show it off to the world, thinking people would be impressed.  The perpetrators were unaware of the possibility of public outrage.  Since parents in the Melcher, Iowa case reacted in favor of the aggressors, there are probably more people with that mentality.  In a society that has people exhibiting victim blaming, bully coddling, and the attitude about a “generation of wimps,” it is feasible a significant portion would favor the bully’s brutality against the weak and innocent; thinking humiliation is humor.  Each aggressor viewed their victim as inferior, unmanly, stupid, and/or deserving of their abuse.  Part of why males seem to be the targets, among these cases, is because the victim is regarded as less masculine for not being brutal or fitting a negative male stereotype.  The other possibility is that all the victims had good grades, which may have induced the jealousy of their harassers.  Null had to have skipped a grade level to attend high school at age 13.

Lauren Bush and her juvenile accomplice were the only abusers not to upload their content online, possibly.  The police could not find their video anywhere on the internet.  Perhaps they were being less proud and slyer than the other criminals who had no discretion and no foresight to public reaction.

Focusing on the types of abuse, all incidents involved mental, psychological abuse, since degradation and international exposure were integral to the victimization.  Most of the victims were physically abused; punched, kicked, hair pulled; slammed into a wall.  The Bay Village, Ohio boy endured a physical level of humiliation because it involved the bodily fluids physically covering his whole body and potentially causing medical harm.  This physical abuse does not hurt in the way as getting punched, but the urine and feces could have flooded his eyes and mouth.  This could have induced his body to vomit the fluids foreign to his own body.  Imagine your stomach vomiting someone else’s urine and fecal matter!  It’s not so funny anymore, is it?

Lauren Bush and her accomplice were also very sadistic since their crimes were sexually abusive in nature.  They sexually victimized an autistic person and their dog.  By forcing their autistic peer to perform lewd acts with their dog on tape, they were creating child and animal pornography.  They were willfully harming a disabled child and their own pet.  Moreover, if the victim could not emerge from the ice pond, he could have died from hypothermia.  Without any help in getting out of the ice rink, he was forced to rely solely on his own ability.

In both the Iowa and the Florida cases, adults present were neglectful.  In Georgia, adults at a back to school event noticed the victim walking home in his forced half nakedness, but did not contact police.  Besides that, the gang was isolated with their victim like the Maryland and Ohio cases.

Every perpetrator was sanctioned in some way.  Most were either charged or charges were pending.  The only ones who did not receive any legal consequences were the Iowa teens who punched their classmate.  The discipline was internal to the school.  The other consequence is the backlash of the media and the public.  Videos angered the masses.  Incidents were aired on the news.  Although the Iowa case was positively received by pro-bully parents, the majority of America’s public disagrees with the abuse.  America’s angry reaction to bullying signifies that there is hope for the future in reducing this harmful behavior.

©2014 Caroline Friehs

Originally Posted:  8/10/2014

References

Advameg, Inc (2014).  City-Data.com.  [Website].  Retrieved from:  http://www.city-data.com/

Advameg, Inc (2014).  City-Data.com.  Crime Rate in Columbus, Georgia.  [Web page].  Retrieved from:  http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Columbus-Georgia.html

Associated Press (2014 Mar. 12).  Two Maryland teen girls bullied apparent autistic boy, authorities say.  FoxNews.com.  Retrieved from:  http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/12/two-maryland-teen-girls-bullied-apparent-autistic-boy-authorities-say/

Cush, A (2014 Sep. 4).  Bullies Dump Feces, Urine, on Autistic Boy in Evil Ice Bucket “Prank.”  Gawker.com.  Retrieved from:  http://gawker.com/bullies-dump-feces-urine-on-autistic-boy-in-evil-ice-b-1630536729

McCormack, S (2014 Aug. 16).  Teen Arrested After Video Of Him Beating Boy With Autism Goes Viral: Cops (Graphic Video).  Huff Post – Crime.  Retrieved from:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/16/teen-arrested-beating-autism-syndrome_n_5682693.html

Osborne, T (2014 Sep. 5).  Bullies Accused Of Dousing Autistic Teen With Bodily Fluids And Feces In Sick “Ice Bucket Challenge” Prank.  Investigation Discovery – Crime Feed.  Retrieved from:  http://crimefeed.com/2014/09/juveniles-use-ice-bucket-challenge-pull-sick-move-autistic-teen/

Pfeiffer, E (2013 Nov. 20).  Iowa parents defending bullying of autistic teen.  Yahoo News.  Retrieved from:  http://news.yahoo.com/iowa-town-defends-bullying-of-autistic-teen-203249332.html

Renzulli, D (2014 Aug. 16).  Autistic teen beaten, robbed, and stripped of clothes at park.  WTVM.com.  Retrieved from:  http://www.wtvm.com/story/26286358/autistic-teen-beaten-robbed-and-stripped-of-clothes-at-park

Rosin, H (2014 Mar. 14).  Sadistic Girls Bully Autistic Boy.  Boy Still Considers Them His Friends.  Slate.com.  Retrieved from:  http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2014/03/14/autistic_boy_abused_in_maryland_why_did_he_think_his_bullies_were_his_friends.html

Sigona, M (2014 Aug. 20).  Caught On Tape:  Autistic Teen Beaten By Suspect While Others Stood Around And Laughed.  Investigation Discovery – Crime Feed.  Retrieved from:  http://crimefeed.com/2014/08/caught-tape-autistic-teen-beaten-suspect-others-stood-around-laughed/

Trulia, Inc (2014).  Morganza Community Info.  [Web page].  Retrieved from:  http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Morganza-Maryland/community-info/

Wolfe, J (2014 Aug. 19).  Two arrested in viral video of autistic teen beating.  NBC - 11 Alive - Atlanta.  Retrieved from:  http://www.11alive.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/08/19/two-arrested-in-viral-video-of-autistic-teen-beating/14274353/

Yan, H. & Baldacci, M (2014 Sept. 10).  Cops identify people behind ice bucket prank on autistic teen.  CNN.com.  Retrieved from:  http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/09/us/horrific-ice-bucket-challenge/ 

Zinni, M (2014 Sept 3).  Mom:  Ice Bucket Challenge turned into sick joke against son with autism.  Fox 8 Cleveland.  Retrieved from:  http://fox8.com/2014/09/03/mom-ice-bucket-challenge-turned-into-sick-joke-against-son-with-autism/

Mother’s Day Shooting vs. Boston Marathon Bombing: Fraternal Analysis

May 12, 2013 – During the Mother’s Day parade in New Orleans, two brothers, Akein and Shawn Scott, age 19 and 24, started shooting abruptly into the crowd.  Nineteen people were injured including two 10-year-olds.  The brothers were involved in a local gang, the Frenchmen and Derbigny Boys, also known as the F and D gang, in the 7^th Ward of New Orleans.

Last month, April 15, 2013 – The Boston Marathon was bombed by two brothers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, age 19 and 26.  Three people died and over 200 were wounded.

Analysis

In both cases, the suspects were recorded on surveillance cameras and later identified.  Coincidentally, the younger brothers were the ones first recognized on the tapes.  Both duos were minorities in the same age groups committing murderous crimes in large cities.  Both events took place in crowded streets during annual events.  Both deadly duos were brothers.

Contrasting the tragedies needs to be split into two sections, since there are so many differences.  In spite of the contrasting nature of these scenarios, there are parallels, leaving room for analysis.  The first section concerns tragedies and law enforcement, and the second section regards the perpetrators.  Each section is divided into six topics.

Section 1:  The Tragic Events and Police Reactions

Media Coverage

The Boston attacks undoubtedly received more coverage than the Mother’s Day shooting.  The Tsarnaevs’ faces were all over the television, the parents were interviewed, and all forms of media were covered for weeks.  The Mother’s Day shooting received very little runtime on the news, and even news websites only covered the Scott brothers for only a few days. 

Damage

The Tsarnaev brothers killed three people and wounded over 200 people with their firecracker powered bombs sending nails flying.  People fell to the ground, immediately amputated from the shrapnel.

The Scott brothers wounded 19 people, and none of them died as a result of the bullet wounds.  If people died, maybe this story would have gotten more attention.  One video showed a young girl whose pant legs were soaked in bright, red blood.  Who knows if she will walk again. 

Crime Rates

For New Orleans, the Mother’s Day shooting was the third shooting for 2013, and it is only May.  New Orleans is known for having higher crime rates than Boston.  On January 21, there was a shooting after the Martin Luther King Day parade; rendering five people wounded.  In February, there was a shooting during Mardi Gras, which injured four people.

Due to the high crime rates in New Orleans, it is easier to be able to plan a large scale crime.  Law enforcement is so diverted by enough violent incidents that gangs can conspire to execute more deadly acts, because the cops can not watch everyone.  Boston is not as overwhelmed with violence that when a disaster occurs, they can respond with more dedication.

Police Reactions

New Orleans responded with the SWAT team.  So did Boston, in addition to involving the FBI, the city police, canines, helicopters, and bomb specialists.  Boston had the whole city in lockdown.  The entrances and exits were blocked, people stayed in their houses for days, businesses shut their doors, and all roads were closed.  The police conducted a manhunt just for one remaining perpetrator.  New Orleans had to find two, but they did not take extreme measures.  It is possible that they did not need to do everything Boston did in order to safely apprehend the fugitives.

Older Brother

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a shootout with police after hijacking a car in attempts to flee the city.  Shawn Scott was simply arrested hours after the incident, hardly causing a scene.  Shawn is still alive, and Tamerlan died by deadly force.  Though The Tsarnaev brothers exchanged gunfire with police instead of surrendering like the Scotts did.

Hiding

Both younger brothers hid in order to evade authorities.  Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had to hide on his own, whereas Akein Scott had plenty of help.  Tsarnaev eluded the police for four days.  Scott hid for only three days.  Both attempts were futile. 

Akein Scott had four friends try to hide him from the police.  They were Bionca Hickerson, Brandy George, Justin Alexander, and Nekia Youngblood.  They were arrested along with Scott.

Unlike Scott, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was entirely on his own; a rodent in a maze with no way out.  Boston was in lockdown.  Without the getaway car and just having lost his brother, Tsarnaev fled on foot.  If anyone saw him, he would get reported.  He was alone and injured.  He chose to hide in a boat covered with a white tarp, hoping to stay there until the lockdown ended, and people would think he already left the city somehow. 

Section 2:  The Perpetrators – A Fraternal Analysis.

Race, National Origin, and Religion

Both brotherly duos were minorities.  The Tsarnaevs’ originated from Chechnya, Russia, and they were Muslim.  They had just become naturalized US citizens.  The Scott brothers are African American, and they were born and raised in the United States.  Their religion was unreported.

Since America is still living down its history of slavery, drawing too much attention to dark skinned criminals could draw accusations of racism.  However, once the word, Muslim, is thrown into the scenario, all fear of racism disappears!  The media immediately speculates ties to terrorist organizations.  Every news agency wants to cover terrorism stories, especially if Islam is involved.  The Scotts’ religion was not disclosed.  If they are Christian, then there is bias for disclosing one person’s religion and not the other.  How many crimes are committed by Christians?  That number is probably higher than crimes committed by religious minorities.  If you committed a crime and your religion was a part of the report, how would you feel?

In both cases, all criminals who were captured alive were given the right to due process.  Since the Scott brothers were US born citizens, there was no question in how they were to be treated.  The Tsarnaevs just became naturalized US citizens; Dzhokhar became a naturalized US citizen on September 11, 2012, and conservatives wanted to treat him as an enemy combatant.  Authorities read Dzhokhar's Miranda Rights late, after interrogators retrieved information from him.  It is unknown if the Scotts had their rights read to them.

Criminal Records

Dzhokhar had no criminal record.  Tamerlan had a history of being investigated by the FBI and the Russian FSB for his possible terroristic inclinations.  Regardless of government suspicious, the brothers hid the production of their bombs and all intentions to commit the notorious attack.  Dzhokhar concealed his character best by asserting his “normal guy” side on the internet and socialized in college.

Both Scott brothers had criminal records, but Akein’s was more scrutinized by the media.  His history included two accounts of illegal weapon possession; on account of possessing heroin.  He once resisted arrest, committed assault, underage possession of alcohol, and contraband in jail.  This all occurred within two years.  Akein was not too keen on concealing his crimes.  For instance, police caught him smoking marijuana in public.  The Scotts both belonged to the Frenchmen and Derbigny gang, which sold drugs.  The gang was named after the streets where they were headquartered. 

Motives

Dzhokhar wrote on the inner walls of the boat, expressing the reasons for the Boston bombing.  The note said it was to avenge the US for its attacks on Muslims, and the American-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Scotts’ motive was gang related.  They were targeting one person, Leonard Epps, age 35.  They shot him several times in the chest.  Epps was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

If the Scotts only intended on killing Epps, why did they shoot 18 other people, including two children?  Did they want to conceal the fact that they were targeting a particular person?  As if Epps’s possible death would look like a coincidence?  They did not attempt to conceal their own identities first.  They did not cover their faces.  Their cause was personal, immaturely affecting innocent bystanders at a parade that honors mothers.  Though, if they truly wanted to kill the other victims, they would not have run away immediately.  They would have continued to fire, murdering the ones already injured.

The Tsarnaevs intended to kill multitudes of people, not just three.  They had no care if anyone survived.  The higher the death toll, the more attention would be drawn to their cause.  Their cause was that America has unfairly slaughtered Muslims. 

The Tsarnaevs’ cause was bigger, but they were more brutal by criminal intent.  The Scotts’ motive involved only one person, which was linked to gang conflict.  Involving other people was unnecessary in completing their cause.

Planning

The Boston bombing took more planning than the Mother’s Day shooting.  The Tsarnaev brothers had to prepare bombs and select clothing to make them blend with the crowd.  They had a poor exit strategy; no getaway car, no false passports, etc.

The Scott brothers’ plan was very simplistic – show up with a gun and shoot.  Akein had friends to hide them later, which was a better tactic than hiding in a boat.  However, New Orleans authorities captured them without a city lockdown in a shorter amount of time than Boston.

Afterthoughts

The Tsarnaev brothers placed their bombs and calmly walked away.  Even as the billows of smoke arose, they quietly blend in with the crowd on the sidewalk, walking away.

The Scott brothers run away after shooting numerous bullets into the crowd.  They made themselves stand out at the perpetrators, and conspicuously fled the crime scene.

When Apprehended

Akein Scott was “serene” when he was taken into custody.  Both Scott brothers were arrested with ease compared to the Tsarnaevs.

When the police, bomb specialists, hounds, and helicopters surrounded Dzhokhar’s landlocked boat in a resident’s backyard, the young terrorist exchanged gunfire with police.  They had to force Tsarnaev’s injured body out of the boat; he was probably very nervous, telling by the picture of his apprehension.

©2013 Caroline Friehs

Originally posted:  May 29, 2013

References

Associated Press (2013 May 14).  New Orleans Mother’s Day Shooting:  Akein Scott named as suspect.  The Guardian.  Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/may/14/mothers-day-shooting-akein-scott

Associated Press (2013 May 16).  Akein Scott, Suspect In Shooting, At Mother’s Day Parade, Arrested.  Huff Post – Crime.  Retrieved from:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/15/akein-scott-new-orleans-mothers-day-parade-shooting_n_3283574.html

Associated Press (2013 May 16).  Boston bombings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev left note in boat he hid in, sources say.  CBS News.com.  Retrieved from:  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57584771/boston-bombings-suspect-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-left-note-in-boat-he-hid-in-sources-say/

BBC News (2013 Apr. 21).  Boston bombs:  Officials wait to question Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.  BBC News – US & Canada.  Retrieved from:  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22232196   

BBC News (2013 Apr. 22).  Profile: Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tzarnaev.  BBC News US & Canada. Retrieved from:  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22219116

McGill, K (2013 May 16).  Police:  Suspect arrested in La. parade shooting.  Yahoo News.  Retrieved from:  http://news.yahoo.com/police-suspect-arrested-la-parade-shooting-040846143.html

Mungin, L & Martinez, M (2013 May 16).  2nd arrest in New Orleans shooting; $10m bail for 1st suspect.  CNN Justice.  Retrieved from:  http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/justice/louisiana-shooting

Shuster, S (2013 Apr. 19).  The Brothers Tsarnaev: Clues to the Motives of the Alleged Boston Bombers.  Yahoo News.  Retrieved from:  http://news.yahoo.com/brothers-tsarnaev-clues-motives-alleged-boston-bombers-162101446.html

Vargas, R. A., Freund, H., Martin, N (2013 May 16).  Mother’s Day shooting suspects have ties to 7^th Ward Gang.  Nola.com.  Retrieved from:  http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/05/mothers_day_shooting_suspects_2.html

Vargas, R. A. & Simerman, J (2013 May 17).  Low risk rank for Akein Scott, Mother’s Day shooting suspect, called into question.  Nola.com.  Retrieved from:  http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/05/mothers_day_shooting_suspect_w_1.html

YouTube (2013 Apr. 20).  “They Were Framed.”  Parents of Boston Bombers Speak Out 2013.  [video]  Courtesy of username:  ADGUKNEWS.  News Network:  CNN.  Retrieved from:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWiOCrVietY

Diffusing Racial Tension: Comparing Two Hostage Situations, Cleveland and Trenton

In the midst of all the articles relating to the Cleveland kidnapping, one can easily find information regarding the victims’ abhorrent captivity, the tearful reunion with their families, a history of the sick-minded captor, but there was also an article titled, “Cleveland Abductions: Do white victims get more attention?”  It pointed out that in hostage crises, white, middle class women get more attention than African Americans.

According to the article, only 20% of media coverage for missing children goes to black victims.  Moreover it told us to notice how many times Amanda Berry’s pictures are shown compared to Gina DeJesus.  Looking back, remember the amount of news coverage and the sophistication the FBI took in their investigation for the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping.  Both the Cleveland and Smart cases were horrific, but was there ever a case as big involving a sweet black girl who was abducted?

In comparison to these historical cases, the article would seem to make sense until reading about the hostage scenario in Trenton, New Jersey.  It certainly did not receive national media coverage, but the situation was resolved in weeks rather than years.

Let’s look at both cases.

The Cleveland Abductions

(2002-May 2013)

Ariel Castro, age 52 when arrested, kidnapped three girls over the course of 10 years, and chained them in his basement on 2207 Seymour Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.  Castro sexually abused all three of them, and induced miscarriages to cover his crimes, although one child was born.  Castro would sadistically make the girls watch the media coverage of their disappearances.  Once in a while, he allowed them outside, but closely monitored.

The victims were Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight.  Knight vanished in 2002, and she was 20.  Berry was taken the day before she turned 17, in 2003.  DeJesus was kidnapped in 2004 when she was 14.  While in captivity, Berry gave birth to a baby girl, Jocelyn, who was six years old when freed.

With the help of a neighbor, Charles Ramsey, Amanda Berry was able to escape, alert the authorities, and the other hostages were liberated.  Ariel Castro tried to escape, leaving the neighborhood, and then was apprehended at a nearby McDonalds.

The Trenton Hostage Situation 2013

(April 22, 2013-May 10, 2013)

Gerald Tyrone Murphy, age 38, murdered his girlfriend, Carmelita Stevens, 44, and her 13-year-old son.  Then he held the rest of her children hostage within Stevens’s home on 250 Grand Street Trenton, New Jersey.  The crisis lasted as long as three weeks.  The deceased bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition.  The house reeked of rotting flesh and was infested with maggots.

The hostages included an 18-year-old woman, a 16-year-old girl, and a 4-year-old boy.  Carmelita’s 19-year-old son was hiding in the basement the whole time.  Murphy physically abused the two females and the young boy during the crisis.  No names or photos of the victims were submitted.

One of Carmelita’s concerned relatives could not reach her, and called the police.  Further investigation revealed that both the daughters had not been to school for 12 days.  Logically, that would be over two weeks, since weekends are not schooldays.

The police entered the back door, and questioned the perpetrator who was threatening them with guns and explosives.  The standoff lasted three days.  Police fired one shot, hitting Murphy, because he was going to hurt one of the children.  Murphy eventually died in the hospital.

Analysis

Why was the Cleveland case given more media coverage?  Was it because they were missing for a decade, or was it racial bias?

No photos or identities of the survivors in Trenton were given, so their races are unknown.  Though statistically, the chances of them being white are very slim.  The demographics of the Trenton area are mostly Black and Hispanic.  Only 13.5% of the Trenton population is White, 49.8% is Black, 33.7% is Hispanic, and the rest are biracial or other races.  Moreover it is possible that they opted to remain anonymous for personal security reasons.

Other factors come into effect in determining what deserves media coverage, such as length of an investigation.  A case that lasts a decade is more enduring than a hostage situation that was wrapped up within a month.  Perhaps the latter was handled by a better police agency, and the Cleveland authorities were slower in executing their investigation.  In negating that, the responsible police force in Cleveland had the trouble of finding where the missing women were, whereas the Trenton hostages were discovered easier because they were held captive in their own home.  One more factor that contributes to adding coverage is how the hostages knew their captor.  Ariel Castro was the bus driver who drove Amanda Berry to school, and his daughter, Arlene Castro was Gina DeJesus’s best friend.  Gerald Murphy was in a relationship for a couple months with his victim, Carmelita Stevens.  Abusive relationships are awful, but they are more common than your bus driver kidnapping you and raping you for ten years.

The two main foci in this analysis are the perpetrators of each case and the police agencies.  If the three Cleveland women were discovered quicker, would they have received as much media coverage?  Was Castro just good at covering up his tracks for so long?  Was Murphy simply dumb and easy to catch?  This is important in determining why some cases get more attention than others.  It may or may not be just race.

Perpetrators:  Sly vs. Stupid

Ariel Castro

He was very sneaky.  After kidnapping Gina DeJesus, he would attend annual vigils for her disappearance.  He played music with his band, Grupo Kanon, at a fundraiser for DeJesus.  He would even hand out missing person fliers.  His son, Anthony, wrote an article for the Plain Press in regards to Miss DeJesus’s disappearance.  His daughter, Arlene, was interviewed on “America’s Most Wanted” regarding both DeJesus and Berry’s vanishings.  It is unknown if his children were aware of his crimes.

Castro kept a fairly good reputation with his neighbors.  Charles Ramsey, who helped save the captives, had previously spent time eating and having a few beers with Castro.  Castro had a history of criminal behavior, but having little or no record only helped his reputation.

In terms of executing his crimes, he bound his captives with chains and ropes and kept close watch of them.  Berry was only able to escape when he was not home.  There were locks on the attic, basement, and garage.

Castro’s main weaknesses were revealed in his work.  After 22 years of working as a bus driver, he was fired.  Among his citations were leaving a child on the school bus unattended in January 2004.  Others included making an illegal U-turn, using the bus for a shopping trip, and leaving the bus unlocked and unattended two blocks from his home.  One of his coworkers, Darlene Dos Reis, said he was hateful toward the children on the bus.

Without a job and his house being close to foreclosure, it is possible he would have been caught eventually unless he could use his slyness to relocate his captives.

Although in many ways he was sly, he was not smart enough to outthink the cops’ pursuit in the end.  He left a suicide note, blaming his victims for his sex addiction.  He may have been a false suicide note to mislead law enforcement.  Then he “fled” the neighborhood to evade arrest, and he was caught very quickly at McDonalds.

Gerald Tyrone Murphy

Murphy had a long criminal record that made him stand out.  Since 1990, he was arrested for aggravated assault, sexual assault, robbery, child endangerment, criminal conspiracy, and firearms offenses.  He spent ten years in a Philadelphia prison for sexual assault and was released in January 2011.  More recently, he had an outstanding warrant for not registering as a sex offender in Pennsylvania.  It is likely he went to New Jersey to avoid being arrested again.

Claiming to be strapped with explosives and possessing firearms held off police for three days, but only three days.  His days were numbered.  Other than that, his only strengths were not in slyness but in his “might makes right” mentality.  He intimidated his captives enough that they did not attempt to escape, and made them unable to call 911.  It is possible that the death of his mother, Carmelita, motivated the 13-year-old boy to attack the perpetrator which could have led to the boy’s murder.  From there, the heartless captor could lead by example.

Given that Murphy had an outstanding warrant on him for not registering as a sex offender, the Stevens’s house was a refuge.  He needed to hide the murders, and not let the children report it.  There was no alternative house to imprison them.  Every house is associated with an identity.  Since the victim can be traced to her own home, it was not hard to find Murphy and search the house, uncovering everything.

The surviving children did not need to report the murders, since the concerned relative made the call to the police.  If he were smarter, he would have answered the phone and lied about Carmelita’s whereabouts.  Thankfully, Murphy was dumb and did not think the family member would care or that the police would be as responsive.

With his extensive criminal record and prison time, why wasn’t he more street smart?  With that many years in the Philadelphia penitentiary, he should have had a better gauge for police reactions.  He did not calculate when the police would find him.

Police Agencies:  Vigilance vs. Incompetence

Cleveland

The local authorities conducted shallow investigations after receiving complaints from neighbors.  In November 2011, Israel Lugo called the police saying that he saw a girl holding a baby crying for help from a window at Castro’s house.  The police arrived, knocked on the door several times, and left simply because no one answered.  In 2012, Elise Cintron’s granddaughter told her that there was a naked woman crawling around Castro’s backyard.  Cintron called the police who gave an indifferent response. 

The police visited the house on two occasions; once when he abandoned the child on the school bus and when he reported a fight.  The police did not see anything, although they had a limited view of the house’s interior.  Castro did not invite people inside.

The only real challenge Cleveland had in finding the missing people was that they were hidden in a remote location.  However, both the victims and the neighbors were doing their part in trying to save the hostages, and the police did not act on the people’s suspicions.  There was no way both neighbors were hallucinating this incidents.

Furthermore, if the police and the criminal justice system rightfully convicted Castro for all his previous crimes, maybe his record would have raised a red flag quicker.  Castro had a history of domestic violence and parental kidnapping.  During his marriage, he would beat his wife, break her ribs, knock out a tooth, push her down the stairs, and lock her in a box.  In 1993, he was arrested and charged with domestic abuse, but the charge was later dropped.

Trenton

Since Trenton has high crime rates, the police are more vigilant.  It only took one phone call from Stevens’s relative, and the Trenton police took it seriously.  They noticed the daughters were absent from school.  Then they conducted a welfare check.  Under probable cause, they forced entry and immediately found out perpetrator’s ill intentions.  A standoff ensued, taking 37 hours, rather than a decade complete with annual vigils honoring the victims.

The only part that made this case easier is that the hostages were being held in their own house instead of a mystery location, which would take longer to investigate.  Though what if these African American or Hispanic hostages were removed to a remote location?  Would the police have given up at some point like in other cases involving non-white victims?  That can not be known, but at least the four surviving children were saved.

Conclusion

These abductions are horrific for anyone to endure regardless of race.  Long term damage is psychologically inflicted to any victim of a crime this severe.

The media sickly toys with these traumatic experiences as opportunities to further their ratings and their “People Like Us” agenda.  It has been said by plenty of people that news agencies think that viewers want to hear stories about “People Like Us.”  I am white, and I do not want to hear about people like me.  I want to hear about people different than me to gain more perspective of the world; see through other people’s eyes.  I already know a lot about myself.  I want to learn about other people; different people.

©2013 Caroline Friehs

Originally posted: May 15, 2013

References

Associated Press (2013 May 12).  Bodies of woman, 13-year-old son found after NJ standoff; boyfriend killed, 3 kids safe.  The Washington Post.com.  Retrieved from:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/standoff-with-armed-gunman-holding-hostages-enters-3rd-day-authorities-seeking-peaceful-end/2013/05/12/4b523286-baba-11e2-b568-6917f6ac6d9d_story.html

Associated Press (2013 May 12).  Gerald Tyrone Murphy:  Police kill barricade suspect, find two bodies.  Metro.  Received from:  http://www.metro.us/newyork/news/2013/05/12/gerald-tyrone-murphy-police-kill-barricade-suspect-find-two-bodies/

BBC News (2013 May 8).  Ohio women were held with ropes and chains, police say.  BBC News – US & Canada.  Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22453361

BBC News (2013 May 10).  Profile:  Cleveland abductor Ariel Castro.  BBC News – US & Canada.  Retrieved from:  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22444882

CBS News New York (2013 May 12)  Trenton Hostage Situation Ends, Suspect Dead.  CBS Local.com.  Retrieved from:  http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/05/12/trenton-hostage-situation-ends-suspect-in-custody/

City Data.com (2012).  Trenton, New Jersey.  [statistics page]  Retrieved from:  http://www.city-data.com/city/Trenton-New-Jersey.html

McKelvey, T (2013 May 9).  Cleveland abductions:  Do white victims get more attention?  BBC News – Magazine.  Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22441124

Robinson, A (2013 May 9).  Commentary:  7 creepy things you didn’t know about accused Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro.  Dayton Daily News  Retrieved from:  http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/state-regional/7-creepy-things-about-accused-cleveland-kidnapper-/nXmjq/

Shookman, S (2013 May 7).  Suspect’s son wrote article about missing Ohio teen.  USAToday.com.  Received from:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/07/castro-son-berry-dejesus/2140721/