# My sister's murderer will not be charged **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 12, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278 "2015-12-12T23:16:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/1 "2015-12-12T23:16:05Z")
[Link.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14791341&postcount=241) He has not been broken or tricked; he has not confessed to a jailhouse buddy. The witnesses have backed out. On the bright side, he’s likely to spend the rest of his life in jail anyway for other reasons. I can be content with that, I think. I hope he changes his life. I hope he makes a turn for the better. I think, insofar as this is a Pit thread, I’m Pitting the witnesses who backed out. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/2 "2015-12-12T23:19:40Z")
Very sorry for your loss and any additional stress and suffering due to these processes. Best wishes to your family. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/3 "2015-12-12T23:30:13Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Very sorry for your loss and any additional stress and suffering due to these processes. Best wishes to your family. The primary stress while we were still hoping that he would be charged was due to an internal family argument about whether to support an attempt at the death penalty. That argument, is, of course, moot. My sister’s death was, apparently, a step up in his criminal life. He’d never killed anyone before, nor been suspected. Will this be a short, sharp, shock to him? While I’ll never be happy that he has not been convicted, if it changes his life, changes his viewpoint, I guess I’d live with that. That is, after all, what I would expect a prison term to result in. It’s the witnesses that piss me off. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/4 "2015-12-13T00:14:42Z")
Sympathies, and best wishes. I can see a family death-penalty disagreement being divisive and stressful. I hope it wasn’t too hurtful, and that this result is tolerable to all. (There’s a clause in my will asking that my murderer not be executed. I wonder how many opponents have made that clear for legal purposes.) The witnesses are certainly slobs and stinkers for not doing their moral duty. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/5 "2015-12-13T01:00:38Z")
Fuck, dude. I don’t know if I missed it or what, but I had no idea this was the personal issue in your life that was getting you down. I have a fucking mental disorder that kept me away from jury duty, and even I would make myself available for a trial in this situation. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/6 "2015-12-13T03:35:50Z")
Right, because an accused person’s right to a fair trial means nothing to you. Look, I’m sorry for the OP’s loss. That does not mean, though, that I think that the judicial system should get chucked out. There are people who have been falsely accused of crimes and with more than one witness making such false accusations. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/7 "2015-12-13T03:44:13Z")
Uh, what’s that in response to, Monty? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/8 "2015-12-13T03:51:39Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Right, because an accused person’s right to a fair trial means nothing to you. > > Look, I’m sorry for the OP’s loss. That does not mean, though, that I think that the judicial system should get chucked out. There are people who have been falsely accused of crimes and with more than one witness making such false accusations. Jesus Christ, can’t you let the guy rant without lecturing him? WTF? (Hint: the guy isn’t even getting a trial, fair or not) Frank, I am so, so sorry about this. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/9 "2015-12-13T04:01:38Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Uh, what’s that in response to, Monty? BigT. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > Jesus Christ, can’t you let the guy rant without lecturing him? WTF? (Hint: the guy isn’t even getting a trial, fair or not) I wasn’t lecturing **Frank**. The response was to BigT. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/10 "2015-12-13T04:05:41Z")
How can witnesses back out? Once they have made a statement to the police, aren’t they compelled to do so if called to testify, or face contempt charges? This seems strange. Sorry your family has had to go through this Frank. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/11 "2015-12-13T04:07:13Z")
My sympathies **Frank**. I hope at least this resolution brings a little peace to your life. > [@Monty](#): > > There are people who have been falsely accused of crimes and with more than one witness making such false accusations. There is nothing to indicate that there were any false accusations involved. **Frank** just said the witnesses backed out is all and the accused never confessed. That’s not terribly uncommon and says nothing as to guilt or innocence. Sure, _legally_ he is innocent until proven guilty. But **Frank** isn’t the American justice system - he is perfectly free to consider this person as guilty as sin for whatever reason. Personally I’m still quite certain O.J. Simpson killed his wife, trial exoneration or no. ETA: Oh, you were referring to **BigT**. I didn’t think he was talking about false accusations either, just that he would force himself to testify despite his personal issues if he thought his testimony would be worthwhile. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/12 "2015-12-13T04:15:09Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > ETA: Oh, you were referring to **BigT**. I didn’t think he was talking about false accusations either, just that he would force himself to testify despite his personal issues if he thought his testimony would be worthwhile. That’s a nice explanation except for one thing: BigT clearly stated jury duty, not being a witness. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/13 "2015-12-13T04:39:13Z")
I don’t get it. Did BigT say he would be volunteering for jury duty do that the defendant wouldn’t get a fair trial? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/14 "2015-12-13T05:56:22Z")
What **BigT** said that was a bit uncomfortable was his hint that he’d be eager to participate in a jury in order to deliver a specific verdict. That’s the opposite of a “fair trial” by an “impartial juror.” ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/15 "2015-12-13T08:07:38Z")
Frank, my deepest condolences. I hope the other charges come through. I also hope he changes his life, but there’s no reason he can’t do that while serving his other sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/16 "2015-12-13T08:19:14Z")
Very sorry to hear this, Frank. If, however, as you say, he’s going to be spending the rest of his life in prison anyway, there’s always a chance he’ll have a change of heart and confess at some point in the future. I hope you’re holding up ok. > [@Monty](#): > > Right, because an accused person’s right to a fair trial means nothing to you. > > Look, I’m sorry for the OP’s loss. That does not mean, though, that I think that the judicial system should get chucked out. There are people who have been falsely accused of crimes and with more than one witness making such false accusations. Time and a place, you prick. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/17 "2015-12-13T08:33:57Z")
I don’t understand why everyone is jumping on **Monty**. He was responding to **BigT** ’s offer to fix the jury for me, and, in my opinion, responding appropriately. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/18 "2015-12-13T08:59:47Z")
**Frank** : Thank you. And, as I already said above, I am sorry for your loss. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/19 "2015-12-13T09:05:58Z")
> [@Tithonus](#): > > Time and a place, you prick. Did you bother to read all of what I posted in this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278/20 "2015-12-13T09:18:20Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Did you bother to read all of what I posted in this thread? If Frank hasn’t got a problem with what you said then I’m not going to pursue it. This thread isn’t about the problems I and several others had with what we perceived as your offensive tactlessness. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sisters-murderer-will-not-be-charged/740278.md?page=2)