Submitted by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act V, Sc. 5

Some days when you wake up, don’t you just feel like doing something new and exciting? A way to change things up? Most people follow through with this urge by going to a new restaurant or visiting some place new or getting a different haircut. Perhaps trying a new outfit. Like all ideas, you can go too far with this impulse for change. Sometimes people get an idea and figure anything worth doing is worth overdoing, but I’m still trying to guess where the good idea/bad idea line was crossed in this case. If any forethought was given, I’m thinking the line was crossed fairly early on.

But crossed it was early on the morning of February, 3, 2012, in Neon, Kentucky. Andrew Toothman, 22, was apparently feeling the need to change things up when he broke into the IGA grocery store.  What were his intentions you might be asking? I think possibly his intention was to make a bold fashion statement. That or he had simply taken leave of his senses. When the IGA employees arrived for work that morning, they found a surprise waiting for them. They found Mr. Toothman wearing black boots, chocolate and peanut butter.  That’s it.

In addition to the broken glass and Mr. Toothman’s unusual choice in apparel, there was chocolate and peanut butter smeared on the floor and the manager’s desk and several fire extinguishers had been discharged.  In what could be considered an act of contrition (or further madness), Toothman had also written “sorry” on the floor. His artistic media for this message? To mix things up a bit, he used NyQuil. Sorry? Most certainly, although about precisely what, he was not clear.

There is no probative legal analysis of this case. No pressing civil rights issue. Toothman’s eventual charges, from breaking and entering to vandalism, will probably be in line with his actions. This is just a tale of high – I think possibly very high – weirdness in the rolling hills of eastern Kentucky.  Although one must wonder if Toothman’s message of contrition will move the judge to consider lesser sentencing? Will his choice in attire (and the possibly errant mental state leading to that fashion choice) impact the court’s decisions? Other than a peanut butter cup now sounds dreadfully unappealing, what do you think?

Source(s): Huffington Post, The Smoking Gun, CBS

~ Submitted by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger