Tony L. Putman, 18, may be unparalleled in his cruelty if the account by police is accurate. Kansas City police say that Putman confessed in the beating of a 93-year-old man and the rape of his 84-year-old wife.
The husband came home to discover Putman allegedly ransacking the house. Police say Putman savagely beat the 93-year-old and then bound him by with belts. The wife then came home from the bank and went upstairs after hearing her husband’s moaning. Putman then allegedly stole $400 that she got from the bank and proceeded to rape the 84-year-old woman.
Police received a description of the vehicle and later pulled over at least three other people with Putman. They say that Putman immediately confessed that he was the only one responsible for the crimes.
That does not leave much for defense counsel after Putman was given Miranda before his statement. Even without that statement, police say that Putnam cut his hand at the scene and that they have DNA evidence.
Source: WSMV
Idealist:
I apologize for the tardiness of my reply to your request but in reviewing the music program you mention I agree that in encouraging participation in this or any ther worthwhile occupation certainly contributes to the betterment of many of the youth you mention. In many at risk youth environments “The idle hand is the tool of the devil.”
I have nothing to base the following assertion upon, but in reading about this music program spurred me to ponder it; could it be possible the exercising of a different part of the brain might in fact provide the stimulation that some of these at-risk youth need?
An observation of this class of demographic I had was that these youth often crave stimulation of one form or another more than other more stable ones do. I suspect it might generate from rather stark or bleak environment of cloistered, idle time lacking in addressing basic emotional needs of children of that age.
I have also observed that often times people who work in rather unfulfilling or otherwise uninteresting occupations tend to create drama or interoffice politics or intrigue in order to satisfy their inner need for stimulation. This is more evident in the converse where the work is exciting and interesting–that workers in this environment play less politics and gossip because they are too interested in the job at hand.
From these two obserations I postulate what might be a factor in the music program is that a new area of the mind is being stimulated and this substitutes for the stimulation reward their otherwise damaging behavior self defeatingly provides them.
Eventually, upon further entrance and acceptance of the musical environment by the formerly at-risk youth, the child might remove himself/herself from the criminal lifestyle as he/she begins to value the benefits of the musical world more than that of the criminal and in doing this comes to the realization that participation in the criminal world could lead to the loss of membership in the musical. It might be further solidified in doing a reflection of the costs of the criminal environment as not being worth whatever benefit it formerly provided. When this happens, hopefully enough time will lapse between the present and when the youth began to turn away from the criminal environment that they are no longer socially tied to its trappings.
Just a thought.
When you have a carload of perps you find the easiest one to “flip.” With many it’s easier than “flipping” pancakes on a well seasoned griddle. This is an important part of law enforcement but can lead to laziness. “Flipping” a perp is often key, but should not be the end of the investigation, just the beginning.
It is a shame that this would spark such a debate. This man did wrong and he should pay for his crime. To do what he did to a elderly couple should be unforgiveble! However, it is easy to forgive but not so to forget! Also, there have been many that have had a hard childhood but they have lifted themself up and over came thier missfortune and be became proud up standing people! A bad childhood is not a good reaso to committ a crime!