There is a chilling and tragic case out of East Sussex, England where Shana Grice, 19, was found dead with her throat slit. Months ago, Grice was fined by police for wasting their time in accusing her ex-boyfriend, Michael Lane, 27, of stalking her. Lane is now standing trial for her murder.
The crime scene showed that the murderer had tried to burn the flat after the murder.
Prosecutors told the jury that Lane bergan to stalk Grice after she resumed her relationship with another man. She went to police to report that Lane assaulted her, but provided texts that suggested that it was Lane who wanted to be in a relationship with him. Police then formally charged Grice with “having caused wasteful employment of police by making a false report” because she failed to disclose that she had an ongoing or on-off relationship with Lane.
Then Lane allegedly stole Grice’s keys and broke into her house. He was given a caution but reportedly continued to stalk her. There is even a recorded phone conversation where Lane said “I’m just not right in the head.”
Nevertheless, Lane was treated by police as a “low risk.” Lane put a tracking device on Grice’s car and made threatening comments to friends.
It is not clear why this record did not prompt more aggressive police intervention, but what is clear is that Grice was murdered. Lane denies being the murderer and insists that they had resumed their relationship and had sex two night before her death. He said that he discovered her body near her front door.
“Prosecutors told the jury that Lane bergan (mispelling ‘began’) to stalk Grice… suggested that it was Lane (I think you meant “Grice”) who wanted to be in a relationship with him.”
Oi.
Very sad news about the girl’s murder. I got my first firearm as a gift after a rather intense stalking experience many years ago. It’s hard to describe the paradigm shift in your life when you realize you could actually die, and a restraining order is not a 24/7 physical bodyguard. That is why many girls don’t even file one. It’s not going to stop
him and will just piss him off. Being able to defend yourself in your own home may be the only small feeling of safety you have left. I wish I’d had my gun during, rather than after, and may have been able to stop some of the shenanigans. I was so lucky. Girls shouldn’t have to depend on luck.
The police rather routinely ignore stalking claims, here in the U.S., as well. (You seem to live a rather sheltered life, Jonathan — with no disrespect intended.)
[citation needed]
Here in Madison, Wisconsin, there was a similar case (though at least it did not result in death). It isn’t just the Brits who engage in this sort of conduct.
A blind woman named “Patty” reported being sexually assaulted. She was charged with and obstruction (Wisconsin’s version of the British “wasting police time”) for allegedly lying about it, after she had been bullied by a psychopath cop named Thomas Woodmansee into recanting. As soon as she was away from Woodmansee, “Patty” retracted her recantation, but she was nonetheless charged with obstruction. The prosecutor, Dane County Asst. District Attorney Jill Karofsky, successfully beat back Patty’s attorney’s motion to have Patty’s “confession” to “lying” thrown out, astonishingly asserting in court that “the police officers in this case ought to be proud of what they did.”
Although a family member “Patty” early on provided the name of acquaintance Joseph Bong as her possible assailant (remember, Patty was blind and could not see her assailant), psychopath cop Woodmansee didn’t even investigate that line and instead obsessively focused on Patty, determined to “prove” that she was lying.
When the DNA testing came back, it showed that yes, indeed, Bong’s DNA was on her sheets. The perp is now in prison. Despite the overwhelming evidence (which resulted in the perp being convicted at a jury trial) the Madison police continued to suggest Patty lied, aggressively fought her complaints against them, and, most egregiously, testified as defense witnesses for the perp.
Here is a link about it: http://truthinjustice.org/cryrape1.htm
That’s very sad. Glad that the woman prevailed.
Sorry folks. Freedom comes with a benefit of the doubt given until the bell can’t be un-rung.
No autopsy, no foul.
This is what happens when you are dumb enough to give up your guns when the tyrants say so…. I think if this young lady had access to a firearm that she still might be alive.
How about charging Parliament with the murder, since they are the ones that took her only means of self defense away from her?
He’s either an utterly hapless putz or he’s guilty as sin.
Miss Grice got slapped with a citation and treated skeptically by police because she was fickle and it showed in her conduct and communications.
Any prediction you make about someone’s future behavior has an error rate. An area like East Sussex will have about a half-dozen homicides a year and it’s a reasonable wager most of them are the issue bar fights with perhaps 1 or 2 a year that resemble this one. If this man did not have tell-tale signatures of a violent stalker, the police cannot be expected to predict he would do this. How did he compare to the usual run of stalkers the East Sussex police contend with, as well as the small pool of murderous ones?
Blaming the victim. So tiresome.
No reading comprehension. So tiresome.
Some cop killed her.
That is out of left field and baseless
This is particularly worrisome when this woman truly felt threatened and police dismissed her worries. In this country, she could, at least, have armed herself. Not so in Britain. Very sad story.
So treu,good point
Thank you.
Each day in the USA 3+ women are murdered by their boyfriends or husbands on average.-
American Psychology Association/ CNN.
Ter ber – don’t forget their girlfriends.
So what? There’s an irreducible quantum of violence in any society. Law enforcement can contain and reduce high levels of disorder, but you hit bedrock after a while. While we’re at it, neither the APA or it’s members can do one blessed thing to improve the quantum of order in this country.
The APA certifies many dozens of mental health “therapies,” some of which contradict others.
Per a woman with whom we had lunch 2015, a currently licensed MFCC. Also, the APA’s metric to confirm “success” is the polar opposite of scientific method: mental health therapists poll their patients and ask them to classify their therapy as fail or success. A cancer patient analogy: the MD gives the cancer patient a pill. Later the MD polls the patient: “Do you feel like you have less cancer?” Answer: “Yes” = success, “No” = fail.
There is going to be a great deal of CYA going on.