PROTECTING THE GUILTY

Virginia spent thousands of dollars to assure that Peter Odighizuwa’s rights were protected and that he got a fair trial. A major law firm, whose partners oppose the death penalty, came to Odighizuwa’s aid. No stone should be left unturned, no expense spared to ensure a fair trial.

What about the rights of the victims and their families? Neither the state nor the “prominent” law firm representing Peter Odighizuwa did anything to ensure that a seven-year-old orphan’s life was put back in some semblance of order.

$100,000 in Attorney Fees

Indeed, according to some sources, the state paid over $100,000 to the law firm of Turk and Groot for Odighizuwa’s defense. But, when Angie’s parents wanted copies of the court proceedings, they were charged 10 cents a page. As if the loss of their daughter wasn’t enough, Buchanan County wanted to squeeze every last dime out of the dead student’s parents.

Time and time again before the trial our questions went unanswered, or promises to get back to us were unfulfilled. Rather than seek the truth, law enforcement officials and the prosecutor in Grundy seemed determined to do what was best for the Commonwealth of Virginia and not what was best in pursuit of truth, justice, and the rights of the victim.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the whole ordeal leading up to Peter Odighizuwa’s trial was the family’s dealings with the Commonwealth’s Attorney. On first impression, she exuded sympathy for the Dales’ loss. And, I’m sure she her expressions of sympathy were sincere. But, having sympathy for a murder victim’s family and being disingenuous are not mutually exclusive.

Death Penalty Off the Table

Angie’s were assured the Commonwealth’s Attorney would seek the death penalty, but she did not. From the outset, the Dales were strongly pushing the death penalty. But Dean Sutin’s and Professor Blackwell’s families (and possibly the law school), however, apparently wanted life in prison. In the meetings that took place with the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Angie’s parents had the distinct impression that they were being asked to go along with agreements that had already been reached. After assurances that the death penalty would be pursued, Angie’s parents were told a deal had been struck for life in prison.

In the years since the shooting, the answer that is emerging from the mountains of red tape, the legal mumbo-jumbo, the stonewalling, the silence—is that victim’s families have few if any rights to answers. If this impression is true, how can the average citizen believe “in the system?” If “what is best for the Old Dominion” is put ahead of the needs of its individual citizens, how can the average citizen believe in “rule by law?”  (To be continued)

THE MURDER OF ANGELA DALES

      Angie Dales had cancelled a lunch date in order to do some reading and preparing for her afternoon classes. Angie was everything Odighizuwa hated in women—she was bright, popular, made good grades, and had held a responsible position at the law school. He targeted her.

Entering the student lounge, he chatted briefly with a black member of the student body. Odighizuwa spotted Angie, Rebecca Brown, and Madeline Short sitting on a sofa diagonally across the room. He walked diagonally across the room, around several students to within a few feet of Angie Dales. Odighizuwa was determined to target Angie. He then fired three bullets into her at point blank range. Later he would say something to the affect that she had not been nice to him—a feeble, demented justification for taking a human life. Standing about five feet from the three women, he fired at Angela Dales first. As a reflex, she raised her arm to protect herself, but she could not stop the bullets from piercing her neck, chest, and shoulder.

Bleeding profusely she walked across the hall pleading for help. The room erupted in screams, and pandemonium ensued. As she crossed the room, Angela Dales repeatedly called out, “Please don’t let me die; I have a little girl!”

None of her vital organs were hit, but she was seriously wounded. The hospital was less than three minutes away, if she could get there, she might be saved.

Her fellow students, in a valiant effort to reach safety, pulled Dales into the doorway of the Career Services Office. One, a former nurse, tried to treat her wounds and stop the bleeding, but Angela needed blood; she needed emergency room treatment. As others were being evacuated, Angela Dales lay dying on the floor. She bled to death when her lungs filled with blood. By the time she was evacuated—nearly forty minutes after the shooting—it was too late. Angela Dales died within minutes of reaching the hospital. Her death certificate states that she was shot at 1:16 pm and died at 2:06 pm.

At his sentencing, the press reported Peter Odighizuwa’s “rage had since boiled away and now he wept with the teenage son of one of the slain victims. Choking on tears he said he was sorry.” As I wrote earlier, what the press did not tell the public was that shortly before his sentencing, in talks with the victim’s attorney, this same Peter Odighizuwa bragged and gloated that all three victims got what they deserved. (To be continued)

THE LAW SCHOOL KILLINGS

On January 16, 2002, a toxic mix of hatred, mental illness, incompetence, and arrogance came together with deadly consequences. Peter Odighizuwa, a disturbed and disgruntled student who had just flunked out of the Appalachian School of Law, returned to the campus to exact revenge.

Odighizuwa gunned down Dean Anthony Sutin, Professor Thomas Blackwell, and student Angela Dales—the mother of my oldest grandchild. He also wounded three female students—Rebecca Brown, Stacey Bean, and Madeline Short.

Who were the victims?

Student, Angela Denise Dales, was born on a cold, drizzling January day in 1969; she was buried 33 years later on a cold, drizzling day in January 2002. The intervening years witnessed the short life of a remarkable young woman; a woman who contributed every day of her life to the world in which she lived. She was, in many respects, the embodiment of good—whether it was buying a winter coat for a high school acquaintance that had none, to working to help students adjust to the rigors of law school requirements.

Dean Anthony Sutin was a graduate of Brandeis University and Harvard Law School. He was a deputy associate U.S. attorney general during the Clinton administration. He worked for the Democratic Nation  and the 1992 Clinton Presidential Campaign. Sutin brought his family to Grundy, a small, blue collar, economically depressed southwest Virginia community believing that he could make a difference in people’s lives. He left behind his wife, Margaret Lawton, and two small children, Henry and Clara. Clara, at the time was a 14-month child from China they had adopted one month earlier.

Professor Thomas Blackwell, was by all accounts, the most popular professor on campus. He was a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and the Duke Law School. His children regularly helped out at the Mountain Mission School for Orphans and children in extreme poverty. He and his wife, Lisa, sang in their church choir, Professor Blackwell left behind his wife, daughter Jilian, and sons Zeb and Zeke.

At his sentencing, the press reported a tearful Odighizuwa said he was sorry. What the press did not report was that shortly before the sentencing the killer bragged that the victims got what they deserved. (To be continued)

PREMONITION OF DISASTER

On the morning of 16 January 2002, Angie Dales mother, Sue, woke up with a feeling of dread. For reasons she cannot explain to this day, she didn’t want to get dressed, she didn’t want to go to work; she just cried and cried. Nothing was wrong that she knew of, she simply had the same ominous feeling she had had the day her brother died.

Angie always brought Rebecca to her parents to wait for the school bus. The two would play in the front lawn until the bus arrived; then Angie would go home to get ready for her law classes. Sue normally would be preparing to go to work, but that morning she simply sat at the kitchen table holding her head.

Angie was surprised to see her mother in such a state and asked her what was wrong. Sue didn’t know, all she felt was a terrible foreboding. Angie tried to cheer her mother up and then went outside to be with Rebecca until the bus came. Through the windows Sue could see Angie and Rebecca playing. The two laughed and teased each other. Normally their happiness and laughter were infectious, but not this morning—she could not break out of the blackness that engulfed her.

Once the bus came, Angie came back into the house and asked again what was wrong, “Do you want me to start your car?” Sue thanked her saying no, she would do it herself. Angie turned went outside and drove home to prepare for the day’s classes at law school.

Sue owned a restaurant in Oakwood and, shortly after Angie left, she headed for work. Something was wrong—all morning she couldn’t keep her mind off Angie. She couldn’t concentrate on work so she decided to go to Angie’s house, clean it and make dinner--a surprise. Angie did not like to cook, so Sue frequently “surprised” her by having the evening meal ready. With dinner ready and waiting, Angie could spend the evening playing with Rebecca and studying.

The phone rang while Sue was on Angie’s porch. By the time she got inside she could hear the last few words of her sister-in-law on the answering machine. She was too late, but she could tell by the tone of her sister-in-law’s voice that something was wrong. A chill went through her.

Phoning the restaurant back, her sister-in-law said, “Sue, something bad has happened.” Sue’s first thought was that Danny, Angie’s father had been in an accident—but no, it wasn’t that. It was her granddaughter Rebecca? Had she been hurt at school? No, not that either. It was Angie and Sue needed to get to the hospital right away. (To Be Continued)

THE LAW SCHOOL KILLER

To say that the individuals who carry out mass killings are mentally ill is obvious. But having said that, there are some characteristics that are common to many of them. For example, 97% of the mass murderers are male. A large number of them have problems with women—stalkers and wife-beaters are common characteristics.

Peter Odighizuwa, the killer at the Appalachian School of Law, fit much of the pattern. His hatred of women went so far as to rant and rave against women, including one incident where he pushed a professor from the podium and let go with an anti-female diatribe. He also beat his wife.

In addition to the above, his fellow students at the law school described him as being self-centered and boorish to the point that his paranoia was readily apparent. Those same students said when Peter’s name was mentioned word such as “irrational, paranoid, bizarre, psychotic, and violent” became synonymous with his name.

Students gave Peter Odighizuwa’s a nickname, “the shooter,” because they were feared he would bring a gun to school and start shooting. He once threatened the school librarian because she was running the vacuum cleaner. And, because of his verbal tirades, he was barred from going into the Student Services Office without a male escort—the women employees were afraid of him.  And these are just a few of the warning signs.

Several days before Peter Odighizuwa went on a shooting rampage killing three and wounding three others, female faculty members (at an administrative meeting) asked the school’s President to hire campus security. According to court documents in Wise County, Virginia, school President Lucius Ellsworth responded, “You women and your hormones and your intuition … there is nothing to be afraid of … it will be ok.”

Several days later Odighizuwa gunned down student Angela Dales, Dean Anthony Sutin, and Professor Thomas Blackwell. He also wounded students Madeline Short, Rebecca Brown, and Stacey Bean.

Following the shooting, school officials denied they knew or had any warning that Peter Odighizuwa was violent. (To be continued)

THE LAW SCHOOL SHOOTING: COVER-UP, HALF TRUTHS

The magnitude of the mass killings at the Appalachian School of Law on January 16, 2002, unfolded gradually.

Angela Dales, the dead student, was the mother of my oldest grandchild.  As we joined Angie’s family in the struggle to get through the terrible aftermath of her murder—to ask questions—we were met with deceit, anger, cover-ups, and lies. Our questions were met with everything but answers. Everywhere we were confronted with disingenuous expressions of sympathy and support; half-truths; hypocritical offers of help; and worst of all—a callous disregard for our feelings and the depth of our pain.

When the words of law enforcement and elected officials took on a pejorative, even a disparaging tone—our pain deepened. These are the individuals we are supposed to hold in high regard, the individuals we to turn to find answers and to find justice. We found neither. We found intellectual fraud and dishonesty.

Our story is not unique; we are not the exception—we are the rule. Whether one is a survivor of Columbine, September 11, the Appalachian School of Law, the Aurora theater massacre, Sandy Hook, or any senseless crime, the thing victims and their families ask is what you rarely get, honesty and truth.

People in positions of authority, people we put our faith and trust in to protect us and to protect our civil rights—have (and do) mislead and deceive. They play with words and demonstrate an unlimited capacity to rationalize the worst behavior.

I will go into the duplicity in greater detail in upcoming posts. (To be continued)

LAW SCHOOL RAMPAGE:FIFTEEN YEARS LATER

           

The implications from the mass shooting at the Appalachian School of Law on January 16, 2002 far exceed the deaths of three decent, innocent people and the wounding of three others. That tragedy underscores the extent to which elected officials, as well as medical professionals, and members of the law enforcement and legal professions, are willing to face up to and admit their shortcomings, are willing to engage in disingenuous expressions of sympathy, and are willing to distort the truth to protect their careers and mask their lack of ethics and moral courage. The net result is our schools, shopping malls, theaters, and other public places remain shooting galleries.

Death is death, no matter where or how it occurs. Lies are lies no matter where they occur. The survivors of a shooting calamity share a pain and agony that defies description. The survivors and their families have every right to hold people accountable for their actions and inactions; to hold politicians, people in positions of authority, and law enforcement officials accountable for what they do and equally important—what they do not do.

 “The natural bureaucratic response is to be defensive. Officials hide behind the veil of secrecy or national security, or executive privilege. They fear embarrassment, personal or institutional. Elected officials fear retribution from the electorate. Yet demanding accountability from elected and appointed officials of the government, and insisting on revealing and correcting their shortcomings, are the most basic right and duties of citizens in a democracy.”

Craig R. Whitney, “New York Times,” Introduction to“The 9/11 Investigation, Public Affairs, New York, 2004

Mr. Whitney’s words concerning accountability are painful and poignant. The truth is that all Americans believe thy have “the right” to demand accountability, but in fact the distance between “having the right” and “exercising the right” is nearly insurmountable.

I can personally speak to the last point. In my work on behalf of victims of gun violence, roadblock after roadblock has been put in my way. I have been threatened, I have been stalked, Virginia newspapers have refused to print my words because I make politicians they endorsed “look bad,” in and around Roanoke and Blacksburg there is a news black-out on my book analyzing the Virginia Tech shooting, and on and on it goes. People in Virginia who beat their chests about Second Amendment rights find all sorts of excuses to silence the victims and families of school shootings—including resorting threats.

I will go into greater detail on all of the above in future posts. (To be continued)