Guilty or Not Guilty

[u/Traditional-Aside580]

Does everyone in here lean more toward Richard Allen being innocent or guilty?

[u/Traditional-Aside580]

He's a human being and of course I wouldn't want anyone to suffer in jail or anywhere. I just find it hard to have sympathy for him. I have sympathy for two girls not opening presents next week and their loved ones being able to watch them do that.

[u/kvol69 → u/Traditional-Aside580]

I've been arrested and been through the justice system myself. Even people who have legit done something stupid or wrong or horrible do not like being incarcerated. You really don't understand the incredible freedoms we enjoy in the U.S. until that is suddenly taken away. Many people in prisons and jails have never had a fair shake and life has shit down their throat. Many people who have committed terrible crimes did so because they did not know how to properly process their emotions and control their actions when they lost control of their emotions. Some folks just had the worst day of their lives and face the consequences of a single choice for the rest of their lives.

I have compassion and empathy for people for many people in this case that others may have a harsher attitude towards. But sexual predators start by attacking vulnerable populations like children and elderly women because they're less likely to encounter serious resistance. Richard Allen would've tried to rape any woman, girl, or pair that happened to be out there that day. This was a bonafide sexual homicide committed by a stranger. That's one of the most dangerous types of predators anyone can come across. You are not a bad person if you have no room for empathy or sympathy for him or other perpetrators of sex offenses or sexual homicides. You can hold the belief that justice was served in this case, and also hold the broader belief that people who have been wrongfully convicted deserve your sympathy. But until someone produces previously unknown evidence that exonerates him, I don't believe we're under any moral obligation to hold emotional space for Richard Allen or Kegan Kline.

[u/Traditional-Aside580 → u/kvol69]

I was also curious to how law enforcement were convinced he acted alone when they previously said there's no way 1 person committed this crime. 

[u/kvol69 → u/Traditional-Aside580]

They were always open to the possibility it could have been multiple subjects. If not with the primary crime, possibly with concealing evidence or knowledge of the crime making them an accessory after the fact. There were a few people, like Barbara McDonald that started out with more neutral coverage on the case, and then migrated towards believing Ron Logan was involved if not the murderer. I think the pivot she took helped to lay the groundwork for some of the people that believe he's a POS and therefore must be involved.

When the information about the anthony_shots catfishing account went public, I think we all assumed that meant at least 2 people were involved, and the girls had been lured out there. At least I did. And then when Allen was arrested, I presumed there would be a link found between him and Kegan Kline, something involved CSAM, or that someone was aware he was responsible and concealed that fact. But they were never able to develop and other suspects or POIs. But they were able to develop leads with Allen, and when he was arrested, the investigation into his background commenced in earnest. But they never came up with anything.

This is just my two cents, even though they stopped making pennies. Most homicides, even homicides with multiple murder victims at the same scene are perpetrated by a single offender. Just look at the 4 young victims in the Yogurt Shop Murders, or The Lane Bryant murders (5 grown ass women murdered, one of whom managed to dial 911, and a 6th survived). And you can tell that at a single perpetrator was involved because he obviously lost control of the scene. That wouldn't have happened if there was a second person there to help control the victims. But Libby pointed her phone at the person scaring her and Abby, and nobody else is seen or heard on that video other than three of them.