I saw last evening that the lawyers of kidnapper Michael Devlin would be filing a motion to protect him from predatory reporters, saying they believed a reporter from the New York Post had twice visited with their client. Since none of his large family has visited him despite living nearby, he must have been desperate for a chat -- as he'd surely know the Post has a rather blunt format, as witnessed by Susanna Cahalan's write-up of their chat, neutrally entitled: I AM STILL TOO SCARED TO TELL MY MOM AND DAD, 'KIDNAP' CREEP ADMITS. Heh.
He can probably stop worrying about telling them; I'm sure they're aware by now.
My bet is none of this ever goes to trial. With a foundation of the kidnapping charges, they'll minus out any potential sex charges (except the kiddie porn if the Feds can make it stick and it doesn't involve known kiddies), then throw everything else at him they can, to include spitting on the sidewalk and jaywalking, and follow it up it all up with a plea bargain. I have a suspicion about the "shocking facts" Devlin's lawyers have mentioned, and I'm sure both sides of the table will want this one plead out for a long sentence but not an effective life one. I've not watched "Law and Order" all these years for nothing.
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Well the prosecution can't say these boys were damaged...they've already got book deals and commercial interests pawing at the door, and the parents are in line for some 'parent of the year' awards, so Devlin will probably get nominated for
kidnapper of the year.
I'm a little suspicious too, Donnah..I suspect that Devlin's lawyers have concocted some grand story about how the boys *wanted* to leave home, and he just *reached* out to them(with that big ol bear paw/'nappy arm) in their time of despair.
Oprah should book his big ass.
Posted by: csason at January 21, 2007 08:19 AMI think quite a few people, Bill O'Reilly included, don't remember what it was like to be 11, have never been kidnapped, and are ignorant of how malleable the human mind is. In any case, there's a big disconnect between what they imagine themselves doing, and what this kid did. I wouldn't be surprised if the Devlin lawyers' bargaining chip is an implication of Shawn in the kidnapping/captivity of Ben.
Patty Hearst was sent to prison and it took a presidential commutation to get her out and a presidential pardon to clear her name. I think we're a little less ignorant since then, but I don't know by how much.
By the way, unfortunately it looks like the Akers are going to be made aware that when you open the door of your private life to the media, they'll not just toddle off when you're done with them:
http://www.tiny.cc/kpemy
That's an article about Shawn's biological father, with a very nasty suggestion of incest toward the sisters thrown in.
"I feel nothing," he said. "I hide my emotions from other people. I hide the way I feel."
that's probably not what Shawn Devlin would have to say about it..
You know, Donnah...even if this guy only sees limited exposure to the general population in prison, he will be certain to change his mind about the tool factory job being the worst in the world.
Being some one-eyed mandingo's bitch..why, that's a few notches below crack-ho
Posted by: csason at January 22, 2007 01:09 PM