Recent editorials from Georgia newspapers:
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Dec. 18
The Savannah Morning News on cold cases:
The families of murder victims will never forget the sting of heartache that comes when the life of a loved one is taken away. Neither should the public or the criminal justice system.
Chatham County District Attorney Meg Heap and Metro police detectives should be applauded for the never-ending search for justice by their special “cold case” crews that are assigned to investigate crimes that are often several years old. Some date back to 2004 when the city and county police departments merged.
Let’s hope the soon-to-separated city and county police departments find a way to maintain cold case units, or at least pledge to work closely together to bring justice to crime victims and their families.
Metro’s cold case unit, along with Ms. Heap’s veteran prosecutors, can be credited for a big break in a 2004 murder case that stunned Savannah and triggered the increase in public concern about violent crime downtown - the slaying of 27-year-old Army Capt. Scott Corwin who was shot and killed shortly before 4 a.m. near Monterey Square at Bull and Gordon streets.
Capt. Corwin, a West Point graduate stationed at Fort Stewart who was dressed in casual clothing, was attacked while walking his girlfriend home after a night out. For more than 13 years this crime has frustrated efforts by police and prosecutors to identify and prosecute the offender. Meanwhile, family members, who live in the Pittsburgh area, have been increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress in aggressively investigating the case. At one time, the family even hired and worked with a private investigator in hope of cracking the case. But local police indicated they didn’t want any help from the outside, preferring to work the case from the inside. A motive was never disclosed.
And on Monday, all that hard work seemed to pay off, when a Savannah man who was already locked up in the Chatham County jail was served with a warrant charging him with murdering Capt. Corwin.
Additional details about the arrest of Deon Monroe Jones, 34, or how he was allegedly connected to the Army officer’s murder were not immediately available.
On the surface, however, old cases like this one can be difficult to prosecute, as the memories of witnesses fade and physical evidence deteriorates. As with all cold cases, it usually takes relentless work by investigators to break a case open. Sometimes it also takes a tip from a community member to give investigators the opening they need.
Unfortunately, many of these old cases will never be solved.
Ms. Heap has assigned two of her most experienced Major Crimes Division prosecutors, Isabel Pauley and Jennifer “Jenny” Parker, to these cases.
She has also enlisted the help of her office investigators, including veteran former Savannah-Chatham police detective Alan Sammons, one of her 14 investigators who joined her office in August 2016. This is a fine team, and they should be applauded for their excellent work, and not just in the Corwin case.
Law enforcement officials also are working other cold cases, including:
The Cam Menzies case
Ms. Menzies, a 20-year-old court reporter, was found slain on Jan. 23, 1981, in a friend’s office/apartment at 602 E. 49th St. Police said the woman, who worked for an independent Savannah firm, had been stabbed more than 30 times in the chest the previous day.
The Lawrence Bryan case
Lawrence Bryan IV, 23, was shot to death during an armed robbery attempt in the 3600 block of Duane Court on Aug. 7, 2015.
Justice must never rest whenever someone is murdered in our community.
Capt. Corwin’s father, Greg Corwin, spoke for many when he said Monday that the family “surely appreciates all of the work they put (prosecutors and police) into the case. “We’ve got folks down there who never gave up.
“Obviously our main concern is to get justice for Scottie.”
That goes for all murder victims.
Online: http://savannahnow.com/
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Dec. 19
The Valdosta Times on domestic violence:
Sadly, during the holidays law enforcement typically responds to the most incidents of domestic violence.
This should be a joyous time, when people spend special days and create memories with family and friends.
In many cases, however, the memories will not be pleasant ones.
Domestic violence is a problem everywhere, including Valdosta, Lowndes County and southern Georgia.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence:
- Every nine seconds, a woman is assaulted or beaten in the United States.
- An average of 20 people are physically abused by intimate partners every minute in the U.S.
- There are more than 10 million abuse victims across the U.S. annually.
- One in three women and one in four men have been physically abused by an intimate partner.
- One in seven women and one in 18 men have been stalked. Stalking causes targets to fear they or someone close to them will be harmed or killed.
- On a typical day, domestic-violence hotlines nationwide receive approximately 20,800 calls.
- The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500 percent.
- Domestic violence accounts for 15 percent of all violent crime.
- Domestic violence is most common among women between the ages of 18-24.
- Nineteen percent of domestic violence involves a weapon.
- Domestic victimization is correlated with a higher rate of depression and suicidal behavior.
- Only 34 percent of people who are injured by intimate partners receive medical care for their injuries.
The Haven provides services to area women who have suffered from domestic violence along with offering educational programs available to individuals and community groups throughout the year.
Schools in the Valdosta, Lowndes County and adjoining school districts have trained counseling professionals on staff to help young people address issues associated with violence in the home.
Our law-enforcement agencies have trained professionals who are often called upon to diffuse dangerous situations and to deal with victims in caring and sensitive ways.
Domestic violence knows no socio-economic, racial or geographical boundaries. It exists among all social groups and in every community.
We encourage more public dialogue and more conversations among families, especially children, to make it clear that violence is not a solution to problems in relationships and is never the right way to express frustrations or anger.
Finally, we urge all of our readers to protect women and children and err on the side of caution by reporting suspected violence and abuse to law enforcement.
Online: http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/
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Dec. 19
The Brunswick News on a nonprofit that has helped roughly 400 people:
The ladies who run the new Glynn County-based nonprofit Saved By Grace have had a big year.
The group began helping people in need locally in November 2016 and since has directly impacted the lives of roughly 400 people.
Whether they are homeless, living in difficult situations or simply down on their luck, Saved By Grace is willing to help.
The nonprofit continued that mission and spread a little Christmas cheer last week with a simple gesture of giving. Using about $1,000, Saved By Grace paid for people’s groceries at a local Winn-Dixie. This is a major expense for many people, especially single parents or people who may be struggling.
But for Saved By Grace founders Donna Howard, Maria Gamble and Honey Sparre, it is par for the course.
The three women began the nonprofit by driving around Glynn County with a car full of supplies like food, pillows, blankets and clothes in search of homeless people.
Since then, the group has partnered with restaurants, businesses, churches and individuals to even supply things like furniture for families that need it. They have targeted their efforts on places like hotels where transient families and people find themselves as they struggle to find affordable housing or to get back on their feet after a difficult time.
They recently also expanded their efforts to Brantley County, where they use a donated house to store supplies and food.
This is not a group that will sit around and wait for donations and aid to come to them or for people who need help to find them. Instead, the ladies at Saved By Grace started the group with the sole purpose of taking the aid to where it is needed most.
A woman who attended a Thanksgiving lunch in Hortense last month illustrated just how meaningful a simple act of kindness and grace can mean to a struggling person or family.
“Had it not been for Saved By Grace and these people helping me out, I don’t know where I would be today,” the woman said. “I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t met you three.”
That is the kind of direct impact not even larger charities are able to accomplish. By keeping the mission and the structure simple and straightforward, Saved By Grace has been able to make lives in Glynn County better.
We applaud their effort and thank them for their selfless service to our community.
Online: http://thebrunswicknews.com/
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