Comments on: How Many Wives Must a Man Stab, Before You Can Call Him a Lifer?

By: Man With Mental Disability Sentenced to 100 Years for Sexual Assault : The Curvature

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:08:34 +0000

[...] her, and is serving only 5 years. While it’s not sexual violence, I can also tell you of a man who killed his first wife and stabbed and seriously injured his second wife, only to receive a total of 9 years in prison. Or of a man who murdered a sex worker and served a [...]

By: marie

marie — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:16:05 +0000

My sister was brutally murdered by her expartner in November 1992. She had left him a few months earlier because she was worried about her own safety and the safety of their 4 month old baby. He hired a private detective to find her and waited till my sister was at my mum’s first anniversary Mass (she’s died in Nov 91) to break into my sister’s house and leave a broken window so he could get back in and stab her 22 times when she returned and went to bed.
He was given 12 years, was out on license and after a few months of playing the good citizen he failed to report to his probation officer. Unbeknown to me (my darling protective brothers decided they shouldn’t frighten me) my sister’s killer actually escaped the country and was eventually found New Year’s day 2008 hiding out in his Mother’s bunker in her garden in Italy.
He is now back in prison and we are all able to sleep at night. I for one, would like to see any killer locked up forever as this is the only sure way they will not kill again. I t would be so easy for any killer to start a new life where noone knows his past and trusts them but our lives have been ruined by this man and I am currently having pschiatric treatment for depression since I found out he had managed to leave the country etc…

By: SunlessNick

SunlessNick — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:59:40 +0000

It’s a grim service to provide, but I’m glad you do it.

Seconded.

By: Cobalt

Cobalt — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:11:11 +0000

WHAT

Seriously, sometimes I think I come to this blog to be reminded that crap like this still happens. If I haven’t had my RDA of moral outrage, I’m certain to find something on Curvature that hasn’t popped up on the news.

It’s a grim service to provide, but I’m glad you do it. Thanks for this entry, much as it makes me faintly ill.

By: zombie z

zombie z — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:46:04 +0000

Disgusting.

The only thing that may possibly save this for me is hopefully the bastard WILL die in prison.

By: Sara

Sara — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:13:20 +0000

This illustrates the absurdity of the “mental health” bullshit that murderers and rapists like to use to their defense. All you have to do is find ONE psychiatrist who will tell the court you’re crazy. Thats not hard to do, especially when the defense counsel pays them upwards of $1000 per hour to testify. Its easy to find a doctor at that rate to say whatever you want him to say. Many of these scumbag doctors are on official retainers with law firms.

Thats not even mentioning the fact that psychiatry is mostly bullshit anyways. I could go into 10 different psych offices TODAY, and convince all of them that I’m insane. Once you know the right key words to say, you can bait them all day long. There are zero objective tests for diagnosis in psychiatry, the only thing they have to go on is what you tell them. Its a lot different than diagnosing high blood pressure.

By: Renee

Renee — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:38:57 +0000

Violence against women is simply not taken seriously. Look at the sentence 1 day plus time served sentence of Wayne Ryzcak for killing Stephine Beck. How is that justice? When men are not punished for their crimes against women is it any wonder that our lives are not valued? This is why we have women setting themselves on fire in Afghanistan. They know that there will never be a reprieve from the horror of their lives. At least today I can report that the crown is seeking to appeal the sentence. Perhaps they will get it right this time and he will pay for his crimes, but I am not holding my breathe. It seems that the burning times never ended.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:21:40 +0000

204…obviously.

Its in the bible somewhere I’m sure.

By: Cara

Cara — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:34:48 +0000

Caitlin: this is a guess, but I think the mention of his health problems was meant to provoke sympathy more than provide an excuse. As in “oh, poor guy, he’s been through so much, hasn’t he suffered enough” and also “he might not live out his sentence” sort of thing. It seems that people are squeamish about sending the elderly or those in poor health to prison.

Seeing the system, I kind of am, too, particularly for non-violent crimes. But while of course he should have access to reasonable medical care wherever he is, his crime is without a doubt bad enough that the concerns for his wellbeing are very far down on the list of concerns. So for me, it’s irrelevant here. But I think the defense was hoping that the judge and/or jury would feel differently.

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:25:51 +0000

Yeah I was being sarcastic, but it’s amazing (scary, even) what people can get away with by being penitent…I suppose at least he wasn’t yelling about how pleased with himself he was…but then again, if he had been maybe the sentence would have been the full 10 years?

Also, RE this: “Groth suffers from undiagnosed mental health issues and has had three open-heart surgeries, a stroke and failing eyesight.”
Why the frick haven’t they diagnosed his ‘issues’? And then treated him accordingly (ie locking him up before he stabbed a second wife…)?! How does having had surgery and a stroke make you less responsible for your actions? My father has had two open-heart surgeries in the last YEAR and he’s not getting shank-happy. Failing eyesight? So he meant to stab something else instead, the pillow beside her or what? *confused*

Anyway, there are clearly many issues with the justification of this shorter sentence…and indeed the fact that he got a second chance in the first place. There’s no reasoning with it, as the judge’s decision seems to lack reason altogether. At least the guy’s being punished in some way though, rather than just getting a third chance!