Crime: The CJ Professor Explains

I'm listening to this song by Nina Simone this morning as I read "Race, Punishment and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration" by Reuben Jonathan Miller. I hadn't heard of her before reading this book and I am so grateful to learn about her music, and it adds context to criminal justice over time, from a powerful voice.

Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead) (Unedited version from original live concert) Provided to YouTube by RCA/LegacyWhy? (The King Of Love Is Dead) (Unedited version from original live concert) · Nina SimoneForever Young, Gifted And Black: ...

I pray that Nancy Guthrie is found safe and hopefully unharmed.

As every day passes, I worry more and more that she is harmed.

Please if you do not already do this, “target hardening” is critical. Target hardening makes it harder for potential offenders to commit crime.

I don’t understand why it was so easy for this man (or men- I assume multiple peple were involved) to take Nancy Guthrie.

PSA: Lock your doors. Set your alarms when you go to bed. If you do not have a home security system, get a quote. Add sensors for any glass that is broken, especially on the first floor. Leave your porch light(s) on. Have multple cameras and ensure they are 🚩recording🚩 for a 🚩sufficient time period🚩

I personally have 7 cameras at my household. I know, it may seem like overkill but it has helped us retrace footsteps several times. We usually use it for watching wildlife, but have also used it to helps neighbors track down what happened, corroborating events in the neighborhood like stolen packages, suspicious vehicles, lost pets, etc… A few of our cameras are interior and for household communication or checking on pets when we are away, but 5 of them are specifically for household 🚨 security and surveillance 🚨 in case *anything* ever happens…. and it does not cost much at all. It is an expensive upfront investment but cost efficient after you are setup. It is worth it to have hardwired cameras with a DVR that saves footage for more than a week like some cameras. 🎥

This is not an ad for any particular company. Just get one that will monitor and call the police if you don’t answer when they call to check on you.

Let's talk about The University of Idaho student murders, another set of victims who should not be forgetten. You'll notice though, that I won't mention the perpetrators name. Research has shown that some of these individuals seek notoriety. They want to go down in history... I will not and do not give them that 'fame'.

This case first caught my eye because the perpetrator was a Ph.D. student at the time, a student of criminal justice in fact. It's not often you hear about 'well-educated' people committing crimes, and certainly not mass murder. This fact made this case even more shocking. How could someone pursuing a Ph.D. commit mass murder?

Most people initially labeled this horrific act as “random" and said it was a case of "wrong-place-wrong-time", but when you look closer, the randomness falls apart:

1. The Victim–offender relationship: Did you know most of the time that victims and offenders are not strangers? The victims were not “strangers in the night", at least from the perpetrator's perspective in this case. In every other sense of the words, they were strangers. However, digital footprints, repeated proximity, and prior surveillance behavior suggest he had a fixation on at least one of the victims, and he was familiar with their Instagram photos.

2. Location: The house where the victims were murdered was known for its accessibility. There was visibility of routines and minimal guardianship. It was well-known as a 'party house'.

3. Timing: Late-night hours, predictable sleep schedules, and repeated prior visits to the area by the perpetrator point to planning, not impulse. Additionally, it was reported he turned off his phone (as to not have his location tracked) during the murders that happened between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m.

Thankfully, trash was obtained and DNA matched the DNA on the sheath left behind at the scene.

Texas: Did you know you can check the app to get an idea if you're facing a power outage? Their 6 day projection looks good. We should not be in a situation where demand exceeds capacity, which is a good thing. But, check out pricing right now. If you're in the red zones (mostly all of Texas) you will be paying large amount for ANY energy you're using right now.