Saturday, July 09, 2005

Globe: No communication on Wooden death

Sunday's Joplin Globe will have a strong account, written by Jeff Lehr, of how Jasper County agencies may have rushed to judgment in closing the case on the shooting of eight-year-old Braxton Wooden.
The Globe has already run accounts from other foster children indicating there was more to the story than what law enforcement officials realized. Apparently, Jasper County law enforcement officials did not talk with Family Services officials before making their final rulings and closing the case.
I am sure the Globe will again receive criticism from this small band of people who thinks we should just "let things alone." I am just as sure Globe editors and reporters will not listen to those people, for which the people of this area should be grateful.
Sunday's Globe also features an editorial page column by Editor Edgar Simpson on the same subject, and the conduct of Jasper County Coroner Jerry Neil in the case is brought into question.
In Lehr's story, Neil gives what appears to be a particularly inappropriate quote about people never being able to know some things...like where Jimmy Hoffa's body is. Simpson's point is that Neil did not do much of an investigation into the matter and did not wait until the evidence was in before he made a ruling.

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