Murder by Omission
In legalese, Omission
is the failure to act!
Murder
by Omission can happen when medical treatment is withheld, as in the Case of
Hannah Overton who gave a lethal dose of sodium to a four-year-old child and
then failed to get medical help even as he grew worse.
Andrew
was a foster child that Hannah Overton is accused of giving a salty spice. When Andrew became sick she then failed to call 911.
Andrew was said to have consumed 23 teaspoons of Zatarain's, a creole seasoning
with a high sodium content. Hannah is now serving a life term
You
can decide the evidence by reading these stories:
The world is a dangerous place, not
because of those who do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing.
~~~ Albert Einstein
The one item of information that always amazes me is that for many crimes there are witnesses.
But these witnesses sometimes take years to admit their knowledge, out of fear, or a desire not to get involved.
What about you - would you come forward and report what you know
or keep the secret and let a murderer get away?
but because of those who look on and do nothing.
~~~ Albert Einstein
The one item of information that always amazes me is that for many crimes there are witnesses.
But these witnesses sometimes take years to admit their knowledge, out of fear, or a desire not to get involved.
What about you - would you come forward and report what you know
or keep the secret and let a murderer get away?
If you want to join in on the fun of
Arlee Bird's blog hop
I would hope I would report what I saw, but then the other day I was driving home from walking Koda and I saw 2 kids tagging (graffiti) on a white wall. It was broad daylight and actually caught me by surprise that they would be so blatant about it. I was going to call the police but then figured by the time the police got there, they would be gone. Lesson learned, I'm going to call the next time regardless. I would hope with something like potential harm to a person I would intervene.
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad case you cited here. My sister in law was telling me a few years ago about her aunt who had a 2nd marriage and then shortly after being married, she started having symptoms that no one could ever diagnose. Long story short, she eventually died but immediately afterwards her husband had her cremated, cut off all contact with the family (they wanted family pictures that would have nothing to do with him, but he refused to part with them) and basically disappeared with her very nice life insurance policy plus assets she brought from her 1st marriage. The family had wondered if he was slowly poisoning her, nothing that overtly showed up until too late. Scary!
betty
I may have let them go too, but then again maybe a snap of a picture with a camera phone and letting the authorities take care of it after that would be preferable - stopping them while young may keep them from future harm?
DeleteI hate to think something horrible came of her aunt - but I've read that scenario too many times. How truly sad! Although I've heard that today forensics can find some poisons even in the ashes. Wish that were true in this case!
That is shocking, just letting someone in your care die! A horrible crime. I hope if I witness something as awful, I would have the guts to speak up. Cremation is the preferred method in Hinduism, and the ashes are dispersed, so getting forensic evidence is that much harder in poisoning cases.
ReplyDeleteTroubling to think that we would stand by and omit to say anything .. I often wonder if I was so challenged - if a loved one committed a crime - where my loyalties would lie. A blatant crime is a quite different story and I hope I would have the guts to 'do the right thing'. Does justice always win out? Thanks Yolande ..
ReplyDeleteGarden of Eden Blog
That post truly upset me. That's why I have a hard time watching the world news. Kid's killing kids, parents killing their kids...It's unfathomable to understand....
ReplyDeleteI hope I would always report something suspicious or criminal but it would depend if it put me in danger as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Yolanda,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I would report any suspicious activity. If I was aware of somebody committing a murder and did not inform the authorities, then I become an accomplice. The problem in this world is apathy.
Gary
Death by Zatarain's??? I knew that stuff was bad news. I hope there's a special Cajun hell for THAT lady!
ReplyDeleteWriterlySam
Echoes of Olympus
A to Z #TeamDamyanti
I could not keep quiet if I knew anything about a crime, especially one that ended in someone's death.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable that anyone could die that way. Horrible death and I cannot believe anyone not calling for help. As for the crime, it would depend on who committed it. If it was a bunch of Mafiosi or something similar, I probably would keep quiet out of fear.
ReplyDeleteI would have no hesitation in coming forward if it meant justice was seen to be done. I suppose my true colours are best shown in my novel, 'Beyond The Law' (available on Amazon .. wink, wink). My hero is ex-Special Forces and returns to his hometown as a vigilante.
ReplyDelete