Holland Noah Elkins Needs Help

Early in the morning of December 3, 2008, Holland Noah Elkins and two other Florence youths broke into a Colbert County home. During the failed robbery attempt, Elkins and one of his confederates were shot multiple times with a nine millimetre handgun. Sources at Huntsville Hospital predicted that Elkins' companion would never walk again, but Holland was luckier--he soon recovered and was dismissed from ECM hospital.

Our blog was less than two months old when the home invasion occurred, and the Elkinses had been family friends for years. We briefly touched on the incident and asked for prayers for the family. When Holland was arrested in July 2009 after a second burglary, we were more than shocked. How could someone who had almost lost his life during the commission of a crime return to a life of theft?

When Holland's grandfather Stanley died in January of this year, we heard many reports that the young man had at last turned his life around. Holland Noah Elkins was going to live up to the promise he had shown early in life. Now Holland, who turned 21 on September 16th, has again been arrested for armed robbery.

Holland, along with two others, attempted to rob Bank Independent Wednesday as late night tellers left the Darby Drive location. All three have been charged with first degree robbery and sources say the charges could be upgraded from state to federal. If this should prove the case, the trio will be rearrested and held in Huntsville.

We know that Holland has a grandmother and an aunt and uncle who love him. We know many in Florence and the entire Shoals area are willing to do whatever it takes to help Holland. We're just not sure what that is at this point. This is the third strike for a young man who has only just reached his majority. Unless he was given youthful offender status in the home invasion, and we would find that highly unlikely, he could now face a sentence of life in prison as a habitual offender. Considering that at least two of these crimes could be classified as violent, he may be left without even the chance of parole. For what?

Holland's Facebook page lists his favorite things as "money, clothes, and girls." Certainly, we may assume drugs are also on this list, but how does an upper middle class youth fall so far so quickly? Our thoughts turn back to John Forrest Parker; at least if Holland Elkins looses his freedom, no one has lost his or her life because of him. Let's continue to pray that God will give Holland what he needs.


Quote of the day from Sam Pendleton: Open public discussion on all issues involving the public and its resources must be like bleach, may not smell good…but makes you clean.

Shoalanda



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