Tommy Arthur in His Own Words (You Tube)

This 1988 interview with Geraldo Rivera has just recently been posted to You Tube. At approximately 38 minutes into the program, twice convicted murderer Tommy Arthur makes an appearance. Tommy does what he seems to do best--attempts to manipulate the truth. During his interview with Geraldo, he claims the killing of the sister of his girlfriend/common-law wife was actually manslaughter. Just for the record, shooting someone in the right eye at close range is not usually manslaughter.

Why does Arthur have so many supporters? We're guessing those who defend him have not investigated either his past or the circumstances of his crime. In his latest attempt at manipulation, he again stresses that another man confessed to killing Troy Wicker. Could it be true?

Obviously anything could be true, but not too many 15 year-old boys frequent bars, strike up romances with women in their 30s, and agree to kill their husbands. We find it sad that so many convicted murderers in Alabama who have rededicated their lives to God are executed, while Tommy Arthur serves a more sinister master and continues to live.

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We haven't had a local hero in quite some time. Today we wish to confer that title on Thomas Beane. We recently featured Beane's excellent blog, but Thomas is also well-known as a filmmaker. Thomas has used his abilities to aid in preservation of local landmarks, most notably with a video produced at Sweetwater Plantation under the auspices of the University of North Alabama. Thank you, Thomas, for all you do for the Shoals area.

Related post: The King of Castle Rock



Shoalanda

Tommy Arthur Curses Us All

Apparently Tommy Arthur was prepared for the worst this time, even if it didn't happen. His final words to the world were to be a curse, which he forwarded to a friend to type and send to various news media. The person who forwarded this anathema laced document to us does not want Arthur to gain from such publicity, so we will not reproduce it here. Let's just say that his thoughts are not benevolent; even Spot and Fluffy are not exempt from Arthur's rantings. We're sure if you dig you can find them published elsewhere.

If any of you do read his "final words" to us all, please let us know if you can honestly say he wouldn't kill again if released into the general prison population. If the Devil dances in wicked minds, he's having a ball in Arthur's.

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Spring Housecleaning Continued - Those who read various blogs and forums in Shoals cyberspace are aware that certain unscrupulous rumblings have invaded recently--or would that more correctly be ramblings. We're not going to address all of them here, but we do wish to clear up any misconceptions in one area. Until two years ago, Mr. E.A. Truitt was listed here as "publisher." He at no time was ever listed as a partner, although we greatly valued his help.

Sadly, Mr. Truitt is just one of approximately ten individuals who have been painted with a tainted brush and accused of anything from jaywalking to murder. We will have a follow up on this later. Until then we'll simply say that since this group has now named four separate women as "Shoalanda," we don't think their pronouncements should be held in very high regard.

Shoalanda

Why Tommy Arthur Should Pay the Ultimate Price

 
Those who read here regularly know that we do not favor the death penalty in 99.99% of murder cases. We have mentioned before that we do support it when the crime is especially heinous and the admitted murderer would live a better life in prison than he would have on the outside. This was the case with Valentino Miranda who murdered Jennifer Hampton of Waterloo.

We also support the death penalty in such cases as Tommy Arthur. Why? Arthur has openly admitted to one killing. He has been convicted by three juries of a second killing. He shot a jailer to escape. He kidnapped a woman and held her hostage for a short time during his brief freedom. He also stole two cars during this short lived freedom, but considering his other crimes, that seems small potatoes.

So if Arthur's sentence should be commuted to Life Without? Why would this man hesitate to kill a guard or fellow prisoner? We don't think he would. He would have nothing to lose and has proved in the past that he's capable of killing. It's a horrible analogy, but he's like a rabid dog. A merciful end is best for society.

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Spring Housecleaning: Due to several recent high profile cases, we've picked up many new readers. We thank you for reading and appreciate your comments. Feel free to agree or disagree as long as it's done without profane or libelous language. We don't usually feel the need to defend our beliefs or practices, but we do choose to defend ourselves against outright lies when they are openly propagated by certain individuals.

Why do we mention names of family of the accused/admitted ne'er-do-wells (assuming they are not involved in the incident)? We can think of only four instances in almost 1,300 blogs that this has been done. We have not done an actual count, so feel free to correct us if necessary. In one case it was done in explanation of why certain judges recused themselves in a case as well as being necessary to explain other aspects of the events leading up to the arrest. In two other instances it was done simply in using a short excerpt from an online biography, one that had appeared in three or four online sites previously. In the fourth and latest instance it was done to distinguish an arrestee from a person in a similar occupation with the same name. If a similar event should arise in the future, you can expect us again to do so. It's not right that an innocent person should suffer simply because they have the same name as a sexual predator.

More tomorrow...

Shoalanda

Youthful Offender for Autumn Maire Wood?

Several readers have asked what legal consequences Autumn Marie Wood faces. Will she be eligible for Youthful Offender status and will she receive it? First, here is the legal definition for "Youthful Offender."

You may be eligible for Youthful Offender Status under Alabama law. If you are under 21 years of age and have been charged with a criminal offense, you may be eligible to apply for Youthful Offender Treatment.

As a Youthful Offender, you waive your right to a jury trial and consent to be tried by the court without a jury. The court will perform an investigation and examination of your record and in its discretion, decide whether or not you will be treated as a Youthful Offender.

 If adjudged by the Court to be a Youthful Offender, the Court, in its sole discretion, may do any of the following:

1. Suspend the imposition or execution of sentence with or without probation; or 
2. Place you on probation not to exceed three (3) years and prescribe terms of said probation.
3. Impose a fine as provided by law.
4. Commit you to the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term of three (3) years or less, or if the crime with which you have been charged does not authorize a fine or sentence, in lieu or in addition to any fine, the court may also impose a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).
5. If the underlying charge is a misdemeanor, you may be given treatment or educational classes as provided by law.

We haven't consulted with our legal eagle friends on this matter, but we have seen others arrested for Felony Murder who have requested such status. Granting of such would depend on Wood's previous record and the opinion of the judge.

We've been told that Wood has had a troubled life, but our informant didn't know of any actual arrests. Assuming she has a clean legal record, the judge assigned to her trial would then make the final decision. Murder cases are usually held in Mike Jones' courtroom, and our guess would be that he would not grant Miss Wood that request.

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We've heard from a close friend of Brooklyn Ann Hollins' family. Brooklyn did not live primarily with her grandparents, but her mother and two brothers who reside next door to Brooklyn's grandparents. We're told that the family has no immediate needs, but we want to stress if anyone is organizing a fundraiser or something similar, please inform us so that we may publicize it.

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Yesterday we mentioned the recent break-ins in North Florence. The Connection has an excellent article on the events. Be vigilant and stay safe.

North Florence Intruder Timeline

Shoalanda

"They Told Their Parents it Was a Sleepover"

Several parents of young girls present at the fatal stabbing of Brooklyn Ann Hollins have publicly stated they thought their daughters were attending a sleep-over at the Winona Street home. Whatever the party was originally, it soon morphed into one with boys and alcohol. Other reports state that not all those attending were drinking, but at least some were.

As Brooklyn lay dying on the kitchen floor, party-goers hastily called their mothers to pick them up. We doubt that any parent realized the enormity of the conditions their daughters were fleeing.

Friends held a candlelight vigil for 14 year-old Brooklyn last night, and Scott Whittle, owner of Miami Ice, has volunteered to host a fund-raiser for her family. Brooklyn reportedly lived with her grandparents. Her funeral will be Wednesday.

We can now do two things for Brooklyn; we can give financial aid to her family--funerals are anything but cheap, and we're pretty sure her grandparents weren't planning on burying their granddaughter. The second thing might be just a little harder for some individuals. Ask your relatives and friends with young teenagers if they really know what's going on in their children's lives. Sure, you might get rebuffed, but you just might wake some of them up. Many things can be a wake-up call, and Brooklyn's senseless murder should be one of them.

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We hope OB will forgive this post, or at least part of it. We're addressing all young ladies out there...and older ones also. Go to Wal-Mart, or some nearby sporting goods store, purchase pepper spray and whatever other self-defense items are available. Go to the Dollar Tree and buy alarms for windows and doors. Peace of mind is worth spending a few dollars on items you hope you never have to use.

He's in his 20s. He's white. He wears a baseball cap. He's out and about between three and four in the morning. And he likes to assault women. So far he's been thwarted for the most part. Let's keep it that way. If you see anyone fitting this description, call the police. That's what they're there for. The man stalking women in North Florence is sick; let's be sure we help him get what he needs--a jail cell.



Shoalanda

Where Did Ten Thousand People Go?

When we think of population problems in Franklin County and the surrounding areas, most of us tend to think of unwanted Hispanic immigration--at least unwanted in most circles. Apparently there's a problem with the area's population that hasn't been discussed or even publicized to any great extent.

Per the results of the 2000 Federal census, each senate district in Alabama was to have 127,140 citizens. Per the 2010 population, each district needs to have 136,563. In other words, each of the 35 senate districts in the state will have 9,423 more, give or take a few since any population is in flux at any time.

The two local senate districts are One, currently held by Tammy Irons and covering all of Lauderdale County and part of Colbert. The second district is Six, represented by Roger Bedford Jr. and composed of all or parts of Colbert, Franklin, Marion, Lamar, Winston, Fayette, and Lawrence. If population trends had remained static during the past decade each district would have increased by the 9K+ figure...but they didn't.

Reports from the magical metropolis of Montgomery indicate that Irons' district needs to pick up 1,506 citizens. That may not be the news the Shoals wanted to hear about population growth, but it does tell us the district's population increased by 7,917.

Now, let's look at Bedford's district. It needs to pick up 19,518 citizens. That means the population in District Six not only failed to grow, but actually lost 10,025 people. Where did these 10K people go?

From data collected by government agencies, it would be extremely difficult to pinpoint each factor causing the population shrinkage. More deaths than births? That would probably be true. More moving out of the district than moving in? That's the obvious answer. Perhaps some moved to Lauderdale County? Good for Lauderdale; however, we're betting most moved to even larger metropolitan areas--if they remained in Alabama at all.

Adding the large influx of Mexican and Central Americans to the mix, that means even more long time citizens moved away. Most of these were probably white since the black population in this district is historically low to non-existent. 

Besides the problem of a fair reapportionment using strictly numbers, you have what could be an even greater problem. Bedford is already representing a population spread over seven counties. Will he pick up part of an eighth? Probably not, but the actual land area will increase. No matter how good a senator Bedford might be, he can't fairly represent such a large geographic area. What happens when his part of Colbert is vying for a new industry with his part of Fayette (sometimes considered in the Tuscaloosa metro area)?

Would more districts solve the problem? More districts mean more senators (read: politicians). The mind wobbles.



Shoalanda

Slumber Party/Sleep Over/Lock In: They're Still Just Kids

Bailey's Bailiwick on Sleep Overs

17 Year-Old Autumn Marie Wood

Anyone who has watched or read the news since Saturday morning knows about the stabbing death that took place in North Florence this weekend. The TimesDaily is calling the scene of the death a "house party." My guess is it was what's usually called a "slumber party" for a small group of teenage girls. These are sometimes called "Lock Ins" since no one is allowed to come or go during certain hours. From reports, these girls were not only not locked in, they were not supervised.

Most 17 year-old girls don't socialize that much with 14 year-olds. Were they part of a church group? Was the victim a party-goer's younger sister? It probably makes no difference. The younger girl is just as dead.

Why didn't this party have adult supervision? Sure, adults in the house could have been asleep. Maybe they were called away unexpectedly. Again it's all hindsight. It just seems that parents need to exercise a little foresight.

If the federal government says 17 is too young to vote or enlist in the military, it just might be too young to have an unsupervised party. 

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News reports in today's TimesDaily state the party that took place on Winona Street in Florence was apparently an all night party orchestrated by the teenage daughter of the home's owners. The girl's parents were not present, nor were any other adults. There were approximately 17 in attendance at the party, including some males. Autumn Marie Wood, 17, will be charged as an adult in the death. She faces Felony Murder charges.

We agree with Bailey. Do you know where your children are? Especially at 3:00 a.m.?



Shoalanda