.

Thursday marks the thirty year anniversary of Jeffrey MacDonald’s conviction for murdering his wife and two daughters.  In 1970, an army doctor phoned 911 to report intruders had broken into his home and stabbed his entire family.  Though injured, the lone survivor was MacDonald.  Investigators immediately became suspicious since his story simply didn’t match the evidence. Causing further doubt in minds was a copy of that week’s Esquire magazine that featured the Tate murders and Charles Manson on its cover.  Since the MacDonald home had similar details, such as writing on the wall in blood, investigators believed it was an attempt to confuse authorities and another way for MacDonald to cover a crime he was already under suspicion of committing.

MacDonald was also a captain and a doctor in the U.S. Army.  Military hearings were held with no court martial and MacDonald was eventually honorably discharged.  His behavior then was similar to the Drew Peterson mindset that dominated nightly news programs in recent months.  He began a campaign that included several televised interviews, each one ending with MacDonald declaring his innocence and reminding the public that he was the victim; the one who had to now live without his family.  He even hired a writer to pen his autobiography as an attempt to convince that same public he could never kill his wife and two daughters.  Unfortunately, his chosen ghostwriter, Joe McGinnis, didn’t produce the final product MacDonald would’ve hoped for.  In fact, McGinnis decided, along with the majority of others in the legal and law enforcement fields, he was guilty and didn’t hold back his opinions in the best-selling book that emerged as a result of his own investigation.

Meanwhile, civilian authorities were moving forward in their own investigation and finally, after nearly a decade, police and the district attorney felt they had enough to take MacDonald to trial and on July 16, 1979, Jeffrey MacDonald was convicted of murdering his wife and two daughters.  Over the years, he exhausted all of his appeals and his lawyers say he won’t again be eligible for parole until 2020.  He’ll be nearing eighty, if, of course, he’s still living.

There are thousands of people who believe MacDonald is innocent.  Proof of that is the number of websites devoted to that theory.  Still, there are just as many, if not more, that exist as a reminder of the three people who didn’t survive due to the one man who was supposed to protect them.

Briscoe Darling?

I have an image in my head of how Drew Peterson’s life played out over the weekend.  Anyone who’s ever seen that old Andy Griffith episode of how Ernest T. Bass wreaked havoc on the Darlings, who lived in the mountains, will relate to this.  Ernest T. comes to claim his would-be bride, Charlene Darling.  Her paw was none too happy and made it clear that he’d deal with Ernest T. in the only way he knew how: he’d shoot him.  Of course, the sheriff makes the trip to the mountains and keeps everyone alive and well.  This is exactly how I have Christina Raines’s father, Ernie Raines, pictured.  He made a trip to Drew Peterson’s home over the weekend to get his daughter and two grandsons away from the accused killer.  And he left with them in tow, too.

Apparently, he saw the Thursday’s episode of Nightline.  Drew Peterson said in the interview, “I’d be wary of me”, (speaking of Christina) and, “when the romance is gone, I tend to have affairs and then move on”.  Of

Drew Peterson

course, this didn’t go over well with Christina, either.  It’s being reported that a big argument followed between the two lovebirds.  Within 24 hours, her dad was knocking on the door, along with several police officers.  He gave his daughter an ultimatum and she wisely chose to return home with her father.  Her father said he hadn’t slept since his daughter moved in with Drew and said he feared having to live without her should she come up missing or worse, murdered.

As expected, Drew Peterson, through a statement released by his lawyer, is blaming the media for this latest turn in his life.

Youthful and Inappropriate?

By now, everyone has heard about the photograph that’s being circulated that shows the Olympics‘ golden child, Michael Phelps, smoking marijuana.  His statement apologizes to his fans and he admits having been youthful and inappropriate.  Considering he’s 23 and has lived a childhood in a way that most of us would consider unbearable, we tend to want to cut him some slack.   But then, what does that say to those who’ve managed to survive the hell known as the teenage years minus any pot-smoking episodes?  There are so many who advocate the legalization of marijuana for purposes other than medicinal.  Ah, but still, it is what it is and what it is happens to be illegal.

Michael Phelps

The argument can be made that his slip doesn’t come close to some of the antics we’ve witnessed, courtesy of others in the media spotlight.  True enough, he didn’t wreck a speeding vehicle, forever paralyzing his best friend; he didn’t shave his head and take a baseball bat to a stranger’s SUV and he hasn’t been caught shooting steroids.  It appears this will be one of those stories that will quietly fade into the background as far more disturbing stories take front and center.

Then again, what about those who look up to this young man?  Those ten year old boys who seem to have fins and spend all of the time in the family swimming pool, with images of gold medals around their  own necks, just as they’ve seen on their hero?  Will it shatter their images?  Will it change their goals?

The truth is, with so many scandals with politicians and celebrities and with far more serious actions being played out in the media, I can’t imagine this slight lapse in judgment would offset this kid’s hero status.   Ryan Smith, a sports attorney and BET talk show host said that Phelps stand to lose his existing endorsements.

His apology says it all: it was irresponsible, youthful and inappropriate.  And now, my guess is it’s also forgiven and forgotten; in the American media anyway.

Drew Peterson

I can’t be the only one who’s at a loss for words over Drew Peterson’s recent announcement that’s he’s engaged again.  And like his current wife, his intended is only 23 years old.  You can’t help but wonder about this woman’s psychological make-up that would allow her warning signs to snooze through the reality she’s very likely engaged to not only a married man, but a double murderer as well.  It’s bad enough this man is still walking around as though he’s the victim, has hired a publicist to handle his new “fame” and puts on a show for the cameras when he needs to demonstrate his excellent fathering skills.  Now, he’s proposed to a woman who can’t claim she wasn’t aware of the months of constant media attention when his fourth wife went missing; she lives only fifteen minutes away from Stacy Peterson’s home.  For whatever reasons, no one is telling her name.  It’s yet to be seen if it’s at her request or if it’s just Drew Peterson’s attempt at more media attention.  He has a way of releasing just enough details of sightings of his missing wife, letters that he’s received that she supposedly has written and declarations of knowing she’s with another man, yet not telling why he believes it or where she might be hiding, all to keep his image splashed across the internet and major news networks.  I’m confident this is just another carefully guarded detail that he’ll release when it’s most advantageous to him.  Then again, the new fiancé may not have built enough courage or whatever else it might take to tell her family who the new member will soon be.  Who knows?  Still, there are two families who continue to grieve for their own missing and/or murdered members. 

Most women would consider accusations of being a murderer a deal breaker for anyone they’re considering marrying.  For that matter, most of us would steer clear of even considering spending one minute of our time with a narcissistic fruitcake most are convinced this man is.  Besides, isn’t it a social faux pas to become engaged to a married person?  It’s like being a “little bit” pregnant - you either are or you’re not; and the same with marriage - you’re a married man or you’re not.  We have to remember though, he’s married legally.  He may already know he’s a widower and free to remarry.  But if he were to reveal that tidbit of information, it might result in another accurate title of being a convicted murderer.

His announcement is a kick in the teeth to two families, his own children and the same legal system he once worked to protect in his role as a police officer.  If there’s any justice in this world, the special grand jury that’s been convened will find enough to justify an indictment before he has the chance to walk down the aisle for the fifth time.  One thing’s for sure; it’s unlikely he’ll use desertion as his own justification for divorcing Stacy since in Illinois, he would be required to prove he had nothing to do with the desertion.