“There is no understanding of evil, only the recognition of what it is.” —Donna Pendergast, Prosecutor
On occasion, after an inmate discovers that I’ve published a few short stories, he’ll tell me bits and pieces of his past history. “You should write about my case,” he’ll offer, as if the general public would be fascinated with his criminal past.
He may be right.
The prisoners know all too well about the public’s morbid curiosity with the seedier side of life. I’d like to think I don’t fit that general mold; I’d like to think that any true-crime books I’ve read are not approached in the same manner as the general public. I sometimes wonder why I haven’t gotten my fill of them. Let me just say this: it heightens my sense of awareness when dealing with convicts. One such book, “Darker than Night” by Tom Henderson, hits close to home, serving up prison snitches throughout, as Detective Bronco Lesneski from the Michigan State Police (trained at the same DeMarse Academy as I) cracks an 18 year-old double homicide of two deer hunters. Although no bodies were found, certain perpetrators knew brothers Raymond and Donald Duvall killed their victims, hacked them up, and fed them to their pigs. In fact, there were probably more people involved in the actual killing, but only two were tried and convicted.
What I find most interesting, however, are the snitch kites, aka letters, used as desperate attempts at time cuts. For instance, in December 1998 (13 years after the murders), Inmate Bolzman from the E.C. Brooks Correctional Facility sent a letter to former Macomb County Prosecutor Carl Marlinga. He writes:
Hopefully, you could tell me if your office held a grand jury investigation hearing into the deaths of missing hunters … I wish to correspond with you on this because I have very important evidence of who was involved …
This information was forwarded to Detective Lesneski, and shortly afterward, Bolzman was transferred to the Thumb Correctional Facility where he could be interviewed regarding these matters.
Throughout his book, Henderson gives us detail after detail of prisoners willing to provide information on the double homicide. This is what peaks my interest. I often wonder how many of my current and former students are preoccupied with wanting to “drop a dime” on someone. I suspect most. It’s in their nature. It’s in their blood. They want their freedom. All I can do is sit back and listen.
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10 comments:
Hello
What a interesting blog you have here!! I have bean scrolling up and down and rock a round your site from every angle. Great picture and really good writing story's.
I'm often glad that there is no honor among thieves so to speak. It makes life easier for the rest of us. I haven't read much true crime fiction. I find it so depressing oftentimes. Lana is interested in it, though, and watches a lot of shows about true crimes.
Man's inhumanity to his fellow man. Never ceases to amaze me. Afraid to ask, "What next ?"
"Something wicked this way comes."
MW
Man's inhumanity to his fellow man. Never ceases to amaze me. Afraid to ask, "What next ?"
"Something wicked this way comes."
MW
...and yet the punk gangster elements in modern society are the ones heavily promoting the "no snitching" concept (sometimes even through physical intimidation.) At least they are BEFORE they go to jail. Freaking losers.
Lana, the punk gangster element will also wait to club you over the head when you're not looking and laugh and talk about how tough they are.
Ah, I think before you get them, we've had them in the public schools. And no matter how many behavior plans and programs we've tried, these people retain that crooked streak that just won't be changed. Too bad.
Donnetta
Once again, I admire your patience. And- the ability to work in the correctional system and still function in your personal life. I think some of that stuff would stick to me and invade my off-duty thoughts.
I'm in a situation right now where I see what addiction and violence leads to in a family and it is not pretty. I do not understand why anyone would want to know what it feels like to go through something like this, the hardships it puts on a family, the strain it puts on a father who is trying to hold it all together so that his children don't fall apart.... So much has changed.
I wonder what good snitching is for the inmate. He may get time chopped off of his sentence but if he remains in jail he certainly would have to go to top lock to protect him from his rep as a snitch.
What I found to be disgusting about the two missing hunters is that so many people stayed quiet for so long. They two killers were such bad asses that they had the whole area intimidated to silence.
Lesenski did a good job there in at least confirming the mothers fears so they could rest easier after awhile.
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