In the Oct. 5 edition there was front-page coverage of Mr. Blake Fox’s guilty plea for murder. It’s personal for me. The Leader also provided front-page coverage regarding my son’s conviction for failing to obey court orders regarding stalking charges. 

I also know and respect Mr. Fox’s father and can empathize with their grief around their son and the untimely and tragic death of Mr. Robin Richards.

Why are these front-page issues and why is the defendant’s mental state never discussed? Common sense acknowledges that no one in their right mind would have behaved as Mr. Fox did. My son’s behavior was secondary to established serious mental illness that was never mentioned in the newspaper and apparently not relevant to his judicial proceedings. How is it these most relevant of contextual matters are not mentioned?

Why would our prosecutor Mr. Kennedy say: “I hope this plea helps with the grieving process”? Is this a justification for our imprisoning people because we fail to acknowledge or oblige appropriate care for those with serious mental illnesses?

Without addressing the mental illnesses that explain such dysfunctional behaviors, does Mr. Kennedy and others believe such events are less likely to reoccur? Does our prosecutor believe that putting defendants with mental illness into prisons effectively rectifies the harm done? Maybe so, for he seems to believe it somehow helps with grieving. So much here for us all to grieve.

James K. Rotchford
PORT TOWNSEND