GUILTY CT - Barry James, 59, stabbed to death, Fairfield, 28 Aug 2006

[LNL]

I don't agree with what this guy did, and I do agree with the fact that he is punishing his daughter a second (and possibly even a third) time.
During a time when she needs the love and support of everyone around her, Daddy won't be there. And how is she going to feel when she finds out that he Daddy was put in prison because of what happened to her.
At the same time, I can understand why and how great the temptation. I agree he snapped.
Is this guy a defense attorney? If so, he most likely has dealt with sex offenders before, he has defended them even when he disapproved of what they did. He has seen the victims and seen what they went through in court. Now suddenly, he sees his daughter- a victim.

He is a patent atty.

He was released on $1M bail. He looks like an angry man in the picture of him leaving the jail. Kinda preppie scary.

Although his anger at learning his daughter was (or might have been) molested is understandable his actions were not. Think about it. He took a knife from his kitchen, crawled through he guys bedroom window and stabbed him 12 times. That is a lot of rage. I don't think I know anyone who could do it. Yes, people say "I'd kill whoever touched my child", but would they really really be capable of doing it?

I too have a feeling there is going to be a lot more to this story. Maybe some other issues that contributed to him "snapping" whether his own or those provoked by the neighbor.

All the way around a sad situation.

Mary Winkler in reverse. Only he didn't flee and got let out of jail right away. Now that to me is scary. I think he should have cooled his jets in there for a few weeks. This was a pre-meditated violent murder. I hope no one else crosses his path or make him angry before he is back behind bars.

 

[Details]

I'm not doubting the 2-year-old in this case. Both of my sons talked constantly when they were two and sometimes they even made sense! They would have been able to tell me if someone touched them in certain places at 2.

However, they are still 2 and you need back-up in the form of a drs exam. And - as several posters have pointed out - IF you are on a heigtened alert b/c you think wour neighbor is a perv (as the parents in this case obviously were) when would you allow the perv the opportunity to molest your child.

So, this man obviously snapped, but what were the circumstances beyond what has been reported?

With them on heightened alert - I wonder if they described to their daughter what to say and do ("Tell us if anyone touches you there", etc.) - and that prompted either a misinterpreted statement, or a playful fantasy that was taken for real - ("Let's say the floor is made of lava" type thing).

I'd trust the 2 year old - but I'd want to be sure that she was saying what I thought she was saying.

Something seems really wrong. And, if this was full on rape or whatever - I'd expect them to have been at the hospital right away, to repair the physical damage...so I'm kinda assuming that we're talking in the line of inappropriate clothing to a little inappropriate contact at the worst (since how could he get the little girl alone in any circumstance other than kidnapping - for which I'd assume (again) that the mother would have already called the police the minute she went missing.).

 

[Details]

Yeah - that's my main question - why didn't the mother call the police? Why wait until daddy was home and tell him?

 

[julianne]

He is a patent atty.

He was released on $1M bail. He looks like an angry man in the picture of him leaving the jail. Kinda preppie scary.

Although his anger at learning his daughter was (or might have been) molested is understandable his actions were not. Think about it. He took a knife from his kitchen, crawled through he guys bedroom window and stabbed him 12 times. That is a lot of rage. I don't think I know anyone who could do it. Yes, people say "I'd kill whoever touched my child", but would they really really be capable of doing it?

I too have a feeling there is going to be a lot more to this story. Maybe some other issues that contributed to him "snapping" whether his own or those provoked by the neighbor.

All the way around a sad situation.

Mary Winkler in reverse. Only he didn't flee and got let out of jail right away. Now that to me is scary. I think he should have cooled his jets in there for a few weeks. This was a pre-meditated violent murder. I hope no one else crosses his path or make him angry before he is back behind bars.

I would be more than capable of killing someone who was harming my child. Without a doubt, without hesitation, and without remorse.

Not excusing what he did, because we don't know the whole story. And you're probably right that there may be alot more to this story than we know.

 

[julianne]

Yeah - that's my main question - why didn't the mother call the police? Why wait until daddy was home and tell him?

Very good question, Details.

 

[LNL]

I would be more than capable of killing someone who was harming my child. Without a doubt, without hesitation, and without remorse.

Not excusing what he did, because we don't know the whole story. And you're probably right that there may be alot more to this story than we know.

You said...harming you child.

Could you still do it if he had harmed your child and the act, whatever it was was complete, the offender was gone and had to be located and then killed by violently stabbing him 12 times?

 

[Saavy]

Could you still do it if he had harmed your child and the act, whatever it was was complete, the offender was gone and had to be located and then killed by violently stabbing him 12 times?

Absolutely. Though I wouldn't stab him-a bullet to the head would be sufficient.

 

[southcitymom]

Absolutely. Though I wouldn't stab him-a bullet to the head would be sufficient.

Don't do it! Your child needs you more than the prison system does!

 

[Linda7NJ]

When I was a young child I had a neighbor who had exposed himself to me and masturbated in front of me. I went home and told my mother. ( I thought he was just pulling it to pee at the time) Well, my mom called the police and when my dad came home from work and found out what had happened he grabbed his shotgun and was heading out the door. Thank God the police were there and two officers had to drive him around and talk to him for HOURS to calm him down.

I can understand how a dad could snap.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Well,I'm a fan of vigilante justice in certain circumstances but not in this case--Like Details said,this guy is an utter fool and I feel an extreme danger to everyone in society----without proof,he breaks in and stabs the guy to death--incredibly dangerous impulsiveness--why didn't he just go over there and beat the crap out of him instead?--bring a baseball bat and break his legs-- no temporary insanity here for murder--that never works in courtrooms anymore(except for Yates)--29 years old,he'll be in prison til he's at least 50 years old maybe longer---he just hurt his child more than the other guy did(if he in fact did molest her)

 

[SewingDeb]

Well,I'm a fan of vigilante justice in certain circumstances but not in this case--Like Details said,this guy is an utter fool and I feel an extreme danger to everyone in society----without proof,he breaks in and stabs the guy to death--incredibly dangerous impulsiveness--why didn't he just go over there and beat the crap out of him instead?--bring a baseball bat and break his legs-- no temporary insanity here for murder--that never works in courtrooms anymore(except for Yates)--29 years old,he'll be in prison til he's at least 50 years old maybe longer---he just hurt his child more than the other guy did(if he in fact did molest her)

It would have been better if that's what he had done, but I have to say that if I were on the jury, there is no way he would spend 1 day in prison--IF--the child's story is true.

I'm with Julianne and Savvy on this. I might regret it later, but if anyone ever touchs a child of mine in that way, I would act first and think later. This is from one who has actually experienced abuse at a young age.

 

[mum33004]

Maybe the mother was afraid and that is why she waited. She may have not known that her husband would snap. With all the awful things happening to kids lately he lost it. I don't think what he did was right, but being a mother myself of a 2-1/2 year old, I do anything to protect my son. If someone was harming him in some way, I'd probably snap too. My father in law always says if someone ever hurt his grandson, he'd end up in jail.

mum33004 (newbie)

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Sorry,but molestation does not warrant the death penalty in any circumstance--I don't doubt that some mothers would do such a thing,but they would definitely go to prison,--however, being a mother,would probably result in a lighter sentence--for example,remember the 40 year old motherwho shot her son's molester to death right in the courtroom? that was great,but she did go to prison for several years--and along the same lines,the father who shot his son's molester in the head right at the airport--that was great too,but he also went to prison for several years--I think that the mode of revenge in this current case is what really bothers me--the stabbing--12 times--you have to be an animal to do such a thing to another human being

 

[SewingDeb]

Sorry,but molestation does not warrant the death penalty in any circumstance--I don't doubt that some mothers would do such a thing,but they would definitely go to prison,--however, being a mother,would probably result in a lighter sentence--for example,remember the 40 year old motherwho shot her son's molester to death right in the courtroom? that was great,but she did go to prison for several years--and along the same lines,the father who shot his son's molester in the head right at the airport--that was great too,but he also went to prison for several years--I think that the mode of revenge in this current case is what really bothers me--the stabbing--12 times--you have to be an animal to do such a thing to another human being

A parent in a rage over a child's suffering could do something like this. I do wish they had called the police and let them take over from there, but I can easily see something like this happening. I'm not saying it's right...I'm just saying I can see how it can happen.

Thank God mine are almost all grown.

 

[mum33004]

what about the molesters? They are animals too preying on helpless kids. Sure, stabbing a person 12x is horrific but what if this man did molest his daughter? That in itself is sick. I know it doesn't give a person a right to kill another person but that man if he did molest that little girl, didn't have a right to touch her.

 

[chiperoni]

It must be very difficult for a dad to hear that a neighbor molested his daughter especially if he had difficulty with him before. It sounds like the guy crossed the line. That said he should have thought this through before he stabbed the guy to death because as many sleuthers have said he is risking a long jail sentence. If he is convicted of a felony he will lose his license and family. This is a real tragedy.

 

[SewingDeb]

If he is convicted of a felony he will lose his license and family. This is a real tragedy.

It really is and he will have many years to regret it.

 

[julianne]

Sorry,but molestation does not warrant the death penalty in any circumstance--I don't doubt that some mothers would do such a thing,but they would definitely go to prison,--however, being a mother,would probably result in a lighter sentence--for example,remember the 40 year old motherwho shot her son's molester to death right in the courtroom? that was great,but she did go to prison for several years--and along the same lines,the father who shot his son's molester in the head right at the airport--that was great too,but he also went to prison for several years--I think that the mode of revenge in this current case is what really bothers me--the stabbing--12 times--you have to be an animal to do such a thing to another human being

Peter, I don't understand your stance. You said molestation doesn't warrant the death penalty in any circumstance, but then you give examples of parents giving the death penalty to their childrens molesters and say "that's great."

I do remember the case of the mom killing her son's molester right in the courtroom. Her name was Ellie Nessler, right? I was barely a teenager when that happened, if I remember right.

I agree it would be hard to stab someone 12 times---Just thinking of the physical act is kinda creepy. I could do it, though, easily, if my child was being harmed---or anyone in my family, for that matter. Maybe not after the fact, but during the commission of the crime---absolutely. I would probably stab the perp double the amount of times! Call me an animal---but I would be animal willing to brutally murder anyone hurting my family.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

julianne,,I said "that's great" because,as I said,in my first post,that I am a fan of vigilante justice generally and--"that's great' means i am personally glad these molesters are dead but it is still not right,--we must have law and order-- the shooters deserved prison---but this is not a true vigilante case anyway since the punishment exceeds the crime--but here's one--A man's parents were both shot to death at their little store--the perp was caught convicted sent to death row--but the victims son was not going to wait 10 or 20 years for the state to execute him(this was a northern state,not Texas)----he arranged for another death row inmate to put an explosive in the perps cell in a lightbulb--it worked--the perp switched his light on and was blown to smithereens--true justice for the son,he got revenge for his parents senseless murder--the son got a year in jail--the death row inmate who helped him was executed for the crime

 

[Saavy]

Sorry,but molestation does not warrant the death penalty in any circumstance

I disagree. I think that is exactly what needs to happen with child molesters and rapists. I do not believe in rehabilitation of these types of people, and as long as they are alive they have the ability to kill the spirit of innocent people.