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Mother seeking justice in son's 2007 death
To the editor:
Defining equal justice under law: Equal justice under the law means justice without concessions or special treatment. The meaning also refers to citizens that are treated and judged fairly. In fact, no matter their race, color, creed or national origin, justice must be the same for one and all. The words "equal justice under law" paraphrase an earlier expression coined in 1891 by the Supreme Court. In the case of Caldwell v. Texas, Chief Justice Melville Fuller wrote on behalf of a unanimous Court as follows, regarding the 14th Amendment: "The powers of the States in dealing with crime within their borders are not limited, but no State can deprive particular persons or classes of persons of equal and impartial justice under the law."
The 14th Amendment (1868) guaranteed equal rights of citizenship to all Americans, with the special intention of protecting the rights of former slaves. What does equal justice under law mean? It means, that under our system of law, every citizen is treated and judged fairly, regardless of who they are. What is equal justice under law? Equal justice under law is the principle that government must treat all individuals and organizations equally, refraining from giving any legal support to discriminatory practices.
I am writing this as a concerned citizen, a grieving parent of a son that was brutally murdered by someone who physical beat him, and then threw him in Walker Park Pond with his hands and feet bound as to make it look like a drowning. I am very displeased with the acts of the Blytheville Coroner Mike Godsey, Blytheville Police Department Chief Ross Thompson, gormer Mayor Barrett Harrison, present Mayor James Sanders, and Prosecutor Curtis Walker, to name a few.
As a United States citizen and a master sergeant in the United States Army/Army Reserves for 21 years and counting, I am sick to death with unresolved grief. I live the death of my son everyday due to the simple fact that it has been six years of pain with no healing nor closure due to situations beyond my control in this matter. Just let me tell you that physically, my son is dead and buried; but mentally, he lives within me and my family every single day. I wasn't given the opportunity to physically identify my son's body as the next of kin, even though I was present at the scene; instead I was told to go get a picture of my son and bring it to Blytheville Police Department, once I got there with the picture, I was never given the opportunity to go to the morgue to identify my son's body.
I contacted Mayor Harrison on July 9, 2007, a month after the death of my son because I was waiting on someone in an official capacity to contact me, but that never happened. My conversation with Mayor Harrison was about my concerns surrounding the no contact by the Blytheville Police Department and the rumors on the street about the death of my son. He gave his condolences and stated that he would have Chief Thompson set up a meeting with me, which the meeting consisted of a phone call from Chief Thompson a few minutes later inquiring about my concerns. One of my major concerns to Chief Thompson was the rumors on the street regarding my son being beaten and hands and feet bound. Chief Thompson stated to me, "Mrs. Robinson, I can assure you that is not true, but unfortunately those are rumors and we can't do anything about rumors." Even then, I asked Chief Thompson if the word on the street is just rumors, "Why do you pay Crime Stoppers?" It is now six years later and Chief Thompson has never dispelled the rumors with proof that he stated to me on July 9, 2007, that the rumors weren't true.
I received a copy of the police report on July 9, 2007, that was left for me by Chief Thompson, a month into the death of my son to find a statement that was given by a witness which she stated "She and her boyfriend were walking around the pond and looking at how dirty the water was, when she noticed a body, she stated she saw two kids sitting on the park bench, looking at the lake, she told her boyfriend there was a body in the lake, the two boys heard her and looked scared and took off running." There was never a mentioning of this by the Blytheville Police Department, nor did they ask for tips or leads. Over a six-year period, I have never been contacted by anyone to include, but not limited to, Arkansas State Police, Blytheville Police Department and/or Prosecutor(s), etc. concerning the discrepancies surrounding my son's death.
I say that to say this: my son was of African-American descent. When the article ran on June 6, 2007, about my son the day after his death which his body was found in Walker Park Pond between 8:30 and 9 p.m. on June 5, 2007, the newspaper article that ran on June 6, 2007, stated "Body found floating; no foul play suspected." That was the only article and statement ever made concerning my son's death.
However, on July 7, 2013, there was the death of a young white male found in a home on East Cherry Street in Blytheville. There has been an article running on the front page of the paper for two days concerning this young man's death. The newspaper states, "Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Blytheville Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 870-762-0400 or the tip line at 870-762-2677 (762-COPS)."
While condolences go out to the family of Mr. Goodwin, my concern is that should I as a mother of a murdered victim not have been given the same opportunities of the 14th Amendment to have equal justice by the same Blytheville Police Department in attempting to find those who were responsible for my son's death?