Wow,
Talk about a reversal. Three weeks ago, the local West Palm Beach Chapter of the NAACP was holding a press conference scolding the local prosecutors and claiming that the suspects were being treated unfairly. This week, the state president Obi Adora Nweze, who spoke with us on our most recent podcast met with prosecutors and to quote law enforcement and the prosecutors present "they were completely focussed on the victims." Richard McIntire might be a tad bit off, but somebody in that organization has a clue:
Earlier this week, Edmondson and prosecutor Lanna Belohlavek met with officials from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to discuss the Dunbar Village case.THAT would not have happened if Black folks with common sense had not joined together to call them on their foolishness. The victims of Black on Black crime deserve justice too. Now if somebody could just explain that to Mr. McIntire from the national office of the NAACP, because he stated numerous times that he is perplexed why it is we were indignant. Mrs. Nweze has a clue or two. She didn't hide out in Baltimore mailing out letters trying to blame bloggers for embarrassing the NAACP and Rev. Sharpton. What we said may have been unflattering, but it was not untrue.
"They were all understandably moved at how horrible this crime is," Edmondson said. "They did voice some very, very strong interest and concern in supporting the victims of the Dunbar case, they were completely focused on the victims."
That meeting happened on the same day state NAACP officials met with officials from the local branch to discuss last month's controversial news conference outside the State Attorney's Office with the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Adora Obi Nweze, president of the Florida State Conference NAACP, said she wanted to talk about the uproar among bloggers that accused NAACP officials of being more concerned with the Dunbar Village defendants than with the victims.
"The branch of the NAACP has and will always be concerned about the victims," Nweze said. "We have and continue to this day to apologize for any statements that we made that led anyone to think that we were not concerned about the victims and for that we offer a deep apology." Sun Sentinel.
Two More Suspects Being Pursued.
"[W]e still spend hours a week on the case. It won't go away until we get everyone…one day we'll have them all." Detective Lori Colombino on the Dunbar Village case.
Last week we discussed the fact that if the NAACP should have been holding a press conference about anything, it should have been holding a press conference to complain that there were 6 remaining suspects tunning loose in this case. Well this week law enforcement asked for two additional search warrants in the case. They had to wait until they had additional evidence to corroborate the statements of the Dunbar Village suspect that struck a plea deal. He's naming names.
Police have asked the State Attorney's Office to issue arrest warrants for two more juveniles in the notorious Dunbar Village rape case, where a mother and son were brutalized for hours, West Palm Beach police said Friday.I don't mind the pace as long as they get it right and the convictions of the guilty parties hold up.
One of the four teens arrested, Jakaris Taylor, accepted a plea deal that required his testimony. He identified two other juvenile defendants and police filed the charges with the State Attorney's Office. Because police have no physical evidence on the two unidentified juveniles, they could not arrest them on Taylor's word alone, they said. Sun Sentinel
Update on the Victims
Lots of people ask me about the victims in this case. Here is an update for those of you who frequently ask.
Colombino, who helped investigate the case, helped move the mother and son into a new rental home, decorated the tree, wrapped the presents and frequently checked in on them- even when she was off-duty.
"They're such a loving family. They're wonderful. They're nice people. They're genuinely good people," Colombino said. "I couldn't imagine anything like this happening to anyone in my family."
The victims are enduring a "daily struggle," Colombino said.
But the 35-year-old mother is paying her bills at her rental home and has returned to school. Her son is also going to school.
Colombino doesn't know the total value of donations that went through the police department, but people gave cash, jewelry, clothes and gift cards.
Colombino said the 12-year-old boy's favorite gift was a skateboard.
"He loves that thing," Colombino said. Palm Beach Post
I actually applaud the prosecutors, the press, and law enforcement for protecting their privacy and their anonymity.
