There are a couple crimes that have been spotlighted over the weekend which have me remembering events from WAY back — and contemplating what justice looks like.
It was summer back in August 1973 and I was spending the night at my friend’s house. Connie’s home was located in a rural setting and I thought it was the absolute coolest place! Her bedroom had a door to the outside and her Dad was old… funny, I don’t even remember ever seeing her Mom.
As an aside, I know there were times our boyfriends would come out there (there were 4 of us who dated another group of 4 friends). We’d walk right outside her bedroom door in the middle of the night to stand in the yard and talk to them. She was our only friend who could get by with something like that. 🙂
August 21, 1973, Connie and I awoke to a commotion. The police were there. Then I have a memory blur but at some point during that time I found out Connie’s sister, Teresa Osborne, was missing. The next thing I remember is Teresa’s long-time boyfriend, Dan, sitting on her bed sobbing. That’s it — that’s all my memory held on to from 50 years ago.
The article referenced above from a FB post states:
On Aug. 31, 1973, two employees of Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge found a vehicle matching the description of Osborne’s white, four-door 1965 Ford in a heavily wooded area in the southern part of the refuge. Police were called to the refuge, located east of Seymour, and found badly burned remains inside the trunk after prying it open. The remains were later identified as those of Osborne, but a cause of death could not be determined. The Indiana State Police investigated Osborne’s murder, and the FBI also was involved because her body had been found on federal property.
The killer… or killers… have never been found.
If things were different and a person (or persons) had been charged and found guilty — where would we be today?
I wonder because the dude who was convicted of raping and killing a 14 year-old girl, Lena Righthouse, in 1996 in Scott County ended up in Crothersville news yesterday. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison but that was reduced to 30. He received a college degree behind bars and “earned” a 4 year credit for that. The same guy that raped and murdered a child in 1996 was arrested by Crothersville police and charged with confinement yesterday — he took a 14 year-old Crothersville girl.
The above was shared on FB with a plea to warn your kids what’s out there. One of the comments read: My Niece was killed in Jackson County 2012. The one got off by testifying against his buddy. The other repeat offender was sentenced to 7 years, credit for time served, and was released from Indiana prison after being incarcerated for 8 months.
Today I Learned: Murder in Indiana is punishable by 45 to 65 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. (Ind. Code Ann. § 35-50-2-3).
I said I would post photos of the before and after of the small bathroom upstairs but I didn’t finish it. 🙁
I bought trim brushes but when I got everything out this morning to begin, they were nowhere to be found. I looked as best I could in all the boxes stored in the room with the treadmill — none there. I looked in the garage too. Nope.
All that time and effort and I was able to locate only one brush. The vanity and mirror took three coats of paint and no way could I wash out that brush in between coats. I simply didn’t get to do the walls… but I will today.
Backyards make a lifestyle statement.
It’s crazy how much my lifestyle has changed over the past year. Just one example is the comparison between back yards from where I did live in Seymour to where I live now.
The backyard in Seymour was just fine — a decent size compared to that of my neighbors.
You might prefer that type of yard to what I see now in rural Crothersville, and that’s ok. I looked out my window yesterday to see a red fox strolling along about 5′ from me. That’s not for everyone, for sure.
This place suits me. I like it.
Know what else I like? SMASH BURGERS! 🙂
TIL (Today I Learned): Microsoft developed an underwater data center powered by renewable energy sources and cooled by the natural temperature of the ocean water. The experiment, called “Project Natick,” was conducted off the coast of Scotland in 2018.
Perry picked up a couple trees on clearance — an apple and a plum. Yesterday, we drove to the Ville to drop them off because we decided to plant them there. I was packed in the front seat with ZERO leg room. By the time we finally arrived, I had one foot and leg that was numb.
I admit, I REALLY miss having this view…
I like Seymour because I’m close to everything. I can get groceries and food delivered. If I want to get out and bug around there’s shopping, food choices, and more right here — and Columbus isn’t far either. What I can’t do; however, is sneak into Mr. Pesky’s garden and steal a green onion or a tomato.
Check out this beauty of a garden!
Green onions are already up and there should be enough tomatoes to feed all of Jackson County this year. 🙂
Hospital selfie incoming tomorrow!
Another appointment for Mom at her orthopedic doctor located within the hospital today. While living near the hospital could be one more happy mark on the “living in Seymour” side of the pro/con sheet, it still won’t get me the Depp/Heard live courtroom drama time I desire this time around.
Johnny Depp is supposed to be called back to the stand this morning and of course, I’ll miss it. 😔
Happy this is the last week of the Depp/Heard trial. I’m interested to hear the verdict, but figure ole’ Johnny’s overwhelmingly won the public’s support even if he doesn’t get the $50million he’s asking for in the lawsuit.
TIL (Today I learned): When “Jaws” was filmed, Steven Spielberg initially wanted to build a giant mechanical shark for realism, but its constant malfunctioning proved to be a budgeting nightmare, so he came up with the cheaper solution of shooting from the shark’s POV in the waters instead.
With all the negativity on social media platforms, I’m finding I am turned off from engaging at all. It’s exhausting! The energy online is depleting, distracting and disruptive.
I saw today a few of my friends are switching to MeWe (sort of like Facebook) and Parler (sort of like Twitter) so I created an account on both. Sadly, I followed one person on Parler and not one solitary person on MeWe. I simply didn’t have the energy to do it.
I’m wondering how many people are like me… just wondering what it would be like to unplug from all news and all social media. I don’t do it though, only because I don’t want to be ignorant of what’s going on in the world — even if it’s served up in half-truths, I guess.
Oh, to be more like Merida. She spends the bigger part of the day at a desk and is oblivious to anything that doesn’t make her happy.
Even Dharma has the “unplug from things that aren’t pleasurable” philosophy down to a science. They both love to eat. Merida works off calories and Dharma doesn’t care if her butt looks big. 🙂
And finally, something from the way back machine that I wouldn’t have seen if not for someone sharing it on Facebook:
My cousin, Jerilyn, has been a part of my life from my first memory. Her Mom, my favorite Aunt Shirley, married Delmar when Jerilyn was very young and he brought a son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren to the marriage.
His son passed away shortly thereafter and Shirley pulled those 3 little girls under her wing. That meant Lisa, Gina, and Jill were my family too. All grown now, Lisa is the mother of 3 kids — 2 married and one not even in high school yet — and she’s also a grandma. All this and she’s never been married. But she is NOW!
Of course, this milestone was worth celebrating! Around 100 or so people rolled in and out of MasterSbilt for the reception. It hardly looked like a race car shop last night…
I think this was like my 5th trip to my hometown in about as many years since I moved. I ate cake and Perry had a greasy taco. It was wonderful seeing people I hadn’t seen for a long time and was absolutely an occasion worth celebrating. Perry thought it was fun — see?
