Shorter Risa Ferman: "Nobody could have predicted...."
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Shorter Risa Ferman: "Nobody could have predicted...."
For a locality that consistently pats itself on the back for how well-educated and affluent it is, I've never been very impressed by the political leadership of Montgomery County. That's particularly true of a string of district attorneys there -- who race to KYW with a glowing press release every time they arrest some Joe Blow but aren't so big on prosecuting the powerful or the politically connected.
Still, none of that prepared me for the unbearable lameness of being that has been current DA Risa Vetri Fermanover the last 24 hours, in the wake of the horrific pedophile murder of a 9-year-old girl (and my condolences to her family and loved ones for an incomprehensible loss) and questions about her earlier encounter with the 25-year-old scumbag alleged killer. Which is worse -- the failure of police or prosecutors to do more after the first report or Ferman's inadequate and bloodless explanation of what happened?
The girls went willingly, but when they saw the pictures, when Troutman offered to show them his "bird," and when they realized that he had locked the apartment door behind them, they ran away and told their parents, according to court documents.
Police said that they responded and interviewed Troutman, but they never charged him with any crime.
Yesterday, Troutman, 24, was charged with the most heinous of crimes - the rape, beating and murder of a child whose tiny, broken body he allegedly discarded in a Dumpster behind their apartment building on Monday.
Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said yesterday that no crime occurred on April 18 that rose to the level of filing charges and that Troutman had no criminal history that would have led police to suspect that he was capable of something more sinister.
"It's one of those situations where everyone did what they were supposed to do, and, unfortunately, we couldn't prevent the death of a child," Ferman said.
First of all, I can't believe Ferman was so coldly dismissive of the idea that maybe law enforcement could have done more here. We live in the era of Megan's Law, where many public schools won't let a stranger in the front door without checking his driver's license against the pedophile data base, and also we all know that a prosecutor -- in the famous words of New York judge Sol Wachtler -- could indict a ham sandwich if she wanted to. But a society that is so harsh toward past pedophiles couldn't do anything proactive against a man who locked a door and showed two little girls dirty pictures and tried to show off his private parts? This doesn't add up. And Ferman (along with Souderton's suddenly mute chief of police) needs to explain herself here. Or else.
Or else what?
I was going to write that voters should realize it's time for some new blood in this office, but I see that in reality Ferman is running unopposed-- that's a disgrace (especially to the Montco Democrats -- what a joke!). Voters should have the option of electing a DA who might be a little more upset and determined to get to the bottom of why the case of a future child killer wasn't arrested when they had the chance.
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- @atkinsdiet--The world's most wanted criminal was just killed by a Democratic administration. Just in case you forgot. You Repubs. tend to remember things about as well as Rush controls his weight and pill intake or as well as Dick Cheney handles a gun.
— mick-of-the-moment - I 've waited for this moment for a while, but here it is. I AGREE with Will 100%. What shameless self-serving spin from the DA. I'll be taking a few months off now.— tr88
- Hold on here. He obviously unlocked the door to let them out, locking his door is no crime, having pictures on his walls is not a crime, they asked to use his bathroom, he supposedly said something about his "bird". Arrest him based on what? Any 2 bit lawyer says it never happened, he had no priors, what could they hold him on? No evidence, no injuries, just 2 unsupervised girls saying he said "show my bird" to them. Exactly what charges would possibly stick against him at that point?? — JonKap
- Jonkap just to fill u in. i know for a fact and not from the papers or news that they didnt ask to use his bathroom. he overheard them talking about having to use the bathroom and offered for them to use his. They are lil girls who dont know better and trusted him as a neighbor to use his bathroom. Lil kids do all kinds of things like that. Smart? no! does it happen? YES! and the whole locking the door thing. Why would anyone, especially a grown man lock the door after letting lil girls in his apartment to use the bathroom when they are obviously going to leave right away. Also HE DID NOT unlock the door, they did. Now i understand they were unsupervised but get the facts straight before defending POS types of ppl. — tunenakatie
- but hes right, he wouldnt have still been in jail 3 weeks later for that, he woulda got a lawyer post a low bail and been back on streets.. with the lack of evidence that POS wouldve not still been in jail, if at all. BUT i agree that they at least shouldve tried. — rayne215
- Will Bunch could politicize a ham sandwich.— Mr. Smith
- I would think the second Troutman locked the apartment door, he was guilty of kidnapping. Further, if my 7 year old daughter told me that a man offered to show her his "bird", it would be me paying him a visit, not the police. That said, having a young daughter it is very difficult for me to even read that story. The crime is incomprehensible. My condolences to the family.— jmc
- Kidnapping for locking your own door when someone asks to use the bath room? Then when they 'yelled' he let them out. Give me a break. He was careful to say 'bird' and let them out when they yelled. Nothing police could possibly do. You going to try to prosecute a guy with no sex crime priors with 2 eight year olds? Any lawyer could win that case. — JonKap
- Hey Bill, can you do like tr88 and take a few months off from commenting too?— potus
Ferman should resign. The public should press for her resignation. She is unfit to hold public office.- Bill has never been impressed by the county's political leadership because it has traditionally been Republican. Bill would not have written this article had the D.A. been a Democrat. Do you really think THE District Attorney reviews each complaint? If you agree that this never came across her desk in April for review, do you really think she should lose her job because her comments didn't meet your PR expectations? Should she bang the table...or cry? How self-serving to write this. How sad that you're appropriating this tragedy to further your agenda. How typical.— Roger Podacter
- Comment removed.
- the part that is "incomprehensible" to me is that after the original incident, the girl's parents don't take the obvious action of WATCHING their daughter instead of letting her roam the neighborhood unobserved when they know there is something bad about someone in the neighborhood.
easier to abrogate your responsibilities and blame the man when disaster strikes, I guess.
but hey, Will, it takes a village to raise a child right?
— ekw555
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