WP: Police Look for Clues In Slaying Victim's Life, Homeless Woman

[diamond14]

Police Look for Clues In Slaying Victim's Life
Homeless Woman's Body Found June 4
By Jerry Markon
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, June 26, 2004; Page B01


On the last night of her life, Roslyn Whitehead got into a car with someone who drove her to a scenic overlook along the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

Her bloody body, partially clothed and pocked with stab wounds, was found in the parking lot of the overlook at 5:45 a.m. June 4.

That's about all police know about how Whitehead died.

Their search to learn more has been complicated by the same obstacles that made her life such a mystery. Whitehead, 47, was homeless, mentally ill and out of contact with the world -- her family, the network of shelters and mental health organizations that had tried to help her, even with other homeless people.

About the same time, Clark Carvaly, who is also homeless, said he encountered Whitehead shuffling down the street in front of the Rosslyn Metro station. "I don't think she spoke at all," said Carvaly, staring at a picture of Whitehead that authorities had taped to a storefront. "She was kind of walking like a drone. She just looked troubled, like she was not really in this world."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6704-2004Jun25.html

[Mnemosyne]

1. She's at peace now and warm and safe.

must be she didn't look good to some neocon compassionate, you know how tidy they kie things to "look".

damn it.

[diamond14]

2. this story reflects all of bush* policies in a nutshell...near the WH

this homeless, mentally-ill woman lived and was killed within 5 miles of the bush* White House....

all over the Metro DC area, the numbers of homeless have increased dramatically during the bush* policies....estimated now over 25,000 homeless in the Metro DC area, and about 60% of those homeless are OUR Veterans....under bush*, these numbers have greatly expanded and now include women and children and whole families wandering around homeless....

yesterday, I went to DC to volunteer at Kerry's headquarters for a few hours, and walked down K-street for about a mile...this is the FANCY business reTHUGlican district...during my walk, I personally witnessed the tragedy of bush* and his policies...a mentally ill Veteran slumped over on a bench, a man without legs sitting in his worn wheelchair and holding a plastic cup hoping for a few coins so he can eat tonight, and I saw a woman, pushing a rusted shopping cart loaded with plastic bags and clothes, dragging along with two small children....I gave the children my lunch and some snacks and they smiled and thanked me....they all looked tired and worn...and the ultimate, the park at 15th and I street...LOADED with homeless Veterans, homeless women talking to themselves, and the small children of the homeless....a total disgrace to America and only a few blocks north of bush* minions...


these are the broken families, broken by war and dead/injured husbands and families, broken by NO JOBS, broken by bush* economic downturn which creates tensions and divorces, broken by the removal of all funding for those least able to care for themselves, broken by a child's illness, or a husbands on-the-job injury, and bush* continuous 'terror' screaming, mental illness...and now, CHILDREN....dragging along with their clearly mentally-ill tired MOM, just a few blocks from bush* and his minions...


bring back AMERICA....save our country...vote for Kerry on November 2nd....

http://www.JohnKerry.com

[gatlingforme]

3. What a sad story and unfortunately this is the same story that

could be told here in Chicago too. I find it very sad.

[diamond14]

7. Her name was "Roslyn"....and she kept going back, over and over

to the "Rosslyn" Metro-Train Station, the intersection of the Orange Line and the Blue Line...you can walk outside the station and be at the "Iowa Jima Memorial" and walk across Potomac River on the bridge and be at the White House...

She was one of the 40% of Americans with NO health insurance...she could not pay for her life-saving medications....her mental illness went untreated and her family had no 'support' system under bush* cuts for people with mental/physical disabilities...bush* cut all Federal hiring goals for people with disabilities, so there is essentially NO motivation for Federal Agencies to employ people with disabilities, NO JOBS, no money for rehabilitation programs, no health insurance....

it's a bush* cycle of insanity and way too many people are caught up in the bush* madness and cannot get out...and finally, in the end, wandering around a Metro-Train station where thousands of people pass by everyday...while bush* policies KILL people right in front of our eyes....these are the people least able to care for themselves...the people that America should be assisting to live with dignity...and everyday, bush*'s policies are KILLING them, right in front of OUR eyes....

[gatlingforme]

9. very well spoken. THANKS. you are a very good person.

[mom cat]

4. Thank you for true compassion. Keep up the good work.

[Mnemosyne]

6. Thanks soul. I just keep praying to see clearly and it keeps coming up.

[Mnemosyne]

5. Mitch Snyder, my old friend, RIP.

[diamond14]

8. Please, tell me about your friend, Mitch Snyder.....

I want to know about him....thanks....

[Mnemosyne]

10. He need to be remembered, he did so very much.

I became friends with Mitch thru letters in the mid-80's to his death in 1990, after hearing about his battle with Reagun admin. over homeless.

He was a caring, strong, determined and vocal advocate and activst for the homeless, being homeless himself, by choice.

He staged hunger strikes outside WH and fought with admin for better shelters, etc.

He supposedly took his own life in 1990. I'm not sure I believe it, but that was official word.

a good background site is : http://www.streetlevel.ca/biographies/Mitch_Snyder.htm

He was an amazing human being and I am so grateful that I had a chance to be just a small part of his life and to help him in a small way.

Peace to you and thanks for asking.

Vicki

[diamond14]

11. thanks....a beautiful human being and a life well-lived....

I totally agree with Mitch's remarks about funding....

"The government dangles a bloody piece of meat (funds for the homeless) just beyond reach of a pit full of savage beasts (groups for the homeless). The beasts claw one another to shreds fighting for the prize."


Most of the 'groups' claiming to 'advocate' for the "least of those among us" operate like SAVAGE BEASTS also, profiteering off these very vulnerable people....my volunteer work has spanned a number of organizations during my long and rich life....and most non-profits are the same....for example, the 'organization' may say "we advocate for those with Diabetes"....and you find LOTs of pretty brochures, a GREAT BIG STAFF with offices/staff in DC Metro Area and all 50 states in America, overly-paid staffs with full-benefits and NONE of the staff suffer from Diabetes (afterall, why provide employment with health benefits for people with Diabetes? that seems not to be part of their mission)....and if you refer people with Diabetes to the 'advocates', you'll find out quickly that 'helping those suffering from Diabetes' is NOT part of their mission....their mission is "advocacy"...which is BIG OFFICES, a well-paid staff, and fancy conference rooms and LOTS of fancy brochures, web sites, expensive travel to luxury resorts for 'training', and color glossy huge reports....just outside the SAVAGE BEAST's doors, over 200,000 Americans will be KILLED by Diabetes this year, and every year more and more...more deaths than from AIDS and breast cancer combined....

most of these 'advocates' work the same, Muscular Sclerosis, Diabetes, Epilepsy, Cancer, Heart Disease...they all PROFIT off the sick, with their 'non-profit' gorgeous offices, overly-paid staff, luxury travel, and continuous training at luxury resorts...the most vulnerable people in our society....people suffering from life-threatening diseases need housing, medical care, medicines and jobs....they don't need 'advocacy' from the SAVAGE BEASTS....

as SAVAGE BEASTS, non-profits have worked so well to benefit the healthy and rich, that even Tom Delay funnels his political stuff through several 'non-profit' charitable childrens' "advocacy" groups...

[Mnemosyne]

12. He was so beautiful, I could feel the caring in every word he wrote to me.

thanks for caring amen!