Man shoots postman to get jailed

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4687073.stm

A US man shot his postman so that he would get sent to prison for life and escape his crippling medical debts, investigators say. William Crutchfield shot 59-year-old postman Earl Lazenby in Snellville, Georgia, two weeks ago.

He greeted the postman and collected his letters before lifting his pistol and shooting him seven times.

Mr Lazenby survived the attack but the shots punctured his colon and intestine and fractured bones in an arm.

After shooting Mr Lazenby, the 60-year-old electrical contractor drove to the police station and confessed.

<snip>

[SheepyMcSheepster]

1. wow

that's really really screwed up.
wow.

[GCP]

2. WTF

What a complete asshole - what if he had killed the mailman. As it is, his health is now wrecked. :banghead:

[ieoeja]

3. I've heard this talked about before.

I heard guys talk about robbing a bank if they couldn't afford their retirement.

[Mojambo]

4. Desperation + unbalanced man = fucked up postman. n/t

[bluestateguy]

5. This is just one more reason why we need a national health care system

and repeal of the Bush bankruptcy bill too.

He should have declared bankruptcy under the old rules prior to the new law going into effect in mid-October.

[livinginphotographs]

6. This guy should not be a posterchild for the problem with healthcare

I could see it if he committed a non-violent crime, but there's NO excuse for shooting someone else.

This guy is obviously fucked in the head, nothing more.

[MissB]

7. Yep.

I agree completely.

[shadowknows69]

9. he should be the poster boy for

how desperate the citizens of the world's greatest nation can become.

[krkaufman]

8. Well, that's *one* way to Universal Health Care... n/t

[Mokito]

10. The really fucked up part isn't the 'what' but the 'why'

This man just shoots someone (most probably chosen at random) to get a life sentence. And why? Because he thinks/knows he'll get better health coverage in jail!
If that isn't a symptom of a screwed up society, I don't know what is.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

12. Americans are more willing to put someone in prison than to put

them in a hospital.

It's a power thing.

[mikelgb]

11. if i was gonna go down that way...

i'd pick a better target

[distantearlywarning]

13. Me too.

The postman was innocent. I can think of a lot of people who aren't.

[Nay]

16. Really. I used to be a mail carrier, and I would be truly pissed if

some asshole shot me to get health care in jail. JeeZ!!!!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

17. LOL... I'm sorry to laugh but...

That seems to be the understatement of all understatements.

Pissed is too kind.



Edited because I have fat fingers!

[Megahurtz]

14. Oh Shit!

:wow: Unbelievable!

[defiant1]

15. Jebus....

The guy figured the government was going to take care of him one way or the other.

But why would you come out and admit that??

[ConcernedCanuk]

19. Same thing up here in Canada -

.
.
.

person tries to get work, can't

tries our welfare/disability system and gets shut out for one reason or another

so -

they go to the library, read the legislation, either on line or in the books -

AH

do - this?

six month in jail

that's food and shelter MUCH better than welfare will provide you

warm for the winter, out in the spring, then panhandle/scrounge/work under the table for the summer and fall - and when it gets too cold ?

BANG

break into another store or whatever - they know EXACTLY how much time they'll get inside - -

no 3 strikes and ur out up here - they can, and do do this evey year for decades . . . brilliant people thrown by the wayside by our quota thingies . .

Betcha if'n we dragged all the street people off'n the street, tossed all our government employees out, and put those peeps in there - we'd have the finest county in the world !!

those people KNOW how to survive - most of our present govt peeps are just "doing as I'm told" with no active brain cells considering the consequences of their actions/inactions - -

but you all already knew that, - right?

[Endangered Specie]

18. Sounds like he needs to be thrown in a funny farm...

not a prision. Oh well, in any evenet, I hope they throw him in the worst "pound me in the ass" prision they can find.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

20. It's that thought process that helped this situation come to fruition...

We'd rather punish than help here.

That's where the money is.

[Endangered Specie]

25. Yes yes yes, I forgot...

we're supposed to cuddle the criminal and sing him Kumbaya :eyes:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

26. That's the sarcasm Rush likes to use with any of us lefty type

that believe things like treatment and intervention are sometimes an alternative to purely punitive reaction to social problems. It requires little thought and makes you feel righteous and powerful.

[Endangered Specie]

27. well, some on our side need to remember

whose the victim and whose the criminal in this situation.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

29. No one's questioning the obvious here.... Causality is what's in question

It's a crying shame that so many can't get past the excitement of persecution to explore the reason.

[YDogg]

21. Jesus. God. Almighty.

I hope the postman makes it.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

23. Hey, guy. As much as I might dislike W, I cannot and will not condone

messages like this.

Please edit it away.

[bennywhale]

24. What the fuck is wrong with America. The only country on earth that this

screwed up shit would happen in.

[Cha]

28. That was overkill ..once

would have done it.

This cretin not only needs health care..he needs Mental health care, Quick!

[left hand man]

30. This was in the local news( North Ga,)

A paranoid crank who scared his neighbors--- he was in debt and was " afraid of loosing his house".Go figure. He wanted the free health care offered by the correction system,but could have gotten it by shooting(but missing) the carrier. That man(the postal worker) will carry the results of this insane persons actions(he was hit abut 6 times) while the sumbag will likely go free as fast as possible as we (the taxpayers) don't want to pay his medical bills.
my .02 worth

[MsTryska]

36. ya think?

we might give him the death penalty.



i think he warrants it.

[r0x0r Mc0wnage]

31. What a poor choice of targets

There are plenty of cops, politicians, lawyers, priests, bankers, military officers/recruiters, and other such criminals that, were they to be shot 7 times, the world would be a better place.

He had the opportunity to give his incarceration meaning higher than health care, but blew it away along with an innocent. Sorry, selfish, SoB.

[daleo]

32. It would be interesting to know more about this man

One suspects he may have seen the postman as a generalization of the federal government, or something like that. I have a feeling that he didn't choose this occupation at random.

I don't know if this bit helps, but the article says:

"Mr Crutchfield reportedly told police that he had been inspired by following the fate of Atlanta Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph.

Under an April 2005 deal, Rudolph received four life sentences without parole."

[0007]

33. Zell Miller would have been a more constructive target.....

[montana_hazeleyes]

34. I'm sorry,

THis guy sounds like a selfish bastard and the poor postman was just an easy target. I'm surprized and glad he survived.

[RubyDuby in GA]

35. Hey Tom!

Just FYI: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=146&topic_id=2424&mesg_id=2424

We had a blast with you at the last one. Coming? Pretty pretty please with sugar on top???