Hello, all--
I'm not sure how many readers or bloggers out there are from Columbia, but we have a creepy homicide investigation unfolding. Last Saturday, the body of an MU student was found with his throat slashed. Police have started the investigation, and it was revealed by one of Columbia's daily newspapers (The Columbia Missourian - digmo.com) that an officer with the police department had an affair with the openly gay victim. Since the revelation, the officer has attempted suicide twice and is now being hospitalized while police reevaluate his role in the case. Today, the chief announced the start of an internal inquiry about the officer, but still insists no subjects are being named.
I know that murder isn't a new thing, but seeing as this is Columbia's first homicide in six months and it's pretty darn gruesome, it's definitely what's on everyone's minds right now. It seems like every day a new twist in the case is revealed, and I have no idea how it's going to turn out.
There's also an interesting ethical discussion to be had about this case. The Missourian, which is published by J-school students, is one of two dailies in town--the other is the Columbia Daily Tribune. Last Thursday, the Missourian printed the name of the officer who had a relationship w/ the victim and the Tribune did not. The Tribune's editor wrote an editorial several days later about the ethics of choosing whether or not to print the name, and if the Missourian did the right thing. It does lend itself to an interesting ethical discussion, but I also think he was partly motivated by the competition that separates both the Tribune and the Missourian, although the Tribune definitely has the better reputation between the two papers.
The officer's suicide attempts came after the article, so many are wondering if having his name revealed pushed him to these extremes. My take is that the information was going to come out anyway, and perhaps he's carrying around a greater burden b/c of some type of involvement in the murder. The Missourian followed the appropriate protocol and verified the information with three sources before publishing, but I think in a sensitive scenario such as this, there are always difficult decisions to be made. I doubt I've yet attracted any readers, but if anyone out there has an opinion I'd love to hear it. I'll keep you updated as the case unfolds, and feel free to check our local media outlets for more info:
Missourian - www.digmo.com
Tribune - www.showmenews.com
KOMU-TV8 (broadcast) - www.komu.com