Wal Mart kidnapping story: will the Iraq angle kill it?

[Cocoa]

At first I thought this story was going to replace the Laci Peterson saga as the media obsession that is required to always be going at all times.

But now I read an aspect of the story that does actually deserve sustained coverage: the suspect is an Iraq veteran.

My guess, however, is that this will make the story unsuitable for the massive coverage that it at first seemed destined for.

We'll see...

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/012205_nw_kidnapping_walmart.html

<snip>

Williams, a preacher's son who served in Iraq in 2003, was given a bad conduct discharge from the Marines last February for allegedly using marijuana, the North County Times reported. He was a logistics clerk last assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Twentynine Palms. He enlisted in January 2001.

"Something happened to my son," the suspect's mother, Pat Williams, told a Dallas television station, saying he had trouble adjusting to civilian life after serving in Iraq. "Some of the things that he endured I may never know. But it changed who he is and for that I'm sorry."

More…

[BrklynLiberal]

1. That is the second or third Iraqi vet that has been involved in some sort

violent crime in recent weeks. Cannot be good news for returning vets.
Add that to the homeless and ignored vets, and the horrible treatment of vets has to be highlighted. Their return to civilian life is not being done correctly.

[Catch22Dem]

2. he was a clerk?

was he really in "the shit" if he was a clerk? I'm asking because I don't know. I was in F-15 avionics and I'd never be near the shit.

[signmike]

3. Clerks -- going Postal?

There's just something about that type of job...:grr:

[Cocoa]

4. the media has REALLY lost interest in this story

note that Williams has been captured and will be standing trial.

Given their initial interest in the story, and the dramatic video footage that is dynamite TV, there is absolutely no reason that this story isn't THE story that dominates our TV.

They normally would be probing Williams past, invading his hometown and parading his family all over the place.

The only reason this is not happening is that it doesn't mesh with their/Bush's picture of the war.