That's the first lesson I learned in 9th grade physical science. It was the theory I applied (for extra credit) to the Magic Johnson HIV controversy. My science teacher was a bit of a neanderthal man - short, curved, with a gruff body builder's physique and a die-hard sports enthusiast. He had a small role in the movie My Blue Heaven. He considered it his gateway Hollywood prominence. He lasted only one year as a teacher and his 15 minutes of fame where just that - by 10th grade he was nobody.
This weekend Delaware lost one of their own - a tremendously wonderful police officer who died protecting Delawareans.
For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction.
Tom Capano was found dead in his cell this afternoon.
An angel has gone to heaven. A murderer is on his way to hell.
I am not totally callous and cold-hearted. My heart mourns for Tom Capano's children in the same way it mourned for Anne Marie Fahey's family.
I was 17 when Anne Marie disappeared. I know exactly where I was when I first heard about it. As a young journalist in college, I followed her story. Because Delaware is so small, I had a distant connection to the man who bought Jerry's boat, sans anchor. I knew why the police were searching Cherry Island - for Capano's couch believed to have been disposed of in a dumpster on a family construction site - even when law enforcement managed to keep the documents sealed from the press. The NJ fought to get access to those warrants.
My new husband and I took turns reading the Ann Rule book "And Never Let Her Go" on our honeymoon to California in 1999. This past Friday, the same day that one of our finest had his life stolen, one of the Verizon channels in the 121-140 block aired its Anne Marie Fahey documentary again.
The NJ is reporting that Capano's death appears to have been of natural causes. It's heart-wrenching that Ann Marie wasn't granted the same peace in passing.
See, I'm not all that bad. I'm just willing to put in writing what many in Delaware are feeling. Justice for Anne Marie. Finally.
Greg Olear: Reading Charles Dickens Today
2 hours ago
2 comments:
I was friendly with Bobby Fahey at Springer Middle school and my younger sister was in Ann's class.
It was a shock to read so much later about their troubled homelife. In our neck of the sterile suburbs north of Wilmington each house hid some kind of a story, I guess.
It wasn't so fortunate that there was a family connection to politics through the O'Friels (sp?) bar since it led to her job with Carper and to Capano.
I remember the first time I saw the movie about the murder. It was with a best friend from the old north Wilm. neighborhood during a visit to her home in Charlotte, NC. We made popcorn.
I still have a thing about watching the actor who played Capano - he's on NCIS and the actor who played Ann Marie - she's on Cold Case. Weird.
Nancy,
Anne Marie's death is one of Delaware's iconic crimes. It was followed with the same fervor as the Amy Grossberg/Brian Peterson tragedy.
Only a handful of crimes leave indelible marks upon so many people who didn't even know the individuals involved.
My husband remembers Anne Marie from his early days out of college. He was night manager at Wawa, the one tha Anne Marie hit with coworkers after their shift at the restaurant they all worked at.
Few cases will ever have the deep impact upon Delaware that this one had. No one will ever forget. It's truly a sad sad tale and loss was felt by most nearly every Delawarean.
The final resolution was likely the best way the families involved will ever find closure.
Anne Marie may be gone, but she has never been forgotten.
Post a Comment
Word Verification May Be Case Sensitive