The titillating part didn’t make our story.
When it comes to compressing a lengthy court document down to a couple hundred words for a news story, what really counts is what’s relevant and what’s relevant is what is alleged.
In the case of Christiana Fesmire, police allege Buddy Robinson murdered her by submerging her in a bathtub. That’s relevant.
What’s less relevant is what Christiana Fesmire did or didn’t do for a living.
On its face, an affidavit is pretty damning, but it’s supposed to be. It’s always the opening salvo in the state’s case.
However, we can’t stress this enough: the best, strongest affidavit is still just an allegation, no matter how well sourced. The facts alleged must be proven in a court of law, and until they are, the accused must be presumed innocent.
The titillating part, the sad part truly, according to the affidavit, is that Fesmire was allegedly working as a professional escort, and her madam was the sister of the man police allege killed her.
Murder cases may make for more interesting reading than your average planning board story, but that doesn’t make them any more important or more vital.
In fact the opposite is true, a murder generally affects a limited number of people. A land use ordinance can affect entire communities for generations. Generally speaking though, people don’t gossip about shoreland zoning setbacks with the same zeal they bring to a tragedy like this.
It’s the car wreck principle at work. Even the best of us can’t look away.
Christiana Fesmire was not just what she did for a living, any more than she was just a victim or just a statistic. She was somebody’s daughter, sister, loved one. She was a real person who had dreams like everyone else and whose untimely demise, whatever the circumstances, no doubt leaves a huge hole in the lives of the people who loved her.
Our thoughts are with them today.
