While reading this article I was feeling some 'sympathy' for Esmie; however, those pictures are quite telling and the look in her eyes...chilling. Is she a sociopath disguised as a beautiful butterfly? SAD.

"An article published in the William and Mary Quarterly explains what “microhistory” is and why it’s not always appreciated: With their focus on human sentiment and human dramas that are easy for modern readers to relate to, microhistories tell interesting stories while illustrating important political, economic, legal, social, and cultural contexts. The genre has mixed appeal among academics; some bemoan the general trend to sacrifice analysis for narrative. But, if ever there was a job for the microhistory, it is bringing back early American history to an audience that probably yawns at the thought of Puritans…." This is PRECISELY why I love this blog so much. You are the only 'blogger' that I know of who brings such interesting, HISTORICAL true crime stories to light. It's not just the actual crimes stories themselves I find so intriguing; it's the feeling I get of peeking into 'Alice's magic mirror' to view our sometimes bizarre but true past. The 'edges' surrounding the stories are frequently just as telling and even shocking as the actual crime details; and the rich glimpse of the thought processes, culture and legal practices of our ancestors is no less fascinating. These were real people who personify the best and the worst of humanity - the big surprise being that in spite of the differences in their daily living conditions, perspectives of the world and execution of the law - they were the same in their most base human instincts as we are today.

*Slaps hand to forehead* Gosh that Nancy Grace! She's always on top of such things. I'll have to 'fuss' at my sister, who's a radio personality in VA, about leaving Clear Channel again. NOT! PS: (Laura, you're always the best in my 'book'.)

"I have often wondered about the Pacific Northwest Puzzle myself, thank you for addressing the issue! I thought it maybe just seemed like the NW was over represented because of the writers who live there. Are there actually more killers there?" DITTO! ;0) JAT

Makes me wonder if the ongoing wave of lawsuits of the past few years against the priests who have been pedophiles and/or sexually abused their trusting constituents isn't spilling over to this case in an irrational and possibly subconcious manner? Throughout history - as YOU well know - once a population takes on a certain mindset against a particular cause, such as the Salem witch trials, it is extremely difficult to discern the true from the false amongst all of the mayhem.

Helloooo. You hit the nail on the head with this one, Laura. I have been thinking the same thing and wondering why in the hell these people are going after this priest without a real case - regardless of his guilt or innocence? What set the current events in motion in 2004 and prompted LE and the DA (or whomever/whatever you call the prosecuting attorneys in this case) to pick this particular case and this particular suspect??? BTW, thanks for the heads-up on the Toledo Blade info.

I was just reading up on the Father Robinson case last night. The thought crossed my mind as to how frequently such occurences manifest - especially within a religion such as Catholicism, where chastity is such an huge issue. I would garner to guess that such things occur more often than those in the faith may want to believe because it is human nature to have physical desires; and to be required to suppress such an integral part of the human make-up can create a tremendous imbalance in some people. Obviously I'm not Catholic. ;0)