Category: School Violence

Marshfield student was expelled before:

Joe Nee’s lawyer, Thomas Drechsler, is pulling out all the stops in trying to make Toby Kerns look as bad as possible in order to get his client released. Dreschler made public that Kerns was expelled from a school in Washington State for threatening to shoot a classmate even though that local authorities in Washington concluded that Kerns ”was not an imminent threat” to the girl, but that ”he definitely needed counseling and supervision.” He apologized to the girl, her parents, police, and the school.

Nee’s lawyer, Thomas Drechsler, argued yesterday that it was unfair to keep Nee jailed without bail while allowing Kerns to roam free. Unlike Kerns, who was on probation when he was arrested in September, Nee has no prior criminal record.

Which is all well and good, but Joe Nee was the one wore a homemade shirt with the date of the Columbine massacre and “Remember the Heroes” – a reference to Columbine killers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris and dressed as Harris for Halloween at school. Not to mention, the only reason Joe Nee may not have a criminal record is that any time he may have been picked up he might have said: “my dad is the head of the Boston Police union”.

But what’s scary is this…

A judge agreed yesterday to schedule a hearing Tuesday on Drechsler’s contention that Nee should be freed on bail because of new evidence he received that raises questions about the strength of the case.

That evidence, he said, includes information that a girl who told police that she saw Nee carrying a gun on a school bus last June testified before a grand jury last fall that she wasn’t sure if it was real. And a student who is a key witness against Nee had previously committed crimes with Kerns, Drechsler said, adding that the revelation raises questions about the witness’s credibility.

Let’s hope a judge can see past Toby’s past problems and realize that just because someone doesn’t have a criminal record doesn’t mean they can’t be a criminal.

And as a side note, I’m still waiting for someone to send me an e-mail or a comment in defense of Joe Nee.

No place like home:

This is another article about how Toby Kerns is adjusting to life at home again. What struck me about this particular article was the quote about Joe Nee’s family…

Joe Nee’s family has chosen not to speak to the press, but Nee’s lawyer has argued that Nee is a hero for turning in Kerns and that Nee was arrested only after witnesses “came out of the woodwork” because the police went public with the investigation.

That is eerily reminiscent of the parents of Eric Harris, who have refused to talk to the press.

Just an observation.

Toby Kerns released on $20,000 bail:

Toby Kerns has been released on $20,000 bail. Prosecutors argued the bail should be set at $1 million cash due to the severity of the charges, but luckily, Juvenile Court Judge Louis Coffin did not agree.

The article also states that Kern’s attorney William McElligott believes the Marshfield Police are withholding evidence that the defense is entitled to see. Considering the other suspect is the son of a cop, this comes off as very suspicious.

What doesn’t look good is that the Assistant District Attorney John McLaughlin said the maps found in Toby’s home were analyzed by the state crime lab, and it was determined they were in Toby’s handwriting. However, William McElligott said the tests on the maps and other written material, including the hit list, have been inconclusive.

For now, Toby will not be returning to school and will be more or less homeschooled. I guess that would be in Toby’s best interest as well. Could you imagine how much he would be harassed in school, even if his involvement in the plot was little to none? Unfortunately, that’s the nature of high school.

Enjoy your pancakes, Toby.

The Lost Boys:

This is a great article from Boston Magazine that goes over the entire Marshfield saga in great detail. When you get a chance, read the entire article to get a look into the mind of Joseph Nee.

I found it interesting that the night Joe Nee showed up at the Kerns’ house, this is what happened…

Two days after Joe Nee showed up at the Kernses’ door seeking shelter on the night of May 6, Ben Kerns called the Nee home. He says Joe’s mother told him Joe had punched his father and that Joe was the abusive one. “We don’t want him back,” Ben quotes her as saying. “If you don’t want him, throw him out on the street.” Tom Nee declined to be interviewed for this story.

Yet, Tom Nee keeps saying…

Tom Nee told reporters, “There was no Columbine because my son had courage and conviction to seek out a police officer.”

At one point you throw him out of your house and say you don’t want him back, then you say he had courage and conviction. It sounds like to me that a cop is refusing to admit that his son might have broken the law. But that’s just my opinion.

I still have yet to receive any comments or e-mails in defense of Joseph Nee, and this article will probably make it harder for anyone to do so.

A tragedy prevented, a town shocked:

This article seems like a year in review of the Marshfield High plot incident. It’s actually a pretty good article, but I have to take issue with a couple of things…

However parents of MHS students said the harsh media spotlight was particularly difficult for their children. At a PTO meeting shortly after the initial news conference, parents told principal Robert Keuther that many of their kids had expressed bewilderment at seeing news cameras and reporters outside their school, on top of just finding out one of their classmates may have been planning to kill them.

Oh no, not bewilderment. :-O Anything but that. In the grand scheme of things, seeing reporters outside their school is low on the list of things that will harm your child. I love it when the media and the soccer moms get together. And if the media didn’t show up, they’d be complaining about the fact that it wasn’t being reported.

This from Joseph Nee’s father…

“Everybody keeps calling this a Columbine. It’s not a Columbine because my son had the courage and conviction to come forward,” Thomas Nee said.

Coming forward to accuse someone who may not have been involved is not courage and conviction. It’s called covering your own ass and deflecting the blame.

From Joseph Nee’s attorney…

Drechsler, Nee’s attorney, pointed out that while Toby Kerns has a criminal history, getting arrested several times for breaking and entering, and that he also has been treated in a psychiatric facility, Nee has never been in trouble with a law or treated for mental illness.

Let me see, a cop’s son who has never “been in trouble with the law”. I wonder why that is. Being a cop’s son can go a long way in getting out of trouble with the local police. And just because Nee was never treated for mental illness doesn’t mean he’s not mentally ill. I offer the following as evidence of that…

Nee also reportedly wore a homemade shirt with the date of the Columbine massacre and “Remember the Heroes” – a reference to Columbine killers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris – written on it in German to school several times. At one point he dressed as Harris for Halloween at school.

There’s no reportedly about it. I’ve had more than one Marshfield student e-mail me or leave me a comment that says that actually happened. Not to cast aspersions here, but I’m going to. What kind of father, let alone what kind of cop, would let their kids out of the house wearing clothes that pay tribute to known killers?

The more I read about this incident, the more I start to think that Tobin Kerns was just a scapegoat. Especially since, as I’ve said before, that so many people have contacted me in defense of Tobin Kerns and I have yet to hear from one person in defense of Joseph Nee.

That speaks volumes.