Tag: school shooting plot

  • Free The Zombies

    Free The Zombies

    The other day I was checking the usual news sites and I stumbled across this article on FoxNews.com. The article is titled “Is Writing About a School Shooting a Crime?” and goes on to detail the antics of one William Poole from Winchester, Kentucky.

    For those of you who may not remember who Mr. Poole is the high school student who was arrested for terroristic threats against his school. His defense was he was just writing an English assignment about zombies taking over his school.

    Of course, first amendment rights groups were horrified at the treatment Mr. Poole had been subjected to. How dare they arrest someone for just writing a story? Well, It turned out that it was not an English assignment and the story had nothing to do with zombies.

    And now, according to the article, there is a movement gaining ground to “Free William Poole”. Which is all well and good. I am a huge proponent of the First Amendment when it’s interpreted correctly. However, all these do-gooders are overlooking one item reported by law enforcement. Mr. Poole tried to recruit several of his fellow students.

    One first amendment group even posted Mr. Poole’s bond. What did they get for their troubles? The bond was forfeited because Mr. Poole violated the terms of his release by being on school grounds. I believe that trying to recruit other students trumps all free speech concerns. But hey, why let facts get in your way?

  • No Kentucky Zombies

    No Kentucky Zombies

    Details Of “Story” Written By Teen Charged With Terroristic Threatening Read In Court:

    This is a follow-up to the story about the kid in Kentucky who was arrested for writing a story about Zombies that take over the school, or so the legend goes. Turns out he was …*gasp*…lying. There were NO zombies in the story, and it was not for an English class assignment like originally claimed. And the clincher?

    Police say they’ve interviewed seven George Rogers Clark High School students who say Poole tried to recruit them into his group.

    While I take no delight in the fact that this kid more than likely was plotting against his school, I have two words for all the people who were whining about creativity in schools being quashed…

    (more…)
  • Kentucky Zombies

    Kentucky Zombies

    Student Arrested For Terroristic Threatening Says Incident A Misunderstanding:

    I was actually going to pass on this story, but I got a request from new reader Alyric. And I am nothing without my readers. So on with the show…

    What happened is a high school kid in Kentucky was arrested for making terroristic threats against students, teachers, and police. He says that it’s all a big misunderstanding and that the writings that were found that the charges were based on were a work of fiction about zombies…

    “My story is based on fiction,” said Poole, who faces a second-degree felony terrorist threatening charge. “It’s a fake story. I made it up. I’ve been working on one of my short stories, (and) the short story they found was about zombies. Yes, it did say a high school. It was about a high school over ran by zombies.”

    On the surface, it seems like the local police may have over-reacted. But hold on one second there. The police state something different altogether…

    The arrest came after a tip from a family member that Pool was trying to “recruit a gang to take over the school,” Detective Berl Perdue said.

    “He didn’t have a gang, but he was attempting to organize one,” Perdue said.

    Police said writings in which Poole tried to persuade other students to take part in the takeover were found.

    Sarcasmo put it best…

    I should say – in all fairness – I have not read the story in question – and it may be that he has, in fact, written a story that is obviously about his attacking his classmates and teachers using a complex metaphor system a la Animal Farm – or by changing the name of “Mr. Smith, the English teacher” to “Mr. Smoth, the English teacher” – but that’s not the feeling I got from the news story.

    So without reading the actual writings, I cannot honestly give an opinion one way or the other on this. However, in too many instances where kids have been arrested in plotting to bomb or shoot their school, they claim it was just fantasy and that’s usually after the weapons and explosives have been found. I’d rather err on the side of caution than end up with a bloodbath.

  • Lawyer seeks to suppress evidence in Marshfield case

    Lawyer seeks to suppress evidence in Marshfield case

    Exclusion of evidence sought in massacre-plot case; Teen’s attorney wants warrant for search of home nullified:

    Tobin Kerns’ attorney, William McElligott, said that he is going to file a motion to suppress evidence taken from the Kerns’ home. His argument is that the search warrant was obtained on information from Joseph Nee who is now a co-defendant. From the article…

    McElligott said he will seek to nullify the search warrant Marshfield police obtained for their search of Kerns’ home. Search warrants should be based on the statements of an ‘‘informant who is reliable,” he said.

    While I think this is great news for Toby, I can’t help but ask, wouldn’t this also mean that evidence seized couldn’t be used against Joe Nee either?

    Mr. McElligott is also looking into Joe Nee’s “no criminal record” by looking into an alleged assault at a skate park where no charges were filed against Nee, but the victim required medical treatment. He is also looking into the police histories of Daniel Farley and Joseph Sullivan, two teens who will testify as witnesses, but some say are also involved.

    UPDATE: According to this article, Nee’s attorney, the always amusing and perverted cop defender Thomas Drechsler, plans to file for a change of venue. He says the media coverage would make it impossible to find a partial jury in Plymouth County.

  • More on Joe Nee’s release

    More on Joe Nee’s release

    Teen held in massacre plot freed on bail to parents:

    Joe Nee out on $20K bail:

    These are two more articles on Joe Nee’s release, and it seems like to be the Massachusetts media is starting to side with Joe Nee. So let me reiterate my opinions on the matter.

    His father, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association Tom Nee, threw Joe Nee out of his house. Kids aren’t usually thrown out of the house for being good kids.

    Joe Nee was the one who wore a homemade shirt with the date of the Columbine massacre and “Remember the Heroes” written on it in German to school several times. Nee also dressed as Eric Harris for one Halloween.

    Joe Nee was the one who was witnessed bringing a gun to school. Whether or not the witness could tell whether the gun was real or not is irrelevant. If the gun looked real, the only other way to tell it’s real is if it’s being fired. Luckily, that didn’t happen.

    In my opinion, Joe Nee turned in Toby Kerns to cover his own ass before Toby could turn him in.

    Just because he’s a cop’s son doesn’t automatically make him an upstanding citizen. According to previous reports, the reason Joe Nee was thrown out of his house was that he assaulted his own father.

    After the Kernses took Joe Nee in, it was in Nee’s room where the plans were found and where Nee had placed a giant swastika on the wall.

    And like I’ve said many times before, when this story first broke, and I was being pretty rough on the Kernses, a number of people from the Marshfield area came to his defense. And again, I have yet to get one comment or e-mail in defense of Nee. I think that speaks volumes.

    I just hope that the jury can see through the diversionary tactics that Nee’s attorney is using.

  • Joe Nee released on Bail

    Joe Nee released on Bail

    For those of you who have been following the Marshfield saga along with me, Joe Nee was released on $20,000 bail today…

    Nee Free on $20,000 Cash Bail

    The second suspect in the alleged plot to commit murder at Marshfield High School is out on bail.

    The parents of 18-year-old Joseph Nee posted the 20-thousand cash bail at the Brockton Superior Court Clerk’s office shortly after Judge Suzanne Delvecchio set the bail. Nee’s father Tom says he is happy to have his son free, especially since the boy’s grandfather is near death. Defense attorney Tom Dreschler argued that circumstances have changed involving his client. He cited the fact that Nee’s co-defendant Toby Kerns is free on bail and that Kern’s has a lengthy juvenile record. Judge Delvecchio says the fact that Kerns is out on bail was one reason she set bail on Nee. The judge also ordered that Nee’s release be based on conditions set by the probation department.

    Source

    As usual, Nee’s attorney, Tom Dreschler, has been trying to deflect blame away from his client by citing that Toby Kerns has a criminal record.

    I find the term “lengthy” to be a bit overdramatic. As I said before, one does not have to have a criminal record to be a criminal. How many of us know someone who had a relative in an authoritative position that allowed them to escape any kind of punishment?

    Toby Kerns didn’t have that luxury. Who’s to say that Joe Nee’s criminal record might have been more sordid than Toby Kerns’ if his father wasn’t a Boston cop? Also, like I mentioned the other day, the witness who said she saw Joe Nee bring a gun to school changed her testimony and said she didn’t know if it was real or not. It seems very suspicious to me.

  • Marshfield Development

    Marshfield Development

    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.

  • Another Marshfield Observation

    Another Marshfield Observation

    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

    Toby Kerns Released

    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.

  • Lost Boys

    Lost Boys

    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.