Last week Shani Warren's murderer were finally brought to justice after 35 years. I have to admit I had totally forgotten about this case but when I heard the news it brought it all back and I remembered it very well. I were only about 15 at the time and Shani Warren's death were massive news here in Britain as the hunt were on for her killer in 1987. The two things I remembered were how unbelievably pretty she were, and also the Easter egg that the police found in her abandoned car - with the latter I don't know why. It's sad that Shani's parents never saw justice for their daughter. What's ironic is that he were already behind bars when justice finally caught up with him for other offences! He's an evil bastard who I hope he will never see life beyond prison bars again.
I know it's not at all a pleasant subject but it got me thinking about a lot of the well-known crime incidents we used to hear on the news or see on TV crime appeals. I know we all like to think about how much better life were in the good old days, and while it were in some ways, it certainly wasn't safer with all the murders, child abductions, armed robberies etc that were about. In Britain anyways. Why do you think Crimewatch started in the mid eighties???
Is there a particular case that has always stuck in your mind from the eighties or thereabouts? Or was there a case you suddenly remembered after it were back in the news? Was it high profile? Did it ever get solved?
The case that sticks out in my mind the most is the murder of Stephen Lawrence. I didn't know him personally but Stephen was from my neck of the woods, and while it was never known for being an angels' playground we were all shocked by the vicious nature of Stephen's murder, as well as the attack on his friend who thankfully survived. They were just two boys who were minding their own business and were attacked purely because of the colour of their skin and sadly Stephen didn't survive. This haunts me even now, especially as I'm the mother of two mixed-race boys and I know the world that we live in hasn't moved that much further along from the early nineties when Stephen was killed. So it does worry me.
The whole investigation and the trial were a bit of a mess and that's putting it very mildly. But through it all Stephen's family showed so much strength and dignity, determined to get justice for him. The case also highlighted flaws within the police system and society as a whole. Although I'm not sure if anything of that was much of a revelation as these were all things that we already knew. What's so tragic is that Stephen, from what we know of him, showed so much promise and was on the verge of doing great things with his life. Unlike the arsewipes who killed him.