I’ve been beating the hate crime drum for the so-called “Logan 6.” (I generally don’t like it when the media use sensational nicknames to refer to criminals, but after writing “the six people in custody for holding Megan Williams captive and torturing her” too many times, I see why they do it.) Today the Charleston Gazette reported some new information that is causing me to lean toward this not being a hate crime. All I’ve been trying to argue is that if there’s enough evidence from which a jury could conclude it was a hate crime, then hate crime charges should be filed. If there isn’t enough evidence, then they shouldn’t be filed. All other arguments for not filing hate crime charges (it’s duplicative, they already face stiff penalties, we don’t know for sure if it was a hate crime, etc.) are unconvincing to me.
After reading this additional information, it looks like what we know so far about this crime is just the tip of the depraved iceberg. The Gazette reported today that authorities now believe Megan Williams was at the Brewsters’ trailer in Logan County for more than five weeks — from August 2nd through September 8th. On August 2nd, Bobby Brewster was released from jail after being charged with domestic battery against Megan Williams, for which he was arrested on July 18th. Williams was initially at the Brewsters’ home voluntarily, but at some point during those five weeks, they put her in a shed in their yard and told her that if she tried to leave they would beat her and set the shed on fire. She was in the shed for a period of days.
This is based on information from the victim and a confession made by Frankie Brewster. Brewster also told the police that Danny Combs raped Williams in the bathroom of the trailer, so the violence against her started before she was in the shed. When the police found Williams, she was in the trailer, not the shed. So at this point, who the hell knows what the total sequence of events was.
This is all so sickening. New charges were added yesterday, and now all six of them are charged with kidnapping and 1st degree sexual assault. Just looking at the sheer number of counts that these six people are charged with gives you a glimpse of what Williams went through:
- 33 counts of battery
- 8 counts of 1st degree sexual assault (a.k.a. rape)
- 6 counts of kidnapping
- 4 counts of malicious wounding
- 2 counts of assault during the commission of a felony
So it now appears that what these people did to Williams may have been retaliation for her turning Bobby Brewster in to police for committing domestic battery against her. At least, maybe that’s what instigated it. That’s what’s causing me to believe that this may not have been a hate crime.
There was a new detail that supports the idea that it was at least partly racially motivated — Bobby Brewster told his mother that if Williams tried to leave he would put a bag over her head and hang her from a tree. Can’t miss the allusion there.
After hearing her account of what happened on the 6:00 news tonight, I thought that hate crimes would be more (not less) forthcoming. She states that they said it was because she was “colored.” Of course, that is if her testimony isn’t impeached during the trial, which it may well be.
Oh, I didn’t watch the news tonight. I don’t really know what to think about this anymore. Actually, I’m trying not to think about it. I need to post something that isn’t so depressing. I really shudder to think what this experience is going to do to this woman’s life. I read that she was placed in a holding cell when she went to court for her bad check charges and she got agitated and started yelling for her mother. Great idea — put a woman who has been locked in a shed and tortured in a confined area right after she’s just been released from the hospital. Jesus, you’d think they could wait to resolve that stuff until she recovers a bit. I’m sure she’s got terrible PTSD.
That was my first thought too when I saw the news last night. However, I heard on the radio this morning that she had been released on bail. I hope now the healing process can begin for her.
I just wanted to say may God bless you Megan which he has already done because without God there was no way you could have survived, what I would like to point out is that I know your mom is concerned more on hate crime but if hate crime is only going to give these sick people 10 years then I say drop it because they need life in prison with the same treatment they gave u and worse. We the people that stand behind you 100% knows that this is a hate crime but they truly need more than 10 years in prison, so you stay strong and remember God is not through using you yet, good things shall come out on top.