Considering the horrific experience that he, his family and especially his little girl endured while living on what he described as a “beautiful island community” I was amazed and humbled by the God like constraint expressed in the tone of his letter. A letter that was not only gracious but also optimistic, full of hope and asking for nothing in return but inviting those living on Saipan to take responsibility in making your community safer and whole again by simply making an anonymous phone call.
I heard the story about what happened to his little girl months ago and it made me sick. Absolutely sick! I’m sure I was not the only one. Then I read his incredible letter in this paper’s on-line edition last week. I noticed that many people took the time to post anonymous comments on almost every letter written that week except his. I was very disappointed to see that not one single person had any comment of support or anger to contribute. Where was the show of support for this man and his family? Where is the determination from the community, politicians, journalists, Taotao Tano group, and law enforcement to ensure justice will eventually be served? Where is the outrage from people living on Saipan knowing that this SICKO is still free living the good island lifestyle, attending your barbeques, rosaries, fiestas, and enjoying your beaches? I waited a few days to write this in the hope that someone would write a letter instead and prove me wrong. Maybe this is just too painful and uncomfortable of an issue for people to speak up about and I understand that but what really bothers me, as it should everyone, is the part in the letter where the father writes:
“I have good reason to believe there are several who know who the guilty party is but don’t feel they can speak out because of friend or family connections. There was a conversation overheard at a beach party. High school students have also told me things they have heard, but couldn’t give me names because of friend or family ties. I invite those who know something and who care about Starr, their own community, or even the guilty party to help all affected. You don’t have to give your name. Please call the FBI at 322-6934.”
I have never met the father but I’ve have also heard talk that there are indeed people out there with information, or worse, know exactly who the suspect is but are keeping quiet because the animal is from a prominent and powerful local family.
Some may say “shut up haole,” stop spreading rumors about locals and let the police do their job. Some may say there are much worse crimes that occur in the mainland that never get solved. True to both, but I’ve lived on Saipan long enough to know that there is usually a shred of truth in many small island rumors. When I now hear the father come out and say he has “good reason” to believe, then like it or not, I too have good reason to share what I heard. I wish others would crawl out from under their rock too.
This heinous crime should have been solved by now. The police have had their time, there’s DNA and the island is too small, simple as that. For such a small community, with people living among you who know something, and to remain silent should shame all of you living there, especially the village where this occurred. Protecting a blood relative or a friend, who did this to an innocent little girl, is nothing less than moral depravation. Is this what family is about island style? Of course not.
I hope “localism” is not affecting any part of this case. I don’t want to digress and get into that lengthy topic here but we all know countless instances where the politics of who is local and who is not determines how much heat does or does not come down.
My thoughts and prayers go out to this little girl and her family who her father said, “are now safely an ocean away in a safe community.”
Saipan is not a safe community while this beast lives among you. All who remain silent to this father seeking justice for his little girl are contributing to the stain this unsolved crime spreads on what I remember as a great island with caring people. People living on Saipan who don’t know anything should still be speaking up, keeping this case alive and pressing for closure as is commonly done in healthy caring communities throughout the world. Those who know something should have already called Crime Stoppers or the FBI and helped to put this evil monster that is still living in your community behind bars where he belongs.
The Saipan community has always been very vocal and active when it comes to politics, corruption, nepotism, PEW, federalization, immigration, minimum wage, MPLT, retirement fund, NMC fiascos, La Fiesta, Marpi, Article XII, casino issues, CUC and even a judge calling a criminal “muchacho,” BUT sadly, when a little nine-year-old girl is sound asleep in her bedroom and the worst kind of scumbag in the world breaks through her window, strangles her, savagely rapes her, leaves her for dead and returns to his family barbeque for another beer, what do we hear? Pathetic…cowardly…silence.
MIKE WALSH
Bali, Indonesia
Side note: Before sending this I checked again on the Variety Web site and there was one brief comment submitted five days later, offering their prayers to the father. However, Friday’s article about the Tinian police officer arrested for sexual abuse (apparently consensual) of a 14-year-old girl immediately received nine angry comments, but the victim was local so….
