by Gerald Owens

Posted: Oct. 23, 2009 12:38 a.m.
Updated: Oct. 23, 2009 12:38 a.m.

Where does the evil come from? I spent an hour Tuesday talking to and interviewing Sam Thompson…the father of 7-year old Somer Thompson. As you may know her body was found in a landfill, 50-miles from her home in Florida. What this girl did was decide not to walk home with her siblings after school. She got mad at one of the children, and being true to her nature, ran ahead of them for the remainder of her walk home.

This energetic young girl was never seen alive again.

During my interview with Sam, I felt a fatherly connection with him, as I have two kids of my own. At the time of the interview, she was still missing, and his hope was tempered with the thought that he may never see his daughter again. Everyone there was trying NOT to think about that. You didn’t allow your mind to even entertain the thought. It makes the reality of her death that much harder to take for everyone.

We give ourselves in the media a certain distance from the people we cover. But, it’s hard to control your human emotions. Even if you’re not a parent, you can’t fathom what kind of person could do that to a second grader. What need is satisfied by doing this? A beautiful young life was wasted, and thrown away like trash. I feel for Sam Thompson and his family, though there is nothing I, or anyone else can do to bring Somer back.

In this type of forum I can express my feelings. In our newscasts, and on NC Wanted I will always maintain my fairness and objectivity. That said, this case is what the death penalty was designed for.