In a world where every day is a winding road, the unexpected can happen at any turn. The recent news of my brother’s passing in a vehicle accident is in some ways a somber reminder of life’s fragility. The accident having happened in the early morning hours of February 24, 2024, it’s certainly a moment that calls for reflection, not just on the loss of life but also on the circumstances that surround it.
Before this tragic event, my brother was embroiled in legal issues that were as serious as they come, him facing charges of incest, rape, and abuse, and I find myself still trying to process all of it. While he’s now in a place where none of this can touch him, my niece will never have her day in court and, “She’s got a long life ahead of her.”
Would he still be alive if he had been wearing a seatbelt? Normally, I would tend to agree that the simple act of wearing a seat belt can be the difference between life and death. But, given the details of the accident that I do know, “That’s probably going to be a resounding ‘No’ in this particular case!”
As I understand it now, the South Dakota Highway Patrol is finalizing the paperwork on the investigation of the crash. I’m told that I will be contacted within the next week or so with a final report on what happened.
In the meantime, I find myself in a strange place some days, should I yield to temptation and allow myself to drift down the rabbit hole too far. “It all just seems so stupid.”
But, by the end of this day, like so many others I’ve had of late, it pretty much boils down to one thing, even though the dear boy and I never could see eye to eye on things. Whatever he did, “He did.” Whatever people are going to write based on court documents they legally obtained and used in their articles, “They are going to write.” Whatever I know of the Criminal Justice System, based on my own degree and education regarding his case and many others like it, “That just isn’t going to matter to other people who don’t want to hear it!”
Any way you slice it, that’s the cold hard truth of the matter. And… Yeah… I can’t help but smile just a little to myself when I imagine certain individuals, who are clearly only worried about their own reputations in the scheme of things, trying to tell my 18-year-old niece that what happened to her at the age of 12 was all in her head. Despite the ongoing therapy sessions and what not, she’s pretty tough.
So… Yeah… Should anyone attempt to tell the young lady that her experience was an illusion planted in her head by another party… Yeah… I have no doubt as to what will happen. “She will eat them alive.”