Simply Tragic

[swake]

A lot of people ought to go to jail for all of this:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=070904_1_A5_hPoli84735


By AP Wire Services
9/4/2007
Police then shot to death the 32-year-old man, who also was the teen's teacher.


YUKON (AP) -- A 16-year-old girl who was stabbed to death by her 32-year-old ex-boyfriend and teacher left with the man in an effort to save her friends and family from harm, the girl's family said.

Bailey Rian Thrasher, 16, was stabbed to death Saturday morning after she left her apartment with her shotgun-toting ex-boyfriend.

The man, identified as Robert Paul Roberson, was shot and killed by police as he stabbed the girl in a car.

Roberson kicked in the apartment door and made everyone line up against a wall, said Melissa Stringer, Thrasher's aunt.

"If Bailey doesn't come with me, I'm killing her first; then I'll kill all of you," Stringer said she was told the gunman demanded. "If anyone calls 911, I'll kill you all."

Meanwhile, Thrasher was able to call 911 with a cell phone without the gunman knowing, Stringer said. She decided to leave with her ex-boyfriend, stating as she left, "He won't hurt me."

They got in a car that wasn't his, Stringer said. As they left the apartment, an officer spotted them, and

a chase ensued. It ended on Oklahoma 152 in Mustang when a police car pushed the car off the road.

As officers approached the car, Roberson was stabbing Thrasher repeatedly, police said. He wouldn't stop, so officers fired several shots at him, killing him.

Thrasher died in the car before paramedics could arrive.

Several family members described her on Sunday as a hero who gave her life so her family and friends could live.

"This dwarfs most of your horror story plots," said Bailey's father, Darin Thrasher. "This dwarfs them. It's beyond stranger than fiction. It is an absolute horror story."

Darin Thrasher, who owns Sid's Diner in Yukon, said his daughter was just 13 when she met Roberson, a drill instructor at an alternative school in Yukon. A romance began, and shortly thereafter, the two moved in together.

Thrasher said he thought the situation might benefit his daughter because Roberson didn't drink or do drugs and would be a good example.

"I thought it would be a positive for her," he said. "Then I also thought the relationship would fizzle out and she would be done partying."

But Darin Thrasher said the relationship grew volatile and that Roberson threatened his daughter after she moved out.

[Breadburner]

Her dad should be thrown in jail......

[sgrizzle]

He thought the man 16 years older than his teenage daugheter would be a good example and then later said he was shoping the relationship would fizzle and she would QUIT partying? Which is it? Is the guy clean-cut or not?

Any father than thinks his 13yr old should be dating a man who's 29 should've been in the car instead.

[cannon_fodder]

I never understood parents who let their children date adults.  I would understand if a Junior was going out with a senior who went on to college.  Or maybe even a Sophomore.  But...

For that matter, what interest - other than misguided sexual interest, could a grown man have with a child?  I enjoy hanging out with my 16 year old cousins or 16 year old daughters of my coworkers at gatherings and such, but I certainly couldn't see having a meaningful conversation with them.  Not to mention our shared interest list would be limited.  Just strange.

So in summary, yes, the kids parents should be seriously questioned for their choices.

[Conan71]

In the story it sounds like she was in an "at risk" or "alternative" education program.  This guy was referred to as her "drill instructor" in the story.  At first I thought maybe like the high school drill team.  Nope, sounds more like a boot camp.

I guess I shouldn't assume that parents are always at fault when their kids stray or start to stray- there is a certain thing called free will.

However, I do find that kids who grow up in tight knit families, have parents involved in their education, go to church and get involved in youth group and school-sponsored extra-curricular activities are much less at risk and seldom wind up in re-hab or alternative education programs.

That said, ANY parent who thinks its fine for their 13 y/o to move in with a 29 y/o man and have a sexual relationship, should be just as culpable as the guy in that relationship for statutory rape.

She obviously didn't grow up in the Brady or Cleaver household.