Anna Beach, R.I.P
She was a very nice lady. A clerk at the convenience store close to the base, she remembered me from my days on active duty, and I remember her as the lady with the perpetual warm smile and kind words. Her name was Anna Beach. And she's dead now.
A 35 year-old mother of four sons, she was separated from her husband. In the wake of whatever turmoil that sparked the separation, she became involved with a police officer who worked for the city of Parker, FL. She was a very nice lady, but she got involved with the wrong person.
According to the local newspaper and the authorities, this police officer began stalking her after the relationship was terminated. The officer had been violently abusive of her before, but it now appears that his colleagues may have turned a blind eye, preferring to protect one of their own. Having seen two officers from this department perjure themselves in court, I'm inclined to believe the reports. She was a sweet lady with a wonderful demeanor. And her family is planning to sue the city.
Law enforcement officers at the state and federal level go through rigorous training to weed out those who cannot handle the pressure, or are otherwise ill-suited to wear the badge. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in smaller towns. The result, as the small community of Parker is learning, can be tragic. From officers whose relationship with honesty is only platonic, to those with a disregard for their oaths and the rule of law itself, there is a real problem out here.
She was a warm, generous, happy lady. But by the officer's own confession, he shot her in the head, strangled her with a power cord, then stripped and buried her in the woods. This town has a problem, and for some reason, I suspect it may not be the only one. She was an unfailingly kind person. And she was murdered by someone who never should have worn the badge in the first place.
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Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
There is a saying, sometimes attributed to Tennyson, I think, that God made the country, Man made the cities, and the Devil made the small towns. Sorry for your loss, Dave. What a sad story.
Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
Thank you, Ursula. It really is a paradox. The culture of many small towns is so hospitable. In that respect, they are the polar opposite of some of the larger cities where I travel. But then I sometimes run up against these stereotypical officers that really are an embarrassment. It isn't a consistent occurrence, but it happens enough to cause genuine concern.
Jul '10
Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
Sometimes the big fish in the little pond is a shark.
God rest Ms. Beach.
Jul '10
Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
Ursula, easy with the small town sneer. Some of us find small towns to be God's best handiwork.
Evil is a fact of our existence. We do a pretty good job nowadays of pretending it away. But it is always there. No one admires our police officers more than I, but there is an institutional risk that the job attracts some whose main motivation is being able to exercise power and control over others. All we can do in this case is saya prayer for Ms. Beach, and make sure the scumbag who did it gets his just reward.
Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
Patrick Shanahan: Ursula, easy with the small town sneer. Some of us find small towns to be God's best handiwork.
· Oct 16 at 5:34pm
Hey Patrick, I've have recently left Man's biggest creationg: NYC, for a dear small town that I love. You'll get no quibbles from me about its many rich rewards! I might add, however, that my mom has lived in a small town for several years now, and I hear a surprising amount of odd/sad stories (like Dave's) from her that seem to be based in small town law enforcement and small town politics. Anyway, all places have their treasures and skeletons, I guess.
Jul '10
Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
Granted. I think that in small towns they are just more visible. In a big city, that sort of stuff doesn't even make the news.
Jul '10
Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
I should not post on Saturday night after an LSU game.
Edited on Oct 17, 2010 at 8:39amRe: Anna Beach, R.I.P
Well, I agree with some of what you say, Michael. (I don't think liberals are any more prone to this kind of violence, but I take your point about the bullies....)
Though, um, we've got a dress code here for language, right?
Local stuff matters -- and it's often local issues that people just don't pay attention to.
Dave, that's a tragic story. So sorry for your loss, for the children's loss of a mother, and for her loss especially, who I hope didn't suffer. Evil exists, all around us and all the time. We forget that too often.
May '10
Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
I'm sorry for the loss of your friend and even more sorry for her children. What a horrible story.
May '10
Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
Sherlock Holmes also had tough things to say about small towns, but that misses the point. Part of the goal of these murders is to dehumanize the victim (and I bet she'd hate being called that). I think you've done a lot to counteract that here, Dave.
Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
You are right, Kennedy. This is about Anna and her children and loved ones. No broader point needs to be made.
Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
Michael Tee: I should not post on Saturday night after an LSU game. · Oct 16 at 8:17pm
Edited on Oct 17 at 08:39 am
Understandable. It was 32 - 10, right?
Re: Anna Beach, R.I.P
Rob, yes, it was 32 - 10. And the Tigers are now ranked #6. Way to geaux.