Community stunned by events

MOUNT VERNON — The events of the past week involving the kidnapping and rescue of 13-year-old Sarah Maynard of Howard, and the continuing search for her brother, Kody Maynard, 11, mother, Tina Herrmann, 32, and family friend, Stephanie Sprang, 41, have left the Knox County community stunned.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 17th, 2010 at 12:55 pmand is filed under story. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

  • jj

    DO ONTO OTHERS AS U WISH DONE ONTO YOURSELF.

    GOD WILL NOT BE AS SOFT AS WE ARE.

    I SAY TAKE THE VEST OFF OF HIM AND LET HIM END HIS OWN LIFE, THAT IS HIS CHOICE.

  • a friend of the missing

    I just wish they would publish some recent pictures and provide accurate information:
    - Tina does not look at all like the picture that is being published everywhere. She had a new hairstyle and looked much classier (in lack of a better word, sorry)
    - Same applies to Kody, please provide a new picture!
    - Stephanie’s Jeep is light brown metallic, not silver!!!!!

    • Joshua Morrison

      Most of the photos involved are the ones given out by law enforcement. If you have something more current you can email our editor, Samantha Scoles

      The vehicle photos were recently taken at the local impound lot. Those are the most recent photos of the vehicles.

  • Lis Young

    This whole tragic situation just really puts things into perspective. Family and friends are such a blessing. I am so moved by all the prayers and concern the Mount Vernon and surrounding communities have shown in this time. It makes me so proud to say this is the town I grew up in. These four are constantly on my mind and I wish I could take part in the search for three still missing, but since I cannot I will continue to pray that they are found safe and sound as we all should. Praise and thanks to all of the people involved in the search everyday. You are also in my prayers.

    God Bless :)

  • father

    You realize that without the bodies it will be harder to get a murder conviction. Unless the little girl seen what happened, and she can testify against him. Soom dirtbag defense lawyer will get him off on murder charges and he’ll serve time for only kidnapping charges. I dont care what any of you people say. If it was my little girl that he had tied up in his basement he better pray that he never got out of prison!!! It would be his body that would never be found!!!!

  • Gracie Hudgins

    The ends would justify the means if he told where the missing were. I pay taxes and I vote too. Would you like to find the missing? Raises hand. Wouldn’t it be better if he would just tell LE where they were?

  • man

    Tae, our system isn’t working for what reason. We are soft on criminal’s that’s why 65% are repeat afenders. We are soft as a nation, we need to stand up for what needs to be done to stop this. I know there’s alot of people that don’t agree but look at what is happening to this world in the last century.

    • Manticore

      Yet vigilantism works? If we let it go by that law, all it takes is one accusation and hysteria springs up. One accusation and suddenly a person is beaten and locked up and held with no food and water, and with no way to defend themselves. That’s all fine and dandy if the person didn’t lie or accuse the wrong person, but guess what? THEY DO! People lie and point fingers all the time. That’s how the Salem witch trials started. Just one girl pointing a finger. That’s why people have to be assumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury of their peers.

      • Tae

        Also the WM3 who are still sitting in prison after 17 yrs of them being accused of a terrible crime. Look it up it is a perfect example of how the system has failed and not how the system is “too soft”

      • mom of 6

        for those defending this guy there was a lil girl who was found in his basement bound and gagged i feel for the family and friends but if the s.o.b had my kid there would no way on earth he would ever see sunlight again my family would make sure of that this lil girl has every right to point her finger for god sakes look what she went threw more power to her my dad has lived in that town as far back as i could remember when we went to visit we walked all over town and didnt have to worry now we do so for sarah u do what u have to so he goes to jail for a very long time sence we the state of ohio dont have the death pennilty my heart goes out to u and your family sweetheart

    • Tae

      you seem like a real intelligent man man so I am pretty sure you realize how our govt works and where it fails. We do nothing to rehabilitate these repeat offenders and most of them are lead to the same lifestyle they left when they went to prison. What is happening to this world in the last century? You mean people didn’t kill people until the 1900′s? I do not believe we are soft as a nation. What do you suggest (personally) that we do with our criminals, man? and….if we are to do with them what you suggest what are the prisons for? I mean you were saying how you don’t believe tax payers should have to support these types of people

    • Tae

      to be honest with you I think 45% of people coming out of prison do not repeat and I can be happy with that. That is a good # considering…….

  • Tae

    So one person needs answers in order to save a life. This does not make any sense if the person did not care about living or not. I would hope that when the people of MtV (as I have heard them say) say that they think he should fry that they are only generating the same type of hate that Matthew did. We do not know anything about any of what happened and only Matthew so far does. Being cruel to this type of individual can only make the cruel feel happy. I myself am a practicing Buddhist and I do not believe in torture or the death penalty or even not feeding the criminals 3 meals a day. This is what we do as a society to keep our society safe. If we took matters into our own hands then all types of things could happen. I think that before the people of MtV talk about what they want to do to this HUMAN BEING we need to think about what our beliefs are and what we have faith in. I know that I will have good karmic retribution for the way I am processing all of this. I think that we all need to look to what we want for our futures and if you believe in God and want to be judged righteously by him someday then I suggest you think before you speak with hatred.

    • mom of 6

      we r not hating we want justice for the family god knows what he did to those people and for someone to take 1 life but 3 come on get real and as far as tourture what did he do to them b4 he bagged these people and put them in trash bags like garbage i hope u sleep at nite it breaks my heart how some people can say he didnt do it come on he had this girl tied up

    • mama7

      hmm…those of us who are Christians know that God himself told the nation of Israel to “purge the evil from you”. God himself commanded them to stone to DEATH those who chose to disobey the “rules” otherwise known as The Ten Commandments. not murdering is one of those and is a Biblically sound punishment for those who break this rule.

  • Manticore

    You ask me, a lot of Nancy Grace style logic is what’s going on. Leaps of epic proportions to shaky conclusions.
    I hope you’re right though. That these people look back at what they’ve said and feel bad.

    • Manticore

      Aaaand once again I forget there’s a reply button. That was to David’s reply.

    • a friend of the missing

      Nancy Grace is part of the problem – not many facts but lots of hate and even more demagogy. How can anybody with some intelligence believe anything she says?

      • Manticore

        I know, she’s an awful, cruel woman who has no place in our legal system, or even commentating on it.

  • Manticore

    I’m just stressed out by the fact that I live in a town full of people who believe torture is ok.

    • David

      People are just reacting with emotion first. It’s what humans do and it’s natural. They find that they’re using the lower part of their brain, the fight or flight portion.

      The slow flow of information only gives people lots of time to apply all the things they’ve learned from CSI, Nancy Grace and other crime shows, or what they’ve read.

      I don’t fault them for their thinking, I just avoid following lock step.

    • man

      If need to get answers to save a life or more then one or to give the family back there love one it should be ok.

      • David

        If this cat gets tortured, or harmed while in custody the whole case gets thrown out – it’s as simple as that.

        Justice denied for short term retribution.

        • Manticore

          Thank you! Someone who understands this concept!
          I’ll also add that stooping to the level of a criminal doesn’t make you a good person who beat up a bad person, it makes you a criminal.
          Two wrongs don’t make a right?
          Ringing any bells folks?

      • Manticore

        What’s been done has been done. Torturing him wouldn’t do a lick of good.

        • man

          Well what is done is done your right but it isn’t right for me a tax payer to pay to feed him, house him, or anything else that costs the tax payers a dime. You are to soft on people like that, he deserves to be treated just like how he treated his girlfriend, and the family he’s destroyed. Can’t you see that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

          • Tae

            It is not right for us to pay for him??? Well man what do you suggest we do with him? Can’t we see what? We are not trying to be soft on this guy we are trying to be soft on the families. It is no longer about Matthew. It stopped being about Matthew when they busted in his door!!! This is about the families and the victims!!!! Being hateful only generates more hate. When you allow your emotions to take over you become just that HATE!!!! Leniency is not what we want for criminals – what we want more than to have Matthew go hungry or homeless is to see our town and our streets safe. What you are asking for man is unrealistic! You are being irrational and I think everyone should come to their senses and be realistic about all of this! We do live in America don’t we? It seems most of the people in MtV are acting as if we live in Nazi Germany and Matthew is the Jew! We live in a country where I like to believe I am safe because of the Justice system and I would hope that “normal” people like you man are not as messed up as Matthew. I say this in reference to wanting Matthew to suffer. This seems to be the thoughts of a madman?????

          • Tae

            Raise your hand if you pay taxes

            *raises hand*

            Raise your hand if you want Matthew to sit in prison

            *raises hand*

            Raise your hand if you wish you could erase all of this for everyone

            *raises hand*

            I think we are all in agreement – no need to torture or starve or whatever you think the solution is

    • Matthew Barich

      I live less than 1 mile away from where Tina Herrmann’s truck was found.

      And I DON’T believe that torture is okay.

      • Manticore

        I’m glad. It makes me feel better to know there are reasonable people in this town.

      • Tae

        Thank you M.B.!!!

    • Esq.

      What they don’t realize is that torture won’t lead to admissible evidence, which means the prosecutor won’t get a conviction that sticks, which further means that a potentially dangerous person would be back on the street. They don’t get the fact that torture is a “get out of jail free” card in the future. Just look at yesterday’s terror trial verdict in NYC….acquitted of hundreds of counts (because of torture), only convicted on one.

      • Gracie Hudgins

        Trial should have never been brought to the States. HUGE mistake. Some change – Bah!