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The Parade of Experts What everyone knows about the sniper.
NRO ^ | October 22, 2002 | Jack Dunphy

Posted on 10/22/2002 11:35:34 AM PDT by gubamyster

October 22, 2002 9:00 a.m.

He's a lone nut . . .There are two of them . . . He's from al Qaeda . . . He's a local . . . He's psychotic . . . He's media savvy . . . He's a teenager . . . He's in his late 20s or early 30s . . . He may strike again tomorrow . . . He might not strike again for days . . .

And on and on and on.

As happens from time to time, a crime story is suddenly the story, and the networks have once again cast a wide net in their effort to haul in enough "experts" to fill the 24-hour news cycle. Unfortunately, what they've filled it with has, for the most part, been drivel. If you've been following — and how could you not be — the coverage of the D.C.-area sniper investigation, you've heard the opinions of retired FBI agents, former police detectives, forensic psychologists (whatever that might mean), ex-military snipers, and all manner of others who have somehow convinced harried news producers that they are worthy of a bit of face time on the tube and have something interesting to add to the discussion. Having digested some of this discussion over the past few days, one thing is transparently clear to me, as it should be to you: Nobody knows nothin'. Soon we'll be seeing some talking head identified by a graphic such as this: "Amos McDuff — watched every episode of Mannix."

The various theories are contradictory, even self-contradictory at times, and every time one of the more plausible of them seems to gain currency the sniper does something to invalidate it. You think he only hits during daylight? Boom, someone is shot at night. Only on weekdays? Boom, someone goes down on a Saturday. But there are a few things we can reasonably suppose, and one of them is that when you broadcast to the world that a certain area will be saturated with police officers, and that this same area will be under surveillance by military aircraft capable of monitoring the movement of every last living creature for miles around, the evil-doer is very likely to do his evil elsewhere. As indeed the sniper did, shooting a man as he exited a restaurant with his wife last Saturday in Ashland, Va., about 90 miles south of where the police were focusing their efforts.

Another virtual certainty is that shutting down the I-95 and stopping every car within miles of the latest shooting will yield little but frustration, both to the cops who are forced to waste time on a fruitless exercise and to the people who are inconvenienced. First of all, there aren't enough cops in Virginia, Maryland, or in both states combined to put up an effective blockade against the sniper's escape, and as there seems to be no agreement even on what type of car he may be driving, responding officers don't know what they should be looking for when these roadblocks are set up. For all anyone knows, the sniper may be pulling into the very parking lots where his victims lie, blending in with the confusion even before the first police cars arrive.

There have been times when I was at more murder scenes in a month than some of these so-called experts were in their entire careers, yet I have only the vaguest suspicions about the person responsible for these crimes. And no one unconnected to the investigation has any more of an idea about it than I do, but that hasn't prevented some of these people from spouting off with their theories on the news shows. But if you don't have a theory, preposterous though it may be, you don't get to be on television. A few days ago, Larry King was trading conjectures regarding the sniper's television-viewing habits with Robert Ressler, a former FBI profiler. "Would he be inclined to watch this program?" King asked. The answer: "I think so, Larry." If that's the case, King must be torn over the prospect of the sniper's capture: How unfortunate to lose one of his few remaining viewers.

But the inanities won't stop until the sniper is captured or killed, and if he's arrested and brought to trial we face the unpleasant prospect of all those TV lawyers competing with the retired cops for airtime. And what they'll say won't make any more sense than what is being said now, for no one goes on television and admits he doesn't have a clue. Imagine the following exchange:

"Joining us tonight on Larry King Live is Jack Dunphy, of the Los Angeles Police Department. So, Jack, what kind of person is this sniper? Where should the authorities in Virginia and Maryland be looking?"

"Beats the heck outta me, Larry. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. Nice suspenders, by the way."

"Uh . . . thanks. Tomorrow night, Regis Philbin and Joan Collins . . ."

I don't think Mr. King's people will be calling my people anytime soon.

— Jack Dunphy is an officer in the Los Angeles Police Department. "Jack Dunphy" is the author's nom de cyber. The opinions expressed are his own and almost certainly do not reflect those of the LAPD management.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia; US: Maryland; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: sniper
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1 posted on 10/22/2002 11:35:34 AM PDT by gubamyster
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To: gubamyster
All this media is doing is getting people killed as he uses it to elude, evade and get new ideas to perpetuate his reign of terror.

2 posted on 10/22/2002 11:36:52 AM PDT by Liberals are Evil Socialists!
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To: gubamyster
...and if he's arrested and brought to trial we face the unpleasant prospect of all those TV lawyers competing with the retired cops for airtime.

I hadn't really thought of that. Just one more reason to hope the s.o.b. gets blown away the minute they find him.

3 posted on 10/22/2002 11:43:41 AM PDT by San Jacinto
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To: San Jacinto
That won't stop the lawyers.
4 posted on 10/22/2002 11:47:25 AM PDT by Dark Seraph
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To: gubamyster
Mark Steyn had a good column on this as well: Zigging and zagging on the sniper's trail - it's a good read.
5 posted on 10/22/2002 11:47:25 AM PDT by Prodigal Son
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To: gubamyster
"For all anyone knows, the sniper may be pulling into the very parking lots where his victims lie, blending in with the confusion even before the first police cars arrive."

For all anyone knows, this psychopath checked into a motel a quarter mile down the road an hour or so before knocking off his latest victim, scooted down to his room well before the cops have a foot down on the gas pedal, propped himself up on one of the double beds, grabbed the remote and watched the ensuing dragnets with the same joy an dirty old man gets from watching his latest blue movie...



6 posted on 10/22/2002 11:49:18 AM PDT by BaghdadBarney
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To: gubamyster
Boom, someone goes down on a Saturday.

Not quite true. The sabbath ends at sunset. The shooting was after dark.

7 posted on 10/22/2002 11:50:02 AM PDT by js1138
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To: gubamyster
I say the sniper is Colonel Mustard, in the dining room, with the wrench.
8 posted on 10/22/2002 11:50:25 AM PDT by dead
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To: gubamyster
"Would he be inclined to watch this program?" King asked. The answer: "I think so, Larry." If that's the case, King must be torn over the prospect of the sniper's capture: How unfortunate to lose one of his few remaining viewers.

Why would Larry lose a viewer? They get cable in prison.

9 posted on 10/22/2002 11:51:00 AM PDT by sharktrager
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To: dead
I was certain it was Hannibal Lecter. I heard through the grapevine that Dr. Chilton is letting him hone his skills on the firing range...
10 posted on 10/22/2002 11:55:34 AM PDT by BaghdadBarney
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To: gubamyster
I have no idea any more who the perp(s) are or whether they will ever get caught. But my sence of America is that this too will get old. As bad as it is, your chances of winning Lotto are better. If it turns out to be terrorism, we should continue the policy of tracking down and shutting off the money supply. this sounds boring, but it is the only way to actually win.
11 posted on 10/22/2002 11:56:28 AM PDT by js1138
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To: Liberals are Evil Socialists!
All this media is doing is getting people killed as he uses it to elude, evade and get new ideas to perpetuate his reign of terror.

I'm just waiting for someone to say, "You know, he hasn't shot any newspeople yet!" And then after he whacks one, "Well, he's only shot one."

12 posted on 10/22/2002 11:56:30 AM PDT by Doug Loss
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To: gubamyster
One reason for all the mindless twitter, is because of the lack of solid information.

If the authorities would release some pertinent info (not all, just some)someone would know what to look for, or who it sounds like, or remember something pertinent to the case.

Almost all the experts seem to agree; this case will be solved by luck, or by some citizen seeing something that pegs who the shooter is. And yet, the police are staying quiet with all information. Hmmmmm...wonder why?

13 posted on 10/22/2002 11:58:42 AM PDT by porte des morts
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To: gubamyster
The most pathetic person of all was the people-pleasing police lieutenant at the steak-house shooting. He bought everyone refreshments, said he would "be here for you," would have a press conference every half hour, etc. Finally the police chief elbowed him out of the way and said, "We have nothing new to report. Our next scheduled press conference will be at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning." The lieutenant was milking his 15 minutes of fame for all it was worth.
14 posted on 10/22/2002 12:06:03 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: gubamyster
I'm surprised Daschle or the Clintons are not blaming these shootings on VP Cheney (since he's in undisclosed locations).
15 posted on 10/22/2002 12:09:19 PM PDT by Cobra64
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To: San Jacinto
It occurs to me that even that won't stop the sniping. If this is Islamo terrorist, they will simply rotate someone else into position when the current shooter is killed or captured. Then we will have to hear the criticism that the original shooter couldn't be/have been guilty because the killings haven't stopped. This ain't your father's law enforcement, folks.
16 posted on 10/22/2002 12:23:07 PM PDT by Let's Roll
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To: Liberals are Evil Socialists!
All this media is doing is getting people killed as he uses it to elude, evade and get new ideas to perpetuate his reign of terror.

And yet... if they didn't do this wall-to-wall saturation coverage, what would happen to the dozens of sniper-related 200-post threads that pop up on FR daily?

17 posted on 10/22/2002 12:23:15 PM PDT by Constitutionalist Conservative
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To: Cobra64
i would give anything to hear a talking head or "expert" say "whoever is doing this has a small, nonfunctioning penis".
18 posted on 10/22/2002 12:24:02 PM PDT by contessa machiaveli
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To: gubamyster
What's most important is that the sniper is not committing hate crimes. Isn't everyone relieved?
19 posted on 10/22/2002 12:28:30 PM PDT by PeoplesRepublicOfWashington
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To: PeoplesRepublicOfWashington
your sick and twisted! now he will target a specific group, now you've gone and done it.

what if he were a FReeper and recieved his ideas from FR? what then? or Democrat Underground?

20 posted on 10/22/2002 12:44:03 PM PDT by smokegenerator
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