Posted on 10/16/2007 8:47:17 AM PDT by Stoat
PULASKI, Tenn. - A convicted murderer who escaped from an Indiana prison 35 years ago was found living quietly in a small Tennessee town, authorities said Tuesday.
Linda Darby, 64, was arrested Friday in Pulaski, a small city near the Alabama border where she was going by the name Linda Joe McElroy.
Giles County Sheriff Kyle Helton said he was acquainted with Darby and thought she had been living in Pulaski for at least 30 years.
"As far as I know she never had any criminal history after she came here," he said. "She never got into any trouble. She led a flawless life."
Darby was sentenced to life in prison in 1970 for her husband's murder, but she escaped from the Indiana Women's Prison in March 1972 by climbing over a barbed-wire fence.
Pulaski Police Capt. John Dickey said investigators in Indiana had contacted the department about Darby and authorities from both states worked together to find and arrest her.
Helton said she was being held at the county jail and has waived an extradition hearing. She was expected to be moved to Indiana on Tuesday.
Same way illegals do. Fake documents.
If this woman was really being abused by her husband; then she should be let go.
exactly... i believe it's because men mostly kill in what is called "a crime of passion." it's difficult for a woman to kill a man in "a crime of passion." we just aren't strong enough... a man can more easily choke a woman to death "just like that." a woman needs to plan/premeditate if she's are going to kill a man who has been abusing her... it's not fair!
Some women have found the means to overcome the physical strength issue :-)
.....and I believe that at least in past times, women have traditionally opted for poisoning and stabbing even when a firearm might have been available to commit an illegal homicide. Some say that it's because they want to see prolonged suffering and / or want to be "up close and personal".
Yep. Your taxes at work. Guess they don’t have any real criminals to take care of. Got to go drag in 64 year old women that have done nothing wrong in 30 years.
Must be nice to throw other people’s money away.
I suspect that is why it took them 35 years to catch her in the first place. In many (not all) cases, I think the cat is out of the bag. If some women want to get away with murder, all they need to say is the man was abusing her.
I don’t see anything to indicate what her character might or might not be in this article.
The comments of her neighbors and of the local sheriff.
Thats not changing ‘character’ thats called ‘hiding in plain sight because I’m a convicted murderer that escaped’.
About the only thing you can say based on the neighbors and sheriff is that she became very careful.
in any case, it’s not as easy for a woman to kill a man in a crime of passion... it’s a physical strength issue...
Maybe everybody should get one “free hit” in their lifetime...Like, when you’re 35, your license becomes active (just so you won’t waste it on your youth).
I just don’t understand how someone would know how to get fake documents. Not if you’re a regular citizen, anyway.
If I ever went on the lam (not that I plan to!), I wouldn’t have a clue.
Like I said, I just find this all rather fascinating. As for this particular case, it’s hard to know what to think. She’s obviously not a huge threat to the world at large; but some sort of justice should be served, I suppose. It just doesn’t seem like jail time does a lot of good at this point.
As you suggest, I would tend toward letting her go IF AND ONLY IF the former husband truly needed killing. I find myself referring to my check book more and more when it comes to criminals any more. Some times it works out to the criminals advantage as it *might* in this case. Other times, I’d spend a couple bucks max for a bullet or some electricity rather then 10’s of 1,000’s a year keeping some scum bad in a super-max.
Super-max prisons should not provide long term care.
Right, it would be a mental bother to live with if the “killee” were innocent and maybe just borderline needing killed. However, when faced with such a problem just think of the act as doing you duty and having the fortitude to carry it out. Of course being a hair psycopathical doesn’t hurt. Hmmmm. You gotta be crazy to do shit like that.
If our posse had caught her she’d likely have been shot as a “fleeing felon”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.