Robert Crimo III, the man accused of killing seven people and wounding 48 others when he opened fire at the July Fourth 2022 parade in Highland Park, is entitled to both competent defense attorneys and to his day in court.
He remains an alleged killer until he is convicted otherwise, however clear we all think the facts of the case to be. And when a defendant tells his attorneys he will plead guilty, and a deal is reached with prosecutors, he is well within his rights to change his mind. The plea only matters when made before a judge who is honor bound to ask him if he understands what he is doing.
We’re sure the good people of Highland Park understand and appreciate the good reasons for all of that, but our hearts still went out Wednesday to the family members who lost loved ones on that awful day.
They had come to court expecting to make victims’ statements prior to Crimo being sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to seven counts of murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery.
We’re just a week away from July Fourth, now a traumatic day for those families, probably forever. To say they were expecting closure likely is to overstate, but they surely hoped that watching Crimo be put away for life would represent some sort of helpful marker in their collective ongoing experience of pain.
He denied them that.
Crimo changed his mind and went back to jail. Unless he changes his mind again at another appearance scheduled for next month, Crimo apparently will put these families through a trial, currently scheduled for Feb. 24.
And so the bereaved are faced with a wait of another eight months to see justice. No wonder they said they felt manipulated by this man all over again.
Fortunately, Highland Park is strong. And, when given no other choice, patient.
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