[Vision2020] Comments to LMT story on Parks/Question

Wed Mar 31 18:18:52 PDT 2010

Saundra, et al,

Here's the problem with having Parks describe allegedly what occurred when he murdered his pregnant wife and burned her in an attempt to conceal the act:

How can it be determined that Parks is telling the truth?

First, we know Parks lied to investigating officers in a futile attempt to give himself an alibi.

Second, he has admitted to a cowardly, brutal, despicable act of murdering his pregnant wife and setting a fire in an attempt to burn her remains and destroy evidence.  Why would anyone believe anything such a person says?

Third, even if Parks wanted to tell the truth, he may not be able to.  Repression caused by the horror and depravity of his actions may have already irreversibly changed his memory about what happened.

Fourth, while it may be true that Sarah was murdered after a quarrel, her murder may have not happened during or immediately after a quarrel.  It may have been that Sarah/Parks had a late night quarrel during which Sarah told Parks that she was leaving him;  Parks brooded upon this for sometime and then started strangling her as she slept.  

There are forensic tests that determine the amount of certain chemicals in the blood which indicate the state of excitement of a victim at death -- adrenaline, epinephrine, etc.  The level of these chemicals would be quite different if the strangulation started and progressed as the victim slept as opposed to the amount of these chemicals in the blood if the strangulation occurred during a violent quarrel.  Where any of these tests made?  What were the results?  What would be the most probable interpretation of the results?

Given that Thompson made this plea agreement, why did he not require that Parks' statement of what happened be made public at least two weeks before sentencing?  That way: [1] people with information contrary to that alleged in the statement would have time to come forward, and [2] Parks' statement could be evaluated in light of all the evidence of all kinds so far discovered in this case.

This is another major concern:  Judge Brudie was the judge that put a murderer on probation, not parole, after on seven months time -- a murderer who shot his unarmed victim multiple times at point blank range.  It is not unreasonable to think that Brudie is either softheaded, lacks good judgment about the importance to public policy when sentencing criminals in cases where a life is taken, and/or (most importantly in the Parks case) gullible.

I hope that the PA conducts a very through, well-informed, grueling cross examination of Parks on his statement during the sentencing hearing.  I, for one, will be watching and listening carefully.

My guess is that Parks at the sentencing hearing will be awash with well planned histrionics, faux remorse, and crocodile tears in order to play upon the demonstrated gullibility, etc of the judge.

The PA has already capitulated by stipulating that the two 15 sentences for manslaughter are to be served concurrently.  How vigorously can we expect him to make whatever the sentence is for the arson to be served after whatever ends up being served for manslaughter?  I hope the PA strongly argues against any considerations of parole being allowed, and the judge has the wisdom ant courage not to allow the possibility of parole.

I still don't know if murderer, but free on bail Parks is now required to wear an electronic monitor.  How can we find out?

Wayne A. Fox
1009 Karen Lane
PO Box 9421
Moscow, ID  83843

waf at moscow.com
208 882-7975

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Saundra Lund 
  To: 'Art Deco' ; 'Vision 2020' 
  Cc: clords at dnews.com ; jmills at lmtribune.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 5:21 PM
  Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Comments to LMT story on Parks/Question

  From the LMT story:

  "Thompson said facts uncovered in the investigation support a charge of voluntary manslaughter because Silas Parks apparently acted after a sudden quarrel or in the heat of passion. That is also consistent with past instances of domestic violence between the couple that form a pattern, including one in 2006 where Silas Parks shoved Sarah Parks to the ground, he said."

  It is nothing more than a GROSS MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE when the fact that a man has an established history of abusing his wife is used by any prosecutor to justify voluntary manslaughter rather than murder charges.

  To me, the very fact that this murdering monster had a history of abusing his wife makes any "sudden quarrel or heat of passion" argument a mockery of justice in Latah County.

  Saundra Lund

  Moscow, ID

  The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.

  ~ Edmund Burke

  ***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2010 through life plus 70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the author.*****

  From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Art Deco
  Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 4:03 PM
  To: Vision 2020
  Cc: clords at dnews.com; jmills at lmtribune.com
  Subject: [Vision2020] Comments to LMT story on Parks/Question

  Comments to LMT story on Parks.  Story below.  Also, does anyone know if Parks now has to wear an electronic monitor?

  Wayne A. Fox
  1009 Karen Lane
  PO Box 9421
  Moscow, ID  83843

  waf at moscow.com
  208 882-7975

  _______________________

  Discussion
  We consider the comments section of lmtribune.com to be a key part of a constructive community dialogue. Your comments will appear as you type them. The Lewiston Tribune does not prescreen contributions to the comments section. Individuals posting libelous statements may be held individually responsible

  March 31, 2010
  7:21 am 

  caddyshack says... 

  score:  

  -28

  (show comment) 

  Why does a man get 40 years in prison for killing his wife and UNBORN child and abortion doctors get nothing? Seems like a double standard. 

  Reply to caddyshack comment 

  Replies to caddyshack's comment: 

  FTPinLWS   March 31, 2010 11:03 AM

  score: 

  2

  Why does an idiot seek to impose his or her religious/political beliefs at a
  time when he or she should be offering condolences and support? Tough questions
  indeed. 

  March 31, 2010
  8:58 am 

  gwshoes says... 

  score:  

  22

  Excuse me.... why is he free on bond? he admitted to killing two people and setting them on fire, and he is free on bond? I don't get it. so what if he is on house arrest, he still can breath fresh air unlike his wife and unborn child. Good grief what is wrong with this picture? 

  Reply to gwshoes comment 

  March 31, 2010
  9:28 am 

  rhondagoforth says... 

  score:  

  3

  More then just that is wrong with this picture! What is wrong with those parents? I am sorry but I have children and would rather see there killer rot in prison for the rest of his life then get a few minutes of grusome details on how he killed my beloved child!!! Why would you chose detail over justice.Who am I to say what I would do, my children are living. I would hope that for me commen sense would over rule my passion to find some sort of reasoning with what happened. My heart goes out to her parents along with an apology from me and all of the others who have or will judge them on their decision. 

  Reply to rhondagoforth comment 

  March 31, 2010
  9:43 am 

  Cardiff says... 

  score:  

  6

  I think he needs a bullet to the head and just end this but that isn't going to happen. On the flip side of the coin, because he is pleading guilty, I do believe he does not get any appeals so the State of Idaho won't have to retry him. Has anyone noticed that the State of Idaho is having to re-try a large amount of murderers because of appeals. Why is that? 

  Reply to Cardiff comment 

  March 31, 2010
  10:13 am 

  workingfool says... 

  score:  

  14

  This is outrageous.Taking a plea agreement so as not to get the death penalty. Did the Mother and unborn child have the choice to live or die? No. He not only killed 2 people he burnt them up to cover up his crime.

  The judges and lawyers may have a different slant on this whole thing if one of their family members was murdered.

  And to be out on bond is unacceptable. He plead guilty and should never gotten out on bond in the first place let alone now that he is guilty to continue to enjoy his freedom which his wife and child did not get to do because he murdered them in cold blood.

  Even though he had not absconded while out on bond he has nothing to lose by fleeing now. Remember the guy that ran to Ireland while out on bond.

  Haven't these ELECTED JUDGES LEARNED THEIR LESSON BY NOW?

  This piece of crap had better learn to manage his anger problem in the joint as if not he will continually get beat down by inmates just like him that have nothing to loose either. 30 days in the hole is nothing to these guys.

  I hope he has to sleep with one eye open for the rest of his sorry life.

  Reply to workingfool comment 

  Replies to workingfool's comment: 

  mg2000   March 31, 2010 12:12 PM

  score: 

  8

  Unfortunately the prosecutors had already decided to not go for the death 
  penalty BEFORE he enterred into the plea agreement, which is why he 
  qualified for bond - not sure why that is - regarless if you are looking at 
  life or death, you should have to remain in jail until your tried - I would 
  think the temptation to flee would be the same? I also find it 
  unacceptable that he gets to stay out on bond while awaiting 
  sentencing! What's the point? He's gonna have to serve time (although 
  he's getting off mighty easy for killing 2 people) so why didn't he have to 
  go back in immediately? I don't understand why you get to remain free 
  (oh sorry, on house arrest) until your sentencing? Plus, he's probably 
  gonna get credit for the time he served under house arrest. 

  March 31, 2010
  10:25 am 

  wowmom says... 

  score:  

  14

  I am VERY disappointed in the prosecutor's office and the entire judicial system in Latah County. What a shame!! This man killed two people and is getting treated with kid gloves. He deserves nothing less than life in prison. Judge Brudie - please - sentence him to the maximum of 40 years with NO parole. Do it for not only Sarah, but for her unborn baby. 

  Reply to wowmom comment 

  March 31, 2010
  10:49 am 

  jdharris says... 

  score:  

  5

  Gee, I don't remember Shakleford running around in 4 county's after he murdered and burnt 2 people. What's the deal with that crap. 

  Reply to jdharris comment 

  March 31, 2010
  11:00 am 

  FTPinLWS says... 

  score:  

  7

  IMHO, the ONLY people who can define what justice is, are those who know and love Sarah. We can sit here and judge all we want, and God forbid any of you will ever have to really know what you would do in this situation. There is no real justice when an act of violence takes from you that which cannot be replaced. I, unfortunately, understand this. And I truly hope none of you ever reach that understanding. Please consider just letting the friends and family of Sarah cope and grieve in a manner that works for them. 

  Reply to FTPinLWS comment 

  ____________________________________________________

  Silas Parks takes plea deal
    a.. March 31st, 2010 
    b.. (10) comments 
  By Joel Mills of the Tribune 

  He pleads guilty to arson and manslaughter instead of murder in death of his pregnant wife in Moscow

  MOSCOW - Sarah Parks' family badly wants to know how she died. 

  With that in mind, they are supporting a plea agreement that will send her husband Silas Parks to prison for a maximum of 40 years, Latah County Prosecutor William Thompson Jr. said. 

  "I think at this point, in addition to wanting to be assured that an appropriate punishment is handed down, they also want to know exactly what happened," Thompson said. 

  Silas Parks pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to two counts of voluntary manslaughter and one count of first-degree arson in connection with the death last year of his pregnant wife, Sarah Parks, a third-grade teacher at Moscow Charter School. 

  Silas Parks, 26, was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder and the arson count. But a plea deal negotiated with the Latah County Prosecutor's Office reduced the murder charges. It also stipulated that as part of a presentence investigation, Silas Parks will describe in detail how he killed Sarah Parks and then set fire to their Moscow duplex. 

  The results of that investigation won't be made public, but will be discussed at sentencing, Thompson said. 

  Second District Judge Jeff Brudie set sentencing for June 8. Parks faces up to 15 years for each of the voluntary manslaughter convictions. As per terms of the plea agreement, those sentences will be served concurrently. 

  Silas Parks faces up to 25 years for the arson conviction. Brudie will decide whether Parks serves that sentence concurrently, or after he finishes the manslaughter sentence. The judge will also have full discretion on how many years of each sentence will be fixed, with no possibility of parole. 

  The prosecution will recommend a total sentence near the overall maximum of 40 years on all the charges, Thompson said. 

  The manslaughter pleas state that Silas Parks killed Sarah Parks and her unborn daughter Lilly Ann Parks on June 24, 2009, without malice and "upon a sudden quarrel or in the heat of passion," according to court documents. The method of death was suffocation or strangulation. 

  The arson plea states that Silas Parks deliberately set fire to the couple's home at 904 Vandal Drive. The fire was presumably set to cover up the crimes, according to police reports. 

  Silas Parks will remain free on bond while he awaits sentencing, but will be under house arrest at his parents' Kendrick property. 

  Thompson said facts uncovered in the investigation support a charge of voluntary manslaughter because Silas Parks apparently acted after a sudden quarrel or in the heat of passion. That is also consistent with past instances of domestic violence between the couple that form a pattern, including one in 2006 where Silas Parks shoved Sarah Parks to the ground, he said. 

  He was initially charged with domestic battery in that incident, but later pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace. 

  The couple underwent ongoing counseling, Thompson said. But very few people were really aware of their troubled relationship. 

  "A lot of people who were friends and family acquaintances did not know everything that was going on," Thompson said. "The investigation indicates that Sarah wanted to keep her life private, and look at the best parts of life." 

  Sarah Parks' mother Laura Allen listened to Tuesday's plea hearing by telephone from her home in Mexia, Ala. 

  She and other family members will have a right to address Silas Parks at his sentencing hearing. 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20100331/427c30a3/attachment-0001.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/png
Size: 643 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20100331/427c30a3/attachment-0002.png 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/png
Size: 630 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20100331/427c30a3/attachment-0003.png 