Delayed Justice

The memorial walk for Shannon Marie Siders yesterday in Newaygo was thoughtfully and lovingly organized.  The participants walked from City hall, over the river, and up the hill to the cemetery.  There were some songs, a little preaching, and remembrances.  Then they trekked down the hill and back to City Hall, where they released 22 pink balloons, one for each year the identity of her murderer or murderers has remained unknown.   “Police are working hard at solving this,” said organizer Aimee Bonner.  “And they’re close..one thing away from having it solved.”  All it’s going to take, she says, if for the right person to come forward.

Let it be so.  Today would be good.

(Here’s Channel 13’s account of the event.)

A lot of sleepless nights…and I know I have no reason to complain.  After all, I’m relatively new to this case; I’ve only been aware of it a little more than a year, and only really mindful of details in the last few months.  What must it be like for those who’ve lived with it for the last 22 years?  I can only imagine.  There is something about this case that wakes me from my sleep at night, something so unsettling that I find myself compelled to pray.

I understand we’ll have a chance to do that in the company of others this evening.  We’ll know more later.

Her boyfriend, the town police officer who watched her grow up, friends, and, of course, her family.  That’s what we learned:  Shannon Marie Siders was loved and she mattered.

The interviews are coming along; we do them as we’re able.  We’re not done by a long shot, but the case has started to assume its own direction.  That’s what happens in a film: you push to get it moving, but at a certain point it just takes off.  I think that’s starting.  The hours and hours ahead of us for editing will assume a similar process: the story will insist on its own direction.

But that’s a ways off, yet.  For now, the answers to our questions come to this for the people who knew Shannon: she was precious and working to find herself, to determine her path.  We understand that the manner of her death brings her case in front of our lens, but it’s really the matter and the manner of her life that’s even more important.  Who was she?

There are answers.

The camera is returned and is supposed to be fixed; it worked fine in a brief test.  The real trial for it is later this week in the field.  We’re headed back to Newaygo where we’ve received a lot of cooperation from people who want the Shannon Marie Siders case resolved.

And there is a notice on the Shanon Siders’ facebook page about a memorial walk this wekend:

There will be a Shannon Siders Memorial Walk on July 17th at 6 p.m.  We will begin at the City of Newaygo Police Department and walk to the cemetery. We will pause for scripture reading and remember Shannon`s life.  We will return to the park by the police department where we will light 22 floating candles in memory of Shannon.

Across the state there is a trial in the 2001 murder of Tory Moross. You can read the Oakland County Press account of it here.  It’s yet another delayed case that investigators have been able to crack.  There are increasing numbers of these old cases that are being solved thanks to the continuing efforts of dedicated law enforcement personnel.  They have new science and new methods at their behest and they use ’em in combination with hard work and determination.

Technology can be such a boon. But when things go awry there’s not much the average guy can do. When last we were in Newaygo my camera powered down. It had just been fixed for doing that and not coming up again, so when were were able to finish the interview I was grateful, but the next day I sent the camera back again because it wasn’t completely fixed. The good folks at Canon said they would run it through some of their most bitter testing to see if there might have been an underlying problem in addition to the one they found. So, that’s where things have stood…me without my camera. Not good.

I’ve been told the camera is on the way back and I’m trying to set up more interviews for next week. It’s not from a lack of desire that we have been standing by the sidelines.

I am reminded, too, that this camera is five years old, owes me nothing, and probably should be replaced in the near future. We’ll do as we’re able. Too, I’ve been waiting for Canon to introduce a large-sensor video camera, something like the Panasonic AG-AF100 or the new Sony NEX-FS100. Now, Canon started the large sensor battle with its DSLRs that did everything. Sometimes, though, by the time they’re rigged out they look like Frankencameras. I’d like to avoid that if I could. So, here’s to a fixed camera for now and maybe a new one some day soon.