Gordon Robinson | The essence of chivalry

In Apocrypha, our favourite Fantasyland far, far away, where all politicians are friends and Oma D'unn solves political problems by parable, justice was the hot topic.

Oma's hobby of advising his political pal, R. U. Shaw, became so popular that, upon retirement, he founded the Consultancy Firm Oma Unsacked. Recently, Oma upgraded his operation to take telephone consults.

The first caller was Jollyman KillVera, a disgraced former politician, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter instead of murder in the killing of his wife. Widespread criticism of the plea deal followed so Jollyman asked Oma how to ensure his safety in prison despite the opprobrium.

Oma told him to be thankful. Jollyman was confused so Oma told the story of a husband in prison other than for killing his wife.

A woman visits her husband in prison. They have a long talk then the guard tells them their time is over. The woman gets up to leave, but before reaching the door, turns to the Corrections Officer: “You shouldn't make my husband work so hard. He's exhausted!”

C.O. laughs: “Work? Ma'am, all he does is eat, sleep and sit in his cell. He doesn't even go outside in the yard!”

“Don't lie to me!” exclaimed the wife. “He just told me he's been digging a tunnel every day for months!”

Jollyman still looked blank so Oma said “that was a man who wished he was in for killing his wife and a wife, maybe dumb but not so dumb, who enjoyed current living arrangements.” Oma assured Jollyman that, in all-male prisons, killing your wife isn't a crime so he's won't be Epsteined.

Back home on JamRock, public condemnation of a recent plea agreement between D.P.P. and confessed wife-killer, Jolyan Silvera, was voluminous and voluble. Initially reports had her dying in her sleep from natural causes.

D.P.P's official statement justifying acceptance of the plea offer included the following as FACTS:

“Sometime before 6AM on [November 11, 2023] , one of the children [then 10 years old] went into his parents' bedroom and discovered his mother's lifeless body on the floor next to their bed [my emphasis]. He noticed there was blood coming from her orifices and her dress was covered with blood. He ran from the bedroom and alerted his brother who accompanied him back to his parents' bedroom where they both checked for signs of life.”

This is a classic crime scene description. Probably the only inference incapable of being drawn from this would be that the deceased died in her sleep from natural causes. Did that diagnosis originate from a medical source? It certainly didn't come from the children.

D.P.P's “facts” include that when Silvera arrived home “ he saw his wife in a sitting position with her head leaning forward at the side of the bed”

A lone policeman, from Stony Hill Station, who'd been contacted by Jolyan on his way home, arrived “sometime after” and “went into the bedroom where he saw the body of Melissa Silvera.”

Where was the body then? Had it been moved? Was it moved? By Jolyan alone? Did the policeman interview the children? Did he investigate anything? Did he send for Homicide Detectives? What did he do?

“..He took a photograph of the body with his cellular telephone and Mr. Silvera cried out; he had Mr. Silvera cover the nude section of the body [my emphasis] . The First Responder did not further examine the body as Mr. Silvera was still crying.”

WHAT??? A policeman watched (or, worse, instructed/“had”) the husband cover the body? Didn't he see what the children saw? Why not? Then he didn't “further examine” the body because hubby was CRYING?

Somebody MUST be high!

“The First Responder, after learning from Mr. Silvera that Mrs. Silvera had no known medical condition, indicated that a post-mortem examination would be conducted to determine cause of death. He then contacted House of Tranquillity Funeral Home for removal of the body. He then left.”

The scene the children described doesn't require a post mortem to discover what medical condition caused death. It required crime scene protection and immediate investigation. Instead this policeman took a photo; spoke to Jolyan; instructed a Funeral Home to REMOVE THE BODY? Then LEFT???

This must be the Guy Lombardo Show!

I'm not contributing to the murder versus manslaughter debate. Not qualified! Also, it's more important that justice visits ALL who may've aided the confessed killer's cover up. This belated confession shouldn't be the end. It shouldn't even be the beginning of the end. Further investigation seems indicated. Why such a perfunctory approach by “First Responder”? Why was only one policeman informed? Who worked on the renovations and what did he see? Did a licensed gunsmith modify the gun? Where? Why?

Neither Jollyman nor Jolyan need worry about safety in prison. If you've killed your wife, in prison, shivalry is also dead.

Peace and Love.

 

Gordon Robinson is an attorney-at-law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com