Fraters Libertas

Three Time Loser And Counting

Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch made an appearance on CNN a few nights ago, commenting on the status of the the Dru Sjodin case, especially in regard to her alleged assailant, Alfonso Rodriquez. Host Aaron Brown wanted to know why this three time convicted sexual offender was released by Minnesota authorities. Hatch never directly answers the question, but in his response, he reveals that the three convictions may only be a partial list of the crimes committed by this filthy bastard. Here’s an excerpt of the CNN transcript (all emphasis mine):

BROWN: Do you know, I gather in this case the corrections department and the people who, I don't want to convict Mr. Rodriguez here, he's entitled to a trial and a presumption but in any case he was on the loose. Do you know what their files said on him in terms of his likelihood to re-offend?

HATCH: Well, I think I can make the following comments by referring to what's already been in the media and that is, is that he had been charged with two separate rapes in 1974. I believe he was approximately the age of 20. He had been convicted, placed into a sex offender program in St. Peter.

In 1978 he had been placed in a halfway house in Mankato. He then contacted Saint Peter, asked to be readmitted to the facility because there had been a number of rapes in Mankato and he thought he might be implicated.

Prior to getting back into Saint Peter, he had been arrested for those rapes and charged. He had been acquitted. He had a hung trial and then an acquittal on the charge of rape in Mankato, completed his treatment at Saint Peter through 1980, was released back to -- released from the program, went back to Crookston in 1980, had abducted another woman, stabbed her, attempted, we believe, sex, was charged with kidnapping, convicted, received a maximum sentence of 20 years, plus three more years from the prior sentence.

He had refused sex offender treatment in prison. He had refused alcohol, chemical dependency treatment, even though he had a history of that. And the two, alcohol and chemicals, are well known to reduce the ability of the individual to fight the impulse.

Despite overwhelming circumstantial evidence in the Sjodin case, Rodriquez’s current stance is of blanket denial and stonewalling authorities on locating the poor girl’s body. I suspect at least part of his motivation in this is his feeling that he might be able to beat the rap - since he’s already done it before. I also get the sense that he believes the legal authorities (and by that I mean the corrections officials, judges, and any juries he has to face) are naive. And how could he not come to that conclusion? Despite multiple convictions and a clinical conclusion that he’s highly likely to rape again - they just let him go without any supervision. This unfortunately justified belief on his part will prolong the investigation and the torment for the Sjodins. And if Rodriquez isn’t ever coerced into speaking, we may never get final resolution in this case.

It’s yet another argument in favor of the death penalty. Right now the authorities have no leverage with Rodriquez. They’ve already announced they will be no deal (for instance, a reduced sentence) for information on where he left her body. And since he’s facing a sentence of life imprisonment no matter if they find her body or not - why would he jeopardize his chance that he could con another gullible jury and get away scot free? Not that there’s any reasonable chance of this outcome (since even a failed criminal trial would almost certainly be followed by civil commitment proceedings), but that’s how fevered criminal minds who’ve been coddled by the system think.

On the other hand, if there were a death penalty, suddenly a leverage point emerges. Tell us what you did with the girl and you live. Clam up and you die. That still might not be enough to get the truth out of this evil man, but it’s an option we don’t have now. And if he chose to remain silent anyway, at least we’d get to kill him.