How is this possible? Vigilantism is Celebrated and Justice is Ignored
In a deeply troubling display of misplaced outrage, protestors gathered outside the Elkhart County Courthouse in Goshen, Indiana last week—not to denounce murder, but to defend it. They rallied not in support of justice, but to glorify vigilantism. Signs reading “Free Nic” and “Nick Stanley Doesn’t Deserve Jail” were hoisted by individuals who believe that the accused killer of a man named Allen Cogswell should be praised, not prosecuted.
Let’s unpack this… Cogswell, who was recently released from prison and labeled a sex offender, was shot and killed at a motel on June 24. The accused, Nicholas Stanley, is reportedly related to one of the victims in Cogswell’s past case. While the pain and trauma that come with sexual abuse are real and lasting—and deserving of compassion and support—what is being endorsed here is not healing. It’s revenge.
The most alarming aspect of this protest is the open call for stricter punishment for the victim of the murder. Yes, you read that right. A man was murdered, and the response from the crowd was not to demand accountability, but to say he deserved it—and to call for harsher penalties for registrants. How is that even logically possible?
This is the horrifying reality of public registries and the mob mentality they encourage. The registry doesn’t just track people; it paints a target on their backs. It fuels vigilante violence by branding individuals with a modern-day scarlet letter—ignoring rehabilitation, reform, or redemption.
People like Cogswell serve their time. But because their names, faces, and locations are published and broadcasted with the click of a button, they never stop being punished—by neighbors, landlords, employers, and in this case, by a man with a gun. Murder is murder. There is no justification for it, no matter what the criminal history of the victim. If we start condoning homicide as a form of “justice,” where does it stop? Who gets to decide whose life is worth taking? A gang of bikers with a Facebook page?
Articles like this one only serve one purpose; to escalate the dangerous belief that those on the registry are subhuman, and therefore disposable. The law doesn’t work that way. Nor should it. What kind of society do we live in where the news media celebrates vigilantism. In addition to contacting WNDU News and suggesting they post an op-ed, we should be asking politicians (who now have another example of how the registry is being used as a hit list), why they make it so easy for a vigilante to find and execute this man?
We are by no means excusing the victim’s past crimes. We empathize with victim’s trauma. But we also don’t excuse murder. Justice in this country comes from a courtroom, not a lynch mob.
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A
The question that Cherokee asked wasn’t answered. The registry fails to differentiate between offenses. Not everyone on the registry committed the same crime. As to the need for the death penalty, how does this help prevent sex crimes? There is no conclusive evidence to show that the death penalty prevents crime.
🙏 pray for those poor girls and their families lost in horrfic flooding in Texas. God save their little souls.
Pray for everyone on the registry.
@Mrs Daksha
Yes, that was very sad news. Numerous families are in mourning and will take a long time for them to heal. Each year when their birthdays come around, that will spark more sadness. I hope and pray they are all with the Lord and the families will find comfort knowing they are hopefully in a better place.
Awesome and Florda just did the same. I support any law that will keep most people from committing these heinous crimes.
How is this law in Tennessee or Florida going to prevent crime? The death penalty is not a deterrent for crime.
Bwj
Potential offenders may think before they rape children
Study after study shows that the death penalty does not deter crime, puts innocent people to death, is racially biased, and is cruel and inhumane. It is state-sanctioned homicide, wholly ineffective, often botched, and a much more expensive punishment than life imprisonment. There is no ethical, scientifically supported, medically acceptable or morally justifiable way to carry it out. Detterrence is probably the most commonly expressed rationale for the death penalty. The essence of the theory is that the threat of being executed in the future will be sufficient to cause a significant number of people to refrain from committing a heinous crime they had otherwise planned.
@A
Just an honest question. Are you under the impression that all of us raped children?
I heard a story of an older couple who were nudists. They had a high fence around their backyard for privacy. Two of the kids that lived next store peeked over the fence and took photos of the couple and showed their parents the photos. The parents called the police.
Something as simple as that could land someone in jail and onto the registry. I do not know all the details or the outcome but one day you are a citizen and a neighbor, they next day your life could end as you know it.
Cherokee
It’s not about you, it’s about people who commit heinous crimes against children
And victims are less likely to report since it will probably be a family member or friend who commits the act. And perps are more likely to murder their victims to ensure silence. Death penalty is blood list disguised as justice.
bwj
The purpose of laws related to rape is to protect victims of sexual assault and prevent the defendant from introducing evidence or questioning about the victim’s prior sexual behavior1. Rape is a crime in which sexual intercourse is committed without consent, through force, threats, or fearful intimidation.
. The legal definition of rape
generally, involves non-consensual sexual penetration. Thats why we need laws
I contend that the law will not act as a deterrent . There appears to be a lack of statistical evidence to support the idea of deterrence. SCOTUS decided that the death penalty was unconstitutional in cases such as this and increased the probability that the victim would be killed.
Unfortunately, it gets worse for Tennesseeans .. Now it’s the DEATH PENALTY for crimes of rape, especially children .. this law just recently passed this year in Tennessee and was joyfully signed into effect by Governor Bill Lee .. Many are scared that someone may SAY an individual has done something just to get them locked up and strapped to a gurney awaiting a needle .. or electric chair .. It’s getting worse, not better ..
@Luther
Wait until they apply it retro-actively. The registry itself was retro-actively applied to many of us well after we had taken a plea or were sentenced. My crime was six years before the registry existed but here I am on it for 28 years and over 23 years past my sentence, and for life.
My crime was 34 years ago. Have I and others not been punished enough? I had never been arrested before my incident and nothing since then. Pretty clear I and many others are no threat. There are some who do not learn their lesson and I agree, those are the ones they should be focuses on, not those of us who have served all of our time without incident.