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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Many years ago, I did a Term Paper in College on the Death Penalty, and whether it was actually a deterrent or not. There is absolutely no correlation between lower Murder Rates in the states that have the Death Penalty Vs. States without it. That is the ULTIMATE consequence, however, Murder, like many sex offenses, tends to be a crime of passion or opportunity. It is rarely planned out in advance. When you are committing a crime like this, you are not thinking of consequences, you are only thinking of the immediate return/pleasure. It is a crime of impulse control, and no matter how well your rational mind knows the consequences, the irrational takes over.
The bigger question becomes, why does this crime, unlike any other, invoke such a visceral response in people that even after sentences are served, that we are so feared and reviled? I do believe the Media plays a big role, expanding the outlier cases, and “stranger danger”, but there has to be more. If the majority of the most heinous of crimes are committed by trusted people, why are there no education programs and billions of dollars going into spotting that and stopping it before it happens, rather than punishing people who tend to have the lowest recidivism rates among all crimes?
@Hopeful
But like my case and many others, the law sees no different between raping someone and being with someone who wanted to be with you. I took 100% responsibility and paid the price for it. Not all people who make a mistake are repeat offenders. However, the bashers all claim we are all sick, can never be cured (what are we being cured of?) and should die in prison, and would do it again if given the chance.
We are not dogs who when you tell them to not eat anymore and you walk away, they eat the entire bag of dog food.
Sir, I stand by what I said.
THAN WE MUST CHANGE AS A PEOPLE AND TEACH OTHERS EARLY IN LIFE THAT IF YOU RAPE. MOLEST OR RAPE SOMEONE. ANOTHER PERSON MAY KILL YOU BEFORE THE LAW CATCHES YOU.
Rape, molestation and murder date back to the beginning of civilization. The Bible has multiple instances of each crime. But vigilantism is not acceptable.
But what about people that are on the list for NON CONTACT crimes or crimes that did not involve real victims (ie: police stings)?
Those people are on the same list, encounter the same vigilantes. Do you think they deserve to be murdered as well for having the same label?
Sir, with all due respect when a person molests, kills or rapes someone that’s simply a murder of the self emotionally for life. That person will never be mentally correct in life as opposed to someone who lived a life void of that nasty behavior. So, while I might sound off to you many agree with my stance, IF YOU KILL SOMEONE YOU MUST DIE ALSO. I do believe in Natural Selection in LIFE, no matter what you say. WE WILL AGREE TO DISAGEREE AT THSI TIME.
MR D
Not everyone on the registry committed a rape. There are TONS of fake police stings where that person was arrested and never touched a single person not even looked at porn. It was a deputy pretending to be a kid. Yes I believe in protecting kids but do you think someone caught in a fake scenario should serve the same sentence of someone who actually raped a child?
@Mr. D
God always forgives, mankind, not so much.
The key is to get people to understand the totality of doing someone wrong as in if you murder someone the Town Square will be after you faster than the police. I truly believe in what you put out into the universe you will get back sooner than later.
@Mr. D
Vigilantism has never worked throughout all the centuries of mankind.
Just like a broken wheel, it hasn’t worked then and it won’t work now.