Deaths of 10 Palisades Youths

The front-page article was an excellent, well-researched piece about 10 young residents of the community suffering violent deaths involving alcohol and drugs. Certainly it is fair to say that alcohol is involved in a death if one drives when drunk.

However, we strongly object to the two homicide cases being lumped with the others. The fact that Clinton Heilemann had drunk a beer prior to his cold-blooded murder in a church parking lot was completely unrelated to this crime. The transient also opened fire on two of Heilemann’s friends, neither of whom had anything to drink. The criminal was convicted of attempted murder in their cases. Heilemann and his friends had as much right to be in the church parking lot as the man who murdered him.

We also contend that the fact that Teak Dyer had something to drink at the graduation party had absolutely nothing to do with a security guard being accused of her kidnaping, attempted rape and murder. Unfortunately, it is a common practice to try to find some way victims can be blamed for their own murders.

One of the things that makes it even more difficult for the grief stricken survivor of a homicide victim is for well-meaning friends to search for ways in which the victim can be held responsible for the murder. “Why was he/she there in the first place?” is a common question. Victims should have the right to go to parties and stand in church parking lots without being brutally murdered. Homicide should be blamed on the murderer. Putting the victim on trial in any manner, whether in a courtroom or the press, is wrong.

ELLEN GRIFFIN DUNNE

President

Justice for Homicide Victims

Beverly Hills