“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.”
Bob Dylan
With all the online search engines currently available to us, we are suddenly imbued with investigatory superpowers unimaginable before.
Google is magic. Once, if you wanted to research you had to get off your butt consult an expert, comb an index, navigate library stacks. Now, with a mere keystroke presto–data is delivered to you. And you don’t have to exit your home or even your chair.
But what responsibilities do we have around these new freedoms?
Especially as it concerns the privacy of others.
The murder of the McStay family of four is an unfathomable tragedy, but this case also presents as the poster-child for careless blogging. Innocent people, who may not even realize it, have had their lives placed on public display by those more interested in salacious gossip, than relevant facts.
And this case has enough facts to keep the most avid justice-seeker busy for years. So why? Why would anyone attempt to interject innuendo where the facts alone suffice?
What responsibility does the blogging community have to the lives of those we are curious about? Especially to those who did not choose to join the conversation.
Justice Delayed: Will the McStay murders ever be solved? Is Chase Merritt a killer or an innocent man on California's Death Row? 
Marina,
Everything that is available to the general public can be accessed without a password. If you go to the “About” page there are links to all documents on the case. Private blog discussions have dwindled. When this case perks up again, I’ll open the blog up for discussion, but for now this is pretty much a read-only blog. It’s just too much trouble monitoring now, for as little discussion as is going on.
I understand! I read it after my message was send that the discussion is on a hold.
Thank you so much for answering- and for all the work+time you put in this blog.
Respect.
Marina
I’m a europian women and think of the victims and their familymembers really every day and studying this case for many years now.very interested in this case for many years now, but to intelligent to be part of the Rick Baker group. I’m interested in serious true facts and real evidence on trial. Can I have a password for your blog?
I’m a europian women and think of the victims and their familymembers really every day for many years now. I’m very interested in this case for many years now, but to intelligent to be part of the Rick Baker group and he has blogged me anyway. I’m interested in serious true facts and real evidence on trial. Can I have a password for your blog?
For those of you who have expressed an interest in joining the group, but haven’t done so, we’ve decided to put the group on hold until trial.
We’ve pretty much exhausted all topics for the moment.
I am opening up posts for read-only purposes. When the trial begins the discussion will reconvene. It has not been decided if the group will be public.
I would like to have access to this forum, also. But, only if there are no hateful attackers. The blog that is designed to attack Rick Baker is virtually impossible to not get attacked on if you do not give “clone” remarks. Rick Baker’s latest blog “Beyond the McStays.com” really portrays him as a person who is a little too controlling for my taste. He “solved” the case via calling Mikey the murderer, then states that, as far as he is concerned, there was nothing else to discuss. Yet he leaves his blog up with loyal followers wondering where the hell he is and what he’s doing.
I’m looking for a “freedom of speech” blog in terms of expressing my own theories and ponderings.
I’d appreciate joining you all here. Thanks.
I would like to read posts. I have been reading the Rick’s and Jason’s blog for a few years. Both have gotten a little weird lately with both bashing each other.
I have been interested in case for many years and read everything I can on it.
Could I please access to your posts. I promise I am not a troll and I will not be rude to anyone or add anything ugly.
I just want to learn everything I can about this. I too have some ideas as to what transpired that I have not heard be mentioned yet and am looking for evidence
Thank you
June,
Is this your real email? If so I will email you passwords to the open threads. If not, just post with an email I can send these to.
The open threads rotate and I post which threads are open in “About” and then passwords are emailed.
Just so you know, at some point closer to trial the blog will go public again.
Hi I would love to be able to keep up with the case and hear other comments via the other blog. Please let me know what I should do to proceed. Thanks
Crystaleigh, I only just saw your post. Not sure how I missed it. Confirm your email and I’ll email you passwords as well.
Only parts of the blog are open at any given time. As I said above, eventually this blog will be public again. But probably not until the New Year.
What happened to all the posts. Almost everything is private.
The problem with this case is that a lot of people have been attacked for simply exploring ideas outside of what has been presented by the DA. There’s a little concern with members of the private blog that corresponds to this one, that certain persons who have gone momentarily dormant will resurface and the harassment will begin again.
It may be that I take this blog off-line for everything except the Court Schedule.
I’m not sure what I want to do. On the one hand, I think it’s useful for there to be an open forum where many ideas can be discussed, especially if people are taking the time to really get to know the evidence. On the other hand, I too am tired of the bullying and attempts at intimidation. And though they are NOT currently happening, there are some very immature and vindictive people on this case, who it is inevitable, will return to it. And when they do, it’s almost certain the harassment will return with them.
I’m deciding now what I will do. We are deconstructing the case in a way. And this means questioning SBC investigators in terms of their methods and their conclusions. No disrespect is intended. These officers obviously worked very hard. But sunlight is the best disinfectant, and scrutiny keeps political systems in check.
I’m on the fence about how much of this exploration should be public. For now, I’ll post each warrant, keep the discussion open for a time, then make it private so that the sub-group can really dissect the information without fear of retribution.
Amen.