General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFamily rescues kidnapped woman, kills captor
Written by
Anastasia Semien
The family of a Duson woman kidnapped earlier in the week tracked down and killed her alleged abductor Friday, authorities said.
Police said Bethany Arceneaux, 29, was kidnapped Wednesday by Scott Thomas, the father of her son. But it was family members who were tipped to an abandoned house near Anderson and Fieldspan roads.
Family said they didnt know what to expect when they showed up to the home early Friday. A half dozen of them converged on the house, kicked down the door and found her inside, bloodied and repeatedly stabbed.
They also found Thomas, 29, of Leonville.
A confrontation ensued between Thomas and Arceneauxs family. She was injured, and gunfire erupted, Lafayette Parish Sheriffs Capt. Kip Judice said. Thomas died from injuries he sustained during the confrontation, Judice said.
Arceneaux was driven by family members to Lafayette General Medical Center, where was listed in stable condition.
more
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20131108/NEWS01/311080025/Missing-Duson-woman-found-alive-vacant-home-shots-fired
frogmarch
(12,160 posts)I assume it happened in the U.S., but what state?
HappyMe
(20,277 posts)It refers to Lafayette Parish in the article.
frogmarch
(12,160 posts)Lafayette Hospital mentioned, but I missed seeing Lafayette Parish.
When I see "Lafayette," I automatically think of Lafayette, Indiana.
Anyway, that was an exciting story, for sure! Thanks for posting it.
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)I'm glad she's safe, but not thrilled that vigilante justice is apparently becoming the rule and not the exception in this country.
Brigid
(17,621 posts)But I'm not so sure the outcome would have been different if the police had been the ones to storm the house.
AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)Do you have links to other stories of a similar nature?
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)growing number of people who believe it is appropriate to take the law into their own hands - primarily thanks to "stand your ground" laws and similar.
You are free to disagree; I won't engage with you on this (just so you know in advance).
AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)I don't have the same experience as others. I don't know of any people, growing or otherwise, who believe it is appropriate to take the law into their own hands - primarily thanks to "stand your ground" laws and similar.
Unless I'm mistaken, the family members who rescued this woman who had been beaten and stabbed, were not standing on their ground or standing on anyone else's ground. They took action to help this poor unfortunate woman.
Some people would have never helped her. Her family did. Your disapproval of their rescue efforts doesn't change that.
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)I'm not going to engage you on this - and your reply is the reason why.
Have a good day.
eqfan592
(5,963 posts)To go into a thread, make a controversial statement, then say you have no real desire to discuss it at all, is kind of a lame thing to do, imo.
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)but I would advise that you don't hold your breath.
You don't want to "discuss" it - you want to tell me why my statement is wrong. Not flawed, just wrong - and I'm not in the mood to play your little games.
Have a good day.
eqfan592
(5,963 posts)...they are responding to? That's the second time today now. My post to you was my first comment on this thread, and I made it because I was interested in seeing you flesh out your point of view, and because I think refusal to do so in a forum is, as I said, lame.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)That is a major assertion you've made, but provided nothing but speculation to support it.
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)Guess what? I'm entitled to have them.
If you don't see SYG as vigilante justice, that's your opinion.
Our mileage varies.
Have a good day.
eqfan592
(5,963 posts)And an opinion not based on facts isn't much of an opinion in my book, so I'd have to assume you have some to back yours up.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)They went there looking for her. They heard her screaming for help, found repeatedly stabbed. There was a confrontation and "gunfire erupted." Doesn't sound like there was time to do anything but get her out of there. From the article:
If we would have waited, she would have been dead.
Alfred said when the family entered the house, they heard cries for help.
Just screaming
help, help, he said. Thats about it.
That's not vigilantism. It's responding to an emergency to save the life of a loved one, plain and simple. Vigilantism would be chasing the guy down and killing him. They didn't chase him down. He was killing a family member and they saved her. Frankly, that's what families are supposed to do. They didn't set out to kill him. In the end they were protecting her and themselves from his gunfire.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)Yes, you gave your opinion. Nothing wrong with that. Your opinion included an assertion that should have some evidence to support it, otherwise it's just baseless speculation that has no bearing on the story in the OP.
Ranchemp.
(1,991 posts)They were acting in self defense of their sister.
sendero
(28,552 posts).. assuming the facts outlined in the story are substantially true, the family of the kidnapper wouldn't want me on any grand jury, because I'd no-bill this bullshit in a heartbeat.
Kidnaps his ex, takes her to an abandoned house and cuts her up? FUCK HIM and I don't care who does it.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)They found her beaten and stabbed. Were they supposed to hang around with their arms folded waiting for the cops to come while he finished the job? They did what they needed to get her and themselves out alive.
Ranchemp.
(1,991 posts)http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20131108/NEWS01/311080025/Missing-Duson-woman-found-alive-vacant-home-shots-fired?nclick_check=1
Seriously doubt that any charges will be brought against the family.
christx30
(6,241 posts)Had the family not acted, this woman would most likely be dead. At least the bad guy died of lead poisoning. The story had a happy ending.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)AnotherMcIntosh
(11,064 posts)theHandpuppet
(19,964 posts)Protective orders aren't worth squat.
treestar
(82,383 posts)or even parlay it into a manslaughter charge. Granted they should have called police, but is the rescue against the law? Probably not.
HappyMe
(20,277 posts)Killing the guy is. I wish that they had let the police deal with the guy, mostly because the added stress and worry about charges and the trial won't do that family any good.
ancianita
(36,152 posts)HappyMe
(20,277 posts)edit to add -
I'm glad the woman is safe and recovering from this.
treestar
(82,383 posts)They knew where to go; could have told the police.
boston bean
(36,224 posts)He fought the family, he had abducted and stabbed the mother of his child. He was obviously a danger.
I can see how it turned out the way it did.
LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)No investigation needed here, nothing of value was lost.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)Sorry, no sympathy from me. Maybe you can find progressives who object to this, I'm not one of them.
cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)No snark or sarcasm intended or implied.
eqfan592
(5,963 posts)We have no idea what issues this guy may have had leading up to this. I'm not saying I think the family was in the wrong (far from it actually) but calling him scum is over the top I think.
christx30
(6,241 posts)any innocent person is automatically a shitty person. There's no way for him to justify himself. Mental problems? Should have sought help for them before kidnapping and stabbing someone. I don't care about his issues. I don't give a rat's ass about his troubles. He is scum. That's not over the line at all. Scum is the kindest way of putting it. Besides, he's dead. He lost in the end. Any name calling is irrelevant. This should happen to more kidnappers. The world would be a much better place.
sarisataka
(18,813 posts)it sounds like the police were also in the area looking for the woman but the family heard her shouts first.
Without specific details it cannot be said that letting the police go in was the best course of action. It is unclear how many police were there and how far away were they. If time was critical it is entirely justified that the family needed to act immediately.
As for the death of the captor, that is worthy of investigation. If the evidence shows he was harming his captive at the time or he violently resisted, then it is a case of self defense. If it can be shown he was restrained by the family then shot, it would be a vigilante act and they could be charged. It appears there is an investigation but I believe the family will not be charged unless it is very clear they executed the captor after he was helpless.
elehhhhna
(32,076 posts)you are n ot charged. Not in Louisiana. Look for the pics. She was a mess. Her uncle carried her to the car. He's a good uncle.
sarisataka
(18,813 posts)you have tackled him and have four people sitting on him...
I believe that was not the case and it will be ruled justifiable but the tone of the article implies there is at least a small question of what happened.
I don't want to paint all of Louisiana with the same brush, but if it was New Orleans PD they would have likely offered to hold the guy down for the family to kill him.
rdharma
(6,057 posts)Listen to the end of this video.
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20131108/NEWS01/311080025/Family-rescues-kidnapped-Duson-woman-kills-captor
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)ileus
(15,396 posts)I don't know if they cared enough to send the very best, but those that showed up did get the job done.
Glad she'll be ok, and it's a good thing she won't have to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder for the next attack.