Hit-and-run driver leaves apology note near victim's body

[Liberal_in_LA]

Source: WHEC

Hit-and-run driver leaves apology note near victim's body

Police in League City, Texas are searching for the hit-and-run driver who left an apology note after striking and killing a man.

Maurice Jones, 34, was walking home from his shift at McDonald's sometime after 10 p.m. Saturday. when a driver on the other side of the road lost control and killed Jones instantly.

His body was found Sunday morning less than a mile and a half away from his home.

Investigators found the apology note a couple feet near his body.

Jones' mother, Roberta Jones, said the note read "I'm sorry," and "I have a family."

"I think it's a coward," said Roberta Jones. "You should admit what you did wrong because eventually it will catch up with you."

League City police said the note is a strong piece of evidence.

"We believe the suspect is a female between the ages of 25 and 40," said Detective Scott Aldridge with League City Police. "The handwriting appears to be that of a female."

Read more: http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S859923.shtml?cat=565

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wow...they can tell age and gender from handwriting?

[babylonsister]

1. Wow. Fingerprints? And yes, perhaps. Would a man leave a

message? Her remorse was showing. Most people would face the music, I would like to hope.

:crazy: I'm staying home.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. She's gonna get caught! They just need to find a women with car damage and match the handwriting

Better just to turn herself in.

[babylonsister]

3. She invited getting caught by leaving a message. She feels horrible,

I'm thinking. Who wouldn't?

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. Yeah, she's feeling guilty. I would!

[tkmorris]

8. babylonsister, I love ya, but

Don't you think a man could feel remorse as well? I know I could and while I may not be a textbook example of my gender, last I checked I was indeed a male.

[babylonsister]

12. I did put that in my post.

A man could do fine. It's such a bizarre case, I don't know what to think. Hey, I love men, and never wanted to disparage them.

A 'man' would never have left? Now, I don't want to go there, but ??? I'm a woman, and I wouldn't even be in that situation. My husband would tell the truth also, but after so many years, we know better.

No one is faultless.

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. Seems like the cops are making a gender stereotype here.

[Javaman]

48. Do you know anything about handwriting analysis?

You would be very surprised what can be determined if you decided to do a little research rather than making broad assumptions.

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[hlthe2b]

32. I think gender doesn't influence feeling remorse, but the note...

leaving the note as a public, tangible sign of remorse--is something I think women are more likely to do. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm guessing there must be some documented evidence that this is the case or the police would not be assuming the driver to be female. Of course, it is in Texas, so who knows.... (with apologies to any competent Texas police officers and forensic specialists)

That person will be caught. I hope she comes forward, soon.

[Lilith Velkor]

58. The police are probably basing the assumption of gender on the handwriting.

If I left a similar note, it would be assumed I am male, because my letters are angular instead of rounded.

It has nothing to do with the presence of the note itself.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. If this isn't horrible,

I don't know what is.

The driver took the fucking time to LEAVE A NOTE, but couldn't call 911 and ........... oh, fuck, I hope they get him/her, and I hope they throw the fucking book at him/her.

Poor guy worked at McDonalds, was walking home. Jesus, talk about not getting a break.

Fucking coward. "I have a family." I bet the dead man did, too.

God, this is horrible!

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. If you are unfortunate to get hit by a car, don't expect the driver to stop and help.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

7. That is so fucked,

and the worst part is that I think you're right.

Another thing that gets poor people harder and more often - walking home from work - probably in a place with no sidewalks, right? And virtually no shoulder. Poorly lit.

Fuck all, if that doesn't piss me off. But, yeah, you're right.......................

[AlphaCentauri]

9. Agree

"The driver took the fucking time to LEAVE A NOTE, but couldn't call 911"

[Papagoose]

31. Yes, it was the wrong way to handle the situation

and let me be very clear I am not defending the driver's actions, but...

didn't the article say the driver was killed instantly? Calling 911 would have had no effect other than more than likely send the driver to jail.

Yes - now that they drove off, he or she deserves to go to jail and I know that the driver might have been hiding a secondary crime such as drunk driving, but to keep it in perspective, the driver was most likely scared out of their mind, not thinking clearly and realized the person was already dead. At that particular moment in time, I can see how that person could think that writing the note and leaving was the best way to handle the situation.

All that said, I hope this person is found if only for the sanity of the victim's family.

[michreject]

46. Killing someone while drunk

carries a lesser charge and prison time than does leaving the scene of an injury/death accident.

The DWI causing death is a 4 yr offense. The leaving the scene is a 15 yr offense.

[Maine-ah]

56. it depends though.

my best friend's twin brother was killed this way. Small town, walking home and hit by someone driving a truck. The guy just left him there, and Peter's best friend found him the next morning in the road. If the guy driving the truck had stopped and gotten help, Peter would still be alive, but he was left to bleed to death in the road. The police finally found the guy 3 days later. He spent less than a year in jail.

[tomreedtoon]

10. Who says Texans are insensitive?

Why, this lady left a nice note near the person she hit. I'll bet if the person died in the middle of Dallas, everyone would be very careful not to step on the body.

Oh, and before you ask, that was originally a line about New Yorkers. Funny how they seem to be more polite and less deadly these days...

[Tangerine LaBamba]

11. Well, yes, those Texas folks do have lovely manners -

New Yorkers just lack good breeding.

:sarcasm:

You're right, though - we've become a nation of cold-hearted fucks. Not everyone, but this - this is beyond the pale.

"I have a family," the note said.

WTF?

[tomreedtoon]

17. "I have a family." So did Charlie Manson.

I presume that, if they find whoever did this, this is what the police will say.

[babylonsister]

14. Bull. I am from NY and live in TX. Say what?

Shit happens, too much, every freaking day. In every state. My outrage has been eaten up, I'm trying to recover.

[Regret My New Name]

53. Hey, cool... me too, sort of.

The NY to Texas part, that is.

[knixphan]

22. more subways...

[MrsBrady]

34. more?

in texas, you can't have "more" when you don't have any.

we'd have to start with "some" first.

[knixphan]

47. good point.

'Some'.

Let's go for some. A few, even...

[Regret My New Name]

52. *rolls left eye*

[caseymoz]

15. No, I don't trust the science of identifying gender by handwriting.

Leave it to the Texas justice system to believe such a thing.

[LibDemAlways]

16. That's extreme, but the concept of not taking

responsibility is all too common. A couple of weeks ago I was at a car rental agency picking up a loaner while mine was in the shop. Another customer was explaining to the clerk that his car had been damaged in a parking lot by a driver who left a note that said, "People are watching me and they think I'm leaving you my name and phone number. Fuck that!" I wish someone had taken the time to jot down that person's license plate and leave it for the driver. That asshole got away with a crime that the innocent victim has to pay for.

In the Texas case, I hope the person feels enough remorse to do the right thing. Hitting a man and leaving him dead in the road is horrific.

[Liberal_in_LA]

18. similar story with happier ending

Friends car got hit in parking lot. She came out and found someone had left a fake note on the car (obviously written because other people were watching). She was upset. Later she noticed a piece of paper on the floor of the car. One of the 'watchers' had waited until the perp drove off and stuck a 2nd note thru the window with the perps license. She was able to locate the perp and get her car repaired.

[LibDemAlways]

19. Good for her! The guy I saw was not so lucky. He was out

the cost of the repair plus the cost of the rental. He explained he didn't want to involve his insurance company because he figured they'd raise his rates or cancel him.

[Blue_Tires]

37. damn...that is low class

[Lorien]

43. "Not taking responsibility" and making the victim pay really hit the

mainstream over the past eight years, hasn't it? When people see the highest powers in the land getting away with crime after horrific crime they start to think that the same can apply to them, too. Another reason why being a Nation of laws that holds all equally accountable is so important.

[musette_sf]

57. excellent point

thanks for making it. i think it explains a great deal of the corrosion of honorable behavior in our society over the past 8 years. :thumbsup:

[tomm2thumbs]

20. handwriting? female? that' absurd - even IF they dot their i's with flowers

Next they'll say they can determine the race from the handwriting. Puh-lease. What handwriting determines is how the person learned to write. period.

[MADem]

30. Apparently, it is not absurd. There is a scientific, hormonal basis to handwriting differences

It's biological, not discriminatory:

Titre du document / Document title
Do differences in sex hormones affect handwriting style? Evidence from digit ratio and sex role identity as determinants of the sex of handwriting
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
BEECH John R. (1) ; MACKINTOSH Isla C. (1) ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)
(1) School of Psychology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE2 7RH, ROYAUME-UNI

Résumé / Abstract
This study investigated whether there could be a biological determinant of the judged gender of handwriting. It further investigated the potential interplay between these variables and sex role identification. The biological marker used was 2D:4D digit ratio (of index to ring finger length) which is negatively associated with prenatal testosterone and positively with prenatal oestrogen. Handwriting samples of 120 participants (half of each sex) were presented on computer to be rated for gender by 20 raters. Feedback on accuracy was given after each trial. These raters accurately identified the gender of two thirds of the sample and the rated difference between the sexes was large (d = 0.75). These ratings of handwriting gender correlated significantly with digit ratio and the femininity scale of the BSRI. A more conservative analysis this time within each sex found that women's right hand digit ratio correlated with relative sexuality of handwriting, but there was no corresponding relationship for the males. These findings suggest that prenatal hormonal influences can affect later female handwriting performance and might even affect developmental inter-hemispheric differences, but do not appear to impact on males.
Revue / Journal Title
Personality and individual differences ISSN 0191-8869 CODEN PEIDD9
Source / Source
2005, vol. 39, no2, pp. 459-468 <10 page(s) (article)> (24 ref.)
Langue / Language
Anglais

Editeur / Publisher
Elsevier, Oxford, ROYAUME-UNI (1980) (Revue)

Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords
Human ; Verbal ability ; Writing ; Sex steroid hormone ; Finger ; Length ; Sex role ; Sexual dimorphism ; Sex ;
Mots-clés français / French Keywords
Homme ; Aptitude verbale ; Rédaction ; Hormone stéroïde sexuelle ; Doigt ; Longueur ; Rôle sexuel ; Dimorphisme sexuel ; Sexe ;
Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords
Hombre ; Aptitud verbal ; Redacción ; Hormona esteroide sexual ; Dedo ; Longitud ; Rol sexual ; Dimorfismo sexual ; Sexo ;
Mots-clés d'auteur / Author Keywords
Handwriting ; Digit ratio ; Sex role ; Gender ; Sex hormones ;
Localisation / Location
INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 18816, 35400012477296.0200


Nº notice refdoc (ud4) : 16868542

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=16868542

[bird gerhl]

21. ONE SENSELESS DEATH AFTER ANOTHER!!!

I HATE TEXAS!!!

:grr:

[Codeine]

25. Dude got hit by a car.

That shit happens everywhere, last I heard.

[VaYallaDawg]

35. You may have some reasons to hate Texas, but ...

I hardly think this would be one of them. This was a criminal act, and they happen everywhere.

[Dreamer Tatum]

50. I long for the days when all deaths, everywhere, were commonsensical nt

[BobTheSubgenius]

23. Automotive karma is an odd thing.

Over the more-than-I-care-to-count years of driving, I've had occasion to leave a note twice for minor parking lot incidents. Once, I met the guy as he was walking to his van (which was over the line into the spot I was backing into in the dark, pouring rain) and he told me not to worry about it, he'd already scraped it himself many times. The other time, I left a note under the windshield wiper and never heard from the owner.

Perhaps there is carma at work, then? I have a feeling the person in question in this article is going to be run over by it.

[Norrin Radd]

24. Sad.

Though, I saw a guy here in Seattle knocked down by a car while in a crosswalk, as we were leaving a convenience store. An impatient woman in her car behind an SUV decide to pop out and pass, despite the light still being red; the impact made a dull thud. A second later, before I could blink, a couple had jumped out of their car behind the negligent driver with a blanket in tow, to cover the victim, as it was raining at the time. I was amazed at how quickly they responded. I would've done the same thing, but they were so fast. The guy was knocked out cold, but still alive.

[old mark]

26. This happens in Philly every few weeks, only they don't leave

a note.
People seem to suck a lot morer than they did once.

mark

[MADem]

27. There are so many people in service jobs who walk home on busy roads with no sidewalks every night.

Or they ride bikes and take their lives in their hands that way.

It would be nice if these fast food joints would pony up for a van to take these people home, or at least drop them in their neighborhood so they're not walking along state highways.

[Blandocyte]

28. This is so effed up

"Lost control?!" "the other side of the road?!" WTF? Then, of all things, to leave a note instead of calling for help? I wonder if it was someone intoxicated who was trying to avoid negligent homicide charge. I hope careful police work can put together the small pieces of evidence that will have been left at the scene. Or maybe someone saw something that can be a good lead-- maybe a driver going the other way shortly after the accident noticed a car or truck driving erratically or with damage?

[Berry Cool]

29. "I have a family" is one of the reasons this person needs to turn himself/herself in.

What kind of example are you setting for your family when you won't take responsibility for what you do?

[ardvark]

39. a lot of people justify cutthroat behavior with 'I have a family'

like screwing someone over with fraud is more moral if 'they have a family'

seen it way too often

[surrealAmerican]

45. You're right, of course.

It's no justification at all, but an awful lot of people believe that if they are good to one person, it excuses any kind of bad behavior to other people.
Welcome to DU.

[Liberal_in_LA]

60. agreed!

[Ian David]

33. I guess this rules out Robert Novak. n/t

[Hassin Bin Sober]

42. The puppy-blood ink would have identified Novak.

[MrsBrady]

36. the driver

I'm thinking was either a non-legal resident, or drunk, or just flat out scared....
and if you have no insurance, even if they did not arrest you, they would likely tow your car.

I would say the person was obviously desperate. Do I agree with not stopping to render aid?
No, of course not.
But they were probably VERY desperate to not stop.

They aren't necessarily going to arrest you if you hit someone, if they step out in front of you.
I guess somehow they can tell the driver lost control? The article didn't give specifics.

Sad all around. Says Mr. Jones had an 11 year old daughter.

[ardvark]

38. "I'm sorry," and "I have a family."

dont be so judgemental

perhaps it didnt occur to the driver, that the victim might have a family as well

[ardvark]

40. laws need to be structured so you always lose more if you run

in many states, they're so severe on alcohol, that someone is actually no worse off if they run

you should always be better off if you stop and get the person help, no matter what - if you're not a doctor, you dont really know for sure they're dead

i think a lot of people die becasue a coward ran, who could have lived if they'd gotten help

[PLR_Writer]

41. Writing is very strong evidence

People of different generations have been taught differently how to write. I base a part of my magic show on this, and it is very successful.

Women and men, Americans, under the age of 40 also write differently. Think of a stereotypical teenage girl's writing compared to a boy's writing. These are huge generalizations, but they are the beginnings of a lead.

Frankly, I am surprised she didn't sign it, she might as well have. Handwriting analysis is used in U.S. courts all the time.

[Regret My New Name]

55. hmmm

~@@~Im sRy i HvE a FmLy~~@@~~ Would be a 16 year old girl?

[Neo Atheist]

44. So THAT'S why we invaded Iraq

Saddam Hussein didn't have the compassion to leave a note among the gassed Kurds and the slaughtered Shi'ites and explain that he had one unbelievably fucked up family.

In all seriousness though, leaving the note seemingly shows a callousness to the action done, as if a written note expressing "guilt" (bullshit, if the person felt seriously guilty they'd turn themselves in) but that because the driver has a family the murder committed by the driver is somehow more deserving of leniency than a hood shooting someone.

If it had been the driver's mother that was hit by some stranger, and all the stranger did was leave a note saying the same idiocy I wonder how forgiving the driver would be.

[scrinmaster]

49. I bet she isn't sorry enough to turn herself in. nt

[flvegan]

51. His 11 year old daughter had a father, too.

Asshole.

[DS1]

59. It sure has sucked to be a McDonald's employee recently

If they're not getting shot at through the drive-through, they're getting killed on the way home