This morning, Eugene Koptev pled guilty to murdering his uncle/guardian. Prior to the brutal, planned, and utterly unforeseen stabbing of his uncle, Eugene was one of the most compliant kids I've ever supervised (he was a "courtesy supervision" kid from another county).
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/07/12/news/top_stories/7_02_497_11_06.txt
We may never know an exact timeline of the events that transpired that night, nor the events that led up to it. Eugene never gave a statement during the investigation, and his guilty plea means that the "facts" of the offense won't be made public during trial. And I am reminded - as I was 18 months ago when Eugene's face was broadcast on the 10:00 news as a "wanted person" - that we never really know what's going on inside people. We never really know how close each of us might be to the event horizon.
When I received the subpeona, I was shocked and surprised. What on Earth would I possibly have to add with any testimony I can offer? He was compliant. Eugene was compliant up to the point that he stabbed his uncle while he slept and kept on stabbing his uncle/guardian as he tried to escape, going as far as locking himself in a bathroom with his cell phone only to have the door broken in half and pulled from the hinges in order to facilitate his final moments. He was compliant up until he stayed in the house for four days with his guardian's perforated corpse - and even invited several other youths over for computer games - before absconding to Whittier after learning that a real estate agent was coming to show the house. He was compliant until I saw his face on the 10:00 news and had to call his sending county to issue an warrant for his arrest. He was compliant until he bragged about killing his uncle on the Internet and told an online gaming buddy (who was nice enough to take him into his home until he realized what was going on and called the local jurisdicion) that he had killed his guardian in cold blood.
I'll save you the more disturbing - and I'll admit curiosity-arousing - details from the police reports, as they only serve to cloud the issue (and haven't been made public by trial). Let's just say that Eugene seemed to be at a loss for what to do after he had enacted his homicidal rage.
He was compliant really means: I had no fucking idea. No, this isn't about me, but... I had no fucking idea.
And isn't that my job? Isn't it my job to KNOW? Would Eugene's uncle be dead right now if I had been effectively doing my job?????? Because a person has to be seriously pissed off at someone to stab them repeatedly while they sleep. Think about it - how pissed would YOU have to be to stage weaponry in your guardian's bedroom and then steal into the room, retrieve your pre-placed knives, and stab him in the face and neck 15 times as he slept? Not only that, but actually continue your murderous pursuit as your uncle tried desperately to save himself? You'd have to be pretty pissed, right? Pretty disturbed, right? Pretty affected, yes????
Doesn't that seem like the kind of anger that I should have NOTICED??????
Like I sad, this isn't about me... except as a reminder that we never know how close any one of us is to the event horizon at any given time. How close am I?
How close are you?
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7 comments:
It's sad to think that people have that in them. Even sadder, as hard as I fought the thought I couldn't help but wonder what the uncle did to him to make him want to do that to him. Like there could be ANY reason to do that to another person. Why do we always want to lay some of the blame on the victim?
I think there are a lot of walking time bombs out there. I know this won't help much but sometimes you just can't tell with people. As we discussed before, even the best system isn't perfect and can't stop everything.
Look at me, for the past three years I walked around pissed off at the world and nobody noticed. Not that I would have done anything like that but I had some pretty scary thoughts run through my head. People would have been SHOCKED to know what I was thinking.
My point is you always hear people say all the signs were there but that's not true. Some people don't put signs out there because they simply aren't looking for help. You can't be a mind reader no matter how well you're trained. I wouldn't take it "on the chin" if I were you, which I know is easy to say from where I'm sitting . :(
I am interested to hear why you were subpoenaed.
I can tell you why this is fucked: I was Eugene's friend back in Seattle. He was also my neighbor. His family was abusive to the point of repeatedly kicking him out of the house. He had slept at shelters, parks and when ever he could, mine or my friends house. The fact is, he had severe family problems that he was too afraid to address. I feel terrible for him. He should have taken this to court and mitigated the sentence based on his family situation.
Jeff
Hi Jeff... I'm glad you commented.
The point of my post is that I didn't know ANY of that. And though I only knew Eugene when he was in San Diego (living with someone other than his parents), he didn't talk about his family situation at all. The point is, I ASK. The point is, I try to get to know the dynamics of my clients lives as well as I can, because only then can appropriate treatment be offered.
I couldn't help Eugene because he wouldn't let me. Look where his silence got him.
The point of my post is that I've made a life of trying to help kids make lives for THEMSELVES - even when their circumstances give them seemingly irrecoverable obstacles. So much tragedy is avoidable, as was this one. So much of how he was feeling could have been addressed had he not kept all of that bottled up inside.
The point of my post, Jeff, was that I couldn't help Eugene because I DIDN'T KNOW. Perhaps I should have, but I didn't. If I had, perhaps he - and I! - would be in a different place right now.
So, I agree that this is "fucked." But not because of my perspective (which is the only thing I have). It's fucked because it was wholly unavoidable. It's fucked because he didn't ask for help. It's fucked because other people who saw whatever was going on in Seattle did NOTHING.
Eugene may be a "product of his environment," but he still had a CHOICE. Several choices, actually. And that is the thing that hurts me (yes, it's personal even though maybe it shouldn't be) the most.
I thank you, Jeff, for your insight and perspective. I'm sorry that you had to lose a friend in such a manner.
Not ur fault. Were u the therapist or the probation officer? jeff thanks.
I was the San Diego PO. Again, Jeff, I really appreciate your taking the time to comment and offer a different view. :-)
what's up jeff it's mike I don't even know why I'm looking at this years later but I agree it's fucked. I wonder if eugenes life in seattle was ever brought up in his trial. It's true he never was open about his family life especially towards authority figures. He would sleep in my garage even though I would offer him a bed just so my parents wouldn't figure out he had been kicked out.
what's up jeff it's mike I don't even know why I'm looking at this years later but I agree it's fucked. I wonder if eugenes life in seattle was ever brought up in his trial. It's true he never was open about his family life especially towards authority figures. He would sleep in my garage even though I would offer him a bed just so my parents wouldn't figure out he had been kicked out.
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