That's Criminal
Man Who Murdered Sex Offenders Is No Hero
If vigilantism was cool or legal, we'd consider Patrick Drum a real Miles Davis. But since it's not, we'll just have to consider him a violent man on his way to jail. In a Washington courtroom yesterday, Drum, 34, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for murdering 28-year-old Gary L. Blanton Jr. and 56-year-old Jerry W. Ray. Drum took their lives because he has a vendetta against sex offenders, and both Blanton and Ray had been convicted rapists.
Ray pleaded guilty to raping a 7-year-old and a 4-year-old back in 2002, and Blanton pleaded guilty, at 17, to raping a 17-year-old disabled girl. Drum evidently wanted both men to pay for their crimes, and took matters into his own hands. He shot them both multiple times.
Just as no one wants child rapists roaming around, no one wants lawless killers out and about, either. Ray's and Blantan's crimes were heinous and I'm disgusted that there are people out there capable of such things, but at the same time, I'm also appalled that there are those out there who think Drum is some kind of hero for his actions.
Apparently, he has some supporters who are stalking the victims' families, spitting on them and whatnot.
Drum murdered two people in cold blood. He's not a hero nor a pioneer. In fact, he's a criminal himself, having spent four years in prison on drug charges. He got Ray's and Blantan's names off the public sex offender registry and decided to kill them. He was suspected to be on his way to kill a third sex offender when cops intervened. What, exactly, is so brave and noble about that?
I guess he fancied himself some sort of Dexter character who could exact revenge on those who had done pretty horrible things, but Dexter is just a TV show. It doesn't work that way in real life. You can't go around shooting people in the face because you think they deserve it. Like Mom always says, two wrongs don't make a right.
Drum deserves life without parole because as soon as we show someone like him any leniency, the law becomes absolutely meaningless.
Do you think Drum did something good or evil?
Photo via Manu H/Flickr
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Ang9403
2 less rapist child molesters out there.
CPN322
I'm glad those men are dead.
Knife
In all honesty, I wouldn't hold murdering a sex offender against someone if the sex offender happened to violate one of their family members, but this guy is different. You're right. It sounds like he's violent, mentally unhinged, and wanted to hurt someone; so, in his own mind, he tried to justify his actions by murdering someone guilty of a heinous crime. But he chose them randomly and for no particular reason. His version of a 'hero' is hideously warped, and his actions were unjust.
CPN322
I would like to add, this man should definitely be punished for what he did. It was not his place to do take those mens lives.
jagamama0710
Do not equate something as vague as "drug charges" to what those rapists did.
I don't have much of a problem with what he did. I feel like if you rape somebody (especially a 4 year old or a disabled child), you are no longer human and should not be treated as such. I think it could have gotten real tricky though if he didn't find out enough detail on what they were convicted of because not everyone labeled as a sex offender is truly a sex offender. I imagine this guy will serve more time than either of the monsters served, which is what is truly disgusting here.
I think spitting and stalking the rapists' family members crosses a line though. That's unacceptable.
Randelle Pfost
geekychick
It would have been one thing if he had came across them in the act of trying to hurt someone and it was a defensive thing but this was premeditated murder. So while I don't feel bad for the men who died because they were bad men I do think the killer is just that a killer. Making him a hero would just support vigilante justice which would lead to a lot more of these crimes against people who may be innocent. The only time it is OK to take another's life is self defense where you have no other option. I think he had the urge to hurt people and tried to feed it by hurting someone he thought deserved it so he didn't feel guilt for the deaths.
Erin
Candi
fave82