To the rest of the people CCed on this — this is happening one county to the north of me. It's not a story I've followed closely because it is out of my coverage area. However, I would appreciate a ping to future articles on this case.
For those who don't know the Lake of the Ozarks, it is an upscale lakefront vacation area on a manmade lake created by a hydroelectric dam. Lakefront property values are so high that it's one of the wealthiest areas — perhaps **THE** wealthiest — in rural Missouri. That means the prosecutor has the financial wherewithal to push this potentially precedent-setting case, unlike a lot of rural areas where the case would not be handled as well as it might be in a major urban area.
For Nifster — anyone who questions that forging a signature on a do-not-resuscitate-order, a living will, or anything else of that sort either doesn't understand the issues or has a really low view of human life. I'm not sure what your motive is on this, but given your fairly recent sign-up date, I'd strongly urge you to be careful before you push this too far. Euthanasia is not something tolerated very well on Free Republic.
I want to give people the benefit of the doubt. I'm fairly sure you're going to reply that you're not advocating euthanasia but rather carrying out your mother's previously declared wishes about what should be done if she became brain-dead, and that's probably true or you wouldn't be on Free Republic today. However, given the history of some pro-death people who in the past tried to push their views on Free Republic before it became crystal clear that such things won't be tolerated here, not everyone here is going to be as careful as I try to be in evaluating why people say what they say.
This is a very emotional issue for many of us, and for many more who are not personally invested in this on an emotional level, we may have very strong convictions about the issues involved.
Caution in this case might be prudent...
Nifster, please see post #51. I forgot to add you to the ping list... it is rude to talk about someone without pinging them, and that was an honest mistake on my part.
Please take to heart what I wrote. I am pretty sure you mean well and just aren’t aware of past history before it became clear that Free Republic was pro-life. Some really bad stuff used to happen and bad memories can cause strong reactions.
Low volume ping list
FReepmail me to be on, or off, this list.
Just as an aside, I will NEVER go gently into that good night. I know what is waiting for me and it is MUCH better than what is here and I will still fight to my last breath to draw another.
I minght add to your comments regarding the area and the case, as the people killed were neighbors of mine, and I was just a quarter-mile away the night they were killed.
First of all, the 75 year old Lake of the Ozarks is a mix of economic conditions. You are correct that there are some very expensive lake front homes, but there are also thousands of small, old and new modest lakefront cabins. There are a lot of local full time residents with modest incomes — Camden County a few years ago had the largest percentage of people on some form of public assistance of all the counties in Missouri — thats how modest a lot of the incomes are down there.
That being said, there are a large number of the local year round population of very modest resources, that are fine neighbors — some of the real clowns are the guys that are high powered vacation owners that have a lot of money and think they can have there way with all issues at their vacation property.
There is 1,200 miles of shoreline with 60% of that with lakefront homes with docks as well as second tier homes and large lakefront multistory condominiums. Compared to many lakefront areas in the country, it is very economical.
The reason this charge was brought in Boone County is that is the location of the hospital where Von Note was airlifted to when they were trying to keep him alive. They have not fully shown their cards as to what charges Camden County / Sunrise Beach may bring as they are trying to use this first charge to get an advantage on the daughter who apparantly forged the DNR directive.
Most of us assumed that it was a family member, and likely her, they had decided was the culprit as local investigators kept a low profile after the first 60 days when they had gathered the on-site evidence. The daughter lost no time in putting the three story large lakefront home up for sale.
Von Note had an accounting business and a lot of old property on the old square in Liberty, Missouri. His girl friend and he got together many years earlier when she leased property from him to run a Floral business on the square. Their possible impending marriage was a big threat to the daughter’s ability to inherit and I think he had some health problems. As a couple, they were spending much of what he had, living a full and active retirement with a place in Florida as well.
When you hear of a double murder a few hundred yards away of someone you sort of knew, it becomes an issue you follow.