Educating a Runaway Devil

Since J.R.'s latest progress report hit the media, I have been thinking a great deal about her. Judging by Mascara & Murder's usage statistics over the past week, I am not the only one seeking to understand this mysterious creature who has come to be known as "Runaway Devil."

I recently came upon a very thoughtful article that provided me with a few additional angles by which to view this truly fascinating case of a little girl gone (born?) bad:

RANT: The Release of JR (Runaway Devil)

Calluna Vulgaris
January 25, 2011 

[Excerpt] 

I don’t trust JR’s progress at all. Not after reading the facts on what happened, how she initially responded to what she did (and for quite a long time), how the evidence compares to her story about what occurred in the house and leading up to it, what has been admitted by Jeremy Steinke, etc. What I feel I see in reports that have surfaced over the years since she was tucked away into her current safe haven is not progress. I see a learning curve. I see her learning how to act the way these people expect her or want her to act. I can only hope that I am wrong (or maybe right) and that what she has learned isn’t just a mask for something deeper and darker.

I have every hope in the world that J.R. will live up to her end of the bargain, which would be to make it through the rest of her life without bringing any more death. In my opinion, violent female offenders are grossly underestimated by our collective systems.

The case of Karla Homolka is a viable comparison: she went from Canada’s Most Hated Woman to being considered a “supermom” in some circles. She now teaches english overseas, and makes and sells clothing for children — please bear in mind, her crimes were against underage girls… 

Most people think she has fled the country, but she still resides right here in Canada for part of each year.

I argue that female offenders aren’t assigned the same sort of stigma; cold-blooded killer is a moniker society is most comfortable assigning to men. 

Whether or not a woman can possess her own capacity to do “evil” is at the very crux of our social infrastructure.