THE CHARGED, THE CONVICTED AND THE ESCAPEES

Yesterday, while listening to a program on CNN I heard one of America’s radio host Hugh Hewitt talk about the ongoing Presidential campaign in America. He compared Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate‘s use of a private email while in office with the double murder trial of O.J. Simpson the former football player.

In his own words on CNN: I think her candidacy is doomed. I think Joe Biden, as Rupert Murdoch tweeted out last night, is going to get in because Mrs. Clinton has no excuse. I believe it's a violation of law and I believe it will come out. And I don't know that O.J. murdered people, but I'm absolutely certain that, you know - I'd believe he did but there was no verdict that he did. You don't need a verdict to come to a conclusion about someone's guilt.

Simpson and Nicole

As soon as he finished speaking, memories of O.J. Simpson and many others who have in one way or the other been charged (convicted or escaped conviction) for the murder of their partners flooded my head. I

went down memory lane starting off with O.J. Simpson since it was the thought of him that started the spark of me writing on this topic.

O.J. Simpson’s life changed forever from being one of the most-famous running backs in football history to an accused murderer of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman who were found at a condominium in Los Angeles with stab wounds on the 12^th of June, 1994.  After a period of televised trial which was tagged ‘the trial of the century’ by many, in October 1995, he was charged with the murders, but acquitted of all the criminal charges. However, two years later, he was found liable for the murders in a civil trial and ordered to pay as much as $25 million to the families of the victims. 

Spade and Ella Mae

Next on this list is the musician Spade Cooley and very much back in the days, he was referred to as the 'king of Western swing'. Cooley was arrested and convicted in 1961 for the murder of his wife Ella Mae Cooley who had been a singer in his band which was one of the most known big band leaders in the 1960s.

Oscar and Reeva

Only recently, Oscar Pistorius the Olympian first made headlines as an Olympic runner with the use of two prosthetic legs. He gained additional headlines when he shot and killed his girlfriend; Reeva Steenkamp in the bathroom whom he claimed he thought was an intruder.

Longine and Sabich

Also like Oscar who claimed ‘accidental’, Singer/actress/dancer Claudette Longine went from being a very public person to become one who has settled for a solitary after her arrest for the death of Olympian Spider Sabich.  Longine shot Sabich and was convicted of wrongful death after she had claimed that it was accidental. The singer was sentenced to just 30 days in jail term.

William S. Burroughs

Yet again, on ‘claims of accidental’, Burroughs a top poet of the 1960’s was said to have  accidentally shot and killed his wife when he was attempting to shoot an apple on top of her head (did I just hear somebody say ‘what an accident’ with a cynical tone?). However, after serving his time, he got out and actually said the death of his wife allowed him the inspiration to write poetry. Hmm! What an inspiration you sure would say.

The Benoits

Unlike the aforementioned, Chris Benoit who was once one of the big names in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) did not get to the trials. In 2007, when things began going downhill and spiraling out of control so fast for the Canadian professional wrestler; he murdered his wife and young son on the 22^nd of June and  thereafter committed suicide (or would you rather say escaped judgment) by hanging two days later.

Still very fresh and again not witnessing trials, Earl Hayes who was an up and coming rapper and his wife

Earl and Stephanie

Stephanie Mosley a dancer who at the time had only just appeared on a VH1 reality show when in 2014, police were called to their apartment after gunshots were heard. Authorities found the Earl and his wife dead and it was later ruled that Hayes killed Mosley and then killed himself.  

Gig and Kim

Moving on, Gig Young was one of the top actors of his time, winning an academy award and appearing in such well known films as The Three Musketeers, Teacher’s Pet, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? And Game of Death. Three weeks after the then 64-year-old actor married 21-year-old Kim Schmidt, the pair couple was found dead in their apartment with gunshot wounds. Eventually authorities determined Gig had killed his young wife and then turned the gun on himself. Hmm! Another ‘escapee’ of judgement you would say, isn’t it.

Russell and Catherine

How many of you remember the Hi-Five band from way back? *Smiles* The R&B group that was the rave of the moment in the early 1990s for hit songs like ‘she’s playing had to get’, ‘I like the way’ and others. Yeah, I’m sure a lot of you also remember Russell Neal as a member of the band.  Sadly, Russell was in 2014 arrested and charged with the murder of his wife Catherine Martinez. At the initially stage, he was the one who led police to the body, walking into a station and announcing she was dead.

Blake and Wife Bonnie

A quick one on Robert Blake. Robert Blake had a long career in the entertainment industry but he really grabbed headlines in 2001 when he was charged with the murder of his wife, Bonnie Bakley.

Carruth and Cherica

Rae Carruth was one of the best wide receivers in the game in the NFL but today he’s a lot more known for hiring a hit-man to kill his pregnant girlfriend Cherica Adams. Despite hiring a man to do the killing, it was reported that he played an active role as he blocked her car in the driveway while the other hit-man shot her.

Kayode and Titilayo

Finally and back home in Nigeria in 2014. one Kayode  Ayo Arowolo who was accused of killing his banker wife, Titilayo Arowolo sometime in 2011; was sentenced to death by a Lagos high court after the Presiding judge Lateefat Okunnu found him guilty of the murder.

these are just a few of the thousands of murders by loved ones/partners all over the world. 

It's time to stop this madness. If the relationship starts to hurt, just let it go on a clean slate to avoid hurting more people.  Wishing America, Hillary Clinton and all the other Presidential candidates 'all the best' and may the best man/woman win.