[aanm1988]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameron_Todd_Willingham#Fire

> During the penalty phase of the trial, a prosecutor said that Willingham's tattoo of a skull and serpent fit the profile of a sociopath. Two medical experts confirmed the theory. A psychologist was asked to interpret Willingham's Iron Maiden poster, and said that a picture of a fist punching through a skull signified violence and death. He added that Willingham's Led Zeppelin poster of a fallen angel was "many times" an indicator of "cultive-type" activities

What the fuck. wow.

[defined]

Wait, where was the phrenologist's testimony? /s

[rochellle]

Reading through it, the entire law enforcement power structure seems to have formed an opinion that this was criminally negligent parenting and that they were going to find a way to throw the book at the guy no matter what.

They noticed that he saved his own neck, rather than sacrifice everything, and did not risk his own life for his 3 children (infants/toddler). Thus, they fed him to the lions. It wasn't enough for him to have suffered burns. Their opinion clearly was that if those children were dead, then he can get it too.

After that, the rest was the machine operating as usual.

They didn't convict him of a crime as per what happened. They convicted him of the crime on the books that had the punishment that fit the situation and their collective opinion of it.

They wanted him dead, not because of heavy metal, or any other reason on display at the dog and pony show, theater trial. They wanted him dead because they felt that it was unreasonable that 3 children (who probably weren't old enough to walk and talk too well) could not be rescued in time, by the only person taking care of them at the moment. Part of the expectation there, is that he should have been steps away, and within arms reach of them.

They threw due process in the trash because they just didn't like what happened.