Today, six words again make me wonder just how far a parent will go to stand beside their child. Those words are ‘in pain’ ‘bloody clothes’ and ‘a body’ and allegedly spoken by the mom of a suspect. I try hard not to speculate negatively on family members who stand beside a child accused of a violent crime, whether that child is an adult or teen. But I do sometimes have to wonder about how a parent can have knowledge, at least suspect an act of violence is in progress or has happened, and does nothing to stop it or call for help.
The more recent case that brings these thoughts to mind is the death of Danielle Santangelo in Volusia Co., Florida. All that is available to the public so far is what’s written in media articles and short news clips. And it is what they mention in those articles that have my brain working overtime. The question, ‘could have they saved Danielle?’ is tops in my thoughts. Monday, November 8, 2010, Danielle left her mother’s home driving her mom’s car and did not return. The police were contacted and over the next couple days searched for Danielle. On Wednesday Willie Hicks' mom allegedly contacted the police and reported she’d seen the missing woman’s car at her home on Monday and advised them of other events that took place. Mrs. Hicks was to have said on Monday she heard what sounded like a woman moaning as if she was ‘in pain’ inside Willie Hicks home. The media also reports her to have said later that same night she witnessed her son putting ‘bloody clothes’ in a burn barrel and set fire to them; also that Willie told her he had ‘a body in the red car and didn’t want her to look inside. My questions are why did she not call 911, do ‘anything’, when she heard a woman moaning like she was in pain? If she had, could Danielle's life been saved? Why did she not call police before her son drove away in the car after she saw him with bloody clothes? Did she wait until after she saw a news media announcement about Danielle missing along with a description of the car she was driving before contacting police? Why not call immediately after Willie said ‘a body’ was in the car?
We do not know the extent of Danielle’s injuries and exact cause of death and won’t know until after the autopsy. But Danielle was someone’s child too, just as Willie Hicks is Rose Hicks child. Did Danielle not deserve her consideration? Did Danielle not deserve help when she was heard moaning? If the articles I read on Danielle’s gone missing and alleged murder at www.wftv.com/news/index.html and www.myfoxorlando.com/ is factual, I wonder, is mom now questioning her own self? Was her lack of quick thinking and action a case of parental love, parental blindness or fear of her own child?
How Danielle and Willie allegedly came to be together that fateful night, how she allegedly came to be at his home is unknown at this time. Perhaps they were acquainted, she trusted him and willingly drove to his home. That doesn’t matter in the fact that she did not deserve to die. And for sure, she didn’t deserve to die, no one does, not in a violent way such as her death occurred.
If it’s a fact that information from Rose Hicks contributed to Danielle’s car and body being located, then I am thankful to her. I do not want to condemn Mrs. Hicks alleged non action and I do not condemn her. But, God gave me a brain and I use it with my ‘what ifs’ and other wondering. May God be with her as she deals with the alleged crime her son committed and her own wondering.
