Bluemerle

Richmonders Bryan and Kathryn Harvey, and their two children, Stella and Ruby, murdered in a quiet section of my hometown on New Years Day, deserve remembrance and justice, but also respect and dignity.

I am unsettled and obsessed to a degree I think is normal, given that the crime was not only unspeakably, incomprehensibly cruel and unfair, but close-to-home on several levels - normal, yes, but not necessarily healthy. This crime feels as though it's snapped something inside..like a home-town 9-11...do I have a right to feel that? Do I have a right to say it, here, in this space?

I feel driven to scour for any shred of information, collect, assess, speculate, chat, second-guess,pre-judge...I suspect lots of people feel the same way. Under different circumstances that might make for better blogging; but I think in this case it would be too easy to spin out into "gobmackingly vile" territory. I don't think I'll stop obsessing, but I don't have to do it here.

For today, anyway, I want to point to others who are doing the best job providing local reaction and information about the Harveys and ithe investigation of crime that has stunned our community.

Buttermilk & Molasses has what I think is probably the best round-up of local coverage, links and resources related to the case.

F.T. Rea's personal perspective and observations at Slantblog have evoked bittersweet memories of my youth and the old Richmond scene, and a sense of not only what is lost, but what remains.


Steve Huff, of course, provides the most sensitive and complete commentary and references to the "dark side", or true-crime aspects of the Harvey case.


One quick addition:

A few words from Also Also today were well-written and moving.