2nd Long-time Fugitive Captured in Austin in Less than a Week
Last week, I discussed the capture of Raymond Scully (a.k.a. Steve Johnson) who escaped from a North Carolina prison in 1977 while serving the first year of a 10 year sentence on drug charges.
Scully was arrested last week in Austin, where he has been working full time at Dell, Inc., has married, and raised a 22 year-old daughter.
A few days later, and another long-time fugitive has been captured in Austin.
Gary Gene Garlinghouse, 57, surrendered peacefully to U.S. marshals and Austin-area police. He was wanted in connection with the abduction, beating and rape of a 19-year-old woman in Royal Oak 26 years ago, police said.
You’ll remember that I argued that Scully, who is being extradited back to North Carolina, should be given probation or community service, but should not spend any more time in jail. My argument is based on the fact that his crime was not a violent crime (some would say it was a victimless crime), and over the course of the last 28 years, has become a contributing and productive member of society.
Unlike Scully, I think Garlinghouse should be extradited back to Michigan, where he should stand trial for his crimes. And, if convicted, he should serve whatever sentence is imposed on him.
I think that your justice system should have the flexibility and the sense to understand the difference in these two men and the crimes they have committed.
Scully sold some drugs. Nobody died. Nobody was deprived of their life or property. He has since become a responsible and productive citizen. Garlinghouse, on the other hand, is alleged to have committed a horrendous crime where someone else was hurt:
Police in Royal Oak, Mich., said that Garlinghouse was one of four men who in 1979 abducted a waitress leaving the Patio Lounge on 8-Mile Road in Detroit and took her to a house nearby where Garlinghouse and another man allegedly “savagely beat and raped her repeatedly.”
“When she was in the restroom she overheard them talking about how they were going to kill her and get rid of her body,” stated a Royal Oak Police news release. “She escaped by jumping from a second-floor window.”
After a warrant was issued for Garlinghouse’s arrest, he disappeared.
Tomorrow I plan on writing the Governor of North Carolina, Michael Easley, and ask him to consider pardoning Raymond Scully, and to let him come back home to his family. If you are familiar with the story of Raymond “Steve Johnson” Scully, and think that he should not serve any additional prison time, I’d ask you to write Governor Easley too.
This is my dad that your talking about and he is not a bad man he raised me growing up and is a wonderful man. It happened almost 30 years ago and he is a new man now a loving father and he was always there for me and never did anything bad.
Left by royal on March 31st, 2005 at 11:56 am