The Media, the Truth, and the Tragedy on Peeler
July 3rd, 2010On Thursday, I was scheduled to receive a dose of chemo. It was a normal day - until the news choppers began circling over the neighborhood. The first call I made was to Chief Grogan. It was he who informed me that there was a house fire on Peeler Road, and there may have been people inside.
The shock wore off and the horror set in when I finally made it to the scene. Tom Taylor had already volunteered to take me to my chemo appointment that afternoon. I shared the same grief as my other neighbors as the nurse started the IV.
On Friday, July 2, Mike Petchenik of WSB-TV called at 9:15 AM. His voicemail indicated that he already knew I was a neighbor of this family and he “understands that there may have been some foul play involved.”
Just so it’s clear: the news reporter had already been tipped off by someone else that this fire was not an accident. This thought hadn’t even crossed my mind, and some reporter was confronting me with the idea first thing in the morning.
I returned Mr. Petchenik’s call and advised him that I was not comfortable speaking on camera, as the investigation was ongoing. That’s what police spokespeople and city PR staff are for. Mr. Petchenik claimed in our conversation that City Hall had given him my name to make a comment. I had no reason to believe that he was not telling the truth. So, I agreed to a brief comment about how wonderful the Abbotts were. I also made it crystal clear that the autopsies were not completed and I would not comment on any cause of death. I would only speak of them as neighbors.
I was far from the only neighbor speaking to the hordes of reporters hovering around the home. Many others expressed their feelings as well, as the Channel 2 footage showed. I chose to pay my respects by starting a memorial of flags and flowers - which the cameras were all too eager to capture. I still hope others will add to it this weekend. Finally, exhausted, I returned home to hopefully mourn in peace.
No such luck. Another call from another news outlet. This time it was Rebekka Schramm from CBS Atlanta. Again, I refused to confirm or deny any findings of the investigation. I wasn’t even sure that the police had any findings - I didn’t ask. I agreed, once again, to speak of the Abbotts as good neighbors. I reported to Ms Schramm that I knew that these people were both very active and mobile and that it was suspicious that they did not escape. This was not related to any discussion of potential police findings. I always refused to comment on the investigation itself when asked. And they asked. Often. The most I would offer is my standard residential safety speech that I give to anyone when the subject is raised.
In a city the size of Dunwoody, with so many active citizens, it is impossible not to talk about such tragedies within our city limits to people we know. Speculation is human nature. With the media and their mobile editing units, sound bites are spliced together and distributed as fast as thought. Unfortunately, there are those who will accept mere speculation as truth, even when voicemail recordings and video footage do not support the ideas speculated upon. From the first day, I made sure that official conclusions only came from the police and others directly investigating the case.
Last year, I buried my father on July 3, and I marched in the Dunwoody July 4th parade with a heavy heart. I cannot begin to relate to the pain the Abbots’ family is experiencing at this time, given the current report of their deaths issued by Dunwoody Police. My heart will be heavy again this year as I participate with the rest of City Council on Monday. Let us let the police do their job, even as the media does theirs, and focus on meeting the extensive needs of the Abbott family.