St. Augustine Record: "When will justice come for Michelle?"

Letter: When will justice come for Michelle?
When will justice come for Michelle?
St. Augustine Record (St. Augustine, Florida)
Posted: June 4, 2014 - 12:03am

By CLARA WALDHARI
When will justice come for Michelle?

Editor:

Persistence.

Sometimes we select it; other times it is imposed upon us. The latter is the case for the family of Michelle O’Connell. Michelle died of a gunshot to her head on Sept. 2, 2010. Her family, led by her mother, Patty O’Connell, has rallied several times to tell Michelle’s story.

Their persistence paid off: The New York Times, PBS Frontline, NBC Dateline and CNN all have covered Michelle’s death and its bungled investigations by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, from the absence of established law-enforcement protocol to the ensuing cover-ups.

Yet, in the 44 months that have passed since Michelle’s murder, there has been no justice. Michelle’s daughter, Alexis, is now seven years old. She has lived almost half her young life without her mother. Still we wait.

Individuals, communities and law enforcement officers from across this country are watching. All want justice for Michelle O’Connell. Social media continues to tell her story. The world is watching.

As I write this, more than 159,000 people have signed the petition for a coroner’s inquest at change.org/petitions/florida-governor-order-a-coroner-s-inquest-into-the-death-of-michelle-o-connell

We want answers. We shall not rest, those of us who love her still and those who have come to love her.

We want justice for Michelle O’Connell.

St. Augustine