A sad but timely AP article ran in today's Star. The basic theme: experts say child abuse is more likely in nontraditional living situations. The piece lists several deadly examples of young children being killed by boyfriends living with their mothers. As the article puts it, the accused or convicted men are "thrust into father-like roles that they tragically failed to embrace."
The article struck me because I sat through Charles Mahone's sentencing hearing at the Jackson County Courthouse on Friday. A jury convicted Mahone of beating his toddler stepson, Aaron Marshall, to death and then staging a car accident to cover up his crime.
Before handing down a 32-year sentence, the judge told Mahone there "was no doubt in his mind" he committed the crime and described it as the "inexplicable torture of a defenseless little boy."
The truly amazing thing about the violent act was the lack of explanation. Teachers, coaches and family members all took the stand to talk about Mahone as an intelligent, cheerful and loving person. Nobody could offer any answers or see any warning signs -- not even his parents. In the end, the question of whether or not Mahone would spend significant time in prison for his crime was answered. The bigger question was not.