On this episode, Amanda shares a disturbing story of justice gone curiously awry. Was this miscarriage nefarious, or only a misstep? Also, what kind of conversation can it inspire? You might be surprised, as humor is always lurking in the darkest places on Smirk.
Click this link for the full details of the Central Park jogger case we discuss on this episode.
Welcome to Smirk. A podcast that covers society and culture through a storytelling lens. Part creative writing, part discussion, and always interesting. Each week our hosts brings a story to the show, a story they wrote themselves, which is immediately followed by discussion on the author’s moral or theme. These stories can cover any topic the host wants to discuss, it can be lighthearted or more serious. No one but the author knows if these tales are truth or fiction, and part of the fun is guessing while you’re listening before the reality is made clear.
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Want to read Amanda’s story “Runner’s High” in full? Think you can identify the moral or theme for this episode? Read it below, and then take a listen to the podcast.
Runner’s High
Runners high. That’s what they say. You can go and go and go, just off that high. Headphones in, music up. Total distraction and complete isolation. You can go through your favorite neighborhood, run on your favorite trail, or maybe at a really beautiful park nearby. The best escape – they say.
But no one ever tells you the danger that lurks. The branches in the path, the dog feces grossly about, and the people lurking in the shadows. The people who recall your routine, can spot you, and can take everything you love away from you. The criminals.
She was in a runners high, I’m sure. Just going about her evening the way she did all of the time. At her favorite park. But this night – this night was different. This night changed everything for her. She was young – late 20’s, with her whole life still ahead of her, when she was found in a ravine.
Beaten, raped. She was left alone with a near death skull fracture. She was taken advantage of. Her sense of peace was ripped out from under her.
The men prosecuted – or rather, boys I should say, since they were all minors – who confessed to the crime after a lengthy interrogation time without food or water, spent no more than thirteen years in prison. Is that just? I mean, what kind of system do we have where a woman can spend almost two weeks in a coma, for her assailants to only spend approximately one year for every day she was incapacitated. There wasn’t much evidence outside their confessions aside from being near the scene, which when presented during their trial showed inconsistencies, but a confession feels like a slam dunk.
Thirteen years later…
He’s already been convicted of murder and serial rape, serving a minimum of 33 years in prison when he makes an additional confession. The rape and assault in the park? That was him. Why, after all this time, would you make this confession. Sole responsibility. Is it because you enjoy the attention? You wanted the praise? These what-ifs and questions linger in my mind about you. I wish I understood your motives.
Runners high, eh? Is it worth the risk?