By Jessica Taloney Reporter
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Published: Mon, September 22, 2008 - 9:00 pm
Jessica Taloney
"Justice delayed is justice denied again," says Rhonda Wheelus, Rebecca's cousin, who was one of several people holding signs outside Government Plaza Monday morning. "Where is the victim's rights in this. It's all about the defendant and his rights, but where are Rebecca's rights," she says.
For eight months, Wheelus has sat through hearing after hearing, as attorneys argued over what evidence would be allowed in her cousin's unprecedented case. According to prosecutors, Rebecca was 10-years-old when she confided in a friend, saying her step-father, Bob Ingle, began raping her when she was eight. Rebecca testified twice before a Grand Jury and gave statements to investigators, but she died in a car crash before the case went to trial. Ingle's attorney has argued his client, who was also a Chickasaw police officer, has a right to confront his accuser in court, and now that she's dead, he wants the charges dropped.
Michael Harbin, who represents Ingle, filed a motion late last week to appeal Judge Michael Youngpeter's decision to allow the testimony of Rebecca's young friend, her sister, a doctor and a nurse, delaying the case for at least several months, according to Steve Giardini, Mobile County Assistant District Attorney.
Ingle is charged with rape, sodomy and sexual abuse.
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This is absolutely outrageous! Just what the hades is our DA’s office doing, sitting on their rears??? I sat through a sexual abuse case a couple of years ago and watched Assistant DA Giardini fumble his way through to an acquittal of the accused. Several years ago Tyson let a baby killer go free due to a “typographical error” in the indictment. How many of our children must be murdered or abused before the “good old boys” at least PRETEND to stand up for them.
Rebecca showed more courage in standing up to her attacker than any of the judges, DA’s, and attorneys have. Integrity is seriously missing in the judicial system in Mobile county. Perhaps its time to contact Troy King and ask him to take over the prosecution. It wouldn’t be the first time that he has had to step in to clean up one of Tyson’s messes.