Murder in Seagrove

[Bee]

I have been so depressed about this. Almost not able to function. My empathy for the parents is consuming me.
My husband and I got in a squabble tonight and then both broke down crying admitting it was a product of the pain we were feeling about this senseless murder and knowing how unbearable it must be for her parents and siblings. We send our love out to them!

We were the same last night; on edge and depressed. I grieve for them. I think it is so extra difficult because thousands of people enjoy perfect times on 30A every year, and this family has suffered the worst possible fate there. It is so painful.

Did people who live in Seagrove full time know that this perp was a ticking time bomb? Also, as to the Bramble Grove man; I think I know who you are referring too and I am tired of him being there. He has been lurking and approaching vacationers up and down 30A for years.......seems like every time we are down we see him annoying someone. He seems to think he is charming. Have I described the right guy?

 

[scooterbug44]

I thankfully never heard of him or met him.

As far as the homeless, I thought that was part of the reason we had the rule about no sleeping/camping on the beach.

Just because some people know an individual doesn't mean it isn't creepy, disconcerting, or potentially unsafe to have them living under your neighborhood beach walkover.

I had assumed the ones at Bramble Grove would leave/get moved along once season started.

 

[heartbren]

Referring to homeless man under Bramble walkover. He may be well known to us locals, but not to a tourist. This is not what they are expecting to see on their vacation. My daughter was here not long ago and went for her early morning beach walk, around 5:30am & saw him having a beer. She came back concerned. I ask her to describe him and said he was harmless.
But we have to remember a tourist is here to relax & unwind, not to figure the out the mind set of the homeless person. Do we want the tourist to take back these memories? Let this spread around where they live, not good for future visitors. Just my two cents.

I hate to get to involved in this, but why do we have a homeless man knowingly living under a beach walkover? Wow, that is not my idea of what the beautifulest beaches in Florida should be remembered for for the ones like this little girl saw when she went for a walk on the beach. Is there not some help around here for people like this person? I would think if one is left to live there then others may feel it is o.k. to if they are in his position. I feel for him and think there should be some help for him somewhere in the area even if not in SoWal.

 

[beachmouse]

The long term homeless often either militantly don't want anyone's help or have mental illness issues that make it difficult to convince them to come in off the streets. I had a co-worker who was one of the big names in the FWB homelessness coalition, and even though she knew that well, she was always going to be frustrated at how hard it was to get some of those folks to temporarily come into heated shelter space when overnight temps get below 30F, much less get them into a permanent housing situation.

 

[Bee]

Agreed, and the person I am referring to seems quite content to wake up on Seagrove Beach each day, use the public facilities, hop on his bike and go see where he can scare up a sandwich. There is a difference between "homeless" and a very willing "beach bum". Both need to be addressed in Sowal, and this recent tragedy highlights the importance of reporting trespassers. Our neighborhood board will be encouraging people to report this kind of thing to the sheriff.

 

[Beach Runner]

The long term homeless often either militantly don't want anyone's help or have mental illness issues that make it difficult to convince them to come in off the streets. I had a co-worker who was one of the big names in the FWB homelessness coalition, and even though she knew that well, she was always going to be frustrated at how hard it was to get some of those folks to temporarily come into heated shelter space when overnight temps get below 30F, much less get them into a permanent housing situation.

That's exactly the way they are in Midtown Atlanta. Even when free food is offered by volunteers in a vacant lot at the intersection of Juniper and Pine, they are reluctant to take it.

Agreed, and the person I am referring to seems quite content to wake up on Seagrove Beach each day, use the public facilities, hop on his bike and go see where he can scare up a sandwich. There is a difference between "homeless" and a very willing "beach bum". Both need to be addressed in Sowal, and this recent tragedy highlights the importance of reporting trespassers. Our neighborhood board will be encouraging people to report this kind of thing to the sheriff.

Yikes! I didn't realize Bramble Grove access is in Seagrove where I turn around on my morning walks.

I agree. This type of thing needs to be reported to the sheriff's department.

 

[hkem1]

Why does it seem to matter so much where Steven was living or that he was homeless? I doubt that whatever made him crazy enough to do came from being homeless all of a sudden. And it's not like him staying at the pool increased his access to girls. He has been creepily hitting on girls in Seaside for years.

 

[scooterbug44]

Probably the fact that he raped and killed a young girl where he had been camping out as a homeless person.

Not in any way saying that Cassine kicking him out would have prevented this horrible tragedy, but it has made us reexamine certain behaviors and the potential consequences of allowing them in our midst.

 

[Bee]

Why does it seem to matter so much where Steven was living or that he was homeless? I doubt that whatever made him crazy enough to do came from being homeless all of a sudden. And it's not like him staying at the pool increased his access to girls. He has been creepily hitting on girls in Seaside for years.

So given that statement, did anyone ever find him threatening enough to report him sooner? Sounds like he had a history of being a creep. Shouldn't he have been on the local communities radar? Can we do anything more to make sure that those "creepily hitting on girls" are watched more carefully. I don't know, I'm just still so upset about this.

 

[hkem1]

So given that statement, did anyone ever find him threatening enough to report him sooner? Sounds like he had a history of being a creep. Shouldn't he have been on the local communities radar? Can we do anything more to make sure that those "creepily hitting on girls" are watched more carefully. I don't know, I'm just still so upset about this.

Not really, because he wasn't doing anything (as far as we know) that was illegal. If every guy who ever hit on girls in Seaside was watched closely then we would have other problems.

A friend of mine told me that someone we knew had murdered a tourist in Seagrove, and this guy was my first guess. He was the kind of kid that you were nice to because you hoped that when he went on a killing spree, he would let you live.

But despite all this, he never did anything that anyone could do something about. It's the same thing with Jared Loughner. He got dismissed from college and the professor felt he was dangerous, but nobody can do anything until he goes on a murderous rampage.

There is no easy solution to this problem.