On the beaten path

I went with another young reporter, and we walked up and down peaceful William Street talking with neighbors about what they heard and saw that morning.

A shooting of any type was totally out-of-character for the area, to say the very least. The shock was beginning to set in.

More disturbing was that the shooter, Lawrence Crouthers, who was 68 then, was a nice man fearful that someone was trying to enter his house with his family inside. As details of the shooting emerged, people developed strong opinions either supporting Crouthers’s right to defend his home or against the man who — regardless of his intentions — shot a young man who was drunk and confused.

District Attorney Richard Cantwell investigated and decided to present a charge of second-degree murder to a grand jury. It was one of Cantwell’s first big cases and one that would haunt the rest of his term.

Not really familiar with the legal system, I fully expected an indictment of some sort. The grand jury could understandably not see how the tragedy was actual murder. Cantwell was later told by Clinton County Judge Kevin Ryan that he needed to present lesser charges, including criminally negligent homicide.

A long legal battle resulted, with Cantwell being backed by the state appeals court. Therefore, no new charges were ever brought forth.

Leroux’s family in Fort Covington held out hope that some charges would eventually result. However, the whole matter seemed to fade with time.

In part due to this case, Cantwell was not re-elected. His successor, Andrew Wylie, vowed to see the matter through, and we know the rest.

I still feel conflicted about what should have happened. I’m sure the jury and almost everyone else who had some personal knowledge of the events feels the same.

At least the facts surrounding this shooting were brought to trial, as they should have been years ago.

That avoidance of Leroux’s violent death did no one any good.