In cases of random, seemingly motive-less murders, the possibility of mental illness always has to be considered as a possible factor.
I theorized in a comment in my last post that 22-year-old Fredrick Scott, who has been charged with two murders and in all likelihood committed three others, was “a frustrated young man and a flat-out racist.”
Information made public before and after I made that statement confirmed the accuracy of that opinion, but new information I’ve come upon — as well as an interview The Star got with Scott’s mother — indicate Scott probably had mental problems.
Scott
His mother, whom The Star did not name, has said her son suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. The symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia include, among others, violent tendencies, anger, hearing things that are not real and emotional disconnectedness.
Well, clearly Scott had violent tendencies. And we already knew he was angry because he told police he had been that way since his brother was murdered in 2015. (Killed by one or more black men, it should be noted.)
The information I received last night indicates he was also emotionally disconnected and perhaps was hearing voices.
The source of my information is someone who had spoken with two people who worked with Scott at a Pizza Hut at 103rd and Wornall, which is just a few blocks from where two of the five victims — Mike Darby and David Lenox — were killed.
Here’s what those employees said:
:: Scott, who was known as Freddie, “talked to himself all the time” but said very little to his fellow employees.
:: He was a terrible employee, couldn’t even bake a pizza. About all he could do was wash dishes and sweep.
:: He “creeped everybody out” and was transferred to another Pizza Hut.
The employees thought he might have a drug problem but never saw him actually taking drugs. (I am skeptical about the possibility of drug use or addiction because there is no indication any of the five victims was robbed. If he was a drug addict, you can bet he would have been taking whatever valuables the men had on them.)
Here’s another piece of information I found startling: Scott apparently knew one of his victims.
Sixty-six-year old David Lenox, who was shot down steps from the door of his residence at the nearby Willow Creek apartment complex, was a co-worker of Scott’s at the Pizza Hut. Lenox, a former Army medic, had “just started working there as a delivery driver,” I was told.
David Lenox, right, at a 2016 MU football game with son Mike and daughter Mindy
Lenox was killed on Feb. 27, apparently while either walking his dog or letting the dog outside…The “statement of probable cause” filed by the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office says police responding to the scene found “a small brown dog on a leash standing next to the victim.”
The day after Lenox was shot by someone whose blood ran cold, Freddie Scott showed up for his shift at the Pizza Hut.
Further evidence of Scott’s familiarity with Lenox is the fact that Scott had become friends with a person who, at the time, lived at Willow Creek. Scott frequently came around to visit the friend.
This from the probable cause statement:
“The former tenant stated he and Scott would walk the complex sometimes and talk. Officers noted that the former tenant’s apartment was a short distance from the Lenox homicide. Scott would regularly stop by, sometimes daily, prior to the tenant moving out shortly after the Lenox homicide.”
I’m pretty sure I would have been moving out, too.
Jim. Not to be picky about details, what I have learned from different mental health professionals and my reading, is schizophrenic individuals, are not talking to themselves. They are talking, or believe that they are talking, to another person. There is a difference.
I don’t believe that he was/is a racist. Mentally ill, yes, but not a racist, necessarily.
Hopefully he does get treatment, but of course he should be removed from society. Rehabilitation is not possible.
I’m as liberal as most journalists, Rich, but when a guy is quoted in a police report at saying he wants “kill all white people,” it’s a pretty clear indication of racism. We liberals often want to try to convince ourselves racism is all one way, but it’s not.
Kudos to The star for hitting the issue head on and putting those shocking words in its headline. Ducking the issue is not possible…
And kudos to you for bringing these added details courtesy of another of your talented readers.
However, I can’t help but wonder just how much better our journalism would be in this country if it were not necessary to virtue signal one’s political beliefs in order to establish credibility. i personally want to know if I’ve received all of the pertinent facts of a story, not that the reporter was trying to make sure they didn’t escape the bounds of some artificial narrative about what should be.in some fantasy world.
Perhaps, were there more honest commentaries that avoided the pitfalls of political correctness Kansas City’s murder rate wouldn’t be 10 times that of NYC.
Tony Botello would call them kick-ass sources, but in this corner we call them “talented readers.” We have some perspicacious readers, too, including you, John…
Thank you. I appreciate it, but I had to look that up. Last time that happened was when Tom Frank called me the “Kansas Marat”.
And I had to look that up. French revolutionary from the 18th Century. Stabbed to death by a woman named Charlotte Cordray, who gained entrance to Marat’s rooms with a note promising details of a counter-revolutionary ring in Caen…Ha! Sounds a bit like the Ruskies baiting Trump Jr. into that meeting by offering dirt on Hillary.
More importantly: “Jean-Paul Marat (French: [ʒɑ̃pɔl maʁa]; 24 May 1743 – 13 July 1793) was a French political theorist, physician, and scientist[1] who became best known for his role as a radical journalist and politician during the French Revolution. His journalism became renowned for its fierce tone, uncompromising stance towards the new leaders and institutions of the revolution, and advocacy of basic human rights for the poorest members of society” His paper was called Friend of the People.
Sick is sick..but sometimes there is so much more to it. I know I’ve seen plenty of sick over the years.
Way off the subject..just saw that the Star’s home has been sold and they are moving across the street. At the Post-Dispatch over the past few months, at least six reporters have left, as well as editors. The TV reporter, the Blues beat reporter and the county government reporter are out — some on their own, some with a buyout and some just outright gone. Maybe the blogosphere is the place to be.
Thanks, Gus…A former KC Star reporter and good friend, Julius Karash, linked me a story today saying the P-D’s headquarters building has been up for sale for more than two years, with no buyer in sight. I told him The Star was fortunate to have its headquarters within the booming Crossroads Art District.
When I arrived here in 1969, the area around The Star was a wasteland. In the ’70s, along came Crown Center, then more recently Downtown started coming back, and the Crossroads — the area in between — started filling in. As I recall, the P-D, although close to downtown, is a big off the beaten path — and not in the path of any significant development.