Re: The Murder of Billy McDermott [and his friend]

Re: my friend Billy McDermott

Dear Chief Gregory Culick, Amsterdam Police Officers, Investigators, and Helpers,

With Respect:

Billy McDermott was my friend.  And I was honored to be his friend.  This is not a matter of "how he lived his life,"or "he had a history."  Some people who are addicted to drugs, even to crack cocaine, do recover.  Did you find drugs in his apartment?  Was there evidence of illicit drugs found in his autopsy, tox report?  I heard there wasn't.  Billy had had a heart attack about four months ago.  That scared him.  That scared him into another period of abstinence.

Oh I know Billy had a damming "history."  But Billy was also a very gentle soul and a sweet man-- whether he was using or not.   Until there is concrete evidence demonstrating that Billy was high at or just before the time of his death, we don't really know that he was high recently.  To blame his death partially or fully on his addiction sucks.  Are you aware that Billy had periods of abstinence as well as periods of time when he was using?  Billy did not just "live his life" high.  He wrestled with his addiction.  He wanted to be clean.  He also loved his parents, his brothers and sisters, his children and grandchildren.  Billy had a true generosity of spirit.  He bought lunch for people who were hungry.  He love kids.  He was always willing to listen, using or not.  Billy was truly a Sweet William.

I hope that Billy's past does not get in the way of finding the animals who perpetrated the double homicide which took his life and the life of Cheryl Goss.  There are other motives for violently stabbing people to death besides drugs.  Two of them are money and jealously on the part of current or ex-lovers.  I know the cops have difficult jobs and that you all put your lives on the line so we can live in relative safety.  I have to trust that you will investigate all leads-- the ones that point to drugs as well as the ones that point to financial greed and revenge. 

I hope you find the people who murdered Billy and Cheryl very very soon.  And I hope that they get put away for the rest of their natural lives without parole, regardless of the motive or motives for the murders.  And I hope that the truth will out.

              

                Yours in the struggle,


                   radical sapphoq



http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story/Double-homicide-in-Amsterdam/LBWdwh6g70mhN_lbt-Y8mw.cspx