Thursday, October 15, 2009

In Defense of Christina Korbe

We discussed this case before in which Christina Korbe was charged with homicide in the shooting death of FBI agent Sam Hicks who was entering her house to serve a warrant on her husband. She will face a maximum sentence of life in prison. Today there's an editorial defense on the Seton Hill site written by

In all the reports surrounding this case, no one took the side of Christina Korbe. I do, and I think she was unjustly punished. If I were writing an editorial piece on this case, I would write something like this:

Imagine it's a cold November night, perfect for sleeping. You're curled up in your bed, safe and sound with your children sleeping softly in the next room. At 6:30 in the morning, before the sun has even peaked it's rays above the horizon, your front door is smashed in and you are wrenched from your sleep. You look for your husband in the bed next to you so he can go find out what's happening. He isn't there. Your heart is pounding. Someone is breaking into your home and you can't find your husband.

You know there is a shot gun kept in your room. It was put there in case something like this would happen, but you never truly thought it would. You grab the gun and creep to the head of the stairs.

As you peer down, you see a figure in the darkness climbing the stairs. The door to your children's bedroom is at the head of the stairs and you panic. My babies! You have to stop this intruder. You have no other choice. Your children are in danger. You fire the gun.


What do you think? Is that not more or less what some of us did say? Is that not more or less what some of us always say in cases like this? When considering life-in-prison cases, shouldn't every possibility be explored thoroughly? Of course it should.

What's your opinion? Do you think Ms. Korbe might have done what any gun owner would do? Does the fact that her husband was a drug dealer and the gun was not legally owned enter into it?

Please leave a comment.

21 comments:

  1. Sounds like a direct rule 4 Violation, and a dirty shoot.

    We call that murder.

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  2. This is why we need to stop this dark-of-the-night no knock warrant nonsense, especially for drugs.

    Couldn't they arrest the man on the street or wait until the kids are gone to school?

    It is bad enough that the parents put children's lives in danger with drugs without the government doing it as well.

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  3. My opinion is that the FBI agent was not there to serve a warrant, but rather to rape and murder the entire family.

    This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the shooting was justified.

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  4. FWM once again wins for the best comment.

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  5. I don't understand aimlessly shooting knowing that your husband is down the stairs with the unknown and "mysterious" intruder.

    The "summer break-in" is alledged to have happened while the family was on vacation. Her husband has been charged for staging the robbery and fraudently claiming it on his insurance.

    If you don't want the police or FBI busting your door down early in the morning, then just say NO to drugs, especially being part of a large Drug Ring!

    Many people involved in the large Drug Ring were being busted at the same time and that is why the officers didn't bust all the drug dealers when it was most convenient for the alledged criminals.

    How would of you busted 30+ people in a drug ring in a manner as to not tip any off prior to the bust?

    I'm a female gun owner with children that lives responsibly. I don't take too kindly to people that make life harder, more dangerous, and more costly for the rest of us.

    Last, I don't care to own something, a house or car, that is gained through fraud or with drug money! Do you?

    Peace.

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  6. Thanks Coonhound, You make some very good points, especially the last one.

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  7. Coonhound - could not have said it better.

    Kaveman - your name fits you perfect. "To rape and murder the family"...what is wrong with you?? Come on.

    How come the editoral does not mention all the drugs that were in the house. Including the cocaine powder on her night stand?? How come it does not mention the fact that her husband was talking to the cops through the door??

    “figure in the darkness climbing the stairs” – this goes to show this person who wrote this does not know the story. Agent Hicks barely made into the house. Let alone to the stairs. He was shot at the entry way into the house and fell outside.

    It angers me that people can make things up about this case.

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  8. Anonymous, Thanks for your comments. I think kaveman was being facetious, though.

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  9. Facetious?

    I think it's more along the lines of "trolling".

    But, so be it.

    This case is of a very serious nature and is being watched by many peopleand groups for various and different reasons.

    Mike, I find it very noble that you would be so willing to take a compassionate stand here for Christina Korbe, an innocent mother victimized by society for doing what any mother would do...aimlessley shoot to protect her babies while her husband is tending to more significant matters.

    Certainly, if the facts were as limited as your Editorial suggests many would stand for her, but the facts aren't so limited.

    Crooks, thieves, drug pushers, gang bangers, and so on only provide law makers with more reasons to make laws stiffer concerning gun ownership. But its very evident that criminals will still find a way around such laws.

    So, we are then left with the PENALTIES concerning the illegal use and ownership of guns.

    And perhaps the laws AND penalties should be stiffer.

    Those of us that do not partake in illegal antics will not be hindered by tougher gun laws and penalties.

    Also, I wonder how many innocent families and children within the pittsburgh area were directly or indirectly impacted by the korbe's antics: drug pushing, illegal gambling and theft? (Just a rhetorical question)

    I also found it very interesting that this woman could not find it in herself to display any remorse towards her "innocent conduct" and the non-reversable consequence of it. Yes, I am referring to her "jail-house recordings" that we all have heard.

    I am glad that the death penalty has been taken off the table for HER CHILDRENS' sake, but otherwise this woman is where she belongs...removed and disabled from society.

    I sincerely and respectfully would like to understand why ALL the facts surrounding this case have been disregarded or dismissed as being irrelevant to your editorial?

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  10. Coonhound, You're absolutely right it's a very serious matter. I often play the devil's advocate by defending criminals. That doesn't mean I condone what they do or downplay the dire consequences. And isn't this at the very heart of the innocent-until-proven-guilty thing that we all love so much?

    When judging criminals for serious and especially capital offenses, I think it's important to give them every benefit of the doubt, to consider every possibility.

    In spite of all that, I tend to agree with what you've said. Christina and her husband were bad news and it's good for everybody that she's behind bars. Is he locked up too, by the way? I don't remember reading that.

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  11. Yes, the husband is also locked up.

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  12. Yes, he's locked up with no bail. I believe he's in the county jail, while as you probably know she was moved to Cambria at the first of the year.

    Also, the court has granted her permission to have her children visit her at cambria.

    Christina Korbe is the only one that will ever know the truth behind her aimless shot. And if it was sparked by fear, uncertainty and concern for her babies, not to mention the white powder on her dresser that found its way into her system.

    But, what really "got" me with it all was the ranting and raving over the jail-house visiter phone while she spoke to her father-in-law and sister. Oh, I can't even repeat the things that spewed from her mouth about the Hick's family and her mother-in-law, Antoinette Korbe. And then the audacity of her to suggest the Oprah show and the bragging of how the other inmates respect and fear her. Pfft. That goes to show where her heart and mind really was during that time.

    I really can't say what I would have done had I of been in her shoes with the same circumstances as her's that tragic morning.

    But I do know this for sure, my eyes would have been swelled shut filled with tears of shame, guilt and remorse after that tragic morning when my actions caused a non-reversable tragedy that would forever inflict pain on the lives of many, especially if my actions were genuinely provoked out of fear for my kids' safety.

    It is really hard to accept and believe that people can be so cruel and selfish.

    She'll have a fair trial, I'm sure both the prosecution and defense want this done right the first time.

    As for life in prison? Do the crime, do the time. I know that sounds corny, but my goodness certainly these people were well aware of the seriousness of their antics and the risks and dangers associated with their lifestyle. Its just shocking to me. How can people so selfishly put their children in the middle of such things. I just don't get it.

    My heart aches for both the Korbe children and Sam Hick's child.

    They are the true victims here, along with agent Hicks.

    But I know you understand that and thanks for allowing me to express my thoughts and opinions, mike.

    Take care.

    For the record, Bologna is the most beautiful city in Italy...IMO.

    Peace.

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  13. I think law enforcement made a terrible decison doing what they did bobby was going to court the same day his house was raided he was probly going away for 10 years already so why wouldnt they arrest him at court if they were already investigating him and came to his house with an arrest warrant so they obviously had enough evidence to arrest him and on chrissys behalf she was a good mother she was a normal person she didnt know about everything bobby did illegally now honestly ask yourself this question if you were in chrissys situation what would you have done i know by reading these everyone on here seems to be a perfect model citizen who lives the american dream i feel just as bad for the hicks family as i do the korbe family i know they put themselves in this situation but chrissy dont deserve to be in jail for the rest of her life the kids already are loosing there dad. sam hicks was doing his job and chrissy was doing hers being a mom guarding her children thanks for reading

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  14. Thanks for that interesting detail about his already being scheduled for court that day.

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  15. your welcome for that post i hope people will support chrissy through all this as much as they are supporting hicks family i heard the jail tape conversations of chrissy at first i was like wow why is she talking like that then i realized what she was doing she was trying to act tough in front of other inmates for her own sake as i would do the same thing if you never been in jail in your life you might try to act tough to scare the real killers and criminals around you who wouldnt do that and of course the cops put it on the air for everyone to hear but i dont blame chrisy for acting that way imagine your life normal when you go to sleep and when you wake up your life is turned upside down i think people should think how they would act if they were in chrissys shoes before they write and say all those negative things about her like i said i knew chrissy bobby and her kids and chrissy was a good person and i wouldnt want to be her i wouldnt wish what happend to her to my worst enemy what bob put her through she dont deserve this i hope people support her and her family and get her home back with her babys thanks for reading t.cap

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  16. ridiculous. we have another case here in pittsburgh where three police officers beat up an innocent, viola playing, straight A high school student, because he was caught being black in a "high crime" neighborhood. the undercover cops, in an unmarked vehicle, jumped out and started screaming, "where's the guns? where's the money?" because, like all dirty cops, they thought they were about to rob a black drug dealer.

    meanwhile the entire county is circling their wagons to protect these white drug dealers, and one of them, the crack whore, shot an FBI agent in the process, and they still protect her! she still hasn't gone to trial, over 2 years later, cops have perjured themselves for her benefit in hearings leading up to her trial, and they refuse to seek the death penalty, which is what she deserves.

    in pittsburgh, the korbe's ran a VIOLENT, sadistic cocaine ring out of a so-called "high crime" neighborhood called Mt Oliver. i know a very good man who was shot and killed by these people and the cops covered it up. he was killed because he was trying to run the drug dealers out of a park and set up programs for kids, so they don't have to end up working for people like the korbe's someday.

    i was raised by people involved in organized crime around here. i know the truth. all the criminals at the top are white crack whores like christina korbe. all the cops are in on it and they cover it up, like leight and the rest of them. and all the real criminals live in the suburbs, like the korbes, and ruin peoples' lives in regular, so-called "high crime" areas like homewood and mt oliver. don't defend her. it makes you look dumb.

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  17. Anonymous. I'm convinced. Thanks for the insider perspective.

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  18. Hello Mike,

    I'm Jeanine O'Neal, the person who wrote the editorial you quoted. First, I would like to note that several people who commented on your blog are under the impression that you wrote the editorial. That's a little annoying considering the time I put into writing it.

    Second, and in respect to the Korbe case, Christina Korbe has plead guilty to shooting Sam Hicks. What I find interesting is that she acknowledges she physically shot him, but she did not suggest she murdered him.

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  19. Hello Mike,

    It's been a year since I commented. If you remember, I'm the person who wrote the editorial you quoted. Just in case anyone reads this in the future, I think they would be interested to know that a member of Korbe's family actually contacted me concerning the case. His response to my editorial can be seen in the comments to the original post.

    Unfortunately, I no longer have access to the platform where I originally posted the blog as the program I wrote it on was discontinued when my school upgraded.

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  20. Sorry, on that last comment (Feb 4, 2012) I meant to say a member of Hick's family. Not Korbe's.

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  21. Jeanine, Thanks for keeping us updated.

    Would you like to put together a new post? I'd be glad to publish it.

    Write me at mikeb302000@hotmailco.uk

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