Thursday, November 20, 2008

N.J. Man Sentenced to Life for Murder

The Star-Ledger reports on the life sentence meted out to a New Jersey man who killed his girlfriend more than ten years ago.

George Jenewicz has been behind bars since he was arrested days after the Oct. 22, 1998, killing of Eunice "Nadine" Gillens-Joseph in the house they shared. Convicted of murder, he won a second trial and was found guilty again in September.


The sentencing judge called this one of the most gruesome crimes he'd ever heard of because, after Jenewicz shot his wife he dismembered her body and boiled her head in a pot, planning on using the skull for Halloween.

"I've been a judge for many, many years and I suspect this is one of the most gruesome and horrible crimes I've ever seen," DeVesa said. The judge said he expected any effort by Jenewicz to win parole would be rejected so "you spend the rest of your life in prison.

I noticed that Mr. Jenewicz was a "research biologist and an avid hunter." I don't think that could have anything to do with it. He was from Jersey. No, that probably didn't enter into it either. His girlfriend had an "expensive cocaine habit," which means he probably did too and there were guns all over the place. Now, those things must have had something to do with it.

What's your opinion? Should cocaine addicts be allowed to have guns? Oh, that's right, they're not allowed to have them. But is there nothing that can be done? I know the gun enthusiasts who comment here have made it very clear that they are not to blame for this kind of thing. Fine, but who is then?

What about the fact that he was a "research biologist and an avid hunter?" That sounds like he was, at least at some point in the past, a fairly responsible person. Is he one of the ones I keep talking about who went from being a good guy with guns to being a bad guy with guns? Are they really in such a small minority that we can write them off? (If you've already answered that, please don't feel you have to repeat yourself.)

By the way, when I came across this article, I was scouring the internet for positive gun stories. I was honestly trying to do what I've been asked to do. But this story was too good to pass up. And besides, I do post positive gun stories when I see them, like this one.

Other questions come to mind, like, did he merit the death penalty? Is New Jersey getting soft on the sentencing?

What do you think?

11 comments:

  1. Mike,

    I don't know how much simpler this could be, when you ask:

    I know the gun enthusiasts who comment here have made it very clear that they are not to blame for this kind of thing. Fine, but who is then?

    The person to blame is George Jenewicz, who was tried, convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

    You are a parent, are you to blame every time a father abuses his child, murders his child?

    If you aren't to blame for a criminal act by another parent, will you STOP trying to cast blame on gun owners for criminal acts by others!!!!

    I think you see the gleam of understanding but are still focused on the firearms....let's look at this another way. As you say, he probably also had a drug habit -- which is a crime, right? Why is it such a stretch that people who commit one crime might commit another crime?

    Would you be asking the same questions if he had stabbed his wife? Trying to throw knife owners under the criminal bus, trying to spread responsibility for his actions to others; including yourself- you do own knives, right?

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  2. Gotcha, Bob.

    By the way, congratulations to your son. I remember well when my father came to see me graduate from Parris Island. It was July 1970. He gave me one of the best compliments I ever heard from him. After touring the base and seeing plenty of drill instructors and young recruits in action, he said the Marine Corp boot camp was every bit as tough then as it was in his day during Korea. I'm sure it's still that way today.

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  3. Bob said it best, its the acts of the individual. This guy may have had his guns legally...but it also means that the powers that be weren't aware of the drug use. (FYI In January it will now be a non-criminal offense to posess an ounce or less of Marijuanna in this state. IF I was to be caught smoking a joint on my back porch *a summer activity I love to do, with exception of substituting "Joint" for "Martini"* it wouldn't be a crime....but it would be grounds for forfiture of ALL my guns for the remainder of my life...think about that)

    I'm a research biologist too. Should my wife be afraid? I work with a LOT of research Biologists...should I be afraid? A lot of my family are avid hunters...should I be afraid?

    If you think the above questions are stupid, your argument is stupid.

    Of course you seem to toss these discussions out without direction, but do I infer that you somehow think this could have been prevented by law?

    What law prevents anything? I mean murder has been illigal for most of Human History...and Muder has been around ever since.

    Also you say you're "scouring the internet for positive gun stories." What's wrong with the collection of independent newspaper stories from the site I linked?

    Also your reference to past pro-gun stories holds as much water as Sarah Palin saying she's "Pro-Gay" because her best friend is a lesbian.

    As for the sentence "Life in Prison" reads the same to me as "Death By Prison"...also I don't think Jersey CAN use the death sentence...and if it could I doubt it has used it in the last 70 years.

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  4. Mike,

    Thanks, we are out in San Diego now, about to head to the base to start Family day. It will be the first time we've seen him in 13 weeks.

    I'm really proud of the type of young man he's became. I'll pass along everyone's kind words today.

    Also, wanted to relate one of those miracles made possible by the internet. Last night was a meet and greet for a web forum for recruit parents, over 75 people were there. Not one of them had met before, except on the net.

    Kinda cool

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  6. thats a tough call. I think any time that drugs and guns are together, there is going to be trouble...

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  7. +1, that's why the law bans the drugs, and precludes anybody with a known drug problem from guns...and I'm totally fine with that.

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  8. Weer'd, I agree that Bob said it right. George Jenewicz is responsible for his own actions. But, do the proponents of firearms availability bear no responsibility in this? I think they do. Can you not accept that I may have a different opinion than you? You're not the only one repeating himself around here.

    There's nothing wrong with the site you suggested for pro gun stories. What I do though, is mainly read mainstream internet sites, CNN, NY Times, LA Times, etc. I mentioned as an estimated statistic that I find 10 or 20 bad gun stories for every good one. Well, in going back through my posts to give you an example of a positive gun story I posted about, I realized the ratio is more like 100 to 1.

    In the Great Gun Survey that would be 100 in Column A and 1 in Column 3. I'm not sure how to explain it, really. Nomen said the news media publishes only what sells. I say positive gun stories sell too. You said the media is biased against guns. That may be so. I admitted many positive gun stories remain hidden and go unsung, so to speak. But, still, 100 to 1!

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  9. Well go ahead a search away there...those sources have published pro-gun articles but they're on the scale of one-a-year. Just one sugestion would be look at that cite after you've done an exhaustive search of those sources.

    You'll be left with two conclutions either: Those news articles featuring defensive use of firearms are fake. OR the news sources you're looking at don't pick up defensive gun stories.

    Of course that first conclusion is foolish...so why is the 2nd true?

    I can accept you have a different opinion than I do, can you not accept that I see your opinion as wrong, and that I bring data to support my conclusion?

    As for "But, do the proponents of firearms availability bear no responsibility in this?"

    To quote Inigo Montoya, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

    I really don't even know what you're getting at with that comment. Please expand so I can make better sense of it.

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  10. Mike,

    Simple question, please answer truthfully.

    There are thousands of drunk driving deaths a year. You are a car owner, do you bear the same responsibility for the illegal actions of those car owners?

    You've asked repeatedly if gun owners bear responsibility for illegal acts with firearms but aren't illegal acts with cars more frequent, have more deaths and injuries?

    How dare you accuse/impugn or imply that I have responsibility for illegal acts if you aren't willing to accept the same responsibility.

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  11. Feel free to add this to Bob's question: I'm assuming that you have a few bottles of wine, maybe some spirits or other adult beverages in your home (If not, For God's sake WHY Man??? You live in Italy, They make fantastic wine!)

    Do you feel you bear some responsibility for drunk driving, and other crimes of drunkenness such as disturbance of the peace, fighting and domestic violence?

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