Hate to start on a dark note. . .

. . . but I’m a bit worried we might have a Situation here in Little Rock.  You’ve probably heard/read about the recent murder of Anne Pressly, a beautiful, talented, and (by all accounts) wonderful young news anchor at our ABC affiliate.  If you haven’t, go here.  Awful subject to start this blog on, but it’s weighing on my mind pretty heavily (being a single woman living in Little Rock).

The cops have called their investigation “very tight,” but Little Rock being what it is, a number of details the police have not released have nevertheless been steadily leaking out.  The sources appear to be from inside the police department and the hospital where Anne was treated before she died last weekend. 

I’m not going to put what I’ve heard on the Internet, but believe me, it’s horrifying.  For one thing, the attack was far more violent than the police have indicated so far, and had an element of sadism that has been completely unreported.  There’s no such thing as an “average” or “normal” murder–they are all atrocities–but there are certain crimes that are more ominous for the public at large.  I worry that this might be one. 

Even though there are gaping holes due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, the available pieces of this puzzle form a very scary picture. 

1)  Anne Pressly was a moderately “low risk” victim: she wasn’t involved with drugs, prostitution, gangs, or other shady environments/people that would normally put a person at a higher risk for being a victim of violent crime.  I use the word “moderately” only because she was an on-air personality and therefore a minor local celebrity, which always ups the chances of drawing a freak.

2)  The crime itself was extremely “high risk”: it occurred in the Heights, which is one of the most affluent areas of town, and aside from one particular street, the most high-status neighborhood in Little Rock.  The Heights is almost warren-like, marked by narrow, winding streets, gorgeous old trees, and tasteful older houses on small lots (no McMansions there).  When I say small lots, I mean the houses on either side of Anne’s rented bungalow are almost close enough to reach out and touch from her property line.  Also, I would bet that almost all homes in the Heights have security systems.  I feel that the nature of her neighborhood by itself rules out the possibility that her attack was a burglary gone wrong.

3)  Further ruling out the burglary scenario: her BMW was in the driveway, and only her purse was stolen.  Folks, burglars don’t enter occupied homes and do the things that were done to her in order to steal a purse.  They just do not.

4)  The attack was. . .well, beyond.  Whoever entered her home seemed to do so with the intention of killing her.  And they were perfectly justified in assuming they’d done so when they left.

From what is “out there” right now, I can’t help but think that she was specifically targeted and probably stalked by someone whose appetite for violence is not that of your garden-variety thug.  Apparently, she never mentioned any stalker or potential stalker to anyone, so it’s possible that the killer watched her just long enough to figure out where she lived and her basic routine.  And then penetrated this safe, close-knit neighborhood, committed a vicious murder, and slipped away in clothes that must have been covered in blood, without being detected by anyone.  He brought his own weapon–an undisclosed type of blunt object–with him.  And there was no forced entry, although the fact that her dogs were found outside makes me wonder if he was in the backyard, watching, when she let her dogs out, and seized that opportunity to rush into her house.

So basically, I’m scared shitless.  I really hope they catch the guy/s soon, because I find it very hard to believe that someone capable of that type of planning and sustained, sadistic violence will not do it again. 

So those are my little theories and thoughts on the Situation.  I am now going to watch Laser Cats three or four times to remind myself that there is beauty and perfection in the world.  Because seriously….holy shit.