Topic: Gonna assume Stu Butler is gone.

[HaveUherd]

I do not blame our coaches for not giving up his name. He didn't do anything wrong, other than just being around Butler.

Well the way I see it, he could've tried to stop him. Maybe talk some sense into him and nothing would've came of the whole thing.

[FlyHawk98]

From what I have read, it seems like the 2 players DID stop it. If it wasn't for them, Butler most likely would have beaten them up worst.

You have to remember, it was most likely a poor quality video. Think about a cell phone video that is shaking and moving around.

Also as a coach, those are like his sons. He has a responsibility to each and every one of them. Our coaches are not trained detectives, nor should they pretend to be.

Last thing we need is coaches just guessing at who it could have been. I doubt many parents would send their son to play for a coach who did things such as that.

I do not agree with ANYTHING that Butler did, but I do see where our coaches could have been coming from on this issue.

[wasbarryb]

Not giving up the driver is debatable although he would be an eye witness to a crime and naturally someone who needed to be interviewed by police.  The way I read it, and what I thought was most concerning, was the coaches also wouldn't tell the Detective who Butler was.

Again something smells fishy about this line of thought.

The cop traced the license plate and the vehicle owner IDed the driver and assailant.

Why would the cop be questioning the coaches in the first place? No one placed them at the crime scene, so they weren’t witnesses. The only way he knew the suspects were football players was because he knew who the people were. There was no reason to be questioning the coaches.

[HerdKelly]

Again something smells fishy about this line of thought.

The cop traced the license plate and the vehicle owner IDed the driver and assailant.

Why would the cop be questioning the coaches in the first place? No one placed them at the crime scene, so they weren’t witnesses. The only way he knew the suspects were football players was because he knew who the people were. There was no reason to be questioning the coaches.

I read it as they were looking for confirmation as to who the individual in the video was.  If you have a video of a crime all you really need to do is figure out who is in the video and arrest them.

[wasbarryb]

I read it as they were looking for confirmation as to who the individual in the video was.  If you have a video of a crime all you really need to do is figure out who is in the video and arrest them.

If you have a video and the owner of the car says it was Butler, you should be able to see it was Butler when you interview Butler and look at the video.

Further more the victims should have been able to point to Butler and say that was the guy.

Again no reason to question the coaches they weren't there.

[HerdKelly]

If you have a video and the owner of the car says it was Butler, you should be able to see it was Butler when you interview and look at the video.

Maybe.  I honestly have no idea as to what the police would normally do/should do.  Obviously you don't want to arrest the wrong guy but you don't need 20 people to confirm it either. 

[36thunder]

This reporter needs to research better. If Sperry is telling the truth then this thing could get real big real quick. If he isn't then couldn't the investigation be questionable? I don't know though. Has anyone heard Butlers side other than what Sperry has said? I would assume his lawyer told him not to say anything and just prepare for court. Not saying what he has done is justified but what happened before the record button was pushed? Like I said, it's certainly not right but I don't think everything has been brought to light. At least not to the public.  

[GreenSteve]

The story goes national...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/07/football-player-claimed-gay-bashing-was-self-defense-until-cops-went-to-the-videotape.html

[Luke80]

I am not a criminal attorney but it seems odd that a cop would share that level of detail about a crime with a reporter.

[gochneaur645]

The new Daily Beast story is now the top link on the college football subreddit. Public opinion now seems to be that Doc runs a dirty ship with a history of "thugs" and players with marginal academics.

[gochneaur645]

I am not a criminal attorney but it seems odd that a cop would share that level of detail about a crime with a reporter.

What do we know about Sperry? Is he a WVU homer?

[HerdKelly]

What do we know about Sperry? Is he a WVU homer?

Google says he saved Jesus....  ;D

UPDATE 12/13/12 @ 6 p.m.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- When a stolen baby Jesus statue was found, the suspect had drawn and written some pretty bad things on him.

"It had horns drawn on it and a hole in its chest," Detective Chris Sperry with the Huntington Police Department said.

It also had been marked with profanity and a drawing of male genitalia after being taken from a nativity scene in Huntington the first night it was set up.

Sperry didn't want the baby to return to the manger looking like that. He took the Jesus to a pottery business to see if they could help get it cleaned up. They said unfortunately they couldn't.

The detective says fortunately he has a bit of a background in craftsmanship.

"My dad could do just about anything,” Sperry said. “I'd be out in the garage with him when we were growing up. He'd do woodwork and crafts."

Over the weekend Sperry and his wife Justine dedicated time to fixing up the statue.

“I got some fingernail polish remover, and we scrubbed and scrubbed and got it all cleared up," Justine said.

All that scrubbing also removed the statue's original coat of paint as well, so they re-painted and sealed him.

Then in true Christmas fashion, Detective Sperry returned Jesus Sunday night to the nativity scene on the porch of the McDonald’s business office on 5th Avenue and 11th Street for the workers to find in the morning.

"Chris is an amazing individual,” Jare Gilpin, Director of Operations at McDonald’s, said. “He's a credit to the police department."

"The reason for Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ,” Justine said, “and that me and my husband could put its face and everything back on it and put it back in the manger, it brought joy into my heart."

Sperry says solving a case is always rewarding, but doing this type of a good deed at the Christmas season is pretty special.

"Now every time I go down 5th Avenue I can look up, my kids can look up, and they can say ‘My dad fixed that,’” Sperry said. “That gives you a good feeling."

The suspect in the theft, Kamron Lambert, faces two years in prison if convicted.

[The E-Man]

What do we know about Sperry? Is he a WVU homer?

I know detective Sperry personally and he's a stand up, strait up guy. Detective Sperry has even cut a few people breaks that I know. I don't know what happened with Butler's situation, he will have his say in the court of law. I'm just hoping Stu's side of the store works in his favor.

[Greg H]

They should have got out and thrown his ass back in the car.

No way!  Then they are accused too.

[Greg H]

BTW, there is nothing wrong with refusing to help a cop.  They are NOT your friends.  I never, ever answer questions posed by a cop.

[ed swain]

I believe most cops are your friends if yo obey the law;but of course there are  always exceptions to the rule.

[jocktalker]

BTW, there is nothing wrong with refusing to help a cop.  They are NOT your friends.  I never, ever answer questions posed by a cop.

I guess you never took a citizenship course.

[FlyHawk98]

If you have a video and the owner of the car says it was Butler, you should be able to see it was Butler when you interview Butler and look at the video.

Further more the victims should have been able to point to Butler and say that was the guy.

Again no reason to question the coaches they weren't there.

Thats what I'm saying.

[wferg]

The Daily Beast writer is a prime example of subjective journalism.  The guy pandered to a bunch of haters that were looking for a forum to disparage something and it just happens to be college athletes, Marshall coaches and Marshall football.

The truth is, that the current coach has a high degree of character in spite of bad journalism.  The guys allegations that the coaching staff and program tried to evade the truth is bs.  Why would the coaches release more info than necessary until they had their facts in order?  

What a croc of article and what a bunch of loser comments with it.

[FlyHawk98]

BTW, there is nothing wrong with refusing to help a cop.  They are NOT your friends.  I never, ever answer questions posed by a cop.

Once again, this is what I'm saying. They can take whatever you say out of context, and use it against you.

[wferg]

Once again, this is what I'm saying. They can take whatever you say out of context, and use it against you.

And they will.

[Johnnyherd]

I know detective Sperry personally and he's a stand up, strait up guy. Detective Sperry has even cut a few people breaks that I know. I don't know what happened with Butler's situation, he will have his say in the court of law. I'm just hoping Stu's side of the store works in his favor.

This type of case is called an "APE" case.....Acute Political Emergency....A standard detective, even the chief of detectives will have little or zero discretion....he will be getting phone calls telling him that this case will go forward....and to present it to the courts....because the masses are watching and judging....

[BHFIOHIO]

now a big stretch story but I re-watched an ID channel 285 DTV story last night about Clarence Elkins who spent over 7 yrs in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Some of it after DNA proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was innocent but the prosecutor wouldn't budge until the Ohio Att General got involved and a press conf scheduled pressured the crooked  guy into letting Elkins out. I figure they just didn't want to pay him. And he only got a little over 1 mil. If you want to see a classic case of the cops not doing any investigating at all in a muder case this is the one to check out. The perpetrator lived next door to the scene and had been paroles 3 days before this murder. Unbelievable.

[luvherd]

BTW, there is nothing wrong with refusing to help a cop.  They are NOT your friends.  I never, ever answer questions posed by a cop.

Bingo. If you in anyway have something to be concerned about- mum is the word   Hire an attorney.

[GoHerd2112]

Reading comments on other sites about this, seems Marshall in the big college football picture is viewed as a 2nd chance school.
Commenters saying Marshall is the place to go when an "elite program" won't take you.
Marshall recruits thugs and what not being said.
Of course Moss and Bradshaw are being mentioned quite a bit.