My Friend Was Murdered In California: What I Learned About Crime In America’s Most Populous State

Thanks for reading.

Welcome to The Different Newsletter.

Musings for entrepreneurs, marketing leaders, and creators with a different mind.

From Christopher Lochhead.

🏴‍☠️

This is a special addition on crime in California.

It will cause cognitive dissonance for some.

But you see, I write (exclusively) for business leaders who believe, thinking about thinking is the most important kind of thinking.

Now, if you’re wondering what political stripes I wear.

I’m a fierce independent.

I vote for democrats and republicans.

Also, you should know, I’m an immigrant to the US from Canada.

A proud American citizen.

And the only political team I’m on is team America.

Because the USA is a massive gift in my life and I will be forever grateful for the legendary life Lady Liberty has given me.

What follows is from my heart to yours.

🏴‍☠️

My Friend Was Murdered In California: Personal Learnings About Crime In America’s Most Populous State

Imagine.

Someone you love was just murdered.

Sit for a sec with how you’d feel.

I myself, do not have to imagine.

This is a pain I get to live daily.

Now imagine the state of California letting the killer free.

California lets Manson killers out. The average killer is (only) behind bars for 15 years.

Recently, a friend of mine’s mother’s life was taken in cross walk.

By a hit and run driver. Who then drove home, washed her mother’s “DNA” off the bumper, changed license plates, and scrapped off the VIN.

Maximum sentence in California.

Take a guess.

Guess again.

Three years.

Three fucking years.

The DA told my friend, if he can get the killer to plead guilty and accept two years in prison, my friend should take the deal.

I asked the DA.

With a two year sentence how much time will the killer actually be in California prison? Take a guess.

Guess again.

16 to 18 months.

California is about to release Christopher Hubbart.

The “pillowcase rapist”.

Hubbart admitted to rapping over 100 women.

Over 100 women.

Over 100 women.

In March 2023, Santa Clara County judge Joni Hiramoto deemed Hubbart “suitable for release”. He could be free by Christmas.

The federal government says violent criminals have a recidivism rate of 60%. Let your mind soak in …

60% of violent offenders in America do it again.

60% of violent offenders in America do it again.

60% of violent offenders in America do it again.

And in California almost all of them are released.

Fifteen year old AJ Gonzalez, kidnapped, raped, and murdered 8-year-old Madyson "Maddy" Middleton in 2015.

As Gonzalez approaches his 25th birthday in October 2024, a Santa Cruz County court is evaluating whether he “poses a continuing threat to society.”

You see, in California, prop 57 largely de-criminalized crime for people under 18.

Capitola, CA Police Chief Andy Dally told me over coffee, that because of prop 57, gangs child traffic kids as young as 8 and 10 to commit their most evil crimes.

Because they know, there is little (if any) punishment.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins called the afternoon, broad daylight (in Union Square) attack and shooting of 49er star rookie Ricky Pearsall a “set back”.

Ricky’s attempted murder is 17.

If convicted he will likely be out in less than five years.

If you consume any news, you know there’s been an explosion in theft in California. Prop 47 made stealing under $950 a misdemeanor.

For all practical purposes theft is legal in California.

If your car get’s stolen in the state and you call the cops to report it guess what happens.

Guess again.

Nothing.

In California fentanyl dealers caught with enough of the drug to kill two thousand people get bailed out upon arrest.

And when (clearly high) meth heads hit you on your bike with their car going 35 miles an hour, guess what happens?

Guess again.

Nothing.

California cops let them go.

Because they know it’s not worth arresting and booking the criminals.

(I know this, because it happened to me.)

It also must be underscored that radical legalization of crime has come with horrible, life altering consequences.

In San Francisco you have a 1 in 148 chance of being the victim of a violent crime.

This puts San Francisco in the top 1% most crime ridden cities in America.

And the pain of violent crime is felt disproportionately by minorities.

For instance, homicide is the leading cause of death among young African Americans. (Read that three times)

In LA, Black people are nearly 19 times more likely to be homicide victims compared to whites.

Making California’s pro-criminal laws mind-bogglingly worse for non-whites.

No Justice, No Peace

Among my friends and family, we know the likelihood there will ever be justice for my murdered friend is (almost) zero.

We (have to) live knowing his killers will be let out by California.

Because if California law lets child killers, Manson killers and mass rapists out, we have to learn to live knowing.

It will be no different for us.

Imagine how it feels to have someone you love taken violently.

Now imagine knowing the killers will be free.

And there is a 60% they will kill or hurt more people.

What the fuck is going on?

California has been under one party rule for 23 out of the last 30 years. And Democrats have held a supermajority in California's Legislature since November 2018.

In their effort to make the justice system focus not punishment, but rehabilitation, Democrats turned California into a violent hellscape.

California is the now the most pro-criminal state in America.

Now, the Attorney General of California who was in power when prop 47 & 57 became law wants to be President.

Of all 50 of the United States.

Lord help us.

Mercy for criminals.

Punishes the innocent.

🏴‍☠️

Ps. This is my personal newsletter.

I write it without an editor. Because I want to be real and raw with you.

(Think of it as live Vs. recorded music)

So please forgive me for any errors.

You see I’m dyslexic (have multiple learning differences… aka superpowers 😎).

So there are mistakes.

This is a feature not a bug.

Data is sourced/validated with Perplexity, Google, ChatGPT.

Thanks for reading.

🏴‍☠️