A Made For TV Police Tragedy Coming to A Broadcast Near You
Lights, Camera, Action! I am all for the media covering court cases and doing their jobs. But couldn't the show producers of 48 hours think of something better then the Robert Vanaman case. I mean, please, a loving mother, gunned down, in her own home, helpless to defend herself against her police officer husband. She wanted out of the marriage, Robert Vanaman lets her out by murdering her. Then he self inflicts wounds to make it look like an act of self-defense. In addition, a judge allows this former officer of the law to make bail and be with his children. Oh, I forgot the Judge also orders counseling for he and the kids. The Judge is the one who should consider counseling. Barbara's family attempted to get custody of the children, but, they were denied. During this very painful and confusing time the last place the two boys should be is with this man. Their father who took an oath to serve and protect and didn't think the law applied to him. Self defense? Insanity perhaps? No different from the thousands of other police officers in this country who have murdered their wives and in many cases committed suicide. Where is child protective service in this case? Obviously, they too, are invisible or deaf. This case screams loud and clear, along with so many others who have lost their lives like Crystal Brame or Carli Dennis, Anna Burns, Sandy Etter, Serena Gomez, Kimberly Mount, Anna Rodriguez, that we must implement more then a judge banging their gavel without really understanding Officers who murder their partners. Support programs and the enforcement of laws and mental health services must go hand in hand for officers and their families.
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MILLVILLE -- National television programs are considering coverage of Robert Vanaman's case and future trial.
According to the Millville Police sergeant's attorney, Joseph O'Neill, producers of the documentary and news television show "48 Hours" requested interviews the last time Vanaman was in court in connection with the May 2006 shooting death of his 37-year-old wife Barbara Vanaman.
Prosecutors charged 38-year-old Robert Vanaman with murder in connection with the shooting, which O'Neill claimed happened in self-defense after Barbara Vanaman attacked Robert Vanaman with a knife during a domestic dispute.
"( "48 Hours") had its cameras, but I declined to be interviewed," O'Neill said Wednesday. "Anything that we say will be at the end of the trial.
"They called me later in the day at the courthouse and said they would still like to talk to me," he added later. "But that's what they said they wanted to do. Interview me or my client before the trial. I just don't want to serve him up on a platter before the case goes to court."
"48 Hours'' is a documentary and news program broadcast on the CBS television network since January 19, 1988. The program originally took a forty eight hour slice of a single topic and put it into a one hour program.
The show drew its name, inspiration and original format from the September 2, 1986, CBS News documentary "48 Hours on Crack Street,'' about the drug crisis plaguing a number of American neighborhoods.
Like the original documentary, the series originally focused on showing events occurring within a 48 hour span of time -- hence the name. This format was eventually phased out by the early 1990s
It was revamped in 2002 when Lesley Stahl took over hosting duties from Dan Rather and the name was changed to "48 Hours Investigates.''
The name was changed to "48 Hours Mystery'' in 2004, and with its single-topic format, does not use a single host, but is moderated by the reporter assigned to the story.
Source: Reporter Matt Dunn
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