Christmas comes early for killer cop
Date Mon Oct 9, 2006 12:20 am | Topic: In Focus
| Michael Morris - In Focus
Former New Mexico park ranger turned murderer Clyde R. Woods Jr. has to feel blessed today after 12th District Attorney Scot Key decided to reduce the 2nd degree murder charge against Woods to voluntary manslaughter. It is not every day a man can coldly pump 2 shots into the back of an unarmed man and walk away facing fewer consequences than a fellow who wrote 2 bad checks. Well that is not entirely correct. Cops who kill in New Mexico routinely escape what a rational person might consider consequences. The problem is not the law, but the corrupt and cowardly men the voters have entrusted with the prosecution of crime.
This case started out already in the hole. The prosecutor for the district where this murder occurred, 7th District Attorney Clint Wellborn, in keeping with his custom indicated that he had not the balls to prosecute a cop. Due to this the case ended up in the hands of 12th Judicial District Attorney Scot Key. At first it appeared that Key would actually mount a credible prosecution in the case bringing an open murder charge. At the preliminary hearing the historically corrupt and inept Magistrate Judge Thomas Pestak reduced the charge to involuntary manslaughter. Since the evidence in no way supported such a petty violation Key dropped the charge and refilled a specific 2nd degree murder charge. That was the last thing Scot Key did right in this case. In the refilled case Pestak was removed then Socorro's rubber stamp Magistrate Santiago "Jim" Naranjo was removed leaving Catron County Magistrate Clayton Atwood holding the bag. Now, over a year after the shooting Scot Key decided to deal this vicious senseless killing down.
While the characterizations of the events of the night Clyde Woods murdered Bruce Teschner may be in dispute the actuality of the events remain almost undisputed. Clyde Woods was not your typical cop. In fact, absent the shoddy management of the state parks, Woods would never have had police duties or powers. Clyde Woods was more of a nature guide with a gun. On the night of the murder Woods was called to a state campground for a camper who had not paid the $14 camping fee. Woods, lacking the experience of an actual police officer but possessing a gun and a badge escalated the situation. Knowing that being a soft and somewhat weakly man he would be unable to take control of the situation of such a minor offense Woods tried the bully routine. When the victim was obviously not going to put up with the humiliation tactics employed by Woods the ranger became somewhat enraged. Instead of calling for some backup Woods decided he would simply attack the victim. Seeing no reason for the attack over a camping fee the victim fought back breaking the grasp of the underwhelming Clyde Woods. Woods, acting like he had Clyde Barrow in his sights again escalated the violence yelling for the victim not to walk away. When this failed Woods knew he was unable to subdue the non-payer with his hands. At that time park ranger Clyde Woods drew his weapon and shot his victim in the back twice as the victim walked back to his vehicle. To some witnesses it was more than obvious that Woods fired the shots because he was angry that he was not, at 24 years of age, able to intimidate or subdue the 58 year old victim. On the other hand some perjuring witnesses tried to sell the idea that Teschner was moving towards Woods when Woods pumped the 2 bullets in the victim's back - okie dokie.
This is a fairly simple case of murder in the second degree. There was no heat of passion or sufficient provocation in a legal sense. Woods is now charged with exactly the same crime as former Otero County deputy Billy Anders - voluntary manslaughter and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime. The problem is there is no similarity in the cases beyond that each killed a suspect. The fact that Scot Key is willing to give a nearly free pass to Clyde Woods is disrespectful to Anders to say the least. Let's compare the two for a moment. In the Anders case Earl Flippen had murdered a pregnant woman and Anders' partner Bob Hedman. When Billy Anders came back and shot and killed Flippen it was obvious to everyone that he had snapped under the extremity of the circumstances. The charges fit the crime. On the other hand Clyde Woods killed Bruce Teschner merely because Teschner had humiliated him in front of some people. Being bitch slapped down while overreacting to the non-payment of a $14 camping fee is a world apart from seeing your partner and a pregnant woman killed in your presence. Heat of passion my ass. Woods was little more than an out of control common thug with a badge and a gun the state had no business giving him in the first place.
The only way to reconcile anything less than 2nd degree murder in this case is if you conclude that the State of New Mexico was wrong in arming this highly unstable individual. Clyde Woods was not a cop because he really wanted to be a cop or because he was really qualified to be a cop. Clyde Woods was a cop because of finances. The law allows the Parks Department to grant general police power to any of its employees. In this case Woods' job description included duties as varied as guiding tours, cleaning toilets and being a cop. That seems utterly ridiculous. Clyde Woods was not qualified to be a cop, but in order to be a tour guide he had to be a cop as well. The state does bear some responsibility for turning this unstable individual loose in the park with a gun. It is still difficult to say that Clyde Woods should be excused for pumping 2 shots into the back of an unarmed man accused of not paying a camping fee. Sure the situation escalated after Woods arrived, but it was Woods' lack of emotional stability and police experience that caused this escalation.
What we expect to see in the progress of this case is some sort of sweet plea deal that will net Clyde Woods little prison time for this wanton act of violence. There is no excuse for this sort of cold blooded killing though Scot Key seems to think that the effort of conducting a trial is just too much trouble. The next time Scot Key and Clint Wellborn come up for re-election you may want to consider the possibility that neither have the courage, honor and integrity to stand up to crime. The inconsistency that is obvious in the conduct of prosecution in both the 7th District and the 12th is not making either more safe. The politicization of prosecutions within these districts is flat out breaking the confidence of the people in the systems meant to deter and punish crime. This harms everyone involved. The morale of not only the people, but also the honest professional cop is harmed every time a connected felon walks free and also when a killer cop is allowed a free pass for his crimes. When Clyde Woods takes his pass on this one the perception in the community that cops get away with murder does not just attach itself to cold blooded killers like Clyde Woods. It also tarnishes every one of those who bravely walk into danger so that you don't have to.
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This article comes from Mountain Mail Country Online - Socorro, Lincoln & Otero Counties New Mexico
http://mountainmailcountry.com
The URL for this story is:
http://mountainmailcountry.com/article.php?storyid=779
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