T Lot Time

25 MAR 2017

Interview with the Interviewer: Why did you chose gave me encouraged me enough to go
to leave this information out of the through shooting him.
infamous Flint course case, and just plead guilty? Interviewer: So, in a way, would
John: What dierence would it you say that society brought you up
Murderer have made? A murder is a murder. I to be a murderer?
still killed a man. The judge, the jury, John: Well no. Maybe. I dont
By DARIUSH HAKIMI
they wouldnt understand. You have know. I definitely wasnt born with
to be in a situation where the woman the intent to kill someone, if thats
whos loved you and has taken care what you mean.
John Locke, the notorious killer of you all her life is in danger, and Interviewer: Can you describe the
who murdered his step-father Ben Li- you have the ability to do something way society has treated you over the
nus back in 2015, has agreed to a sit- about it, to truly understand what I years?
down interview with Dariush Hakimi did and where I was coming from. I John: Well I was born and raised
from the Lost Times. John was tried loved her with all my heart, and every in Flint, Michigan to one Teresa
and pleaded guilty, without giving time he hit her, it felt like he also hit Locke and Jack Locke. We were a
any reason as to why he attacked his me in my heart. I couldnt just stand very poor family, and my parents
step-father. He was sentenced to life there and let him abuse her like that. both worked very hard trying to get
prison for first-degree murder, but his I tried talking to her and telling her me into school. We lived in a mo-
case is going back to court for re- to leave; believe me I tried every day. tel room and we survived with food
evaluation. She would always dismiss it as hes stamps and organizations coming by
Interviewer: Thank you for join- had a bad day or its OK, he pays and donating to our neighborhoods
ing us today, John. for us. She was scared to leave him, and families. We didnt have clean
John: I thought it was about time and I could see it in her eyes. water so I would have to go fill up
my side of the story has the ability to Interviewer: You were born and water bottles with water from the lo-
come out in the light. raised in Flint, Michigan. Did you cal river. The river water was bet-
Interviewer: So, John, you were know in 2012, Flint had the high- ter than the black tap water we were
convicted of murder and sentenced est total crime rate in all of America forced to have. Government officials
to life in prison for slaughtering your (Green)? would always promise to fix our liv-
step-father. Do you remember that John: No I did not. ing situations, but never would. Our
day clearly? Interviewer: Do you think the city neighborhood was full of crime and
John: How can I forget? People and the circumstances could have in- thats the environment I was grown
think Im some kind of monster for fluenced your decision to kill? up into. I was raised to be tough,
killing him, and that Ill just forget it John: I dont know. The neigh- and have a kill-or-be-killed attitude. I
like its the same as eating a piece of borhood I lived in, it wasnt uncom- never asked for this life, or to be part
toast. That day was one of the worst mon to hear a gunshot or have an of the system. Ive always wanted a
days of my life. I did kill him, and it ambulance take away a body once or wife, a child; how can I raise a family
was a murder, but I dont believe it twice a month. I remembered all of in these conditions?
was a crime. He was abusive to me this while I was holding the pistol Interviewer: You mentioned gov-
and my mom ever since I was little. and thinking I didnt have what it ernment officials wanting to help.
My dad died when I was 5 and when took to do it. I closed my eyes and John: Yes
I was 7, he came into our lives. At remembered the conversation that I Interviewer: Oliver Newton, the
first he was sweet and charming but had with one of my neighbors once. shadow home secretary, once said
once they got married he kept taking His name was Trayvon, he was the lo- that social background plays the
her money and beating her up. One cal hookup. He came to me once after most important part in deciding
day he came home and started beat- a few kids bullied me for the skinny whether a young person will turn into
ing her, when she already had a bad jeans I was wearing (only thing mom a criminal (Murphy). In your case,
day and had been crying to me. It could aord). After the kids picked do you believe this to be true?
broke my heart seeing her like that, on me and left, he came to me and John: Well I would like to believe
so in an impulsive act of rage, I went showed me how to be strong. He said if I was brought up right, in a wealth-
upstairs and got the pistol out of his that no matter what we do in life, the ier family, I wouldnt feel the need to
drawer. Id never used it before, or system doesnt care and isnt going to kill. I killed because my mom was in
even touched it, but I felt like I had take care of us. I had to learn to stand danger, and it was the right thing to
to do what I needed to in order to up for myself. The anger of the kids do. Im just justifying murder, and I
save her life. bullying me and the words Trayvon wish I didnt have the label of mur-

derer hanging around my head and
conscience for the rest of my life. If
the question is if I believe I was made
into a murderer, rather than being
born one, then yes. I do. I never
wanted to kill. I wanted a happy life
surrounded by those who care about
me. My mom had me; I cared for her
more than anyone ever would. Un-
fortunately, this caused me to do ev-
erything in my power to keep her safe
and happy.
Interviewer: How did your mom
feel after you killed Jack?
John: Well she was stunned at
first. I remember her kneeling to his
body, (keep in mind this is right when
he was beating her) and hugging it.
She looked up at me, crying, with
horror in her eyes. How could you
do that, she kept yelling at me. She
was so furious at me for killing the
man she loved. I did her a service.
I saved her life. I havent spoken to
her since that incident, but I hope she
realizes now what I did for her. It
was purely out of love for her and to
keep her safe. I truly hope she for-
gives me and I wish I could see her
one last time. I tried calling her, but
one of the guards told me he heard
she moved to Atlanta.
Interviewer: Thank you for letting
us interview you.
John: No, thank you. Im truly
grateful for this opportunity to let my
side of the story see the light of day.
Reuters
International
Moose Count
Underway
By BOB OBOBSTON
The UN-sponsored International
Moose Census got o to a flying
start today with hopes for an increase
in the worldwide moose population
compared to last years disapointing
The Los:t Times: 25 MAR 2017
figures. Among the traditional early
reporters were Egypt, returning fig-
ures of six moose, a twenty percent
increase on 2011s figures of five, and
Uruguay whose moose population re-
mains stable at eleven.
According to Robbie McRobson,
head of the UN Moose Preserva-
tion Council, worldwide moose num-
bers are expected to grow markedly
on last year due to the traditional
moose strongholds of Canada and the
United States, with the larger de-
veloping moose ecologies also poised
to make gains. The largest percent-
agege increase in moose will likely
come from China, says McRobson,
The Chinese government has invested
heavily in moose infrastructure over
the past decade, and their committ-
ment to macrofauna is beginning to
pay dividends. Since 2004 China has
expanded moose pasture from 1.5%
of arable land to nearly 3.648% and
moose numbers are expected to rise
to 60,000 making China a net moose
exporter for the first time. This is
good news for neighbouring Mongo-
lia, a barren moose-wasteland whose
inhabitents nonetheless have an insa-
tiable desire for the creatures. The in-
crease in Beijing-Ulanbataar trade is
anticipated to relieve pressure on the
relatively strained Russian suppliers,
but increase Mongolias imbalance of
trade with its larger neighbour.
Historically the only competitor
to China in the far eastern moose
markets has been Singapore but the
tiny island nation is set to report a
net loss, expecting a decrease of more
than five percent on last years 50,000
moose counted. The head of Singa-
pores Agency for Agriculture, Jing-
Feng Lau, explained to an incredu-
lous Singaporean parliament yester-
day that bad weather had contributed
to this seasons poor showing, most
notably when a cargo of 150 moose
were swept out into the Indian ocean
in a monsoon.
Yet again the global demand for
moose will be met largely by the
US and Canada. The recession-hit
States is taking comfort in its moose
growth figures with gross production
expected to break 700,000 and net ex-
ports to grow by 2%. The worldwide
dominance of Canada shows no signs
of abating though with this years
2
moose population expected to match
last years record figures of one hun-
dred million billion.
Europes rise as an international
moose power will slow slightly this
year as a response to the European
Unions move towards standardising
the European moose. Stringent qual-
ity controls are holding back the de-
velopment of the eastern european
populations compared to last year
when they contributed significantly
to europes strong growth figures.
Norway, which is not an EU member
but has observer status, strengthed
in numbers relative to the Euro area
with numbers of Norweigian moose,
known locally as elk expected to rise
for the tenth consecutive year, partic-
ularly thanks to a strong showing in
the last quarter.
As moose season reaches its close,
researchers world wide are turning to
science in an attempt to boost next
years figures. NASA stunned the
scientific community today with the
announcment of their discovery that
the moon is significantly smaller than
previously believed. This conclusion,
which is the conclusion of a ten-
year collaborative project, will have
profound implications for the moose
community as the gravitational field
is now known to be of the right
strength to support moose in orbit.
According to John Johnson, head
of the NASA Moon Sizing Experi-
ment the first delivery of moose into
low moon orbit could be achieved as
early as the third quarter of next year.
The technology to nurture moose in
space is available now, he said, all
that is needed is political will.
Granny wins
World Wrestling
Championship
By ROY MCROYSTON
Records were smashed in
Nicaraguas World Wrestling Cham-
pionship last night as 78-year-old
Maud Johnson, grandmother of five,
became the first woman for fifty-six
years, and the oldest competitor ever,
to claim the gold medal. She walked