by
Phillip Rodriguez
A
lot has been said about May 1st's disappearance of King Falls
librarian Emily Potter, and while I usually have a pinch of snark to
go along with my journalism at the Gazette, I just want it to be
known that all of us here at the paper are hoping, praying and
sending positive vibes out for Ms. Potter's safe return.
We
receive a lot of tips here at the paper. More than you'd imagine for
a small-town print palace such as ourselves, but we do. Most are just
apparition sightings, pranks or people bitching about the roundabout
on Tippet Avenue. But this reporter came into something a bit
different this morning.
I
received an anonymous tip overnight about a disturbance over the
weekend at the Emily Potter Crime Scene off of Route 72 heading into
town. Apparently multiple people drove past the area saying that a
disturbed man, fitting the description of a certain King Falls radio
personality was seen, past the crime tape, in the middle of
quarantined area, yelling up at the sky.
Another
tip that came in a little later said that they witnessed a King Falls
Sheriff Patrol Car at the scene as well, however after checking the
incident reports and scanner reports, I couldn't find a word about
this incident anywhere.
Of
course these tips named who they seemingly saw as they motored past,
and being the journalist that I am, I'd be remiss to reach out to the
aforementioned personality.
However,
I didn't do that. I did not reach out.
The
poor man has gone through enough. If you're a listener of that
particular show, his behavior has been much different the past week,
so much so that it's even hard to tell it's him. He's a shell of his
former self. He's hurting and it's not my place to add to that.
It's
my job to report on the news and to add a little sass to it's ass, as
I see fit. But there are lines. Lines of decency. And when you see a
fellow human, not just someone in the media but a fellow human
friggin' being, hurting, you don't add to it.
I
wish more media outlets thought like that.
So
as for the disturbance out on 72 over the weekend, I can't confirm
that it happened. I can't deny that it happened. What I can say is
that there is a still-active crime scene on Route 72, where Ms. Emily
Potter's car was found, and that I implore you to stay away from it
as the good men and women of the King Falls Sheriff's Department
still have investigating to do.
