Web posted
Friday, January 26, 2007
Police clarify story
Interim Police Chief Sean Wallace asked for a correction in Thursday's story about the criminal history of Justin Thurber, the man accused of raping and murdering Jodi Sanderholm earlier this month.
Based on an interview with Wallace Sunday, Jan. 7, the Traveler had reported that Ark City police received complaints of Thurber's interest in Cowley College danceline members before Sanderholm was allegedly abducted and killed.
Wallace said Friday that the complaints came after Sanderholm disappeared, Friday, Jan. 5.
"It wasn't until she went missing that they came to us and said, hey, 'he's been stalking us.' That obviously caused us to look at him."
Two women, not danceline members, filed protection from stalking requests from Thurber after he was arrested and jailed Saturday, Jan. 6 on unrelated charges.
He was charged Wednesday, Jan. 17, in the Sanderholm case and is being held on $1 million bond.
Wallace said Friday that he had asked state Rep. Kasha Kelley, R-Arkansas City, to make stalking easier to prosecute, partially because of the Sanderholm case.
He said the standard of proof is too high and that the current law endangers people with valid concerns that they are under threat.
"It's very frustrating, because we've tried to charge people with stalking, and we get this message back that it doesn't fit the statute," he said.
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