Family of Texas teacher suing police after sting operation.
The family of a Texas teacher are suing a local police department, claiming that a detective drove him to suicide by unjustly arresting him as part of a sting operation.
A 39-year-old junior high school teacher from Conroe, Texas, poisoned himself to death with carbon monoxide just days after being released from the Montgomery County jail in August 2019.
At the time of his death, Peterson was facing a charge of online solicitation of a minor, which is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine. If convicted, he also would have been required to register as a sex offender.
His suicide note (below) tells the story of what really happens in these stings.
I’m surprised he hand wrote it. But if you guys at FAC can type it out and post it here, that would be great because I just can’t read most people’s cursive handwriting.
I empathize with the family and the deceased. I’m sorry that he lost all hope and meaning in his life. I contemplated suicide after my arrest. I taught at a university. I answered an ad on Craigslist through an undercover sting., Once my arrest was made public, I had Fox News pull up on my front lawn with tv lights blazing. One news network interviewed my neighbors. I spent days contemplating whether or not to just step in front of a train.
I don’t know if I have a point here. I didn’t kill myself. I found strength in my boyhood hero Ernest Shackleton and by reading Viktor Frankel. Mostly, maybe, I wanted to stop from causing further pain to family. I needed to be a role model.
bwj,
we’re glad to have you around.
Thank you. Glad to be here, hope that I can help the ball club.
In 2008 I pled guilty to sexual abuse of a child, after learning the $7,000 I paid my attorney to “defend me.” Even though I had a witness who would testify that he was present at the alleged offense, and that the “illegal touching” was a result of wrestling around on the living room floor. My attorney declined to provide this info to the DA.
I was nearly 50 years old at the time. The “10 in, 10 out” the ADA wanted would be enforced if I refused to plead guilty. My attorney wanted an additional $15,000 to go to trial. I lost my great job, my family, all my friends since I had no way to pay the $15k.
There’s so much more to this story. Now, 13 years later, in addition to my two daughters, I have 4 granddaughters, and one great granddaughter and one great grandson. For 10 years I contemplated suicide. I’m so glad I didn’t.
Life is worth living.
I read this suicide note with great pain in my heart, but mostly with anger.
This made me very angry!
Alas! Another caring and decent human being just thrown away like so much rubbish!
How much more rotten can the world get? It is one thing to love and protect children. It is another thing to exalt them to god-like status.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9877305/Family-Texas-teacher-say-cop-drove-suicide-posing-teen-Grindr.html
A link to the article in the Daily Mail. Although it is does not put into print the letter other than what you see here.
He says he chose “oblivion”. That is his choice, and it is the fundamental right of every man (person) to choose how they live and die. The police should eat the lawsuit gratefully, thankful that the target of their slander did not choose revenge, the revenge these corrupt pig cops are dearly owed.
Excuse me maestro, while poke sally is good seems like authorities got many fanny. Authorities are good only if they don’t uproot their roots. See what pain does to many in many ways not to mention his teaching job from the state of TX. One wonders why government instills on another or where is the discernment of it all. And I’m sure everybody should know why they give plea deals.