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Monday, March 09, 2009

Hit & Run Suspect Commits Suicide At WCDC

Remember THIS ARTICLE?

Justin Mitchell, 25 yoa, committed suicide early this morning at the Detention Center. I was told the last cell check was at 11:00 PM, hours before he was found dead and everything was fine at that time.

This was the young man that was driving a pickup truck in Delaware and hit and killed Philip Jester of Delmar, DE. He then left the scene and drove back to his home in Parsonsburg while a witness followed him home. He then covered up his truck with a tarp and ran from the property when Police arrived.

Editors Note: To the Mitchell Family, we're sorry for your loss. This has to be very trying times for your Family and our thoughts and prayers go out to you. This is a devastating loss to ANY Parent.

70 comments:

Anonymous said...

If your on suicide watch they check you every hour.

Anonymous said...

Well, I guess justice is served here. As long as lawyers dont get involved and want to try to say the Detention center was at fault for this. Its obvious this guy needed to exit this world he was wrong he knew it and could not live with himself. What he did not realize some liberal court system would have given him a slap on the wrist for what he did and blame society.

Sorry for their loss, but I give him credit for having a conscious on what he did.

Anonymous said...

He wasnt on suicide watch.

Reconciled1 said...

Life loss at any time is sad. No matter who you are.

Anonymous said...

12:22 PM

I disagree with your statement, I just read the articles, and I agree that Mr. Mitchell's was wrong for driving illegally and leaving the scene of a crime, but it was the gentleman that was killed that struck, Mr. Mitchell's truck..... HMMM, I guess you haven't read the story correctly! He didn't kill Mr. Jester, based on the story, read it again and again as I did and only because I wanted to make sure I was reading the story correctly, it never states that Mr. Mitchell's HIT Mr. Jester, only that he squeaked his tires and left the scene, and that his license was suspended. Yes, if he wasn't driving the truck maybe this would not have happened, but again, Mr. Mitchell's never, hit the victims bike? And to both of these families, MY PRAYERS GOES OUT TO ALL OF YOU..

Anonymous said...

There is NO reason..absolutely NO reason to take your own life. 12:22you are an indignant moron. Wonder how you would feel if that was your family member someone else was speaking of. Get a grip you idiot.

Anonymous said...

Suicide watch inmates are check every 15 minutes.


WCDC Correctional Officer

Anonymous said...

12:55 Thanks its been awhile, decades. Was he in seg or was he on a pod? If he was on a pod was he in the cell alone? What is in his psyc report?

Anonymous said...

Didn't he pull out in front of the motorcyclist, making it his, Mr. Mitchell's, fault?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
If your on suicide watch they check you every hour.

12:14 PM

Supposedly. This isn't the first time someone has died at the Detention Center under Devinyns watch.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
12:22 PM

I disagree with your statement, I just read the articles, and I agree that Mr. Mitchell's was wrong for driving illegally and leaving the scene of a crime, but it was the gentleman that was killed that struck, Mr. Mitchell's truck..... HMMM, I guess you haven't read the story correctly! He didn't kill Mr. Jester, based on the story, read it again and again as I did and only because I wanted to make sure I was reading the story correctly, it never states that Mr. Mitchell's HIT Mr. Jester, only that he squeaked his tires and left the scene, and that his license was suspended. Yes, if he wasn't driving the truck maybe this would not have happened, but again, Mr. Mitchell's never, hit the victims bike? And to both of these families, MY PRAYERS GOES OUT TO ALL OF YOU..

12:51 PM

You know I read several articles on this and several comments possibly from you and others like you.

From what I understand this guy driving the truck was doing donuts and squealing tires and pulled into the path of Mr. Jester on the motorcycle. Of course the motorcycle "hit" the truck, but that doesn't mean Mitchell was innocent. You people just don't get it and I hope this never happens to you.

Anonymous said...

Please try not to judge here. Our family still deals with painful effects of an impulsive, rotten decision made by a loved one who just couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel that we all saw for them. Depression and suicide are up across the board during these trying times. Before judging this behavior differently based on alleged "crimes", please keep in mind there has been a tremendous spike in military suicides {our finest youth} of late as well. Many of you like to do a lot of talking about issues-but, sometimes the most valuable thing you can do for someone so vulnerable is to stop talking altogether-and START LISTENING.

Anonymous said...

I happened to have known Mr. Mitchell and the way some of you speak of him is disgusting. He may have done something horribly wrong and had poor judgement. None of us are perfect. Don't judge people when you don't fully know them.

Anonymous said...

Thats why the jail has a psychologist Reese. To listen, evaluate and recommend to staff what action is to be taken with regaurds to each inmate. Im sure its like everything else (a day late and a dollar short) who knows. The fact is a young man made a big mistake and for some reason took his own life. The whole damn thing is a tragedy. I feel for both families involved.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Didn't he pull out in front of the motorcyclist, making it his, Mr. Mitchell's, fault?

1:23 PM

Yes, but idiots don't see it that way. You should have seen the comments on the Daily Rag. Most thought the motorcyle rider was at fault. Now how can a motor riding on Rt. 13 in an area without stop lights be at fault because he ran into a vehicle that pulled out in front of him? What a bunch of moronic idiots!

Anonymous said...

Joe,

I ask your readers to please be considerate when referencing this young man. What he did was wrong. His mother, sister and family have suffered tremendously through this.

To make everything worse, his sister learned of his death only after a friend called her after reading it on SBYnews. Please, please, please remember that the only victims are not just the family members of the first victim, Mr. Jester, but those scarred by this tragedy on Justin's side.

For those of you who say "justice is served," I certainly hope that you never have a child/sibling who makes a very stupid decision that takes someone's life. He never intended to kill. Yes, he made very stupid decisions and caused a tragic accident, but there are many innocent lives being affected by this.

All I ask is that you use some consideration when you respond. Please pray for these families. Loss of any kind is never easy.

Anonymous said...

Justin Mitchell's was an ex co worker of mine, he was a child at hurt, very funny, would do anything for anyone, he had some bad luck but that did not make him a terrible person, for the most part worked very hard, had two young kids that he loved with all his heart. R.I.P Justin.

Anonymous said...

This is a sad ending to his life. As for all of the comments about him making A bad decision, if you look at MD Judicial case search you will see that Justin has a history of hit and run. The case in 2003, he hit us and ran. We were stopped at a light in Salisbury and the arrow turned green for the lane next to us while ours stayed red. He slammed into the rear of our car and then sped away. He was caught less than 20 minutes later at the Civic Center trying to hide the car among the horse trailers there for the rodeo.

Went to court, and the judge stated that Justin had been in court just days before hitting us for THE SAME THING! He rerprimanded him harchly verbally and gave him work realease so he could pay restitution to us because he was uninsured so we had to pay for some of the damage. We never saw one penny from him.

I know people can make some bad decisions and I believe in second chances but he had a history of doing it and no one ever decided to teach him a lesson and because of that two lives have ended.

This is proof that our judicial system needs to put more thought into how they sentence repeat offenders. I truly believe that this could have been avoided by decisive action in court six years ago.

J

Anonymous said...

I would like to thank you Joe for making official notification to the next of kin. You saved the dentention center the task. Sincerely, Justin's Official Next-of-Kin

Anonymous said...

To: Reese Bobby
Well Said!

Anonymous said...

This time, Joe was just reporting the news. It was not his opinion.

I'm sorry that the family found out this way, but it would have been the same if the DT or the TV news had reported it first.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes it is better to be respectful than it is to be first. This is one of those cases. Was it that important that everyone know the name of the victim right away. I have seen the same thing happen with the daily times as well. And the person who leaked the name should be ashamed for doing so.

Anonymous said...

This story came out on Sby News at 11:48. Apparently the incident happened at 1:50 this morning. I find it hard to believe that there had not been time to notify the family by then. Thats almost 10 hours. An inmate gives info at the booking process about family notification. Were his records lost and therefore his next-of-kin info unavailable? Seems someone at the jail dropped the ball! Hey DDD, this too should ultimately fall on your shoulders.

Kelly Jester said...

This is Kelly Jester, sister of Phillip Jester. I'm shocked and confused regarding Justin Mitchell's suicide. I would like to say that I never judged or hated Justin for killing my brother, my anger and frustration towards him remains though. The fact that he left my brother on the side of the road to die was and is unbearable. I feel sorry and upset for the family of Justin that they now have to experience loss as well. I really wanted something good to come out of this tragic event and eventually (hopefully) see Justin make his life better in the future. I have no idea on how to comprehend this news - my family does not know either. The mixed feelings are overwhelming! Suicide is a very selfish thing to do - it's very unfortunate!

Anonymous said...

I am sorry my voice {or perhaps the one speaking through me} came too late to help this young man. Maybe we can help others in spite of this tragedy-I know that one of Salisbury's prized community resources used to be a toll-free crisis/suicide hotline run through Life Crisis Center. Although this agency , I believe, has a specialty working with battered women/domestic violence victims-they also used to have a 24/7 hotline where you could make free contact with a crisis counselor regarding suicide, depression isues etc. This telephone counselor, in addition to giving you a kind ear, also will probably have at their fingertips many referral resources to get you more long-term help; possibly from a physician if you need it. I believe they may also have detox/rehab type referral info. I am not speaking for this agency, but given such a compelling {horrible} story that will continue to challenge surviving family members...hopefully someone will help me out here with some more specific current details. This young man is not the only one at risk out there; and WE as a community suffer too if we truly can not find non-partisan, non-judgmental ways to truly "be our brothers' keepers."

Anonymous said...

Not everyone answers the phone all the time and this is not a message you leave on the answering machine. I think to give immediate family time to then notify others 9 hours is not enough time especially when the events occur at 2:30am. Again I ask why anyone needed to immediately know the name on this blogsite or from the paper or anywhere else. I agree being first is great sometimes but being the first to announce the name of someone who has passed away does not fall into that category. This is just a matter of respect to that individual and his/her family.

joe albero said...

i'll say this for the very last time, (as I already told anonymous 3:51 on the phone) WBOC had it up first. I was informed through comments VERY early after I posted the story who it was, I rejected those comments. However, once it came out on WBOC we chose to post the information.

The bottom line is NOT who had it up first. It's about a tragedy in which we also stated we were sorry for your loss. No parent wants to go through this. Your abusive phone call filled with curse words was uncalled for, yet I feel your paid and perhaps may have said the same things myself if I was in your position.

It is what it is and we ALL move on.

Anonymous said...

To Kelly and the rest of Phillip's family... my heart still breaks daily for the loss of your family member...
The FIRST phone call to notify the next of kin was made at 8:56 this morning. Mr. Albero first reported this as breaking news at 8:43... (insider tip there Joe?) Apparently the WCDC only had home numbers for next of kin...both myself and my mother work. We were notified after receiving a call from a friend and discovering this article and calling the WCDC directly at 1:45 this afternoon. The question that remains... what was the delay if the incident happened at 1:50 this morning?
We, too, are in shock and appreciate those out there with kind words.
~Justin's Sister

joe albero said...

Justin's Sister,

A name was not produced at that time. Not here, anyway.

Anonymous said...

It's still not on WBOC... ???

Kelly Jester said...

To Justin's sister - thank you for your kind words. Unfortunately you have to deal with the death of your brother - which is never what my family and I wanted. Yes, my brother deserved an amount of justice, but we didn't want him to pay with his life. We were hoping that he would learn and make his life better for himself and his kids (I believe I read that he has 2 kids). There were so many unspoken words that I needed to express to him for my closure... maybe if he new that my family was open to forgivness, he woudln't have done this. I'm sorry for you and your family's losss. I have no idea how to comprehend this emotionally and I feel like I'm reliving Phillip's death all over again.

Anonymous said...

Joe,
First, I was not the one who called you with abusive words. Let's just get that clear to everyone else. I know you didn't say it...I'm just making it clear.

Second, even if you were not FIRST in posting my bother's name, you were still WRONG. You're right, it doesn't matter who was first... what matters is that you did it. It's a matter of morals. Shame on you...

And lastly, Joe, you said "It is what it is and we ALL move on." Well, that may be the case for you, but I'm sure my family and definitely Phillip's family feel differently.


To Kelly, Thank you.

~Justin's Sister

Anonymous said...

KUDOS to Kelly Jester!!!! Thankfully I have never been through what you and your family have. Therefore I cannot say "I know how you feel". I am not sure I could be so forgiving. Your attitude toward this whole incident is truely an inspiration! Its people like you who make this world thrive. I wish you and your family all the best in the future.

honest said...

After reading all these posts about WCDC, A Dept. head is only as good or as bad as the employees let them.. employess have a vent process it's called chain of command, if your afraid to stand up dont just get on a blog and spread rummors. The suicide is a shame but if any one person is intent on doing anything, that person can acheive their goal. in most cases a person that is really intent to commit suicide, they wont let anyone know. so who is to blame? maybe nobody. officers can not be everywhere at the same time. if they could all crime would be prevented. The family, the finding officer has some healing to do, its not easy to discover something like this and just let it go...I hope the county gives free help for the officer that found this incident. everyone can say whatever. fact is not all sucides can be prevented. just because Devenyns is the Director this too falls on him. Because he is the Director,, in fact all incidents at WCDC Falls on all employee's shoulders. employee's should take pride in their job and a lot of problems would solve themselves.everyone looks at this site and thinks all WCDC employee's are worthless. there are a lot of good officers here.
I wouldnt like to have any of the Command staff's jobs. We have to think of the county, not just us.

WCDC officer

Anonymous said...

4:51 People who commit suicide usually do tell someone.

joe albero said...

anonymous 4:59, where the heck did you get that information? Most of the people that do commit suicide DON'T tell anyone!

Anonymous said...

First hand in LIFE twice and S.A.V.E.
(Suicide Awareness Voices of Education).

Anonymous said...

I think many of the posts are correct in the unfortunate circumstances surrounding how Justin's family found out. However, my concern is that the WCDC released the name knowing that no one had been contacted in the family. I'll give the news sources the benefit of the doubt - they had no way of knowing (I'm guessing) that the family had not been notified. But - where did the information come from and how did it get to the news sources before the family?

Anonymous said...

It is a shame Justin decided to take his own life it was also very selfish for him to do so. Given his lengthy record he was right where he belonged though. The families involved in this case are scared forever and him doing what he did makes nothing any better. It all boils down to our system of justice being broken as well because if he had been dealt with early on, then maybe this whole thing would not have happened. Please keep in mind when making comments he was someone's son,brother and father. I did not know him or his family or any of the people involved just wanted to say though it could have been someone you know!

Anonymous said...

5:23pm,
The answer to ur question is a Sgt. The Director needs to review the telephone calls or emails sent out of the jail before the family was notified.

Trudy Carey said...

This the mother of Phillip Jester. First I would like to send my prayers to Justin's family because I really know what they are going through. This was the last thing our family wanted for Justin. Our prayer was that he would get help and come out a better person. That was the good we needed to come out of the tragedy of my son's death. I wanted so bad to tell him that.

Anonymous said...

To all those busting Joe's chops about notification. The family knew this morning. I find it hard to believe that Mitchell's family did not know.

As for the staff blaming DDD. i think you should take a hard look at your past. This is not the first or the last suicide at your facility. One who is truly goal oriented will suceed, even at death. I feel for both families in this case. The real issue was he on suicide watch. Was he checked or the logs going to be falsified again.

I know this is not the first driving complaint against mitchell. It seems to me this man did not care about his fellow man. I have no simpathy for a person that is reckless and kills an innocent human being.

The legacy he left his children is one of the most selfish things. Suicide is the ultimate act of selfishness in this type of case. You pay your dues to the family and the state. Then you move on and hopefully teach those around you of the mistakes you made.

God Bless both of these families. I wish you peace in such troubling times. I know one of these deaths could have been avoided by doing the right thing.

Trudy Carey said...

This is the mother of Phillip Jester. This comment is for the person who thinks the accident was Phillip's fault. You can call Maryland State Police,any witness or the lead investigator and ask them what happen. We were told by all of these above people that Justin crossed the highway in front of Phillip. Phillip did not have a second to react. Phillip hit the truck right behind the driver's door and was killed instantly. Please put this to rest.

Anonymous said...

The fact that the two families are talking to one another and with such heart felt respect is the coolest thing that I have ever seen on this Blogg. Theres a lot of mourning that needs to be done before the healing can start, that takes time. Your compassion for one another at a tragic moment like this is truely a "moment of grace".

Anonymous said...

5:40 -- Are you kidding me? What would someone gain in lying that they didn't know about the loss of a loved one. I can tell you that they had no idea. They were NOT notified by the proper means.

Chimera said...

Nobody "wins" in this situation.It is sad for both families involved.

Anonymous said...

Hopefully the families of these 2 young men can come together and some positive can be brought out of this tragedy.

Our prayers go out to you both. As a mother of 3 sons, I cannot imagine the heartache you are experiencing.

Anonymous said...

Everyone.
Huge your childrens and tell them that you love them.
Kids, huge your parents and tell them you love them.
Moms, dads, grandma, grandpa, brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles, extended families and friends; grab hold of one another. Tell each other how much you love them. Be thankful that this is not happening to you. Take this time off the blog and pray for both family. I thank GOD this has not happen to my family and I. May GOD's light shine bright on both family. May GOD's light shine bright on you.
Peace be unto you

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
It is a shame Justin decided to take his own life it was also very selfish for him to do so.
5:30 PM

I have read many of these post stating that suicide is a selfish act. In a sense it is, but please don't make judgement until you walk in these peoples shoes. I have thought about this subject numerous times and I have been exposed to numerous cases where people have committed suicide. It does cause suffering for many friends and family members, but I can't really say it is a selfish act. I have considered the ultimate act myself, but I can't figure out why I haven't done it yet? Is it because I am strong? Is it because I am weak and no guts? Do you think it is ok for someone suffering from a terminal illness to commit suicide? Do you think they should hang on just a little longer because family members don't want them to leave yet?

Have you ever had to sit in jail because you took another man's life? Have you ever lost a young child? Have you ever suffered mentally or phycally? If you say no then you don't know what these people are going through and what kind of pain they are suffering. Sure it is "selfish" to leave you children and othere family members behind, but what good are you to them if you are suffering and it is affecting them in many ways.

Justin I don't know you or your family and I was very angry when I first read what you did to the young man on the motorcycle. Like someone said earlier you don't deserve to die, but you don't deserve to suffer any longer either. I know you didn't intentionally try to hurt someone with any of these actions, but I believe you are in a better place now. Justin, God Bless You and everyone affected by this. May you and Mr. Jester R.I.P.

Anonymous said...

what the family should be doing is making sure that wcdc doesn't try to cover up anything.it doesn't matter why this young man was incarcerated,what matters is wheather or not his suicide could have been prevented.this is not wcdc first suicide.they have made mistakes in the past,and have been at fault.there is only one excuse for so much time passing before his family is notified and that could be that the scene had to be tidied up, so that if there may have been some rules that were not followed no one would find out. don't think wcdc will not try to hide something. imo the family should get an attorney.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
what the family should be doing is making sure that wcdc doesn't try to cover up anything.it doesn't matter why this young man was incarcerated,what matters is wheather or not his suicide could have been prevented.this is not wcdc first suicide.they have made mistakes in the past,and have been at fault.there is only one excuse for so much time passing before his family is notified and that could be that the scene had to be tidied up, so that if there may have been some rules that were not followed no one would find out. don't think wcdc will not try to hide something. imo the family should get an attorney.

10:07 PM

There was another young man from Parsonsburg a few years back that committed suicide. He was on Suicide Watch and was left unattended for over 5 hours. Devenyns tried his best to cover that one up. Fortunately the family got a small payoff for that one, but it will never bring that boys life back.

What does it take to get rid of that asswhole reject from St. Mary's County? He has been sued numerous times and still keeps his job. I take that back, the county has been sued numerous times because of him. Again, please do not re-elect anyone serving on the Wicomico County Council. They are not doing the job we elected them to do.

Anonymous said...

First let me say, my heart goes out for both families. To the Michell family, i know how you feel. My son took his life at WCDC on Oct. 25,2003.He was on medical watch and was still able to commit suicide.{on video tape, no one watched} He died between 11:00a.m.-12:30p.m. His body was found at 5:00 p.m. and we were visited by DD at 10:00 p.m.
Please don't blame yourself for his choices. That question of "why" won't have an answer. Time will heal all wounds. Remember the good days and forget the bad. God bless all of you.

My son's name was Justin.
Russ Twilley

Anonymous said...

To both familys My prayers go out to you, there is no greater loss than to lose your child,your brother,your dad, or your best friend. I have known Justin since he was a young boy. I know he's made some irresponsible decisions, but the Justin I knew was a very caring individual. He was a life line for my son and I wish I could have been there for him. I remember him telling my son, just remember don't give up, keep in the word and pray the Lord will see you thru this. Have the deck of cards ready when we get home. Please don't judge him you didn't no him. As for the other family I no in my heart Justin was not forgiving himself. But I think there is more to this than what is being said. The day of the accident almost immediately after, there was a warrent issued for his arrest for assault which came from a peace order from his x girlfriend. I feel he was overwhelmed first the accident then out of no where comes an arrest warrent for assault, Justin's problems in the past were nothing to what he was facing now. I'm sure other immates shared stories and he must have felt hopeless. your in my prayers Justin I'll never forget what you did for my son.RIP

Anonymous said...

12:51,
Ok, I see your point, so if you are running and I stick out my fist, you then hit my fist and I and not guilty. I like your logic...., I can put my fist in anybodies face as long as they are moving forward

Anonymous said...

Any way you look at it, it is loss of life. If it was my his fault or his fault doesn't matter. It is still loss of life, dreams, future. Judge slowly please. My prayes goes to both families and friends. To the family posting and wished the other to know, write it post it and releaseit from yourselves. It will work, and I'm sure it will touch anothers soul if you do.

Anonymous said...

He doesn't lose his job because nobody can prove anything. Maybe he's a scapegoat. Maybe people are out to get him.

Anonymous said...

The council doesn't have juridiction over the warden. With this form of gov't, the executive is in charge of him.

Anonymous said...

I was with Justin's sister when she found out, and yes, it was from looking at this blog. She then had to notify her mother as she had not been told at that point. I hope that some of you can grasp the magnitude of that...

Obviously, someone leaked the news to this site. WBOC did not post "who" the person was at the time this blog was posted.

Depression and mental illness are no joking matter. It is easy for you all to say negative things about this young man being "selfish", but studies have consistently shown that having depression or bipolar disorder (mood disorders) increases your risk for suicide significantly. In fact, it's estimated that people with mood disorders are 12 to 20 times more likely to die by suicide than people without a mood disorder.

An investigation needs to take place on "why" Justin was taken off of suicide watch - this is truly reprehensible.

And to Mr. Jester's family - I am truly sorry for your loss. I feel so badly for both families. What a horrible sequence of events!

Kelly Jester said...

To Justin’s Family – I know this is really early into your grieving process, but I would like to contact you. Believe me; I have no ill intentions at all.

There seems to be a lot of aggressiveness towards the Mitchell family and the system.

First – the Mitchell family has done nothing wrong and they just lost a loved one – BACK OFF! I believe some of you are being completely insensitive to that. Justin’s mistakes are not his families. If my family can see through our pain and suffering then so should everyone else.

Second – Yes the system failed Justin and the system failed for my brother, Phillip, as well… Instead of attacking them, why don’t you look into the future and find out how we can constructively change the system so that these tragic events won’t happen again.

Anonymous said...

Joe. Just following up from yesterday and noticed one of your comments. Often individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts WILL give some subtle/or not so subtle clues about what is going on in their head. Frequently, they will give away possessions, speak of themselves as if they have already passed or, usually with young females {guys are tougher nuts to crack-they see admitting their need for help as a sign of weakness and often use a firearm or jump from an extreme height to make sure they accomplish their goal once they have reached 'the bottom'}, make 'suicidal gestures' such as flesh cutting {their own} or consume small amounts of pills and such knowing it truly isn't enough to OD [but maybe THAT will get mommy/daddy to pay attentio to me}. I was sort of playing a little naive yesterday hoping current spokespersons from various community agencies would take the ball and run with it-but I guess that isn't going to happen. Truth is-I have advanced degrees in mental health counseling and direct work experience on the same suicide hotline I referred to yesterday. If you observe anyone who is acting as I have discussed in light of stress of today's society to be "perfect", or to not have your car repossessed-look them in the eye. Talk to them by asking questions. Listen carefully to their responses. Then ask them directly if they have thought about killing themselves. They will usually give you an honest answer. Then work together to get that person the help they need. Once again, I am so sorry for the layers of pain each of these families are going through. I hope by talking to each other that maybe these families can find a peace and closure that they deserve.

Anonymous said...

This is Phillip Jester's fiance let me just say im sorry for the loss and i know how it feels,i have also had someone in my family who took someones life in a very thoughtless way... although it seems like Justin was remorseful.. i think it was very selfish, not just to us but to his family and children... im very confused on how to feel, i have felt both sides of this i know what it feels to have someone take someones life and what there family feels, i also know what i feels like to loose the life of someone. but this someone i was suppost to spend the rest of my life with, im 24 and i have a lot of life to go, without my other half. And let me just say can you imagine pulling up to your spouse in the middle of the highway and hearing the person hit them and left them to die??? how would you feel??
I'm sorry top Justin family... i just don't know how to feel about this... its like a really bad nightmare.....

~Nicole

Anonymous said...

Reese who the heck are you, I know I know you.

Anonymous said...

I don't know her, but I would like to commend Kelly Jester for reaching out to the Mitchell family. She could have taken the death of her brother to a very dark, hateful place inside, but instead has the heart to try to help another in pain.

Kelly, you seem to be a magnanimous person. There are many that visit this site who could learn from you.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe that today everyone is judging Justin for the crime he committed. Irregardless of what he did, the real issue is he was in the custody of Wicomico Co and they had an obligation to access him and treat him accordingly. It is their duty to protect their charges (inmates), and have a history of not doing so.
As far as he took the easy way out.Wrong. A person is not in their right mind if they committ suicide, so I don't see a plan there. If in the right state of mind, there would be no suicide.
The detention center does not give proper care and does not check on people as often as they should. Locking a person in a solitary cell with inadequate care is not suicide prevention. However, no one has said for sure this was suicide and if so how did it happen? Without that answer there is only speculation.
I know somethings about Justin. He was not a mean person,just another victim of society. Where is the father? He had nothing to do with his son, nor was he welcome in the home of the father and stepmother. Throw in a few drugs and no education and you get what you ask for.
All that aside, now it is time for WCDC to straighten up their act or history will repeat it'self. This isn't the first time.

Anonymous said...

Something confuses me here... How did he kill himself??? You all are talking about it like he deserved this and he felt quilty for what he did... I on't know the details because I am not family but from the words "apparent suicide" nobody really knows what happened... am I right? Did he slit his wrist, or take pills, did he try to hang himself or was he just laying there dead? For all you know the man had a heartattack. And to the family I am very sorry for your loss but If you were able to hear from friends that this was posted on the web or see it yourself you had plenty of time to answer your phone for them to notify the next-of-kin. Don't bash Joe for giving info I would rather people know what was going on then spread s*it all over Salisbury.

Anonymous said...

Other than the family and a few others here, I see a bunch of cruel,heartless, apathetic and sadistic people who mimic a lynch mob. May God have mercy on you and the rest of us will overlook your ignorance.

Anonymous said...

Let's get one thing straight: If someone really wants to kill themselves, they will find a time and a way to do it. Stop blaming everyone else for this young man's CHOICE. I truly feel sorry for this young man and his family. I can only imagine the anguish that he felt, coming to grips with the consequences of his actions.

Anonymous said...

To the family of Justin,I have ten words GET A LAWYER AND HAVE THEM LOOK INTO HIS SUICIDE.

ocgz658 said...

i was the last person to speak to justin and all of you are full of shit he did not kill that guy the guy was speeding justin was a good man and had kids he is the victim of a vengeful broken justice system rip justin if his family want to contact me e mail me

Kelly Jester said...

How can you blame my brother for dying! Try reading the coroner’s report, police report, witness statements, his previous arrest records, his hit-and-run records... come on now. Although Justin was a troubled soul and (believe it or not), I forgive Justin for the mistake he made on February 2nd (almost a year ago). It was an accident that truly changed so many lives and the real victims are my brother’s two young sons and Justin’s two children!!!! I just find it very disrespectful for someone that doesn't know the FACTS comment regarding this! My family and I have really tried to be respectful of Justin's family during this tragic time, so please be respectful of my family and my loss of Phillip! He was truly an AMAZING person and my hero! Think before you write!!! You never know who will be reading and in this case - IT'S PHILLIP'S SISTER!