Ruraltown, West Virginia
Alleged psychopath John B. Chambliss (pictured below)
was released earlier today when charges of murder were dropped. The
charges were dropped after it was determined that the victim, Maya
Steuben had in fact been asking for it.
| Chambliss stated in his defense "what was I supposed to do? Leave her alone and treat her like a person" |
The trial of the killing made national
headlines after a conservative blogger named Freedom and Gun MAN
brought it to national attention. Up until the release of Freedom
and Gun MAN's coverage of the trial, it appeared to be an open and
shut case. However the blogger raised questions of the direction of
the trial when he referred to Steuben as the real perpetrator and
released information indicating that the victim had been “doing
that annoying chick thing where she claims she doesn't want to be hit
on and then dresses all sexy”.
After the blog post an up swell of
support poured in from men's rights groups and Chambliss was able to
replace his public defender with high powered lawyer Jeffrey
Borowitz. Borowitz quickly changed the direction of the defense;
arguing that while what Chambliss did was wrong, the victim had been
drunk at the time and had been wearing high heels, which clearly
meant she had left home that night with no intention of running away.
Further questioning of Chambliss on the stand indicated that Steuben
had been depressed over his constant stalking and threatening phone
calls indicating that she may very well have intended for him to kill
her that night.
Judge Marcus Vendorman issued the
ruling to drop all charges after several of the police officers on
the case testified to the Grand Jury that Steuben “seemed kinda
like a bitch” and “clearly wasn't actively trying NOT to be
murdered.”. Perhaps the only dissenting voice was the assistant
prosecuting attorney Amanda Alrich, who vehemently objected to the
defenses attempts to classify Steuben as “another uppity murder
victim trying to change her mind after the fact”. Alrich's
objections were overruled, though, on the grounds that Alrich herself
was pretty but had a grating voice and if she spoke again would be
found in contempt.
When Alrich raised no objection to
Borowitz's motion to dismiss, Judge Vendorman dropped the case with,
“apologies to Mr. Chambliss for the inconvenience.”
Reactions to the verdict have been
mixed. Freedom and Gun MAN described it as a return to masculinity
in America and then spent several pages waxing nostalgic about how
badly he will beat his wife once it becomes legal again. This
sentiment was echoed by John Q. Pubic the spokesman for the men's
rights group, Y Chromosome. “It was looking pretty bad for men and
their strangle hold on society for a minute. I even knew a guy who
lost a job to a woman just because he was dangerously unqualified.
Now, THAT woman was asking to be murdered.”
When Mr. Pubic was asked how he would
feel if his daughter had been in Ms. Steuben's place he seemed
unphased. “Look if my daughter went out dressed like that she
deserves the attention of whatever psycho comes her way.”
The community of Ruraltown seemed relieved by the decision. With the mayor, Mark Darthmore, releasing a statement on behalf of the town. "Mr. Chambliss was always an upstanding citizen of this community. He never ever attacked a woman who didn't deserve it nor for that matter did he ever attack a man. We are happy to have him home."
Several women's groups showed up to
protest the ruling and release of Chambliss but nobody really cared
what they had to say.
In a final order for the case, Judge
Vendorman has ruled Steuben's death a suicide by homocide.
