Jim is driving around looking for Suzanne. He has decided he must convince her to not report him to the dean on Monday.
For this scenario to be plausible, we'd have to assume a) there was evidence Suzanne was going to report Jim, b) Jim had knowledge of this evidence, c) Jim thought that despite a "clean" record over many years at Yale and despite stellar student evaluations, one student saying they didn't approve of him might cost him a job (note: the New Haven police, parents, students, etc. rule out a sexual relationship), and d) the risk of being caught killing someone was worth it to save his job.
In response:
a) No one, not even Suzanne's parents, have said Suzanne was planning to report him. Therefore, to make this part "work" we would have to assume only Suzanne knew she planned to do this, and didn't even write about this in her diary.
b) If Suzanne didn't tell anyone, why tell Jim? I'd think he'd be the last person she'd tell. Also, Suzanne just handed in her thesis that afternoon. She left a note on it to have Jim e-mail her the next day. Somehow I doubt she said "give me an 'A' or I'll report you."
c) I think we agree that without some racial, sexual, or violent action on Jim's part toward Suzanne, the likelihood of him being fired over a dispute with a student are nil. If such an action occurred, Suzanne would have at least told someone about it. She apparently didn't.
d) Huge risk vs. reward, no evidence of risk to begin with, no evidence of planning (first thing someone who planned such a thing would do is establish an alibi), etc.
Again, your scenario is certainly possible, but very very improbable, IMO.
- Jeff |
