<<Should someone who finds him or herself in such an unenviable situation .....>>
Hi Jeff -- You've posed an excellent question, to which there is not an absolute answer, as much depends on the particular circumstances. IMO, generally, with Jim Van de Veld and Condit situations, the very best is to come forward affirmatively and immediately, offering full and complete cooperation, and making it clear that all else is secondary to helping to find the murderer {Jovin} and helping to find the missing person {Levy}. As you know, while I feel Jim could have been a bit more forthcoming initially {eg. offering to take a polygraph test from the outset}, he was treated extremely unfair. As for Condit, again, IMO, he missed the perfect opportunities to put a positive "spin" on his sincerity and concern {despite being a "transgressor" which would have been minimized}. He should have been the first to call a Press Conf. --with a careful, truthful, shameful and concerned statement. As for his transgressions, those who confess {as it being contrary to one's customary behavior}, apologize, show remorse, and take clear steps to obtain help and be helpful, are quickly forgiven. Condit may have had a bit of a behavioral pattern to overcome :); but it was not insurmountable.
Jim's is quite a different story -- and he had nothing to confess.
Your "... it's damned if you do and damned if you don't when it appears you are being considered a suspect in a high-profile murder" is the very essence of the problem.
The clear objective should be to "go public" BEFORE you become a suspect!
Regards,
Carol |
