Chapter 11 - The post I should not have made
I wanted to identify Evan before police confirmed him.
That became my mistake.
Officer Vega had shown me a still image from a neighbor’s camera and asked whether I recognized the man.
I did not.
Daniel said:
“That could be Evan.”
Could.
Not:
Is.
Later that evening, while Daniel was at his apartment and Lily slept beside me, I posted the image in our neighborhood private group.
Does anyone recognize this man? He broke into our home while my daughter and I were inside.
Within an hour:
Screenshots.
Then public Facebook.
Then a local crime page.
Someone identified Evan Ross from his company website.
Then people called his business.
Someone posted his home address.
I deleted my post.
Too late.
Officer Vega called.
“Emily, we asked you not to publish evidentiary images.”
“I wanted to know who he was.”
“We were working on that.”
“He was in my house.”
“I understand.”
Then the sentence I hated:
“Understandable and helpful are different.”
Evan’s attorney later argued public identification contaminated witness recollection and created pressure on investigators.
It did not destroy the case.
It complicated things.
I apologized to Officer Vega.
No excuse.
I stopped posting.
May you like
Fear had made me want a crowd.
Crowds are not investigators.
