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Comment by ahazred8ta | Hacker News Reader

Irony: the real killer was arrested 2 days later and had the murder weapon on him, but it was never matched against the Austin murders. He killed himself in 1999. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Eugene_Brashers

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I had heard about this case but I didn't realize they had finally identified the perpetrator. What an awful human being he was.

Fascinating history. 3 years for a 12 year sentence as the result of good behavior, huh. Amusing. I suppose if someone were to attempt to murder you or someone you love, your best shot is to kill them after their release and then behave well. Then you will have likely saved society from a repeat offender and perhaps you’ll serve a few years. A sacrifice well worth it.

Three years is a long time. Three years in an American prison and you’re not coming out the same person.

It blows my mind when I read comments online. People very lightly talk about sentences of decades like it is nothing.

Ah, but eternity in a grave is somewhat less preferable. When you leave that, you are much less recognizable.

And I suppose their loved ones should then kill you, to save society from another killer...

And I suppose your loved ones should then kill their loved ones...

And so it goes..

Why would you suppose that? Presumably, arjie’s murder-in-response tactic is only for the first “unjustified” murder.

In arjie's mind, perhaps. In the minds of the murdered person's family, perhaps not.

Well, evidently he’s going to kill me without retribution or they’re going to kill me with retribution. The latter scenario leaves society better off. The convex hull of our two killer sets can then leave society through short-term targeted violence and everyone can else can live. It’s not a bad idea. I don’t think the graph goes particularly far to be honest.

Your world is a perfectly coherent world. Under those circumstances, I accept those outcomes.

I would prefer sequestration for murderers, but if it's not available, killing the first unjustified murderer is fine, and if that's not available I accept the convex hull.

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