Since the publication of a very unusual story about the body of a woman who had been deceased for over two years being found in a Wells mobile home, there’s been a rash of stories and letters about the sadness of it all – blaming, mostly, the Wells Police for somehow shirking their duty.
This is an unfair shot against the Wells Police Department. We hear a lot about Second Amendment rights, but the Fourth Amendment is just as important: “The right of the people to be secure in their houses against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.”
Basically, a man’s home is his castle. No matter how crazy the world gets, we’re all entitled to the privacy of our own homes. So when the police got no answer when they knocked on the door, they weren’t about to violate a resident’s constitutional rights and kick the door down without a warrant or probable cause.
Just because there was no answer doesn’t mean there was a decedent on the floor. She could have moved, been staying with friends, etc.
A Jan. 24 letter to the editor (“Police shirked duty to Wells recluse”) referred to the woman, who would be 69, as “elderly.” On behalf of all the people out there in their late 60s, I must say I’m offended! Perhaps you haven’t heard: Sixty is the new 40! When I was 15, I thought 60 was elderly, but certainly not now.
This case was so shocking and unbelievable to most people that they have to blame someone. I beg to differ.
This woman lived life on her own terms. She chose to be reclusive for whatever reason and she had every right to do so. She made her own choices in life, as we all do. So, please, think these things through before playing the blame game.
Bill Thomas
Biddeford
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.