Itzcoatl Ocampo, 23, is an Iraqi war veteran who was awarded medals in recognition of his service in the war and is now accused of stalking and fatally stabbing four homeless men with evidence that he intended to kill others. He is currently being held in the Orange County Jail under a “suicide blanket” with no possibility of bail, and faces life in prison or death for these murders.
It is reported by his “homeless” father and others relatives and friends that he is not the type of person who would murder anyone. His father said he would give his last dime to the homeless when he’d see them on the street.
So what happened to him when he was in Iraq? Apparently no one that knows Ocampo will talk about it with him, but there clearly has been a residual affect on his psyche for him to allegedly have committed murder in such a violent manner.
It’s not unusual to hear about similar stories with veterans of past wars and I can’t help but wonder why these individuals are not being helped after they return home. Especially young people who, regardless of their age, were mentally still children going off to fight a mans war in a foreign country not knowing if they would return.
There must be some very serious mental scarring from the horrific exposure to war. I would hope that when young veterans, in particular, return home that they undergo a debriefing and psychological testing before being thrown back into mainstream society.
While there is no excuse for Ocampo’s actions, it is sad to think that he went off to defend our country and help others, and returned a murder.
What is your opinion of this situation?
Read more…
http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/03/justice/california-homeless-killings/index.html