Parents of slain clerk sue Wal-Mart

[rainbow4321]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D88EFC783.html


The parents of a Wal-Mart clerk abducted from a store and killed after her shift have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the retailer.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman Christi Gallagher declined comment on Friday's lawsuit, filed by Sheri Kay Dunlap of Henderson and James Vincent Holden of Lindale.

Megan LeAnn Holden, 19, was abducted Jan. 19, an incident that was captured on surveillance tape. She was shot to death and her body was found two days later near Stanton, in West Texas.

A man accused of abducting Holden, Johnny Lee Williams Jr., was captured in Arizona and returned to Tyler. Williams, 24, of Tyler, was in jail Wednesday on an aggravated kidnapping charge. Prosecutors have said they intend to pursue a capital murder charge against Williams.

[Mugweed]

1. As much as I hate Wal Mart

I think it's wrong. The store has parking lot cameras and well lit parking lots (how do you think they got the video of the kidnapping?). Are we getting to the point where every store is responsible for some maniac who decides to use one of their clientelle as victim in a random act? Would the family be suing themselves if she was abducted in her own driveway? I must be missing something here, but the article doesn't give much insight to the reasoning. I guess we should all be demanding armed escorts to our automobiles after work. I, for one, am in a job where it's easy for the public to vilify me. We had a big problem when the administration put up a giant org chart in the lobby that puts faces to the names. It seems that our personal information is protected from the public, but our faces are advertised. Now, any crazy asshole who isn't satisfied because I did only what the law allows and it didn't turn out in his favor only has to look at the chart to see what I look like, wait in the parking lot, and cave my head in with a lead pipe while I fumble for my keys.

[SomewhereOutThere424]

4. Well

I agree. I mean I don't have much like for wal mart, but I don't think they're the one who was officially the clerk's guardian, atleast after shift. I do think they could hire some security guards is my only stipulation, but I really wouldn't do night time wal mart shopping if there were an armed man at the door with a dog...

Perhaps it isn't so much they should be sued or at fault, but maybe should find a better way to protect employers, the family works with them to implement a better system in the clerk's honor...but it's all about money in the end.

[notadmblnd]

8. The company I worked for provided them.

it was a policy that had been enacted for years. All anyone had to do is ask security to walk you out. It is an employers responsibility to ensure the safety of their employees while on their premises.

[Ilsa]

11. You might want to check out posts 9 & 10. n/t

[StClone]

2. I don't like Walmart but this is not a valid case

Walmart is bad and has super deep pockets, but there is no proof that they did anything wrong. Just having a video camera on doesn't constitute crime prevention gone wrong when the store fails to detect a kidnapping.

[LisaM]

3. Good. Employees are made to park too far away.

I thought this when I saw the surveillance tape. A company like Wal-Mart can certainly afford a shuttle van or some other means of assuring female workers can get to their car safely at night.

Years ago I saw a piece on some company that outsourced jobs to Mexico right across the Texas border. Dozens of women had been abducted, raped, or killed walking home to their ragged living quarters. I just could not understand why the company (I can't remember who it is right now) didn't simply drive the female workers back and forth.

[SomewhereOutThere424]

5. Good point

I had forgotten about how far away they require them to park so other customers can get closer spaces.

[roguevalley]

6. it depends on what they allege. the suit will tell if its frivolous or not

[tsuki]

7. Far away, and the very late hours. Most WalMarts stay open 24 hours so

they won't miss a dime. They have huge parking lots. And some are in unsavory neighborhoods. I need more facts.

[Mugweed]

12. Yeah

You're right and I hadn't considered it. Employees are forced to park the farthest away so that the general public can waddle in from the closest spots. Leaving at night can be a problem just from the distance to get to the car. I think that should be the first change. Those Wal Marts have huge land area to work with in intial design, they can't make a designated employee lot out back complete with security guards?

As to the security escorting you to your car from your job...what security? The budget doesn't cover something like that. It's against our Directives to carry weapons. I'd get fired for successfully defending myself.

[knitter4democracy]

9. Good!

I remember the original story. The thing is, security knew the guy was loitering--even went up to him and talked to him but didn't ask him to leave. They have hours of video of him hanging around, watching various women, following them through the store, and finally leaving right before that young woman left. Security knew there was a stalker and did nothing to protect anyone. Not a freakin' thing.

[Ilsa]

10. For those against this lawsuit...

there was more to the story. I believe the security guard who was there had already tagged the perp as someone to watch because the man kept following women into the store, but he didn't buy anything. But the guard wouldn't approach him and ask him to leave. I don't remember whether the guard had told the next shift to keep an eye on him. But there were circumstances about this when it happened that we discussed on DU about WalMart being negligent. There was definitely reason for the family to file on it.

Apparently, there have also been other cases of rape, etc, and WalMart would "lose" the surveillance videotape, etc. Other cases seem to reflect that WalMart's security is nothing more than window dressing.

[Mugweed]

13. That's a good point too

And what did we expect from a Wal Mart paid security guard? Security? Sounds like he did a Wal Mart job of it.

[FtWayneBlue]

14. Sounds like Wally world is culpable

Hey I have an idea! Let's get the minimum wage bumped up to ten dollars an hour, no exceptions. That way some of Wally World's money will stay in the community to provide a living wage, and people who work there part time won't have to get government aid to supplement their meager paychecks.

Yeah, that would help.