A lottery winner killed the Detroit landlord from Australia...

**English** · May-17-11, 02:11 AM

This really, really pisses me off!

http://detnews.com/article/20110517/...ry-millionaire

In his SIXTIES? Just had a HUGE stroke of good fortune and blessing? All because his deadbeat daughter refused to pay rent???

Whoever did this horrible thing would have been a sick bastard, whether they were homeless or Bill Gates. But I am so angry right now in spite of insomnia that I could spit. How DARE HE????

**Meddle** · May-17-11, 02:19 AM

Soooooooo, winning the lottery is supposed to make you a good guy?

Trash is trash no matter how much green ya got.

By the way, the Dude's a postal worker too.

**Magnatomicflux** · May-17-11, 02:22 AM

Why wouldn't he just buy his daughter a house and be done with it?

This landlords family should sue for evey dime of those winnings.

Insomnia sucks, English. I was hospitalized for it before. Insomnia in a hospital is even worse.

**English** · May-17-11, 02:44 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Soooooooo, winning the lottery is supposed to make you a good guy?

Trash is trash no matter how much green ya got.

You can say that again! As I pointed out above [[because I knew someone would take my response that way), it was sickening whoever did it. But both father and daughter ought to be punished -- father for murder one, daughter for being a trifling deadbeat.

**English** · May-17-11, 02:50 AM

Originally Posted by Magnatomicflux

Why wouldn't he just buy his daughter a house and be done with it?

This landlords family should sue for evey dime of those winnings.

I totally agree -- that's just what I was thinking. But this goes beyond economics. This isn't some typical ghetto story. This bastard wasn't motivated by envy or jealousy -- as you said, he could have purchased the home [[or several homes). This is a person who is completely and totally AMORAL and SICK and I am so tired of people like this inhabiting the city.

Insomnia sucks, English. I was hospitalized for it before. Insomnia in a hospital is even worse.

Thanks... I'll be all right, I think, just up worrying about some stuff going on in my personal life. Thought I'd check social media, and there was the story. If I thought reading the news would put me to sleep, I had another think coming. This story saddened me so much when I first learned the poor guy had been shot to death, but tonight I am truly disturbed. This was so gratuitous until I was sure it was motivated by envy and/or resentment towards someone seen as different... but no. This is just a random, sick a--hole. So instead of having a person who wanted to invest in the city, we get to feed and clothe this clown for the next 20-30 years.

**Meddle** · May-17-11, 03:15 AM

but tonight I am truly disturbed.

Guess you haven't heard about the pageant Mom shooting her 8 year old's face full of Botox, eh?

**Malcove Magnesia** · May-17-11, 03:31 AM

At least the lottery winner shouldn't have any trouble affording a lawyer

Additional threadjacking: I just discovered pageant mom [[who appears to be using a fake name and fake location) is likely a media troll --> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/...entry_id=89053

**Zacha341** · May-17-11, 05:23 AM

Yes, it is beyond tragic. I hear the daughter remains at the apartment, if true that is crazy. What 'justification' breeds in her mind to be allowed such. That's the bigger issue. Far too much justification goes on in the city, the kind that turns eyes away from reporting crime and instead endorses it to flourish. I understand the landlords wife wants to continue her husbands work at the building. Some would certainly move on and leave that situation to itself.

Originally Posted by English

I totally agree -- that's just what I was thinking. But this goes beyond economics. This isn't some typical ghetto story. This bastard wasn't motivated by envy or jealousy -- as you said, he could have purchased the home [[or several homes). This is a person who is completely and totally AMORAL and SICK and I am so tired of people like this inhabiting the city.

Thanks... I'll be all right, I think, just up worrying about some stuff going on in my personal life. Thought I'd check social media, and there was the story. If I thought reading the news would put me to sleep, I had another think coming. This story saddened me so much when I first learned the poor guy had been shot to death, but tonight I am truly disturbed. This was so gratuitous until I was sure it was motivated by envy and/or resentment towards someone seen as different... but no. This is just a random, sick a--hole. So instead of having a person who wanted to invest in the city, we get to feed and clothe this clown for the next 20-30 years.

**gnome** · May-17-11, 05:46 AM

This looks to me like a racially motivated murder. An Australian 'outsider' has the balls to actually expect to be paid, plus he disrespects his renter by asking for the money, even threatens her with eviction... holy smokes, look at the equation, foreign white guy + disrespect + threats ... by ghetto logic = pop a cap in his ass.

**Zacha341** · May-17-11, 06:17 AM

Oh 'how politically incorrect' for you to state this but hey, it could be a factor!

Originally Posted by gnome

This looks to me like a racially motivated murder. An Australian 'outsider' has the balls to actually expect to be paid, plus he disrespects his renter by asking for the money, even threatens her with eviction... holy smokes, look at the equation, foreign white guy + disrespect + threats ... by ghetto logic = pop a cap in his ass.

**iheartthed** · May-17-11, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

This looks to me like a racially motivated murder. An Australian 'outsider' has the balls to actually expect to be paid, plus he disrespects his renter by asking for the money, even threatens her with eviction... holy smokes, look at the equation, foreign white guy + disrespect + threats ... by ghetto logic = pop a cap in his ass.

Yeah, I'm sure the guy only gets mad at white guys who he perceives to be harassing his daughter.

Buy American · May-17-11, 07:45 AM

The murderer is a two-legged rabid animal who needs to be eradicated.

**bailey** · May-17-11, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Yeah, I'm sure the guy only gets mad at white guys who he perceives to be harassing his daughter.

He might get mad at other people, but the white foreign guy is the only one he shot.

**English** · May-17-11, 08:21 AM

You know, race may have been a factor. And if this is true, this so-and-so ought to be prosecuted for a hate crime/murder... the law should show no favoritism.

And I know that one aspect of why this sickens me is because Greg was a guest in our city. It's not rational because good people get mugged, hurt and killed in the city [[and the country) every year. But here is a guy from overseas who heard about the city of Detroit, saw opportunity, and seemed to genuinely care about his tenants. Even in spite of everything, he wanted to invest here, and not in the hip and trendy 'hoods, either. We need thousands of immigrants like this -- but thanks to this mf-er, who else will want to come? Who would ever take that chance? Not many from Australia, I'd be willing to bet.

If this was racially motivated, I hope the full arm of the law falls on him. I hope he reaps EVERYTHING he has sown. And I hope that the arc of the moral universe gives his daughter whiplash.

**coracle** · May-17-11, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

He might get mad at other people, but the white foreign guy is the only one he shot.

Looks like you want to excuse him because he's black and he "only" shot a white. Is that the Detroit attitude to keep whites out of the city? And where did you get the information he's only shot one person? Could be he's shot more but never been caught. [[and he does work for the Post Office).

**Maple Leaf Rag** · May-17-11, 08:35 AM

Where's ole Geoff Fieger at now? There's sweet, sweet civil suit money to be had. Oh, that's right. The shooter's a brother. No need-a biting the hand that feeds you, eh Geoff?

**iheartthed** · May-17-11, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

He might get mad at other people, but the white foreign guy is the only one he shot.

Uh, because the white Australian guy is the one who was confronting his daughter about her rent? Who was he supposed to shoot? The woman preparing food for the barbecue?

I'm really confused about why gnome made a trollish statement like that. Other than that this guy happened to be white and the shooter happens to be black, I don't see what race has to do with the situation. Maybe he can come back and clarify what he meant.

**iheartthed** · May-17-11, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by English

You know, race may have been a factor. And if this is true, this so-and-so ought to be prosecuted for a hate crime/murder... the law should show no favoritism.

And I know that one aspect of why this sickens me is because Greg was a guest in our city. It's not rational because good people get mugged, hurt and killed in the city [[and the country) every year. But here is a guy from overseas who heard about the city of Detroit, saw opportunity, and seemed to genuinely care about his tenants. Even in spite of everything, he wanted to invest here, and not in the hip and trendy 'hoods, either. We need thousands of immigrants like this -- but thanks to this mf-er, who else will want to come? Who would ever take that chance? Not many from Australia, I'd be willing to bet.

If this was racially motivated, I hope the full arm of the law falls on him. I hope he reaps EVERYTHING he has sown. And I hope that the arc of the moral universe gives his daughter whiplash.

I have to firmly disagree that this man's murder is anywhere near the most compelling reason that people avoid Detroit. Immigrants get murdered quite frequently in NYC, LA, Miami, and other cities with large foreign born populations.

I don't want to come off as sounding callous because a man did lose his life, but it is what it is. Just last month two British tourists were murdered in Sarasota, Florida.

**English** · May-17-11, 09:43 AM

Disagree all you like, but I'm sorry, Detroit doesn't have the positive PR that NYC, LA, Miami, etc. do. Anything bad that happens here is magnified.

Here's an analogy. I have to work twice as hard, be twice as good, and be extra nice and bubbly to people [[offline) to get half as far. I understand that the larger society will never give me the benefit of the doubt if I fail, and never sympathize when [[and if) I'm weak. That's just the way life is.

Detroit is the same way. We are NOT going to get the benefit of the doubt from anyone. People can say it's otherwise, but if what I observe isn't true, we wouldn't be hemorrhaging population at this rate. When something like this happens and makes international headlines, a story that might have been written off as an isolated case in other cities will be seen as "typical Detroit."

**English** · May-17-11, 09:44 AM

And why does Greg McNiccol's family have to go to court to evict the daughter? She should have been arrested as an accessory/accomplice.

**bailey** · May-17-11, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Uh, because the white Australian guy is the one who was confronting his daughter about her rent? Who was he supposed to shoot? The woman preparing food for the barbecue?

I'm really confused about why gnome made a trollish statement like that. Other than that this guy happened to be white and the shooter happens to be black, I don't see what race has to do with the situation. Maybe he can come back and clarify what he meant.

I think i need to get better at projecting the sarcasm

**iheartthed** · May-17-11, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by English

Disagree all you like, but I'm sorry, Detroit doesn't have the positive PR that NYC, LA, Miami, etc. do. Anything bad that happens here is magnified.

Here's an analogy. I have to work twice as hard, be twice as good, and be extra nice and bubbly to people [[offline) to get half as far. I understand that the larger society will never give me the benefit of the doubt if I fail, and never sympathize when [[and if) I'm weak. That's just the way life is.

Detroit is the same way. We are NOT going to get the benefit of the doubt from anyone. People can say it's otherwise, but if what I observe isn't true, we wouldn't be hemorrhaging population at this rate. When something like this happens and makes international headlines, a story that might have been written off as an isolated case in other cities will be seen as "typical Detroit."

Even when NYC had the perception of being a dangerous place it still attracted immigrants in droves. I would love to see a Detroit with a murder rate of zero, but the evidence doesn't agree that this is essential for it to be a thriving city. Frankly, the only reason people talk about Detroit's negatives is because there is nothing else about the city worth talking about right now. We're either talking about the negatives or we're talking about the past.

**iheartthed** · May-17-11, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

I think i need to get better at projecting the sarcasm

ASCII should assign a key for the sarc-mark.

**English** · May-17-11, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Even when NYC had the perception of being a dangerous place it still attracted immigrants in droves. I would love to see a Detroit with a murder rate of zero, but the evidence doesn't agree that this is essential for it to be a thriving city. Frankly, the only reason people talk about Detroit's negatives is because there is nothing else about the city worth talking about right now. We're either talking about the negatives or we're talking about the past.

The bolded is true. I really hope this changes, but incidents like this throw us right back into the same "Murder Capital" stereotypes.

What hurts is that if this idiot hadn't killed this guy, in a couple of years, this WOULD have been a story that could have helped to change the perceptions of Detroit. What Greg was doing was bridging cultural, racial, national, and perhaps even socioeconomic differences. It's clear that his tenants and neighbors liked him and believed he was the real deal. Interracial cooperation and amity is super fragile in this region; I guess I'm so angry because people like this on both sides destroy everything that others work so hard to build.

**coracle** · May-17-11, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Uh, because the white Australian guy is the one who was confronting his daughter about her rent? Who was he supposed to shoot? The woman preparing food for the barbecue?

I'm really confused about why gnome made a trollish statement like that. Other than that this guy happened to be white and the shooter happens to be black, I don't see what race has to do with the situation. Maybe he can come back and clarify what he meant.

You're absolutely right. The victim would have to have been black and the shooter white to make it racist.