As the Wicked Watch (Jordan Manning, #1)

by Tamron Hall

chest.”

Maybe Yvonne was covering up for Masey and knew she had a secret boyfriend or someone/ people she was meeting unbeknownst to Pam? That would make sense giving hownclise they were and probably closer in age Masey felt she could confide in Yvonne and Yvonne wanted to help Masey. I may have been rash to think Yvonne had anything to do with anything nefarious with Masey's disappearance.

“Mase . . . she met this guy named Terrence,” she said, catching her breath. “He, uh, he told her he could produce her video, and he had contacts in the recording and modeling industries that he could show it to.

pink

I'm surprised Pamela let Masey keep a jacket that Pam did not buy. Not blaming her it just seems out of character with the attentive mother she is. Teens are a mess though. It is not an easy task especially a a single mom. Pam is a great mom. Also I wonder was this a Baby Phat jacket. It sounds like Baby Phat which was Hella popular then. Also I wonder was Monique & Masey in a singing group together or both was being "managed" by Terrance.

“Not a lot. One time he took her and a few of her friends over to the South Shore to do a photo shoot. I went with her. The pictures came out beautiful.

By the Lake. Wonder was it Rainbow Beach.

“Bankhead.”

I know from the many stories that I’ve covered that the wicked watch, and they strike when they think nobody’s looking. In Masey’s case, that would’ve been the day she left Yvonne’s at dusk on her bicycle.

But if this guy Terrence isn’t who he says he is, what else is he hiding?

“I’m curious, what kind of car does he drive?” I asked. “A gray Camry. I’ve seen Terrence drive it sometimes when he didn’t have the other car.”

rim?”

I was thinking to ask if any of these cars are missing a rim.

missing. Manny told me he kept saying how messed up it was, but it seemed like he was trying to downplay how close they’d gotten recently. That bothered Manny, him acting like he didn’t know her all that well.”

“This is some bullshit!” Pamela

Agreed!

Yvonne thinks she’s the cool cousin that the young girls come to for advice and gossip and even to share their secrets. I thought back to my cousin Stephanie, what it was like when we learned that she’d lied to everyone to meet up with an older guy on what was supposed to be a school band trip. She didn’t even tell me. Even now it stings when I think about it. I thought she trusted me most.

Why

I want to know too. Also why is Yvonne getting so defensive? This is a valid question. Plus she had this huge secret and I can understand she is being the cool big cousin Masey trusted to confide in. Bit once Masey was missing and especially found dead she should have shared this info. So this is a natural question. Everything needs to be explored.

Of course this is all speculation; there is no evidence. It could be him, but it also could be Manny. It could be anyone.

heard

Jason is on it!!!

I went across the street to set up my shot, right? And this woman comes up and starts asking me a bunch of questions. We started talking, or I should say, she started talking. Telling me she told police she’d seen some kids over on the playground where the body was found. They’d scrounged up some sticks, she said, and were squatting over something. She identified two of them—the Harvey brothers, she called them. She said they go to her church. She told me that police picked them up for questioning, then came back to her house yesterday and asked her if she could identify them from a lineup of photos. Jordan, she told me that police said a positive ID was all they needed to charge them.”

This reminds me of the Ryan Harris case. Where there were 2 young boys arrested for her murder and it was obvious these young boys were not likely to commit the murder because the forensics and the brutality did not match these young boys. Plus when they were questioned it seems like police were leading them to answer the questions the way they wanted. Then later the right person was charged who was a grown man thay already was a convicted sex offender.

“Not sure about the charge, but the lady said the Harvey brothers go to Ida B. Wells Prep, which isn’t far from the crime scene. Jordan, it’s a middle school!” Justin said. “Get out! You mean they think the killer could be as young as a sixth grader? This is unbelievable!

Ugh! Yes this resembles the Ryan Harris story. Like Jordan what are they going to charge them with? This is so frustrating. I get the police should follow every lead. That is the thing they should FOLLOW the lead! Not morph it to fit a narrative or to get unnecessary vision, or to do lazy police work. First they did not care to take the case seriously. Now they want to hurriedly close the case. Yes the kids, and the Harvery brothers should be brought in for questioning with a parent. guardian, and child couture advocate. But I'm thinking these kids unfortunately found Masey deceased and did not want to report because of this very thing. The police would blame them. It is so disgusted how out black and brown children are seen as criminals even before they are out of the single digits. Many of them do not have time to just be kids. They are more than likely traumatized. Should they have reported this? Absolutely. But at the same time as it is obvious here there is not a safe space where they feel protected by the very law enforcement that are sworn to serve and protect. Children are protected unless they are black or brown. Again I may be jumping ahead. But this brings up old and new wounds.

Ms. Manning, I hope you’re sitting down, because you’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you,” said a woman whose voice I didn’t recognize. “In about an hour, the Chicago PD will announce charges against three boys, one thirteen-year-old and two eleven-year-olds, in the death of Masey James. The thirteen-year-old and one of the younger boys are brothers. I’ve seen your coverage. That’s why I’m calling you.”

Who is this? I'm sure I will find out very soon problem the next page. The bigger thing is here we go with the Harry charging of young black men without thorough investigation.

NOTES 📝 pages 258 - 262 We are so conditioned to weaponize our own skin and people. To her defense, she is right to report this activity. However, the police did not even care to act on it and provide due diligence until they could force this into an arrest. How differently things may have gone if this was followed up on in a timely manner and they children. Again, CHILDREN were given the basic human and constitutional right to be presumed innocent? Law enforcement needs to be trained not to automatically see black people in general as criminals, suspects, or guilty. The police questioned them with their parents present, but we don’t know what the officers At least the parents were present, but the parents grew up in the same environment and were kids once where we fear the police and can not trust them. Englewood is one of those neighborhoods that when there is a police presence, they are usually arresting or beating a black male for just existing and often justifying it by them "fitting the profile" Too bad black and brown children do not have the luxury of being heard, not feeling safe to go to an authority figure and talk about their feelings, being bullied, or other challenges. The fact that he took it upon himself to find a way to defend himself. It is so unfortunate that our young black men do not have room for error when growing up. Also, having a kitchen knife to defend against bullying is a long (in another universe) way to annihilation of Masey. mistake.”

“I

I hate this so much.

It was my voice that grabbed their attention. “Detective Fawcett!” I yelled. “What about the mysterious driver you were looking for two days ago?”

Good Jordan! They just gave up on that lead if they ever pursued it at all. Why should they when they can ruin the lives of these young black male students? TRIGGERED! As a mother of a young black man, and a Chicagoan.

Hell

Right ugh

“Linda, are police looking into other suspects?” I pressed. “Three children—because that’s what they are, children—have been charged with taking part in the savage murder of one of their contemporaries. By themselves?”

Right thank you Jordan.

Clearly

Right no question is being answered. Linda and Law enforcement are trying to end the conference abruptly wtf? Chicago police and politics I tell you.

Linda.

Don't feel sorry these are these children's lives.

tumbling

Red the urban myth definitely had his hand in this mess!

killers

Sone BS

Black boys who are presumed guilty until proven innocent, are capable of being murderous kidnappers who desecrate bodies in their spare time between the school dismissal bell and church on Sunday.

“It’s bullshit!

Hot flaming BS like they really are not going to ask the school for camera footage and look into the mysterious car that picked up Masey just a few days preceding her death? For real? I hate it here. As much as I love Chicago these are the parts I hate. And the Ryan Harris story was in Englewood. Except Ryan was way younger and so was the 2 young men that were arrested. I think they were around 8/9 Ryan and the 2 arrested innocent young men.

off?”

Right even in a neighborhood like Englewood I'm sure 3 young boys walking with a dead burned body would have raised flag tf

I suspect the neighbor, like so many have done, may have fallen into the trap of believing Black boys congregating in a field must be up to no good, even though she is Black herself.

Wr are so conditioned to weaponize our own skin and people. To her defense she is right to report this activity. However the police sis not even care to act on it and provide due diligence until they could force this into an arrest. How differently things may have went if this was followed up on in a timely manner and they children. Again CHILDREN were given the basic human and constitutional right to be presumed innocent? Law enforcement needs to be trained not to automatically see black people in general as criminals, suspects, guilty.

There police questioned them with their parents present, but we don’t know what the officers

At least the parents were present but the parents grew up in the same environment and were kids once where we fear the police and cannot trust them. Englewood is one of those neighborhoods that when there is a police presence they are usually arresting or beating a black male for just existing and often justifying it by them "fitting the profile"

“At

Too bad black and brown children do not have the luxury of being heard, not feeling safe to go to an authority figure and talk about their feelings, being bullied or other challenges. Thebfact that he took it upon himself to find a way to defend himself. So unfortunate that our young black men do not have room for error when growing up. Also having a kitchen knife to defend against bullying is a long (in another universe) way to annihilation of Masey.

mistake.”

I just noted the same thing.

it.

That makes sense. Is ot right like the attorney said no. It is also not right the child does not feel protected enough to advocate for himself and ask for school officials help.

This poor kid. Side note I think his name is Michael. The system just wants to keep traumatizing him. Our black boys are born with 2 strikes against before they even take their first breath.

This should not have been done without a parent or guardian. Sloppy and unethical police work. I wonder if this is illegal as well.

His

This poor kid. Side note I think his name is Michael. The system just wants to keep traumatizing him. Our black boys are born with 2 strikes against before they even take their first breath.

Not right

“The

This should not have been done without a parent or guardian. Sloppy and unethical police work. I wonder if this is illegal as well.

They

Not right

Not right

True

Constanzo said the boys told their parents what had happened. The brothers’ stepfather was livid that police talked to the boys without him or his wife present, and especially because they’d asked if they’d ever seen him hit his wife. He called the department to complain, and a detective and two officers followed up and came to the family’s home that night.

Damn it. Was there a warrant for arrest? I don't know all the illegalities but a boy can certainly run to his room. look how forceful and abusive these police are after Bernard willingly allowed them into his home. CPD is known for the brutality. Of course not all CPD is like this but the majority especially in the Englewood area are like this.

door.

True

room.”

Damn it. Was there a warrant for arrest? I don't know all the illegalities but a boy can certainly run to his room. look how forceful and abusive these police are after Bernard willingly allowed them into his home. CPD is known for the brutality. Of course not all CPD is like this but the majority especially in the Englewood area are like this.

I mean if they were in the area and he had the knife out the DNA would match but that does not mean he Killed Masey. Perhaps he was poking around the area. Again not right but that does not make them the killer.

I mean if they were in the area and he had the knife out the DNA would match but that does not mean he Killed Masey. Perhaps he was poking around the area. Again not right but that does not make them the killer. Plus it makes sense that their clothing and shoes match DNA evidence from the scene they admitted they would cut across the field which they would have collect DNA. However, what about other evidence? Are there marks, cuts, abrasions on any of the boys? Were the clothes, or shoes bloody, torn, burnt. There would certainly have to be damage to the articles of clothing as the autopsy reported the brutal way Masey died.

Was there DNA on the knife?

Agreed. They were there to intimidate and force evidence and even an arrest. Terrible.