Sunday, December 5, 2010

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Criminal Record Of Rufus Onel Victor, Who Killed A Mother And Two Children In North Minneapolis...

Stock photo and blog post by John Hoff

If I'd been an hour later, or if Rufus Onel Victor had been an hour earlier, I may very well have encountered him while driving on I-94 with my son. Allow me this opportunity to publicly praise the Lord. An hour after I passed by the Dowling Avenue exit on I-94, Victor took that exit while being pursued by state troopers. He crashed into two vehicles (one of which was occupied) killing a mother (Amanda Jean Thomas) and her two children, click here for news article.

Rufus Onel Victor has a criminal record as long as my arm, and here it is...




27-CR-02-012044
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
11/18/1981
09/09/1999
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
ASSAULT IN THE SECOND DEGREE

27-CR-03-052554
1021596596
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
07/29/2003
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
NO VALD DL IN POSSESSION

27-CR-03-062214
VICTOR, RUFUS ONE
08/28/2003
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
TRESPASSING

27-CR-05-044016
105624357
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
07/18/2005
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction
TAMPERING WITH SECURED BICYCLE PROH

27-CR-06-024792
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
04/12/2006
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
TRESPASSING

27-CR-06-067064
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
09/28/2006
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
THEFT
TRESPASSING

27-CR-07-015167
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
03/12/2007
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
TRESPASSING

27-CR-07-030915
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
05/14/2007
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
THEFT

19-T6-07-067979
5 642516
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
06/09/2007
- Dakota-Apple Valley
Non- Traffic Misdemeanor
Converted Closed
SHOPLIFTING

62-T7-07-015389
907190569
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
06/21/2007
Ramsey Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Petty Misdemeanor
Converted Closed
TRESPASSING

27-CR-07-106838
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
08/02/2007
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
Theft

62-T8-07-019595
907169099
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
08/31/2007
Ramsey Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Non- Traffic Misdemeanor
Under Court Jurisdiction
TAMPER WITH AUTO

62-T8-07-020195
907220158
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
09/12/2007
Ramsey Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Non- Traffic Misdemeanor
Under Court Jurisdiction
TRESPASS-DWELLING,BUILD

27-CR-07-129227
2070363664
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
12/20/2007
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Brookdale
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Closed
Disorderly conduct in a public or private place.

27-CR-08-19869
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
04/22/2008
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction
Receiving Stolen Firearm
Prohibited Person In Possession of a Firearm
Burglary Second Degree Dwelling

27-CR-08-49712
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
10/03/2008
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction
Theft of Motor Vehicle-Felony

27-CR-09-41742
1090424530
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
08/20/2009
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction
Theft-Take/Use/Transfer movable property without consent

27-CR-09-44265
VICTOR, RUFUS ONEL
09/02/2009
Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown
Barnette, Toddrick S.
Crim/Traf Mandatory
Under Court Jurisdiction
Burglary-1st Degree
Receiving Stolen Property

I also checked the record of Amanda Jean Thomas, who appears to have a birthday of April 4, 1981, and turned up minor traffic charges: one incident of failure to obey a stop sign, unlawful acceleration, and amplified sound from vehicle (all from one incident), and two speeding tickets. Not a meaningful police record.

I will be the one to give words to what many people will think, but hesitate to say out loud: it's too bad Rufus O. Victor wasn't killed in that crash, instead of the mother and her two children. If this man ever walks out of jail alive, it will be a failure of the legal system.

46 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sad that this piece of scum will only end up with 5, maybe 6 years in jail max! Then he'll be free to kill again!

Anonymous said...

dear jns,

he was released on dec. 1, 2010

http://www4.co.hennepin.mn.us/webbooking/chargedetail.asp?v_booknum=2010032774

i don't know how to read these. arrested on probable cause, held 48hours, no bail and released ?
does this mean no charges were brought or will ever be brought on that charge?

i don't see charges filed on your list.

does this mean lack of evidence, no money to pursue charges...or what ?

thanks

Johnny Northside! said...

For what it's worth...and before the link goes dead...here is that info.

Full Name: VICTOR, RUFUS .ONEL
Booking Number: 2010032774
Date of Birth: 11/18/1981
Sheriff's Custody: RELEASED FROM CUSTODY ON . 12/1/2010 . 08:01
Housing Location:
Received Date/Time: 11/29/2010.. 06:50
Arrested By: MINNEAPOLIS PD
Case/Count Description of Charge Charged By Reason for Arrest Severity of Charge State of Charge Bail Information Court Appearance Date/Time Court Appearance Location
1/1 RECEIVING/CONCEALING STOLEN PROPERTY MINNEAPOLIS PD PROBABLE CAUSE PROB CAUSE 48 HOURS EXPIRED $0
HOLD W/O BAIL ..

Hans said...

I witnessed that asshole early this morning just seconds before the crash.

This MOTHER FUCKER drove past me south bound on 2nd street doing AT LEAST 60 mph... but it could have been 70 or more. Moments later a cop blazed past. I watched in my rear view mirror to see what happened... and I noticed the red and blue lights remained at the 2nd/Broadway intersection.

When I arrived at the scene I saw three badly damaged vehicles... two of them on the sidewalk at the southeast corner... up against the building.

There were no ambulances present yet... police and others were attempting to open vehicle doors.

I was sooo happy to see a young girl get out of one of the vehicles... but that happiness quickly faded as I caught a glimpse of a still body on the sidewalk.

I couldn't help but wonder... if I had swerved into the side of his vehicle on 2nd street, perhaps nobody would have been killed... but survival instinct is what drives us all... and unfortunately his survival instinct resulted in unnecessary murder.

Anonymous said...

I think before we get all worked up we need to know more of the facts. They obviously released him for a good reason. Therefore he must be innocent until proven guilty.

Anonymous said...

A mother and 2 children dead, and you are posting Praise the Lord?

Johnny Northside! said...

To the poster above: God can be my judge as to what I said, what I meant, and how readers will read it.

On another note: I have rejected a troll comment. I'm pretty sure "wooden slurpy" is not a serious post from a serious person.

Johnny Northside! said...

I know Hans is not making that up.

Hans, you say you witnessed a young girl get out of one of the vehicles? Can you describe her further? That doesn't seem to fit with the other accounts of the accident.

Hans said...

To be more precise... I saw a young girl *standing next to one of the vehicles* and I assumed she emerged from one of them. I couldn't think of why else a young person would have been allowed to get so close to the scene of such a grisly accident. Perhaps she was in a vehicle that stopped to help... I don't know, but I know I saw her standing within a few feet of the smashed cars about 3 minutes after it happened.

My memory of the girl isn't very good because other things were on my mind... but I think she was dark skinned, and I would estimate between 8 and 12 years old.

It was a pretty confusing scene... I asked an officer "did you catch the guy yet?" and he said "it was a woman"... so I'm not surprised to hear reports that don't coincide with what I saw. I also overheard a witness saying they saw a woman get out of the (red) vehicle after the accident and run south 150 feet then turn left.

After I saw the body on the sidewalk I knew the best thing to do was to leave and let the rescue workers do their job. I had seen more than enough at that point.

Anonymous said...

Well if it was a woman that would explain why this gentleman was released without bail. Slandering an innocent man on a blog is not good, perhaps you should do more research first.

Johnny Northside! said...

The suspect in question has long dreads and is slightly built. I can understand why Rufus Onel Victor would be mistaken for a woman. And I am sure that since he is going to prison that...

Well, I'll just keep my crude prison humor to myself.

Johnny Northside! said...

To the previous anonymous poster: the release without bail happened on December 1.

The accident in question happened early this morning. The incident where he was released without bail is a different incident which happened almost a week ago.

Perhaps anonymous posters should read more closely before posting their comments.

Furthermore, it is not slander to merely repeat what the police are saying: Rufus O. Victor crashed a stolen car and killed three people. His criminal record would tend to show he is a worthless piece of crap.

info said...

probable cause release can simply be the police are still working on the charges or didn't have enough to charge at this time. hopefully the charges come, even though a little late for this young lady and her children....

info said...

probable cause release can simply be the police are still working on the charges or didn't have enough to charge at this time. hopefully the charges come, even tho a little late for this young lady and her children....

Johnny Northside! said...

The poster who uses "wooden slurpy" as part of their email identity is putting forth a very straight-faced claim to be a relative of the victims. Conversation taking place behind the scenes but I'll share this much:

When I taught journalism as a TA (and I did) we told our students "If you want to be taken seriously, don't use a ridiculous email address."

Natalie Speedracer said...

Who cares about her email address??? I know all of these people and this is a horrible situation for you to be giving her crap about her email address??? What is wrong with you? This is a complete lose lose situation for everyone and there are a lot of devistated family members right now. Why dont you can your ego for a moment and remember there are REAL people involved in your story...

Johnny Northside! said...

Yes, and in the middle of this horrible situation it's impossible to tell if somebody is a serious person or a troll because that person uses "wooden slurpy" as an email address because that person is immature and doesn't know that if you want to be taken seriously, use a serious email address with, oh gee, your freaking NAME.

I wasn't going to publish the comment of somebody claiming to be a relative if that person was NOT a relative. Because this is a serious and awful situation.

And what clues do I have as to whether the person commenting and claiming to be a relative is real or not? An email address of "wooden slurpy?" And, in the midst of this tragedy, a scathing critique of the police? By, gee, the person with the "wooden slurpy" email?

I think the death of three people is a serious thing. I handled the comment in a serious way by NOT publishing it, because it didn't come off like a serious poster. I may still publish the comment if I see enough evidence the poster is who he/she says.

But you, "Natalie," have an inaccessible blogspot profile. Who knows who YOU are? Therefore, should I care about YOUR critique?

Attention should not be shifted away from where it belongs: the death of three people at the hands of a worthless piece of crap who shouldn't have been running around loose and, hopefully, will never run around loose again.

Leave memorials alone said...

They have attached a memorial to a light post near the scene of this terrible tragedy. I'm sure you and Jeff Skrenes will want to rush over there and tear it down since you find these memorial to be blight.
The memorial is attached to public property, and you have no right to remove it.

Johnny Northside! said...

Nobody associated with this blog has ever torn down a memorial, and if I had a notion to start I certainly wouldn't start with THIS one.

Natalie Speedracer said...

Exactly, attention should not be shifted away from this tragic situation, which is exactly what I felt you were doing unfairly to my friend by the strange scathing critique of an email address she made up many years ago. Who on earth cares about her email address at a time like this! is what I was saying. She was not slandering the family or saying anything inappropriate but sending out her prayers. And yes, if it werent for the MSP chasing said criminal, this wouldnt have happened. There are many other ways to catch stolen cars with out brute force, muscles flaring and testosterone pumping, creating deadly chases. Thieves will be thieves but the way we catch them is up to us, and with the knowledge we already have about criminals and high speed pursuits it seems we should have come up with something a lot smarter by now. As long as the world isnt fair, there will be thieves. It human nature to run, assume they will when you chase them.

Anonymous said...

I see mention of rejecting a comment ragging on the police for giving chase. To the rejected commenter I ask, are we to believe that it's better for everybody if we allow people who may well have either a revoked or no license at all steal cars and drive around like they're crazy? He was going to hurt somebody with that car that night regardless of if he was chased, and given that stolen cars are often used in the commission of other crimes, it's not something that the police can just turn a blind eye to. You'll also note that there was a substantial distance between the suspect vehicle and the pursuit vehicle mentioned in the article, because when he took it to city streets, the police did fall back for safety reasons, but the guy in the stolen car continued to drive crazy!
I certainly hope that this angling to blame the police for this tragedy is not a way of building up to a lawsuit. Though I would not surprised to learn that it is. Trying to sue a loser like the actual criminal who is responsible for causing the accident would result in a settlement that could never and would never be paid out.
The fact of the matter is, this guy was driving like a crazy person and putting the general public in danger before the state patrol ever started following him. Apparently he was driving it like he stole it because, well, he did steal it. State patrol officers and MPLS cops are no more responsible for this happening than are any of the other motorists on the interstate who likely called in to the police to alert them of the reckless driver in the first place.
Sorry for the family of the victims that criminal low-life a-holes tend not to have deep pockets. Though it seems the suspect in this crime did have a lengthy criminal record, so one could argue that a tragic outcome like this was foreseeable and therefore could have been prevented by launching Mr. Victor into orbit or something once he had established his pattern of complete disregard for the rest of the people in the world. Perhaps a lawsuit against the judge who last sentenced him for not giving him a longer sentence?
As far as the memorial goes, hopefully those who were close to the victims will honor them by taking it down at an appropriate time so it doesn't end up as a pile of trash at a street corner that dishonors the memory of the victims. I can see keeping those things up until the burial, or even until a proper headstone is set in place at the burial plot, but after that, it just becomes flotsam at the roadside, which is hardly appropriate for a memorial.

Johnny Northside! said...

To the troll called "Patrick," the following:

You are no longer allowed to post on this blog. It's been nice knowing you (well, actually not) but now it's time for farewell. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here.

Johnny Northside! said...

The following comment was somehow lost in the system. I am reposting it:

------------------

What does it matter what the victim's criminal record is? It's great you report north news but really? the victims criminal record. Further more where are you copying and pasting these "criminal records" from? If you're taking These from MCNCIS 4th district court website you should notify your readers that it is NOT official court records.

1.UNOFFICIAL RECORDS. The information available on MPA Remote is provided as a service and is not considered an official court record. The Minnesota Judicial Branch does not certify MPA Remote records or search results and is not responsible for any errors or omissions in the data found on MPA Remote. Certified civil judgment search results may be obtained from court administration.
2.LIMITED CASE RECORD INFORMATION. Case records and calendars are displayed for all Minnesota District (Trial) Courts. The information available on MPA Remote is limited to case search results, registers of action, civil judgments, and court calendars for publicly accessible district court case records, as defined by Rule 4 of the Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch. Electronic copies of public documents are not available at this time through MPA Remote. Further, a criminal/traffic/petty search excludes all Hennepin County and Ramsey County payable citations except: 1) those that result in a court appearance; and 2) Ramsey DNR payable citations. The excluded payable citations are processed through a separate system called VIBES
-----------
To which I respond: I never say the court records are "official" (like a certified record) or that they are complete. They are what they are, an accessible online record that I gather up and publish.

As for the record of the victim: the story was she had no notable record. People can look at the record and judge for themselves. Very little info is available about who was she? What kind of person was she? I found what info was available and published it. She had a couple speeding tickets, etc. Big deal. Anybody can look at that and say: right, this woman was law abiding almost always.

Rufus O. Victor, in contrast, was a piece of shit constantly in trouble with the legal system.

Piece of shit kills mother who was a productive, mostly law abiding member of society.

Johnny Northside! said...

Dear Natalie Speedracer,

Your friend and me have pretty much made up behind the scenes. She understands why I mistook her for a troll with her "wooden slurpy" email handle. She is now free to post whatever, though I'd prefer if she'd use her blogspot profile, so we know it's really her.

Anonymous said...

Amanda, Andre, and baby AJ were family--and this news is devastating. I surely pray for Amanda and her boys, but my thoughts are with her surviving immediate family members, namely her mother and grandmother. May this Christmas bless them with peace of mind, forgiveness, and some kind of comfort in light of such a terrible tragedy. I also pray for the family of Rufus Onel Victor and wish them peace during the Holidays.

I refuse to get angry at the perpetrator of this crime. It is not worth my time or energy. Victor is in police custody, and I'm sure the trial will be swift.

"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 314 people were killed during pursuits in 1998. Of this total, 2 were police officers and 198 were individuals being chased. The remaining 114 were either occupants of unrelated vehicles or pedestrians. (6) The total was higher in each of the 4 previous years." -- FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 2000.

The problem isn't necessarily Rufus Victor. Because another Rufus will come along to replace him and try to evade police capture at dangerously high speeds. The problem isn't necessarily the fault of the police. Most precincts have written policies on the handling of high-speed pursuits.

The problem is that the technology for disabling a car's electrical system is not yet in the marketplace, although several companies are inventing new forms of the disabler as we speak.

"The system, which can be attached to an automobile or aircraft carrier, sends out pulses of microwave radiation to disable the microprocessors that control the central engine functions in a car. Such a device could be used by law enforcement to stop fleeing and noncooperative vehicles at security checkpoints, or as perimeter protection for military bases, communication centers, and oil platforms in the open seas." -- Technology Review

Although I am saddened by this kind of news, I am hopeful that it can be prevented in the future.

Alexa Kocinski
koci0003@umn.edu

Anonymous said...

Johnny: Thanks for having a blog that cares about these issues. I saw this story on the news last night and was heartbroken that this family perished due to the repeated, foolish decisions of one person. Hearing that he was just released from jail on Dec 1 and then days later went on to make a series of bad choices that resulted in 3 innocent people being killed is beyond understanding. Chemically impaired, stolen car, driving erratically, avoiding police in a high speed chase... the level of selfishness and self-centeredness is beyond understanding. I hope justice prevails and Rufus benefits from a full and complete sentence. So sad his grandma and dad died but that's no excuse. So sad he's a chronic criminal but that's no excuse either. Sounds like incarceration is the place he'll be to come to terms with his bad choices. The comment from his sister was crazy: "He didn't intend to murder anyone!" Getting loaded, stealing a car, avoiding police, high speed chase... what were his intentions if not to do harm? Bad decision after bad decision. Glad the dude is locked up.

Johnny Northside! said...

Alex Kocinski is the poster I mistook for a troll due to her "wooden slurpy" email address, which is not the address she listed above. I'm glad she's participating in the discussion. She's the cousin of the victims.

The idea of high tech which can stop police chases dead in their tracks is a wonderful utopian ideal. If somebody like Alex dedicated her life to the pursuit of that idea, in a decade we might see progress. One could do worse as far as a cause.

Hans said...

To anyone who thinks the police pursuit caused this accident:

Were you there? Did you witness the pursuit? I was, and I did... about 60 seconds before the accident.

Between the time the suspect car sped passed me and the time I saw the police car I had enough time to consider whether or not I should call 911... I was in shock that someone would be driving so fast during winter in a 30 mph zone... I took note of the road conditions--icy in spots, but pretty clear overall--and then, I saw red and blue lights flashing ahead of me. It was at least another 10 seconds before the police car passed me (I know this because I had more than enough time to pull over and come to a complete stop)... and I wondered if the cop had a chance to see where the suspect went.

Also, the police car was not going as fast as the suspect car. If the suspect had been clever he could have taken several turns and backtracked by the time the cops got anywhere close.

This incident is tragic, and accusing the police of wrongdoing does not help the situation.

By my conservative estimate there was at least a 15 second gap between the suspect and police... at 60 mph that comes out to 1320 feet, or 1/4 mile. Hardly a close pursuit.

Kevin said...

KARE 11 did an interview with Amanda's mother tonight. It broke my heart in so many ways it was hard to watch.

Then what I was dreading...

A phone interview with the sister of Rufus Victor. Oh my God! The same old shit we hear over and over:

He loved children
He's not a murderer
He's a good guy
He was trying to get his life together.
He was scared. He didn't want to go to prison again. That's why he drove like a maniac to get away from the police.

I just knew some family member would end up on the news saying this crap. Everything about this guys life pointed to the possibility of something horrible like this happening and it did. His family is equally responsible in my opinion. I have no doubts they've been making excuses (and nothing else) for Rufus his entire life

Johnny Northside! said...

Hans, buddy, you need to make yourself available to the authorities as a witness.

Anonymous said...

Rufus killed two children.

Rufus is a murderer.

Rufus is not a good guy.

If Rufus wants to get his life together he should do it in prison.

Rufus doesn't care how many people he kills when he's feeling "scared."

There are lots of ways to avoid going to jail, like, for instance, not stealing cars. News flash to Rufus: the universe does not owe you a car.

But Rufus is the type of person who prefers to steal cars and murder any families who get in his way. That's what he'll keep doing as soon as he gets out of prison. This is his definition of "getting his life together."

Anonymous said...

John is right. Did you contact the police yet? What did they say. We need someone like Hans to get a statement in and make sure this guy is punished.

Anonymous said...

The technology does exist to disable stolen cars. It's called Onstar. If you have a vehicle equipped with Onstar, not only can they track where your car is, they can, at the request of the police after it has been authorized by the registered owner of the vehicle, disable the car remotely. They can also cause the horn to honk and the headlights to blink in order for police to locate it easier if the car thief thinks he is being clever and tries to hide the vehicle in a garage or someplace like that. My understanding is, Onstar is pretty much like those bait vehicles you see on shows like "Jacked" (is that still on the air?) only the subscriber is in charge of what is done with the vehicle. The only difference is that Onstar cannot lock criminals inside of the cars while they wait for police to arrive. BMW and some of the other luxury brands offer something similar to Onstar in their vehicles, and as technology gets better and our cars become smarter (which is already happening, -anybody have a Ford vehicle equipped with "Sync") this type of electronic/computerized equipment in cars well become the standard, using not only satellites, but probably also wi-fi networks as they become more and more prominent throughout the nation. Eventually, remote control of cars will put an end to the need for pursuits -except for those folks who get all paranoid about big brother controlling things and go all nuts disabling the software and system in their vehicles -though they'll be easy enough to spot while they're waiting for the bus because their cars have been stolen.

Anonymous said...

I like the comment from the person who wrote how to avoid going to jail: don't steal cars. Rufus last week was in jail. Just three days after he was liberated, he decided to enjoy his new found freedom by engaging in illegal behavior: getting high, stealing a car, and avoiding police via a high speed chase. A family perished because Rufus chose the chronic path of criminal behavior rather than MAN UP and take responsibility for his life. Rufus: WORD. If you want to avoid going to jail, live a sober, honest lifestyle. Have some integrity dude. Be accountable. I think the comment from his sister that he was "getting his life together" is a crock of shit. How does making the same jacked up mistakes qualify as "getting one's life together." Sounds like the same shit, just a different day. I have little sympathy for a guy like Rufus. I bet that dude has had ample opportunities to walk a different path and make different choices but has been too feckless and fearful to MAN UP. It's easier to scam and hustle and take advantage to beat the system and not be accountable than it is to MAN UP. I make no excuses for Rufus O. Victor. He stupid. Plain and simple. Yo: Rufus: GET YOUR BROKE ASS TO AN AA MEETING.

informmeus said...

Amazed you, Johnny Northside, have been forced to stray from the main topic in order to defend yourself. Seems that everything you posted is either available via news sources, or via credible sources such as the Hennepin County criminal site.
Overall, good job with the posts.
I expect he'll get about 9 years of more serious education and networking.

Anonymous said...

Word thanks for keeping it real.

MPLS Piggy said...

A true horror of this event can not truly be known until you read the criminal complaint. Scum like this man should not walk the earth.

http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/rufus.pdf

Trudrud said...

It's always the same. Some selfish criminal messes up hugely and hurts somebody or ends up getting hurt or injured themselves and suddenly you've got their family and friends crawling out of the woodwork insisting that "he's really a good person" or "he was just starting to turn his life around". People around here have heard that old, tired crap so often that we know the translation without even having to think about it; "he's really a good person" translates to "he was a selfish, shit-for-brains leach on society whose friends happened to like him despite the fact that he never contributed a thing of value to this world", and "he was just starting to turn his life around" means "He hadn't made any definite plans about what criminal activity he was going to engage in next -figured he'd just wing it and take whatever opportunity he could find to act like a jackass."

If the family and friends of folks like Mr. Victor really cared about and loved him so much, they would have called him out on his actions long before he ended up with a criminal record that now includes a likely vehicular homicide charge.
Mr. Victor's family (and anybody who doesn't already grasp this next concept, for that matter) should also learn about what it means to be a good person before they go spouting off about it. A good person doesn't have victims because a good person doesn't victimize others -doesn't matter if it's through burglary, damaging property, assault, or homicide -good people don't steal from or hurt other people.

Anonymous said...

The outcome of this lifestyle has been witnessed repeatedly.

The relatives of Victors should use this as a learning experience to teach their family and friends about the consequences of this lifestyle rather than making excuses for his behavior.

BTW...The Star/Trib article is probably responsible for leading people to believe that Victor was released after the crash.

"Victor apparently was released, but two Minneapolis officers rearrested him on Nov. 29 and placed him in jail. He was arrested on a "probable cause pickup," which investigators often use when they want to talk to a suspect, said Minneapolis police spokesman Bill Palmer.

Officials again released Victor on Dec. 1 while investigators continued working on the case."

drea gunderson said...

Yeah well my mom lost her boyfriend and only brother november 19, 2003 in new brighton after police chasedthem and they crashed and burned into a pole going 120 miles a hour. my uncle broke every bone in his face and chest and my moms bf broke his neck. my uncle was still alive and he was thwe passanger. dont get me wrong rufus is to be held responsible. and amanda has been my friend for along time so he can never bring her back but when do THE POLICE STOP AND SAY ENOUGH CHASING IS ENOUGH...... something has to give. sorry about your lost linda!!!!! Drea Gunderson

Anonymous said...

Yeah, let's adopt a policy banning police chases, so criminals need only to get into a car and drive away secure in the knowledge that nobody is going to lift a finger to stop them. That makes perfect sense.
Somebody who flees police at 120MPH is going to kill somebody with that car regardless of if their being chased because they are selfish, inconsiderate, irresponsible people with inadequate excuses, and they live their lives in such a reckless manner that it's only a matter of time before they hurt somebody anyway. I wish they had the sense to know that they don't stand a chance of outrunning a police force with communication and coordination capabilities that easily outstrip some drunk moron's sense of evasion, but stupid people do stupid things, and they have only themselves to blame for it.

boathead said...

I want to walk through the door of oppurtunity on someone elses push. When i fall down i simply wait for anyone to stroll by and pick me up so i can continue on my way. You see, i am special and have no time to wait even though i am going nowhere fast so i will just cut in front of the whole fucking line talking shit the whole time because i am an outrageous ignorant asshole for whom society owes a living. I leave destruction in my wake while i am getting my "SHIT" together. My family and friends turn me into the victim in their own personal yet very familiar and bizarre manner. They, believe it or not, are probably sicker and more pathetic than i am. Anonymous 10:54 was kind of making a point but then ended it by simply stating that the perp should take his "broke ass" to an A.A. meeting. That is a very light hearted thing to suggest to that fucking "broke ass puke". How about Rot in your fucking miserable carcass. How about die, you piece of parasitical vomit. Yaweh grant me the sanity to accept the assholes i would like to kill, the courage to change my mind if i decide all is futile so why not do everyone a favor, and the proper means to eliminate vermin at my consciences beck and call. A.A. my fucking ass. How about he joins D.O.A. and tells his story ?

Anonymous said...

My Name is Steve O
Ruffes first assult charge involed me. He stole my car and when I asked him about it. (he lived 2 doors down from me ) He tool a shovel and hit me in the head serval times. I received 42 stiches because he was a minor the sentence was reduced from attempted man slaught to assult and her served time at the state prison school house (no real time )

The system failed me and it kept this animal around the kill this family. He deserves a bulltet and nothing less. Period!!!!

Johnny Northside! said...

I received the following comment:
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that criminal deserve to have life imprisonment.. in some country they will push to submit this person to death penalty.
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The link to this comment goes to a "records finder" website. The comment is spam and has been reported as spam.

Johnny Northside! said...

And Rufus Onel Victor gets sentenced...

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/130000023.html

Anonymous said...

It has been almost 2 years since my friend and her children were murdered, I wondered do people still think about this? I do everyday only because they were people I loved. Looking back on this; I still dont think the 42 years he got was enough. Her mother still cries everyday over the loss of her whole family, her close friends still tear up whenever a reminder touches them. I still can not believe this happend to people I love. I hope there can be changes made somewhere tougher penalties....How could anyone be so stupid? I don't think the state troopers could have done anything differently, there are extreme cases where they chase over things not so important but in this case the state trooper backed off...I do think he should have cut his lights off maybe victor would have slowed down.... All the maybe's in the world will not bring them back. I will always remember Amanda Jean Thomas, Andre Alexander Lee Mack II, and Akerson Jason Lamar Thomas....to me they are family. RIP my loves....