John McCaul was released from his second stint in prison at the age of 18, after spending 10 months in jail for burglary. By now he had spent over 10% of his life in jail--a ratio that would keep going up. And even with a third chance to turn his life around he couldn’t manage to stay out of trouble for long.
After his release in July 1989, John was put on probation until January 1990--the month he turned 19. For the first time since he was 15, John was no longer under any judicial supervision. He must have missed the attention because a scant five months later John had an eventful few days that led to his most serious trouble so far.
Beginning on the evening of June 25, 1990 and continuing for the next 2 days, John McCaul and a buddy decided--for money or kicks or both, the records don’t say--to go on a robbery spree. John’s federal indictment mentions that he was convicted of three counts of robbery but that tells only part of the story. In fact John and his buddy committed six robberies: four against convenience stores and two against innocent, random individual targets.
Nebraska tells us that, “A person commits robbery if, with the intent to steal, he forcibly and by violence, or by putting in fear, takes from the person of another any money or personal property of any value whatever.”
The legal definition is pretty dry. But the police reports from that evening do convey what it must have been like to be one of John’s victims. This is an excerpt from the police report of John’s 3rd robbery robbery in the spree, against a convenience store:
After his release in July 1989, John was put on probation until January 1990--the month he turned 19. For the first time since he was 15, John was no longer under any judicial supervision. He must have missed the attention because a scant five months later John had an eventful few days that led to his most serious trouble so far.
Beginning on the evening of June 25, 1990 and continuing for the next 2 days, John McCaul and a buddy decided--for money or kicks or both, the records don’t say--to go on a robbery spree. John’s federal indictment mentions that he was convicted of three counts of robbery but that tells only part of the story. In fact John and his buddy committed six robberies: four against convenience stores and two against innocent, random individual targets.
Nebraska tells us that, “A person commits robbery if, with the intent to steal, he forcibly and by violence, or by putting in fear, takes from the person of another any money or personal property of any value whatever.”
The legal definition is pretty dry. But the police reports from that evening do convey what it must have been like to be one of John’s victims. This is an excerpt from the police report of John’s 3rd robbery robbery in the spree, against a convenience store:
At 2348 26 June 90 Ms. Brown [manager of the store] observed suspects 1 [John McCaul] and 2 [John’s buddy] heading for the front door of the store about to enter. Suspect 1 (taller stick-up man) had a shotgun protruding from a grey colored “suit”-type jacket or coat. Ms. Brown attempted to hold doors closed to prevent entry, but was unsuccessful. Suspect 1 [John McCaul] pushed Ms. Brown to the end of the counter, telling Suspect 2 “get the money [illegible]”-and ordering Ms. Nickie [store clerk] to “hit the floor”. … After retrieving the below items from the cash register both suspects started for the door. Suspect #1 [John McCaul]-as an after thought grabbed two cartons of Marlboro Reds prior to exit; fleeing on foot …
So here we have these two women, staffing a convenience store in Omaha late at night when all of a sudden two men appear out of nowhere with obvious violent intent. The manager bravely tries to lock the door when she sees John’s shotgun protruding from his jacket, but it’s too late and he pushes her aside, then on to the floor. Brandishing his shotgun he orders the other clerk to the floor, while his buddy robs the register.
I drove by the store John robbed that night--it now sells tobacco and cell phones. But it doesn’t take much imagination to put yourselves in the place of those two women in the store that night--on the floor with a shotgun pointed at them, in genuine fear for their lives, wondering if they were going to die right then and there. I wonder if John ever drives by it and thinks about what he did. I wonder if he ever thinks about the two other fathers in whom he struck terror, fear and anguish as they heard what happened to their daughters, or those two daughters whose lives he altered so dramatically that night--lives he came a trigger’s-pull away from extinguishing.
That scene was repeated five more times, against three other stores and two other innocent individuals. And this is the man that we are told should replace the only real father Sonya has ever known.
All told, John was indicted for twelve felonies--the six robberies plus six charges of using a firearm in commission of a felony. He ended up pleading guilty to three charges in a deal that spared him the other 9, and went to prison for almost six years. What followed-and what we'll look at next-was even darker.
Oh yes, and what was his haul? At least from this one store, about $50. I sure hope those were some good smokes you grabbed at the end, John.
I drove by the store John robbed that night--it now sells tobacco and cell phones. But it doesn’t take much imagination to put yourselves in the place of those two women in the store that night--on the floor with a shotgun pointed at them, in genuine fear for their lives, wondering if they were going to die right then and there. I wonder if John ever drives by it and thinks about what he did. I wonder if he ever thinks about the two other fathers in whom he struck terror, fear and anguish as they heard what happened to their daughters, or those two daughters whose lives he altered so dramatically that night--lives he came a trigger’s-pull away from extinguishing.
That scene was repeated five more times, against three other stores and two other innocent individuals. And this is the man that we are told should replace the only real father Sonya has ever known.
All told, John was indicted for twelve felonies--the six robberies plus six charges of using a firearm in commission of a felony. He ended up pleading guilty to three charges in a deal that spared him the other 9, and went to prison for almost six years. What followed-and what we'll look at next-was even darker.
Oh yes, and what was his haul? At least from this one store, about $50. I sure hope those were some good smokes you grabbed at the end, John.