The writings of the person who killed three 9-year-olds and three adults at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville last year cannot be released to the public, a judge ruled Thursday.

Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea Myles found that The Covenant School children and parents hold the copyright to any writings or other works created by shooter Audrey Hale, a former student who was killed by police. As part of the effort to keep the records closed, Hale’s parents transferred ownership of Hale’s property to the victims’ families, who then argued in court that they should be allowed to determine who has access to them.

Myles agreed, ruling that “the original writings, journals, art, photos and videos created by Hale” are subject to an exception to the Tennessee Public Records Act created by the federal Copyright Act.

The shooter left behind at least 20 journals, a suicide note and a memoir, according to court filings. When the records requests were denied, several parties sued, and the situation quickly ballooned into a messy mix of conspiracy theories, leaked documents, probate battles and accusations of ethical misconduct. Myles’ order will almost surely be appealed.

  • Tom_Hanx_Hail_Satan@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    23
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    4 months ago

    You’re missing the point entirely. Releasing the material was, presumptively, part of the shooters motivation. Increasing the notoriety of the perpetrator. Releasing the material would validate the shooters motives and encourage copycats. I don’t know why you would think that’s not enough.

    • theyoyomaster@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      4 months ago

      How is this different from any other shooting where there is a manifesto left behind? This is nothing new and it is very common that they are released very shortly after the shooting.

      • Tom_Hanx_Hail_Satan@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        4 months ago
        1. It’s becoming less and less common. Stephen Paddocks motives weren’t released til 3 years or so later. If the Uvalde shooter had one it wasn’t released. Anything known about the Newtown shooter was found by journalists way later. The rest happen when the killer is still alive.

        2. This is the only case that I know of where the killers writings are under control of the victims families.

        • theyoyomaster@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          4 months ago

          They are released very quickly if they fit the desired political narrative, just look at the buffalo shooter and how quickly every major news article dove into his manifesto as soon as they got their hands on it. If and when it can be used to promote a specific view it is released, if it doesn’t promote the correct view it sits for a while until they can figure out how to spin it or the hype dies down and if it hurts the desired view it is blocked like this one.

          I would also suggest that you never speak or write any of these assholes’ real names. The notoriety is what they seek and every time a stranger mentions them by name they get their wish.

          • Tom_Hanx_Hail_Satan@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 months ago

            Ask a question then reply telling me I’m wrong? Whatever doofus.

            The Buffalo shooter also livestreamed part of his shooting on twitch, with a swastika on his weapon. The media getting information is significantly different than police releasing information. Assuming media orginaztions are in a conspiracy to push a narrative and not just squeezing every dime they can out of these tragedies is goofy. And I’m writing some of their names to demonstrate that my knowledge of these crime is a little beyond average.

            I’d suggest you pull your head out of your ass.

            • theyoyomaster@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              4 months ago

              The media are absolutely working together to push specific political viewpoints. This specific manifesto being blocked fits perfectly with the openly stated political goals of the majority of media in the US.

              • Tom_Hanx_Hail_Satan@lemmy.ca
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                4 months ago

                A judge in Tennessee is the one preventing the release of this manifesto. Media outlets are the ones trying to obtain it. Try again.

      • Tom_Hanx_Hail_Satan@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        11
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        4 months ago

        It is material was reviewed by a judge, the shooters family and the victims families. If you want to say it’s presumptively a manifesto and not almost definitely a manifesto. Then use that distinction to rationalize your point, congratulations.

        • beetlejuice0001@lemmy.zip
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          4 months ago

          With the recent rulings by judges (especially in conservative states) I have no faith in judicial review.

          • Tom_Hanx_Hail_Satan@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            6
            ·
            4 months ago

            That’s apples and oranges. This shooter has the potential to be the Trans version of Elliot Rodgers. Trying to attach a christo-facist motivation to this ruling is a stretch and a half.

            The motivations of mass killers isn’t really relevant for anything. People capable of that level of violence are such an anomaly that other indicators are more important, from a psychological perspective, than their self-determined motives.

            Largest mass killer in us history was the Vegas shooter, Stephen Paddock. His motivation was that he was feeling slighted by the casinos for not getting enough perks for being a “big spender”. What is a psychologist supposed to do with that for helping prevent other mass shooters? Trying to attach some silence of the lambs bullshit to crimes like this is foolish. Even then, that’s the FBI doing it which then can be trickled out to medical journals etc. The best thing for the public is for these killer to be remembered as dead monsters.

              • Tom_Hanx_Hail_Satan@lemmy.ca
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                arrow-down
                2
                ·
                4 months ago

                Presuming how? My main point is that the shooters motivations is mostly irrelevant and releasing their writings dould encourage copycats. Like we actually saw with Elliot Rodgers.

                What am I presuming?

                • beetlejuice0001@lemmy.zip
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  4 months ago

                  You’re presuming they’re a monster who did it for no reason. As they say, one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter. Again, speculation. You’re advocating for the Christo-Fascist withholding information

                  Edit: you could be right, you could be very wrong and this person may have been a victim themselves.

                  • MisplacedAstronaut@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    2
                    ·
                    edit-2
                    4 months ago

                    Whenever it’s a white, straight, male, shooter, (which is the majority of shooters in cases like this) all of their manifestos and videos get posted online and then the media goes around like clockwork to victimize the criminal. Especially if it turns out the while straight male shooter is also in a Christian family.

                    But in the extremely rare case that a person of the lgbtq community is a shooter, it becomes glaringly obvious that they were bullied and the systems in place failed them over and over again. “But we better not… for the victims families sake.”

                    It’s always about victimizing the straights and the religious and making the lgbtq the issue at every turn. Just like how, all of a sudden, conservatives are exclaiming how worried they are about children being around the LGBT but they are a-okay with all the child-abusing priests or their child raping president and the Christian families that basically send their children to torture camps if they so much as breathe a rainbow.

                  • Tom_Hanx_Hail_Satan@lemmy.ca
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    arrow-down
                    1
                    ·
                    4 months ago

                    That’s not a presumption though, or even speculation. Was the shooter bullied by kids they killed? No, again, that’s speculation though. Even if they were bullied, it’s misplaced anger and an inability to cope with their own issues. Releasing the manifesto would validate their martyrdom.

                    Assuming this ruling has anything to do with a christo-facist agenda is the most egregious and, likely, wrong presumption anyone is making. If I’m defending the christo-facist you are defending the motives of a, literal, mass murder of children.