Dear Editor,

Almost 12 years ago, my friend, Desta Dodson Byrd, was murdered outside of her Bibb County home. There has never been an arrest for this senseless and brutal crime, even though there has been a suspect dating back to the night her body was found.

That alone is frustrating, but what makes it worse is that law enforcement has shown very little interest in pursuing or investigating the case.

As a result, their inaction has essentially allowed someone to get away with murder.

Perhaps it is naive to think that all murders are serious crimes that deserve attention, but this is certainly the impression we get when we turn on the evening news or look at the paper.

For example, we have all seen just how vigorously Gabe Watson has been justifiably pursued by the state of Alabama.

I think, however, that the brutal killing of my friend is just as important, just as newsworthy, and that she and her family deserve the very same justice that these high-profile cases get.

Unfortunately, the only way such justice can be achieved is if the people who are employed to protect us and enforce the laws of The State of Alabama actually do what we pay them to do.

After all, it is our tax dollars that pay these people, and unfortunately, some of our law enforcement officials are getting paid, even when they do very little.

Kathy Garner

Helena