Episode 01: Charles Stuart

October 23, 1989. Boston, MA. Charles Stuart shoots his pregnant wife and blames it on a fictitious African American assailant, inflaming racial tensions in the city. Stuart's wife, Carol DiMaiti, a lawyer, was seven months pregnant when the shooting occurred.

The television show, Rescue 911, was filming in Boston the night Charles made the call. “My wife’s been shot; I’ve been shot,” he told police, his voice punctuated by groans. Since the TV show was taping, we got a reliable time stamp for the call, allowing us to cast a chart for the crime. A crime chart can reveal information beyond the crime, i.e., the state of the victim, the identity of the perpetrator, others who may be involved, etc. In this case, the crime chart truly delivers, explaining the who, what, and why of this crime.

Looking back at how I handled this episode, I think I could have been less judgmental of Charles Stuart to better understand him. We all know these criminals commit atrocities; calling them “psychos” and “monsters,” etc. affirms social norms but does little else to prevent crime in the future. My hope is that if we aim to humanize these criminals, would-be future felons will become, well, more human and not commit such crimes.