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Megan Williams: A Case of Torture and Captivity in West Virginia

By Lorraine Hayden, published Sep 12, 2007

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This week while our country mourns those lost during the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, a young woman lays in the hospital severely traumatized after being tortured and held captive for 6 days in a West Virginia home. This young woman went missing from her home for days, but there was no national coverage of her disappearance. Why it is some cases get more coverage than others?

The victim is a 20 year old black woman named Megan Williams. Her captors are no strangers to the Logan County criminal justice system. Frankie Brewster, her son Bobbie R. Brewster, Danny J. Combs, Karen Burton, her daughter Alisha Burton and George A. Messer have all been arrested in connection to the brutality towards Megan Williams. The FBI has been consulted as to whether or not to handle this as a hate crime being that the accused are all white.

According to CNN.com an anonymous tip about a young woman being held against her will lead police to 49 year old Frankie Brewster's trailer. There police found Megan Williams with black eyes, stab wounds and part of her hair pulled out. Ms. Williams' tells police her captors forced her to eat dog and rat feces. She was made to drink from a toilet.

Here we are fighting enemies across the ocean in a war against terrorism, and right here on our own soil we have Americans torturing other Americans simply because of the color of their skin. This is a sad and sick case to say the least. Well let me say any case of American on American crime is horrible, regardless of race. How can we win a war on radical Islamic terrorism if we can not keep our own home grown "terrorist" in check?

Where's the outrage?

The Michael Vick dog fighting news gained mass television news coverage, but yet here we have a clear case of brutality against a human and not a peep about it on television news outlets. His brutality towards dogs is indeed horrible, but where is the same outrage for the mistreatment and brutality against a fellow human being? As with the Jena 6 case, Megan Williams' story seems to be ignored by most of those in the mainstream media.

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Megan Williams: A Case of Torture and Captivity in West Virginia

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Suspect Frankie Brewster

Credit: The West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority

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Us Citizen

The only place God belongs in this picture is- The convicted had better pray to their God they never get out of prison, there are good people in this world that believe that justice will be forced upon this unexceptable behavior of the wicked. So pray, pray, convicts, for the courts to keep you safe, locked behind bars. If you ever get out, then we'll see who is tortured. I understand it couldn't be tried as a hate crime, so that they could be sentenced longer, but come on, they should be serving life sentences. Why are the police not charging the 'Christa' that took her there. Tell you what, I'll fine her. If theres anything left, I'll give you a call. Luck, love & happines to you Megan-We will not forget!

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Posted on 08/13/2008 at 2:08:06 PM

HumanBeing

Behind all the sinister distractions, the calls for racial vengeance, the politics, media motives, flippant or lukewarm comments, the debate about what is a hate crime, etc. there is a young woman who experienced pure hell. Physical torture and degradation for 144 straight hours. 6 days straight of A SADISTIC FAMILY in complete control of her body while receiving primitive beastly monstrous pleasure from her pain and horror. People always have other things to talk about when it comes to brutality towards a woman, and here is a young woman that endured the very essence of it, the sexual assaults, humiliation, imprisonment, de-humanization (objectification) fear of death, day and night, for an entire week, and then, in the end, alot of talk about everything else but that. All those involved should get the death penalty- were they even charged with attempted murder? Can anyone doubt that is where it would have ended up? Megan Williams should be thought of by every girl (anyone who care

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Posted on 05/29/2008 at 11:05:39 PM

madblk

I don't know what's wrong with the family of the victim. Please God let something like this happen to my sister or cousin. I would go on a killing spree and terminate anyone with the last name as those people in that county. They will never give us equal rights. They almost exterminated us for asking for civil rights. The only way to take equal rights is through blood and pain. If there was no media coverage of this case they would have gotten less than 6 years or nothing at all. I find fault with Megan's father and other family members. When we make being a filthy redneck dangerous, I promise you this crap will stop. Please KILL 'EM ALL!!!

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Posted on 05/28/2008 at 1:05:50 AM

Some people will never ever learn. That is why they willbe destroyed along with the others. When Jehovah give the command.

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Posted on 03/04/2008 at 2:03:21 PM

LilyPad

Dude, you're real ignorant. You sound like some non-educated moron. Natalie Holloway's case is open because she is missing and the case is unsolved. The girl's body is no where to be found..SHE IS MISSING. Clues are forming here and there every other week because there are people out there doing their job with getting down to finding out what happened to this girl, no one knows crap. Sick and tired of it? Don't watch the news, what can I tell you. But don't come on here sounding all ignorant and just plain stupid because it only degrades yourself pretty badly. In Megan's case, yes, it was an ungodly, downright disgusting thing for that poor girl to endure, there are no words to describe such an evil and uncivil case such as her's. But where is Megan now? Home with her family is that correct? Where are her perpetrators now? In prison. Case closed. What more is there to talk about this situation when it's been solved, there are people in prison and she is doing well and at home wi

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Posted on 02/06/2008 at 10:02:34 AM

bpg

love u megan

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Posted on 01/25/2008 at 12:01:52 PM

Nozzy819

(cont.) I do agree that the media loves to focus on pretty white girls and such...but that's because, that's what makes their ratings go up, up, up. That's the reason why they do it. As soon as the public outcry came over this case, this case became a media frenzy, and I'm sure the media companies got richer off this story like they do with every other high profile story. If it was a black beauty queen from New York, it would have been in every paper, and on every T.V. Because it was a poor, mentally challenged, girl from the boondocks in West Virginia, not so much. Again, don't let something like this seperate us more.

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Posted on 12/10/2007 at 9:12:23 PM

Nozzy819

(cont.) A terrible isolated incident like many others. It is no worse than the gay man whos was beaten and left tied to a fence till he died, or that old white woman who was recently sexually abused and killed by a young white man. This just shows how truly sad we are as a society, that we could do this to one another. Forget the race card, and send your best wishes to Megan Williams. Oh and informed...I hate to say it but your examples of "successful" non-white countries couldn't have been worse. Mozambique? They have been slaughtering their own people there for as long as I can remeber, over the diamond trade. The county has money, but they give NOTHING to their people. South Africa? The white, most racist regime in the world?

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Posted on 12/10/2007 at 9:12:07 PM

Nozzy819

WTF is everyne talking about? All the media EVER focuses on is crime, crime, crime, hate, hate, hate. Crimes against blacks, and crimes against whites. There is NEVER ANYTHING positive on the news. And like pleasesay said, you can't think every white person is like these six, outcast, rednecks who live in a trailer. Most white people, (I am white) don't act like this. Yes there is racism, and yes this was a terrible, horrific crime, but most white people do not follow those beliefs. And about whites being let off easy for crimes...Bullsh**. Cops never gave me any slaps on the wrists, and I'm white, lol. People saying "blacks are targets" are commiting reverse racism against white people, and keeping racism alive. That means you think every white person is out to get you, and we're not. I have black friends that are college students, and black friends who are in jail. Everyone makes their own decisions in life. This was a terrible, isolated, incident like may others. This w

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Posted on 12/10/2007 at 9:12:04 PM

Heartbroken

Does two wrongs make a right? No! Frankly, I don't give a shit about OJ, he could hold his own. Megan needs our support both WHITE and BLACK. FYI most Black folks will tell you that we are tired of hearing about OJ. It's funny how coverage on him seems to escalate when there is something really important going on. Racism still exists white people and until you all recognize and admit that (and stop sweeping that act under the rug) racism will continue to prevail. We have to deal with it to heal over it. Deal to heal.

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Posted on 11/15/2007 at 1:11:00 PM

Heartbroken

Thank God for Tom Joyner because it was on his show that I first learned about what happened to Megan Williams. As a young black woman myself,I cried for Megan but I listened intently to what she said and how brave she was in explaining her ordeals. I truly believe that White America does not want to deal with the fact that there is indeed a double standard in this country and that it is skewed towards protecting and harboring White criminals. All of these so-called "people" have criminal records and serious ones at that. Yet, they were given light sentences and allowed to roam the streets preying for innocent victims such as Megan. If Black people had committed the crimes that these "people" committed, they would be in jail for life. So yet again, the justice system has failed to protect us. It's funny how folks get uptight because OJ walked free (one black man)what about these SIX individuals who walked free after committing the crimes they committed in their collective past? Does tw

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Posted on 11/15/2007 at 12:11:00 PM

CJS

Wake up and smell the coffee! What happened to Megans Williams truly depicts what value is put on the lives of blacks. Wake up!!! The slaughter of Dolphins in China get more attention. Keep talking! Keep informed! And get moving. We need to go back and revitalize that spirit of the 60's when we were bold and fearless! If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. We need to take action.

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Posted on 11/08/2007 at 4:11:00 PM

ASHLEY

KEEP YOUR HEAD UP

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Posted on 11/03/2007 at 7:11:00 PM

MICHELLE

TORTURE AND ABUSE TAKES AWAY A PART OF YOUR LIFE AND IN SOME CASES YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. LET GOD BE THE JUDGE OF THEM. WE CAN JUST KEEP THEM IN JAIL UNTIL GOD DECIDES. MEGAN IF YOU HAPPEN TO READ THIS : I BELIEVE THEY WERE JEALOUS OF YOU! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND SWEET. EACH ONE OF THEM IS SICK TWISTED AND UGLY AS HECK. YOU WERE EVERYTHING THOSE WOMEN WANTED TO BE AND WHAT THE MEN WISHED THEY COULD MARRY. JEALOUSY IS A DANGEROUS THING. THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE FOR PEOPLE LIKE THEM AND I PROMISE YOU GOD WILL REMIND THEM WHEN HE SENDS THEM TO THIS PLACE. YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.

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Posted on 11/03/2007 at 7:11:00 PM

BacktoReality

To "informed" - I was commenting on Reality's comments. Notice his/hers were all about race, but of course you didn't comment on that. Botswana - Botswana has one of the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS infection. Madagascar - Population below poverty line: 50% (2004 est.) Mozambique - estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS China - communist South Africa - HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 21.5% (2003 est.) Yes, please do go on. This story didn't get much press either. I'll go check & make sure you posted about this though. http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=41276

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