Slain Belfast man was ‘angry’
12/12/08 | 108 comments

Slain Belfast man was ‘angry’


Cummings called ‘verbally abusive’
By Walter Griffin
BDN Staff

BELFAST, Maine — As the police investigation into the shooting death of James G. Cummings entered its third day, traits about his personality came to light along with the fact that his father also was shot to death.

Cummings, 29, of High Street was the son of a wealthy California businessman, James G. Cummings Sr., who was murdered a decade ago by a disgruntled employee, according to newspaper reports.

The younger Cummings was reportedly shot to death by his wife, Amber B. Cummings, 31, at their High Street home Tuesday morning. The couple’s 9-year-old daughter was at the house when the killing occurred. Police are investigating the killing as a domestic violence homicide. No arrests have been made, and Amber Cummings and her daughter remain in the Belfast area.

Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland said investigators did not anticipate making any announcements about the case Thursday. Results of an autopsy conducted on Cummings the day before are being withheld while the investigation continues.

Two area tradesmen who performed extensive work on Cummings’ house last summer described Cummings as being a disagreeable man whose wife cowered in his presence. They also said he talked incessantly of his love of guns and had a fascination for Adolf Hitler.

“It didn’t shock me at all when I heard about it,” said Mike Robbins, who spent a month painting and roofing the Cummings home last summer. “He was a very angry person and was verbally abusive to his wife all the time.”

Robbins described Cummings as a heavyset man who liked to walk around his house wearing a cowboy hat and an ankle-length black leather coat. He said Cummings would often sit outside on a lawn chair and watch him work and make disparaging comments. He said Cummings had a mean streak and was particularly abusive toward his wife.

Robbins said Cummings also spoke about how he “really liked the Nazis” and claimed to have a large collection of Nazi memorabilia, including pieces of Hitler’s silverware and place settings.

Another contractor who worked on the Cummings house had similar recollections. The man declined to be identified because he was preparing legal action against Cummings’ estate because of unpaid work. He said he and Cummings disagreed about the work he performed and that he decided to walk away without getting paid because of Cummings’ explosive personality.

“Normally I’d go after payment, but in this case I walked away. He was absolutely the worst customer I ever had,” he said Thursday. “I just perceived that the guy was dangerous and capable of real violence. I was afraid of the guy. He talked all the time about guns, one of those guys that would let you know he had guns.”

He added that “this guy was a huge fan of Adolf Hitler, he had silverware and dinner sets Hitler used.” He described Cummings as “verbally abusive to his wife and just about everybody. You’ve heard of short guys with a Napoleonic complex; well, this was a fat guy with a Napoleonic complex.”

If Cummings directed any of his volatile tendencies toward his wife and child, police were unaware of it. Belfast Police Chief Jeffrey Trafton said the only time the police were called to the home was over an animal complaint.

The Cummings family moved to Belfast in August 2007. According to records at Belfast City Hall, the home was “trashed” when the Cummings bought it in a foreclosure sale through a Florida mortgage company. The couple paid $153,900 for the property, which the city has assessed at $164,100.

Robbins said Cummings told him that he was raised in California but moved to Texas because he could not get along with his family. He did have a job and could afford to pay for extensive renovations to his home, where he spent most of his time, as far as Robbins could see. Cummings claimed to have made his money in Texas real estate, Robbins said.

“I doubted that,” he said. “He didn’t seem to be the kind of guy who could make it in real estate. He was too much of a jerk.”

It appears that the real source of Cummings’ wealth was his father, who was killed on July 30, 1997, at age 77 by a disgruntled part-time employee, according to news accounts from that time found online. The employee later confessed to shooting the elder Cummings.

The senior Cummings was a prominent landowner in the Northern California city of Fort Bragg, a coastal community of 7,000 in Mendocino County, according to Katherine Lee, editor of the Fort Bragg Advocate News. He made his fortune in land, restaurants, motels, a fish-processing plant, malls and other businesses, she said.

Lee said the elder Cummings owned large parcels of land along the Fort Bragg waterfront and that a trust was established in his name after his death. An Internet search of the James G. Cummings Trust revealed Thursday that the trust has an estimated annual income of $10 million.

“It was a real sad turn of events,” Lee said Thursday of Cummings Sr.’s murder. “He was kind of a colorful guy around here. Everybody knew him.”

Lee could not provide any information about the younger Cummings. She said the paper, a weekly published every Thursday, had yet to receive an obituary for the son.

According to an Associated Press story published around the time of the father’s murder, Cummings Jr. had once used a video camera to secretly tape his mother’s alleged drug use. However, authorities dropped the charges after discovering that a substance seized from the woman’s apartment was not black-tar heroin, as was suspected.

Robbins recalled that Cummings also hated public schools and refused to let his daughter enroll. He said Cummings was constantly berating his wife and harping at her to home-school the girl. He said Cummings had a controlling personality and wanted to know his wife and child’s every move.

“He was a bad guy and that’s just what I saw working for him. I couldn’t imagine living with the dude,” he said.

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Comments
108 comments on this item
On 12/12/08 at 1:26 AM, Amazed wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Obviously the man had self-esteem issues... most abusers do. Having "control" over people makes them feel powerful and if they can get the abused to "fear" them... all the better. I do hope that Mrs. Cummings and her daughter receive proper mental health treatment, because they deserve it... it will help them gain the knowledge they need in order to understand what Mr. Cummings was all about.

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On 12/12/08 at 1:50 AM, oceanmist wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Very well said Amazed. I am a survivor of domestic violence, as well as my children. There is so much mind control that it is inconsivible for some people to understand. For some victims, they get to the ultimate "survivor" instinct and do anything to survive and protect their children. Mr. Cummings obviously kept his wife from her family...moving her to another state....a control trait of abusers. And in alot of instances, domestic violence is a learned trait passed from generation to generation. And it seems as though, other people had seen this behavior....in such a short amount of time. Good Luck to you, Amber and your daughter.....everything will be OK.

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On 12/12/08 at 2:26 AM, Amazed wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

As you know Oceanmist, they promise the abused, the moon and stars and also promise it will never happen again. Time shows their true colors though...just give them a few months and they're back on track again with the controlling behavior... and the physical abuse soon follows.

The sad fact remains that her daughter (if left psychologically untreated), will not be aware of the facts of abuse and why it continues from one generation to another, so she may choose a mate who will be just like her father... thus repeating the cycle to some degree. If Amber doesn’t receive treatment, she quite possibly could choose another mate who will treat her the same way. Awareness is key and helps the abused understand what happened and why. I wish both the mother and daughter the very best… although it will take some time to heal the wounds of the past.

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On 12/12/08 at 7:56 AM, Valerie1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I'm a survivor too..and unless you have been in that kind of relationship it's hard to understand the insidiousnous of it all.speaking for myself, there were many nights I thought about killing my ex. I finally found the courage to flee with my boys and the clothes on my back.he left me with internal scars but I'm at least free of him.I can relate to her in many ways.I feel for her and her daughter.My daughter lived through his abuse and one of my biggest regrets is not leaving before she was affected. It's a sad sad situation

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On 12/12/08 at 7:56 AM, DowneastDiva wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

From the last article about the wife killing her husband, to this article... The wife was abused and community witnesses support it. The poor woman and child will be able to rebuild their lives and get the help that they so desperately need.

I am surprised and appalled by the narrow minds of some who had written:"... she should have just left." NOT POSSIBLE. Others said to let the police handle it. ABUSERS MANIPULATE AND LIE. MANY WIVES ARE LABELED AS CRAZY BY THE POLICE. Have seen this personally.

Many of you voiced, "Does violence justify violence?" Yes. Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon advocate defending your being and property if done with a pure heart, without anger and malice. Now I know there will be alot of criticism here, but frankly, I do not care. If our liberal society advocated a little more strongly for Hammurabi's code, we might not see quite so much crime. As to the equality of women and men issue...well, most men are stronger and physically larger than women, and resort to violence. Women can be abusive, but the majority of this abuse is verbal - it is still abuse and is not excusable, but men are more than capable of walking away. Women are not able to walk away from someone who is physically larger and stronger.

Is there any wonder that Maine is so back woods and has the reputation of being hicks? Not with opinions that support or rationalize the fairness of abuse and abusers.

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On 12/12/08 at 8:12 AM, chemaine wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Maybe his "departure" is not such a bad thing?

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On 12/12/08 at 8:27 AM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

No law against being a jerk.

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On 12/12/08 at 8:39 AM, Amanda1982 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

With Gods plan..things happen for a reason. Karma does come back and kick you in the butt keep in mind. I feel extremely bad for Amber and her daughter because she had to come to the point of being "sick and tired" of getting abused and having to resort to taking another persons life. God bless you Amber and family.

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On 12/12/08 at 8:56 AM, chemaine wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

"No law against being a jerk."

True, but nothing to aspire to. Too bad idiots like him bring others down. I reckon his funeral will be sparesely attended.

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On 12/12/08 at 9:01 AM, jaguarsky wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Opinionatedinbangor, it is obvious you have never lived in an abusive situation. Rarely is there only verbal abuse, it will nearly always be accompanied by physical violence. Even if the physical has not manifested, the family of the abuser lives in constant fear. They have no support system to help, because the abuser has separated them from everyone they have ever known. The spouse and children of such an individual fear for their lives everyday. The physical and emotional stress caused by this kind of torture will leave its mark not only on the violated, but generationally as well. Try to imagine living everyday in near solitary confinement with a jailer that treatens you constantly. My heart aches for this woman and her child. They have a long road to healing ahead.

I also have sympathy for the man who was shot and his extended family as well. The circumstances of his death will not make their loss any easier. I can only hope that they try to understand the nature of the situation and extend a forgiving hand to the widow and her child. But it would seem that there is a lot of money involved, and knowing how families can be, I suspect this will not be the case.

I hope that the people who did not, or could not, stand up for this woman in the past, will step up now. It has been said that "it takes a village to raise a child", it also takes a village to maintain a village. When we do not know, and do not help our neighbors, we share responsibility for whatever tragedies that might have been prevented.

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On 12/12/08 at 9:04 AM, pcme2000 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I have to agree with "opinionatedinbangor" and "boogyman". I feel bad for the wife and daughter but that still gives NO reason to kill someone. There is no talk about him hitting eithier of them. If people want around shoting everyone that was a jerk a lot of people would be died.

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On 12/12/08 at 9:10 AM, Rogue_Wave wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Maybe a good shanking would have humbled him; the shooting seems extreme but Im sure he was no peach to deal with.

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On 12/12/08 at 9:31 AM, David889327 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The use of deadly force against a serious threat of death or life threatening injury would sound justified. Anything else sounds questionable. And unfortunately, because of the simmering gender equity concerns, these details must be publicly available. Otherwise, confidence in Maine's judicial system will be undermined.

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On 12/12/08 at 9:56 AM, Comnsenz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Nice fair and balanced article here, Walter. You seemed to leave no stone unturned digging into the victim's finances, personality and choice of contractors. You have no information about the woman who pulled the trigger. Was she abused physically? Why did she marry him? What was the source of her income? Is she certified to teach in a home school setting? What is her family background? Where and under what circumstances was the victim shot?

When it comes to verbal abuse I don't think it justifies killing someone. Otherwise lots of people would be dead...both genders.

All I can glean from the article is that some disgruntled contractors did not like the guy and he had a poor sense of fashion. Let's go for some balanced journalism here. What a concept, eh?

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On 12/12/08 at 9:57 AM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Well, it's clear from some of the posts here that if you perceive yourself to be a victim of domestic abuse, grab a gun and start blasting away. So far, all I have heard is the guy was a blowhard, yet so many here have just assumed that he was physically violent. Apparently the police and DA believe that even though they were never called to the residence before. Again, I say, would a man have been given the same treatment? I guess all of you who say a man is bigger, and "more likely" to harm a woman than vice versa, also think that all people of middle eastern decent should be detaind at airports because they are "more likely" than whites to be terrorists. And maybe young black men should be treated differently than young white men in the eyes of the law, because the law of probability suggests that they are more likely to commit crimes? That's it, lets get rid of the constitution, and start using the law of probibility to decide what kind of treatment people receive from the police.

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On 12/12/08 at 9:57 AM, Louise wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Lets just hope that all you people that are just so sure that you know whats going on,are never yourself in this situation! Your all so smug about whats right and whats wrong Do you really think that hitting someone is the only form of abuse? Maybe a lot of you should pay more attention to what really goes on around you? Read something besides the BDN. paper.So if you or your child's life should ever be in danger, are you just going to stand around and let it happen? We all have a breaking point. Except of course, the opinionated ones on these comments! Try this life , for just one day. Lets see your comments then!

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On 12/12/08 at 10:02 AM, daremom wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

GOOD FOR HER...THE *!&^#% GOT WHAT HE DESERVED.ONLY THING...HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE SUFFER!!!!!!!!

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On 12/12/08 at 10:10 AM, zachary wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

As the story unfolds the real story will come out. If there was just verbal abuse, we're going to have another person going to jail for a long time. I'm kind of tired of hearing about people who stay in these abusive relationships and let their significant others physically and emotionally harm them. The targeted ones of this type of abuse need to leave and dissolve the marriage otherwise things like this will eventually happen. Unfortunately, we have way too many people that keep going back, thinking everything will be fine. I would say the deceased in this case came with a lot of emotional baggage and inherent traits to being an ass.

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On 12/12/08 at 10:15 AM, RealCherry wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

If these contractors were afraid of him, can you imagine how she felt? The community did a good job of minding their own business and not sticking their nose where it didn't belong. Silence is complicity.

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On 12/12/08 at 10:21 AM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

boogyman: you should know if there was a law againest being a jurk you'd be in jail

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On 12/12/08 at 10:24 AM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Comnsenz get real

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On 12/12/08 at 10:32 AM, Comnsenz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Searoses, I am real. Have you ever taken journalism 101? A writer should endeavor to present balanced facts and make the effort to detail the background of the person who pulled the trigger, not just the victim. Yes, victim. He is dead and she is not.

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On 12/12/08 at 10:32 AM, pcme2000 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

If this was reversed the guy would be in jail. No matter what.

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On 12/12/08 at 10:42 AM, augustagoverned wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

My first wife tried to kill me twice. I never abused her. I solved the problem with a divorce and distance. Perhaps shooting her would have been seen as an act of self defense, but I could never shoot anyone. Many of the "abused women syndrome" preacherettes on here are on a personal anger jag; it must be painful to live a life with as much resentment as I've heard from many of those who justify this killing. What miserable lives resentment and anger breeds - every time. In my opinion it must take a lot of "courage" to kill someone - I know I could never do it - and I don't see why someone with enough "courage" to pull the trigger doesn't have enough "courage" to put their car in drive and get far away from an abuser. This "I was to scared to leave BS" doesn't cut it for anyone with ethics and morals., or anyone who has gone through abuse, like I have, and solved the problem in a mature, logical manner. Let go of it.

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On 12/12/08 at 10:46 AM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Once again some of you think because noone saw him hit her or she didn't report it she must not have been hit..people that abuse with physical violence almost never do it were others can see it....because then they loose control over their victim. the mind of an abuser is very calculating...they know just how far they can go with others around....I never saw my friends husband hit her...but I did see the aftermath of the beatings...the broken bones the bruises....2 year olds the teeth that had been knocked out....this was before mandatory reporting....so nothing much was done....as I have said she left him he'd find her..pick her up literally and take her home...they last few months of her life she had hysterical hives...she was so afriad of him....unless you live the abuse...or have loved some who has..you pius asses have no right to judge about any of this...the story will come out in time...

the police haven't released the information yet because they are still looking in to it...I

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On 12/12/08 at 10:52 AM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Comnsenz; yes infact I have They also can't tell facts that will hurt the investigation...they report what they could acording to they law...I still say get real... and if you had the common sense that you claim to have you'd know that because it's a no brainah

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On 12/12/08 at 10:57 AM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

and yes I know may spelling is shitty this morning I'm had a lot of bad memories come back and I've been doing a lot of crying

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On 12/12/08 at 11:00 AM, Comnsenz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Sorry you are crying searoses, but frankly youi comments border on personal attacks.

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On 12/12/08 at 11:18 AM, RealCherry wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

crying is good for you, keep it up. cleanses the soul, almost as good as pot.

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On 12/12/08 at 11:18 AM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Comnsenz: My comments are to someone who hasn't lived the hell of domestic violence and doesn't know what they are talking about...the story was about the angry man...and he found out what he could...the story wasn't about her it was about him

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On 12/12/08 at 11:24 AM, hrdwkngmom wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Unfortunatly no one knows what went on here and until the facts of the situation are out no one has the right to play judge and jury. Some of you say she had the right to kill him if he were beating her, others say she has no right to kill...The situation could be completly different than the assumptions. When the facts come out everyone may have a different opinion of the matter than they origionally had! I watched a family member be abused, my nephews abused. I still would not think my sister would have the god given right to kill another.

We could be reading soon that this man's fascinations with guns caused him to pull one on her or the child and in confrontation it went off on him....My ASSUMPTION is that no one knows what goes on behind closed doors...Ones who walk with a smile on their face could be living in termoil..Just as my sister..

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On 12/12/08 at 11:28 AM, Comnsenz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Searoses: If the journalist was able to dig up the victim's finances and family life eminating from California, I dare say he could have found out something about the perpretator. I know about DV and have the scars to prove it. My comments are based upon the ethics of good journalism. I am sorry for your lingering pain. Counseling helps. Good luck.

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On 12/12/08 at 11:36 AM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

well searoses, I'll keep to myself my impression of you.

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On 12/12/08 at 11:41 AM, mainah_mom wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

well, i will say i have been abused. i know how crazy an abuser can be. i, was fortunate to not have to kill him..lol...but, i tell ya..if he ever went after my daughter i would have. if this woman was being abused than she was defending herself and her baby. what mother/parent wouldn't? especially if there was no other way.

to the ones who say she is treated differently. if the police thought that she was of harm to herself, child or others i am pretty sure she wouldn't be out at this point and that girl would be in state hands.

i pray for the mother and the child. i empathize with mother and child as i have been there.

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On 12/12/08 at 11:58 AM, hrdwkngmom wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

There are so many women and children abused in this world, from all over. If you have never been witness or been the victim I think they should keep their comments to themselves. Children suffer so badly, and it is absolutly a chain when they are not removed from the abuse. I feel with my heart for those who have endured, praise those who got away, and and for those who have overcome.

There are many sick people in this world and although I say that I don't feel my sister would have the god goven right to kill, I honestly can't say what I myself would do if endured what some of these women had to endure.

This mother has not been charged for a reason. I don't feel women are treated any different than men at all, I think in the past yes but in this era they have equal punishment for crimes. Their failure to charge her at this point is a very good indicator she was justified in what happened.

I have not been there, but was unaware of my sisters abuse for many many years for she hid it well with a smile, It was not until I witnessed it with my own eyes and ears one day standing at her screen door that our entire family became aware.

Unfortunatly after all our help to my sister and her children she chose to go back, for fear, or no self worth, I don't know. My nephews are safe with my family and we just pray that her situation does not end up as this one...

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On 12/12/08 at 12:06 PM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Comnsenz: counsel weekly

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On 12/12/08 at 12:09 PM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

, boogyman it's ok for you to think and call me a bitch few you feel so inclined...for I can be one raveing redheaded bitch when I need to be....and I still think your a jurk

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On 12/12/08 at 12:56 PM, PGOME1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

People, please, you all are speculating about what did or did not happen. Was he physically abusive? Was he not - just verbally? Why did this woman marry him? Someone even questioned if she is qualified to teach her child? Since it is painfully obvious that none of you know any of the people involved, why do you feel the need to make a judgement call either way. I am sure that not everyone knows what happens behind your closed doors either so if there was or wasn't physical or verbal abuse, no one will probably ever know unless this goes to trial. Obviously, some thing was not right here and we can only pray for the families involved and hope the justice system prevails.

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On 12/12/08 at 1:03 PM, David889327 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

We need to know that he was physically abusing her (or her child); that she believed her life was in imminent danger. Emotional or verbal abuse is not sufficient to justify elective homicide.

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On 12/12/08 at 1:10 PM, matt29 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Who is going to deliver the eulogy at this man's funeral?

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On 12/12/08 at 1:29 PM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Well searoses, you think it's OK for Me to call you a bitch? Is that not abusive? Sounds to me like you like to be abused.

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On 12/12/08 at 1:30 PM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Or should I say, you enjoy being a victim?

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On 12/12/08 at 1:34 PM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Oh btw searoses, I see no comment from you on the article about the man from Greenville who was falsely accused of rape, and the DA has evidence that the alleged "victim" lied to the police and a Grand Jury.

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On 12/12/08 at 2:07 PM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I guess I didn't see that story I'll have to look as for you calling me bitch I don't feel you are abuseing me it is your opinion of me and you're intitle to it and I just take it from where it comes...and I know victims lie it happen more often then we think...and I'm glad they didn't get away with it...

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On 12/12/08 at 2:11 PM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

She DID get away with it.

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On 12/12/08 at 2:16 PM, superduper wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I can't believe people here are actually posting that she shot him because he was verbally abusive. The article doesn't say that at all. The article interviews two contractors who saw him treat his wife like sh*t and that she cowered in his presence. Nothing but character witnesses. There's not one thing quoted from the official investigation, and I don't believe this article was ever meant to. At least wait to hear some of the facts of what happened on the day of the shooting, instead of assuming that she shot him because he was verbally abusive to his wife month's earlier. Obviously there is much more to this incident than any of us know.

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On 12/12/08 at 2:16 PM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

You imply here tha that I called you a derogatory name searoses, I did not. You have no idea what my opinion is of you, however, as always, you make assumptions based on speculation and then present it as fact. You should be a writer for the BDN, you would fit right in.

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On 12/12/08 at 2:22 PM, vchapes wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Bitch is a female dog- can be taken anyway you want... could be alot worse.

As for abuse... you WILL find out he WAS physically abusive! I'll keep my mouth shut, you know, since i never took journalisim 101- which it seems you need to have taken to know the facts.

But time will tell...............

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On 12/12/08 at 2:24 PM, vchapes wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

ANNNNND- people DO NOT cower from verbal abuse unless there is a REASON to cower- like PHYSICAL ABUSE. common sense here people. If i was verbally abusing you, you probably wouldnt cower, UNLESS you knew there was something worse behind those words.

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On 12/12/08 at 2:30 PM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

How will we find out that he was physically abusive? He's dead, he can't be tried. It will simply be her word against.....well her word. Hmmm, interesting that there is apparently so much money involved here is it not? No one has ever been killed by their greedy wife befor have they?

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On 12/12/08 at 2:36 PM, Comnsenz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Most of you people do not know what a balanced story in journalism means. You have projected your own opinions into the situation with a limites set of facts. Yopur guess may be right, but the writer of the story has an obligation to seek all the facts out and not rely on two disgruntled contractors' opinions. Again. Where is this woman from? What was her source of income? Is the child thiers? Second marriage?

We have been presented only a limited set of facts. Journalism demands an equal effort to obatain as many facts as possible. Not one set of facts.

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On 12/12/08 at 2:36 PM, CeeBlue wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

You can't make this up!! God bless B.D.N.!!

''Slain Belfast Man Angry'

*B..D.N.'

Did you expect him to be pleased.

----------------------------------I know --I know.....

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On 12/12/08 at 2:40 PM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

boogyman you forget there was a witness a little girl who lived the hell with her mother....she knows what happened and she's old enough to be credible

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On 12/12/08 at 2:47 PM, Comnsenz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Journalism iti s in the dictionary, look it up. I'll give you a head start (pasted below):

journalism | nounadvocacy journalism | nouncheckbook journalism | nounNew Journalism | nounpack journalism | noun

Main Entry: journalism !jur-n/ul-+i-zum

Pronunciation: \ ?j?r-n?-?li-z?m \

Function: noun

Date: 1828

Results

1 a. 1 a the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media b. b the public press c. c an academic study concerned with the collection and editing of news or the management of a news medium

2 a. 2 a writing designed for publication in a newspaper or magazine b. b writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation c. c writing designed to appeal to current popular taste or public interest

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary copyright © 2008 by

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On 12/12/08 at 2:55 PM, vchapes wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Comnsenz-- im not projecting my "opinion" or "guessing" i am TELLING you. There was physical abuse.

And i know what journalisim means with out having to look it up. But thanks for your concern about my education and capability of using a dictionary.

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On 12/12/08 at 2:58 PM, bassetthound wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

As a survivor of domestic abuse I feel I can comment here. I was extremely lucky to have gotten away alive and not having to take the life of my abuser. There were times when,I'm sure,it would have been deemed justified for me to have used deadly force. I feel deeply for Ms Cummings and her daughter.I hope they have family coming to support them. If not, or if it's not enough they should know that there are many of us right here in Belfast willing to offer her our support. For those of you who ask,"Why didn't she just leave?", check the statistics. Leaving is when women(and sometimes the children) get killed. I have never seen anyone cower in the presence of a VERBAL abuser. I hope this case opens the eyes of both abusers and victims. They both need help.

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On 12/12/08 at 3:02 PM, Comnsenz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

vchapes: So you have personal. first hand eyewitness proff of physical abuse? If so, I hope you have spoken to the State Police. But again, all my points are about how the article was written and the lack of effort by the writer of the article to dig into the background of the shooter.

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On 12/12/08 at 3:11 PM, vchapes wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

i dont have any proff ..... or proof... but this is a small area......

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On 12/12/08 at 3:14 PM, Harrry wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

boogyman: Only the dead one's. Better that way, no one to challenge your statements.

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On 12/12/08 at 3:19 PM, David889327 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

So what does the backgound of either one have to do with anything? I don't know but I agree that if it's relevant for one, it's relevant for the other, and a good journalist would attempt to present both, or at least say that an effort was made, with no results.

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On 12/12/08 at 3:24 PM, Comnsenz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Pasted below is your response to my asking if you had proof. Shame on anyone who had knowledge of abuse and did nothing about it. Your all guilty and the lack of intervention may have led to a shooting death.

On 12/12/08 at 03:11 PM, vchapes wrote:

i dont have any proff ..... or proof... but this is a small area......

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On 12/12/08 at 3:27 PM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Shes also youn enough to be coorced by her mother

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On 12/12/08 at 3:41 PM, Comnsenz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Pasted below is an example of good journalism:

Government

No arrest in Belfast shooting; investigation continues

By Tanya Mitchell

The Republican Journal Reporter

BELFAST (Dec 12): Three days after a 29-year-old Belfast man was shot to death in his High Street home, police continue to investigate events that led up to what they are calling a domestic violence homicide.

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Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland said nothing new with regard to the investigation would be released Friday morning.

No one has been charged or arrested in connection with the shooting death of James Cummings.

Cummings' wife, Amber Cummings, 31, was interviewed by police and was released Tuesday evening. McCausland said she and her 9-year-old daughter are staying in the Belfast area while the home is searched. Amber Cummings, said McCausland, has cooperated with police.

The shooting occurred in this house on High Street, just north of Belfast Variety. The 9-1-1 call reporting the shooting was made from a neighbor's home, which is just behind it. (Photo by Jay Davis)

The daughter was reportedly in the home when the shooting occurred.

The State Medical Examiner's Office completed the autopsy Wednesday afternoon on Cummings' body. No details were released.

McCausland did not comment about the type of weapon used to shoot Cummings. "I'm not getting into specifics," he said.

McCausland said as of late Thursday afternoon, Maine State Police detectives, working with Belfast Police, continued to conduct interviews and gather evidence from the couple's High Street home.

Evidence collected at the home as well as the gun used in the shooting, will be analyzed at the State Police Crime Lab, McCausland said. Detectives, he said, are consulting with the Maine Attorney General's Office.

When asked whether it was possible that no one would be charged in connection in the shooting, McCausland said he would "not get into specifics" and that "no final decision has been made."

McCausland said it is not unusual for police to spend days conducting on-site investigations in such situations. "They're trying to learn as much as possible about what went on in that home," he said. McCausland said police would continue working on site "until we have the answers we need."

Police responded to home, just north of Belfast Variety, at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, after a call was made to police from a neighbor's home, where Amber Cummings and her daughter had gone after the shooting.

Within minutes, officers from the Belfast Police, Waldo County Sheriff's Department and Maine State Police converged at the scene, blocking High Street to through traffic.

Belfast Police Detective Mike McFadden, Chief Jeff Trafton and Patrolman Brian Lunt were the first to arrive.

Trafton said there was no record of domestic calls to the home, just a couple of animal control complaints.

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On 12/12/08 at 3:43 PM, vchapes wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

WOAH. You wait, i'm not guilty of ANYTHING. So don't even go there. I said that there was physical abuse. Plain and simple. I did NOT say SHE told me this.

Think before you type. Like i said before - NO ONE cowers from VERBAL abuse unless there IS PHYSICAL abuse.

You guys must really suck at puzzles.

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On 12/12/08 at 3:46 PM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Good work comnsenz, but I think this is a violation of copyright law

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On 12/12/08 at 3:48 PM, vchapes wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

What is your point with all the journalisim? Does it make you feel smarter? It's NOT the journalist's fault that more details are no available. I belive that would be left up to officials.

So when you are done nit picking- how about getting back to the point.

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On 12/12/08 at 3:49 PM, Amazed wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

To: Comonsenz.... even with intervention, the abused generally go back to the abuser within a short amount of time... that's a sad fact. The abused are very "dedicated" to their abusers; (for lack of a better word). Those that helped the abused leave, are now on the abusers “list of people” that the abused is no longer allowed to be friends with. Crazy controlling vicious circle, it truly is!

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On 12/12/08 at 3:52 PM, Comnsenz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

vchapes you inferred that the samll rural communnity was aware of physical abuse. If so, why didn't you all intervene. Don't rewrite your words now. Scroll back. I am done with this. Facts will never win over raw, illogical emotiion.

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On 12/12/08 at 4:40 PM, jasonmorse wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

100:1 the daughter shot him, abusive people raise more abusive people and so on, family traditions are hard to break, 50:1 the daughter will some day die in a shooting, mabe their is a lesson here some where about the golden rule.

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On 12/12/08 at 4:44 PM, searoses wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

boogyman I knew that would be you're reply.....

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On 12/12/08 at 4:54 PM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Of course you did, you know everything.

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On 12/12/08 at 4:56 PM, frenchloprabbitz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Hypothetically, if my ex killed me would BD "news" write an article about how I was "Bitchy"???

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On 12/12/08 at 5:42 PM, CeeBlue wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

'frenchloprabbitz'

'Well---

They might say you were a little irritated about the whole thing.

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On 12/12/08 at 6:12 PM, frenchloprabbitz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

or do you mean I was irritating to be around... =D

Seriously- we do not know the whole story about this man, and trust me, abusers are mud to me, but it just doesn't seem right to trash a dead man when he cannot respond or defend himself.

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On 12/12/08 at 6:14 PM, CeeBlue wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

--Of course you are right--

and many prayers for the little girl.

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On 12/12/08 at 6:57 PM, kootzycoo wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Amber is from my home town as well as her husband. And yes Mr. Cummings Jr did move her away from her family to control every move she made. He (Mr. Cummings Jr) also came for a controlling father who pretty much controlled people over their own land. In other words he ( Mr. Cummings Sr) would loan them money to pay off there depts. and charged them double of what they borrowed from him. If they never paid on time, he then would own what they were buying. Sr, and Jr Cummings were much the same in personalities. Controlling who evers path they cross. I feel sorry for Amber and her daughter for having to live with such a man for as long as she has. Her family misses her deeply. As she never could come and see them when they were living in California. Mr. Cummings Jr, wouldn't allow it. There is a long history of his family and there money that is evil. I sure hope that Amber doesn't have to serve any time over this. She will need counselling that is for sure as well as her daughter.

If it was so easy to just leave but its not, the abuser makes sure that you have no way out. Or at least that is how one feels while living in that environment. You live scared all of the time. Self esteem they don't have any. Bruises go away but Verbal abuse stays with a person for years and years. I also lived a verbally abusive life growing up and it still wants to haunt me. I have had counselling and sometimes that old evil FEAR of the unknown creeps up and slaps me on the back and it keeps me in bay.

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On 12/12/08 at 6:59 PM, mike1967 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

If it would have been a guy that was abuse and shot his abusive wife, he would be held without bail. I am sick of this double standard. I hope I get on her jury.

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On 12/12/08 at 7:17 PM, CeeBlue wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

--Sadly 'mike1967' you are Sooooo %7* correct!!!!

--and get used to it the P.C. state of Maine.

For all the 'info' written above; this guy is dead and she shot him. Read all the comments Re. --need to report abuse; and if you do not think that 'reporting' doesn't have ramifications -- do think again.

But not report--

And this guy is dead ---which sort of makes it hard to get the whole story.

And she is walking around free --

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On 12/12/08 at 8:36 PM, DowneastDiva wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Evidence can and will be found for domestic and physical abuse. Mark my words, x-rays and dental records tell all. A good psychologist can ferret out the truth, and the police have ways to read body language to distinguish the truth. Additionally, there are "lie detector" tests and numerous other devices to get the truth out.

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On 12/12/08 at 10:05 PM, mendocino444 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Oh my God...my friend just called..I can't believe this has happened...Little J.C. was a wonderful little boy...he was not born a tyrant..his childhood and the system made him such...what a tragedy..this man tried so hard to get help as a child for himself and sister,,,his mother was a junkie and dealt drugs form the home he was incredibly intelligent videotaping her and turning it over to the police at age 9ish in order to get his mom into treatment they did nothing social services left the children there,,,the father Jim was well off and paid a great deal of child support the mother would use it to pay my friend to take care of the children they got anything and everything materialistic they wanted...but noone got them out of the situation..his father was gentle and kind giving m,e a free place to stay no strings to help me get thru school...but he could not stand up to the threats of his junkie x....amber knew J.C's pain....actually the video tape he took as a child in order to try to get help for his mom was aired on TV at that time on one of those cop shows...@&*%&# those social service people its there fault little JC grew up bitter and angry...why did they leave and abandon that little boy.... amber should have killed them..they are the reason JC was the way he was..he needed help desperatly as a child NOONE helped him.....

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On 12/13/08 at 6:43 AM, DowneastDiva wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Sorry Mendocino. I can't feel sympathy for him. There is NO excuse for abuse. IF he was this cognitive of his past, and he was as lucid as you give him credit for; then as a practitioner, I think he should have been functional enough to get help by checking into anger management and other outpatient treatment options. Making excuses for his past is a cheap liberal ploy that won't work for me. When I listen to clients, I hear the excuses every day... this is no different.

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On 12/13/08 at 7:24 AM, Juddy53 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

mendocino you are a life saver on this issue to understand what went on with this family and it's ties with it .I firmly agree with your findings on where the problem with incidents such as this tragic event acually lies.I have so much remorse for the family of the man that was killed ,but I have as well an abondance of remorse for the wife that elegidly killed the husband.She has to live with this for the rest of her life, for what ever reason she did distinquish him. Although I can add ,her life ,we will pray ,will now be with more security in her heart, with content knowing that the man of her damaged past ,is now no more ,to destroy her being any more. Although, I must say from first hand living it myself ,how her life was getting destroyed by her husband. BUT! You are so much correct about how this all came about to J.C.'s bginning as a child up throughout life and to his final day here on earth by the unfortunate mishap that happened to him. THe full extent of the problem that resolves to the tradgic ending to J.C.'s life was caused by nobody else but the low life, disgruted, family theives of the world ,The human services of the state of the system of America. How can I back you up to be 100% correct on your findings? Because I lived it as well. My life was torn apart and destroyed throughout my chilhood, by my angry, mean, druunken father that abused my mother and his and her 12 children Yes 12. The bakers dozen. until i was 12 years old and stolen away from my loving mother by the H.H.S. My life for 40 years since than has been litterally HELL. Not only for me but as well my 3 children and my beautiful wife,married to for 36 years now and still going strong with lots of love. Less the 30 some years this lady put up with my bull. I now have written an auto biogropy of my life . THE TORMENT AND TORTURE OF A BAKERS DOZEN" unfortunately at the time i cannot get the book out to the world to read because I am so poor I cannot afford the money needed to publish tihe book. It is a story of a destroyed family of the 12 of us and how our father abused us 12 kids and mother yet the ultimate destroying of the family was caused by the H.H.S. that didnot want to see or hear of the real causes from an abusive father. Some day I do hope to get it published so the world can read up more on how domestic violence destroys lives still today.Yet the H.H.S. that we rely on for the most part , to protect our chilodren,in the end of tradgedy,are the blame for its beginning and to the tadgedies end.

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On 12/13/08 at 7:58 AM, Juddy53 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I now have three books written, to someday get published in leiu of this whole unfortunate happening.

THE NEGLECT AND TORTURE OF A BAKERS DOZEN !

HOW SATIN KILLED AN ANGEL !

POEMS OF L.I.F.E.

As my mother continously was being abused bringing up the 12 of us until 1965 when she lost the younger 7 of us to D.H.H.S. the real life of our torture had truley just begun. She wrote many good peoms throughout the days and I now have them in a book to be published . Poems of her pains and fears and her love for all that she had throughout. Her prayers to her GOD that she so dearly loved and like Jacob, she stuck to him to her death bed in 1990. I'm certain that the tradgic life that Amber had been living. This is not a scam ,It's for real. If any body out there in the world wants to be as wealty as Steven King from my works , I will have cotracts written up for your royalties to these three number one selling stories if you wish to pay to get these three books on the shelves and in the hands of the domestic abused of the world. I am now working on a story of my sister who has spent 23 years now of 30 years sentence for killing her husband. Remember the murder of a soldier at Fort Devens.,Mass. in 1983? Thats my sister and this is going to be my number 4 book. pjandsj@yahoo.com

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On 12/13/08 at 9:41 AM, frenchloprabbitz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

DowneastDiva as a practioner you know that abuse isn't about anger....that is why there are batterers intervention programs now.

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On 12/13/08 at 10:38 AM, David889327 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

While the unfortunate Mr. Cummings does sound like a bit of a screwball, I still have not seen anything yet that would convince me that he was eligible for capital punishment. Wouldn't any one of us like to be able to blow away any number of people who have looked at us the wrong way over the years?

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On 12/13/08 at 3:47 PM, cologirl wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Mendocino444.............Wonderful little boy??? Yes, his mother was a junkie.........his father made his first million slipping in the produce dept of Safeway and sueing their ass off....his sister was in this weeks court report, another junkie...........but come on, there IS NO EXCUSE for the abuse that he inflicted on his wife and child. None. Period.

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On 12/13/08 at 10:54 PM, ornurse wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

J.C. was my first cousin and he and his sister had a very difficult childhood between their mother who was a drug addict who stole money from my Uncle Jim to pay for her habit and my uncle trying to be a good father in his mid 60's. Their mother, who is deceased used the child support from my uncle to buy drugs and was basically a terrible role model. J.C. seemed to inherit some of my uncle's quircks like hoarding his trust money and acting like he was poor and not wanting to pay workers fairly. I met Amber and their daughter before they left Fort Bragg to move to Texas. J.C. did not keep in touch with my father or the rest of the family. I am very sad to know that Amber apparently felt she had no other choice then to shoot J.C. to escape whatever abuse was taking place. I hope she and her daughter are in a safe place.

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On 12/13/08 at 11:22 PM, kootzycoo wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Amber came from a well known family on the Mendocino coast that taught her right from wrong. She grew up with a lot of love and support from all of her family members. It was a surprise to me when I found out that she was going to marry JC. Two totally different family atmospheres completely. JC must of promised her the world because Amber grew up with more love then with materialistic things in her life. In other words she grew up in a poorer house hold then what JC did. JC did live with his mother the later part of his growing up but did live with both father and mother in his younger years and what I was told by family members was that all his mother and father did was fight, and yes there was physical abuse that was witnessed by the children JC and his sister. And yes JC saw way more abuse then what Amber did. So go figure he was reliving what he was taught as a child and turned it to his so called family that he was supposed to love but didn't know how, because he was abused as well. All that I can say now is that it is a shame that being a grown man that he was, that he didn't try to seek help for what he thought was normal. Before he ever married such a good girl that was raised the opposite then he.

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On 12/14/08 at 12:22 AM, oceanmist wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

umm....david889327.....he didn't LOOK at her the wrong way.....he ABUSED her. YEARS of abuse take their toll on a victim. You are told all kinds of things to chip away at your self esteem. Unless you have gone through it, you just don't understand what this does to a person.

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On 12/14/08 at 10:01 AM, cologirl wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Amen kootzycoo!

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On 12/14/08 at 10:15 AM, aqualicious wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Please don't assume that this article has touched the tip of the iceburg and what was done to Amber. You all will never, ever know.

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On 12/14/08 at 11:19 AM, David889327 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

oceanmist, doesn't there need to be SOME definition as to when deadly force is allowable, for the protection of BOTH genders?

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On 12/14/08 at 5:00 PM, David889327 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Also oceanmist, how do you KNOW that he ABUSED her? Are you privy to information that the rest of us aren't?

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On 12/14/08 at 9:23 PM, superduper wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

David889327, how do you know all he did was just look at her the wrong way? Are you privy to information that the rest of us aren't?

None of us know what went on inside that house that day.

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On 12/15/08 at 6:22 PM, maryjane wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I went to school with Amber she was one of the nicest and happiest people I have known, this man must have been very abusive to her. This is not something she would --Ever--do.. I hope justice is done for her and her daughter and they can get the help they need to recover from the events leading her to this tradgedy.

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On 12/15/08 at 6:59 PM, eddestia wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

This is one of the most shocking things that I have come across on the net! I'm from where this young man was born & raised: and knew his father well. It's obvious that James was a young man with many issues! His life was known to be a mess. Mom was an addict. Herion was choice!

She loved her children. She just couldn't coop with everything. Dad had far too much money & had no idea as to what to do without his lawyers. After James Srs. death, young James looked into his fathers estate & discovered that his fathers good friends & lawyers should be looked into farther.

This is as far as I can go with story without being sued.

But, to, I think it was Mattt asking about an augoly for James; he has grandparents, cousins & I think one uncle

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On 12/15/08 at 9:27 PM, aqualicious wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

David, oceanmist might not be privy to information that he abused her, but I am. Get off your high horse.

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On 12/16/08 at 12:34 AM, oceanmist wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Just the news reports suggest that Amber was abused....where would the reporterrs get their info....from thin air? Obviously, there have been interviews and past reports of someting amiss. You can tell from someone's body language that something isn't right....body language from Amber and from James....and it's reported that James had an explosive personality. This article also states:“It didn’t shock me at all when I heard about it,” said Mike Robbins, who spent a month painting and roofing the Cummings home last summer. “He was a very angry person and was verbally abusive to his wife all the time.”

Robbins described Cummings as a heavyset man who liked to walk around his house wearing a cowboy hat and an ankle-length black leather coat. He said Cummings would often sit outside on a lawn chair and watch him work and make disparaging comments. He said Cummings had a mean streak and was particularly abusive toward his wife.

So, unless you have been in an abusive situation, you can not assume how someone will react...everyone is different and they react to situations differently depending on their state of mind at the time this is all going on.

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On 12/16/08 at 9:40 AM, David889327 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Ok, aqualicious, then give us some GENERAL detail, such as "She was being physically abused." Also please provide a general description of your credentials, such as, "I am a police officer." or "I was there", etc.

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On 12/16/08 at 3:13 PM, FBlocal wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It's scary that the small town of Fort Bragg CA has produced quite a few of these young men that are abusive. It seems like they come from families with money so there is a sense of entitlement and a feeling that they are able to abuse THEIR women. It's unfortunate that the wife in this case felt she had no options except the one she chose but it could have turned out like the case back here in Fort Bragg where the young woman ended up dead. Last May Katlyn Long was trying to end her relationship with another well to do FB man and she is dead. The man was and is the only person of interest in her suspicious death yet he has not been questioned as to what happened that night when the two of them were locked in her bedroom at her parents house and he came out alive and she did not. Apparently you can do whatever you want if you have money and family connections here. Please take the time to go to a website set up for Katlyn. justiceforkatlyn.com

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On 12/16/08 at 9:25 PM, oceanmist wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I don't have to answer to you, David. I am merely giving my opinion.....everyone is entitled to that!

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On 12/16/08 at 11:41 PM, aqualicious wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

David, all I am saying is.. "Involved" and that is really all you need to know.

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On 12/17/08 at 10:12 AM, browneyezz30 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I have known amber and jim cumming for awhile now, and he was a cruel man and very cold hearted towards her and others so please dont put her down...

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On 12/17/08 at 11:21 AM, David889327 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Ladies, ladies...first of all, I do not intend to "put Amber down", no one has to answer to me PERSONALLY, and aqualicious, you don't have any idea what I need to know about anything. I stand by my concern that in our tenuous grasp on maintaining a civilized society, it's shaky ground for citizens to take justice into their own hands. The right to vote does not carry with it in implicit authorization to murder, or whatever you want to call it.

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On 12/17/08 at 6:46 PM, Tuff2008 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The BDN posts this intriguing article and then no follow up article or am I missing something? Has anyone seen anything new on this? Knew JC and JC Sr. and it is so sad how how being overly indulged turned those 2 kids into the worst kind of "spoiled rotten brats". I witnessed an interaction between these two once and immediately felt sympathy for Amber, she is a sweet, lovely girl and I was shocked to see she ended up with that brat JC. I hope it all ends as it should after the investigation is done and I hope she can move on and have a good life with her daughter.

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On 12/17/08 at 10:08 PM, aqualicious wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Tuff2008, there is an updated article as of today on another news site. You can find it on google.

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On 12/19/08 at 12:11 AM, Dollface wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I knew JC and JC Sr. JC Sr. was a slum lord who bought up decaying properties in the 60's and 70's. The prices he paid in the 60's and 70's multiplied and multiplied turning a small ugly man into a multimillionaire. He let the properties decay and charged the poor and down trodden rent for the substandard conditions -- the same way his 'spawn' seems to have been doing. JC Sr. was mean, prone to angry, unprovoked outbursts and kept his fist on his household. His money and well paid attorney kept him out of trouble and allowed him to grow even more wealthy. JC Sr. was murdered and the locals speculated that it was his common law partner of many years set the 'hit' up by providing drugs to the mentally ill man who committed the crime. JC's mother was a heroin addict and well known to be a drug dealer. When he was a teenager, JC purchased a tiny video camera and installed it into a light switch in his mother's bathroom. He taped her shooting up heroin and then turned the tape over to the local drug task force. Geraldo Rivera had him on his show. It made the national headlines at the time. Young JC inherited millions, about 25 million, after his father's quarters were counted. He never worked a day in his life at a job. His mother recently died of a heart infection. When he was called by his sister to inform him of his mother's imminent death his response was, "I have no mother" and hung up. I can understand how Amber got entangled with JC. He was the ugliest person, physically and personally. Money can make anyone look pretty good. The old pigs ear sow's purse analogy. It is quite a story but not terribly surprising. He was taught by his father to disrespect women. He lived what he learned. It now comes to light that Amber, unfortunately, has been receiving the brunt and paying for this sick sad story.

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On 12/19/08 at 12:21 PM, Tuff2008 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Great post Dollface- blunt, not very pretty but the truth. I remember JC Sr packing those 2 tiny kids around, letting them do and eat whatever they wanted, and I was afraid for the way they were going to turn out just with what I witnessed. So sad.

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