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Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Who Allegedly Molested His Daughter

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 09:10:41 PM EST
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Jonathon Edington, a 29 year old Connecticut patent lawyer, has been charged with stabbing his neighbor to death after receiving information from relatives that the neighbor molested his two year old daughter.

The police said the lawyer, Jonathon Edington, 29, repeatedly stabbed the neighbor, Barry James, 59, and then walked back home. Mr. James, whose mother found him bleeding to death just after 4:30 p.m. Monday, was taken to Bridgeport Hospital, where he was pronounced dead an hour later.

The Fairfield police charged Mr. Edington, who had no criminal record, with murder and burglary after officers said they found him in his kitchen later that afternoon, covered in blood.

Mickey Sherman, who is representing Mr. Edington said:

Edington's attorney, Michael Sherman, said the information came from Edington's wife. "The daughter gave the mother information which was alarming and disturbing. The mom relayed it to her husband. That was the spark," Sherman said.

...."He's in shock," Edington's attorney said. "This is the most unexpected turn of events one can imagine with this young man's background."

It's been a long time since I had a two year old. How does a two year old tell her mother she was molested?

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    Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Who Allegedly Molested His Daughter | 30 comments (30 topical)
    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#1)
    by roy on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 10:12:13 PM EST
    How does a two year old tell her mother she was molested?
    Kids vary. My first niece could barely babble at two. Her little sister could say useful sentences at that age, as in "the toy is in the car". (Turns out big sis is actually pretty smart. I guess she just got the procrastination gene.) And according to this random thing on the internet, a 35-month-old should be able to "describe how two objects are used" and "name at least six body parts". Not that it's a good idea to put a lot of faith in a toddler's memory and judgement.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 10:39:42 PM EST
    2-year-olds vary tremendously... mine talks better than his 4yo brother. What father might not be driven to a mad, homicidal rage at the realization that his daughter has been molested? It's certainly happened before. Depending on his state of mind at the time, this guy might have a legitimate crack at an insanity defense (no pun intended), though the prosecution will certainly argue that his sneaking into the neighbor's house indicates cold premediation (malice would be a given).

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#3)
    by cpinva on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 10:50:09 PM EST
    with all the media driven hysteria, evidence doesn't matter in the public's eye (see: ramsey, jonbenat). all that's required to justify a killing or maiming is a whiff of child molestation, no matter how tenuous or unfounded the claim. this guy will never see the inside of a courtroom, much less a jury. if he does, he'll be acquitted because, as we all "know" two year-olds are very credible and "can't" lie. i feel for this guys poor kid. not mom though, who should have insisted, right then and there, that the police be called, and the allegation investigated. based on the article, and the description of mr. eddington, by his neighbors, i'm betting a plea of not guilty, by reason temporary insanity or impaired judgment will be asserted.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#7)
    by scribe on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 06:43:11 AM EST
    It appears the killing took place Monday afternoon; I suspect there's a heck of a lot more going on here than just the killing. From this report, it appears there was something of a history between these neighbors, and what was a new 29 y/o associate lawyer doing at home on a Monday afternoon, anyway. IMHO, he should have been in the office reviewing patent documents or something, not home killing the neighbor - regardless of what the neighbor did or didn't do. If I had a 2 y/o and she started talking about such, the first thing to do is lawyer up, the second, go to the doctor and explain. I say "lawyer up" because the doctor will have to report, and the first suspects will be the parents. Sad, but true. My first thought on reading about this was "Margaret Kelly Michaels", the young day care teacher whose prosecution in NJ - for allegedly sexually abusing the toddlers under her care - was based upon some of the most egregiously coached and created child testimony ever seen in a courtroom. Although Michaels' conviction was overturned and evidence law made precluding such coached and created testimony, her life was pretty much trashed and she did a number of years before she was released. And, for those who would say "she must have sued and gotten a big payday" - they're wrong. She sued, fought hard, and got nothing. Her case was dismissed on summary judgment because of the various immunities prosecutors and cops have gained.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    My 19 month old son says about 10 words. The little girl down the street born 4 days earlier has an extensive vocabulary. Horribly sad story all around...

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    2? How does she know what molestation is? And for a lawyer to assume the roles of judge, jury and executioner makes the crime all the more unforgivable. Edgington had to be very unstable even before his wife's revelations. Now the daughter can maybe hope to see her father freed in time for her college graduation. Imagine telling her the story behind her father's incarceration. A tragic mess all around.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    No jury in the world will convict this guy of murder, since Sherman can easily negate any possibility of malice by focusing on the shock of learning one's daughter has been molested by a seedy guy in his late 50s. Five years ago, Sherman might have taken his chances in the courtroom going for jury nullification on a voluntary manslaughter charge (which accurately describes the killing), but that was before he got the wind knocked out of him with that Kennedy cousin who beat Martha Moxley to death with a golf club. I suspect he'll plead his client out to involuntary manslaughter, 1-2 year sentencing recommendation in a minimum security prison. Anyone want to make this interesting?

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#10)
    by Jlvngstn on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    This doesn't pass the smell test..

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#11)
    by HK on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    Not only do 2 Year olds vary, but I can't find any indication in the linked reports as to whether this child had just had her 2nd birthday or whether she was nearly 3 and there is quite a difference between the two. I always tell my children that they must tell me if anyone says or does anything to them that they are uncomfortable with. This is so I can talk it over with them and deal with the situation. It does not necessarily mean that the perpetrator has done something illegal or even morally unacceptable. My daughter with Asperger's syndrome does not like anyone she is not extremely familiar with touching her anywhere at all. Someone patting her on the head can send her into a distressed state. For her, that is inappropriate touching, but of course I would never press charges over it! So my question would be, how do you determine in such a short space of time that the touching had not just occured but been illegal? I would also question the motives and judgement of a woman who told her husband such grave news over a cell phone, as it appears happened here. This is a discussion I would want to have face to face. It is uncertain whether the molestation will ever be proved or disproved, but from the evidence available from past conduct, I do not see why the Edingtons had such a problem with this guy to begin with. Is wandering around in ones own property in ones underwear really such a heinous crime?

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    based on the article, and the description of mr. eddington, by his neighbors, i'm betting a plea of not guilty, by reason temporary insanity or impaired judgment will be asserted.
    I would be and would be willing to wager that most of you, upon news of hearing something like that would be at least temporarily insane. How dow we know he "snuck" in there as opposed to raising hell and just in a rediculous rage killed him. I like to think I wouldnt do something like that in the same situation, but it would take a lot for me to not lose my cool.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#13)
    by ron on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    IF it turns out the guy did it - Good for dad! We need more people like him. Thanks to the crazy liberal courts at best the child molester would have gotten in maybe a little jail time and probation. If that. If a few more of these dangerous people were killed on the spot there would be less children hurt by them the next time. And there is always a next time with these deranged people. But of course if the guy wasn't guilty, then Dad should be tried for murder.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    As a father of two young children - I can't imagine what I'd do if someone molested my daughter. After becoming a father, I fully appreciate now how innocent young children are. If you're not a parent yourself, imagine the feeling you have when you buy a new puppy and bring him him. Now multiply that by about 1000 - and you begin to understand how much a father cares for and wants to protect his daughter. This is probably a case where the father did the wrong thing - understandable - but wrong. In different societies, at different times - what the father did would be socially acceptable.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#16)
    by Patrick on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 10:26:25 AM EST
    The two year old would never qualify to testify in a court. The only way to make the case against the molester would have been with physical evidence of a molest containing DNA. I've seen many cases like this not get prosecuted based on a lack of evidence. As for the lawyer, well, I too can understand his rage, if the crime did occur. I remember seeing TV footage of a father who shot and killed his son's murderer while he was in police custody and being walked through an airport. Anyone esle remember that? I think he got off pretty light, but I'm pretty sure there was plenty of evidence against the child killer. Ellie Nesler was another one. She would have probably gotten off if she hadn't been tweaking when she shot that guy in the court room. So there's precedence for lighter sentences in these types of cases.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 10:41:31 AM EST
    Many years ago, as a public defender, I handled a molest case which involved a two year old victim. The child was about 2 years and 2 months when she accused her father of touching her in a strange way. The mother then reported the case to the police and the father made a ( Mirandized) confession. Dad admitted to a lesser offense and was place on lifetime probation with 6 months in jail. I got the case when Dad molested the daughter again, who was now a verbal 5 year old. I got Dad on the probation violation and the new charge. Dad got 17 years in prison (flat time)and reinstatement to lifetime probation. Dad admitted to everything again when arrested by the police. I did what I could for my client which was advocate for him. I had no children at the time. Now that I've become the mother of two I do think that the initial statement of the daughter to the police was a fabrication or exaggeration of the mother's. Two years olds do not talk the way that statement sounded. I think the mother saw the father do something strange to the daughter and created the statement to bolster her observations. I also think she was right about what she observed but lied about what her daughter said. I also believe that the favorable resolution of the initial case reflected the problem with the daughter's statement. This is a tough case. Everyone will sympathize with the defendant. It will be difficult to remind people that due process is a fundamental part of liberty and that victims can't summarily execute suspects. Finally I want to remind posters complaining about "liberal judges" that many states have mandatory sentencing laws that limit judge's discretion. Sentences are often what the prosecutor wants. In the state where I practice, defendants can get 12 years for a first time act of child molest. They are also eligible for committment as a sexually violent person after their prison is finished.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#15)
    by Bubba on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 11:02:03 AM EST
    Edington must have skipped the class in law school that covered due process.... [insult deleted]

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 11:03:26 AM EST
    I can certainly understand the rage that this father must have felt. Recently my 16 year old daughter told me that her father (who I am divorced from) has been sexually abusing her for the entire time we have been seperated/divorced, which is eight years. It was a long process, and continues to be, however the State of Florida has issued the "appropiate" punishment. Very early on in this "roller coaster" ride I found myself outside of his residence with every intention of harming him. It took alot of restraint to not go into the house. I prayed and asked for some sort of help. I walked away that evening because I did not want to go to prison myself and I wanted to be with my daughter. What good would it serve her if I were away from her? She lost her father eight years before, I would not want her to experience the hurt of losing me, her mother. We all do, I hope, what we think is right..and sometimes we know it's wrong. I think of all the families that have been touched by some sort of violence. These two families are no different, there are no winners here. This two year old is without her father, however long or short a time. She will be forever free from this molester..both families have lost. It is just a sad no win situation.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 11:11:15 AM EST
    I remember seeing TV footage of a father who shot and killed his son's murderer while he was in police custody and being walked through an airport. Anyone esle remember that? I think he got off pretty light, but I'm pretty sure there was plenty of evidence against the child killer. 5 years probation. http://spikedhumor.com/articles/38182/Father_Of_Kidnapped_Son_Gets_Revenge.html Maybe the mom noticed blood in the kid's diaper.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 11:12:33 AM EST
    At age 2 (closer to two than three?) -- Not usually, not likely in specific words -- at least not initially; certainly not complete sentences for most, and for many still in the gibberish stage (it's developmental and of course, wide variations). Closer to three, far more language capability, and some are near geniuses, although that is not the typical development. Clues are more likely from behavioural changes: emotional outbursts, acting out, lashing out, extreme mood swings, shutting down, over-reacting to innocently intimate gestures (wiping, bathing, etc) -- in combination with other possible physical signs .... Not something that is EASY to identify at almost any age ... sometimes it is witnessed by others without the perpetrator's knowledge ... Sometimes things aren't at all what they seem... This is a disturbing and worrisome story without having more details. If the alleged perpetrator was such a hermit, how would he have access to the child? And why would any parent allow this guy near a kid of any age -- according to the NYT was known by neighbors to be an alcoholic (which is also a major factor in abuse of all types)? I think your warning antennae are up for a reason. RESOURCE PDF: a quick search shows ChildrensHelp.com -- has information about different stuff like this I think including "Seven Steps to Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse and Child Predators" ... some practical, not hysterical guidelines, brochure in pdf format downloadable.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 11:12:33 AM EST
    "as we all "know" two year-olds are very credible and "can't" lie." What the hell? Are you kidding?

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#20)
    by John Mann on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 11:58:56 AM EST
    The guy who got shot wasn't the boy's murderer. He was his karate coach and had apparently been sexually abusing the boy for some time.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 03:00:04 PM EST
    Vigilanteism is not permitted under law, nor should it be encouraged. Rage and emotion is not an excuse for crime. Ever. We have laws we live under, to make us a civilized nation; anyone defending this behavior could be a schmuck!

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 03:00:04 PM EST
    There's something more going on here. The patent attorney's account, as reported in the Times, doesn't make sense on a number of levels. The questionable credibility of the two year old's "accusation" notwithstanding, how did this odd neighbor have access to the child? When my kids were two or three, they were barely ever out of our sight. I wonder whether the molestation story is simply an attempt at misdirection.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#23)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 03:20:01 PM EST
    What is the scenario in that the two year old was left alone long enough with this 59 year old neighbor? Where were this two year old's parents when she was supposedly being molested? Who are these parents who leave a child with a person they do not "know" well enough to trust them? How responsible are the parents for placing their two year old in a situation that may have violated her rights? Was the mother of the two year old suggesting "what" happened to the two year old? When did we as a nation accept and encourage Vigilanteism, no matter the causation?(unless you're a Freeper) Why is okay to just stab this man to death without the benefit of his rights under due process?

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#24)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 01, 2006 at 07:34:21 AM EST
    Posted by Anonymous August 31, 2006 07:10 AM "My 19 month old son says about 10 words. The little girl down the street born 4 days earlier has an extensive vocabulary. Horribly sad story all around..." Anonymous, I don't know what condition your 19-month-old son may or may not have, but if it's just his lack of knowing words that bothers you, you should DEFINITELY take heart. I have a 19-yr-old son who was somewhat slow in learning to speak meaningfully. When he was 3, he spoke (usually in phrases, not sentences) about things he saw--traffic signs were a favorite with him--but he could not CONVERSE. That is, if you pointed to his mother and asked, "Who is that?", he would respond by babbling about a traffic sign he saw nearby. I could go on and on, but suffice to say that he speaks as well as anyone now, that his intelligence is above average, that he won some academic scholarships for college, that he writes and spells far better than most people, and that, though we had him tested at age 3, THE PROFESSIONALS WHO TESTED HIM CAUTIONED US THAT IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO GET RELIABLE RESULTS ON ANY KNOWN INTELLIGENCE TEST AT THE AGE OF 3. (His test results at age 3 showed low IQ--that turned out to be completely wrong.) I learned that a male friend of mine, gainfully employed, highly intelligent, had not spoken AT ALL until, at age 4, he saw the postman come up to deliver something, went in the back bedroom, and told his mother, "Mama, the postman is here and brought you something." Unless there's some other condition you didn't mention, there's probably not a thing wrong with your 19-month-old.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#25)
    by Richard Aubrey on Fri Sep 01, 2006 at 10:12:47 AM EST
    Justice Club. You presume the kid had been left with this loon. Is there any evidence that is the case? AFAIK, all we know is the mother told the father it happened. How did she know? Did she see it? If so, did she intervene? Or was the act, whatever it was, completed or consummated while she watched? Or did she freak out over something not a matter of molestation and misinform her short-fused hubby? Did a third party tell her? Who? Is she a loon? Years ago, in New Orleans, a Japanese exchange student--dressed for Halloween, I think--knocked on the door of a home. The wife answered and shrieked for her husband to get his gun. So she's got the brains of a newt, at best. Hubby, no better, got his gun and told the kid to "freeze". Halloween being early in the exchange student year, the kid didn't know that slang and failed to freeze, so stupid hubby shot him dead. I keep thinking of that when something like this happens. Maybe the recently deceased loon did nothing but, I dunno, look out the window or something. This smells.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#26)
    by ltgesq on Fri Sep 01, 2006 at 10:12:47 AM EST
    I don't buy the molestation claim. there was something else going on, and this crazy lawyer ceated the molestation as justification. They never took the child for an examination? I have a daughter and would respond violently to a real molestation. I also have seen parents mistake a yeast infection for signs of molestation. I thought the karr case taught us to be hesitent to assume guilt.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#27)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Sep 02, 2006 at 06:55:58 PM EST
    I work in a public defender's office with a lot of juveniles in the DHS system. When they are 2-3 years old, their accusations are kind of along the lines of "He hurt my pee pee." or "He hurt my bum." I'd be surprised if she disclosed to the perpetrator's wife, rather than something like this coming up in conversation during potty time...

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#28)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Sep 04, 2006 at 10:44:49 AM EST
    will someone in the press please get to the bottom of the story and explain how this james neighbor molested this two year old girl. how did this happen if the mother was watching the girl and the girl was under her care and control. did she leave her outside unattended? was he babysitting? they owe some kind of explaination if their claim of molestation is true.

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#29)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 06:10:44 PM EST
    that is my question Where were this two year old's parents when she was supposedly being molested? If this child was left alone HRS should charge some one with neglagents and endangerment after all this was a 2 year old child It is the parents" job" and "responsibility" to protect their children 24-7

    Re: Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Wh (none / 0) (#30)
    by here on Mon Sep 18, 2006 at 03:14:52 PM EST
    I would need to speak with the girl myself to decide whether or not she was intelligent enough to give her mother concise accounts of molestation. As a mother and a child care worker, I have seen children at all different levels by age two. My oldest daughter could say her alphabet, count to ten, and speak in complete sentences by the time she was 12 months old. By the time she was two, she could write every letter in the alphabet, and knew the phonetics of every letter in the alphabet. She spoke clearly and intelligently, using proper grammar. And she asked complex questions about social issues, religion, etc. I wouldv'e believed anything she told me. I've known other children who know only a few words at age two. The girls age is not a factor for me. I want to know how advanced she is.

    Patent Lawyer Charged With Killing Neighbor Who Allegedly Molested His Daughter | 30 comments (30 topical)