Murder at Big Bird's House
So I thought I was going to have a pretty light and easy day at work today. Boy was I wrong.
I get a tip from a source a little after 1 p.m. that I should take a drive up Alpine Drive in Southbridge and that I'd come across a crime scene.
I do as I'm told and sure enough, there's a crime scene with Massachusetts and Connecticut State Police on hand. A television news crew from Connecticut is there but they tell me they have no idea whats going on - I figure they're lying and not giving me any info because I work for a differrent news outlet. I look around and my first instict is that there must have been a murder somewhere down this long and winding driveway that ends with an iron gate and a large house beyond it.
I make a few phone calls and find out someone supposedly died of a hit and run accident. As horrible as this sounds, I say "oh okay" and figure I'll return back to work and wait for the cops to do their thing because it was only a hit and run death, nothing huge.
Then I find out there's a press conference in Woodstock, Conn. about this death at 3:15. With it now about 2:30, I figure they wouldn't hold a press conference over your standard hit and run death so I find my way to the press conference site.
A Conn. State Police official confirms it wasn't a hit and run but was indeed a murder. I get giddy in a way - again, as horrible as that sounds. The problem is as a reporter my job is basically to just report what happens and not actually contribute anything to society other than the most accurate record I can create as to what has happened and why. In my business, things like murders and fires and just human tragedy in general is the good stuff. This is our homerun or touchdown, this is our friday after thanksgiving sale for retailers, this is our release of new $20 bills for bank tellers - its a big deal for us and it gets the adrenaline going. Its somewhat upsetting at time to think of myself and my peers as leeches of sorts but quite frankly its what people want to know about. I hear so often, "Why don't newspapers write about the good stuff going on?" Well quite frankly, people don't care that your son's class is doing a fundraiser for homeless people or that $5,000 was donated to the school library -- they wanna know who lies and cheats. The old Hollywood saying is true in everyday life -- Sex and violence sells.
Now armed with the knowledge that there was indeed a murder on the Southbridge, MA/Woodstock, CT border -- literally on the border, the home where the body was found is half in Mass and half in Conn -- I make some phone calls and find out that not only is this a murder but the property it was found on is that of Caroll Spinney ... better known as Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird.
Yes, the home of the man that has played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, among others, on Sesame Street for 30-something years was the site of a gruesome murder.
This turns my homerun into a grand slam.
Imagine it now, Big Bird arrested for murder! Muppet Murder!
O.J. Simpson is one thing but Big Bird!?!?
90-120 minutes later I'm somewhat relieved but mostly disappointed when I find out Big Bird is not a suspect in this matter, he may not have even been in the area.
Earlier tonight police arrested a Plainfield, Conn man for the kidnapping of the 44-year-old North Woodstock, Conn woman that was murdered.
Why she was found at Big Bird's place is still unknown.
It was quite an interesting day.
www.southbridgeeveningnews.com
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051213/NEWS01/51213008
I get a tip from a source a little after 1 p.m. that I should take a drive up Alpine Drive in Southbridge and that I'd come across a crime scene.
I do as I'm told and sure enough, there's a crime scene with Massachusetts and Connecticut State Police on hand. A television news crew from Connecticut is there but they tell me they have no idea whats going on - I figure they're lying and not giving me any info because I work for a differrent news outlet. I look around and my first instict is that there must have been a murder somewhere down this long and winding driveway that ends with an iron gate and a large house beyond it.
I make a few phone calls and find out someone supposedly died of a hit and run accident. As horrible as this sounds, I say "oh okay" and figure I'll return back to work and wait for the cops to do their thing because it was only a hit and run death, nothing huge.
Then I find out there's a press conference in Woodstock, Conn. about this death at 3:15. With it now about 2:30, I figure they wouldn't hold a press conference over your standard hit and run death so I find my way to the press conference site.
A Conn. State Police official confirms it wasn't a hit and run but was indeed a murder. I get giddy in a way - again, as horrible as that sounds. The problem is as a reporter my job is basically to just report what happens and not actually contribute anything to society other than the most accurate record I can create as to what has happened and why. In my business, things like murders and fires and just human tragedy in general is the good stuff. This is our homerun or touchdown, this is our friday after thanksgiving sale for retailers, this is our release of new $20 bills for bank tellers - its a big deal for us and it gets the adrenaline going. Its somewhat upsetting at time to think of myself and my peers as leeches of sorts but quite frankly its what people want to know about. I hear so often, "Why don't newspapers write about the good stuff going on?" Well quite frankly, people don't care that your son's class is doing a fundraiser for homeless people or that $5,000 was donated to the school library -- they wanna know who lies and cheats. The old Hollywood saying is true in everyday life -- Sex and violence sells.
Now armed with the knowledge that there was indeed a murder on the Southbridge, MA/Woodstock, CT border -- literally on the border, the home where the body was found is half in Mass and half in Conn -- I make some phone calls and find out that not only is this a murder but the property it was found on is that of Caroll Spinney ... better known as Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird.
Yes, the home of the man that has played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, among others, on Sesame Street for 30-something years was the site of a gruesome murder.
This turns my homerun into a grand slam.
Imagine it now, Big Bird arrested for murder! Muppet Murder!
O.J. Simpson is one thing but Big Bird!?!?
90-120 minutes later I'm somewhat relieved but mostly disappointed when I find out Big Bird is not a suspect in this matter, he may not have even been in the area.
Earlier tonight police arrested a Plainfield, Conn man for the kidnapping of the 44-year-old North Woodstock, Conn woman that was murdered.
Why she was found at Big Bird's place is still unknown.
It was quite an interesting day.
www.southbridgeeveningnews.com
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051213/NEWS01/51213008