Northwest Indiana Discussion

What's the price of a life? IN Hammond, apparently $2, at least for one unlucky man.
Here's the ugly story from the NWITimes today:


Robbers take $2, beat homeless man to death
HAMMOND: Police seek information about victim

BY STEVE ZABROSKI
Times Correspondent

This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, December 1, 2006 12:45 AM CST

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HAMMOND | Police are trying to piece together the last days of an Alabama man found beaten and robbed near downtown Hammond and who later died from his injuries.

Joe Crum, 34, was homeless, but hadn't been for long. Before he died, Crum told investigators he worked as a long-haul truck driver before recently losing his commercial driver's license. He told police he was in Northwest Indiana looking for relatives.

Dazed and bloodied, Crum was picked up by police in the 700 block of Willow Court and taken to St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers, where he died a few days later from trauma to his brain.

He told police he was walking down the street when two men robbed him of $2, then beat him.

Detective Sgt. Tony Hill said Crum told him he would meet over-the-road drivers at truck stops, then drive for them while the truckers slept.

"We know he left the (downtown) homeless shelter early this month," Hill said. "We're trying to find out where he'd been staying since then."

Anyone with information about Crum or his attackers is asked to call Hill at (219) 852-2965.

Wonder how they spent their two bucks?

Joe Crum, 34, was homeless, but hadn't been for long. Before he died, Crum told investigators he worked as a long-haul truck driver before recently losing his commercial driver's license. He told police he was in Northwest Indiana looking for relatives.

I'm wondering how he lost his license. But he had no problem breaking the law!

Detective Sgt. Tony Hill said Crum told him he would meet over-the-road drivers at truck stops, then drive for them while the truckers slept.

I realize that's not the point. Pretty stupid to kill anyone, much less apparently without any personal grudge and for a lousy $2. We can't assume, I guess, but I'm thinking maybe one of his homeless associates?

So the bigger hidden issue here really is one of the safety of the community being at risk by allowing the homeless to roam the streets.