The report goes on to detail the increasingly atrocious nature of Mr. Sitler’s molestation of several of his host family’s children. As is typical of pedophiles, he only tells the minimum amount of information necessary to confirm what someone already knows or to help his own case. By the time of the guilty plea, this information has expanded from “I wanted to go pray for them” to disclosures of 20+ children Mr. Sitler had molested.
Latah County Prosecutor, Bill Thompson: That’s the reality of where we are Your Honor. And I’m really sorry we’re here. I truly am. But we can’t change what has occurred. And what is still troublesome is that Mr Sitler has yet to successfully complete a polygraph examination, which suggests that there is something out there that hasn’t been disclosed—and we don’t know what that might be. Because it seems that every step we make, since we started this past summer, there’s been a little bit of disclosure and then a failure. And a little bit more of a disclosure, and a little bit more of disclosure—and if Your Honor looks at where we are now with what we know, not from polygraph results but we know from Mr Sitler’s own disclosures—from his own lips—and where we were just a month and a half ago, they don’t even compare.
Wilson: Shortly after the victim’s father reported him, Steven contacted the authorities here and said he was going to cooperate fully, and did he need to come down? They said no. That means that he wasn’t arrested until his sentencing.
Shubin: If Sitler had contacted authorities in Latah County sometime in March (or at any time during the investigation period) offering to cooperate and to come down to Latah County, is this something that your office would have a record of? If so, do you have such a record?
Thompson: That’s not ringing a bell with me. It would be unusual for a law enforcement agent to say, “No, we don’t want to talk to you” and I don’t recall at this point in time at what point his attorneys became involved or not. I just simply don’t remember.
Shubin: I can’t find any record at all of Sitler making a statement to law enforcement. Is that correct?
Thompson: I believe that’s correct, yes.
Shubin: Why was he never interviewed by police?
Thompson: Well, because he had an attorney who wouldn’t let him talk to the police, which is frankly not at all uncommon. If an attorney is involved in a case like this, no attorney in his right mind would let his client talk voluntarily to law enforcement because he would just be giving evidence that could be used to support potential charges against him.
Shubin to Latah County Sheriff’s Dept: The initial report for this case was filed on 3/11/05, and LCSO was notified that Sitler had retained an attorney by 3/15/05. I’m looking for anything between those dates indicating that Sitler contacted LCSO and offered to come in and give a statement and whether or not the offer was accepted.”
Latah County: …I have reviewed our file of the Sitler case and do not see that he attempted contact with anyone here at our office between the dates you have listed.
Shubin to Wilson: You mentioned something in your very first email to me that I don’t remember seeing anywhere, so I just wanted to double check it. You said that shortly after the victim’s father reported him, Steven contacted the authorities here and said he was going to
Wilson to Shubin: DW: I believe I heard that from Steven.
Rachel Shubin | “Analyzing Douglas Wilson’s Handling of the Steven Sitler and Jamin Wight Cases,” pp. 13–17.
RESOURCES
- It Can Be Difficult But We Need To Open Our Eyes And Pay Attention To The Facts
- Subscribe To The Heidelblog!
- Download the HeidelApp on Apple App Store or Google Play
- The Heidelblog Resource Page
- Heidelmedia Resources
- The Ecumenical Creeds
- The Reformed Confessions
- The Heidelberg Catechism
- Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008)
- Why I Am A Christian
- What Must A Christian Believe?
- Heidelblog Contributors
- Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to
Heidelberg Reformation Association
1637 E. Valley Parkway #391
Escondido CA 92027
USA
The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Heidelblog
The Heidelblog has been in publication since 2007. It is devoted to recovering the Reformed confession and to helping others discover Reformed theology, piety, and practice.
More by Heidelblog ›