In a 40 second clip taken from ABC World News on December 31, ABC news helps make a murderer sound like a victim by ignoring the details of the crime and promoting the murderers soon to be gay panic defense.

The video is included within an article here:  http://abcnews.go.com/WN/marine-charged-revenge-killing-indiana-professor/story?id=9456392

Very little attention has been to this story since this outrageous murder was carried out – and most of the attention is directed toward the explanation of the confessed killer.  

Why is it still acceptable in the mainstream media to promote – without criticism or even the slightest amount of balance – the repugnant claims of a man that confessed to stabbing somone else a dozen times?  The murder victim is not only defamed by the vile accusations, but his accomplished career is ignored and consequently tarnished by the words of a murderer when there is a lack of evidence that his story has any merit.  

At the very least ABC news could afford to spend an additional 10 seconds to include pertainent details about the murder that carry just as much – if not more – weight to what REALLY happened that day.  

They should have quoted their own article (included in the url above) which casts aspersion on the appropriate party – Michael Griffin: 

“'Mr. Griffin…felt that Mr. Belton was not in any way forgiving and that he did not show or express any type of feeling that what had taken place was a mistake,' according to court papers.

Once the argument turned physical, according to the affidavit, Griffin 'stabbed him until he quit moving' then left the house and changed clothes in his girlfriend's pickup truck.

Police said he then went about running errands before dumping a white trash bag containing his bloody clothes.”

Instead, ABC interviewed neighbors whose remarks make it sound like Belton deserved what Griffin did. 

Why not ask some questions about the murderers story?  Is this how other rape victims act?  Do they seek out their attackers two days after the assault without reporting the crime to the police and demand an apology or an expression that “what had taken place was a mistake?”  Is that how most people – let alone rape victims – consider a sexual assault:  as a mistake?

ABC completely failed to mention information about Griffin's girlfriend – who is still missing.  She reportedly left town after turning her boyfriend in the police.  Where was she on Christmas night – the night her boyfriend was supposedly sexually assaulted TWICE?  If she knew about the assault, why didn't she call the police then instead of waiting for a murder to happen?  

Is there any problem with the premeditation and depraved indifference that Griffin exhibited?  Sure, he felt compelled to confront Belton, but did he have to bring a 10 inch knife with him?  Why did Griffin carry a change of clothes with him?  What kind of man makes a point of running errands after stabbing a man multiple times and leaving his body behind?  

Perhaps ABC should have just kept their mouths shut – like CBS and NBC have.  Maybe one of the other networks will exert some journalistic effort when they deign to cover this horrible crime…a crime that happens far too often in this country…with not nearly enough investigation.