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Dystiny Myers’ family sues SLO County

March 20, 2014

Dystiny MyersDystiny Myers’ family filed a claim against San Luis Obispo County for taking the head of the murder victim as evidence without informing the family. [Tribune]

During the 2013 trial of Ronda Wisto and her son Jacob York for the murder of 15-year-old Myers, prosecutors showed graphic video slides of Myers’ skull while Dr. Allison Galloway, a forensic anthropologist employed by the county, described the probable reasons for visible fractures and other blunt force injuries sustained by Myers. Myers’ mother, Aileen Lucas, fled the courtroom during the testimony.

According to the claim, the district attorney had not informed the family it had removed the head from Myers’ body before the family buried her. After seeing slides of the skull, Lucas was hospitalized because of a nervous breakdown, according to the claim.

In August, the family filed the claim, which is required before a lawsuit against a public entity can be filed. The county, which still has the skull, plans to challenge the planned lawsuit.

The county has informed the family it will release Myers’ skull. Nevertheless, reuniting the remains will require an exhumation and reburial.

 


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Where were this loving and caring (traumatized) family when Destiny was alive? When she needed them the most? They did not care about her when she seemingly was a burden to them. However, since she is gone, this would be a good time to cash in. Their suffering is no more than a show for the cash that some dippy atty told them he/she could get for them. Bite the bullet and take some responsibility for putting your daughter in that situation to begin with.


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That is just wrong. You are a sick person. What would posses you to say something that? For attention I am assuming. EVERY family has their issues however no matter what has happened in the past NO MOTHER deserves to have their child to be tortured and then has to hear about it in every little detail. You are an awful person for saying that. I did not know Dystiny however this story touches my heart dearly. I am a mother and also a family member to a troubled teen, something to this extreme is NOT OK. Shame on you. You want to talk about responsibility?? HOW ABOUT THE 5 PEOPLE SERVING LIFE TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY. If i were the family; you bet your ASS i would be suing SLO county. Do you realize how much money it costs to dig up a casket and re-bury? THOUSANDS. Something someone to your standards would know nothing about. I hope you have children and your child ends up a trouble maker. You will see its not easy being a parent to a troubled teen, especially one with addiction problems. Your a fool.


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After reading all the comments I am wondering who in their right mind would click the “dislike” buttons! Must be the government employees responsible for this unbelievable fiasco.


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As is normal with government employees, those who committed the wrongful act suffer no consequence and the taxpayers who had no part in any wrong doing pay the price. All awards for government employee wrongdoing should be paid out of CALPERS and the employees who screwed up should have their pension benefits reduced accordingly. Ms. Lucas deserves the money, the taxpayers do not deserve to pay it.


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I read this story and simply could not believe such an OBVIOUS lapse in judgment and common sense this was. Holy cow! Was there NO ONE with an ounce of brains to say, “gee, maybe we shouldn’t just take the head off the deceased child AT ALL, let alone without asking the family?” or ask, “Hey, doc, are you absolutely POSITIVE you need the head removed? Wouldn’t photos do?” Anyone with some common sense? Intelligence?


Nope. Not a one, apparently.


So, will anyone “suffer” other than the family and loved ones of Dystiny? Nah, they’re gonna double-down on their stupidity.


Public employees should be made to carry insurance. Each and every employee who’s decisions and/or actions effect (or potentially can effect) the public. Pay for it with their own money, out of their own pockets – just like they make actual producers in our society do (i.e. doctors, contractors, business owners, home owners, pilots, drivers, truckers, etc).


Then they get to risk losing everything when they do something stupid – just as many (all?) in the private sector do. Lose your career, your house, all you’ve risked… then again, they never are risking anything, but often get compensated as if they are.


So much for “level playing fields” and “equality” and “fairness” – those are just the buzzwords they use to get us to go along with their short-sighted plans, usually.


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I cannot imagine having to endure knowing what my child went through-being tortured and burned-the agony that must have caused the mother! But to have to come to the nightmarish realization that you had buried your child headless-would be enough to push anyone over the edge. At the point of burial-she should have never had to face anything else like this-and it is just horrible that she does. How sickeningly insensitive of those in charge.


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Every myth, superstition and religion I can think of would agree that if a body is buried without the head, it cannot go to the final resting place.


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They don’t care

They followed the law

They don’t care

They followed procedures

They don’t care

They did their job

Thus they did nothing wrong

Should the family win the law suit or settlement

They don’t care or have a conscious

The cost and their legal cost will in fact be on the tax payer’s back

NOT on their salary, raises, or benefits which is un-contestable on the tax payer’s back

They will fix this and whatever the cost will go to the tax payers


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Questions to ask:


Did the coroner’s office tell the family that the head had been severed from the body for further examination?

Did the funeral home tell the family the body had been dismembered?

Did the sheriff’s detectives know the head had been removed and if so did they tell the family?

Why didn’t the district attorney tell the family?

Did somebody like Bill Hanley or one of his crack investigators drop the ball?

Were they supposed to take care of this but got busy with long lunch hours and cutting out of work early.

Did the the whole system fail because of apathy; “they’re poor white trash, the mom’s in jail and the victim would have ended up there too.”


This episode should have this entire community up in arms. I’ve never seen this kind of callousness.


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My first thought when I read the headline was “Cha-ching!”, then I read the article. Cripes! They should win and those involved should be fired.


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