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I had hoped that when I had something important (to me, at least) to blog about, it would be a happier subject. But the past few weeks in North County have been anything but.

On February 25, a local high school student was reported missing, and the following Tuesday, March 2, her body was discovered in a hollow grave on the south shore of Lake Hodges, which we can see from our house. The Chelsea King case provided renewed interest in another teen missing since February of 2009. Saturday afternoon, the remains of Amber Dubois were discovered in Pala, and the local rec park, to which we often take Aaron to play, had its ponds drained in the search.

And the man suspected in both of these cases, John Albert Gardner, a registered sex offender, lives with his mother about 5 miles from our house.

As a parent, I hope to never have to know what Chelsea's and Amber's parents are going through right now. Their grief is compounded by the community's outrage that Gardner was free to commit these heinous acts in the first place. In 2000, Gardner was sentenced to six years in prison for molesting a 13-year old. In that case, a psychiatrist recommended that Gardner receive the maximum sentence, 30 years, indicating that the callous demeanor and lack of remorse indicated that Gardner would continue to be a threat to young women. Instead of receiving the psychiatrist-recommended maximum sentence, Gardner walked after serving five years.

And now, because the justice system failed in its civic duties, two teenagers are dead, and another is recovering from an attack. This despicable creature, who should never have been allowed to see the light of day after 2000, has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and murder. This is detestable.

The system has failed both Chelsea and Amber. If Gardner is not given the death penalty for this, the system will have failed all of us.