Son Charged with Parents' Murder

The AP reported today that James A. Soares Jr., was charged with the murder of his parents, James Sr. and Marian, after their bodies were discovered buried in the backyard cesspool.

Police would not comment on a motive but said they believe Soares attacked and killed his parents July 9 with a heavy digging tool known as a grub hoe. Police said he then dragged their bodies into an in-ground cesspool at the family's home in Warren, a small town southeast of Providence. Soares lived with his parents.

"It's incomprehensible to think that someone could kill someone that brought them into the world," police Maj. Steven O'Donnell said.

On Saturday, police used a backhoe to dig up the Soares' backyard and found the bodies. O'Donnell said the grub hoe was found under the senior Soares' body.

Now, a grub hoe is not the same as a normal garden hoe. This website describes various trail-clearing tools, one of which is a grub hoe. Apparently, grubbing has nothing to do with digging up grubs to eat (what a relief!) but is the process of clearing the ground of remaining roots and stumps, so a sturdy, narrow, unsharpened hoe is used. The "unsharpened" part of the hoe description makes the crime even more horrible.

As a response to the nature of this crime, Democrat leaders in Congress have begun talking about an immediate ban on the sale and possession of grub hoes, while recognizing that there will be opposition.

"It's a regional thing, it's a cultural thing and it's a sad thing, but it's some type of cult," [Senator Charles] Rangel said. "'Don't touch; don't take the hoe from my dead, cold hands…' and I don't understand it, but obviously there is a political difference about that."

Rangel may not understand it, but some other Democrats do, especially those from rural districts where grubbing is a family sport and grub hoes are thought of as tools.

The lack of Second Amendment protections for tools is expected to be problematic for hoe owners.