May 23, 2007

Murder on State Street!

The Cap Times reports:
The victim, Austin David Bodahl, 23, of Waconia, Minn., was pronounced dead early this morning at UW Hospital.

Daniel A. Kelly, 31, of Madison has been charged with second degree intentional homicide, police spokesman Mike Hanson said in a news release....

A witness at the scene said he saw five guys who were "pretty wasted" on the sidewalk near the City Bar....

Anthony Paltz, 20, a UW-Madison pre-pharmacy student who was walking down State Street at the time, described the arrested man as "unkempt" and said he was wearing a kilt.
A kilt!

The news story has comments. Check out the second one:
I worked as a bouncer at a club in Milwaukee.

I hate to sound like a misogynist but typically (of course not all) these types of incidents happen after women reject men in a nightclub setting. I saw it all the time at the nightclub I worked at. Typical scenario: hot women in the nightclub reject and/or ignore a bunch of guys and eventually by the end of the night the guys start fighting one another.

You couple the rejection with a guy who then has to 'save face' in an incident coming on the heels of his rejection, and presto, you have violence.
Women! If they would just have sex with men, we wouldn't have these problems.

42 comments:

Dust Bunny Queen said...

That's right. It is all our fault as women that these guys drink too much and kill each other. Ah!! the power that we have.

NO... wait. It's George Bush's fault. He is to blame for everything, isn't he? On the other hand if it is women's fault, we should start looking suspiciously at Laura Bush.

Wade Garrett said...

Um . . . he didn't say that, you said that.

Dave said...

How to pick up a hot girl in three easy steps:

1) Look at her eyes, not her ass or breasts.

2) Ask her questions.

3) Respond to her questions in such a way that you acknowledge what she has said, not that she is a smokin' hotty.

Bonus tip: only AFTER doing all of the above three things can you say "by the way, you're quite beautiful." But saying "I want to nail you!" ain't gonna cut it, unless you are suave enough to pull off a comment like that in a manner whose sarcasm is so obvious that even the most earnest amongst us would see it.

Wade Garrett said...

He didn't blame women for not sleeping with men they've just met. He merely stated his observations as a bouncer; observations which have substantially more than a grain of truth to them.

Dave said...

Wade: the comment is not meant to repudiate the bouncer; it is meant to give the idiots who engage in this kind of behavior a clue about their boorishness.

AllenS said...

So the one guy couldn't get laid, and then, some guy shows up wearing a dress/kilt. I can see where this could cause problems.

Palladian said...

I hope it wasn't these guys...

ERC said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ERC said...

As a close family friend of Austin Bodahl, I beg you all to stop your blog writing! I realize his death does not affect you the way it affects me, however, his family and friends deserve more than this. I ask you all from the bottom of my heart to stop taking his death and the events surrounding his last moments lightly. PLEASE!!! This is not a joke!

Maxine Weiss said...

There's something to be said for stringing a guy along. ---Gives him some hope.

William the Coroner said...

Oh a Scotsman clad in kilt left the bar one evening fair,
And one could tell by how he walked that he'd drunk more than his share...

Ring dong diddle iddle I dee oh!

Ann Althouse said...

ERC: We realize a human being has been destroyed. This is, as always, a terrible, harsh reality.

Ann Althouse said...

You know the blaming of women for it isn't a joke either.

Maxine Weiss said...

Well, why not blame the women? Women know full well how to let a man down gently, so as to allow him to save face.

If a woman decides to pour salt on a wound, twists the knife..... then she knows exactly what's in store for her.

Agnostic Monk said...

"Women! If they would just have sex with men, we wouldn't have these problems."

How true :))

Matt Brown said...

Dave F. - what if the "hot girl" had a donkey with her? Would you still advise not to look at "her ass?" If she did have a donkey with her, would your advice change to "don't look at the ass' ass?"

Unknown said...

erc --

Having had a close friend murdered, I appreciate your emotional pain. Realize however, the family members are not cruising blogs and this page of comments you posted to would require them to click to get here. As you did.

Why did you? To simply stop anyone from writing about this in any way? An unreasonable request.

Ann Althouse said...

I understand the feeling of wanting no one to laugh about anything when someone dies. You can't really expect people to follow it, but I do understand how you feel.

Fritz said...

If only they had watched the movie "A Beautiful Mind." Then they would have understood Nash's gaming theory so that everyone gets laid!

MadisonMan said...

You can't really expect people to follow it

For one reason, that is how some people process the horrible news they hear -- by talking to others about it.

Bissage said...

Hey, the perp was a loser. If you can’t get laid in a kilt, you can’t get laid.

And what’s up with using a towel to retrieve a murder weapon. Is that what kids are learning from the goggle-box these days? Every old-timer knows you’re supposed to use the pencil you’ve always got close at hand. Sheez-ou!

ERC, nobody’s making light of the victim, who is presumed to be a decent sort. Still, you would lay down a preemptive rule by which nobody’s allowed to make light of the events surrounding the victim’s death. That’s too broadly cast a net. And you claim victim status for yourself; the absolute moral authority of a “close family friend of [the victim.]” (Odd formulation, that.)

That’s why I call b.s. I think you’re some kind of twisted uber-troll, like an Uruk-hai to an Orc. The best that can be said for you is that you’re hyper-sensitive and too stupid to refrain from blog reading in your time of grief.

Either way, not good.

Nataraj Hauser said...

Great. Now when I next wear my kilt everyone is going to assume I'm a loser-murderer instead of a 'wild and crazy guy'.

And Ann, there are at least a dozen men in town who routinely wear kilts. Knowing your loathing of shorts, I can only guess at how you feel about a kilt (especially a UtiliKilt worn by a non-Scot).

Natascot

Eli Blake said...

erc:

Murder is a terrible thing, and I hope that murderer never again is allowed out of prison.

That said, there is nothing wrong with writing about what happened. I have been invited to attend a funeral tomorrow in a community where I've spent quite a lot of time. The young man who was killed, was killed fighting in Iraq. I've got strong opinions on the war there (as anyone who has read my posts elsewhere is aware) and the fact that I am going to the funeral (sadly, the fifth American killed in Iraq who I know family, close friends, co-workers or the immediate commanding officer of personally), does not mean that I should not write about Iraq. I should, and I will continue to.

jakash said...

I liked Austin- he was freind of my daughter's- he has been in my house , I've given him rides. This has affected a great many people. He was cared about and loved by many- there is a lot of devastation out there because of this. Gee, Ann I'm so glad you were able to realize that the most important thing about this young man's murder was that he was killed by a man wearing kilt- and somehow or other this has led to a blog about pickling up women in bars.
This is about a young man being murdered on the street in Madison Wisc.

Unknown said...

I can't imagine a more insensitive post.

Ann, as a Madisonian, I've periodically found my way to links to your blog. Posts are posts, opinion is opinion... I seem to rarely agree with you, at least from what I've read, but all's fine and good.

But I met Austin at the Terrace Monday evening, through a random circumstance where he struck up a conversation with me, and somehow your sense of humor focusing on a kilt is extremely offensive. I met a good person, someone who actually made an impression on me as being especially genuine. You can tell that a man is good when his eyes sparkle when he smiles.

Just because you're a news junky doesn't mean that everything in print is entertainment.

To those who have posted here who know Austin, I'm very sorry for your loss.

shmoon said...

dan, thank you for your comment. austin was a mad genius, a sweetheart and my friend. people make such lightness of his death only because they can't know what a gem he was, it's all so totally heartbreaking...

Ann Althouse said...

Look, people can comment here, but do not use obscene language or abuse people. It is fine to say something positive about the man who died, but if you're coming by here to abuse the other commenters, the regular commenters, you can expect to find your comments deleted. There is something of a community here, and if you should take the time to figure out how to act, especially if you've appointed yourself to the role of telling us how to act. Jeez!

Rae said...

When I saw this article I expected there to be comments about Austin's life, instead I find ignorant comments about women and reasons as to why he was killed, as personal friend I am ashamed to read the comments. I sugguest for future reference leave your ignorant comments for your myspace and try and put yourself in his shoes or his family's.

p.s. When Austin did smile, his eyes did have that twinkle, its a shame some of the people making the comments never had a chance to see it, yet you can make stupid remarks about the situation.

Ann Althouse said...

Rae: Have you seen the criminal complaint in this case? It describes Austin as battering the accused man severely before he reacted with the shooting. I can understand how friends and family want to remember the dead man, but this is a forum for discussing the news, and we are concerned with the facts of the case, including whether the accused is being treated fairly.

Rae said...

Ann: I don't think that women rejecting men and men shooting each other is a fact or has anything to due with this case.

The complaint article also stated that the man who shot Austin could have walked away but instead shot Austin.

Warifloon said...

I knew Austin quite well, and to be perfectly honest, his murder didn't surprise me at all. The last time I saw him he was standing outside my window, across the street, stalking me as he did for about three to four months after I told him to stop contacting me. He was completely drunk, kicking cars and street cones when a man asked him to stop, very politely. Austin then proceeded to charge him and threaten to "beat the living shit out of him". From then on, I use to tell people who knew what a psycho he was that I guaranteed he wouldn't live another year or so. I presumed it would either be from a drug or alcohol or both overdose, or from being murdered. Guess when you know a person pretty well nothing surprises you about them. I feel horrible for his family, but honestly, they probably weren't shocked either. Some people live their lives as a slow suicide. Austin was one of those people...it just took someone to pull the trigger for him.

Anonymous said...

today is austin's 24th birthday. rip

for what it's worth said...

for every f***ing second a pathetic being pisses on anyone and judges what they are in one paragraph, LOOK HERE FUCK YOU ALL

Trupsnups said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Tripidation said...

Austin...a mad genius?

Wow. I don't know the Austin some of you claim to have known, but that is probably one of the last things I would describe him as.

He was a troubled, insensitive, violent, incompetent man. He had this coming.

Anonymous said...

"He was a troubled, insensitive, violent, incompetent man. He had this coming."?
all of these things may be true but only because we ALL 'have it coming' someday. i guess he did have some bad qualitites but his good ones weighed them out completely. he WAS a mad genius and to say otherwise is completely ludacris. did you know him at all? i only knew him for maybe 9 months but i can say you are waaaay off buddy.

sammy said...
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sammy said...
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sammy said...

i only knew him for 9 minutes and i can tell YOU, you're way off pal.

btw kelly had no opportunity to flee. not that he needed it. Wisconsin’s self defense law is one of the original stand your ground laws. kelly wasn’t required to flee as 1 he didn’t do anything to provoke the attack 2 even tho he wasn't required, his first and second attempt to flee was thwarted. kelly fired the single shot into bodahl as kelly was pinned to the ground and being punched, kicked, and having his head slammed into the pavement.

all of this and he was only barely able to beat the prejudice against his purported schizophrenia diagnosis, and the political influence of bodahl’s father - (the only two reasons kelly was charged, in the first place.) if bodahl had been required to face the consequences of his actions earlier in his life maybe he wouldn’t have died from the hunger of just one consequence. bodahl will have lived hos whole life never suffering the consequences of his deeds, for this i weep. Dirty Bastard!

krissss said...

Thank you! I knew Austin a little over a year and in the course of this time witnessed three violent fights, one in which he was threatening someone with a broken beer bottle and saying he was going to kill them, the other two of which were basically unprovoked. Also, during this year, Austin was in two other fights which I didn't get the pleasure to witness, but he would show up with black eyes, cuts, etc. and think nothing of it. At this time he was also smoking crack, shooting up and drinking a bottle of whiskey a day. He was a liar, a cheater and a disgusting creature set on this earth to go as he did. Unfortunate it took so long to teach him this lesson. I wish his family didn't have to pay the consequences of his ridiculous behaviors.

BodahlsBud said...

Ok I just want to start by saying to all you that can talk ill about someone who had there life taken from them at such young age never to grow old and have a family. You are insensitive pricks that can justify someone being shot and killed over a stupid bar fight. Where they both could have walked away with a few bruises. Austin was my very best friend as far back as I remember(6-7 years old) I truly know better then all of you. I knew who he really was I knew him before the drugs and alcohol. He was a woderful person and truly did have good intensions. I will admit he did have some rough edges towards the end of his life but thats why they call it an addiction. Its an illness that is extremely hard to fix on your own and that is not who the real person is. I know for a fact thats not how he wanted to be and especially not how he would want to be remembered. I think the main focus should be on a man with severe mental illness with a firearm shot and killed a man and is scott free. He could be standing next to you in the bar. So be careful what you say to people around you cause you or someone you really care about could be his next victim.

Unknown said...

http://www.bustedmugshots.com/minnesota/minneapolis/austin-david-bodahl/105983691

http://www.bustedmugshots.com/minnesota/waconia/austin-david-bodahl/106488061

http://www.bustedmugshots.com/minnesota/waconia/austin-david-bodahl/105512931

well that would still be one of two fewer "victimise'rs" wouldn't it "bud". btw Kelly's next victim was Adam Peterson(who, incidental, killed Joel Mariano and probably Brittany Zimmerman also.) Kelly turned Adam in after Adam threatened to kill Kelly at capitol center foods shortly after Kelly's acquittal. had Kelly still had his gun that day, the world might still have a Brittaney Zimmerman in it. do you know Adam Peterson also? he was practically Bodahl's next door neighbor, after all. how many buddy's do you have?