'They deserve better': Greentown residents rally around family targeted by racist letter
GREENTOWN – Susan Tobin said she was shocked and saddened when she heard about a letter left on the door of a Greentown home that contained derogatory racial comments towards the family's adopted black child.
"We were all really surprised," she said. "It's not like that in our community. I'm not surprised that there is racism, but to have it in your backyard in a small community is unexpected."
Howard County deputies said the letter was found on Oct. 13 on a home the family had recently purchased at the intersection of 600 East and 100 North, but the family hadn't moved into yet. Deputies are now investigating the letter as a hate crime and intimidation case.
. . . On Thursday evening, Tobin dropped off a basket to the family targeted by the letter. Inside were over 60 cards and letters written by kids and residents from Greentown welcoming them to their new home.
"We were all really surprised," she said. "It's not like that in our community. I'm not surprised that there is racism, but to have it in your backyard in a small community is unexpected."
Howard County deputies said the letter was found on Oct. 13 on a home the family had recently purchased at the intersection of 600 East and 100 North, but the family hadn't moved into yet. Deputies are now investigating the letter as a hate crime and intimidation case.
. . . On Thursday evening, Tobin dropped off a basket to the family targeted by the letter. Inside were over 60 cards and letters written by kids and residents from Greentown welcoming them to their new home.
From the same newspaper one day later:
63-year-old Greentown woman charged in racist letter incident
A 63-year-old Greentown woman was arrested Thursday after police say she left a racist letter aimed at a black child on the door of her neighbors' recently-purchased home.
Deborah Cantwell was booked in the Howard County Jail and charged with misdemeanor counts of intimidation and criminal mischief for a crime that's left the Greentown community rallying around a family left traumatized.
. . . Investigators, who first believed the letter was written by juveniles, later obtained text messages that had been sent by Cantwell to another person, whose name was retracted from the affidavit.
"I am stressing now that we are going to get black neighbors," Cantwell texted. "I am hoping that more people look at the house and an all-white family are the ultimate buyers. I am afraid the stress of black neighbors could put me in the hospital. My blood pressure is elevated just thinking about the possibility."
Deborah Cantwell was booked in the Howard County Jail and charged with misdemeanor counts of intimidation and criminal mischief for a crime that's left the Greentown community rallying around a family left traumatized.
. . . Investigators, who first believed the letter was written by juveniles, later obtained text messages that had been sent by Cantwell to another person, whose name was retracted from the affidavit.
"I am stressing now that we are going to get black neighbors," Cantwell texted. "I am hoping that more people look at the house and an all-white family are the ultimate buyers. I am afraid the stress of black neighbors could put me in the hospital. My blood pressure is elevated just thinking about the possibility."
