Aaron Owen - 17 (1990)

A 17 year old boy was found with a girl by the girls uncle. He escaped by stealing a car. The police decided to charge him as an adult which was unusual in the state at the time but properly motivated by his sisters involvement in the Franklin Scandal (A scandal never fully investigated due to potential involvement of politicians on the highest level).

The family got poor legal assistance and allowed the case not going to trial in front of a jury who might have been able to see what really was going on, so a case which normally will have resulted in probation resulted in prison instead.

He was found hanging in his cell. The official ruling was suicide. However injuries on his body suggest a fight before the alleged suicide. It will properly never be revealed if it in fact was suicide or just a message to his sister so she would shut up about being a victim in the scandal. Unwillingly he became part of something bigger he could not survive.

Regardless of what took place it was a tragedy for his family. They lost a son and a brother.

May he find peace where he is now.

Sources:

• The Franklin Scandal: A Story of Powerbrokers, Child Abuse & Betrayal (Amazon book store)
• The Franklin Scandal: The Elite Child Abuse Ring in Nebraska (The People's History)